RTHK: Zelensky to Moscow: 'This is the time to meet'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called again for talks with Moscow on Saturday, saying they were the "only chance for Russia to minimise the damage done with their own mistakes" after attacking.

The two sides are currently holding negotiations remotely but so far, like previous rounds, they have yielded little progress. None have been at the presidential level.

"This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a video posted to Facebook.

"Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such, that several generations will not recover."

Zelenskyy also said that Ukrainian authorities had been able to rescue more than 9,000 people from the port city of Mariupol, which is under siege by Russian forces.

There was still no information about the number of people who had died when a theatre in the city sheltering civilians was bombed, he said.

Over 180,000 Ukrainian citizens had been rescued through humanitarian corridors across the country, Zelenskyy said.

He accused Russian forces of blocking aid around hotspot areas, saying "they have a strict order to do everything, so the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities turned into reason for Ukrainians to work together with the occupiers".

"This is a war crime!" he added.

Several rounds of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow have taken place both in person and virtually since the Russian operation in Ukraine began on February 24.

The latest set of talks, the fourth, opened on Monday.

Russia's top negotiator said on Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions "as close as possible" on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

But Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy taking part in the negotiations, said his country's position had not budged.

"Negotiation status. The statements of the Russian side are only their requesting positions," he wrote on Twitter.

"All statements are intended, inter alia, to provoke tension in the media. Our positions are unchanged. Ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas."

Russia, which has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine since February 24, has requested that its neighbour never join the Western NATO military alliance, as well as demanding its "demilitarisation" and "denazification". (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-03-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China urges U.S. to face up to its own human rights violations

Xinhua) 13:08, March 19, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday refuted U.S. attacks on China's human rights record and urged it to face up to its own human rights violations.

Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, accused U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield of abusing a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

As a gesture of respect for the host country, or the United States, its representative was invited to speak alongside representatives of regional groups in the meeting, Dai noted.

However, the United States, without regard for its own credibility, has gone so far as to use the meeting to launch political attacks, smearing China and many other countries with respect to their internal affairs, said Dai.

"Act like this makes a sad mockery of its status as the host country," he said.

The U.S. accusation of the so-called "ethnic genocide" and "human rights violations" in China's Xinjiang is an outright lie of the century and a vicious political scheme orchestrated and staged by none other than the United States, which China firmly opposes and sternly rejects, Dai said.

"The truth will surely give the United States and its malicious and blind followers a resounding slap in the face," he said, adding that the United States knows genocide the best.

Since the founding of the United States, the U.S. government had developed policies to slaughter and plunder American Indians in an intentional and systematic way, decimating their population to 250,000 at the beginning of the 20th century from 5 million in 1492, Dai noted, adding this is an original sin that the United States cannot shake off.

According to a Lancet report published in October 2021, Dai noted, about 30,800 people in the United States died from police violence from 1980 to 2018, and non-Hispanic Black Americans were estimated to be 3.5 times more likely to die from such violence than non-Hispanic white Americans during that period.

Anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States, instigated by U.S. politicians, have been surging ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dai said, noting that such crimes in New York City rose 361 percent in 2021 compared to 2020.

"May I ask the U.S. representative: When will you give the American Indians an explanation? When will you be able to give the ethnic minorities a real sense of fairness and justice? When will you ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women? When will you offer genuine safety and protection to Asian women who are victims of hatred and violence?" Dai said.

He urged the United States to put away arrogance and prejudice, abandon double standards, and stop pointing an accusing finger at other countries as soon as possible.

"We all know very well what the human rights situation is like in the United States. I hope that the United States will come around to face up to its mistakes and correct them, rather than knowingly leaving them be," said Dai.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
While the accused killer of Emuel Bowers III stood trial in March 2015, Bowers mother Sheila Hilliard sat in the courtroom. The prosecution had an eyewitness, she said Friday as she recalled the trial.

Surely they will be convicted, Hilliard said. But the (criminal justice) system decided to let them go.

Hilliard struggled to hold her composure while she told the story of the men she sees as her sons killers walking free and the day she found out her son had been shot.

Hilliard, eight other Black women whose children, grandchildren or siblings were shot to death, and other family members of homicide victims gathered in the McLennan County Commissioners Courtroom on Friday afternoon with Precinct 2 Commissioner Patricia Chisolm-Miller.

Hilliard said she had a strange feeling late in the afternoon the day Bowers was shot.

Before I got that call around 4:30 (p.m.), I could feel it in my gut. I could not explain this feeling. she said.

Then she got a call to go to one park and her husband got a call to go to a different park, she said.

They said to come, but they would not tell me why, Hilliard said.

As she drove down the street to the scene, a firetruck and an ambulance were behind her and she had to pull over and stop her vehicle, she said.

I had to stop the car and get out, Hilliard said. I felt it in my gut when he breathed his last breath. I can still feel it. Its a void that can never be filled.

She said killers do not just take the life of the person who gets a funeral.

They destroy the lives of those left here, Hilliard said. They tear apart the lives of parents, children, sisters, brothers and friends. We all had to learn how to live all over again, while a part of us is gone.

Not only did she call out anyone who might consider taking a life, she also called out the criminal justice system.

When someone is proven not guilty, they should get to go home, but someone is proven guilty (of murder) they should go to jail. When someone is proven guilty at a trial and they still get to go home  Hilliard trailed off in a moment of emotion.

She gathered herself.

Not only do we as parents have to come together to teach our children a better way, the justice system has to come together and work for everyone, she said.

A human face on the stats

Miller provided some statistics to start off the press conference, but the nine women shared their heart wrenching personal stories.

We want to put a human face on the statistics, Miller said. We want share the experience of the mothers who lost their children to gun violence.

The Waco Police Department asserts that guns were fired 1,894 times in connection to crime in the city of Waco last year.

Further, 12 of the 17 homicides in Waco in 2021 involved a gun, and the city had not reached 17 homicides in a year since 1994, police state.

And, as we begin 2022, police have reported 6 gun deaths to date, Miller said Friday. Behind each statistic is a person with a family, a family who will mourn them for years to come: mothers, fathers, siblings and friends left behind to piece together an understanding of why that person is no longer with them.

With the recent rise in gun violence and deaths in Waco, McLennan County, a unified call for peace is necessary, Miller said.

The women who told their stories

These are the women who joined Miller in a plea for peace and the family members they lost:

Flecha Smyre; son: Montrell Phenix Sr.

Pamela Degrate; grandson: Calveon Nichols

Felicia Jackson; brother: LaWayne Jackson

Paula Peoples Crain; son: Marlon Peoples

Freda Brown; daughter: Sherrell Carter

Marquita Watkins; son: Damon Morgan Jr.

Catondra Johnson; son: Bryan Johnson

Vanessa Lee; son: Donche Webb

Shelia Hilliard; son: Emuel Bowers III

Other family members

Other family members also stood with the women. Among them Bo Brown, who stood with Freda Brown as she remembered her daughter, Sherrell Carter. Bo Brown led the local chapter of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now in the early 2000s.

Parents taking responsibility for their children is only part of the solution, Bo Brown said. Learning self-worth is the other part. If they have self-worth, then they will value education, other people and peoples property. It all starts with self-worth.

Waco Police Chief Sheryl Victorian also addressed the recent uptick in violence Wednesday in a staff talk she gave at McLennan Community College.

People say that when a young Black man is killed, we lose a generation, Victorian said. I realized when I was working homicide (in Houston), when we put handcuffs on a young man, we also lose a generation.

The chief also said that while young men with guns in their hands can be a threat, with intervention and prevention from parents, family members and pastors they can also find opportunity and hope.

Stories from the women

Lee said Friday that she had been an addict for 23 years. She had to give her son, Donche, to his father. But she was still part of his life as he grew up.

I cry for all the children (who get killed), Lee said. And I would tell parents to stay in their (childrens) business. Their business is your business.

Johnson said Friday that parents should talk to their children about violence and guns.

They should tell their children that no matter how angry the feel, taking a life is not worth it, Johnson said.

Watkins said Friday that the day her son, Damon Morgan Jr., died was the worst day of her life.

I still miss him deeply, Watkins said. I couldnt say goodbye to him because he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

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Waco Independent School District Superintendent Susan Kincannon welcomed a recent decision by the state Third Court of Appeals upholding school districts ability to order mask mandates, nearly seven months after her masking order drew a suit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to block it.

The Austin-based appeals court on Thursday unanimously affirmed a lower courts ruling that temporarily shielded school districts from complying with Gov. Greg Abbotts July 29 executive order banning public entities from mandating masks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Read the appeals court ruling The March 17 decision by the state Third Court of Appeals upheld school districts' ability to order mask mandates, nearly seven months after a

The court ruled public school districts and community college districts have authority under the state education code to take action for the health and safety of students and employees. Abbott had not suspended that code and the Texas Disaster Act did not give him the absolute authority to preempt orders by government entities and officials, according to the court opinion.

I feel very validated by that decision after I made the decision to require masking, Kincannon said.

She said she had no regrets after ordering masking for students and adults on Waco ISD campuses on Aug. 26.

I felt so confident in that decision, Kincannon said. I knew I was taking care of kids and our staff and keeping them safe.  This was never about politics for me and the courts decision confirmed that.

Waco ISD Trustee Jeremy Davis, who repeatedly urged listeners at fall board meetings to mask up for the safety of family and community members, said he agrees with Kincannon.

My number one concern is our students and staff in the WISD, Davis said.

The Waco and La Vega school districts are in a different suit than the one before the Third Court of Appeals, although it involves similar issues. Paxton sued the two districts plus Midway and McGregor ISDs on Sept. 13 on the grounds their mask orders violated Abbotts ban on mask mandates. The state later dismissed Midway and McGregor from the suit, agreeing with them their COVID-19 measures did not constitute mandates.

The Waco suit has been on pause since Oct. 13 when 414th State District Court Judge Vicki Menard agreed to wait until resolution of a state lawsuit against La Joya Independent School District, the case the Third Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday. The Attorney Generals office has not decided whether to appeal that ruling to the Texas Supreme Court, although legal observers expect it will.

The Waco case is expected to return to court April 13, but Waco ISD attorney Peter Rusek said the Third Courts ruling and the fact that Waco ISD trustees ended the mask mandate Feb. 24 argue for the cases dismissal. Rusek earlier sent a copy of the Waco ISD trustees decision ending the mandate to the attorneys involved.

Were hopeful for the Attorney Generals Office to agree that this (issue) is moot for the Waco ISD, Rusek said.

La Vega ISD officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

The Waco ISD mask mandate last August happened in the context of rising hospitalizations in the county, an increase in cases at Waco ISD campuses in the first weeks of school and no available vaccine for kids younger than 15 years old. The number of cases at Waco ISD schools spiked at 285 the week after the mask mandate went into effect, but tapered off in the weeks that followed. By mid-October, 12 of 15 elementary schools and four of seven secondary schools reported no COVID-19 cases.

January saw a larger surge in cases at Waco ISD schools due to the more contagious omicron variant, but more students and adults had been vaccinated by then, with a lower percentage of COVID-19 cases in the county leading to hospitalization.

The districts most recent reported COVID-19 case was on March 4.

Kincannon declined to say if and when masks would return should another COVID-19 surge arrive.

I wont predict what we might do. It depends on the situation, Kincannon said. Every phase of this (COVID-19 pandemic) has been different.

Correction: This original version of this story misquoted Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon. She said she feels "validated," not "vindicated," by the appeals court's ruling.

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Most of the worlds population viewing the stunning and heartbreaking images coming from Ukraine after Russias unprovoked and horrendous invasion have been moved to sadness, tears, anger or possibly action. My emotions align with those reactions reinforced by the fact that my paternal grandparents and great grandparents arrived in a welcoming Texas from Russia more than 110 years ago.

From the small village of Parichi (pronounced Parich) on the beautiful Berezina River, Chazkell Gorelik (Americanized to Haskell Harelik and later to Pop) traveled to Bremen, Germany, buying steerage on a ship to Galveston, Texas and America. My grandfather preceded his bride and his family, sent by his parents to escape the czars efforts to kill or conscript into military service young Jewish men. My grandfather had already joined a resistance movement in what is now Belarus and my great-grandparents were sure he would be punished and, thus, be safer in America.

The Jewish population in Russia in the late 1800s was treated poorly. Their rights to certain work and to live in certain areas were limited. The Russian czars supporters periodically staged pogroms to threaten the Jews and keep them subservient. It is no wonder so many left Russia for better lives.

I marvel at the courage it must have taken for a poor Jewish young man to leave his family, some of whom he never saw again, and travel to a new country to encounter a new, unknown language, with but a few rubles in his pocket. Upon landing, Pops brother-in-law, who had preceded him, found him a job selling bananas on a covered wagon. Learning a few words in English, Pop was off to make his name in the land of opportunity, something he couldnt have hoped for in Mother Russia. I see that courage amplified today in the spirit of the people of Ukraine.

Had Pop not left for the new world, I can only imagine what he and his family would have faced. The brutality of the Russian government would have been experienced many times over. How fortunate are we, their descendants, that we live in a democracy.

I cant help but think of my Russian ancestors as I view the daily images: destroyed churches and Holocaust memorials; bombed hospitals; families in bomb shelters; thousands at crowded train stations trying to evacuate from Ukraine; women and children refugees trying to cross Polands borders; courageous Jewish Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to his countrymen as well as to national congresses and parliaments; a young woman playing the piano on a Ukraine town square; a Ukraine military band playing for a citys courageous patriots; the Ukraine colors adorning world famous buildings and bridges; and the Ukraine flag adorning photos of worldwide Facebook users.

If my grandparents were living, I know they would be proudly flying the American and Ukrainian flags, grateful to be living in the country that welcomed them, reared them and offered them the opportunity to live freely while remembering a land with which they had a kinship. My grandparents never spoke Russian in my presence; they vowed to learn English when they arrived in Texas and not only did so but were also able to eliminate any hint of a Russian accent. Nevertheless, I know they would be completely supportive of Ukraine today.

Their Russian kinship is shared with later Harelik descendants. But for the courage of our grandparents to leave Russia, and the grace of our good Lord, go we. The stories and songs and remembrances of our grandparents were passed to their children and grandchildren. And as the video of that young girl singing Let It Go in the Ukrainian bomb shelter came into view, I was reminded of a melody and words my grandparents used to sing. A song reflecting their memories of coming to America and their refugee families who followed, it was called Di Grine Kuzine, Yiddish for Country Cousin:

Zu mir is gekommen a Kuzine (My country cousin just arrived)

Shayne vie gelt iz zi geven de Grine, (Pretty as gold is she)

Bekelecht vi royten pommerantzen, (With cheeks like red pomegranates)

Fieselech vos beten zich tzum tantzen. (And feet to happily dance.)

Today, the millions of refugees fleeing from their homes and loved ones are not crossing borders with dancing feet and rosy cheeks. They are running for their lives, eyes filled with tears and fear, hearts filled with sadness of loss. Citizens of the free world must do all they can to support the masses who are running as well as the millions who dare to stay in Ukraine to defend their country. I personally am making my donations to support organizations helping the people of Ukraine and I do so proudly in honor of my grandparents and in support of the courage of the citizens of Ukraine.

How sad it is that the horrors of old world Russia have been thrust, once more, on Ukraine and, indeed, the entire world. In opposition to Russia, I stand with the forces of democracy. I stand with the hope of peace. I stand with Ukraine.

Harry Harelik, a native Wacoan, was a self-employed CPA and foundation executive director till recent retirement. He is a longtime supporter of local nonprofit organizations.
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. &&
Family medicine programs filled 4,470 positions in the main Match, 23 fewer than last year, for a fill rate of 90.6%. However, 16 more family medicine programs participated in the Match compared to a year ago, offering nearly 100 additional positions. That means that when the results of this weeks Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program are added to the total, its likely that the 2022 class of family medicine residents will be the largest in the specialtys history.

Given the challenges of the pandemic, the fact that the Match results were so close to last years tells us family medicine is just as appealing to medical students as it ever has been, said Karen Mitchell, M.D., the AAFPs Vice President of Medical Education. Medical students family medicine exposure was significantly limited, delayed, canceled or changed to virtual experiences the past two years, which hindered their ability to witness the interpersonal, face-to-face care that is at the core of family medicine. Students had fewer clinical opportunities to experience the breadth of family medicine and develop the depth of relationships with patients and preceptors. The Match results indicate the resilience of this class of students and reinforce my optimism about the future growth of family medicine as in-person clinical experiences resume.

It is anticipated that the majority of the 465 family medicine slots unfilled in the main residency Match were filled through the SOAP. For perspective, 348 family medicine positions were available in the 2021 SOAP, and 340 filled. A comprehensive report from the NRMP, which will include SOAP results, is expected this spring.
Denver Post / Getty Images

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Spring is that peculiar time of year when we clean out our garages and attics so we can rush out to yard sales, garage sales and thrift stores to land bargains on stuff that others are cleaning out of their own garages and attics.

Theres one savvy way to win this cycle: by purchasing only those items you can feel confident buying secondhand. But how can you tell whats a really smart used purchase? Weve got you covered. AARP reached out to four thrift-shopping gurus, who say these 10 items are the very best to buy used.

1. Books

Books always have been and always will be just about the best thing to buy used. They are the ultimate good-to-buy-used category, says Kate Holmes, a resale industry consultant and author of Too Good to Be Threw: The Complete Operations Manual for Resale and Consignment Shops. Even if you dont plan to read the books, she says, a little bundle of similar books, tied with a burlap bow or a satin ribbon, makes a wonderful accessory on your bookshelf.

For shopping expert Trae Bodge, reading a used book can be the most pleasurable of experiences. Theres something lovely about reading something that you can see was also read by someone else who left a little dog-ear, she says. In fact, she bought most of her own book collection secondhand from the semiannual college scholarship fundraising book sale at which her husband volunteers. Speaking of college, she strongly recommends that virtually all college textbooks be purchased used, which can save hundreds of dollars.

Childrens books in particular are terrific to purchase used, says Andrea Woroch, a consumer money-saving expert. At a farmers market, her kids recently picked out brand-new used editions of Disneys Bambi for $4 each, which she figures is about a two-thirds discount. And when it comes to coffee-table books, which are meant more for display than reading, she says buying used is by far the most cost-conscious route.

2. Pet items

There may be no savvier way to pick up basic items for your pet than secondhand, says Kathy Ozzard Chism, author of Garage Sale Success Secrets: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Turn Your Trash Into CA$H! Shes still smarting a bit from the $150 dog crate she had for many years that ultimately sold on Craigs List for $60. Few things sell more quickly at garage and yard sales than pet crates, because they are very costly when purchased new. She also encourages folks to buy feeding bowls, leashes and even collars secondhand, since they can be pricey at the pet store. But she advises against purchasing a used pet bed unless there is a tag still on it that assures you it was never used. Otherwise, it could be an invitation for fleas, ticks and dust mites, she warns.
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Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Democratic legislators and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham reached agreement Friday on plans to call a special session April 5 focused on issuing tax rebates and passing a $50 million package of omnibus spending.

The agreement comes as New Mexico  the nations No. 2 oil producer  enjoys a revenue boom but consumers are hit by high gasoline prices.

Legislators are reviewing the possibility of one-time checks of $110 to $160 for each tax filer, or twice that for couples who file jointly. They may also limit the rebates to filers who made under $75,000 last year or under $150,000 as a couple.

But the details remain under debate.

As prices remain high nationwide, Lujan Grisham said Friday, it is clear that we must act swiftly to deliver more relief to New Mexicans.

The session could also resolve a budget confrontation between Lujan Grisham and legislators of both parties. The governor last week vetoed a $50 million supplemental spending package that features projects and programs picked by individual legislators.

The special session agenda would include a revised version of the bill addressing the governors objections and avoid the possibility of lawmakers calling themselves into session to override the veto.

In an interview, Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, said lawmakers are committed to addressing transparency and other concerns raised by the governor about the spending measure, sometimes called the junior budget bill.

House Majority Leader Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, said the special session will allow policy makers to quickly address both issues  tax relief and the spending package.

Im just grateful that we have a path forward so that we can not only give New Mexicans relief from these high gas prices were seeing across the state but also making sure those investments vetted through the junior bill get to those communities, he told the Journal.

Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca, R-Belen, said Republicans have long supported sending more of the states revenue directly back to taxpayers. But the special session, he said, is designed to avoid having legislators embarrass the governor through a veto override on the spending package.

I think the special session being called is really just a political calculation to cover up for her misstep in vetoing the junior spending bill, which was just shocking to everybody, he said. Thats really what this is all about.

As lawmakers prepare to return to the Capitol, economists for the Legislative Finance Committee have analyzed the possibility of issuing $110 to $160 rebates for each tax filer, or $220 to $320 for couples filing jointly. They also studied how much it would cost to limit the rebates to filers who made $75,000 or less in 2021, or $150,000 for couples.

The estimates range from $139 million to $242 million, depending on the size of the rebate and whos eligible.

The main budget package authorized this year already calls for record-high spending of $8.5 billion, driven by increased state revenue from oil and gas production.

Some lawmakers have suggested suspending the states 17 cents-a-gallon tax on gasoline, but opponents said it would interfere with the states debt obligations.

Now lawmakers and the governor are turning their focus to rebate checks, building on a similar measure they approved earlier this year.

Tax legislation approved in this years 30-day regular session, for example, already calls for $250 checks to taxpayers who made less than $75,000 last year, or $500 for married couples filing jointly who make under $150,000.

The new rebates would come on top of that.

I think its a good use of our nonrecurring general fund revenue, Stewart said. Our reserves are at almost 30%  thats $2.5 billion.

As for the $50 million spending bill, the Democratic governor angered legislators of both parties when she vetoed it, contending it circumvented the usual budget-vetting process.

The bill allowed each member of the state House to allocate $360,000 to projects and programs of their choosing, and $600,000 for each senator. The proposal, Senate Bill 48, passed without a dissenting vote.

But Lujan Grisham argued that some of the money would go to projects that arent fully funded, meaning the money couldnt be used.

Talks between her administration and legislators accelerated this week about how to resolve the conflict.

Some lawmakers  Democrats and Republicans alike  had pushed for bypassing the governor altogether and overriding her veto. The state Constitution permits lawmakers to declare an emergency and call themselves back into session with support of three-fifths of the members in each chamber.

But the special session is expected to produce a revised version of the spending bill.

I look forward to continuing our work to deliver pragmatic and productive solutions that benefit New Mexicans, Lujan Grisham said, and I appreciate the Legislatures agreement in prioritizing transparency and accountability in this and future sessions.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

The New Mexico Attorney Generals Office has charged a controversial Otero County commissioner with failing to register his pro-Trump organization as a political committee.

Couy Griffin, 48, is facing a misdemeanor count of violating the campaign reporting act by failing to register Cowboys for Trump, or C4T, as a political committee with the Secretary of State.

Griffin, cofounder of C4T, was dealt a blow last month when the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to reverse a ruling that the group had to register in New Mexico as a political organization.

In 2020, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver ordered Griffin to register Cowboys for Trump before the group challenged the law in court.

The AGs Office, in a release Friday, said Griffin had still not complied with the order to register, nor filed the required reports or paid the statutory fine of $7,800.

We live in a nation that ensures that no elected official is above the law, Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a statement. Citizens have the right to expect reporting and disclosure transparency from all elected officials.

When reached by phone Friday, Griffin said the AG should focus on more important matters.

Hector can take his misdemeanor and  give it to someone else, he said, adding that the AGs Office should focus on getting justice for the women he says were sexually assaulted on Jeffrey Epsteins Zorro Ranch in New Mexico.

Griffin said he has asked the court to reconsider its ruling on Cowboys for Trump and expects to win the second time around.

Griffin is one of hundreds of Trump supporters charged with knowingly entering restricted areas of Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

His trial, which starts next week, will be the second among those arrested in the riot.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Desert bighorn sheep, bison and thousands of bats call the Armendaris Ranch in southern New Mexico home.

Owned by media mogul and conservationist Ted Turner, the ranch spans along the Rio Grande from Bosque del Apache to just south of Elephant Butte Lake.

Now 315,000 acres is permanently protected from subdivision and harmful development under a conservation easement with the New Mexico Land Conservancy and U.S. Department of Defense.

The deal was nearly five years in the making and is the biggest yet for the land conservancy, said southern program director Ron Troy.

Its pretty neat when you look at the connectivity of this unfragmented habitat along a really important corridor of the Rio Grande, Troy said.

Turner, the 83-year-old who launched CNN, owns about 1 million acres in New Mexico.

The ranch in Socorro and Sierra counties is known for the Jornada Bat Caves and research on bighorn sheep, tortoises and falcons.

Looking at it from a large landscape scale, the Fra Cristobal mountain range is entirely located on the ranch, Troy said. Agencies now use that as a source population to reintroduce sheep into areas like the Sacramento area near Alamogordo.

The easement was funded in part by a federal program that protects a buffer zone around White Sands Missile Range and other military sites. The parties arent disclosing how much the ranch was paid for the easement.

Turner donated a little more than half of the value of the easement.

Brian Knight, environmental division chief at White Sands, said the project preserves open space and restricts development such as transmission lines and wind turbines that could impact nearby military operations.

Some weapons system testing can only be done at White Sands because of its sheer 2.3 million acre size.

North of the range is about 870,000 acres of restricted airspace that is normally open and managed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

But if we have a special need to do a certain kind of mission, we can call up that airspace and it becomes restricted for things like low-level test flights, Knight said. We also have the same thing in the west called the western call-up area, and within that is a portion of the Armendaris Ranch.

The Civil War battle of Valverde took place in 1862 on an area that is now the ranch.

Historic towns on the land were part of the transportation route for atomic bombs to the Trinity Site during the Manhattan Project.

The Army has also funded about 40,000 acres of conservation easements on ranches north of White Sands.

The Armendaris conservation easement is the largest ever completed under the military buffer project program.

Only half of the Turner ranch is actually within the ranges buffer boundaries.

But Knight said the larger easement worked for everyone involved.

As we develop more long-range weapons systems and things like hypersonic testing, we could need to expand that restricted airspace to allow for future missions, he said.

Knight emphasized that ensuring options for future military work is important for the site that is a major economic driver in southern New Mexico.

About 25,000 ranch acres were excluded from the easement to allow for renewable energy projects and ecotourism.

The project balances conservation and economics, said Scott Wilber, executive director of the New Mexico Land Conservancy.

So often when we go to a national park or a monument or refuge, we dont always think about the surrounding land, the backdrop, which often is private land, Wilber said. To continue protecting those viewsheds and connectivity, private land conservation is really important.

Phillip Evans, a spokesman for Turner Enterprises, said the easement is vital to (the ranchs) preservation and protection for generations to come.

As stewards of biodiversity-rich lands, our companys commitment to the environment is consistent with the management philosophy of our ranches and properties  innovatively managing our lands to be ecologically sustainable while promoting the conservation of native species, Evans said in a statement.

The land conservancy now oversees about 650,000 acres of conservation easements in the state.

Department of Defense funding enabled the land trust to hire biologists, surveyors and title companies for the easement work.

The land trust will monitor the easements and issue annual reports to the Army.

Its not only about conserving land  there are financial benefits from conservation, including employment, Wilber said.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Facing a shortage of nurses, New Mexico is preparing to pour about $55 million into faculty endowments and other efforts to expand the states capacity to train and graduate nursing students.

The money  authorized in this years legislative session  will go toward financial aid and stipends for students, clinical simulation and training sites on college campuses, and the recruitment and retention of nursing faculty.

It could take years to pay off, but supporters say a home-grown supply of nurses is a critical part of the strategy for addressing staffing shortages in New Mexico.

For nursing students, the state appears to see little brain drain  or exodus of young talent  when they graduate. The College of Nursing at the University of New Mexico estimates that 94% of its undergraduate and 96% of its graduate students stay in the state.

The new funding definitely will help, Christine Kasper, dean of the UNM College of Nursing, said in an interview. Educating nurses at all levels is an extremely expensive thing  everything from very advanced computerized simulation centers to the cost associated with (information technology) support.

Lawmakers and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved the funding as part of this years $8.5 billion state budget. Much of the money is one-time funding  not ongoing  making it more appropriate for capital projects than, say, hiring more staff.

But it includes $30 million to establish faculty endowments, which would generate annual income that can be put toward faculty recruitment and retention. Its intended for teaching positions.

The budget package also includes $15 million for expanding enrollment at college nursing programs, money that could go toward the construction or expansion of simulation laboratories.

But details on how the endowment and program expansion money will be spent are not settled yet. The Higher Education Department plans to request applications from colleges throughout the state.

Stephanie Montoya, a spokeswoman for the department, described the funding as a significant investment that will help address the critical shortage of nurses and other health care professionals, particularly in rural communities.

New Mexico has a shortage of 6,200 registered nurses and clinical nurse specialists, according to a health care workforce report issued by the University of New Mexico last year.

The size of the workforce shrank over a recent four-year period. The number of nurses practicing in New Mexico fell from about 18,200 in 2017 to 15,600 in 2020, a 14% decline, according to the Board of Nursing.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, said the state faces two key bottlenecks holding back the number of nursing students  too few clinical opportunities for training and a lack of qualified faculty.

The money approved this year is a good start, he said, but it will take a sustained effort over a number of years to start producing more nursing graduates.

Weve got an enormous waiting list at most of the schools, Ortiz y Pino, chairman of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, said. They have many more applicants than they can accept.

Sen. Crystal Diamond, an Elephant Butte Republican and member of the Senate Finance Committee, said its been clear for years that New Mexico faced a looming crisis in its health infrastructure and workforce.

New Mexico now faces a mass shortage of medical professionals, including nurses, she said. It is our hope that this funding will help us attract more nursing students and expand their training programs so we can properly serve the health care needs of all our people.

In addition to the new money for faculty endowments and enrollment expansion, the state budget package also includes:

 $2.5 million to UNM to finish and equip the College of Nursing and the College of Population Health buildings. Construction hasnt started yet.

 $1 million each to San Juan College and New Mexico Highlands, Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico universities for stipends and other financial aid for nursing students.

 $2 million to plan and construct a health triage center at Clovis Community College.

 $2 million to plan and construct a School of Nursing skills and simulation center at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

 About $130,000 for health and nursing program facilities at schools in Ruidoso and Tucumcari.

 $1.6 million to pay off student loans for health care professionals working in high-need health-related fields and communities, up from $400,000 this year.

Sen. Liz Stefanics, D-Cerrillos, said the expansion of the states Opportunity Scholarship program  approved by lawmakers this year  should also help. It covers the cost of tuition and fees for students seeking their first associates or bachelors degree.

Stefanics said she also will push for ongoing funding for simulation labs and other training sites for nursing students. This years $15 million wont go far, she said, but future legislative sessions could provide more funding.

I believe there will be a continued effort by the Legislature to do that, Stefanics said. We want to have the opportunity to educate our own here in New Mexico, so they can  stay in New Mexico and work in our health care facilities.

Monica Leyba, chief nurse executive at Christus St. Vincent, a northern New Mexico health system, said community colleges play an important role in training nurses and other health care staff. Health systems, she said, need a mix of veteran and younger nurses to meet staffing demands.

We dont have enough of either one in Santa Fe, she said.
LVIV, Ukraine  Until the missiles struck within walking distance of the cathedrals and cafes downtown, Ukraines cultural capital was a city that could feel distant from the war. The early panic had eased, and the growing response to morning air raid sirens was not to head downstairs but roll over in bed.

But Fridays Russian airstrikes at dawn in Lviv, just outside the international airport, made nearby buildings vibrate and shook any sense of comfort as thick black smoke billowed.

Still, the hours after the airstrikes were absent of the scenes in other Ukrainian cities that have horrified the world: shattered buildings and people fleeing under fire. Lviv was already returning to its centuries-old role as an ever-adapting crossroads.

In the morning it was scary, but we have to go on, said Maria Parkhuts, a local restaurant worker. People are arriving with almost nothing, and from where its worse.

The city has been a refuge since the war began nearly a month ago, the last outpost before Poland and host to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians streaming through or staying on. From the other direction come aid and foreign fighters.

Midstream is a city that, on the surface, carries on amid world heritage churches and coffee kiosks. Food delivery cyclists with backpacks of global brands wobble down the cobblestones. Yellow trams ding through narrow streets lined with the history of one occupation after another, from the Cossacks to the Swedes to the Germans and the Soviet Union.

The threat of another occupation by Russia, after so long a fight to break from its influence, and so close to the rest of Europe, is where the new Lviv emerges now.

Its war, said Maxim Tristan, a 28-year-old soldier, of Fridays attack. It only makes us more motivated to fight.

On a street corner, young men line up outside a weapons shop, passing around a gun sight. Anythings available if you have cash, one man said, prompting grins from the others. On the same block is a range for target practice, with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the bulls-eye. Elsewhere in the city, military veterans train civilians how to shoot.

In a popular city park, a bunker from World War II has been reopened just steps from the playground. Outside an academy for architecture, men are filling sandbags. Some of the citys churches have wrapped up their statues and covered their stained-glass windows. Others leave their fate to God.

In the military section of the main cemetery are more than a dozen graves too new for marble crosses. The earth is piled with frosted flowers. The ground is marked with boot tracks. Behind the graves is open ground ready for several rows more.

Hours after Fridays attack in Lviv, activists placed 109 baby strollers in the square at the heart of the city to represent the children killed in the war.

Tattoo artists prick clients with patriotic symbols. A brewery turns to making Molotov cocktails. A street poster shows a woman in Ukraines yellow and blue colors, jabbing a pistol into the mouth of a kneeling Putin. In the front room of a local business, a young woman sketches a drawing of a dove.

Volunteerism has seized the city. People are opening their homes, and local news outlets report on residents cutting up old clothing to make camouflage netting for checkpoints.

War is not just people who fight, said Volodymyr Pekar.

The 40-year-old local businessman is behind a drive to dot the countryside around the city with yellow-and-blue billboards with slogans including God save Ukraine and Do not run, defend. He was uncomfortable with the profane language that emerged early on in war messaging, and he said the more religious villagers were too.

At the same time, Pekar has used crowdfunding to raise money for what he called two of Ukrainian soldiers biggest needs: flak jackets and cigarettes.

After you fight, you need to smoke, he said.

In the shadow of slogans and bravado are the estimated 200,000 people who have fled to Lviv from harder-hit parts of Ukraine. Embraced by the citys residents and absorbed into homes and shelters, they look the most nervous of all.

The displaced pick through boxes at aid collection points, scan notices, check their phones. Their presence has led Lviv to pivot from getaway to refuge: Instead of promoting local confectionaries and romantic places, the citys official tourism website now shares information on bomb shelter locations and radiation alerts.

Promising warmth for the soul, locals on Friday launched a distinctly Lviv series of free cultural walks for internally displaced people, with the aim of visiting galleries, the medieval quarter and more.

Just days ago, thousands of newcomers crammed the central train station at the height of the flood of refugees heading west. Now the stations platforms at times are almost bare, awaiting the millions who continue to roam Ukraine looking for a place of rest or a new purpose.

There was the furniture maker from the bombarded capital, Kyiv, who trained in air defense years ago and was on his way to an army post. Standing alone on the platform with a backpack and sleeping mat, he planned to visit his family in the western Transcarpathia region before heading east again.

Farther down the platform was a young couple, restlessly remaining in Ukraine because the man, 20, is of fighting age and is prohibited from leaving.

I didnt travel my country this much. Now I have to, said the woman, Diana Tkachenko, 21. Their journey began last month in Kyiv on a crowded train and with no idea where they were going.

Their arrival in Lviv was terrible. Fellow travelers pushed and screamed, Tkachenko said. Some were coming from so far east, from Russian-speaking areas, that they didnt speak Ukrainian.

Their train had pulled into the most Ukrainian of cities. For Tkachenko, it was her first visit to Lviv.

I walked a lot, she said. I tried to enjoy the place. Its really beautiful. It feels a lot more safe.

But there were too many people and no place to live, she said. She and her boyfriend decided to head back east, toward Kyiv.

As their train prepared for departure, yet another was arriving.

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Follow AP coverage of the war between Russia and Ukraine at http://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Like several other recently opened restaurants, the New Mexican Italian fusion restaurant Taste of Love was born out of the pandemic.

Owner and chef Kayla Vallejos said she had worked in kitchens for many years and when the pandemic started, she and her wife Misty just did what they knew best and started cooking.

Vallejos, who was born in New Jersey, said she wanted to bring a taste of home with her when she was creating her menu and looked for ways to blend iconic New Mexican flavors with Italian cuisine.

I just like incorporating different  cultures of food, especially from where Im from, she said. And now that I do have a new love for chile, I like to incorporate them together.

While Taste of Love, located inside 505 Central Food Hall at 505 Central NW, opened in early February, the eatery was founded in May of 2020 and operated out of a food truck since April of last year.

Since opening, Vallejos said customers have really gravitated toward items like the meatball trio slider which features pesto, green chile alfredo and marinara sauces and the homemade ravioli.

Vallejos said the growth of her restaurant surprised her because she initially thought it would be several years before she would be able to bring her concept to a brick and mortar, but customer excitement exceeded her expectations.

We have a lot of repeat customers that come back daily, she said about the opening of the brick and mortar. We have a lot of people that are so happy that we  opened up a place.

Vallejos sold the food truck last year.

Eventually she would like to have a standalone restaurant and sell items like her homemade sauces and pastas at either the farmers market or in stores.

Taste of Love is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

For more information, visit tasteoflovefoodtruck.com.
Champion Xpress Carwash is planning a big expansion, and Rio Rancho is a part of it.

The family-owned carwash on Tuesday offered free washes at its newest operation in Rio Rancho at 1890 Abrazo Road NE. Not unexpectedly, cars were lined up as they rolled in for the much-needed free wash. More free car washes may be in the works.

In the pipeline are Champions next three car washes at 5401 Sevilla NW (corner of Coors and Sevilla), 10705 Central NE and 7509 Menaul NE, all in Albuquerque, said Lindsey Joy, Champion marketing director.

We have another location on the north side of Rio Rancho at 528 and Northern planned for later this year, she said.

At the current carwash in Rio Rancho, Champion will be doing free washes for a limited time and for every vehicle that comes through the wash during this period, we will donate $1 to UNM Childrens Hospital, Joy said.

Champion Xpress Carwash has locations across New Mexico, Colorado, Iowa and Utah.
LAS CRUCES  As familiar as the internet may be to every corner of the modern business landscape, it was still an unlikely question to pose to an auditorium full of New Mexico ranchers.

How many of you in the room subscribe to Kim Kardashian?

The question hung in the air for a long moment, prompting the speaker at the podium  Alexander Ott, executive director of the American Pecan Council  to again prod the unresponsive crowd of several hundred New Mexico ranchers and farmers who were attending this years Western Pecan Growers Association Conference.

Can I see hands? he asked.

With no raised hands in sight and a smattering of chuckles moving through the high-crowned cowboy hats and starched collared shirts, Ott said, with good humor and feigned resignation: I dont see too many of you subscribing to her.

Yet two-thirds of Americans actually subscribe to Kim Kardashian, he said, and delivered the quintessential real-world example of the challenges that the pecan industry  a group of proud agricultural traditionalists  now faces in an uber-competitive global marketplace mired by an ongoing pandemic.

The reality TV star, Ott explained, had tweeted her 65 million followers about her habit of eating pecans every morning with her yogurt. Then Kims sister, herself with 60 million twitter followers, tweeted confirmation about the Kardashian morning pecan routine.

In less than five minutes we had 65 plus 60 million  125 million people  just like that, getting messages on pecans, he told the crowd. You could also see in some of the data, all of a sudden the search for recipes for pecans went up, the searches for pecans went up, all because you had those influencers.

Delving into the realm of social media opportunities was just one of the issues addressed at the 56th annual pecan conference, which this year was a three-day event, March 8 through March 10, held at the Las Cruces Convention Center. About 80 vendors registered to feature their booths, machinery and merchandise at the venue.

The convention centers interior ballrooms were filled with the agricultural industrys latest work horses: turbo-charged farm tractors with load sensors, air-conditioned cabins and powder coat finishes, polished and illuminated for their showroom display.

Outside, barbecue grills wafting scents of wood, charcoal and meat mixed with the sharp odors of diesel engines, too large for indoor viewing, which rumbled noisily, drowning out nearby conversations and drawing crowds of interested observers.

Weve got a lot of equipment out here, said Jacob Arnold, motioning to a gargantuan hedging saw idling nearby. As the president of the Western Pecan Growers Association, hes in the middle of New Mexicos battle to keep its pecan industry profitable.

The industry in New Mexico is growing. We are Western Pecans, so we represent California, Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas, he said, adding that New Mexico is the largest producer of the four. We have over 60,000 acres in production, and maybe more. Arizona is about 30,000 and West Texas I believe is pretty similar, and maybe ten thousand acres in California.

Strong ranking

The New Mexico Department of Agricultures latest figures  from the year 2020  show that the states pecan production totaled more than 78 million pounds, which was second behind only Georgia, which registered about 145 million pounds. For 2020, New Mexico accounted for 25.8% of the nations pecan production. Georgia produced nearly half, 48.3%, of the nations pecan production in 2020.

Georgia historically ranks first in the nation in pecan production, with the exception of 2018 and 2019 when New Mexico topped the national list. In 2020, Georgia was again first, and appears to edge out New Mexico in 2021 production, but those figures are still being tabulated.

Also for 2020, New Mexicos total agricultural production was $3 billion, which was 5% lower than 2019, according to the 2020 New Mexico Agricultural Statistics report.

New Mexico chile and pecan production ranked in the top two spots in the nation in 2020, the report said.

Other top producers in the state were onions which ranked fifth in the nation, New Mexico milk production was ranked ninth, and cattle and calves were ranked 14th in the United States.

Major challenges

With New Mexico in a pitched battle with the state of Georgia to claim the top spot as the nations most productive pecan-selling state, Arnold sees a number of issues that are at play in keeping New Mexico competitive.

Keeping the pecan weevil  a destructive insect that bores holes into pecans  away from pecan fields always ranks high, he said, but the bigger challenges are threefold: dealing with the drought, worker shortages and opening new pecan markets.

We are trying to make sure that we have the ability to either take water from the river, if it is there, and if its not there, then we need to supplement it with groundwater. So we need to make sure that we have those rights in place so that we can grow our crops, he said, adding that a court case between Texas and New Mexico is addressing that.

The ongoing dispute originated in a 2011 federal lawsuit filed by New Mexico, which alleged that the federal government gave Texas more water than it did New Mexico. Then, Texas in 2014 filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court against New Mexico. In that filing, Texas alleged that New Mexico was taking more water than legally allowed by diverting the rivers water flow, and by pumping out groundwater.

New markets, tech advancements

Arnold said that China and India, both with large vegetarian populations, would be ideal markets to break into.

We are always looking to get into new, emerging markets. China was a huge market. We have been in China for maybe 20 years now, and that really took off for us, but then we had the tariff war with Trump being in office. There was a lot of stuff that went on with China and they basically stopped taking pecans from us and they found them from other places in the world, he said.

Gaining the upper hand globally is a shared goal of the vendors who were at the conference, and many of them say that technology is the strongest tool to do that.

Sean Olivari, a general manager for a farming technology company named Aerobotics, pulled up a series of images on a large computer screen at the conference.

This helps identify problem areas in the field where the irrigation is not efficient, he said, pointing at the images of a field that were scanned with his companys specialized drones. You can see where it is dark blue, the soil is nice and cool, those are ideal conditions. But on this side, the temperature is way too hot. The trees start shutting down, he said. This can help a pecan grower to identify problem areas and fine-tune his irrigation to be more efficient.

For Jamie Viramontes, who is from a farming family in Deming, the success of the pecan industry means more than profitable seasons. Agriculture is a part of New Mexicos identity, she said, and is linked to many farming families throughout the state whose work on the fields have helped sustain for generations the economy of New Mexico, and have helped define its culture.

As a customer success manager for Conservis, a company that provides comprehensive farm management software, she said she finds pride in arming farming families with the latest technology to keep their operations competitive.

I love that I get to work with farmers everyday, she said from her presentation booth.

We all need farmers, the farming way of life, she said. Farmers feed the world and people sometimes take that for granted. Agriculture is necessary. I dont think it gets the value that it deserves. It is our legacy.
LOS ANGELES  Since the shelling began to intensify in Kyiv and Kharkiv about a week ago, Julia Entin has been working feverishly  thousands of miles away in Los Angeles  to evacuate Holocaust survivors in Ukraine who find themselves trapped in yet another conflict.

For the last six years, the 39-year-old paralegal at Bet Tzedek Legal Services has helped connect Holocaust survivors with local services. Now, Entin is coordinating rescue efforts in Ukraine because she says she feels a personal connection to their painful predicament.

These are already survivors of severe trauma, said Entin, a refugee from the former Soviet Union and granddaughter of a Ukrainian Holocaust survivor. And now with this war, they are experiencing that trauma all over again.

Entin is a strand in an intricate web of grassroots organizations  Jewish and non-Jewish  that has been spinning round the clock in Ukraine, working with taxi and bus operators to ferry members of vulnerable communities out of the war zone.

In a time of crisis when Jewish people from Ukraine are attempting to flee to Europe and Israel, groups such as the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and partner organizations such as Entins, have been helping families stateside who want loved ones extricated. Many, Entin said, have reached out to her directly because her work with Holocaust survivors.

Entin has been calling survivors in Ukraine, usually with a family member or friend on the line.

It can be challenging to establish quick rapport with older people  many with serious health issues  huddled in their homes during wartime. Entin starts out by apologizing for speaking in Russian, instead of Ukrainian.

I identify myself and tell them who I am  the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, she said. I tell them how my grandfather was not evacuated and lived through (World War II) under Nazi occupation. It is a deep connection we have. And that helps build trust.

Entin has still had trouble getting survivors to leave with trusted taxi or bus operators, who she says are vetted and recruited through referrals. This week, one man in his late 80s refused to leave because he was afraid he might die on the way.

Convincing him has been a real challenge because you cannot guarantee  no one can guarantee  that it wont happen, she said.

This hesitation appears to be common among the elderly. Svetlana Jitomirskaya, a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Irvine, has been speaking with her fathers 87-year-old friend in Kharkiv, a Holocaust survivor.

He refuses to leave, he doesnt want to move, she said, adding that his 88-year-old wife has medical issues as well. This is the heartbreaking part.

But there have been a few success stories that have kept Entin hopeful.

On Sunday, 81-year-old Holocaust survivor Valery Semenovich Zharkovsky, his daughter Inna Valerievna Zharkovskaya and her 8-year-old daughter, were rescued from their home in Kharkiv.

Entin said Wednesday that the family arrived in Germany, where Zharkovskys brother lives. She said Jewish refugees typically choose to go to Israel  its Law of Return lets Jewish people make aliyah and acquire citizenship  or other parts of Europe where they could receive benefits, such as health care, right away.

Regardless of where they choose to go, it has to be a warm handoff, which means someone will always be on the other side of the border to greet them and put them on the path to their destination, Entin said.

Zharkovskys cousin, Marina Sonina, who lives in the Chicago area, said she was relieved to hear her relatives made it out safely. She spoke with him last Saturday, a day before he left Ukraine.

He was scared because the situation was really bad, she said, choking up. Hes not in good health. Im so relieved to hear they are all out of the danger zone and in a safe place.

With attacks intensifying, volunteers have been arriving at the Polish border to assist evacuation efforts.

Liana Georgi  an artist, psychologist and LGBTQ activist who splits her time between Berlin and Istanbul  is among a core group of volunteers with Safebow, a group formed by gender nonconforming actor and activist Rain Dove to conduct rescue operations.

The group has been communicating via WhatsApp and started as a mental support group to give people the courage to flee, said Georgi, speaking from Warsaw. Its about being there for each other, even if its virtually.

Safebow has partnered with Entins organization to evacuate Holocaust survivors, as well.

Georgi said the group is focusing on rescuing vulnerable minority groups, including those in the LGBTQ community, the disabled and people of color.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Jewish Federation of North America have been involved in getting Jewish refugees from Ukraine to Israel, said Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of the former. He said his organization raised $1 million in four days, with the suffering in Ukraine resonating with members of other diaspora communities in Los Angeles.

Many here in Los Angeles, even if they are not Russian or Ukrainian, see themselves in this story, Farkas said. Weve received donations from children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. We have a diverse community in Los Angeles  from Iran, Morocco and other Mizrahi communities.

California is also home to nearly 60,000 Ukrainian immigrants, the second highest in the country after New York, according to the American Community Surveys data from 2016 through 2020. The Los Angeles metropolitan area alone is home to about 17,000 Ukrainians.

Jewish Federation of Los Angeles Vice President Aaron Goldberg, who is based near Jerusalem, has helped connect newly arrived refugees with much-needed services.

Our goal is to support their immigration and integration into Israeli society, Goldberg said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has  in what experts call a cynical ploy  claimed he want to denazify Ukraine, which is led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Jewish president whose relatives were killed in the Holocaust. There are fears of renewed Jewish repression and some of Russias remaining 250,000 Jews are also trying to flee to Israel  but the process has been more complicated because there are not nearly as many resources, Goldberg said.

But, right now, we dont know how the sanctions could affect the Jewish community there, he said. Were keeping our ears to the ground to see what needs arise in the Russian Jewish community.

The work of evacuating Holocaust survivors in Ukraine is continuing as bombings have escalated this week. On Tuesday, Entin said she was working to help three couples  all Holocaust survivors  who were struggling after a night of more shelling and devastation in Kharkiv.

One of the couples has no water and heat, she said. Ive been up now for 38 hours straight trying to figure things out.

Entin said she was trying to get a taxi driver to check up on the couple without heat  whose apartment was also starting to flood.

Its been a hard night, she said. The wife said she doesnt think her husband is going to live for long.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Bet Tzedek Legal Services.
KAMPALA, Uganda  Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently remarked that Russias war on Ukraine should be seen in the context of Moscow being the center of gravity for Eastern Europe.

His son, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was more forceful, declaring that most Africans support Russias stand in Ukraine and Putin is absolutely right!

Amid a worldwide chorus of condemnation, much of Africa has either pushed back or remained noticeably quiet. Twenty-five of Africas 54 nations abstained or didnt record a vote in the U.N. General Assembly resolution earlier this month condemning Russia.

The reason? Many nations on the continent of 1.3 billion people have long-standing ties and support from Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported anti-colonial struggles.

Those relations have tightened in recent years: As U.S. interest in Africa appeared to wane under President Donald Trumps administration, Russia  along with China  expanded its influence, enlarging its economic footprint to include everything from agricultural programs to energy plants. In 2019, dignitaries from 43 African nations attended a summit with Russia, which also has become the dominant exporter of weapons into sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The developments have not gone unnoticed. Last month, European Union leaders held a long-delayed summit in Brussels to discuss ways to counteract Russias and Chinas influence in Africa, while Western military and civilian leaders are eyeing Russias advancing presence on both the African continent and in the Middle East as long-term threats to security in the West. China also is among the few countries showing support for Moscow.

There have been exceptions to the current of sympathy running through Africa, with Kenya and Ghana criticizing Russias actions.

But, elsewhere on the continent, countries not only are abstaining from criticism, they appear to be celebrating their alliances with Russia.

As the war in Ukraine escalated, leaders of South Africas ruling African National Congress party attended an event at the Russian Embassy in Cape Town to mark the 30-year anniversary of the countrys diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation.

The ANC has ties to the Kremlin extending back to the Soviet Unions diplomatic and military support of the struggle against apartheid, which Western powers did not provide. Some South Africans point out that Russia was not among the colonizers of Africa.

South Africas friendship with Russia is rooted through bonds of brotherhood, said lawmaker Floyd Shivambu, a leader of the countrys leftist opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters. Shivambu said Russias actions in Ukraine are necessary to prevent NATOs expansion.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country abstained from the U.N. censure resolution because it failed to call for meaningful engagement with Russia.

We have seen how, over time, countries have been invaded, wars have been launched over many years, and that has left devastation, Ramaphosa told lawmakers Thursday, criticizing NATOs expansion into Eastern Europe. And some leaders of certain countries have been killed. On our own continent (Libyas) Muammar Gadhafi was killed.

He said he believes Russia feels a national existential threat from NATO.

Also abstaining from the U.N. vote was neighboring Zimbabwe, which had previously escaped sanctions of its own at the U.N.  for alleged human rights abuses and election corruption  thanks to vetoes by Russia and China.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has praised Russia and China as dependable pillars, citing the guns they provided and the training they gave fighters in the 1970s war against white minority rule in Rhodesia.

Russia has major investments in Zimbabwe, including a multibillion-dollar joint mining venture in the Great Dyke area, which holds one of the worlds largest deposits of platinum. Russia also is involved in gold and diamond mining operations in Zimbabwe.

In Uganda, where Russian officers regularly assist in the maintenance of military equipment, authorities recently announced the signing of a contract with a Russian firm to install tracking devices in vehicles to combat violent crime.

The East African countrys U.N. representative said Uganda abstained from the U.N. resolution on Russia to protect its neutrality as the next chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, a Cold War-era group of 120 member states that includes almost every African nation.

But President Museveni went further, actually meeting with the Russian ambassador as the war raged in Ukraine. The Ugandan leader, who has held power since 1986, has criticized the Wests aggression against Africa.

Musevenis government in recent months has tangled with the U.S. and other countries that have expressed concern over last years disputed election and growing allegations of rights abuses. Museveni also has accused the West of interfering in domestic affairs, including through pressure to recognize LGBTQ rights.

Nicholas Sengoba, a columnist with Ugandas Daily Monitor newspaper, said that many authoritarian African leaders like Museveni are pleased to see Putin stand up to the big boys in the West.

Following his meeting with the ambassador, Museveni urged Africans in a tweet to find what he called a center of gravity, which is what he said Russia is for the Slavic nations of Eastern Europe.

The post was later deleted, but his son Kainerugaba, who commands Ugandas infantry forces, was unambiguous in his remarks on social media.

The majority of mankind (that are non-white) support Russias stand in Ukraine, he tweeted on Feb. 28. Putin is absolutely right! When the USSR parked nuclear armed missiles in Cuba in 1962 the West was ready to blow up the world over it. Now when NATO does the same they expect Russia to do differently?

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Magome reported from Johannesburg. Associated Press writer Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed to this report.
Katya Hill tried to talk her brother out of it. She urged Jimmy Hill to postpone his trip to Ukraine as she saw reports of Russian tanks lining up at the border. But he needed to help his longtime partner, who has been suffering from progressive multiple sclerosis.

He said, I dont know what I would do if I lost her, I have to try to do everything I can to try to stop the progression of MS,' Katya said. My brother sacrificed his life for her.

James Jimmy Hill, 68, was killed in a Russian attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that was reported Thursday, as his partner Irina Teslenko received treatment at a local hospital. His family says she and her mother are trying to leave the city, but because of her condition they would need an ambulance to help and it was unclear when or if that could happen.

In an interview from Pittsburgh Saturday, Hills sister called her brothers relationship with Irina a beautiful love story, but unfortunately it has a tragic ending.

Katya Hill said Irinas illness had progressed to the point that she had lost the ability to walk and much of the use of her hands. She said her brother  a native of Eveleth, Minnesota, who was living in Driggs, Idaho  had spent months trying to secure treatments to stop the progression of the disease and had finally arranged for treatment in February.

Katya said her brother thought the world wouldnt let the invasion happen.

Katya said the two met while her brother, who taught social work and forensic psychology at universities in various countries, was teaching a class in Ukraine. He knew instantly that he was in love and they spent years together, talking for hours every day on the phone when Jimmy was back in the Unites States.

Katya said in the last few weeks as the bombings grew more frequent and resources more scarce, her brother had been daydreaming of ways to get Ukrainian families to the U.S. to set up a little Ukraine at his Airbnb properties he owned in Idaho and Montana. She said her brother loved Ukraine and even on the day he was killed, friends had helped her piece together that he had decided to stay to be with Teslenko and her mother at the hospital.

It was initially reported that Jimmy was gunned down while waiting in a breadline, but Katya said the family had received new details through their senators and from Jimmys friends in Ukraine Saturday.

Katya said Jimmy and a friend who lives near the hospital had gone to an area where they had heard buses were waiting to evacuate people who wanted to leave the city via a safe corridor. There were more than a thousand people already waiting in line, and Jimmy told the friend he was going to return to the hospital. The friend told Katya that Russian shelling began as he was leaving, and the blast that killed her brother had caused the friend to lose hearing in one of her ears.

Katya said her family is still waiting to hear directly from the U.S. State Department to get details of where his body is.

Chernihiv police and the State Department confirmed the death of an American but did not identify him. The Associated Press reached out to the State Department to confirm details of Hills death, but had not received information as of early Saturday.

In poignant posts on Facebook in the weeks before his death, Hill described indiscriminate bombing in a city under siege. Katya said he had described increasing hardships in a Facebook Messenger group, starting each day by saying he was still alive.

But electricity and heat had been cut off, and food and supplies were becoming more scarce. Katya said he would go out to wait in line for food and supplies and bring back whatever he could for the hospital staff.

Most patients at the hospital had moved to the basement bomb shelter, but Irina and her mother remained in the upper levels because of the cold and so she could continue the treatment.

Katya said Irinas mother had been told about Jimmys death, but had not wanted to tell her daughter. She said they had hoped for help to evacuate back to their home village southeast of Kyiv, where Irinas father was waiting, but it was unclear whether they could find an ambulance to take them or a safe route for the trip.

___

Associated Press journalist Derek Karikari contributed to this report from New York.
Veteran Albuquerque author Melody Groves wanted Maud Overstreet as a heroine who is coming into her own. Maud accomplishes that. Maud is the amiable, yet tough sheriff in the stimulating Lady of the Law, Groves second Maud Overstreet novel set in the fictional town of Dry Creek, California in the 1870s.

She is stronger than she thought she was. Stronger in terms of her will and in leading people, for example, in forming a posse, Groves said. Mauds role as the elected sheriff turns out to be an influence for some of the women in Dry Creek.

Pearl, the schoolmarm, runs for mayor against the incumbent, Seth. Hes Pearl and Mauds friend. Strange that Pearl can run for the office, but doesnt have the right to vote in the election.

Penelope, a rancher, is appointed the towns fire chief.  Sadie and Mary Beth start a charm school.  Two others, Ester and Hilda, open a bakery. Yet another woman, Emily, is editor of the new weekly newspaper, the first in town.

Dry Creeks three town councilors, all men, arent pleased with the growing number of women working outside the home. In fact, they tell Maud that theyre mad that a woman is running the newspaper. Says one councilor, We dont need a nosy, busybody woman come digging into our business.

Whats worse, adds a second councilor, is that shell write about it.

The third councilor figures illogically that reportage would promote troubles in town, like killings.

Maud stands her ground and counterattacks: You three dont want a new business in town? You dont want to sell to the people who may come in (to your businesses)? Because of your advertisements? So youre telling me youre against free speech? Guaranteed by our United States Constitution? And you dont want to make more money?

Trouble of another sort has been unnerving the citizenry. Early in the novel, a fire levels the school house. Soon, a fire and explosion at a distillery kills one person. Another fire burns a private residence .

And later a livery goes up in flames. Maud investigates and finds clues leading her to think arson is the cause. She suspects Nathaniel Ford, a stranger to Dry Creek who is selling fire insurance, is tied to the fires.

Mauds desire for romance at times competes with her feminism. For most of the novel, she is smitten with Aldridge Armstrong, sole passenger on the weekly stage from Sacramento.

And what a passenger he was, Maud effuses. I stood mouth open, agape.

Actually, gawking would be a better word. I pulled my eyeballs back into their sockets, closed my mouth, and swallowed what I was sure was drool.

There stood Adonis. At least what I envisioned that stunningly gorgeous creature of mythology to be  . The quintessential Western man.

Groves finds phrases galore for Maud to paint Aldridge  My Honey, My Adoring Man, Mr. Wonderful, Mr. Amazing, and more. Will Aldridge propose? Will Mauds heart ever stop fluttering? No spoilers here. The novel touches on issues of prejudice and immigration. The topics are discussed in the romantic relationship between Pokey Johnson, Mauds part-time Anglo deputy sheriff, and Mae, who is Chinese. Meanwhile, Mae and Aldridge are trying to start a school for Chinese girls.

Curious, Maud notices, that Chinese arent welcome as customers at the Shoo Fly Restaurant, but the towns Chinese restaurant is open to all.

One paragraph refers to Dry Creeks residential segregation  Blacks living on the north end, Chinese on the other end, the Irish in an enclave on the west side, Italians on the east and everyone else, including Maud and her Pa, closer to the middle of town.

Maud frequently has coffee on the brain. She desperately needs a cup or shes heating one up or shes pouring a cup, or drinking a cup or two.

Groves has a knack for metaphors. Here are several: I pushed open the door, holding it until his long, gangly legs and arms, spinning like windmills, galloped toward the saloon.

  I had a sneaking suspicion Penelope could swear like a cowboy in a stampede if need be  and He sailed into the day like a puff of smoke.

Later this year, Groves is planning to release Trail to Tin Town, the sixth book in the Colton Brothers Saga and the nonfiction Before Billy the Kid: The Boy Behind the Legendary Outlaw.
An East Hartford man pleaded guilty Friday in Hartford federal court to firearm possession and drug distribution offenses, according to federal authorities.

Francisco Franceschini, 28, has been detained since his federal arrest on Sept. 23, 2021, federal authorities said in a statement.

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The investigation was done by the FBIs Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department; it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

According to authorities, citing court documents and statements made in court, a court-authorized search of Franceschinis East Hartford home on April 8, 2021 revealed a loaded 9mm handgun, a loaded .380 caliber handgun, and approximately 44 grams of crack cocaine.

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Franceschinis criminal history includes multiple state convictions for firearm and narcotics offenses and it is a violation of federal law for anyone convicted of a felony to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce, federal authorities said in the statement.

Franceschini pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, federal authorities said in the statement.
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While guest-hosting 'The Wendy Williams Show' with Remy Ma, the 'What's Luv?' hitmaker discusses why Britney's teen sons would feel embarrassed when she posts some racy contents.

Mar 19, 2022

AceShowbiz - Fat Joe has some advice to Britney Spears regarding her social media contents, but many disagree with him. The rapper has caught some heat after criticizing the pop superstar for posting her racy pictures on Instagram.

Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, talked about Britney's social media posts when guest-hosting "The Wendy Williams Show" with Remy Ma on Wednesday, March 17. "Britney, oh Britney, oh Britney Spears," he opened during the "Hot Topics" segment, before relaying the report that the "...Baby One More Time" songstress is not allowed to post her sons Jayden James and Sean Preston on Instagram.

According to a recent report by Life & Style, the teen boys are being teased by their peers because of their mother's naked pictures. Weighing on this issue, Fat Joe and Remy shared their own experiences about posting their children on social media.

After showing some of Britney's NSFW images, Fat Joe claimed, "If I show a nipple on Instagram I'm canceled," before wondering, "I don't know how this woman is getting away with this type of " Remy then added, "I can see why a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy would feel embarrassed that his mother posts things like that."

Having agreed with his co-host that Britney's children would find her posts "corny," the 51-year-old emcee then pleaded with the 40-year-old Princess of Pop, "Come on. Britney Spears, stop! This gotta stop."

Upon hearing of his comments, some people slammed Fat Joe for shaming Britney. "Is Joseph jealous he can't flash his titties and receive the same fanfare?" one person said, accusing him of being biased because he would not say the same thing when other women posted similar photos. "I don't see Joe telling Kim K, and the rest of Karjenners to pack it up when they are naked daily. All of them are moms too," the said person added.

Another Internet user clapped back at Fat Joe, "F**k his fat a** he's only saying this because he doesn't find it attractive." A third called him "a jealous BURLY gworl," while another told him to leave Britney alone as writing, "Britney has been controlled for so long , let her live her life how she wants."

One person, however, agreed with Fat Joe as noting, "I'm with Fat Joe, 'Britney this needs to STOP!' She's trying the most and it 's too much."
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According to his friend Tatiana Borokiv, internationally-acclaimed dancer Artyom Datsishin was 'seriously wounded' two days after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

Mar 19, 2022

AceShowbiz - Another Ukraine public figure has become a victim of the ongoing war in the country. Artyom Datsishin, a principal dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine, has passed away after succumbing to his injuries from Russian attack.

Sharing the sad news was his friend Tatiana Borokiv, who wrote on Facebook that Artyom was "seriously wounded" during Russian shelling on February 26, two days after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. According to Evening Standard, Artyom had been fighting for life for almost three weeks before he died in the hospital. He was 43 years old.

"Friends, I inform everyone who knew Artem Datsishin, Dotsik, that on February 26, he was attacked by the Russians, was seriously wounded, died in the hospital," Tatiana originally posted in Ukraine. "Farewell my dear man !! I can't express my heartache that is overwhelming me! May your memory be bright!"

His death also left another colleague, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, "furious." He wrote, "I am furious," adding, "Artyom Datsishin, a principal dancer with the National Opera House of Ukraine, died today in the Kyiv hospital from wounds received on February 26 when he got under Russian artillery fire. He was a beautiful dancer loved by his colleagues. Unbearable pain."

Anatoly Solovyanenko, who is the general stage director at the opera house, remembered Artem as a "beautiful artist" and a "wonderful man."

Artyom was a former soloist at the National Opera of Ukraine, where he performed the lead in "The Nutcracker", "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty". He had toured in Europe and the United States. His funeral was held in Kyiv on Friday, March 18 at the Baikove cemetery.

Artyom was the latest of Ukrainian performers who died in the war. Actress Oksana Shvets, actor Pasha Lee and journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova were also killed in Russian attack, which started on February 24.
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In a new episode of her 'Just B' podcast, the 51-year-old former star of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' calls out the rapper for his 'moronic' action on social media.

Mar 19, 2022

AceShowbiz - Bethenny Frankel is the latest celebrity who weighs in on the drama surrounding Kanye West and his estranged wife Kim Kardashian. In a new episode of her "Just B" podcast, the 51-year-old star called out the rapper for his "moronic" action on social media.

"You are so, so hating your ex more than loving your child if you're playing this out in public," "The Real Housewives of New York City" alum said in the Friday, March 18 episode. She also pointed out the hypocrisy of Ye complaining that Kim let their 8-year-old daughter North use TikTok while he shared a screenshot of North's TikTok on his Instagram account.

"You're a hypocrite because playing this out in public while saying you don't want your daughter on TikTok, posting your daughter on TikTok on Instagram saying, 'I don't approve of her being on TikTok' is moronic," she said. "It is hypocritical. It is a bag of bulls**t."

Bethenny admitted that Ye has made "some valid points about the things that bother him" in his divorce from the former star of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians". However, it didn't stop her from "calling bulls**t."

This wasn't the first time for Bethenny to share her two cents about Kanye. Prior to this, Bethenny was under fire after calling the "Donda" rapper a marketing and music genius. "Say what you will about @kanyewest personal choices, but when it comes to marketing & music,he is a genius," she tweeted in February.

She also shared some advice to the Yeezy designer about how he should handle his divorce. "You have to stay the course," Bethenny, who endured a public and tumultuous eight-year divorce of her own, said on her podcast.

"You cannot go rogue and take matters into your own hands when it comes to the divorce and custody process. It will only hurt you," she went on to say.

Ultimately, Kanye didn't take Bethenny's advice as he continued going on rants against Kim, her new boyfriend Pete Davidson and Trevor Noah. That resulted in Ye getting his Instagram account suspended for 24 hours for violating its policies on hate speech, bullying and harassment.
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After a man gets threatened with a gun and forced to hand over his luxury watch at The Oppenheim Group office's parking lot, the real estate mogul forbids his employees to wear any watches.

Mar 19, 2022

AceShowbiz - Jason Oppenheim aspires to own a gun. A few hours after an armed robbery occurred at The Oppenheim Group office's parking lot, the "Selling Sunset" star stated that he wants to protect himself.

After a man was threatened with a gun and forced to hand over his luxury watch in the parking lot shared with his office on Friday, March 18 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, the 44-year-old president of The Oppenheim Group told TMZ, "I've let everyone know of the situation." He continued, "We still have to work as normal, but we're not wearing any watches."

When asked about the possibility of him getting his own gun, the real estate mogul replied, "I went shooting yesterday and yeah, I'm gonna get a gun," while refusing to get specific about what type of gun he's going to purchase. "A working gun," he joked.

Of other precautions he's going to take, Jason said he and his co-workers are "being careful" and staying on the lookout for danger. "It was very concerning," the Netflix star added of the crime, "The city's having a lot of issues right now."

Jason then recalled the terrifying incident to the outlet. "Some guy came out of the restaurant with his watch on and some guy ran up to him with a gun, made him give him the watch," the real estate broker shared, "We were walking around the corner when it happened, I think he just drove around the corner."

Jason also told PEOPLE that he's "concerned about all of our safety" as "the brazen armed robberies and overall crime in this city has become a serious concern for everyone." He elaborated further, "In just the last couple of weeks we have dealt with an attempted armed robbery of [Christine Quinn] at her house and now an armed robbery in our parking lot."

"Several of us, including my brother and I, are feeling it necessary to arm ourselves, as well as increase security at the office," Jason continued. "I've lived in L.A. for most of my life, and never seen it like this. Something needs to be done so [people in L.A.] can feel safe again."

Earlier this month, Christine went through a terrifying ordeal after "two armed robbers" attempted to break into her home while she and her husband were sleeping. "This was the most horrifying moment of my life when we're laying in bed and there is two armed men that we're watching on camera literally four feet from me, and my baby's sleeping... very close to us, to the right of us," said the "Selling Sunset" star via Instagram.

"I want people to know to take this very seriously. This stuff does happen in L.A., it's happening all the time," she noted. "I don't know what would've happened if they would've been able to get through that glass. Because they would've reached our bedroom, and they would've probably shot us."
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In newly-unearthed audiotape, the 'Under Siege' star, who currently lives in Russia, claims that he has worked for people in the CIA and other intelligence operatives.

Mar 19, 2022

AceShowbiz - Steven Seagal claimed to have ties with the CIA in a newly-unearthed audiotape. Recorded three decades ago, the bombshell recording documented the actor boasting about working for the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence operatives.

The never-before-heard audiotape was unveiled by Paul Barresi, a private eye and fixer with a history of investigating the secrets of Hollywood's celebrity elite. In it, the martial artist also claimed to have inside knowledge regarding the death of silver screen icon Marilyn Monroe and hinted at political connections behind her death.

"Saturday night, there is going to be a one-hour special, at 8 o'clock, Channel 5 or Channel 11, The Reporters, on the death of Monroe and the possibility of political connections, etc.," a man is heard on the tape, according to Radar Online. "Both of those might be of interest to you."

Seagal responded, "Well, I'm very familiar with that stuff. Without talking into the tape recorder, I could just tell you, I'd be real surprised if he says half of what I know. I don't ever talk about what I've done-but a couple of people have an idea."

"I don't really like to talk about what I have done in the field, and I don't," he went on boasting. "You can say that I've worked for people who were in the CIA and worked for the CIA. Sure, I've worked with people like that, but I've always admired the people that can count."

"I'm very bad with numbers and times and dates," the 69-year-old continued, reportedly in a rambling-like tone. "(I'm) very bad at all that stuff. I just go on automatic pilot and I just react to everything that's happening-and afterward, I have a fairly clear recollection but it's not, you know, very exact."

Seagal added, "You've met people that are the real thing, and you look at them and you know-and none of us talk about it, you know, that I know of."

The interview was initially recorded in November 1988 for Gallery Magazine. Part of the interview was published in 2017 by Daily Mail following sexual assault allegations that were made against Seagal by actress Rae Dawn Chong and television journalist Lisa Guerrero.

Seagal, who once referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as "one of the greatest living world leaders," said in 2014 that he supported Putin's annexation of Crimea. His support created controversy among Americans, who saw it as treachery to the United States.

In 2016, the "Hard to Kill" star was granted Russian citizenship while still retaining his American citizenship and has since relocated to Moscow. In May 2018, he was appointed Russia's special envoy to the U.S. He officially joined a Russian pro-Kremlin party in May 2021.

When Russia was planning an attack on Ukraine, the father of seven reportedly finalized the sale of his nearly 20-year-owned Northern California ranch.
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It is reported that the 20-year-old emcee, whose real name is Timothy Starks, was previously detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a gun charge.

Mar 19, 2022

AceShowbiz - Another hip-hop star has fallen victim to gun violence. Rising rapper Baby Cino, who is from Miami, died after he was gunned down just minutes following his prison release.

The 20-year-old emcee, whose real name is Timothy Starks, was previously arrested and detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for 24 hours on a gun charge. He was then released on Wednesday, March 16 after posting a bond.

It was unveiled that Cino was picked up by a red Nissan. After the car was turning onto the Palmetto Expressway, a gunman in another vehicle suddenly ambushed the rapper in the middle of traffic. Cino's car hit a wall on the ramp.

The "Big Haiti Shottas" spitter, who was reportedly still wearing an inmate wristband, reportedly suffered several gunshot wounds. They included one to his head, according to the Miami Herald.

On Thursday, Miami-Dade police stated that Cino was picked up by a friend named Dante' Collins Banks, who was also injured during the attack. While detectives have yet to identify the suspect, they said "a dark-colored vehicle was seen fleeing the area at a high rate of speed."

"Detectives are looking at every motive or every bit of information based on the evidence they have here at the scene," Miami-Dade Police detective Angel Rodriguez told WPLG. "As you can see, the car has a significant amount of bullet holes. Detectives have the undaunting task right now of backtracking from where the vehicle stopped just to determine how far back the casings are on the 826."

Banks' mother, meanwhile, confirmed to WSVN that her son indeed picked up Cino from jail. She said she was having a call with Banks when the incident happened. "My son was OK," she said. "He was talking. He was just shook up 'cause his friend got shot." Luckily, Banks has been discharged from hospital.
Committed to providing excellent and complete healthcare, Alniche Lifesciences, one of the key players in Nephrology and Critical Care Medicines is eyeing a wider footprint in India. While the company has ramped up its operations, it has adopted an aggressive marketing strategy using print, electronic and radio to reach the next level of growth and expansion.

Known for providing specialized, high quality, effective, affordable and value-for-money medicines and wellness products from around the world, Alniche Lifesciences has already started its health awareness campaign on radio. The campaign is aimed at making the public aware of various critical diseases. Alniche Lifesciences launched its radio campaign on World Kidney Day in all the major cities including Kochi, Mumbai, Delhi, Jalandhar, Pune, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Jaipur.

All the leading Nephrologists from across the country supported the campaign launched by Alniche Lifesciences. Bollywood celebrities like Lara Dutta and Salim Merchant also came forward to support this campaign by sharing their recorded messages advising the people on how they can take better care of their kidneys. The campaign has been executed by the Delhi office of Vigor Media Worldwide.

Mr. Sumit Arora, Director, Alniche Lifesciences Private Limited said, First of all I wish to express my thanks to all the doctors and the Bollywood celebrities to support our campaign on raising awareness about health issues. Further, we are looking to take Alniche Lifesciences to the next level by introducing new and innovative products which would support the critical care segment in a big way. Going forward we aim to gain even deeper market penetration in the country. Simultaneously we look forward to strengthen our geographical presence in all the key global markets. 

With its innovative healthcare product portfolio Alniche Lifesciences aims to enable people to live Life with greatest potential-clearly, freely, expressly and fully. Headquartered in New Delhi, Alniche Lifesciences also has overseas partners in North America and Africa. All across the globe its making efforts to increase the availability of medicines in Renal Care, Neuro, Cardio and Critical Care segments, among others.

Alniche Lifesciences promotes deep engagement with medical fraternity and it listens to them closely for better patient care. While working with global consulting companies, its aggressive and well-structured approach helps it to commercialize successful Global brands. In all its segments, Alniche Lifesciences has successfully launched new brands from Korea, US as well as Australia in India.

Alniche Lifesciences has already forayed into pharma manufacturing under the name of EffiKasia Lifesciences. At its manufacturing setup in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, the company produces pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and dermatologicals. Alniche Lifesciences has more than 28 distributors pan-India apart from its major distribution hub in Ahmedabad, and it has over 700 employees.
Mujib  The Making of a Nation remains a very emotional film for me, a tough task to bring Bangabandhus towering life on the screen: Director Shyam Benegal

No words to express how big this feature film is for me and for my nation: Bangladeshi actor Arifin Shuvoo, who plays Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Renowned director 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. The legendary filmmaker released the poster, at National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Mumbai, 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. Now, as we close the celebrations of Mujib Centennial, a poster of the film is being released, to mark the completion of production of the film.

Speaking about the film, Director Shri Shyam 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 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.
Global animation major Toonz Media Group, based out of Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram, has joined hands with renowned Peruvian animation studio Tunche Films to co-produce their much-touted female-oriented animated feature Kayara through Toonzs Spanish group company Fortoon Island.

Technopark-based global animation major Toonz Media Group has joined hands with renowned Peruvian animation studio Tunche Films to co-produce their much-touted female-oriented animated feature Kayara through Toonzs Spanish group company Fortoon Island. The historical CGI film set in the backdrop of the Inca civilization comes close on the heels of Tunches worldwide success with Ainbo  Spirit of the Amazon, also a female-led adventure.

A Spanish-Peruvian co-production Kayara follows the story of a young Inca woman who aspires to join the Chasqui Messengers  an elite, male-only league of official messengers in the Incan Empire. In her quest to be the first female Chasqui Messenger, Kayara courageously overcomes arduous obstacles, while also discovering the ancient stories of her land and her people.

Directed by Cesar Zelada (Together Its Possible), the movie also has on board Beverly Hills based international sales company Cinema Management Group (CMG) as Executive Producer and sales agent, who was instrumental in bringing the two producers together and who has already licensed the film extensively around the globe to blue-chip distributors.

It is, indeed, a privilege for Toonz to partner with Tunche Films for this very ambitious project which has its roots firmly placed in ancient, indigenous wisdom and modern, progressive values at the same time. Apart from bringing on screen a strong female character, Kayara also provides us the unique opportunity to collaborate in a truly international project that brings together teams from diverse cultures across the world, said Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar.

After the positive experience of working with Toonz on animated feature The Canterville Ghost and the good collaboration weve had with Tunche Films on Ainbo, we are delighted to have brought these two exceptional teams together for an exciting new production, says Edward Noeltner, President of Cinema Management Group. Cesar Zelada adds: We worked with Dutch co-producers on Ainbo and the cultural exchange between our Peruvian team and the Dutch was very helpful to our creating an indigenous story with a worldwide appeal. We are looking forward to an exciting synergy in working with the Spanish based team with Toonz.

Kayara is the story of a heroine who changed the role of women in many ways. Her epic journey follows situations and characters that can be easily identified by todays audience, even though the story is set 500 years ago. We are very honored to bring it to life in our Spanish speaking animation industry, together with the award-winning Tunche studio, said Carlos Biern, President of Animation Production and Co-production, Toonz Media Group.

CMG has already pre-sold Kayara to 15 international distributors including Le Pacte (France), WW Entertainment (Benelux), Praesens (Switzerland), Front Row (Middle East), Rialto Distribution (Australia/New Zealand) and CDC (Latin America) among others. The CGI feature with a wide four quadrant appeal for family audiences is set to release in 2024.
BLACKWELL, Wis.  Each year folks in the north look forward to early spring when sap rises in the forest trees. The smell of wood smoke wafts 
A redevelopment of the Arrowhead Cafe building and a triangular-shaped property, at right, that are owned by the city will now expand to include the "Flat Iron" building, at far right, and a historic building, at left, where there is now a housing cooperative. The properties are at the intersection of Main and Ann Uccello streets, northwest of Dunkin' Donuts Park. A redevelopment of the area is seen as key to strengthening ties between downtown Hartford and the city's neighborhoods to the north. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Hartford  The redevelopment of a long-blighted corner northwest of Dunkin Donuts Park  seen as part of a critical but broken link between downtown Hartford and the citys North End  is expanding in scope to include two neighboring historic buildings.

The apartments and storefront space planned for city-owned land at the corner of Main and Ann Uccello streets  where the Arrowhead Cafe building stands  is now expected to take in the vacant Flat Iron building. The redevelopment also would encompass another historic building just to the west of the citys property where there is a housing cooperative.

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Fernando Betancourt, executive director of the Hartford-based nonprofit San Juan Center Inc. and a partner in the redevelopment, said purchase options are in place for the two buildings. He declined to disclose negotiated prices.

Fernando Betancourt, executive director of the nonprofit San Juan Center Inc. in Hartford, stands across from the historic Flat Iron Building on Ann Uccello Street in Hartford. The center is partnering with Meriden-based Carabetta Cos. on a redevelopment project that will now include the Flat Iron building and another historic structure nearby. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Adding the two buildings would nearly double the number of apartments to 43 and push the projects cost from $6 million to $17.5 million.

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Betancourt said bringing the two buildings into the project made sense. Plans call for closing off a portion of Ann Uccello Street, already dead-ended where it meets Main, for a pedestrian plaza. The plaza would be tree-lined with outdoor seating with space for vendors or trucks and, perhaps, a fountain.

An application has been made for $6.5 million through the states Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program. The grant is seen as essential to closing the loop on the projects financing. The Capital Region Development Authority, which has helped finance housing projects in and around downtown, also has said it could potentially provide funding.

This rendering shows how a pedestrian plaza could be incorporated into the redevelopment at Main and Ann Uccello streets in downtown Hartford. Ann Uccello is already dead-ended at Main Street. The property marked "infill" is now a vacant lot and not currently part of the project. (Courtesy of City of Hartford)

Construction could begin later this year, Betancourt said, although further city approvals would first be needed.

The Flat Iron building, so named because its shape resembles a similar, more famous structure in New York City, is owned by Shelbourne Global Solutions LLC, downtowns largest commercial landlord. Shelbourne paid $300,000 for the building in 2020.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said the addition of the two historic buildings only strengthens the citys aspirations for the area.

Ann Uccello Street reaches toward downtown Hartford with the historic Flat Iron building in the foreground, at right. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Last summer, the city chose the San Juan Center and a partner, Meriden-based builder Carabetta Cos. as the preferred developer for the city-owned property, a project encompassing renovation of the Arrowhead Cafe building and new construction on land next door.

The city acquired the Arrowhead Cafe building because it was a vacant, blighted structure that we wanted to bring back to life, Bronin said. The opportunity to do that with the renovation and revitalization of the Flat Iron building would be even more powerful.

The project also pushes northward from redevelopment of apartments, storefronts and parking garage space bustling around Dunkin Donuts Park, the citys minor league ballpark.

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The project at Main and Ann Uccello is at the northwestern end of a block diagonally across from the ballpark, which reflects the architectural style and scale of the city in the late 1800s.

This map shows the city-owned properties at Main and Ann Uccello streets that the city wants to redevelop in the same scale as the block were they are located. The project is now expanding to include the "Flat Iron" building across Ann Uccello and another historic structure, at bottom right, where there is a housing cooperative. (City of Hartford)

The San Juan Center and Carabetta are tackling a redevelopment seen as a key step in stitching back together downtown and the citys northern neighborhoods, torn apart by the construction of I-84 in the early 1970s.

But the redevelopment also is a cog in a much broader strategy to push revitalization deeper into the citys northern neighborhoods.

The city has its eye on the wider area around the three-way intersection of Main and Ann Uccello streets and Albany Avenue where it has acquired wide swaths of mostly abandoned property.

And this summer, a study of the area, starting at the three-way intersection and running north up Albany and Main is expected to recommend the best options for further redevelopment.

This map shows the boundaries of a study for future redevelopment around the intersection of Main Street and Albany Avenue in Hartford. (City of Hartford)

Betancourt said the project is critical for the San Juan Center because the Latino nonprofit that serves low- and moderate-income people in Greater Hartford was founded in the same area six decades ago.

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Betancourt also said the area gradually lost population after the highway was built, and the area fell into disrepair.

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Now there is a possibility of reconnecting and increasing the density, Betancourt said, building up the number of both residents and business owners, again making the area attractive and walkable.

The city of Hartford purchased the building with the now-closed Arrowhead Cafe, seeing potential for redevelopment at Main and Ann Uccello streets. The vacant lot, at right, was created when a building caught fire and had to be demolished. (Kenneth R. Gosselin )

Betancourt said the project at Main and Ann Uccello will be a mix of affordable and market-rate rents, crucial to ensuring the new development will provide another housing option to people already living in neighborhoods to the north.

All the pieces start coming together, Betancourt said. Our priority is to create this as brown and Black opportunities that start developing like everyone else.

Betancourt said he also believes the demand for the apartment rentals and storefront leases will be there.

Last year, the San Juan Center, headquartered in the same historic block opposite the ballpark, completed a $1.35 million renovation of its building. The project created 10 rentals and 2,500 square feet of storefront space.

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Betancourt said all 10 apartments leased without advertising and there hasnt been any turnover. One of the two storefronts is Semilla Cafe + Studio and the other is near to being leased, Betancourt said, declining to identify the tenant.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
The impact of the war in Ukraine is far-reaching as not only markets are affected, but the sunflower industry is also feeling the effects.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has significantly impacted global markets, commented John Sandbakken, executive director of the National Sunflower Association, writing in NSAs weekly newsletter on March 14. Since the start of the conflict, oilseed crush facilities and ports in Ukraine have suspended operations, and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia limiting trade from the region.

This is a big deal because Ukraine and Russia are major producers and exporters of sunflower. The suspension of operations at ports has directly affected delivery of sunflower product. But the war also brings into question Ukrainian sunflower production this year and whether producers will be able to get their crop planted and harvested with war hanging overhead.

In a typical year, Ukraine, and Russia account for about 75-80 percent of global sunflower meal and sunflower oil trade. Finding alternative vegetable oils will be a challenge in a market that has been facing tight supplies even before the events in Ukraine, Sandbakken explained.

How long Ukraines exports are shut down is unknown. The war likely will disrupt spring planting progress in Ukraine, as well.

The uncertainty of the war and the direct impacts of these associated factors is a major concern for the market and is having a direct impact on prices. Local prices have risen noticeably.

Nearby NuSun prices at the regions crush plants, as of March 14, were listed at $35.60 per hundredweight for delivery in March and April at ADM in Enderlin, N.D. At Cargill in West Fargo, N.D., the March/April delivery price for NuSun sunflower was $35 per hundredweight.

High-oleic sunflower prices were $36.10 for delivery in March and April at ADM in Enderlin, and $35.50 for March/April delivery at the Cargill plant in West Fargo.

Looking at 2022 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) contracts, the Cargill crush plant in West Fargo listed new crop NuSun contracts at $30.90 cash and $30.40 with an AOG clause. The ADM crush plant in Enderlin listed 2022 NuSun contracts of $26.20 cash and $25.50 with an AOG clause.

New crop high-oleic sunflower contracts were $27.25 cash and $26.75 with an AOG at West Fargo, while Enderlin posted $30.75 cash and $30.05 with an AOG. Elsewhere in North Dakota, the crush plant in Pingree listed a new crop high-oleic cash price of $31.05 and Hebron listed a cash price of $30.35.

The recent surge in new crop prices are encouraging U.S. farmers to increase sunflower acres in 2022 to help replace some of the oil output that will be lost from the Black Sea trade disruptions, he said. Since the invasion began, new crop prices have increased $2.80-$3.05 per hundredweight.

Another thing for producers to consider are the premiums that crush plants pay on sunflower with oil content above 40 percent. For each 1 percent of oil above 40 percent, the crush plants will pay a 2 percent price premium. Sandbakken explained that this would push a contract with 45 percent oil content gross return 10 percent higher per hundredweight. For example, an AOG $29.65 contract increases to $32.60, and the cash $31.40 contract moves close to $34.50.

Take another look at sunflowers and you might be looking at the most profitable crop to grow in 2022, he concluded.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  During the pandemic, the uptick of interest in local foods along with their own ingenuity has helped Libby and Derek Ervin grow their business.

The pandemic brought local food and produce to peoples minds, Derek said.

The Ervins sell drinking vinegars, also known as shrubs, and hot sauces made from what they grow on their small farm in southern Illinois. Their drinks, in a style which dates back to 17th century England, often include elderberry, sumac, apple or pear flavors.

Early in the pandemic it was difficult for local farmers to get their products to consumers. The usual farmers markets werent available, Derek said.

But more farmers markets have re-opened and as a result of changes in the Illinois Cottage Food Act, growers have more online opportunities to sell value-added products.

Derek and Libby were among those providing samples of their products at the Illinois Product Expo in Springfield March 5. Here, customers got a chance to sample a variety of their colorful Glaciers End shrubs made from a concentrated syrup that combines fruit, sugar and vinegar. It can be consumed on its own, but is also popular for mixed drinks and salad dressings, Libby said.

Throughout the pandemic, they have adapted to change. When one of their largest sources of income, the Farmers Market of Carbondale, closed in 2020 and stayed closed for nearly a year, they adjusted. They cultivated more interest at two smaller farmers markets.

Libby knows about the changes at farmers markets on another level. She was market manager for the Carbondale Community Farmers Market in 2019 and 2020. The winter market was held indoors at a high school in 2019, but in 2020, under pandemic restrictions, the high school could no longer offer those facilities.

We had to find a new location, she said.

They relocated to a local mall, but pandemic rules forced them to reduce the number of vendors by half, she said.

On their 37-acre Glaciers End farm near Johnston City, the Ervins grow apples, pears, peaches, blackberries and veggies including peppers for their hot sauce. They raise a few chickens and use the hickory trees to make a unique syrup.

With Dereks love for geology in mind, the couple named the farm, nestled in Williamson County in southern Illinois, for its location where Ice Age glaciers reached their southern end. They moved there from Chicago when Derek inherited the farm from his grandmother in 2017 and started their business in 2018.

It all started with his grandmothers pickle recipe.

She had a pickle recipe everyone was upset we didnt have, said Derek, who learned how to make the pickles. We started selling the pickles. We took it from there.

Today, they grow their crops, harvest them and create all the products themselves.

Its a lot for two people, he said.

And the couple wasnt in business long before the pandemic struck.

It forced our hand, we had to get sales how we could, he said.

Among other things they started selling products from their shed, grew online opportunities and interacted with others. They sell products through Leaf Food Hub, an online market. It is made up of about 20 southern Illinois vendors who sell products including bison, chicken, pork, lamb, fresh produce, eggs, baked goods, flour and other value-added products. The couple patterned their new online store after the Leaf Food Hub.

Peoples new appreciation for local foods is probably one of the best things that came out of the pandemic, Derek said.

With a growing demand for their products, they are in growth mode, planting trees in the orchard and applying for a liquor license to produce wine products. They are planning for a commercial kitchen and to expand their on-farm store.

Were evolving  our products, our labeling, our marketing, said Libby of the product they sold in Mason jars at first. Now their stylish jars and bottles pour more easily and bear their distinctive Glaciers End logo.

When they first started the business, Derek studied an earlier version of the Illinois Cottage Law Act and saw numerous limitations of what they could produce and sell.

Everything we sell now would not be allowed before 2017, he said. It allows us to have a different avenue for sales. Its helping us already.

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Editor's note: This is part three of a series of articles regarding meat processing in Wisconsin. Part one was published in the March 3 issue of Agri-View. Part two was published in the March 10 issue of Agri-View.

With funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has targeted $5 million to be used to recruit talent and provide financial assistance for meat-processing training programs in Wisconsin.

The funding will be used to attract potential students as well as provide financial support to students who enroll in meat-training programs. The funding also will be used to support program development and connect the meat-processing industry with potential employees.

This investment works with the meat-processor grant program, Evers said to attendees of Ag Day at the Capitol in January, most of whom were farmers. Together these dollars are available to ensure theres a spot for your cattle when theyre ready to be marketed.

The funding addresses long-term issues of labor recruitment, training and retention, wrote Darin Von Ruden in January in an editorial. Von Ruden served as president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union for 12 years before recently shifting to the role of vice-president.

Small-scale meat processors have struggled to find skilled workers who can adapt to different roles and understand the unique cutting needs of regional producers, he said. The ability for Wisconsin farmers to direct-market their animals  an avenue that opens the door to fairer prices  hinges on our small- and mid-scale meat processors having the labor they need to operate at full capacity and reach their full potential.

Joe Parajecki is the program instructor for the Artisanal Modern Meat Butchery program at Madison Area Technical College. He has been meeting with representatives from other technical colleges and industry.

Were discussing what the meat-processing industry wants taught, he said.

Jeff Sindelar, a professor and meat specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Division of Extension, said meetings will continue to address the capacity for meat-processing educational programs at the states universities and technical colleges.

Attracting new talent to the meat-processing industry has long been a challenge. Thats due in part to meat processing being classified as a high-risk industry by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Individuals may not work in the industry until reaching age 18. As a result high-school-age students havent been exposed to potential careers in the meat industry. In addition to meat processing there are opportunities, for example, in food safety, and the pet-food and pharmaceutical industries, Sindelar said.

Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection reached out to the states universities and technical colleges to learn if theyd be able to provide training in meat processing.

Now that fundings available, theres a follow-up on earlier conversations, Sindelar said. There are discussions about collaborative opportunities.

At present theres the one-year Artisanal Modern Meat Butchery program at Madison Area Technical College.

We changed it from a two-year associate degree to a one-year technical degree, on the request of students, Parajecki said.

Theres also a Master Meat Crafter Program offered by the UW-Department of Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery. The two-year program consists of six 2.5-day workshops. Candidates are required to successfully complete four program elements for graduation; they earn the Master Meat Crafter designation.

Applicants with at least five years of experience in ownership, operation or employment in a meat-processing establishment will be viewed favorably for the master program. But other backgrounds also will be considered for admission, according to UW-Madison.

Tim Brueggen, owner of Falls Meat Service in Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin, said, The state has a great nucleus of people working in our industry who play a huge role in education and advocacy. I think there could be more programs offered in more local areas. The states technical colleges are well-utilized, but almost none have programs related to meat processing. Usually the best way to learn is on-the-job training.

Wayne Lautsbaugh of Crescent Meats in Cadott, Wisconsin, said meat processing is difficult labor-intensive work. His employees do the work, almost seeing it as a cause for helping their local farmers and community.

You have to believe in what youre doing, he said.

Training is important but individuals dont really develop an appreciation for the work until theyre doing the job, he said.

If the state wants to help the industry, it might consider providing meat processors a tax credit for on-site training, he said.

Jake Sailer owns Sailers Food Market and Meat Processing Inc. in Elmwood, Wisconsin. He said he wants to see management taught in future training programs.

Without management, youre not going to grow, he said. Management is huge on our radar. We need to teach people how to be leaders.

He said not everyone is or wants to be a leader, but leaders are needed to move the industry forward.

Scott Vorpagel, president and CEO of Lake Geneva Country Meats in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, said the states talent-development effort is important.

Im 100 percent behind it, he said. Im impressed by the number of high schools with strong agricultural-education programs. I believe if the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection partnered with organizations  such as FFA  to help high schools share meat-processing career opportunities, wed see an increase in young people interested in this industry.

Young people are starting to understand the number of great careers available that dont involve an expensive college degree. But they need to have the opportunities presented to them early and often.

This is an original article written for Agri-View, a Lee Enterprises agricultural publication based in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit AgriView.com for more information.

Lynn Grooms writes about the diversity of agriculture, including the industrys newest ideas, research and technologies as a staff reporter for Agri-View based in Wisconsin.

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The race among Republicans who want to be the states school chief could come down to whethe
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Quan and Rebeca Quach are building a food truck park on the corner of Farmington and Girard avenues in Hartford. (Susan Dunne)

A food truck park with a pergola, a stage and seating for dozens of people, is being built on a long-vacant lot at 510 Farmington Ave. in the West End of Hartford. Quan and Rebeca Quach, who live in the neighborhood, said they hope to open by the end of May.

The lot at the corner of Girard Avenue was the focus of a nine-year lawsuit against the city that began when the lots owners were blocked from building a McDonalds with a drive-through. The suit was settled last year in the owners favor, long after McDonalds lost interest in the site.

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Rebeca Quach said they got the go-ahead from the city for the plan on March 14 and began working to get permits that day.

Unlike the McDonalds drive-through proposal, no motorized vehicles will be allowed on the property of Westside Square except the food trucks, which will not park there overnight. If a liquor license is approved, a decommissioned double-decker Philadelphia tourist bus will be installed on the site as a bar, Rebeca Quach said.

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It has been empty so long. It will be good to see something here, Quan Quach said. Im already getting calls from food truck owners. The more the merrier. We need something to be going on here.

Quan Quach said up to four trucks at a time will be scheduled in a rotation similar to the setup at GastroPark, the food truck park in West Hartford that opened in 2020. He used to be a regular at GastroPark himself, when he operated the now-dormant Baba Ganoush truck in collaboration with the nearby Tangiers food store.

It took some work to get approval from planning and zoning. The city didnt have laws on food truck parks, Rebeca Quach said. We had to give them information about the noise level  the music will be acoustic  and when we were going to shut down for the night. It was new to all of us. It will be the first of its kind in the city.

Quan Quach is a contractor who once owned Red Plate and Asylum Cafe restaurants in Hartford. He is doing the site renovation using repurposed materials, including huge wooden wire spools from electric companies. Im going to set them around the park, turn them into circular picnic tables, he said.

He plans to use repurposed windows to create a window wall facing Farmington. He will surface the scraggly lot using milling, to even out the asphalt.

Quan Quach said Westside Square will provide a place for many Hartford food truck operators whose customary parking spots were taken away last summer by restrictions imposed by the city council.

They are looking for an opportunity to go somewhere to park and not having any issues with the city, Quan Quach said.

Diners are urged to walk to the park or ride their bikes. Bike racks will be set up on the lot. Dogs will be welcome at the park, the proposal states. It will be open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

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A food truck park is planned for this lot at the corner of Farmington and Girard avenues in the West End of Hartford, pictured in June 2021. (Courant file photo) (Brad Horrigan/The Hartford Courant)

Legal difficulties

The Farmington-Girard lot was the focus of a lengthy lawsuit that began in 2012, when the propertys owners, Eliot Gersten and Philip Schonberger, wanted to build a McDonalds with a drive-through there.

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Repeated zoning changes squashed their plans. McDonalds pulled out of the project in 2015, the year Schonberger died. Gersten pressed on for nine years, his suit ending up in the state Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Gersten last June. Gersten also filed a federal suit accusing the city of illegally blocking his plans.

Gersten told The Courant last June that changing market conditions would affect how he used the property. Last December he authorized the Quaches to submit the plan to the city. Gersten did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Neighbors protested the McDonalds, but seem happy with the park plans. West End Civic Association wrote a letter of support, calling the park a welcomed measure for not only revitalizing the vacant parking lot, but it is also an opportunity to enhance the quality of life for the West End and neighbors.

Joseph Albano, whose eponymous ballet company is headquartered immediately to the north of the food truck park, said its a nice feeling that the plan has been allowed.

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With the way the economy has gone, the way COVID has made sitting inside in tight spaces a no no, this is a beautiful thing, letting people sit outside to eat their meal, Albano said. Its a great idea for that corner, not limiting it to a McDonalds, seeing all kinds of different food trucks going in. More fast food we dont need.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender....- Winston Churchill

The Taiwanese, like the Ukrainians, pose no threat to their neighbors. But, like Putin, Xi Jinping denies that they have a right to co-exist as a free people. He is surely watching Putins efforts to measure Chinas chances against Ukraine. China, though, will face unique challenges if it attacks Taiwan, in addition to meeting the same fierce local resistance Putins experiencing.

For two decades, Trump has been fully aware of the danger from China. In 2000, in The America We Deserve, he wrote, Our biggest long-term challenge will be China. He could see the potential market with China, but Americans, he said, were way too eager to please the Chinese at the expense of Americas national interest. Still, China is not unbeatable.

For starters, Xis people will also resent an invasion. Chinas 35-year long one child policy (1985-2015) has left most Chinese families dependent on a single child, many of whom are now military-aged men. Despite being drafted into the armed forces, these children cant abandon the filial dutyan important Chinese cultural valuethey owe to their parents in old age. If they are forced into a meaningless war, the entire army and the public will be demoralized.

It's true that Xi has been promoting the China Dream () to his people by building a strong army for an empire. Still, some of Chinas neighbors think the military is a paper tiger. Many Taiwanese see the Chinese military display as more of a show than a preparation for an all-out invasion.

Xis desire for a quick war may be thwarted by the fact that transporting his troops by sea across the Taiwan strait and maintaining their presence would be a huge challenge. They would be facing the armed forces of Japan, India, Australia, and the ASEAN (an association of ten Southeast Asian nations)plus the American and British forces currently in the region.

Taiwan also poses a porcupine-like challenge. Its very well-defended. In 2022, Taiwan is ranked 21 of 142 in the annual GFP review.

Taiwans parliament has recently passed an extra spending bill of close to $9 billion for defense spending, which comes on top of its special annual defense budget of roughly $17 billion for 2022. The Defense Ministry says its confident that it would be difficult for China to pull off a full-scale invasion. Per the Defense Ministrys latest threat assessment, China has a limited transport capacity that will slow an invasion:

However, the nations military strongly defends ports and airports, and they will not be easy to occupy in a short time. Landing operations will face extremely high risks, the ministry said in the report, a copy of which was reviewed by the Reuters news agency.

Still, China is pushing. Chinas largest-ever incursion occurred in October last year, with at least 38 Chinese aircraft flying in two waves across the islands air defense zone. A month before this incident, Taiwans air force had scrambled to warn away 10 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone, a day after Taiwan announced that $9 billion boost to military spending.

Beginning in January 2022, Chinas military flights into Taiwans air-defense identification zone have doubled since 2021. Recently, the Chinese regime has carried out multiple military drills simulating invasion. In recent weeks, Chinese warships were spotted off Taiwans Orchid Island three times, according to a military source who spoke to CNA. This heightens regional concerns about the risk of military escalation or even outright war.

Still, China is worried about Western interference. Since 2018, China has been tracking military activity in the South China Sea with a particular focus on American forces, especially after America and Britain increased their military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

In 2018 Britain also joined the Asia Pacific free-trade alliance known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. By February 2019, the Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, loaded with F35 jets, sailed into the South China Sea.

Image: Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin (edited). YouTube screen grab.

In March 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Japans Foreign Minister Toshimitsu and Defense Minister Kishi in Tokyo. They discussed a six-year plan of cooperation to strengthen the US-Japan alliance. Blinken confirmed the US commitment to assist Japan to defend itself and its neighbors.

In June 2021, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb visited Viet Nam, Singapore, and Cambodia. The governments document, Integrated Review of Security, Defense, Development and Foreign Policy, recommended strategies responding to Chinas aggression. The following month, UK Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace met with VN Defense Minister Phan Van Giang for talks in Ha Noi.

In July 2021, Defense Secretary Austin arrived in Singapore to give a speech at the IISS Fullerton Lecture series. When he met leaders of Viet Nam and the Philippines, they expressed concern about China and requested tougher US policies toward Beijing.

The U.S. has also sought to reassure Taiwan since Russia invaded Ukraine. President Biden sent a delegation to Taiwan, led by Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They arrived in Taipei on March 1, 2022. Part of the groups mission was to reassure the public in Taiwan about Americas commitment.

Before the invasion of Ukraine, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had scheduled a visit to Taiwan. He arrived on March 2 and gave a reassuring speech on March 3.

The United States relationship with Taiwan was strongest during the Trump presidency. President Tsai also awarded former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon. At this event, the skyscraper Taipei 101 lit up with a message for Pompeo and a billboard by a city councilor candidate in Taichung, Taiwans second-largest city.

Australia is also boosting its defense spending in response to threats from China and Russia. On March 9, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the Australian Defense Force will undergo the biggest expansion in 40 years, with a budget of $38 billion. He said the plan will result in 80,000 permanent defense force personnela 30% increaseand a total permanent workforce of over 101,000 by 2040. The plan also includes cyber warfare defense.

Additionally, Australia quietly supports Taiwan against Chinese military aggression. Thus, it supplies it with ammunition and small missiles, of the type currently being sent to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

China may also be put off by the worlds overwhelming response to Russias aggression. Putin and Xi had refused to call the Ukraine situation an invasion or a war, referring to instead it as a special military operation. But significantly, on March 9, Beijing called the crisis a war for the first time. China has also stopped aircraft parts deliveries to Russia amid sanctions.

Still, on the upside for China, with the Russian ruble crashing due to unprecedented sanctions from the West, only China can buy out Russian businesses at their now lowest prices. Beijing is in talks with state-owned enterprises, expecting to scoop up Russian companies and assets, according to Bloomberg. As to Russia, Xi has revealed himself as a two-faced dragon.

Now that Vladimir Putins adventure is making Russia a pariah nation, it serves as a warning to Xis designs on Taiwan.
With friends like liberal media, who needs enemies? Their virtue signaling and political spin over Ukraine is so revolting that if I didn't know better, I'd turn against Ukraine like so many conservative commentators already have. But having lived in both Russia and Ukraine, I know better.

Just as revolting is seeing previously trusted conservative sites and TV hosts defending Russia and tarring Ukraine. Children act like that when adults apply reverse psychology. What's their excuse? I'm not naming names because I'd like to believe they are acting in good faith and are simply misguided by crafty spinners.

Reading Russian and Ukrainian sources in the original, I know exactly who in this war is spinning lies and who is fighting for truth and freedom. Believe me, not every enemy of the liberal media is our ally or deserves sympathy. Sometimes the enemy of our enemy is an even bigger enemy.

I'm familiar with Russian propaganda well enough to recognize a scripted narrative. Some conservative hosts may not praise Putin's ideas directly, but they favor guests and authors who deliver the influence operation script, blaming the victims and diminishing their suffering. This looks just as bad as pointing a camera at the scene of a violent rape while mocking the victim's screaming, making fun of her clothes, saying that she deserves it, and suggesting that she stop faking pain and enjoy the inevitable.

With the media presenting such irreconcilable viewpoints, American consumers of news have split into two warring factions. But the accusations and arguments with which they hit each other over the head are false on either side.

False argument #1: Anyone who supports Ukraine wants American soldiers to die in foreign lands or is clamoring for WW3.

I support Ukraine but I never called for Americans to risk their lives in Ukraine. There are many ways of supporting an ally without sending an army. The three weeks of fighting have shown Ukraine is quite capable of defending itself, given enough guns and ammo.

False argument #2: Anyone who questions the Democrats' motives as related to this war is a Putin troll and a traitor.

I'll be the first to point out that Biden and the rest of the Obama team had turned Ukraine into a feeding trough with their corrupt schemes. But that has little to do with Putin's paranoia and his megalomaniacal motives to invade Ukraine and the rest of the former Soviet territories, redefining established borders, encouraging other known bad actors, and setting a precedent that may indeed start WW3.

It's time we asked, cui bono? Who benefits from a divided America fighting over Putin's Russia? The answer is Putin's Russia.

Russian influence operations, or "active measures," have been targeting the U.S. for decades, aiming to demoralize Americans and make them hate one another. Judging by the state of affairs today, Russian operations have been quite effective.

The KGB was dissolved in the early 1990s, followed by a short respite. Then Putin, a former KGB colonel, restarted the influence game and enhanced it with digital gadgets. This time, in addition to the traditional leftist radicals, he started targeting conservatives as potential agents of influence.

Russian propaganda is deeply embedded and is sophisticated enough to appear as honest opinions of concerned citizens. But what often betrays it is the narcissistic desire of making everything about Russia.

We are either fuming over Russian election interference, or over Russia setting up fake BLM pages on Facebook, or we are being dragged into sympathizing with Russia over its bogus fears of NATO expansion, its "national interests," its "religiosity and spirituality," and so on. In the Soviet days of communist propaganda, any American influencer could get away with it by claiming he was simply a selfless Marxist. But today, when Russia's ideology is chauvinistic nationalism, it's a bit odd for a regular American to be simply a selfless defender of Russia's national interests.

While Russia's defenders point out the existence of Ukrainian nationalism, they somehow neglect to mention the unhinged Russian nationalism. The two are not equal. The nationalism of a dominant ethnicity in an empire that aims to subjugate other ethnicities as inferior to the main one is called chauvinism or supremacism. The nationalism of a smaller ethnicity trying to free its neck from under its "big brother's" boot is called a movement for dignity, freedom, and independence  something American conservatives have always identified with.

Contrary to what a section of conservative media claims, Putin is not a Christian knight in shining armor fighting the New World Order. He has his own New World Order in mind, which is spiritually closer to Mordor. One look at Russian society today with its brutal suppression of dissent, government corruption, and state-sponsored brainwashing should give an idea of what he has in store for the rest of the conquered world.

Russia may have different faces at different times, but the one we are staring at today -- obsessed with the cult of Putin and conspiracy theories -- is not Lara from Doctor Zhivago, who never existed, but a manipulative drama queen dragging others into its alcohol-fueled problems and then using the suckers as tools to achieve its soulless goals.

Americans shouldn't be codependent in this abusive behavior.

A top-level Russian propagandist once bragged that if his agency's methods of psychological manipulation were open and legal, they could easily get a Nobel for inventing it. If I were to guess, at least one of those methods relies in part on the Drama Triangle principle.

The Drama Triangle was first described by Stephen Karpman in the 1960s. It is a model of dysfunctional social interactions and illustrates a power game that involves three roles: Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor, each role represents a common and ineffective response to conflict. [] Most of us are neurologically programmed to play these three roles, and we consciously or unconsciously choose one role given the particular context.

Internally, on state-owned TV channels, Russian propaganda instills a sense of superiority, entitlement, and indignation similar to what an abusive ex-husband feels towards his runaway ex-wife, who had better love him or else. In this case, the runaway ex-wife is from Ukraine.

In the messaging designed for Western countries, however, Russia plays the manipulative "poor me" victim. It blames largely imaginary villains and conspiracies for its misfortunes and appeals to the kind, well-meaning but somewhat gullible people of the world (Rescuers) who believe the victim and come to the rescue at the cost of sacrificing their own interests.

Playing the role of a noble hero while forgetting about their own problems makes the Rescuers feel good about themselves for a brief time. Instead of working on their own grievances, all they can think of is the victim's grievances, which they get to know in every detail, real or fictional.

And just like that, all of a sudden, many American conservatives today have become Russia experts, discussing the finer points of NATO's expansion on Russian borders, Russophobia, Bandera, denazification, the Azov Battalion, special military operations, the genocide of Russians in Donbas, the movements of Slavic tribes in the Middle Ages, the plot by the CIA and State Department to install a puppet regime in Ukraine in 2014, the shooting down of flight MH17 by a Ukrainian missile, and other such nonsense.

Those Americans who disagree with the Rescuers about Russia's victimhood are automatically categorized as Persecutors, agents of the Deep State, or of the New World Order. I've been called that on Facebook a few times already. Thanks a lot, Russia!

When did this triangle begin? It could already have been in place when the American left opposed the U.S. entering the war in Europe during the Hitler-Stalin friendship pact, but the moment Hitler attacked the USSR they instantly adopted a pro-war "help Russia" stance.

Americans used to be split over Russia and its exploits throughout the entire Cold War, including the Vietnam War. Even Barack Obama's mother, a communist nonconformist, met his Kenyan father in a Russian class. She wanted to stick it to the Man, and she did.

In those days the liberals were the Rescuers and the conservatives were the Persecutors. In today's game, those roles have switched. But Russia has never stopped being the "poor me" victim with a "mysterious soul."

The switch happened during the 2016 presidential elections when Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump of colluding with Russia. Before long, Americans became split over the "Russian collusion" conspiracy theory. All we could hear from the media throughout Donald Trump's presidency was "Russia, Russia, Russia." In the eyes of the media, Republicans became the lovers of Russia and Putin.

The myth of that unnatural love is still alive today among the Democrats. Just the other day former Obama's ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul claimed in an interview with an ex-pat Russian opposition journalist Yulia Latynina that if Trump were president now, he would've just given Ukraine to Putin as a gift of friendship.

Today "Russia, Russia, Russia" continues in the form of debates over the recognition of Russia's "geopolitical interests" in formerly Soviet lands. The emotional details of injustice to Russia multiply daily, and we keep arguing about them without stopping to think that maybe most of those details are being made up by Russia just for this very purpose.

Nobody enjoys the "Russia, Russia, Russia" noise more than Russia. Russia likes the world to talk about Russia.

The current war will surely be followed by another emotional and heart-wrenching development, in which Russia will once again be sobbing and posing as the "poor little me" victim with a mysterious soul while stepping on the neck of the next casualty in its endless power games.

This game won't stop until the Rescuers of the world finally see Russia for what it is - the pathological drama queen. The only way to end this Drama Triangle is to start responding to Russia's phony complaints with a dismissive "Buzz off."
If there is any consistent feature among contemporary liberals, it is their relentless virtue-signaling and symbolic displays of compassion.

But do their actions match their words?

For that, we look at two recent cases.

We begin with the Jussie Smollet case.

In 2019, Smollett claimed he was attacked by two Trump supporters in Chicago who also hurled racist and homophobic slurs, poured a chemical substance over him, and threw a rope around his neck symbolic of lynching. Smollett said he had also received racist mail.

The narrative of the far-right persecuting a gay black man in Trumps America was a godsend for the media, so it was gleefully amplified.

Later a Chicago police investigation established that Smollett had paid two Nigerian nationals $3,500 to stage the attack and even sent the racist letter to himself at a Fox studio. The aim was to promote the "advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.

It was all an outrageous hoax.

Despite overwhelming evidence of guilt, Smollett pleaded not guilty at his trial and when he was sentenced to 150 days in prison, he was defiant. He will probably claim once again that he is a victim of racism. Worse, he will gain support from people who will use him to fundraise.

Next is Alec Baldwins shooting incident.

Last October, Baldwin, fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza with a loaded gun on the set of his film Rust.

The incident was an accident. But irrespective of his intentions, Baldwin was responsible for the death of Hutchins.

In mere weeks after the incident, Baldwins wife posted fun family photos on Instagram. It didn't occur to either him or her that it was insensitive to make a display of merriment immediately after Alecs actions had killed another wife and mother.

Months later during an interview on ABC, Baldwin claimed that some unknown forces were responsible for Hutchinss death and that he didnt pull the trigger.

Hutchins widower was understandably livid and launched a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin.

Baldwin reacted that he was accustomed to being sued by the likes of the Hutchins family, who are always out to make easy money.

It was an astounding demonstration of cold-heartedness.

But the abyss was yet to be traversed.

In a recent legal filing, Baldwin is claiming that it was Hutchins who told him to cock the gun that ultimately fired a live round of ammunition, resulting in her death.

Baldwins lawyers are also arguing that Baldwin's contract for the film protects him from responsibility for any costs or claims against him. He also seeks coverage of his legal fees.

In a short period, Baldwin attempted to depict himself as a victim, blamed the victim, shamed the victim's family, and then attempted to block any reparative payments.

How should both men have reacted?

Smollett's career was on the outs and in his act, he sought to revive it. But instead of staging the bizarre attack, he could have opted for constructive measures to bolster his profile. Perhaps he could have founded a production company to develop scripts and make movies. Perhaps he could have changed his agent to actively look for new television and movie roles. But instead, he chose a cheap stunt.

When caught for his hoax he should have apologized, pled guilty, and pledge his life to charitable endeavors. Perhaps he would have received a lighter sentence. He didn't.

Baldwin, too, made a horrific mistake and should have compensated the Hutchins family survivors financially. Perhaps he could have included the Hutchins's victims in his circle and afforded them all the privileges that he has. It still wouldnt have been real compensation for the absence of a mother and a wife but it would have been the noble thing to do.

Instead, both men rushed to claim victimhood and continued to attempt to wallow in self-pity.

In Smolletts case, it was a case of double victimhood, the goal of the hoax was victimhood and now following his sentence, the victimhood charade continues.

Baldwin's or Smollett's actions are a sign of the devolution of contemporary society.

Smollett was virtually unknown but his hoax gave him global recognition. Before his hoax was caught, he was more famous than achievers. People remember him more than the winner of an Oscar or an Emmy in the previous year.

He would probably be elevated to the level of MLK, the fact that he is gay was an added bonus to the suite of victimhood.

Dont be surprised if Baldwin becomes a fervent and vocal anti-gun activist. He may claim to have an epiphany that guns are the root of all problems. He can blame the gun rather than himself for the death of his victim. This activism will expunge his guilt and soon he will be celebrated in his echo chambers and probably win awards.

During President Trumps tenure, both Smollett and Baldwin relentlessly attacked Trump. Baldwin would frequently say "Trump must go" as if the votes of the people meant nothing.

Some termed this as Trump Derangement Syndrome.

But Baldwin and Smollett's behavior following their crimes proves that these are immoral, hateful, angry, entitled, and self-righteous individuals. Trump had nothing to do with their bad behavior. Trump was merely the excuse that enabled them to claim that their compassion for regular people that they claimed had been victimized was what caused their rage. They knew they would receive instant approval from their Democrat echo chambers. It was also a cynical move to remain in the limelight, a ploy also employed by other Hollywood figures such as Robert DeNiro and Bette Midler.

The fact remains that Trumps economy only improved lives and empowered many minorities.

The rise in the victimhood culture is a result of the grievance industry pioneered by liberals where victims are celebrated and the successful (unless they are Democrat donors) are vilified.

Smollett and Baldwin are merely famous cases.

This victimhood culture obviously must have percolated to every stratum of society.

Perhaps a subordinate who receives critical feedback from a superior just has to claim to have felt attacked. The superior steps back for the fear of being called a bigot and the subordinate receives a 'diversity' award. The rest striving to deliver quality results just receive a few kind words if they are lucky.

An individual caught committing a crime can claim to be a victim of income inequality or white supremacy or racism or misogyny. He receives support from and a liberal judge may let him go. In states such as California, shoplifting is almost legal, thus crime is incentivized

If the individual belongs to a historically persecuted demographic, the possibility of victimhood being celebrated is higher. Social media plays a major role in glorifying victims.

The culture that victimhood is more profitable and is celebrated more than accomplishment and taking responsibility for mistakes spread all over.

BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors now owns various real estate properties worth many millions in a short time via her activism and victimhood. A regular hardworking talented professional would probably take a lifetime to earn that kind of wealth.

These are troubling signs.

Soon people looking for easy money and fame will concoct scams and hoaxes rather than toil to accomplish things.

When more hoaxes are caught, real victims of bigotry will be looked at with suspicion

A civilization that ceases to accomplish fails to grow. A society that is perpetually suspicious and cynical begins to devolve. Before you know, a collapse begins.

Image: ABC7 video screen shot, via YouTube
Of course, Russias special military action, otherwise known as an invasion of Ukraine, is a humanitarian catastrophe. Photo-journo accounts of hospitals suffering rocket attacks, civilians slaughtered by bomb bursts and sweeps of gunfire, apartment buildings, entire neighborhoods obliterated, are indeed horrific. Some two million refugees pouring into Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia add to the despondent emotions.

While the spreading incineration in Ukraine is impossible to ignore, neither should be conditions in American cities. The scenes of ravaged American inner cities, with entire sections of cities burned out, abandoned, and derelict, are no less war zones than what we see in Ukraine.

Minneapolis after the George Floyd riots (YouTube screengrab)

US citizen civilians -- having no option except to live in rat-infested hellholes, cold water, no heat, toilets that dont flush, rotted rafters, crumbling walls, sinking foundations, faring no better than war-torn Ukrainians -- are unable to escape from disgusting conditions in tenement buildings awaiting safety and health inspectors who never arrive, or firefighters, bulldozer and wrecking ball operators who wont work in those neighborhoods without a Kevlar vest.

When is the last time you saw photos of hollowed-out towns from western NY, through Pennsylvania, western Maryland, West Virginia, southeast Ohio, East Chicago, Gary, Indiana? Have you driven through urban battle zones from the Bronx to Philadelphia, to Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, Los Angeles, and now Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis?

You could interchange photos of those American cities almost indistinguishable from scenes in Kyiv to Kharkiv to Mariupol. Accompanying the American city images of burned out, dilapidated buildings, and boarded up storefronts are the drug dealing gang lord gunfights, a pandemic of opioid deaths, routine and ubiquitous assaults and killings of innocent everyday American citizens -- the elderly ladies just walking across the street, elementary-age boys and girls just hop-skipping home from school, hardscrabble neighborhood shopkeepers just changing the sign on a crate of potatoes -- who are refugees in America with no place to go, having no one in the Democrat party, nor Republican establishment who give a damn.

At least Ukrainian refugees have someplace to go. Where are inner-city refugees in America going to find relief? The Democrats are happy to spend billions on resettling millions of illegal aliens, but not one dime in helping inner-city captives escape gunfire, piles of garbage and rubble, with homeless camps everywhere as junkies on the street outnumber cops 100 to 1, and Marxist district attorneys prosecute political opponents while giving celebrity treatment to career arsonists, rapists, child molesters, and cold-blooded killers.

Meanwhile, the Democrats and enabling RINOs -- Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, and Lindsey Graham-- cheered on by establishment media, spend billions in aid to Ukraine, pursue reckless economic warfare against the Russian people, propose military provocations against Putin quite smugly displaying their cosmopolitan virtue signaling, expecting working-class Americans who have been neither consulted nor given their consent to sacrifice their meager minimal living conditions. All for Joe Biden & Co to change the subject, after imposing upon our own dispossessed the most wretched economic conditions since the 1930s.

Equally outrageous is the preening about as our warmongers gleefully punish Russian oligarchs, while conveniently collaborating with American kleptocrats enriching themselves and their families.

We know who they are: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and his acolytes, Joe Biden & Co, the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, John Kerry, Al Gore, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Fink of Blackrock, and the Great Reset globalist titans led by Davoss Klaus Schwab.

These are the corrupt Western plutocrats who slash and plunder, line their own pockets, are in league with totalitarians from Latin America, to China, to Eurasia, to the Middle East, addicted to private security protected black Chevy Tahoe SUV car service, and Marthas Vineyard/Nantucket/Hamptons compounds with bodyguards, groomed croquet lawns, sculpted terraces, and umbrella-covered boardwalks to the private beach.

Meanwhile, regular American Marys and Joes fare slightly better than medieval serfs under Democrat promises of deliverance from poverty into government-financed prosperity, but in actuality are consigned to a hopeless brutal subsistence.

All while the NBA, NBC, Disney, Apple, Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks, Facebook, Big Pharma, manufacturers of appliances, electrical/electronic goods, and everyday staples rake in billions in blood money from collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party whose spoils are made possible by enslaving millions of Chinese people.

Major Wall Street investment bankers and corporate CEOs are then rewarded with eight-figure bonuses, and even more grotesque retirement packages by outsourcing industrial and hi-tech jobs to China, promoting open borders in the US as immigrants -- legal and illegal from software developers to landscape laborers -- undermining jobs and wages for US inner-city citizens, and debt-ridden millennial dropouts, especially working class low wage workers, throughout the Democrat party occupied ruins right here at home.

If we have a moral obligation to fix Ukraine, punish the Russian invaders and profiteers, then under a Kantian moral categorical imperative -- where a moral response is unconditional and universal-- we must also fix American cities, rescue and offer hope to law-abiding, innocent American citizens who live here, while demanding prosecution of and reparations from the American profiteering ruling class.

Life is tough. Disasters happen. Not every infirmity can be remedied. The world is dualistic. Profundities and banalities coexist. Not every mess gets noticed, much less cleaned up, nor does it deserve a resolution.

Responses to catastrophic events are not always moral categorical imperatives; they are mostly contingent. A moral contingency implies a choice, a causation/consequence that can be freely selected, or by-passed.

But if rescuing Ukraine, and punishing Russia, is to be a moral imperative -- an unconditional duty -- the US warmongers are logically obliged to address the killing fields right here in American cities and towns.

Otherwise, US warmongers are deliberately forsaking their own people, and mocking their own self-righteousness by denying a moral imperative that is unconditionally universal. And so, US warmongers, and their global quislings, forfeit any claim to be a moral people, thus can never be redeemed nor forgiven.
In the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx, there once was a Public Intermediate School that, sadly, was shut down because of poor performance. The school was officially called I.S. 192, but it was also known as the Piagentini-Jones School. That name was in honor of two NYPD patrolmen who were gunned down in May 1971.

Waverly Jones was 33; his partner, Joseph Piagentini, was 28. Each had been on the job for five years. They were on foot patrol in a Harlem public housing project when, at about 10 P.M., three assailants ambushed them. They shot Jones in the back of the head, killing him instantly. He left behind a wife and three children. They shot Piagentini 13 times. He died on the way to the hospital, leaving behind a wife and two children.

It was a political assassination, carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army (BLA), who had declared themselves to be in open "rebellion against a system" that had "cruelly oppressed them as a minority." It didn't matter to them that Patrolman Jones was also Black.



Image: Public domain.

One of those convicted for the murders, Anthony Bottom, admitted lying in wait for the officers and committing "cold-blooded murder," adding, "It could have been any officers."

The killers removed Jones's service weapon from his body. It was later recovered in San Francisco after BLA members opened fire on a police officer there. According to the FBI, the BLA was responsible for the murders of more than a dozen police officers around the country.

But that's old news.

Now comes word, via the Daily Caller, that Bottom, who now calls himself "Jalil Muntaqim" and who was paroled in 2020 (thanks to former governor Andrew Cuomo's and state lawmakers' alterations to parole guidelines), has been invited to appear at the State University of New York's Brockport campus in April. The convicted cop-killer will speak on the "History of Black Resistance, U.S. Political Prisoners & Genocide."

If you're surprised, shocked, or even outraged that a convicted cop-killer would be invited to be the guest speaker at an institute of higher learning, you may feel those emotions even more strongly when you learned that these invitations are hardly unprecedented. The example that comes to my mind is one I wrote about in American Thinker in 2014, when Wesley Cook, who now goes by the more politically trendy "Mumia Abu-Jamal," was selected to give the commencement address at Vermont's Goddard College.

Abu-Jamal, whose death sentence was dismissed in 2011, is still serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner, who was 25 years old, was married, and had been with the Philadelphia Police Department for five years.



Image: Public domain.

Faulkner's murder started when he stopped a wrong-way driver. Thus, he wasn't killed in an ambush, unlike Piagentini and Jones, but Cook most certainly executed him. Having shot Faulkner in the back while Faulkner struggled with Cook's brother, Cook then shot Faulkner in the face at close range as the officer lay wounded on the ground.

But wait, there's more! Wikipedia identifies Cook (AKA Abu-Jamal) as an "activist and journalist." Abu-Jamal has written several books while incarcerated and has been the commencement speaker at Olympia Washington's Evergreen College in 1999 and at Ohio's Antioch College in 2000.

In both cases, then and now, in which college students and faculty members feted and fawned over convicted cop-killers, the slain police officers were (as the late Rush Limbaugh would say) unavailable for comment.

Stu Tarlowe has, since 2010, contributed well over 150 pieces to American Thinker. His personal pantheon of heroes and role models includes Barry Farber, Jean Shepherd, Long John Nebel, Aristide Bruant, Col. Jeff Cooper, Rabbi Meir Kahane and G. Gordon Liddy. He was employed as a staff writer for the online magazine of a think-tank forecasting political and societal trends, but when he had to be hospitalized for COVID, he was replaced. Having recovered, he now writes on a variety of topics (political and personal) in his newsletter at https://stutarlowe.substack.com.
As lawmakers debate how to respond to an uptick in motor vehicle thefts, preliminary figures discussed this week suggest there were fewer cars stolen in 2021 than the previous year.

Were not necessarily experiencing a continued, substantial growth in auto thefts from last year, Ken Barone, the associate director at the Institute for Municipal and Regional Planning at the University of Connecticut, told members of the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee.

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The findings support the argument that car thefts increased in 2020 because of societal disruptions caused by the pandemic. As COVID-19 ravaged across Connecticut and the rest of the U.S., it shut down the courts, closed schools and affected policing practices, leading to increases in car thefts in the state and across the nation.

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The numbers discussed this week are projections, Barone stressed. Last years crime stats wont be finalized until later this year, but preliminary figures and projections of data not yet collected suggest there was between a 4% and 10% decrease in the number of car thefts in 2021 compared to 2020.

Barone posited that reductions could be due to the state reopening as COVID-19 numbers stay low, cooperative efforts among local police departments and an increased awareness that people should be locking their cars and not leaving key fobs inside, making them easy targets for theft.

Regardless of what the final figures end up showing, Barone is confident that the data will show a decrease from the bump in car thefts in 2020.

Barone made a similar presentation to the committee last year. One of the key findings in his research involved where those thefts were taking place. Motor vehicle thefts have declined in Connecticuts major cities, more likely to be represented by Democrats, and have increased in surrounding suburban communities, which Republicans are more likely to represent.

Projections for 2021 suggest that more than half of towns with municipal police departments likely saw a decrease in auto thefts compared to 2020.

Barone reiterated that there were significantly fewer car thefts in 2021 compared to the peak in 1991, when there were 26,254 such crimes. In 2019, there were 5,964.

Were nowhere near where we were 20 or 30 years ago, with this crime, said Barone.

Barone said police rarely make an arrest after a car is stolen. The statewide clearance rate in these cases in 2020 was 7.3%, Barone said, meaning 93% of all auto thefts went unsolved in 2020.

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These are particularly challenging crimes to solve, Barone said, and the low clearance rate isnt much different from the historic rate for these crimes, which hovers around 12%.

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The historically low clearance rate is an indication that increased penalties for these offenses is likely going to have little to no impact on the overall offense rate, Barone said. We need to be able to make arrests of motorists and solve these crimes in order for penalties to potentially act as a deterrent for these crimes.

Also of note: For the past 15 years, children  meaning juveniles, the group publicly blamed for the car theft increase last year  have made up around a third of those arrested for car thefts, he said.

Now, again, its still a fairly small number, youre talking about arrest data for less than 10% of all offenses. So make of that which you will, said Barone.

A two-time victim of car theft, state Rep. Pat Callahan, R-New Fairfield, stressed the importance of getting to the root causes of why people steal cars.

Even though schools were closed, people should still know right from wrong. And just the fact that a car is left open doesnt give anyone carte blanche to open it and see if they can start it and steal everything in it, Callahan said. Its not key fobs that are causing cars to be stolen. Its people that are out there doing it, and why are they doing it?

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Shutting down boys and girls clubs, after-school programs, and schools  entire communities, really  has profoundly affected life for kids and adults during the pandemic, said Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London.

You saying everybody knows right from wrong, thats right, Nolan told Callahan, but theres a lot of people in our community are going through things that some of us dont understand.
As a Ukrainian-American, I am alarmed and disgusted that more has not been done to help the 3+ million Ukrainian refugees  a shocking number of refugees that will increase daily.

Why aren't Ukrainian refugees being allowed to immigrate to America and claim asylum from this horrific war?

Secretary of state Antony Blinken was recently asked if any Ukrainian refugees will be brought to America, and he said only that he will "look" at it. In Poland, Vice President Kamala Harris was recently asked a similar question, and her nervous answer, with laughter, was to look at the Polish prime minister and say, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." This is no laughing matter! This is a disgrace.

Ukrainian refugees have fled with literally only the clothes on their backs. Many are women and children. These refugees are in absolute shock and frightened for their future.

Ukrainians are woven into the fabric of America. In the early 1900s, America was undergoing an "Industrial Revolution" and needed laborers. Thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians answered America's call and immigrated to America. They worked in dangerous hard labor jobs such as coal mining, steel mills, factories, and farming. They helped to build America. My Ukrainian grandfather was one of them. He came to America when he was only fifteen years old and worked a lifetime in Pennsylvania coal mines. Furthermore, thousands of first-generation Ukrainian-Americans sacrificed their lives for America in World War II.

Ukrainians have been ridiculed throughout history as "peasant people." This prejudice starkly exists today as Ukraine has been repeatedly denied entry into the European Union.

I served in the U.S. Air Force, and I know that our country can bring many Ukrainian refugees to America on military cargo planes. Last year, some 70,000 people from Afghanistan were evacuated in a matter of days on such aircraft.

President Joe Biden needs to take immediate action to bring Ukrainian refugees to America.

Image: Mirek Pruchnicki.
Bear with me, because I may just be exhibiting exceptional stupidity that can be cured by getting good information. Thus, I'm asking a question here, not stating any answers. My question is this: how can Biden get on his high horse to order China away from helping Russia in the current Russia-Ukraine conflict when we're going all out to help Ukraine in the same conflict?

The big news from yesterday was that Biden spent two hours on a conference call with China. During the call, he warned China that things would go badly if it helped Russia. The White House refused to release a transcript, but China did, and the Washington Times reported on both a White House official's summary of the call and the Chinese transcript:

President Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping of consequences for supporting Russia's war on Ukraine, a senior administration official said. "President Biden made clear the implications and consequences if China provided material support to Russia as it prosecutes its brutal war in Ukraine, not just for China's relationship with the United States, but for the wider world," the official said. Mr. Biden delivered the warning in a two-hour phone call Friday with Mr. Xi, who has entertained requests from Russia for economic and military support.

When pressed, the White House official refused to say what consequences Biden threatened should China give aid to Russia.

In addition, the two men spoke about subjects such as Taiwan, economic competition between the two nations, and Xi's contention that he wants peace between Ukraine and Russia and is working to achieve that goal.



Image: Biden and Xi Jinping in 2014 (Biden is on Xi's right) (image edited). YouTube screen grab.

Thats all very clear. What's unclear to me is the moral platform from which Biden operates when he tells China not to support Russia. After all, America is doubling down harder every day in its support for Ukraine, from destroying Russia's economy to sending equipment and money to Ukraine to giving the Ukraine military battlefield information courtesy of American satellites. Bryan Dean Wright appeared on Tucker Carlson to explain that our help is so material to the Ukraine cause (especially interfering with the Russian economy) that we are effectively at war with Russia:

A Russian attack on the US could produce chaos: Former CIA officer | https://t.co/e6ADWCFAfO  Bookwormroom (@Bookwormroom) March 19, 2022

That, on its face, is scary.

But please explain to me how we can be supporting Ukraine while reading China the riot act, warning it away from taking sides in this matter. I'm not talking about the ethics of supporting one side over the other; I'm simply asking why Xi would even sit still for such a lecture.

I understand that Russia buys only a tiny fraction of the products China sells and that we buy a great many products, which would explain why China wants to make nice with America. But the flip-side of that is that we're completely dependent on China for most of the things we buy here in America, which would seem to imply that we are not in the driver's seat, either, when it comes to U.S.-Sino relations.

Also, on a purely personal note, I can't imagine anything more offensive than having Biden read me the riot act. Xi may tolerate it because he knows that China has already bought and paid for Biden, making everything Biden just said nothing more than kabuki theater.

I promise to check the comments for this article tomorrow to see what you all have to say in answer to my question.
The origin of SARS-CoV-2 is yet to be definitively resolved.

Nevertheless, the following facts are indisputable:

These facts raise the following questions:

Why is SARS-CoV-2 so ideally adapted to infect humans? Where is the missing link that preferentially infects bats and pangolins? Where is the missing link with a partial furin cleavage site? Why does RaTG13 preferentially infect mice and rats? Was RaTG13 generated in a lab to support the "natural origin" narrative? Do the benefits of gain-of-function research ever outweigh the risks, or is it just an excuse for illicit bioweapons research? What is the purpose of developing technology for removing evidence of genetic engineering if you are not trying to hide anything? Why did lawyers need to obtain a FOIA request to obtain documents showing that NIH funded gain-of-function research in China? Why did Fauci repeatedly deny NIH funding of this dangerous research when he was questioned by Sen. Rand Paul? Why did Collins and Fauci collude to suppress legitimate questions about the origin of SARS-CoV-2? Why did NIAID choose a world expert in "seamless" gain-of-function technology and extensive ties to the lab that generated the virus to play a leading role in vaccine development? How did SARS-CoV-2 end up with a compliment of a 19-base sequence from Patent 9587003? Was this 19-base sequence inserted by means of genetic engineering? Was this 19-base sequence "accidently" picked up when the virus was cultured on a patented cell line? If a patented cell line was involved, were virus cultures subjected to the process of serial passaging? If any of these last three scenarios occurred, did they happen with or without Moderna's consent? A viral genome contains a 19-base sequence owned by the same company that is later first in line to make the vaccine. What are the odds this happened by chance? Why does Moderna have such a cozy relationship with NIH?

Prior to February, the homology between SARS-CoV-2 and Patent 9587003 was discussed on the fringes of Twitter and Substack. When this discovery was officially acknowledged in late February, it got minimal coverage in mainstream media. When Fox News host Maria Bartiromo boldly confronted Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel on the air, he shifted toward the more general topic of a "lab accident in China" before awkwardly claiming that his scientists were "looking into it to see if it was real or not." Now with the war in Ukraine serving as cover, nobody in mainstream media has followed up and Bancel has yet to release any official statement on Patent 9587003.

Anyone who still claims that SARS-CoV-2 came from nature at this point is either a liar or a fool. The legitimate questions at this point are whether or not the synthesis and/or release of SARS-CoV-2 were the result of an accident.

After witnessing two years of lies that were used to justify unprecedented cruelty to children and the elderly, I am no longer inclined to believe that the pandemic was brought about by a series of careless mistakes.

Dr. Antonio Chaves teaches biology at a local community college. His interest in economic and social issues stems from his experience teaching environmental science. His older articles with graphs and images are available here. His website on COVID-19 is available here.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Back in October 2021, Gallup did another "media trust" poll.

This is what they found:

Americans' trust in the media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly has edged down four percentage points since last year to 36%, making this year's reading the second lowest in Gallup's trend.

Think about that: just 36% trust that the media will accurately and fairly report the news?

And then pops the laptop.

Hunter Biden's laptop, that is. It turns out that the story mocked by much of the press and punditocracy during the last days of the 2020 election was correct after all.

This is from Michael Goodwin:

It's not until the 24th paragraph that the story mentions emails involving Hunter Biden and his associates in those deals, followed by these two sentences: "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." Heart be still. It took the Gray Lady nearly 17 months to grudgingly concede even a fraction of what New York Post readers learned in October 2020. Of course, Times readers would have learned all that too if their paper were still in the news business instead of being a running dog for Democrats.

There you go again, as President Reagan said.

So what happens now? Let's hope the serious people working in the media realize how self-destructive all of this partisan journalism has been. The media got so obsessed with Trump that it forgot their main task which is the work of journalism.

Why do so many people reject the 2020 election results? Maybe it's because they saw how the media performed in 2020 and believe that the scales were tipped to protect Biden.

PS: Click for my videos and podcasts at Canto Talk. My latest on what's happening in Texas can be viewed here.

Image: PiqSels, public domain.
It's not brain surgery. But our clown princess, V.P. Kamala Harris, muffed the response to a reporter's obvious question: "How many refugees from Ukraine will the United States be willing to accommodate?"

In her deathless fashion, Ms. Harris shunted the answer a normal person would have given by employing her secret vacuous weapon: her cackle, which timbre and timing have mystified and baffled ally and foe alike, without the concurrent conferring of power many sidesteps achieve by delicate tiptoeing through the fusillade of media points.

Truth is, as recently as Thursday, 17 March, the magisterial United States has absorbed a magnificent seven.

Seven. Yul Brynner's seven. Heaven's creative days of daring origin-story creativity. Seven.

According to The Times of Israel, while that tiny state of not quite nine million souls has already taken in something on the order of 5,800 Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians fleeing the Putinesque graduate course in reconstituting the morose Soviet Union, the graveyard of millions starved, shot, and brutalized into the unhappy ground, Israel's Immigration and Absorption Ministry has been pinballing with the strain of vetting the incomers. Who is Jewish, acceptable under the Law of Return, or has at least one Jewish grandparent?

Ayelet Shaked, in fact, according to reports from The Times of Israel and colleagues living in Israel reading the locals and exchanging the kosher scuttlebutt, has expressed the intention to let in 100,000 such refugees. They plan to hire Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking indigenous Israelis to smooth the entree into the remarkably industrious "can-do country."

Israel has fairly erupted in a furor over the numbers, the proposed shekels (close to $5M dollar-equivalent), and all the amenities  clothing, schooling, language training, general support for these new guests for X number of months  presumably until when the flaring battle is resolved. Some of the refugees will be sent on if they are not acceptable by the terms of Israeli law. Ayelet Shaked at the Ministry has a teeter-totter balance act to perform, it's evident.

The differences between Israel and the U.S. involve far more than just sustaining monies and services. In a country as riven by factionalism at every election as is the land of milk and not-always-sunny, Israel's population demo is of vital importance for the continued existence of the state, as a determined segment of this factional minority or that linguistic subgroup can swing an election, significantly altering Israel's viability.

It's not like the vast expanse where President Joe Biden has covertly salted away millions of unvetted, uneducated, unskilled, unwanted sneak-ins. We are a huge landmass, and even millions of the people described in Emma Lazarus's immortal paean to infils, "The New Colossus" (1883), can't truly skew the election results in the very near term.

Yet.

But most germane to the unloved, unjabbed, unboosted unwashed, they are swee'pea indecorous but likely Democrat voters, burnishing the fading luster of the fail party. There's not much on the bench to crow about over the run-up to the midterms, and Kamala Harris, Ms. Cackle herself, knows that the DNC, in thrall to the radical Marxists of the Squalid  uh, Squad  and other unlovelies dedicated to the evisceration of all things legit and constitutional about this cushy sinecure they've filched by methods that even Upton Sinclair's scorching examination of corruption and contamination in the meat yards of Chicago in the early 20th century, The Jungle (1906), would have envied, lusts after bolstering the ranks of Democrats by hook and by crook.

Hence, those speaking little or no English are welcome. Those without marketable skills, ditto, so they can take the lowest tier of jobs and be forever grateful for the privilege of usurping the jobs and industries of our blue-collar strata.

The grifters are expected to follow orders and vote like good little amnestypes. And they are largely non-Caucasian.

Aha.

Ukrainians, as we have marveled at in the preceding weeks, have enormous grit. They are polylingual, and their English is frankly more sophisticated, more often, than many natives'.

They are self-reliant and skilled. They have resources in education and years of STEM training, many of them.

And they are, mutatis mutandis, White.

Yikes. Not what the Democrats are seeking at all. At all.

So nasal Miz Harris with the insufferable kindergarten demeanor won't be welcoming these dire-need refugees with open arms and bailout millions she spewed for the criminals and thugs of BLM.

Along with Cubans, who know communism and don't love it, and Haitians, who are not perceived to be cooperative future Dem voters, V.P. Affirmative-Hire will find her cohort radicals rejecting the prospective tidal wash of Ukrainians (Belarusskies and Russians) beyond supplying a modicum or two of Javelins and Stinger missiles, night goggles, and possible Polish MIGs of slightly expired vintage. Nope. Not gonna do it, as George Bush pere used to say. They'd much rather perspire under a mound of 154 nationalities swarming our fruited plains without smarts, English proficiency, or a rejection tropism against Lenin and Marx.

Lest this be misunderstood, the author does not advocate for additional myriads to suck dry our treasury and patience. We just point out the injustice of no borders for the drifter Dem set, but "Closed, Sesame" for those who could lift the tenor of life in the U.S., without the gangs, fentanyl, and violence of the current border-jumping invaders.

So expect more girlish giggles when Harris is confronted in the next pressers by similar questions. Although her credibility is at near-nadir, still, she speaks with some bima clout. Presumably.

Inflection. If you're smart, educated, savvy resilient, skilled, and oh-my White? You need not show up on the runway. Please don't come a-knockin' at our front door.

Image via Pixabay.
With the Squad, the greenie lobby, the teachers' unions, and the open borders industrial complex calling the shots in the Democrat party these days, it's obviously no picnic to be a moderate member of the Democrats in Congress.

That is why 31 of them are leaving, most fully aware that a red wave is coming. But perhaps more important, albeit less well known, is that many of them are angry at how the crazed Democrats have treated them.

Here's the latest exit, described by the Daily Caller:

Retiring Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy called out Democratic leadership for repeatedly siding with the left flank of the party against moderate members during a Friday interview.

...and...

A frequent critic of the "Squad" and other left-wing Democrats, Murphy has complained about a "toxic" environment with "plenty of Dem-on-Dem violence." She directly blamed party leadership for that atmosphere in the interview. "You can't promise rainbows and unicorns when you know that you don't have the votes for it. Because the difference between rainbows and unicorns and political reality is going to be disappointment and anger," she said.

These are mean characters. But, perhaps even more noteworthy in Murphy's remarks, they pretty well negate the work of being a legislator, which includes reading bills and debating ideas, in favor of making Democrats into a Soviet-style or Venezuelan-style rubber-stamp parliament, obedient to the party line or else.

Here is where the story gets really juicy:

Murphy, a co-chair of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, speculated that congressional leaders direct left-leaning interest groups to advocate for their specific positions and browbeat moderates. She noted her experience receiving criticism for her vote to support Kate's Law, a bill that increased prison sentences for illegal immigrants [sic] found re-entering the country, as well as her lukewarm support for the Build Back Better social spending package. "A lot of these outside groups that purport to represent a specific interest are just an extension of leadership. Instead of purely focusing on their issue area," she told Politico's Rachael Bade.

Which is a helluva crappy way to treat legislators of any kind.

We have noted the big presence of special interest groups, such as the green lobby, the illegals lobby, assorted crime and social justice warrior groups, and corporate enthusiasts, involved in the writing of legislation, which is bad enough. The humongous sizes of these bills are a perfect reflection of the scope of the problem because nobody has time to read the bills before voting on them. And now that appears to be by design.

But Murphy brings up a particularly ugly detail showing the depths to which this has been taken:

"We had environmental groups that were calling us before the legislation text for the Build Back Better Act had been put out, calling us saying, "If you don't support that, we are going to delist you,'" she added. "They couldn't define it specifically because nobody had seen the text. But we had the text for the infrastructure bill and not a peep out of them advocating for that."

So the crazed leftists and money-grubbing lobbyists, who haven't even been elected to office, write the bills, then tell the Democrats to vote for them or else. Not only do they yank funds from campaigns, but if moderates don't play ball and march in lockstep with them, they primary dissenters in order to get the puppets in place that will serve them:

Murphy also noted the large amount of money Democratic interest groups have spent against moderate members of the party. Outside groups have spent more than $424,000 against frontline Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, according to OpenSecrets. Murphy herself beat back a 2018 primary challenge from an American Civil Liberties Union attorney endorsed by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

This is incredibly ugly stuff. Who'd want to be a Democrat representative with that kind of garbage going on? They can't write the bills, and they can't read the bills, and if they ask any questions, try to make changes, or balk in any other way, they get primaried. The only thing they are allowed to do is vote "yes" on any crazed crap the Squad and its radical left-wing lobby allies put out. Defund the police? Go for it. Bankrupt Big Oil? Yep. Open borders? Totally.

We know that these bills that have been passed are not popular with the public. We also know that the crazies seem to be running the show among the ruling Democrats. Now we see a new dimension to the scope of the problem, which is making life particularly miserable for moderates, whose game is to balance interests rather than grab cash and "transform" the country.

Murphy has described an interesting phenomenon explaining why moderate Democrats are so frustrated (remember the Spanberger tape?) and why the Democrats have swung so far left. It's too bad we can't hear more from her, it may be that this affects Republicans in a parallel way, too. It certainly seemed to be what was happening during the Bush II years. President Trump undoubtedly upended much of it. But as it is, it explains why the Democrats can't find good people anymore, and why their party has swung so far left. They've basically sold their souls to lobbyists and activists. No wonder the big red wave seems so inevitable. Perhaps Murphy can find a political home on the red side. She ought to consider it.

Image: Official photo via Wikipedia.
Kamala Harris is a nightmare to work for, reportedly refusing to do her "homework" her staff prepare for her and then blaming staff when her ignorance makes her a laughingstock to the public.

Not surprisingly, she hasn't been able to keep staff. That was news a few months ago, and the bad public relations from it died down with the news cycle.

But it doesn't mean the flight still isn't happening.

The Daily Mail did some interesting digging and found this:

Kamala Harris is losing her ninth staffer since June in deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh, who is moving to the Defense Department. Singh worked with the vice president for over two years, joining the then-senator's team in March 2020 during the presidential campaign to run communications after working on the campaigns of Michael Bloomberg and Corey Booker. Staffers in the vice president's office have been jumping ship after a year full of messaging blunders and a barrage of personal attacks on the VP, combined with viral rumors of toxicity within the office and tensions between Harris's and President Biden's offices. The vice president's office could employ up to around 50 staffers at any given time. Of the four-person senior press shop that began with Harris, only one remains - Herbie Ziskend. Ziskend will be promoted to senior advisor for communications, according to an email sent to an internal email shared with DailyMail.com.

Poor Herbie is now the last holdout, the glutton for punishment, the poor little feller who couldn't get a better gig somewhere, anywhere, else, same as the rest of them are doing. Any bets that he'll get out when he can get out, too?

Note that somebody on the inside in that office leaked the memo to the Daily Mail, signaling that the discontent is boiling. Was it Herbie? Was it the outgoing Singh? Or was it one of the fed-up junior staffers? Could have been any of them, as they're likely all still hopping on that miserable frying pan.

Because the consensus seems pretty clear that working for Kamala Harris is hellish.

It's pretty obvious that Harris hasn't changed any from the initial negative reports about her that were first reported in the Washington Post.

Here's how the Washington Examiner described it:

Before she became vice president, Kamala Harris had a bad habit of ignoring prepared briefing materials. She does not appear to have kicked this habit, even after making it all the way to the White House. "Staffers who worked for Harris before she was vice president said one consistent problem was that Harris would refuse to wade into briefing materials prepared by staff members, then berate employees when she appeared unprepared," the Washington Post reports. One former staffer told the paper, "It's clear that you're not working with somebody who is willing to do the prep and the work. With Kamala, you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her own lack of confidence. So you're constantly sort of propping up a bully, and it's not really clear why."

Soul-destroying criticism? Bullying? For her failure to study?

Who could take that?

Now let's look at her recent trip to Europe. From a Fox News video:

Vice President Harris said, "The United States stands firmly with the people of Ukraine in defense of the NATO alliance."

Ukraine is not a NATO member. That's the root of the whole problem for Ukraine, which is now being attacked by Russia.

It's obviously what she said, but Fox noted that the White House changed a "mistake" in its official transcript to have it read some other way.

In the same speech, she giggled when a question was presented to her about how many refugees from Ukraine the U.S. could accept. She giggles when she doesn't know the answer. The old "didn't do her homework" thing rears its ugly head again.

Now blundering Joe Biden has announced that he wants to go to Europe to try to do what Kamala could not do there. It's always bad when the boss has to dispatch himself to clean up a mess left by his deputy.

So you can imagine how bad it was for the staff with Harris back to blaming them that yet another one has jumped ship. Since Herbie is the only one left, it's quite possible that he drew all the rage from her that used to be spread around among the top ten.

Not a word of news that Harris has changed any from the past reports.

The betting parlors of London should start setting a clock on when poor Herbie, left there now all by his lonesome, will be the final rat to flee the sinking ship. We know it's got to be coming because we know that Harris is not changing. It's just a matter of when.

Image: Screen shot from Fox News video via shareable YouTube.
In Into the Lion's Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov, author Larry Loftis calls Dusko Popov a showman. He's the stuff of movies, with ample cunning and lacking conscience, the qualities of being debonair among the ladies and villainous among the villains and stone cold eyes that spare no one and nothing. Is that why this British double agent inspired Ian Flemming to create James Bond?

Photo: ClaraDon/Flickr

Who Was Dusko Popov?

Born to Milorad Popov in Titel, Serbia, Dusan Dusko Popov grew up riding horses in holiday domes and testing summer waters in the Adriatic sea. Life even then was anything but ordinary for him. While pursuing a doctorate in law at the University of Frieburg, Popov made his mark as a staunch criticiser of the Reich, so much so that his final dissertation landed him straight from graduation to incarceration at the Frieburg prison. But his killer instinct, sharp intelligence and skills of persuasion impressed even the Nazis. It was the early 1940s, when the cries of World War II were getting louder, and the able man was recruited as a spy for the opportunist Germans. What they did not know though was that in reality, Dusko Popov was a British double agent code named Tricycle, relaying misinformation to the Germans and stealing money from under their noses. This was a man who had a license to gamble. Over the course of his career, Popov served the MI5 and MI6, and also the FBI apart from working with the German Abwehr.

Dusko Popov

This was also the time when Ian Flemming worked for the British Naval Intelligencea job that would go on to set the stage for the making of our very own agent 007. In 1941, Fleming crossed paths with Popov for the first time in Lisbon, Portugal, at a casino where the latter gambled 50,000 while Flemming stared open-mouthed. Dusko, who is also known to have written his own memoir in his later years, recalled a man named Bloch holding the bank at the casino on the night in question. Way out of line, the man called for unlimited stakes, prompting Popov to produce the ungodly amount at the table. As Loftis writes in the biography, I dont know what prompted me, he [Popov] said later, perhaps I just wanted to shake Fleming up.

During their stay, their paths must have crossed at least three to four times, but it is said that that one incident in particular birthed the book that gained recognition across the world. Estoril Casino became the Casino Royale that set off the Bond series; the inspiration was Dusko himself, who shaped the protagonist James Bond.

Many have asked if James Bond is really Dusko Popov. Some even say that the machiavellian character is Flemming himself, smoking the same Morland cigarettes as he did. That night at the casino, he was there playing a game of his own as well, hoping to loot a hefty sum from the Nazis. In an interview before his death, the author admitted that James Bonds famous baccarat battle in Casino Royale had drawn on that very game.

Over the years, the lethal agents exploits evolved as the author mingled the stories and personalities of various incidents and agents. Popov, on the other hand, retired from his life of lies and deceit, settling as a lawyer in the south of France as hed always dreamed of. He died in 1981. But one thing remained clear: on that smoke laden night coloured by the red velvet curtains of the gambling arena, the agent had decided to write an evergreen book while watching Popov in action.

References

# Into the Lion's Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov by Larry Loftis

# USA Today

# The Guardian
Prabhas cornered after Radhe Shyam:- Radhe Shyam is heading towards one of the biggest disasters of Indian cinema. What's so embarrassing is that the film opened to poor footfalls across North, Tamil and Malayalam. The distributors failed to recover even the digital expenses in those territories and this is haunting the filmmakers who are working with Prabhas in the future. A top producer who paid a hefty advance for Prabhas is now worried if the actor's market would be stable in the next few years. He is yet to finalize the director and script. Prabhas is now occupied till 2025.

Prabhas is holidaying in Spain and he is expected to return back this weekend. The actor's looks have been criticized badly and the actor is cornered for his poor presence on screen. Prabhas is cornered after Radhe Shyam. The film's promotions too happened in a hurry and Prabhas gave too many interviews in less than a week and most of them never reached the audience. It's high time for the actor to be extra cautious before he loses the pan-Indian image and market.
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Members of the Connecticut Firefighters Pipe and Drum Corps entertain the crowd during the 50th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade on Saturday. (Sean Fowler)

Hartford  The threat of rain forced the three Tierney sisters to wear yellow slickers instead of blending in with the sea of green Saturday along the downtown route of Hartfords St. Patricks Day parade.

Lifelong residents of West Hartford, Brenda, Jean and Kathy instead decorated themselves with green jewelry. They said they were determined not to miss the festivities that were canceled last year and in 2020 because of the pandemic.

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Those who are going to come are going to come even if its raining, Brenda Tierney said as she watched the parade turn from Asylum Street, pass Bushnell Park and head to the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch.

Sphinx Shriners False Alarmers laugh and share stories for a brief moment during the 50th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday. (Sean Fowler)

Gray skies hung over the 50th annual Greater Hartford St. Patricks Day Parade organized by the Central Connecticut Celtic Cultural Committee, but rain earlier in the morning held off. The forecast may have deterred paradegoers, though the Hartford Police Department did not provide estimates of crowd size.

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This used to be packed here, Brenda Tierney said.

Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. >

I was hoping there would be more people, but theres not, said Kevin Kilduff, a New Hartford resident wearing a green hat, a green suit custom-made in Italy and alligator boots dyed green.

The parade drew area police and fire department contingents, the Hartford Area Roller Derby, Manchester Pipe Band, supporters of the Hartford Whalers and members of the Hartford Police Dive Team tossing Tootsie Rolls to spectators. Bagpipes, sirens and even a cannon dragged along Asylum Street ensured the affair got everyones attention.

The Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps performs during the 50th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade on Saturday. (Sean Fowler)

Foreign and domestic politics seeped in, too, with calls to unify Ireland and the United Kingdoms Northern Ireland  one island, one nation  and flags were offered for sale promoting former President Donald Trumps Make America Great Again slogan.

And for an election year St. Patricks Day, Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st, appeared at the parade.

Parking lots off the parade route were put to use to cook food for marchers. Jim Fitzgerald and Chris Moquin of the East Hartford Fire Department were grilling meat and made breakfasts before the parade started. It was a welcome task following the damage caused by COVID-19.

Two years ago there was nothing, Fitzgerald said. It was miserable.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.
Several high-profile celebrities are set to give testimony in a US courtroom next month during a multi-million dollar lawsuit between Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard.

James Franco, Paul Bettany and Elon Musk feature on witness lists alongside representatives of the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Hollywood heavyweight Depp launched a 50-million-dollar (39-million) defamation lawsuit against Heard in 2019, after the Aquaman star wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in December 2018, describing herself as a victim of domestic abuse.

Actor James Franco is included on a list of witness for the trial which is scheduled for April 11 2022 in Virginia (Ian West/PA)

The trial is set to begin on April 11 at the Fairfax County courthouse, in Virginia.

Both Depp and Heard are set to give in person testimony, though Avengers star Bettany, Franco and Tesla founder Musk will do so virtually, according to documents filed on March 14 and 15.

Depp and Heard started dating after meeting on the set of 2011 film The Rum Diary. They married in Los Angeles in February 2015.

In May 2016 Heard obtained a restraining order against Depp after accusing him of abuse, which he denied.

Tesla founder Elon Musk is also set to give testimony virtually at the trial (Susan Walsh/AP)

The couple settled their divorce out of court in 2017, with Heard donating her 7 million dollar (5.5 million) settlement to charity.

The pair also met in the Royal Courts Of Justice in London in 2020 after Depp brought a libel against the publisher of The Sun for referring to him as a wife-beater.

Following a three-week trial a judge found that the column, written in April 2018, was substantially true.

The actor asked the Court of Appeal to grant permission for him to challenge the ruling, with the aim of having its findings overturned and a retrial ordered, but the appeal was denied in March last year.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has set his eyes on Bute House as he told party members they will need the support of the silent majority in the 2026 Holyrood election.

Addressing the Scottish Tory conference in Aberdeen, Mr Ross said coming second is not good enough and he urged the party to take back Scotland.

The comment comes after a poll by Savanta ComRes for the Scotsman put the Tories in third place, behind Scottish Labour in second.

Douglas Ross addressed his partys conference on Saturday (Michal Wachucik/PA)

There are so many people who are looking for anyone who can step up and beat them, who can remove this SNP Government, who can kick Nicola Sturgeon out of Bute House, Mr Ross told delegates on the final day of the conference.

Because coming second place, being the largest opposition, is not enough.

At the end of the day, the nationalists are still in power.

The country, Mr Ross said, is stuck in a bind of voting for the SNP but not supporting an independence referendum.

The same poll found 59% of Scots want preparations for a second independence referendum put on hold due to the war in Ukraine.

Mr Ross went one: We cannot allow this to continue forever.

We need to take back Scotland from the SNP, and we know there is a majority out there to take us forward.

The same silent majority that said No to Nicola Sturgeon in 2014.

Our goal must be to bring that majority together again to break this deadlock.

The Tory leader, who struggled with a throat illness this week that saw him skip First Ministers Questions, said the silent majority must rediscover its voice, just like Ive done today.

The Moray MP admitted there is a mountain to climb to remove the SNP from power, adding: We need to be bold and ambitious now.

Not just because of the local elections in May, at which I want to see as many Scottish Conservative councillors elected as possible.

The Prime Minister addressed the Scottish Conservative conference on Friday (Andrew Milligan/PA)

But also because Scotland does not want to only hear about a strong opposition anymore.

Speaking to journalists after the speech, Mr Ross said First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is rattled, adding she doesnt seem to be enjoying the job.

The conference saw an apparent healing of the rift between leaders of the Tories north and south of the border after most of the partys MSPs called for the Prime Minister to resign amid the partygate saga.

Boris Johnson gave a well-received speech to members in Aberdeen on Friday, after initial plans for him to appear by video-link were scrapped.

During a meeting between the pair before Mr Johnsons speech, Mr Ross said the only topic of conversation was the war in Ukraine.

In his speech, Mr Ross also looked to the council elections in May, saying the Tories are the only party you can trust to put your local priorities first.

He also hit out at Scottish Labour, claiming it would always prefer to form a left-wing alliance over a unionist pact.

He added: Just like last year, as soon as the election is over Labour councillors will be making backroom deals to hand the keys to our town and city halls over to Nicola Sturgeon.

During his own partys conference in Glasgow recently, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he would be against the formation of local coalitions, but would invite Labour councillors to work with other parties for the good of local areas.

Responding to Mr Rosss speech, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: The Tories are a gift for an SNP that is failing Scotland.

Douglas Ross has been humiliated with an abridged speech to a half-empty hall, while the grandees of the Conservative Party have a beach party in Blackpool without him.

The landscape of Scottish politics has changed. The Tories are collapsing in the polls and Scottish Labour are clearly ahead.

SNP depute Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald MP said: Douglas Rosss entire leadership of the Scottish Conservative Party has been characterised by flip-flopping and negativity  it looks like we can now add lack of self-awareness to that list as well.

The SNP will continue working hard for the people of Scotland  and leave Douglas Ross to fight it out for third place.
Labour has urged the Government to publish the legal advice it received on whether P&O broke the law when it sacked 800 workers.

The Opposition asked if there are legal moves ministers could take to reverse the decision to make so many staff redundant without consultation.

It also published analysis of data it said shows P&O Ferries has received 38.3m in Government contracts since December 2018.

Protesters are set to march on the Tory Party conference on Saturday for another day of demonstrations against the move.

Demonstrators will gather at Comedy Carpet near Blackpool Tower on Saturday, with speakers including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel due to address the official forum.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also called on the Government to suspend its contracts with the ferries giant, and its owners DP World, until the situation is resolved.

Sir Keir said: P&Os actions are aggressive and immoral. The Governments apparent inaction is as telling about their respect for the security of work as it is damning.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for the Government to suspend its contracts with P&O (James Manning/PA)

He added: This Conservative Government bears responsibility. Boris Johnsons party has created an environment where big companies think they have licence to ride roughshod through good employment practice, basic respect for workers, and the rights of all to be treated fairly.

If one company can divest itself of responsibility for its workforce, and the Government dont blink, others have room to do the same.

We are demanding the Prime Minister grants access to the legal advice the Department for Transport received on whether P&O Ferrys actions constitute a breach of the law, and whether there are legal levers to get the decision reversed.

Full transparency is vital to prevent anyone else from being subjected to this appalling behaviour. Any Government contracts they have should be suspended until this is resolved.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng wrote to P&O chief executive on Friday to express their disappointment and anger at the mass sacking.

Mr Shapps said he had instructed the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to carry out inspections of all P&O vessels before they return to sea to check the new crews the company has rushed through are safe.

He urged the firm to change course and said the Government was carefully considering its relationship with both P&O and its parent company, DP World.

Demonstrations were held at ports in London, Liverpool, Larne, Hull and Dover, on Friday, as unions call for a boycott of the company.

TUC general secretary Frances OGrady said: We have to get to the bottom of this scandal.

The Government must be transparent and publish the legal advice it has received. Thats the very least the P&O crew deserve.

If the company has breached the law it must face severe consequences  not just a slap on the wrist.

What happened at P&O can never, ever be allowed to happen again.

Ministers must urgently bring forward an employment bill to stop workers from being treated like disposable labour. The time for excuses is over.
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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

Fictitious 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.

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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.

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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.

Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. >

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.

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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.

Andrew Brown is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/ ). Copyright 2022  The Connecticut Mirror.
A message from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon promising a warm Scottish welcome is to be given to Ukrainians fleeing the conflict in their homeland as they arrive in Scotland.

In the message, available in Ukrainian and Russian, she says that they will be treated with care, dignity and respect for however long they stay.

The Scottish Governments super sponsor scheme opened on Friday and will provide people fleeing Ukraine with temporary accommodation while a more permanent place is found for them.

The First Minister has previously said Scotland could welcome 3,000 refugees from Ukraine as an immediate step, before taking in at least a proportionate share of those coming to the UK.

In her welcome message, Ms Sturgeon says: On behalf of the Scottish Government  and the people of Scotland  I warmly welcome you, and your family and friends, to Scotland.

I want you to know that you are now safe.

Please know that you will be treated with care, dignity and respect, for however long you stay.

We have been shocked by what has happened to the people of Ukraine. We want to help, and to provide you with the support and the services that you need.

As we open our doors to you, we also open our hearts. We offer not just a refuge, but a warm Scottish welcome and a nation of helping hands to you and your loved ones.

Welcome to Scotland, our home  and, for as long as you need, yours too.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said he has not seen a credible off-ramp for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, as he warned of the possibility of a long war.

Speaking to journalists after his speech before his partys conference in Aberdeen, Mr Ross said it is hard to see a negotiated settlement the Russian president could count as a win.

Mr Ross and Prime Minister Boris Johnson met on Friday with Zhenya Dove, a Ukrainian woman who has been living in Scotland for eight years.

Ms Dove was given a standing ovation when she addressed the conference on Friday ahead of the Prime Ministers speech.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Ross said: This conflict, sadly, (is) going to go on for a long time because theres a lot of talk about negotiations and such like but I havent yet seen a credible off-ramp for Putin.

How does he come out with this in any negotiated settlement with a win in his eyes or, as he would perceive it, for the Russians?

So my point is, I dont think anyone can really say that were going to be through this conflict in months or years.

In his keynote speech to the conference, Mr Ross praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and stressed the importance of the UK helping to rebuild the country when the conflict ends.

The Ukrainian people have found themselves victims of an irredentist dictatorship with a warped view of the world, he said.

Douglas Ross and Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian Zhenya Dove on Friday (Andrew Milligan/PA)

But they are fighting back. They have ground Putins war machine to a halt.

Those brave Ukrainians are refusing to give in, against all expectations.

We must continue to give them the support they need to defend their country.

We must be generous to those who come here looking for sanctuary.

And when this is over, we must help the people of Ukraine to rebuild their country.
Conservative MP Johnny Mercer secretly travelled to Ukraines capital Kyiv in recent days, he has revealed.

On Friday night, Mr Mercer  who is a former veterans minister  said he had boarded a plane to Krakow a week ago and headed back to the West on Wednesday.

The Plymouth Moor View MP tweeted photographs of himself visiting injured people in hospital, adding he had witnessed total carnage alongside demonstrations of incredible human spirit.

Earlier this week at the invite of local MPs, I was in and around Irpin, Bucha and Kyiv visiting wounded Ukrainian veterans, local MPs fighting to save their country, and families decimated by Putins indiscriminate military. Total carnage; incredible human spirit  pic.twitter.com/ewieWeg2y9  Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) March 18, 2022

Mr Mercer told The Times: I didnt tell anyone, I just disappeared. I decided it was the right thing to do.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said he made the decision to travel after receiving an invitation from a former MP in the Donetsk region.

Government advice warns against travelling to the country. Mr Mercer is the first UK MP to visit the countrys capital since the outbreak of war.

Conservative MP Adam Holloway was criticised by Downing Street last week for visiting a different part of Ukraine.

Mr Mercer said he also visited Lviv, where he said he met with local politicians.
Troy Kotsur has joked that he needs to design a special fanny pack that will allow him to hold his multiple awards while continuing to sign.

The Coda star, who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL), said he had been exhausted from picking up and putting down his awards while giving interviews.

The film, which also stars Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, Emilia Jones and Daniel Durant, has won multiple accolades and is tipped for best picture at the Oscars on March 27.

Kotsur has already won the SAG, Bafta, and Critics Choice Awards (CCA) for best supporting actor for his role in the film (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Kotsur has already won the SAG, Bafta, Critics Choice Awards (CCA) for best supporting actor for his role in the film.

He won both the CCA and Bafta in the same night on March 13.

It wasnt easy for me because I had two awards that night and so I had to hold them both and how was I supposed to sign? he said, speaking in a Variety Q&A session.

I was carrying these for a picture and I had to pick it up, set it down, pick it up, set it down and I was exhausted  then they were like (raise it) higher Troy for like an hour.

The Coda star, who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL), said he had been exhausted from picking up and putting down his awards (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

I need an assistant now to carry these awards around.

Coda director Sian Heder, who is also nominated for the best adapted screenplay Oscar, suggested Kotsur get a special fanny pack or holster for his accolades.

They need to make one, they dont design it until deaf actors show up and now its a new design so us deaf award winners can have free hands, Kotsur replied.

He added: I slept with all of my awards last night and my wife was a bit jealous.
The federal government is ramping up its efforts to get Brittney Griner out of Russian prison.

The State Department demanded that Russia allow U.S. officials to speak with the detained WNBA star on Saturday. The request was not granted.

We are closely engaged on this case and in frequent contact with Brittney Griners legal team, the feds said in a statement. We insist the Russian government provide consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention, as Brittney Griner is.

Brittney Griner plays for the U.S. in the Aug. 8, 2021, gold medal game of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.





Brittney Griner plays for the U.S. in the Aug. 8, 2021, gold medal game of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. (Charlie Neibergall/)

Griner, 31, was arrested Feb. 17 at a Moscow airport after the Russians said she was carrying hashish oil. News of her arrest became public in early March. Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

A Russian court ruled Thursday that Griner must remain behind bars until May 19. The WNBA season is scheduled to start May 6. Griner plays for the leagues Phoenix Mercury.

Russias prison-monitoring group said Griner was being treated fine during her pre-trial detention. Griners legal team has not publicly spoken about any mistreatment.

Griners representatives have attempted to prevent her from becoming a valuable political pawn amid Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Everyones getting the strategy of say less and push more privately behind the scenes, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. Its the strategy you get from the State Department and administration. Its our No. 1 priority in talking with her agent and strategists.

Many WNBA stars play overseas during the U.S. leagues offseason because foreign leagues pay better. Griner was the last WNBA player left in Russia before Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Two American men, Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan, are also detained in Russia.

With News Wire Services
As the words and images from Ukraine grow grimmer and more heartbreaking by the hour, its almost impossible to imagine what Ukrainians are going through. To the extent we have any idea is thanks to reporters on the ground. And Putin is waging war on those brave souls as well  in Ukraine and in Russia. Putin isnt only attacking journalists, but the very concept of journalism  and even truth itself.

Putins global war on the media is part of his M.O.: A dirty, sneaky and deadly affair served up with innuendo, lies, intimidation and ultimately murder. All this makes the work of professional reporters that much more difficult and dangerous and makes legitimate news organizations that much more valuable.

Three journalists were killed in Ukraine this week; producer Oleksandra "Sasha" Kuvshynova, Fox News cameraperson Pierre Zakrzewski and freelance journalist Brent Renaud. Fox News State Department correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured in the attack on Kuvshynova and Zakrzewski and is hospitalized. Earlier this month, Ukrainian cameraman Yevhenii Sakun was killed when Russian forces shelled a television tower in Kyiv, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. CPJ also reports that journalists have been shot, shelled and robbed covering the war, and that Ukrainian reporter Oleh Baturyn has been missing since last Saturday.

Being a journalist in Ukraine has long been a deadly business. See this list of scores of journalists murdered there over the previous three decades. To be clear, the murderers come from many quarters including organized crime, allegedly pro-Russian groups and those with links to the pre-Zelenskyy Ukrainian government.

Journalists run for cover after heavy shelling on the only escape route used by locals, while Russian troops advance towards the capital, in Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine March 6, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

In Russia however, working as a reporter is akin to a death wish. Hundreds of reporters have been killed over the past 30 years. Its why Ive always resisted sending journalists to Russia. The better the work they do, the more likely it is they will be killed. No thanks.

(CPJ tracks the number of journalists murdered worldwide. In case youre wondering, 12 journalists have been murdered in the U.S. since 1992  none, it appears at the hands of the U.S. government.)

The job has gotten more difficult and dangerous, says Barbara Benitez-Curry, professor at George Washington University who formerly worked for CNN and Al Jazeera. I don't think journalists should go to a protest even in America without support and a hostile situation training.

Paradoxically, Russia has had a vibrant media scene as The New York Times points out: For all the states control of media, people could read or watch what they wanted, including foreign newscasts like BBC and CNN. The internet was largely unfettered. This had included significant independent media like Echo of Moscow radio and TV Rain. But not anymore. They were both shut down this month.

Everything thats not propaganda is being eliminated, said journalist Dmitri A. Muratov, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Philippine journalist Maria Ressa last year. That extends to most social media too. Putin has shuttered Facebook and Instagram (the latter had 80 million users), Twitter is being throttled, TikTok limited and so on.

A woman looks at a computer screen watching a dissenting Russian Channel One employee entering Ostankino on-air TV studio during Russia's most-watched evening news broadcast, holding up a poster which reads as "No War" and condemning Moscow's military action in Ukraine in Moscow on March 15, 2022. . (Photo by AFP)

Earlier this month Putin rammed through a new law that essentially criminalizes any reporting that contradicts the government's version of events. Penalties include monetary fines and 15 years in jail. And of course hanging over the fines and jail is murder. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the law was a response to a campaign of information terrorism by the West, according to NPR.

Ah, information terrorism. In fact, thats what Putin has been practicing against the West for years now. Hes weaponized social media: namely Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, through surreptitious posts and campaigns orchestrated by the FSB (successor to the KGB) through its troll farm, the Internet Research Agency (IRA), Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, pro- and anti-Trump and Biden, the IRA has manipulated all of these debates online  and much more too. The goal has been to sow anger and discontent and to weaken the United States. And to some degree its worked.

Theres Putins traditional media too, like RT, a Russian television network directed at audiences outside of Russia, which shut down in the U.S. this month after it was dropped by DirectTV and Roku, as documented in this excellent piece by Cecelia Kang of The New York Times. What a twisted tale!

The misinformation and disinformation foisted on us by Putins regime serves to undermine what real journalism is and what real journalists do. He wants us to question all media and for us to lump it together in a stew of uncertainty.

But of course there is real reporting and truth and it matters. Especially now. There's tremendous work being done by legacy news organizations like this incredible piece by The Wall Street Journal on Chernobyl. (Howd they get that?) Or this Reuters story syndicated by Yahoo News. Or the reporting by Clarissa Ward and Matthew Chance at CNN. Or this shocking piece from the AP. And more great coverage from the BBC and The Washington Post and on and on.

Theres a lot of sport in beating the hell out of so-called mainstream news media, says David Folkenflik, media correspondent at NPR. When the stakes are elevated, people turn to news organizations that have a track record on issues of such gravity and its up to those journalists to honor that trust and hope they can sustain it.

I thought about this when I was checking out the recent Morgan Stanley telecom, media and technology conference. There was the usual talk of crypto and NFTs, and telcos versus cable, but I was surprised to see that "institutional journalism is critical in times of global uncertainty," as a key takeaway. Its not often you hear the Wall Street crowd talk about journalism.

Im sure there are some awesome TikTok Influencers with great sourcing, insight and resources, but in times like this Ill take the established, the vetted and the verified. Now the world has to ensure these news organizations and reporters arent being compromised, shut down  or murdered  by Putin.

This article was featured in a Saturday edition of the Morning Brief on March 19, 2022. Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe

By Andy Serwer, editor-in-chief of Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter: @serwer

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Boris Johnson has sparked outrage by comparing the struggle of Ukrainians fighting the Russian invasion to British people voting for Brexit.

In his speech to the Tory spring conference in Blackpool, Mr Johnson said it is the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, with the Brexit vote a famous recent example.

The comparison was criticised by Tory peer Lord Barwell, who pointed out Ukraine is seeking to join the European Union.

Former European Council president, Donald Tusk, said the Prime Ministers words offend Ukrainians, the British and common sense.

There was also a rebuke from senior French diplomats, including the countrys ambassador in the UK.

Apart from the bit where voting in a free and fair referendum isn't in any way comparable with risking your life to defend your country against invasion + the awkward fact the Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom to join the EU, this comparison is bang on https://t.co/j6qhtNvFYO  Gavin Barwell (@GavinBarwell) March 19, 2022

In his speech, Mr Johnson said: I know that its the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time.

I can give you a couple of famous recent examples.

When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I dont believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners. Its because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.

The other example given by the Prime Minister was the British peoples willingness to voluntarily get vaccinated against Covid-19 because they wanted to get on with their lives and were fed up with being told what to do by people like me.

Boris Johnson likens Ukrainians fight to British people voting for Brexit. I can still remember the enthusiasm of Putin and Trump after the referendum. Boris, your words offend Ukrainians, the British and common sense.  Donald Tusk (@donaldtuskEPP) March 19, 2022

Lord Barwell, who served as Theresa Mays chief of staff in Number 10, said voting in the 2016 referendum isnt in any way comparable with risking your life in a war with Vladimir Putins forces.

Writing on Twitter, he said: Apart from the bit where voting in a free and fair referendum isnt in any way comparable with risking your life to defend your country against invasion + the awkward fact the Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom to join the EU, this comparison is bang on.

Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood said Mr Johnsons comparison damages the standard of statecraft being exhibited in the response to the invasion.

If we are to ultimately defeat Putin we require international leadership and unity. Comparing the Ukrainian people's fight against Putin's tyranny to the British people voting for Brexit damages the standard of statecraft we were beginning to exhibit. https://t.co/r5dvD6eJ8b  Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) March 19, 2022

In a Twitter comment  which was retweeted by Frances ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna  Mr Ellwood said: If we are to ultimately defeat Putin we require international leadership and unity.

Comparing the Ukrainian peoples fight against Putins tyranny to the British people voting for Brexit damages the standard of statecraft we were beginning to exhibit.

As the French Ambassador in the UK I will not either. https://t.co/rGUjK9Irok  Catherine Colonna (@AmbColonna) March 19, 2022

Philippe Errera, the political director at the French foreign ministry, said: If I were Ukrainian, I would feel insulted. If I were British, I would feel ashamed. As a French diplomat,I will not comment on twitter

Ms Colonna responded: As the French Ambassador in the UK, I will not either.

Mr Tusk, a former Polish prime minister who was leader of the European Council during the bitter process of the UKs exit, said: Boris Johnson likens Ukrainians fight to British people voting for Brexit.

I can still remember the enthusiasm of Putin and Trump after the referendum. Boris, your words offend Ukrainians, the British and common sense.

Boris Johnson is a national embarrassment. His buffoonery contrasts with the courageous leadership of President Zelensky. To compare a referendum to women and children fleeing Putin's bombs is an insult to every Ukrainian. He is no Churchill: he is Basil Fawlty.  Ed Davey MP    (@EdwardJDavey) March 19, 2022

Former Belgian prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt, another leading critic of Brexit in Brussels, said the comparison was insane.

Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, said the Prime Minister is a national embarrassment, adding: To compare a referendum to women and children fleeing Putins bombs is an insult to every Ukrainian.

He is no Churchill. He is Basil Fawlty.

SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said: Boris Johnsons comments comparing Ukraines life-threatening situation with Brexit was crass and distasteful, and shows just how dangerously obsessed the Tories are with Brexit.
Boris Johnson has urged China to get off the fence and join in global condemnation of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister said he believed some in Xi Jinpings administration were having second thoughts about the neutral stance adopted by Beijing following Russias actions against its neighbour.

Despite Mr Johnsons suggestion of a possible shift in attitude, there was fresh criticism of Nato on Saturday from China as Russian forces continued their bombardment of Ukrainian towns and cities.

Mr Johnson used a Sunday Times interview to urge China and other neutral nations to line up against Russia.

He said: As time goes on, and as the number of Russian atrocities mounts up, I think it becomes steadily more difficult and politically embarrassing for people either actively or passively to condone Putins invasion.

President Biden spoke today with President Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China about Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/SnpgobFiPz  The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 18, 2022

There are considerable dilemmas now for people who thought they could sit this one out, who thought they could sit on the fence.

And, yes, I think that in Beijing you are starting to see some second thoughts.

US President Joe Biden had a two-hour video call with Chinese President Xi on Friday but there was little evidence of any shift in Beijings stance.

On Saturday Chinas vice foreign Le Yucheng blamed Nato  a Cold War vestige  for the war and criticised sanctions against Russia.

Leaders from the Nato alliance  including Mr Biden  will meet in Brussels on Thursday, with Mr Johnson suggesting it would be extremely significant, with the possibility of more pledges of support for Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky.

(PA Graphics)

People will want to do more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves, Mr Johnson said.

But Ive got to stress it is very important that we dont fall into the trap of seeming to stack up Putins argument to his own country that this is effectively a war between Russia and Nato; between Russia and the West. Thats not what is going on here.

The Prime Minister used a speech at the Tory spring conference on Saturday to claim Mr Putins invasion was not motivated by a fear of Ukraine joining an expanded Nato, but rather because he was terrified of a successful democracy in the former Soviet republic.

He said Mr Zelensky  with whom he has regular conversations despite the constant threat of attacks on Kyiv  was an absolutely charming guy but hes also proved to be an inspiration and a heroic war leader.

I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at #NATO HQ. We will address #Russias invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together.  Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) March 15, 2022

The possibility of offering Mr Zelensky and his family refuge in the UK had been discussed but Mr Johnson told the Sunday Times: Ive got to tell you that Volodymyr has always been clear, his duty is to the Ukrainian people; hes going to stay there, hes going to look after them. I have to say I admire him.

In his conference speech in Blackpool on Saturday, Mr Johnson said Mr Putin was in a total panic about the prospect of a popular uprising if freedom was allowed to flourish in Kyiv.

The war was a turning point for the world, forcing countries to stand up to Russia rather than making accommodations with tyranny.

He (Mr Putin) has been in a total panic about a so-called colour revolution in Moscow itself and that is why he is trying so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine, and thats why it is so vital that he fails, Mr Johnson said.

A victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine, and the end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova, it will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Mr Johnson used his Sunday Times interview to acknowledge that sanctions and the shift away from Russian oil and gas could have a terrible impact on consumers and motorists.

But he said the West had to cut dependency on Russian hydrocarbons, suggesting it should have been done earlier following the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The West is paying something like USD 700 million (531 million) a day to Putin in oil and gas revenues. And hes using that money to finance his barbaric aggression in Ukraine.

In other developments:

 UN organisations confirmed there have been more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher.

 Former prime minister David Cameron travelled to Poland to deliver supplies to refugees fleeing the fighting.

 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps banned a Cessna jet from leaving London Biggin Hill Airport because of suspected links to Russia.
The Foreign Secretary has warned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia might be being used as a smokescreen for the Kremlin to regroup troops for a fresh offensive.

Liz Truss said it was up to president Volodymyr Zelensky how his country approached peace talks.

But in an interview with The Times she said she feared the negotiations  which have been said to have made some progress  were a smokescreen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen he had pledged to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine after speaking to Mr Zelensky on Friday.

He said he was more convinced than ever Russian president Vladimir Putins military venture would fail.

Mr Johnson is due to address the Conservative Spring Forum in Blackpool on Saturday, where he will likely again address the conflict in Ukraine.

Britains chief of defence intelligence said Mr Putin was now fighting a war of attrition, after initial expectations of a quick conflict were dashed.

(PA Graphics)

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull said the Kremlin has been forced to switch tactics, turning to the reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower which will inevitably lead to more civilian casualties.

Ms Truss said that if Moscow was serious about peace talks being held with Ukraine, they would not be using such methods.

She told The Times: If a country is serious about negotiations, it doesnt indiscriminately bomb civilians that day.

Ms Truss said she was very sceptical about the talks the two countries were holding, and added: What weve seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup.

Foriegn Secretary Liz Truss leave No 10 Downing Street (James Manning/PA)

She said: We dont see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table.

The minister told newspaper the Russians have lied and lied and lied. I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen.

But she said: Of course, Ukraine as a sovereign nation is fully entitled to undertake any negotiation process it sees fit.

Western officials warned that the Russians have enormous stocks of artillery ammunition meaning they could maintain their bombardment for weeks.

However, Gen Hockenhull said that, more than three weeks into the campaign, it is clear the Kremlin has still not achieved any of its initial objectives.

It has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and has been bedevilled by problems of its own making, he told journalists.

Russian operations have changed. Russia is now pursuing a strategy of attrition. This will involve the reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower.

This will result in increased civilian casualties, disruption of Ukrainian infrastructure and intensify the humanitarian crisis.

Ms Truss told The Times: What weve seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup. Their invasion isnt going to plan.

Mr Johnson said now was the time to tighten the vice on Moscow.

I spoke to President @ZelenskyyUa and praised the steadfast resistance of the Ukrainian people in the face of aggression. The UK stands with Ukraine  we will send further defensive aid and they have our full backing in the negotiations.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 18, 2022

I am more than ever convinced that Putin will fail, he said.

He will fail, because in his catastrophic venture in Ukraine he fatally underestimated the heroism and the resolve of the Ukrainians to fight.

He underestimated western unity.

And among other things, by the way, he underestimated the passionate commitment of the people in this country to help.

Earlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the PM was being hailed a hero in Ukraine.

Speaking at the Conservative Spring Forum in Blackpool, Mr Javid said the support offered by the UK had prompted a British Ukrainian man, who stopped me in my constituency almost exactly this time last week, and he said to me the next time you see Boris you tell him, in Ukraine hes a hero.

Apartments damaged by shelling, in Kharkiv (Andrew Marienko/AP)

Elsewhere at the conference, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said 100,000 places had been created in schools for children fleeing Ukraine and virtual lessons created during the coronavirus pandemic had been translated into Ukrainian.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove confirmed more than 150,000 households had now offered to house Ukrainian refugees, the majority of whom have made their way to Poland.

Former prime minister David Cameron announced on Friday he was driving a small lorry to the Polish border with Ukraine with supplies.

It comes as Mr Putin, Russias President, made a rare public appearance to address a mass flag-waving rally at Moscows Luzhniki Stadium to mark the eighth anniversary of his countrys annexation of Crimea.

He praised the efforts of Russias forces, declaring: Shoulder to shoulder, they help and support each other.

As many as 7,000 Russian troops have died so far in the fighting, including four major generals and a number of other senior officers, American sources estimate.

In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence said Russia had been forced to shift to a strategy of attrition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, greets U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson, second left, Chris Murphy and John Barrasso during their visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 14, 2020. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) (AP)

President Bidens pledge to provide Ukraine with an additional $800 million to bolster security measures wont be the last assistance package the U.S. offers in response to the Russian invasion, said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy.

Im going to continue to press for aid and support for Ukraine,' Murphy said Friday at a news conference outside the state Capitol. My fear is that this war is not close to over.

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Bidens aid offer came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an impassioned plea earlier this week on behalf of his embattled country. The package includes 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems as well as 100 drones, shoulder-mounted anti-armor missile systems, grenade launchers and rifles, pistols, machine guns and shotguns.

President Zelenskyy challenged us to do something from the assault from the air,' Murphy said. And were doing that.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, Murphy said, has decided to purse a policy of brutalization, deliberately targeting civilians  with the goal of bludgeoning the Ukrainian people into submission. I cant imagine what President Zelenskyy is going through right now, but he has been heroic. as have the Ukrainian people in the face of these attacks.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy addresses U.S. aid to Ukraine Friday at the Capitol in Hartford. (Daniela Altimari)

The Connecticut Democrat, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, first met Zelenskyy in 2019, shortly after he was elected president of Ukraine.

Im a huge fan,' Murphy said. I think Ive met privately with him five or six times over the years. Hes grown into an extraordinary leader.'

Zelenskyy, a former actor and comedian, has proven himself a skilled communicator and adept user of social media to win public support for his cause.

We are all inspired by this magnificent young man, President Zelenskyy, and the kind of heroism and leadership that hes shown, said Alexander Kuzma, executive director of the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation, who joined Murphy at the Capitol press conference.

Kuzma called Zelenskyy the Winston Churchill of our generation.

In a dramatic speech to Congress on Wednesday, Zelenskyy invoked the Sept. 11 attacks, Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream speech and Pearl Harbor. His selfie videos from the streets of Kyiv have showcased his mix of vulnerability and resolve.

This is a guy who was a master of communication before he ran for the presidency and its just so interesting watching someone with this very unique skill set use those skills in the middle of a war,' said Murphy, who is also a skilled user of social media.

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He understands the importance of authentic communication,' Murphy said. He realizes that those videos of him walking through the streets of Ukraine are going to command much more attention than him behind a podium.'

You have to have a level of confidence just to do a selfie video and hit send,' Murphy added. Zelenskyy has no shortage of confidence. In every meeting I have had with him, you see zero signs that he is intimated by any of the settings he is in.

Murphy and Republican Rob Portman of Ohio are the two senators who have had the most direct face time with Zelenskyy, according to Politico.

Murphy was part of the first delegation to meet Zelenskyy after the 2019 election. The Ukrainian president would soon be dragged into U.S. political affairs, after President Trump implored him to investigate Hunter Biden and then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. The call resulted in Trumps first impeachment trial.

I hate the fact that [Zelenskyys] introduction to the United States was being used as a political pawn but I thought he handled that well,' Murphy said. He went quiet for a little while, he didnt talk as much about U.S.-Ukraine relations during the Trump era because I think he just felt he had to ride it out.'

When the Russian attacks began, Zelenskyys political skills made him an effective advocate for the Ukrainian cause. Murphy praised his leadership in the face of an unprovoked, unjustified and brutal invasion by Vladimir Putin and the Russian army.
Government ministers knew about P&O Ferries plan to slash 800 jobs before staff were informed but were told by officials it would ensure the firm remained a key player in the UK market for years to come, it has been reported.

The Sunday Times newspaper said it received a leaked memo apparently written by a senior Whitehall official which tried to justify the mass redundancies, stating that without these decisions, an estimated 2,200 staff would likely lose their jobs.

The memo, which is claimed to have been sent before 800 P&O staff were told of their jobs being lost on Thursday, adds the changes will align them with other companies in the market who have undertaken a large reduction in staff previously.

People protest outside the offices of P&O Ferries in Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The newspaper said it was widely shared across Government and recipients included the Prime Ministers private office while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is understood to have received a copy.

It comes after Mr Shapps openly criticised P&Os handling of the sacking of the seafarers and replacing them with cheaper agency staff, stating he had written to P&O chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite questioning the legality of the move.

Mr Shapps has also ordered a review of all the Government contracts with both P&O Ferries and its parent company, DP World, and stated that vessels will be subject to inspections and new crews would be checked before being allowed to set sail.

Daren Ireland, a spokesman for the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: [In the memo] The DFT seem to be warming to the employers argument, but theyre failing to take into account the 270 million worth of dividends paid out by DP World.

So [theyre] clearly failing to step up to the plate of protecting the jobs of ratings within the UK maritime industry.

Last year, DP Worlds revenue soared by more than a fifth to more than 4.9 billion dollars (3.7 billion). Its profit increased by nearly 300 million dollars to 732 million before tax.

It was not all plain sailing as the company was forced to claim around 10 million to furlough 1,100 workers during the pandemic.

The ferry operator said it was cutting the jobs in a very difficult but necessary decision as it was not a viable business in its current state.

Several routes have been halted following the announcement, but on Saturday evening, P&O said its services between Liverpool and Dublin had resumed.

Protesters gather outside the P&O ferries terminal at the Port of Hull (Danny Lawson/PA)

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson has written to Grant Shapps encouraging the Government to take urgent action against the ferry operator, urging them to revoke P&O Ferries licences in British waters and pursue any legal option available over how P&O handled the mass redundancies.

Workers, meanwhile, have been holding protests against the decision on Friday and Saturday, with Nautilus International and RMT stating more demonstrations will take place outside Parliament in Westminster on Monday.

Louise Haigh MP, Labours shadow transport secretary, said: This bombshell letter proves that the Government was not only aware of P&O ferries scandalous action  but complicit in it.

They knew peoples livelihoods were on the line and they knew P&O was attempting to use exploitative fire and rehire practices. But they sat back and did nothing.

The shambolic response to this shameful episode proves the Conservatives cannot and will not stand up for British workers. Labours new deal for workers would strengthen protections and deliver security and respect in the workplace.

A DfT spokesperson said: This was an internal Government memo which, as standard practice, outlined what officials had been told by P&O Ferries shortly before their announcement was made.

This was sent before ministers were advised of the full details and as soon as they were informed, they made clear their outrage at the way in which P&O staff had been dismissed.

They added that the DfTs immediate priority was to work with unions to ensure workers rights continue to be protected and that Mr Shapps has urged the company to sit down with workers and reconsider this action.
The United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool announced Thursday it has signed an agreement with 35 companies around the globe to produce generic versions of Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral pill.

The agreement will allow the treatment to be supplied to 95 low- and middle-income countries, home to more than half of the world's population, according to the MPP.

MORE: How COVID treatments evolved over time from monoclonal antibodies to antiviral pills

Clinical trial data has shown the pill, sold under the brand name Paxlovid, reduces the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID by 89% if taken within three days of the onset of symptoms.

Paxlovid is currently given as three pills twice daily over the course of five days.

The pill will be easier to distribute to hard-to-reach areas than monoclonal antibodies, which are given intravenously and require a medical professional to administer the treatment.

PHOTO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment pill Paxlovid is seen in a box, at Misericordia hospital in Grosseto, Italy, Feb. 8, 2022. (Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters, FILE)

"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," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.

The statement continued: "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."

Paxlovid is made up of two medications: ritonavir, which is commonly used to treat HIV and AIDS, and nirmatrelvir, an antiviral that Pfizer developed to boost the strength of the first drug.

Together, they prevent an enzyme the virus uses to make copies of itself inside human cells and spread throughout the body.

According to the agreement, the companies will be able to take out sublicenses to produce raw ingredients of nirmatrelvir, co-package it with ritonavir or both steps.

MORE: Amid scarce supplies, some unvaccinated patients prioritized for COVID treatments

Six of the companies will produce the raw ingredients, nine companies will co-package it and the remaining companies will do both, the MPP said.

The companies producing the drug span 12 countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, China, the Dominican Republic, Jordan, India, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Serbia, South Korea and Vietnam.

The MPP said a license was offered to a 36th company in Ukraine, but it was unable to sign due to the war with Russia.

Under the agreement, the 35 companies will not be required to pay Pfizer royalties as long as COVID-19 is classified as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

PHOTO: Paxlovid antiviral medication in a warehouse in Shoham, Israel, Jan. 18, 2022. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

However, after the emergency ends, the manufacturers will be able to sell their pills to low-income countries without royalties but will be subject to a 5% to 10% royalty for sales to middle-income countries.

The MPP expects some of these companies could submit their drugs for regulatory review to health agencies in their home countries or to the WHO later this year.

In January, the group signed a similar agreement with Merck for two dozen companies to produce a generic version of its COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir.

More than 30 companies to produce generic version of Pfizer's COVID pill originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Vladimir Putins brutal invasion of his neighbour was motivated by the fear a successful Ukraine would trigger a pro-democracy revolution in Moscow, Boris Johnson said.

The Prime Minister said Mr Putin was in a total panic about the prospect of a popular uprising if freedom was allowed to flourish in Kyiv.

Mr Johnson said the war was a turning point for the world, forcing countries to stand up to Russia rather than making accommodations with tyranny.

Failure to support Ukraine now would result in a new age of intimidation across eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Foriegn Secretary Liz Truss talks with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko following her speech (Peter Byrne/PA)

In a speech at the Conservative Party spring conference in Blackpool, Mr Johnson said Mr Putins actions were not the result of concern about Nato  he didnt really believe that Ukraine was going to join Nato any time soon  or the prospect of Western missiles being based there.

He also dismissed Mr Putins crazy essay about the historical unity of the people of the two countries as semi-mystical guff and Nostradamus meets Russian Wikipedia.

I think he was frightened of Ukraine for an entirely different reason, Mr Johnson said to an audience including Kyivs representative in the UK, Vadym Prystaiko.

He was frightened of Ukraine because in Ukraine they have a free press and in Ukraine they have free elections.

It is precisely because Ukraine and Russia have been so historically close that he has been terrified of the effect of that Ukrainian model on him and on Russia.

He has been in a total panic about a so-called colour revolution in Moscow itself and that is why he is trying so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine and thats why it is so vital that he fails, Mr Johnson said.

A victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine, and the end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova, it will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Johnson acknowledged there was little hope of an imminent change in Russian leadership.

I dont believe that democratic freedoms are going to sprout any time soon in the Kremlin, far from it.

But with every day that passes I think that Putin becomes a more glaring advertisement for the system that he hates and despises, and it becomes ever more obvious why we have to stick up for Ukraine.

In other developments:

 UPDATE: , Ukraine Family Scheme visas have been granted so far as of 5pm Friday 18 March.  Its free, grants leave for 3 years, gives those the right to live, work & study in the UK & access public funds. Full details & to apply: https://t.co/DFs1jNjVgE pic.twitter.com/aleqKJ6wpD  Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) March 19, 2022

 The Home Office said 8,600 visas had been issued under the Ukraine family scheme by 5pm on Friday.

 Ukraines ambassador to the UK Mr Prystaiko told the PA news agency that London-based consumer giant Unilever should close its operations in Russia.

 Former prime minister David Cameron was heading to Poland to deliver supplies to refugees fleeing the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

 His predecessor Gordon Brown called for a new international tribunal to be set up to prosecute Mr Putin and his allies.

Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky called on Mr Putin to hold face-to-face talks despite UK fears Moscow will use negotiations as a smokescreen to prepare for an even more brutal assault.

Mr Zelensky used a video message to say its time to meet, time to talk but, in the UK, Cabinet ministers urged caution about talks with the Putin regime.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said it was up to Mr Zelensky how his country approached peace talks but she was very sceptical about the Kremlins position.

She told The Times: If a country is serious about negotiations, it doesnt indiscriminately bomb civilians that day.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  19 March 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/iXd9G8IiA0  #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/6fYJwelqMP  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) March 19, 2022

Ms Truss said talks could be a smokescreen and what weve seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup.

Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden told Times Radio: We of course have to treat the Russians with a high degree of scepticism given that they were the ones that commenced this war.

He said the UK had to have a hard-headed sceptical approach but if we can find a way through to a peaceful and negotiated settlement we should of course try to achieve that.

In Ukraine, fighting continued on multiple fronts but 10 humanitarian corridors were established for aid and refugees  including one from the besieged port city of Mariupol and several around capital Kyiv.

British defence intelligence specialists believe Russia will wage a war of attrition, having failed in its goal of rapidly conquering its neighbour.

This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, and intensify the humanitarian crisis, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK has said Russian media has to be regulated differently following the cancellation of RTs licence in the UK.

The Kremlin-backed broadcasters had its licence revoked with immediate effect by UK TV watchdog Ofcom on Friday.

In an interview with the PA news agency, Vadym Prystaiko said Russians work in a different sphere and that Russian media is propaganda.

Asked about Ofcoms decision, he said: This is an independent body. We never had contact with them.

I believe they make their own decisions on the merits.

The Ukrainian ambassador then added: You know what, what Im always saying, especially when I talk to journalists, (is) that Russians work in a different sphere, theyre not journalists, theyre not media, theyre propaganda.

Theyre working totally differently. They have to be regulated differently.

Ofcom said in a statement that RTs licensee, ANO TV Novosti, is not fit and proper to hold a licence amid 29 ongoing investigations into the due impartiality of its programmes.

The watchdog said it noted new laws in Russia that effectively criminalise any independent journalism that departs from the Russian states own news narrative, particularly in relation to the invasion of Ukraine.

It added: We consider that, given these constraints, it appears impossible for RT to comply with the due impartiality rules of our broadcasting code in the circumstances.

We have concluded that we cannot be satisfied that RT can be a responsible broadcaster in the current circumstances.

Ofcom is therefore revoking RTs licence to broadcast with immediate effect.

RTs deputy editor-in-chief, Anna Belkina, said Ofcoms decision to suspend the broadcasters UK licence has robbed the British public of access to information.

In a statement, she said: By ignoring RTs completely clean record of four consecutive years and stating purely political reasons tied directly to the situation in Ukraine and yet completely un-associated to RTs operations, structure, management or editorial output, Ofcom has falsely judged RT to not be fit and proper and in doing so robbed the UK public of access to information.
Unilever and other international companies are under growing pressure to leave Russia fully in the wake of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Kyivs ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko singled out the British consumer goods firm as he warned multinationals there is no place for responsible businesses in Russia.

The London-headquartered company suspended all imports and exports of its products from the country but is continuing to supply essential food and hygiene products made within its borders.

In an interview with the PA news agency, Mr Prystaiko said: They have to pull out right now because the world is now painted in black and white, or blood red and white, and there are unfortunately no shades of it.

You are either supporting the Russian Federation in what you are doing or you are staying on this side of the conflict.

Unilever declined to comment, but it was understood it was not reversing its decision to continue operations in Russia.

An exodus of corporations such as McDonalds and Coca-Cola began in the weeks after the Russian president launched his invasion.

But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is pressuring firms such as Unilever, Nestle and Mondelez to leave the Russian market completely.

Ukraine Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko (PA)

Mr Prystaiko said he has held talks with Unilever chief executive Alan Jope to get the company to pull out, saying: He was receptive but I still want to see actions.

There is no place for responsible businesses to be there right now because each and every dollar you bring into the Russian economy can be tomorrow used to build up more weapons and kill more Ukrainian kids, the ambassador said at his west London embassy.

I see more and more businesses are pulling out. Ive seen big companies here, like Unilever for example, Ive seen people protesting in front of their offices and Ive even had a conversation with the CEO. I dont want to go into details but we were trying to discuss that it is time for big business to pull out of Russia.

Asked what his message to big business is, Mr Prystaiko said: Its simple: pull out of there. You will find more business, more opportunities, because people will respect what youve done as a company.

A statement from Mr Jope issued on March 8 explained its decision to stay on in Russia to an extent.

We have suspended all imports and exports of our products into and out of Russia, and we will stop all media and advertising spend, he said.

We will not invest any further capital into the country nor will we profit from our presence in Russia.

We will continue to supply our everyday essential food and hygiene products made in Russia to people in the country. We will keep this under close review.
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China's Chongqing rescues over 700 ancient trees

Xinhua) 13:12, March 19, 2022

CHONGQING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality had rescued more than 700 ancient and precious trees as of last year, said the local authority.

The city has adopted a raft of measures since it launched a tree protection campaign in 2018, including treating tree holes, installing protective fences and trunk supports, improving their living environments, and handling threats involving insects and diseases to the trees' health, said the municipal forestry bureau.

Meanwhile, Chongqing has strengthened tree protection through technologies. It created ID cards with QR codes for some ancient trees under protection. Sensors also monitor the displacement, lodging, and growing of several significant trees.

Chongqing is home to more than 25,500 ancient and precious trees, of which over 510 are above 500 years old.

In recent years, Chinese cities have launched various campaigns to strengthen the protection and improve the management of ancient and rare trees nationwide.

In March 2021, the local government revived a 406-year-old dying tree in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, after years of hard work such as setting up hoses next to it and watering it twice a week during the drought season.

In December 2020, Taishan Mountain, a popular UNESCO World Heritage site in east China's Shandong Province, encouraged the public to "adopt" more than 200 ancient and precious trees growing on the mountain.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Emme Lunds debut novel The Boy With a Bird in His Chest is not your typical coming-of-age fantasy. The book features more than a few standard markers of that genre  for instance, the title is no passing metaphor. Our teenage protagonist, Owen Tanner, actually does have a bird living in his rib cage, with part of his chest cavity open to the air so that the bird can poke its beak through his exposed ribs.

But as opposed to your Twilights or Harry Potters, this story focuses in large part on the relationship between bird and boy rather than the magical world-building that would make their relationship possible.

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(Atria)

Lund zooms in close on moments of introspection, as Owen comes to terms with what sets him apart from other boys his age. Owen and his bird, Gail, share a relationship more like that of magician and familiar rather than pet and owner, and they do not always get along. As much as Gail depends upon Owen to feed and protect her, the boy also seems to need the bird for approval and affection. Gail endangers Owen, but she also completes him, a symbiosis he could not live without.

The unfolding drama between boy and bird embodies the halting, sometimes awkward dance between a teenagers inward self and his public body, and comes to symbolize the familiar struggle to come to terms with ones difference.

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They live under constant threat of discovery by outsiders, or so says his mother, an alcoholic but loving parent who works tirelessly to protect her son. Owens mother knows that the world of doctors and government agents  ominously named the Army of Acronyms  would grab the chance to put Owen and Gail under their microscope, ripping apart their family in the process.

So the strange threesome of mother, child and bird live in secrecy for years, until Owen decides to start venturing outside their small suburban household to explore, and quickly draws the attention of prying eyes.

Again, if that sounds like the premise of a ripping yarn with the narrative pacing of young adult fantasies, think again. Despite its genre trappings, this book is something altogether slower and more meditative  and all the better for it.

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Most of the story takes place in Owens mind as we follow his musings on the teenage social world from which he has been excluded, and his yearnings for human connection. Readers of all races, creeds, sexual orientations and genders will recognize his feelings of misplacement.

Emme Lund, a transgender woman, suffuses her narrative with clear-sighted metaphors for teen alienation, though her story will likely carry particular resonance for readers who feel out of step with their bodies or genders. Lund tenderly and deftly walks us through the process of making peace with the fragile animal we all carry around with us, showing us how to let it live and breathe in a hostile world.

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About the book

THE BOY WITH A BIRD IN HIS CHEST

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Emme Lund

Atria. 308 pp. $27.
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Says energy deals must not be politicised

With the Russia-Ukraine war getting prolonged, New Delhi has been looking at ways to soften the blow that it received in the form of three-digit crude oil price. (Representational image: Twitter)

HYDERABAD: India on Friday defended its decision to buy discounted crude oil from Russia and insisted that legitimate energy transactions should not be politicised.

Reports suggested that Indias state-owned refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd bought two million barrels of crude oil from Russia. A few days back, Indian Oil Corp had reportedly bought three million barrels of oil from Russia.

Reports suggested that Russia was offering a 20 per cent discount on oil purchases below global bench-mark prices. When asked about India considering buying discounted Russian oil, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US message to any country is to think about where you want to stand when the history books are written. She, however, said India has not violated US sanctions by purchasing discounted Russian oil.

According to sources, India believes that countries, which are self-sufficient in oil or those themselves importing from Russia cannot credibly advocate restrictive trading.

With the Russia-Ukraine war getting prolonged, New Delhi has been looking at ways to soften the blow that it received in the form of three-digit crude oil price.

Scott Sheffield, chief executive of top US shale oil firm Pioneer Natural Resources, suggested that crude oil will hit $200/barrel if the West completely stops importing the Russian oil.

With the US shale oil companies dragging their feet to boost their output, the crude oil could remain at an elevated level as no other oil-producing country could compensate the void created by ban on the Russian oil. Imports make up 85 per cent of India's oil needs or 4.7 million barrels a day. If the crude oil remains over $75 barrels for a prolonged period, it would affect Indias budget maths and increase pressure on the countrys forex reserves  a scenario similar to 1991 and 2012 crisis  and forced India to brave the prospects of US sanctions to acquire cheaper Russian oil.
A vibrant democracy needs a robust Opposition. To pursue this goal requires perseverance and strategic clarity

The five Assembly elections concluded recently have two clear-cut lessons. The first is that the BJP has emerged as the clear winner. Its victories in UP and in Uttarakhand are particularly noteworthy. However, a win in UP should not be seen as a semi-final before the parliamentary elections of 2024; nor should one assume that 2024 is a done deal. In 2012, Mulayam Singh Yadav swept UP, with the BJP getting only some ten per cent of the votes; in 2014, the BJP swept UP, trouncing the SP. Politics is a dynamic process. Nothing can be assumed until the fact. In 1971, just after the defeat of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh, Indira Gandhi appeared invincible. By 1974 she was in serious trouble, and in 1975 she had to declare the Emergency. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi with over 400 MPs in 1984 seemed undefeatable. Yet, by 1987, in just three years, his government was in trouble, and he lost the next parliamentary elections in 1989.

The second lesson is that the Congress, as currently constituted, is in deep trouble, if not beyond redemption. It lost badly in every election it fought, reinforcing a verifiable trend since 2014 of a near irreversible decline. For it to get only around two per cent of the vote in UP and only two seats, is an unmitigated disaster. What is worse is that it appears to be adamant not to change. Its custodians seem to believe that a couple of band-aids will do, when the party needs major transformative surgery.

The BJPs victory run needs analysis. To my mind, it has three strong elements in its narrative which it uses to the full. The first is political Hindutva, which is, simply put, the use of religion to divide votes for political gain. The second is hyper-nationalism, whereby it claims a monopoly on matters of national security, and berates anyone who questions it as anti-national. The third is welfarism, whereby it has achieved success in partially assisting the poor, through direct benefit transfers, the distribution of free rations, and through the use of other schemes such as the PM Awas Yojana and Ujjwala. A fourth element, especially in UP, was the projection that Yogi Adityanath was the guarantor of better law and order. Finally, the party must be credited with efficient social engineering. It successfully co-opted the upper castes, and it mustered the support of the non-Yadav OBCs, which account for some 32 per cent of UPs population. To all of this, it had an effective organisation, with the RSS cadres on the ground.

Akhilesh Yadav put up a spirited fight, but the chinks in his armour were obvious. Firstly, he started his journey to power too late. To take on the organisational might of the BJP, he should have started in the very next week after his defeat in the parliamentary elections of 2019. Secondly, his vote base was narrow. Eight per cent Yadavs, and some 16 per cent Muslims, at the core of his effort, do not constitute a large enough social base to win UP. Thirdly, he lacked a convincing counter-narrative. It is not enough to critique the BJP; people also want to know what is it that you are offering. And, finally, his organisational apparatus on the ground was no match to the micro outreach of the BJP.

These facts show not that the BJP  as we have argued earlier  is invincible, but that the Opposition has to be far better prepared to take it on.

The BJP has been defeated innumerable times in state elections. Charismatic state leaders have held on to their bastions in spite of the determined predatoriness of the BJP. But the BJPs strength lies in the national elections, where an organised, planned, grass-rooted, coordinated and credible challenge, with a face, a narrative, and organizational vigour, does not yet exist to harness the legitimate and widespread discontents of the people. This is the real challenge for 2024, and the gauntlet lies at the threshold of the Opposition.

A very significant part of this challenge is to find a substitute for the Congress. This is not to devalue the importance of the Congress. The idea of the Congress, and its original vision for India are, if anything, even more relevant today. The problem is that the Congress as it exists today is unable to fight to preserve that idea of India, and is unwilling to do anything to change this state of affairs. This has emerged as a very serious weakness in the combined aspirations of the Opposition, since the Congress is the principal opponent to the BJP in some 250 seats. In such direct fights, the BJPs strike rate against the Congress is around 96 per cent. The Congresss weakness is thus the strength of the BJP.

What then becomes abundantly clear is that some new entity must emerge, especially in the north and the west including the Hindi heartland, which can more effectively challenge the BJP. This may well happen in the coming days, since politics, like nature, cannot sustain a void. The relentless erosion of the Congress has created precisely such a void. If such an entity, working on its own, or in the right strategic alliances, does emerge, it cannot be seen mechanically as cutting the vote of the Congress, since the Congress has in any case where little left to be cut. The second step in the reinvigoration of the Opposition must be more cohesive national coordination between all parties opposed to the BJP. This cannot be an arithmetical unity, merely a conglomeration of Opposition leaders on a stage, nor can it be held hostage to vanity or one-upmanship. This unity, guided by a pan-India vision, will have to be strategic.

Politics is about the art of the possible. As this column has stated before, a vibrant democracy needs a robust Opposition. To pursue this goal requires perseverance and strategic clarity.
Jaleel said the AIMIM had also spoken (about a tie-up) with the SP and the BSP in UP (polls) but they wanted votes of Muslims and not Owaisi

Aurangabad: The AIMIM is willing to ally with NCP and Congress, which are constituents of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, party MP Imtiaz Jaleel said, adding the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party is not the 'B' team of BJP as alleged by mainstream parties.

Jaleel said he spoke about the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen's willingness to tie up when state minister and NCP leader Rajesh Tope visited his residence on Friday.

"Tope visited me on Friday, days after lost my mother due to an illness. It is always alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party wins because of us (AIMIM- due to splitting of Muslim votes). To prove this allegation wrong I proposed to Tope that we are ready for an alliance. However, he didn't say anything about my offer," Jaleel, who heads the Maharashtra unit of AIMIM, told reporters on Friday night.

Now we want to see whether these are just allegations against AIMIM or they (Congress and NCP) are ready to join hands with us, he added.

Queried about the likely stand of Shiv Sena regarding AIMIM's offer, the Aurangabad MP avoided a direct reply.

"The fact is that these parties want votes of Muslims. Why only NCP? The Congress also says they are secular and they also want votes of Muslims. We are ready to join hands with them too. The BJP has done the maximum damage to this country. We are ready to do everything to defeat them," the AIMIM leader said.

He said the AIMIM had also spoken (about a tie-up) with the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh (polls), but they wanted votes of Muslims and not Asaduddin Owaisi, who heads the party.

"In Maharashtra also, these parties (Congress and NCP) want votes of Muslims but not the AIMIM. You blame us for BJP's victory. I propose that then let us contest the elections together," he said.

When asked whether the proposal for an alliance is limited for the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, Jaleel said that the future action depends upon the response AIMIM gets from NCP and Congress.

"Otherwise we can go alone. We are giving them a chance (to ally) as they call us the 'B' team (of BJP)," he said.

AIMIM had won two seats in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

On Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide's recent remarks about Islam, Jaleel said the former can be compared with Mumbai attack terrorist Ajmal Kasab.

"Kasab used a gun to weaken India and this man is using vitriol. No religion is bad. People who follow that religion can be good or bad. This person is not worth calling 'Guruji'," Jaleel said.
Almost all the world's sunflower oil production comes from the Black Sea region, whose ports were closed following the Russian invasion. Indonesia's paradox: It produces palm oil for export and has restricted its citizens to buying no more than two liters a day. Finding an alternative in the short term is complicated.

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) - In the last week two women have died after queuing under the sun for several hours to get the two liters of cooking oil granted by the Indonesian government to each citizen. It happened in East Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, where many local residents are stockpiling food for fear that already scarce supplies will run out in the coming months.

Sandra, 41, fainted while waiting for the supermarket where she used to shop to open and was rushed to hospital. Rita Riyani, 49, died after two days in intensive care, exhausted by the long queues in front of several stores.

The conflict in Ukraine has led to higher prices for basic necessities, but also to a gradual shortage of edible oils across the Asian continent. Russia and Ukraine are not only the largest exporters of grain: 60% of the world's sunflower oil production and 76% of exports come from the Black Sea region. But Ukrainian ports were immediately closed following the Russian invasion on February 24 and are likely to remain closed for a long time to come.

Indonesia's situation, however, is paradoxical because Jakarta is among the leading producers of edible oils, particularly palm oil. Yohana Tiko, director of the Indonesian Environment Forum in East Kalimantan, explained to the South China Morning Post that production exceeds domestic demand, but because Indonesia produces only palm oil and fresh fruit, much of the processing is in the hands of private entrepreneurs dedicated to the export market.

In addition to limiting the purchase of two liters of cooking oil per person to one dollar per liter, the Indonesian government has enacted legislation that, starting March 25, will reduce exports: under what is called a "domestic market obligation" in the country, 30% of palm oil production - and no longer 20% - must be set aside for domestic consumption.

Malaysia is exploiting the situation and has not placed restrictions on exports, selling all its stocks. Another valid alternative to sunflower oil would be soybean oil, mostly produced in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. But shipments to Asia are long and expensive and also the production of this new liquid gold, because of the drought generated by climate change, could soon decrease.
Starting next month, most of the restrictions will be lifted. No more quarantines and for Thailand no testing before departure. Today the announcement by Myanmar despite the fact that a civil conflict is raging in the country. However, the number of arrivals is expected to be well below pre-pandemic levels.

Milan (AsiaNews) - Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and now Myanmar: Southeast Asia has announced that it will begin welcoming tourists again next month.

The Minister of Tourism of Malaysia, Nancy Shukri, said she has no doubts about the ability of operators in the sector to welcome travelers. Since March 8, the country has entered what the government has described as the endemic phase of the pandemic. By 2022, Kuala Lumpur expects 2 million arrivals for revenues of .6 billion.

Thailand no longer even requires a negative pre-departure swab starting April 1, you will be tested upon arrival. The government has projected the arrival of only 5 million foreign visitors this year, a considerable drop from the 40 million in 2019.

In recent days, it was Hanoi that had announced a relaxation of entry restrictions. No more quarantine, only a negative test will be required before departure to enter Vietnam, where before the pandemic the tourism sector contributed to the country's wealth with 32 billion dollars a year. There are still 200,000 daily cases, but thanks to the high vaccination rate - 98 percent - hospitalizations and mortality remain "under control," local authorities say.

Cambodia has managed best so far: visiting the Angkor Wat complex, still devoid of masses of tourists as in the pre-covid period, now seems to be a dream experience. If in 2019 there were more than 6.5 million travelers, last year there were about 200 thousand entries, despite the fact that Phnom Penh reopened to fully vaccinated tourists as early as mid-November. According to local sources, so few tourists had only been seen in the early 1990s just after the end of the civil conflict. The country, led by Asia's longest-serving authoritarian leader, Prime Minister Hun Sen, was recently ranked second behind Taiwan in the Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index for its excellent handling of the pandemic.

Perhaps most surprising is the announcement from Myanmar, where last year's military junta coup has spawned an ongoing civil conflict. International flights to Yangon are expected to resume from April 17, military authorities have announced, but tourists will still be required to undergo a week of quarantine and two negative swabs to stay in the country even if fully vaccinated.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The gesture against Major Archbishop Alencherry and Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches Sandri in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, which does not want to accept the Synod's decision on the "unified" rite of the Holy Qurbana. Just a month ago Pope Francis warned about "liturgical disputes that play into the hands of those who are masters of division."

Kochi (AsiaNews) - A group of Syro-Malabar laity publicly burned in Ernakulam in Kerala two mannequins with images of Cardinals George Alencherry, senior archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches. The gesture - which is causing dismay in this Indian Catholic community with very ancient roots - is yet another black page in the clash that has been going on for years over the issue of the "unified" liturgy, which divides bishops, clergy and faithful.

Last August, the Syro-Malabar Synod established Easter 2022 as the deadline by which a uniform way of celebrating the Holy Qurbana, the Eucharistic liturgy of this Eastern rite, should come into force in all 35 dioceses. A compromise solution with respect to the three different rites in use: it provides that in the first part of the celebration and in the liturgy of the Word the priest turns towards the faithful, and then turns towards the altar ("in the direction in which the faithful also look") in the central part, that of the consecration and the Eucharistic rites. This choice, however, is encountering strong resistance among those communities where - for 50 years now - the Holy Qurbana is celebrated entirely with the priest facing the faithful.

In particular, the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, led by the metropolitan vicar Antony Kariyil, has so far allowed communities to continue with the usual form, appealing to Rome. In a letter by Cardinal Sandri, circulated by Major Archbishop Alencherry on March 11, however, the Congregation for the Eastern Churches reiterated that the decision of the Synod "should be considered as law everywhere in the world" and therefore it is necessary to continue with the implementation of the "unified" liturgy.

The burning of the mannequins with the faces of the cardinals took place on March 17 just as 316 priests of the archdiocese were gathered at the Kaloor Renewal Centre. The clergy voted on a motion asking Archbishop Kariyil not to withdraw the exception granted on the issue of the "unified" rite anyway. In the meantime, a group of faithful who call themselves Almaya Munnettam (the "front of the laity") started a clamorous protest outside the building where the meeting was in progress, calling for a boycott of Cardinal Alencherry.

The Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly has distanced itself from the gesture: "These forms of protest - said the spokesman Fr. Mathew Kilukkan - are not Christian. The archdiocese wants a solution through dialogue. For his part, the secretary of the media commission of the Syro-Malabar Church, Fr. Alex Onampally said: "The anger and protest that these acts have caused in the faithful should open the eyes of the rebellious faction.

Just last month, addressing the plenary assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Pope Francis himself had implicitly referred to this long-running clash in India, saying, "The world needs the witness of communion: if we give scandal with liturgical disputes - and unfortunately there have been some recently -, we play into the hands of him who is the master of division."
Today's headlines: Japan promises investment in India, while Delhi has approved another line of credit to Colombo; Russia has collected data on citizens who have left the country; Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited the Emirates; in Indonesia, toy car races are back in fashion.

MYANMAR

The sale of telecommunications subsidiary Telenor to Lebanese group M1 has been approved. Activists warn that in this way customer data could end up in the hands of the leaders of the military junta. In the meantime, in the last week Burmese generals took part in several meetings of the intelligence and defense forces of Asean, whose presidency is in the hands of Cambodia.

INDONESIA

Miniature car racing is back in vogue, thanks to the pandemic Playing Mini 4WD had become popular in the early 1990s, after Japanese manufacturer Tamiya introduced the new hobby to Indonesia as well. It is mainly millennials, who played it as children, who revived the business during the lockdown.

INDIA - JAPAN

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will announce a billion (5 trillion yen) investment plan in India over five years, writes the Nikkei. Japan in India is supporting urban infrastructure development. The visit is the first leg of a three-day tour that will also take Kishida to Cambodia to forge stronger relations with Asean as well.

SRI LANKA - INDIA

Sri Lanka has secured a billion line of credit from India to buy food and medicine. The Indian loan comes on top of another 0 million line of credit that Delhi had granted to allow Colombo to continue importing oil.

RUSSIA

The personal data of 600 Russian citizens who left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine began were made public on the website of the "Committee for the Defense of National Interests," and other sites began releasing similar data soon after Putin's intervention against "traitors to the nation" and "fifth columns."

GEORGIA

In Georgia, controversy is intensifying over support for Ukraine, which oppositions consider insufficient, especially after the statement by the president of the ruling "Georgian Dream" party Iraklij Kobakhidze about the country's refusal to participate in anti-Russian sanctions. Imprisoned ex-president Mikhail Saakasvili has invited President Salome Zurabisvili to travel to Ukraine, and the latter complains of government opposition to his meetings with international leaders, which are deemed "unconstitutional abuses."

CHINA

China had reported only two deaths from Covid-19 in 2021. Today it reported two more in the northeastern region of Jilin, the epicenter of a new infection outbreak. The death toll would thus have risen to 4,638. Yesterday, China reported 2,228 new cases.

SYRIA - UAE

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has flown to the United Arab Emirates in what is the first visit to an Arab country since the war began in 2011. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed expressed hope that "this visit will be the beginning of peace and stability for Syria and the entire region."
The widening of I-64, seen in 2019 when work through Williamsburg and York County was underway. (Rob Ostermaier)

The General Assembly adjourned last weekend after a 60-day legislative session that may be remembered most by what wasnt accomplished.

A slew of bills, including measures about guns, abortion, voting rights, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana, were killed off due to partisan gridlock in the newly divided Capitol. A handful of other measures  including the state budget  remain under debate in conference committees that House and Senate members use to reconcile differences.

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(The two parties) certainly eliminated the more extreme measures by either side. Each chamber sent a clear message to the other, said Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg.

But thats not to say legislators didnt find any middle ground.

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More than 840 bills were passed by the General Assembly and are awaiting a veto or signature from the governor, according to an aide for Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Heres a look at some of the measures that made it through:

Education

Given that Youngkin focused on education and parental rights on the campaign trail, it comes as no surprise that one of the sessions most notable bills involved students. In a major win for the new governor, the General Assembly passed a measure banning mask mandates in schools.

Youngkin signed the bill into law last month during a ceremony with students on the Capitols steps. The governor added an emergency clause that allowed it to take effect on March 1  instead of July 1, the usual enactment date  meaning schools in Hampton Roads already are seeing its impact.

In an email, Douglas Brown, chair of the Newport News School Board, said reactions to the new law varied.

The transition to mask-optional campuses was not popular with all of our families, he wrote. However, our community has been respectful of one another as they have been throughout this pandemic. We have been able to make a successful transition to mask-optional campuses without disruption.

Another bill that narrowly passed would require schools to notify parents about sexually explicit materials assigned in class. If signed into law, parents would be allowed to review the material and request alternative assignments for their child.

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Veteran affairs

Legislators took a bipartisan approach to most veteran-related legislation this year.

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We had a pretty substantial series of legislative successes, said Daniel Gade, who heads the states Department of Veterans Services.

A bill to create a suicide prevention coordinator position within the DVS received unanimous support. And while the budget has yet to be finalized, Gade said both chambers proposals offer varying degrees of tax relief on veterans pensions.

Another bill that passed would create a grant program to fund infrastructure projects that enhance the quality of life in military communities  defined as localities where more than 5% of the communitys economy comes from military funding. Several smaller measures also received support, including a bill that would make it easier for military spouses who work in education to get jobs in Virginia with out-of-state teaching credentials.

Altogether, Gade said the measures could go a long way to helping Virginia attract and retain veterans.

People need to realize that most veterans, after their service, they go on to a second career and they bring creativity and ingenuity and the ability to start businesses and generate revenue, which in turn make Virginia stronger, he said.

Craig Quigley, executive director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, is confident the bill creating a suicide prevention coordinator will be signed into law. The coordinator would increase mental health screenings for military members and help connect those in crisis with behavioral health professionals.

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It would make a huge difference, Quigley said.  It will be a very valuable resource to military members, veterans and their families in Hampton Roads.

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Roads

Both the House and Senates passed budget proposals include funding to continue the Interstate 64 widening project. Mason is hoping the Senates version, which allots a more generous amount  $190 million  will make it into the final state budget.

Finishing the job and having it widened all the way to Richmond. ... That would be critically important for Hampton Roads, Mason said.

Its unclear when the conference committee will reach an agreement on the budget. In a Sunday statement, Youngkin thanked the legislators for their continued negotiations and acknowledged it could take time to get the budget right.

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

But Mason said local governments will soon start to turn up the heat on state lawmakers.

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Localities are all going to have their meetings soon to set their budget for the next year and if they dont know what funding is coming from the state, their work is very difficult, he said. We must get this figured out so our counties and cities can begin setting their operational budgets.

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Animal Welfare

Several bills aimed at improving the lives of dogs and cats in breeding facilities passed the General Assembly with overwhelming support from both parties. Legislators rallied around the measures primarily due to concerns with Envigo, a company with a center in Cumberland County that breeds and sells animals for research.

Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice president of the PETAs cruelty investigations department in Norfolk, is among the animal advocates in Hampton Roads who pushed for the measures.

PETA is grateful to bill patrons and members of the Virginia General Assembly for their work to ensure that Envigo, and any other breeders who set up shop in Virginia, must comply with minimal standards of care, she said.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
Convicted Hocking County murderer: Jury should have had option to convict on manslaughter
Athens, TX (75751)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
The voice command support, for example, has become a must-have capability for many modern drivers out there, pretty much because it makes it possible to interact with the apps running on Android Auto without the need for looking at the screen.At the end of the day, this is a win-win for everybody, as it essentially reduces the distraction behind the wheel.But as many of us learned the hard way, the way voice commands work on Android Auto isnt always the most flawless. And in some cases, it could actually break down completely without users changing anything on their side.This time, the whole thing seems to be caused by an update that shipped earlier this week. However, theres a chance this mysterious update was aimed at the Google app, so the culprit is Google Assistant directly, not Android Auto.Users here on Googles forums indicate that making calls with a voice command ends up sending the audio to the phones speaker. By default, when Android Auto is running on the screen in the cabin, the phone calls should be routed to the stereo system in the car.However, Google Assistant seems to exhibit some sort of glitch that was introduced in the latest version, as the whole thing happens only when Android Auto is running. Users claim that picking up incoming calls works just as expected, and so does making a phone call manually from the screen without using voice commands.The same behavior has been confirmed by other users, all of them revealing the error showed up in the last few days, presumably after a recent update.Google is yet to acknowledge the problem, but if youre certain the Google app is the one to blame, just downgrade to a previous version and see if the bug is gone.
Ladies and gentlemen, the bike we'll be looking at today is known as the Free Ranger , a gravel destroying machine with a build and components that leave very little room for profit for its manufacturer. Nonetheless, that's all good news for potential buyers.If you've never heard of On-One, they're a bicycle and component manufacturer that's been putting out bikes for quite the years now. Their parent company, Planet X, has been in this industry for more than thirty years, and all that knowledge is thrown into Free Ranger.Now, I mentioned that this machine comes in on a budget, and while 1,700 GBP (2,240 USD at current exchange rates) may not be the budget you have for your next bike, there are a few reasons you should consider this trinket just in case.Overall, On-One uses nothing more than carbon fiber to build the frame you see. Yes, carbon fiber for a price this low is possible. This is possible because the manufacturer is using T700 Toray carbon fiber, but the "lightweight Japanese" kind. If you're questioning the validity of T700 carbon, don't because even more well-known manufacturers are still using this material to build frames. As for the fork, it's completed from the same stuff.Since gravel bikes rarely feature a suspension system, the only component you'll rely on for vibration attenuation are the tires, in this case, a pair of Panaracer Comet with 38x700c dimensions. However, Free Ranger is suitable for tires up to 48x700c. Then you've got the fact that the carbon will be reducing some of those vibrations The following vital aspect to pop into view is the drivetrain. This is another reason why I feel that the manufacturer isn't making too much profit from your transaction; Sram is the team providing this system.At the center of the bike, a Sram Rival 1 GXP crankset with 42T moves a PC1110 chain around a PG1130 cassette with 11-42T. Shifting is then controlled by a Rival 1 long cage derailleur. All that is then geared to the sounds of only 11 speeds, perfect for giving you a proper boost no matter if gravel or asphalt is ridden.Since the parent company, Planet X, is also a component manufacturer, you would expect more in-house gear, like they normally do with their other bikes. However, Free Ranger does include very few Planet X components; most of what you'll find is Selcof, providing the seat post, handlebar, seat clamp, and a few others. To ensure you can go the distance with this machine, On-One also includes countless mounts on the frame to make this gravel monster a decent bikepacking buddy.To get an idea of what to expect if you buy a Free Ranger, let's take a look at some of the geometry. For a medium bike, you're looking at a seat tube angle of 73 degrees, a head tube angle of 71.5 degrees, and a reach of 376 mm (14.8 in). In all, for a medium-size bike, around 9.4 kg (20.7 lbs) is all you'll be riding around on. That's already much lighter than most gravel bikes on the market.Personally, I have but one curiosity now, how the heck this sucker feels on a rocky road with the occasional bigger bumps . Nonetheless, if you're looking for a carbon fiber gravel bike for a budget, Free Ranger is one machine to consider. What about you? Would you dish out a tad over $2,200 for this bike?
Folks, nowadays, the name Jurgens is whispered only between connoisseurs of off-grid and off-road habitats; I had never heard of the team until just a few days ago. Now that I have, I'd like to bring to your attention a team that creates trailers capable of quite the abuse.If the name Jurgens is new to you too, let me point out that since their first days of business in 1952, they've managed to sell over 100,000 travel trailer units, according to their website. Even though this manufacturer initially saw its beginnings in South Africa, nowadays, they're known for designing, building, and selling habitats out of Australia.Now I could go on and on about why you should consider this crew for your next travel trailer purchase, but I'll let you draw your own conclusions from the gallery, text, and the video below.Folks, you've seen camping trailers before here on autoevolution. However, TuffTrax is different in that it receives a tad more attention than your average off-road unit. For example, the habitat is set up on a galvanized chassis and features a Cruisemaster XT trailing arm suspension explicitly designed for off-road use. Two shock absorbers per wheel are also standard. 16 in rims, off-road tires, and diamond plate skinning on the lower half ensure minimal worries as you blast through untouched territory To help protect the shell even further, skid bars are part of the base package. Rarely have I seen manufacturers add something like this to your standard package. You'll see these bars exposed all around the camper and even acting as steps to help you inside your home. More skid protection is also offered at the rear if you've miscalculated that departure angle.Now that the base has gotten the attention it deserves, time to see what sort of home you'll have at your fingertips. The shell is completed using composites with an outer skin from aluminum. 20 mm (0.78 in) high-density foam is added for insulation. Need I mention that these walls are DuraTherm, a brand found in industrial parks, vans, freighters, and if I'm not mistaken, even bunkers.The roof is a one-piece fiberglass top, and the floor is also composite. For the base, Integra is the brand chosen and comes in with 40 mm (1.57 in) of insulation and aluminum outer skin to help protect against possible damage. Reinforcing brackets are in place to strengthen the connection between the walls and flooring If there's one thing I've learned about a camper that comes out of Australia, it's that they pack as much as possible into as little space as possible. The exterior is tattered with drawers, storage lockers, jerrycan holders, spare tire mounts, and the galley is outside and set up on a slideout. The inclusion of an external shower and porta potty storage and TuffTrax is looking pretty decked out.On the other hand, the interior is actually quite simple, and that's a good thing as it opens up the living space for just that, living. Sure, you'll find things like a control panel, fridge, double bed, and a modular dinette, and frankly, what more do you want? Storage options? Just take a look at what's available. I nearly forgot to mention that the roof lifts to have you stretching your legs to the fullest.Worried about the off-grid capabilities of the TuffTrax ? Let me point out that there's a 12-volt water pump, hot water heater, 100 liters (26.4 gallons) of freshwater, shielded plumbing and electric lines, and yes, solar power is also in the mix. With a dry weight of 1530 kg (3,373 lbs) and a GTM at 2,000 kg (4,409 lbs), 470 kg (1,036 lbs) of cargo can be brought along.So, how much is this puppy going to run you? Well, a few things need to be considered, and the first is that this travel trailer is out of stock. But it's out of stock because Jurgens is currently relocating their facilities after a dispute with a former landlord, so be patient.Luckily, a few units are still floating around dealerships, but you'll probably have to pitch the dog a bone too. Since the last version of TuffTrax, the 2019 unit, was selling for an MSRP of 54,990 AUD, or 40,830 USD (at current exchange rates), the hounds can have their treats, no problem. It's something to consider if you're looking for a travel trailer that looks like it can
EV

Prime-minister Fumio Kishida is at the time of writing in India for an official state visit and will meet with Narendra Modi. This occasion will, among other things, be the perfect moment for laying out Suzukis plan for developing new electric vehicles (EVs) in the country. Even more so, according to Reuters , the carmaker is also ready to build a battery plant. The whole deal amounts to $1.26 billion (150 billion yen).This is a small part of a Japanese investment program that totals almost $42 billion spread out over five years.Suzuki aims to start operations in 2025, when it will also launch its first two EVs. But this should be taken with of grain of salt, as no Suzuki spokesperson accepted to offer any comment on the matter. Still, it shows that Suzuki will keep its intense activities in India ongoing, and the two Asian countries will furthermore enhance their bilateral agreements. Given that there's also a new battery plant involved, the Japanese company might explore different types ofsales in India, and it might also create charging networks or battery swapping stations. The future knows no bounds.Looking at what European and American carmakers are doing in China, it's no wonder Japan is trying to keep up. The country's auto industry needed a boost of confidence, and this may be it..Japans Suzuki has a strong presence in India under the Maruti Suzuki brand. This is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation established in 1981 as a joint venture between the Government of the South Asian country and Suzuki, the latter having the majority of shares. To this date, it keeps its status as Indias largest passenger automaker. The company manufactures vehicles like the Celerio, Swift, Alto, Wagon R , Brezza, Ignis, XL6, Ertiga, or Dzire. It also offers a plethora of financial services and other relevant customer support options. It even has a rewards program in place, a network of over 3,500 showrooms, and a driving school!Given what we know now, its understandable why Suzuki decided to heavily invest in India. This market is important for the Japanese company, and it will help the brand test and grow its EV offerings while simultaneously creating new jobs in the region. If everything goes to plan, it might mean that the carmaker will soon turn into a real competitor for other brands that are trying to lower the price of EVs. It's certainly the right move!
AP Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has revised the schedule of Intermediate Public Examinations (Theory) in view of their clashing with dates of all-India JEE main exam.  PTI

VIJAYAWADA: AP Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has revised the schedule of Intermediate Public Examinations (Theory) in view of their clashing with dates of all-India JEE main exam.

According to a press release issued here on Friday by BIE secretary M.V. Seshagiri Babu, the board will now hold its first year inter examinations from May 6 between 9.00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Following is the revised schedule for first year: May 6  Second Language Paper-1; May 9  English Paper-1; May 11  Mathematics Paper-1A, Botany Paper-1 and Civics Paper-1; May 13  Mathematics Paper-1B, Zoology Paper-1, History Paper-1; May 16  Physics Paper-1, Economics Paper-1; May 18  Chemistry Paper-1, Commerce Paper-1, Sociology Paper-1 and Fine Arts, Music Paper-1; May 20  Public Administration Paper-1, Logic Paper-1, Bridge Course Mathematics Paper-1 (for BiPC students) and May 23  Modern Language Paper-1 and Geography Paper-1.

The revised second year inter exams schedule is: May 7  Second Language Paper-II; May 10  English Paper-II; May 12  Mathematics Paper-IIA, Botany Paper-II, Civics Paper-II; May 14  Mathematics Paper-IIB, Zoology Paper-II and History Paper-II; May 17  Physics Paper-II and Economics Paper-II; May 19  Chemistry Paper-II, Commerce Paper-II, Sociology Paper-II and Fine Arts, Music Paper-II; May 21  Public Administration Paper-II, Logic Paper-II, Bridge Course Mathematics Paper-II (for BiPC students) and May 24  Modern Language Paper-II and Geography Paper-II.
The example someone has recently posted on Craigslist is one of them, and if we are to trust the seller, it hasnt even spent too much time outside.According to their listing, the vehicle has spent most of its life in a barn, so in theory, it should retain most of the original parts it was born with. And indeed, were being told this coupe is still very original, with the paint apparently one of the essential tidbits that have been refreshed at some point throughout the years.Powered by a 350 (5.7-liter) V8, this Corvette still starts and drives, but this doesnt necessarily mean its ready for the road. Nope. The owner says the long time of sitting means the car requires a series of fixes here and there, but at least you dont have to care about rust or anything like that.The odometer indicates 50,000 miles (close to 80,500 km), but this figure doesnt seem to be right for a car that spent so many years in a barn. So if youre interested in this car, just make sure you double-check the mileage before anything else.At a quick glance, this Corvette appears to be a pretty solid candidate for a restoration candidate, and whats more, it also looks to come with a fair price. The owner wants to sell the car for about $7,400.The vehicle is parked in Bloomington, Indiana if anyone wants to see the car in person (which they should, given the debatable tidbits we highlighted above).
Chassis number ZLA831AB000567517 in the featured clip and photo gallery is a 1992 Evoluzione that set foot on American soil in 2018. It also happens to be a Martini 5 special edition, which celebrates five Group A constructors titles on the trot for the Lancia Martini Racing works team.Evoluzione Martini 5 number 69 of 400 produced currently shows 107 kilometers (66 miles) on the clock, although its advertised with 108 kilometers (67 miles). Listed on Bring a Trailer with 11 days of bidding left at press time, this rally-bred icon is currently going for an insane $135k.Offered on dealer consignment with a clean title, the four-wheel-drive hatchback is joined by a Lancia Classiche Certificate of Authenticity that reassures the winning bidder of the cars originality, mechanical soundness, and visual condition. The sale further includes a period-correct jack and tool kit, an assortment of spare parts, as well as the manufacturers literature.Last serviced in 2020 with a new timing belt, fresh oil, coolant, and brake fluid, the Martini -themed classic rides on 15-inch alloys with 205/50 Michelin MXX that show 1990 and 1991 date codes. Minor chips and runs in the paint are noted, which is only natural of a 30-year-old Italian hatch.Fitted with Recaro front seats and a rear bench trimmed in faux suede with red stitching, this amazing piece of automotive history still flaunts protective plastic on the door panels and footwells. A Clarion stereo, power front windows, air conditioning, and a locking glovebox are featured.The belly of the beast is a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo, a 16-valve lump that puts the power down to all four wheels via a five-speed transaxle complemented by a Ferguson viscous-coupling center differential and a Torsen limited-slip differential out back. When it was brand-spanking new, this mill cranked out 205 ps (202 horsepower) and 298 Nm (220 pound-feet) of torque.
The select group of nations using F-35s include the usual American allies, countries like the UK, Italy, France, Israel, and Germany, but also nations one doesnt usually associate with impressive armies, like say The Netherlands.What you probably didnt know is that The Netherlands was the second international partner to get the F-35, after Israel, and that happened all the way back in 2012, when the first Dutch F-35, AN-1, took to the sky in Texas. The European nation is also a solid contributor to the F35 program, supplying the Americans making it with composites, bonded assemblies, and aircraft wiring.In the end, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) will end up owning 46 such aircraft, as it seeks to increase the nations capability and capacity to engage in allied operations.The Dutch got their hands on their first F-35 back in 2019, and they are already hard at work populating the second squadron with the airplane. The ones that are already in service go out and play from time to time with international partners.The four F-35s we have in the main photo of this piece may look identical, but thats not exactly the case. Two are deployed with the U.S. Air Force (USAF), while the other two belong to the RNLAF.Saying who is who is not easy, of course, but there are those telltale clues on the tails of the aircraft. The ones sporting LN are USAF planes (deployed with the 48th Fighter Wing), while the ones marked with simpler designations are Dutch.The photo was snapped back in February, as the planes were conducting bilateral air-to-air training exercises over Europe.
Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, the longest-serving member of Congress in either party, has died, according to staffers and his family. He was 88.

Driving the news: Its with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved," Young's office said in a statement. "His beloved wife, Anne, was by his side."

Young was first elected to the House in 1973 during the Nixon administration.

He was re-elected in 2020 to serve his 25th term.

Young, who was born on June 9, 1933, in Meridian, California, lived in Fort Yukon, Alaska, a rural village near the Arctic Circle.

Young worked as a construction worker, fisherman, trapper, tugboat captain and state legislator before being elected to Congress.

"Youngs legacy as a fighter for the state will live on, as will his fundamental goodness and his honor," his office added. "We will miss him dearly. His family, his staff, and his many friends ask Alaskans for their prayers during this difficult time."

Young was known for his independent streak, including most recently breaking with most of his party in voting for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and, in the aftermath, saying former President Donald Trump should "shut up."

He also had a well-earned reputation on the Hill as a bombastic lawmaker, famously once pulling a knife on the speaker of the House.

Young also made headlines in 2014 when the House Ethics Committee reproached and fined him $60,000 for accepting improper gifts and trips, as well as misuse of campaign funds.

What they're saying: "There is no doubt that few legislators have left a greater mark on their state. Dons legacy lives on in the infrastructure projects he delighted in steering across Alaska," President Biden said in a statement on Saturday.

"In the opportunities he advanced for his constituents, in the enhanced protections for Native tribes he championed, his legacy will continue in the America he loved," Biden said.

"His fiercely independent voice for Alaska and one-of-a-kind wit and character will be missed. Rest in peace, Don," Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) said on Friday.

"There was no one like Don Young, he was one of a kind. He lived in Alaska from just about the moment it became a state, the only member of Congress I know of with a mariners license," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).

"The last time we spoke, Don vented his still-strong frustration with President Truman for lowering the draft age from 21 to 18 mere weeks after his 18th birthday, causing Don to get promptly called up to fight in Korea," tweeted Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), "Absolute legend."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from President Biden.
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton this week visited a Ukrainian church in Chicago to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Driving the news: The former presidents placed sunflowers  the Ukrainian national flower  outside the Saints Volodymyr and Olha Catholic Church in Chicago, according to an Instagram video posted on Bush's page.

"These flowers say in solidarity.' ... They represent the struggle for freedom, which today are the colors of blue and yellow. Blue for sky. Yellow for wheat, as Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe and now Ukraine is the citadel of fighting for freedom," a speaker said in the Instagram video.

What they're saying: "America stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and their future," Bush wrote in the video's caption.

Go deeper:
Jobs and working conditions around the world are being altered by the effects of climate change and efforts to limit global warming.

The big picture: Companies and countries are expected to create millions of new jobs over the next few decades as they take steps to reduce carbon emissions.
A rising number of law enforcement agencies are opting not to share statistics about hate crimes with the FBI  just as hate crimes are skyrocketing, according to U.S. Justice Department numbers.

The big picture: The decline in reporting hurts efforts to accurately document violence against Asian Americans, Black Americans, and LGBTQ+ people, advocates and DOJ officials say.

Details: The number of police agencies participating in the FBIs hate crimes report declined in 2020  the third straight year of decreases. About 88% of cities don't report hate crimes data.

More than 12,000 law enforcement agencies reported zero hate crimes FBI numbers showed. The list includes police departments in Miami, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Huntsville, Alabama.

Just a handful of cities and towns in states like Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida bothered to report hate crimes in 2020, an analysis of data by Axios found.

By the numbers: In 2020, the number of hate crimes reported nationwide spiked to the highest level in nearly two decades.

More than 60% of reported hate crimes were motivated by race and ethnicity and, of those, more than half targeted Black Americans, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke told the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

The FBI hasn't reported its statistics yet for 2021, but a new study found that reports of hate crimes skyrocketed again last year in more than a dozen of Americas largest cities, with a record number of Asian Americans saying they were targeted,

but a new study found that reports of hate crimes skyrocketed again last year in more than a dozen of Americas largest cities, with a record number of Asian Americans saying they were targeted, The unpublished study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino found that hate crimes surged 46% from the previous year across 14 major metro areas.

What they're saying: "This lack of accurate hate crimes data not only makes it harder for law enforcement to address and prevent hate crimes, but also can cause individuals and communities victimized by acts of hate to believe that law enforcement agencies are not responding to their experiences," Clarke testified.

"Accurate and complete data reporting is needed to ensure that resources deployed match the most pressing needs in our communities."

The other side: Submitting hate crime data is voluntary, and some cities, including Los Angeles and New York, have improved their reporting, Brian Levin, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University, told Axios.

Yes, but: The disparity in reporting makes it appear that Los Angeles is a city filled with hate crimes while Miami is safe from hate, Levin said: "Go ask a gay person in Miami if they think that's true."

Levin said Miami police need to start participating regularly and Congress needs to consider legislation that would tie federal grants to hate crimes reporting.

The Miami Police Department did not return emails or phone messages.

Gene Voegtlin, policy and governance director at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said the group did not have anyone to comment for this story.

Don't forget: The most diverse set of attorneys general in the nation's history are pushing a campaign against hate crimes while they face hateful rhetoric and threats themselves.
Pope Francis on Saturday visited Ukrainian children who fled the invasion and are being treated at the Vatican's pediatric hospital, AP reports.

Driving the news: The Bambino Gesu hospital is currently treating 19 refugees, and more than 50 have passed through since Russia's invasion.

Some of the children had oncological, neurological and other problems before the invasion and fled during the early days, but others are being treated for wounds sustained during the conflict, per AP.

The big picture: Francis has condemned Russia's invasion, saying the "unacceptable armed aggression" and "massacre" must stop, Reuters reports.

"Faced with the barbarity of killing of children, of innocents and unarmed civilians, no strategic reasons can hold up," Francis said.

An estimated 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began, UNICEF said in a statement Saturday.

Go deeper: UNICEF urges stronger safeguards for Ukrainian child refugees
Switchblade drones are among the military support items President Biden announced in March in an $800 million package for Ukraine.

Why it matters: Unlike the large drones the U.S. military uses for reconnaissance and deploying weapons against targets, these tiny Switchblades are themselves the weapon.

The latest: An additional $800 million package for Ukraine announced by Biden in April will include more than 120 "Ghost Phoenix" tactical drones recently developed by the Air Force and manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters Thursday that the drones are similar to Switchblade drones and were designed "specifically to Ukrainian requirements, according to Bloomberg.

Why are Switchblade drones called "kamikaze drones"?

The Switchblade drones are sometimes called "kamikaze drones" because they act as single-use, remote-controlled bombs.

They are small and easily deployed, and are intended to hit targets that are outside the line of sight. They are launched out of a tube much like a mortar.

Once launched, the Switchblade drone can be controlled from the ground before striking its programmed target.

It has a feature that allows a service member to call off the strike should the target have moved away or civilians are in the area.

Manufacturer AeroVironment has two different models.

What is a Switchblade 300 drone?

The Switchblade 300 drone weighs 5.5 lbs. and is small enough to be transported in a rucksack.

It can fly for up to 15 minutes, with a range of just over six miles.

It has a cruising speed of 63 mph and top speed of 100 mph.

It's designed for strikes on soldiers.

What is a Switchblade 600 drone?

The Switchblade 600 drone weighs 50 lbs. and fly for more than 40 minutes, with a range of about 25 miles.

It has a cruising speed of 70 mph and top speed of 115 mph, and it was designed for strikes on soldiers and tanks.

It's not clear how many of each model are being sent in the support package.

What Turkish drones are in Ukraine?

Ukraine has used Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2s to launch guided missiles at Russian tanks, missile launchers and supply trains, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Bayraktar TB2s are not considered to be particularly fast or stealthy.

But drones have had success against keeping Russian forces from securing air superiority.

The smaller, more easily deployed Switchblades are expected to be even more effective in the war.

What they're saying: "These were designed for U.S. Special Operations Command and are exactly the type of weapons systems that can have an immediate impact on the battlefield," said Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information on "Ghost Phoenix" tactical drones recently developed by the Air Force.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an emergency order in 11 counties Friday night as a rapidly growing wildfire has consumed more than 50,000 acres and forced evacuations statewide.

Why it matters: Approximately 500 people have been evacuated and 50 homes were destroyed in central Texas after a massive wildfire scorched upward of tens of thousands of acres over the past two days, the New York Times reported.

Firefighters responded to at least 10 wildfires that scorched 52,708 acres on March 17, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

At least one person has died. Texas officials identified the victim as Deputy Barbara Fenley, "who lost her life while trying to save others from the fires."

What they're saying: "I commend the hard work and selfless acts of thousands of first responders and firefighters who are risking their own lives to protect our communities," the Republican governor said.

"I also ask Texans to join me in praying for those who have been affected by these wildfires, including Eastland County Deputy Barbara Fenley who was tragically killed while trying to save lives. We will never forget her sacrifice," Abbott added.

Details: The Eastland Complex fires include a number of blazes, the biggest being the Kidd Fire, officials said, which has alone engulfed roughly 30,000 acres.
While the SSC exams are scheduled from May 2 as the BIE changed its schedule of exams to begin from May 6, the BSE also revised its schedule.  DC file image

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has revised the schedule of Class X examinations from April 27 to May 9. The Board of Secondary Education released the schedule for the Secondary School Certificate Public Examinations here on Friday.

The schedule goes thus: on April 27-First Language (Group-A); April 28-Second Language; April 29-English; May 2-Mathematics from 9.30am to 12.45pm; May 4-Physical Science and May 5-Biological Science from 9.30am to 12.15pm; May 6-Social Studies from 9.30am to 12.45pm; May 7-First Language Paper-II from 9.30am to 11.15am and OSSC Main Language Paper-I (Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian) from 9.30am to12.45pm and May 9-OSSC Main Language Paper-II (Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian) from 9.30am to 12.45pm and SSC Vocational Course (Theory) from 9.30am to 11.30am.

While the SSC exams are scheduled from May 2 as the BIE changed its schedule of exams to begin from May 6, the BSE also revised its schedule.
The Turkish government has rejected the citizenship applications of some Uyghurs who have been outspoken about the detention of their families in China, citing risks they pose to "national security" and "public order," according to interviews and documents reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: Turkey has been an important refuge for Uyghurs, who have faced repressive policies in China for years. But Ankara's growing economic and security ties with Beijing have led to fears among some Uyghurs that they're no longer safe in Turkey.

The denial of citizenship for some Uyghurs in Turkey fits a broader pattern of China's growing ability to extend repression beyond its own borders, Elise Anderson, a senior program officer at the D.C.-based Uyghur Human Rights Project, told Axios.

Elise Anderson, a senior program officer at the D.C.-based Uyghur Human Rights Project, told Axios. Chinese government authorities are "surveilling, tracking and hunting down Uyghurs, and in some cases, have succeeded in sending them back to the People's Republic of China," Anderson said.

Details: Alimcan Turdi, a Uyghur who moved to Turkey in 2013 for education opportunities for his children, told Axios he has numerous relatives in Xinjiang who were detained in mass internment camps in 2017 and he has not heard from them since.

He began organizing protests in Turkey and speaking out against the Chinese government on social media in 2019. In October 2021, Turdi's application for citizenship in the country he had called home for more than seven years was rejected.

Turdi says he received no explanation other than a document that cited "obstacle to national security" and "public order"  allegations that he called "very upsetting," given the loyalty he said he feels for Turkey. Turdi is now in the Netherlands, though his family remains in Turkey.

Axios spoke to four other Uyghurs who described similar experiences and provided documentation.

Amine Vahid, a Uyghur woman who has lived in Turkey since 2015, said both her and her 17-year-old son's applications were rejected in October 2021 on "national security" and "public order" grounds.

Vahid said she has participated in protests in Turkey because she has relatives in the camps, but claims her son has never been involved in activism and is being unfairly punished.

One Uyghur woman who wished to stay anonymous told Axios she has never participated in protests or anti-China social media activity, but that applications for her, her husband and three children were all rejected for the same reasons.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry and embassy in D.C. did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The big picture: Many Uyghurs are worried about their ability to remain safely in Turkey, which is home to one of the largest Uyghur diasporas in the world, with estimates between 30,000 and 50,000 people.

The Chinese government has asked Ankara to extradite some Uyghurs back to China; many Uyghurs believe at least one Uyghur family in Turkey has been deported. Egypt, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have deported numerous Uyghurs at China's request.

The inability to obtain citizenship and the loss of residency status can plunge Uyghurs into statelessness and make it difficult for them to keep jobs and go to school in Turkey.

Background: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was once critical of China's repression of Uyghurs, including suggesting in 2009, years before the construction of the camps, that ethnic violence in Xinjiang amounted to "genocide." Uyghurs and Turkish people share linguistic, ethnic and religious ties.

But as Erdogan has turned away from the West in recent years and strengthened economic links to China, Ankara's criticism has grown muted.

On a visit to Beijing in 2019, Erdogan warned that to "exploit" the Uyghur issue would damage Turkey-China relations and that he believed it was possible to "find a solution to this issue that takes into consideration the sensitivities on both sides."

The bottom line: "Turkish people know about Uyghurs and care about Uyghurs," Anderson said. "But at other times, Turkish authorities make moves that leave Uyghurs in fear."
UNICEF is urging countries accepting refugees from Ukraine to establish stronger safeguards for children at greater risk of human trafficking.

Why it matters: An estimated 1.5 million children have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began, UNICEF said in a statement Saturday. Improving coordination and screening at border crossings could identify children separated from their families before traffickers can take advantage of them.

By the numbers: More than 500 unaccompanied children were identified leaving Ukraine and entering Romania as of March 17, but the actual figure is likely much higher, according to UNICEF.

Save the Children, a charity, estimated that 100,000 children live in orphanages and institutions in Ukraine.

An analysis by UNICEF and the Inter-agency Coordination Group against Trafficking determined that 28% of all trafficking victims globally are children.

Details: UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are setting up safe spaces for children and women called Blue Dots.

The spaces will offer information and services to refugees, as well as identify unaccompanied children to ensure their protection.

Some have already been set up in countries accepting Ukrainian refugees. More are planned in the coming days, including 34 in Poland.

What theyre saying: Afshan Khan, UNICEFs regional director for Europe and Central Asia, warned of an acute child protection crisis if more is not done to improve coordination efforts and screening for vulnerability.

Displaced children are extremely vulnerable to being separated from their families, exploited and trafficked. They need governments in the region to step up and put measures in place to keep them safe.

Go deeper: "Refugee groups warn of trafficking risk for fleeing Ukrainians."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday that continuing its invasion would cost Russia for "generations," AP reports.

Driving the news: Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin is deliberately creating "a humanitarian catastrophe," and urged Putin once again to meet with him to prevent more deaths, per AP.

"Picture for yourself that in that stadium in Moscow there are 14,000 dead bodies and tens of thousands more injured and maimed," Zelensky said in remarks after Moscow held a pro-war rally.

"Those are the Russian costs throughout the invasion," Zelensky said.

The big picture: During a Friday rally to mark the eighth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, Putin touted his country's military forces and invoked patriotic messaging, including by playing the song, "Made in the U.S.S.R.," per AP.

"We have not had unity like this for a long time," Putin told the crowd of approximately 200,000 people, though that number has not been confirmed.

Putin's remarks  in which he insisted that his actions in Ukraine were to prevent "genocide"  come as Russians are increasingly facing authoritarian rule at home, with thousands of antiwar protesters having been detained.

Zelensky on Saturday also urged Switzerland to crack down on Russian oligarchs who he said are assisting the war in Ukraine from the safety of "beautiful Swiss towns," Reuters reports.

"Your banks are where the money of the people who unleashed this war lies. That is painful," Zelensky said via a translator to an anti-war protest in Bern.

"Ukrainians feel what it is when cities are destroyed. They are being destroyed on the orders of people who live in European, in beautiful Swiss towns, who enjoy property in your cities. It would really be good to strip them of this privilege."

Neutral Switzerland has adopted sanctions against Russia in line with those imposed by the European Union, Reuters reports, including a freeze on Russian central bank assets.

Go deeper: "Kyiv mayor: Russians missiles hit residential neighborhood with preschool"

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information on Zelensky's remarks to Switzerland.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, in telephone conversations with Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, Le Drian highlighted the importance of stability and peace in the South Caucasus and stressed the readiness of Paris for consultations with the countries of the region.

Armenias Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it had applied to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs (France, the United States and Russia) 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 Bayramov that Baku had submitted a five-point proposal to Yerevan to normalize relations.

In his conversations with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Le Drian also reportedly expressed concern about the recent tensions on the ground and called for all possible measures to be taken to reduce them.

The top French diplomat, in particular, stressed the importance of contacts between the sides on the issue of restoring gas supply to Nagorno-Karabakh, which was disrupted earlier this month due to a damaged pipeline passing via Baku-controlled territory.

Nagorno-Karabakhs ethnic Armenian authorities on Saturday said that gas supply to the region had been partially restored after the completion of maintenance work on the gas pipeline.

Earlier, Stepanakert accused Baku of not allowing Armenian maintenance workers to enter the territory controlled by Azerbaijan for repairs, as a result of which the region was deprived of gas supply for 11 days amid freezing temperatures.

During his telephone conversation with Mirzoyan, the French foreign minister also welcomed the recent visit of the Armenian foreign minister to Turkey, stressing that France encourages continued negotiations on the normalization of relations between the two countries.

The situation in Ukraine was also reportedly discussed during both conversations.
Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Lila Pieters Yahia was invited to Armenias Foreign Ministry on Saturday and informed that the ministry strongly condemns the involvement of the UN Office in Azerbaijan in the event organized in Shushi on March 18.

The ministry said that a note of protest was handed to the UN representative in this regard.

Azerbaijan organized an event in Shushi (Susa) on Friday dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the countrys membership in the UN. Baku said that the UN resident coordinator in Azerbaijan and other representatives of the organization participated in the event during which a UN flag was raised in Shushi.

The UN did not immediately comment on the reaction in Yerevan.

Earlier, Nagorno-Karabakhs ethnic Armenian authorities also condemned Azerbaijans holding of such an event in Shushi.

Stepanakert accused official Baku of trying to use international structures in its policy aimed at legitimizing the results of its aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020.

Shushi (Susa) is a key town in Nagorno-Karabakh contested by both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Ethnic Armenians took control of the town in 1992 as they fought a separatist war against Azerbaijan following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Azerbaijani forces regained control of Shushi during the second Karabakh war in 2020. The capture of the strategic town by Azerbaijan marked a turning point in the hostilities and was followed by a Moscow-brokered ceasefire that brought Russian peacekeepers to the region.

Nagorno-Karabakhs de-facto authorities consider Shushi and other areas of the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous oblast proper currently controlled by Azerbaijan to be occupied territories.

Baku considers the town and the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh to be Azerbaijans sovereign territory.
Executive Editor Christine Peterson answers your questions and takes your complaints about The Californians news coverage in this weekly feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input by phone, call 661-395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Please include your name and phone number; your phone number wont be published.
Robert Price is a journalist for KGET-TV. His column appears here on Sundays; the views expressed are his own. Reach him at robertprice@kget.com or via Twitter: @stubblebuzz.
Jesse Vad reports for SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent online news publication dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. Lois Henry, SJV Waters CEO and editor, can be reached at lois.henry@sjvwater.org. The website is sjvwater.org.
Email Dan Walters of CalMatters at dan@calmatters.org. CalMatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/dan-walters.
Pondicherry, fondly known as Pondy and officially as Puducherry, is a town that offers heritage, peace,delicious food and great memories for anyone who loves to travel. The vibrant town has the French influence written all over it, as it was a thriving French settlement during Colonial times. One of the most visited places in Southern India, Pondy is trying to get back on track after the pandemic years and the Government of the Union Territory is promoting tourism in a unique way  they have appointed certified tour guides who are well-versed in the history, heritage and culture of the town. We talk to some of them about what's it like to be Ambassadors of this scenic place.

I have a lot of international friends and connections, mostly in Europe, says Brij Bhushan Pratap Singh, who describes himself as a storyteller and blogger besides being a tourist guide. With their recommendations, we identify people who would like to visit Pondicherry, and organise packages for them. Brij Bhushan, who speaks both French and Spanish,also has contacts with large corporate houses, whose employees visit the Union Territory on both official and personal trips. Working with the Government of Pondicherry is a great opportunity and responsibility,he says. I am a spiritual and cultural tour guide. Most of my clients are retired people, and want to know more about the culture and heritage of the place. And that's the picture that I try to give the visitors. That is how I am promoting tourism here." He feels the government should give more importance to promoting the cultural roots of the place, its heritage and history, because often, it is seen merely as a weekend getaway.

Dr. C. Arulmugil is an Assistant Professor of English and a tourist guide as well. As a woman, she admits that being a guide may have some risks, but she focusses only on the positives. "A lot of travellers,especially foreigners, actually ask for my services as they think that I will have more information as a woman, she reveals. I tell them things from a resident's viewpoint.Also, I avoid words that could create a negative image. For example, since it was once a French colony, some quarters are still called White and Black. Rather than that, I use terms like French quarter and Indian quarter. I feel that's the way we should promote tourism - by giving equal importance to both the Tamilian and French cultures. And people should want to come back here."

Most guides take visitors on walking tours or bicycle tours, to enhance the connection with the tourist spots.

Boniface, another tour guide and a photographer,uses social media to promote tourism in Pondy. "I try to create a picture of the town through photographs, to woo tourists, he shares. "If I could bring in a change that could boost the tourism industry, it would be controlling the traffic, he says, adding that the towns spiritual vibe is getting lost due to the heavy traffic. He also feels government should put in extra effort to preserve some of the heritage sites.

Yuvaraj Mani, an award-winning guide, feels present-day visitors to Pondy have different tastes, compared to earlier visitors. "You cannot expect every tourist to enjoy learning about the historical importance or the mixed culture of a place, he asserts. Since Pondy is famous for food and liquor, many come to try these out on weekends. But the essence of this wonderful place lies in its rich traditions. So, I focus on promoting that through the eyes of local people. I introduce tourists to the residents of the town, and the visitors learn about it during their interaction."

Since both domestic and foreign travellers are starting to come back, I hope the tourism industry will see a surge soon, says Moni Lourdunathan, also known as Moni from Pondy a go-to guy in the city. As a tourist guide, his focus is on creating a sense of comfort, and promoting a home-away-from-home feeling about the city. He says he is working towards creating some unforgettable memories for visitors, rather than just an experience which stops at buying some souvenirs. "Government's plans to ease overcrowding in Pondy by extending the development beyond present city limits is a welcome move. The city was not designed to accommodate so many people, he adds.



P. Priytarshny, Director of Tourism, Government of Puducherry says, "Services rendered to Pondicherry Tourism by the well-trained guides are invaluable. It is due to their competence and sincere efforts that tourists enjoy the unique attractions on offer. They are the real ambassadors of this place and there is no greater endorsement than this for tourism in Pondicherry.
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Many Faces of Bandon's Face Rock on Southern Oregon Coast

Published 05/18/22 at 7:55 PM PST

(Bandon, Oregon)  It's hard to unsee that face once you see it. Just about any visit to the south Oregon coast town of Bandon will result in that wild, almost unsettling sight: there's a giant rock out there that looks like a massive human. (All photos courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more)

Granted, you have to be at the right angle. While that's a pretty wide range, there is a point where walking too far north or south will result in you not seeing the face any longer.

In any case, it's a she  and she is known as Face Rock. She's a favorite model of one Bandon resident, photographer and drone pilot Manuela Durson. Durson has produced a myriad of unforgettable images of the striking feature. Face Rock is a timeless landmark on the Oregon coast, and Durson's magnificent use of colors and catching the sunset at just the right moments has added much to the legacy of the offshore near-deity.

Face Rock may not have always been called that. There is considerable evidence it had other names periodically over the last century or so since Europeans started piling in. One name that seems to have come up in some material passed on to Oregon Coast Beach Connection from the Bandon Historical Society Museum is Father Abraham, though the article from 1907 doesn't make it clear which rock that is. According to the article, all those rocks at Bandon Beach had names other than what they have now.

According to many retellings of the native legend, Ewauna was the name given to it by local tribes, all based on a story that a princess had been turned to stone in that spot. Ewauna and her story may or may not be the original telling, and even then there are likely other versions of it that were passed down over generations.

Volunteers at the Bandon Historical Society Museum caution that this idea of an official version of Ewauna and Face Rock may not be possible. Tribal storytellers would've had differing versions of how Face Rock's Ewauana drama played out, and white settlers added their own spice to the tale as well.





It's useful to remember that our concern with finding the 'official' version of a story is a byproduct of a very modern, print-era, point of view, Jim Proehl of the museum told Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

Which is why historical conclusions become useless and pointless here. The point is the beauty of the rock itself, and Durson catches this without fail and always with a fresh viewpoint on the ancient sentinel as well.





One minute there's a Maxfield Parrish vibe to the clouds, and another it turns out Face Rock is photogenic even in cloudy weather.

Sometimes she's purple, sometimes she's a bright orange. Sometimes she's posing at sunset; sometimes sunrise.

Yet no matter what, Face Rock is still facing upwards towards the sky, as if looking, waiting for something.

For an interesting jolt of Oregon coast geology, see the origin story of Face Rock.

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Katy resident Bethany Dufilho and her husband, Paul, began having reservations about their church after witnessing the evangelical support of Donald Trump during the 2016 election. I just knew that the way [Trump] was acting and the words he was using was antithetical to what I had grown up learning about Jesus and the gospel, says Dufilho, a writer for Houston Moms.

It wasnt until 2018 that the Dufilho family left their local Southern Baptist megachurch, albeit with some hesitation, even telling friends theyd likely return. But after roughly six months away, they decided to never go back. Theres a broader world out there, she says. Now, she and her family of five attend a small United Methodist Church and Dufilhos Instagram bio describes her as an Ex-vangelical in the TX suburbs.

"I had a really small box of what a good Christian wife and mother should be."

Dufilho is one of many Evangelical women across the U.S. who consider themselves ex-evangelical. These women are gathering in Facebook groups, congregating around hashtags, and sliding into DMs as a way of questioning the church, their faith, or their God.

Deconstruction, the process of interrogating what you believe and why, is happening across America with women leading the way. Its reverse engineering, says Mary Jo Sharp, assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University. Peeling back the layers of commitment and traditions to see what you actually believe and if you agree with those beliefs.

DEFINING DECONSTRUCTION

Questioning ones faith obviously isnt new, says Beth Allison Barr, associate professor of history at Baylor University. What is new are the methods: Rallying around the term deconstruction offers Christians a community that lets them examine core doctrines like whether the Bible is without fault or not, if the world was created in six literal days, and the conviction that homosexuality is sinful, all without fear and without feeling alone. Its also compelled many to leave loudly by sharing experiences online, Barr says.

Evangelicals, especially in conservative evangelicalism, grew up thinking that there were aspects of their faith that were critical to the gospel, Barr says. We find these people who grew up in these really rigid environments and they find that theres no room for questions. They also find that theres no room for them to think differently.

Some people deconstruct only specific parts of their faith. Others may tear apart their entire ideology. Notably, deconstruction has no established end goal, even if some who quarrel with the basic tenets of the faith may change churches, denominations or leave the faith entirely.

There is a real moment in history to pause and say What am I a part of as a woman.

Chrissy Stroop, a senior correspondent at Religion Dispatches whos been writing about deconstruction since 2016, says those who dont understand deconstruction assume its an emerging movement that will ultimately advance a new church establishment.

They have a really hard time understanding that people can come together through a shared term that relates to a shared background and not really care if we land in the same place or not, Stroop says. It was very clearly established from early on that the only sort of rule is that there is no rule of where you end it.

To Dufilho, deconstruction is freedom from certainty, and freedom from others telling you, This is how you have to interpret the Bible; this is how you have to express your faith, she says.

FINDING ANSWERS ELSEWHERE

Dufilho says she didnt want to bring her questions to her Southern Baptist pastor due to her experience with the Billy Graham rule: No man should be alone with a woman who isnt his wife.

He might think Im trying to have an affair with him, she says. But since the Southern Baptist Convention doesnt allow women pastors, there was no one on staff to whom Dufilho felt comfortable she could bring her questions, she says. Instead, she began her search for answers elsewhere, listening to podcasts, reading blogs, and discovering authors such as Rachel Held Evans, considered an essential deconstruction voice.

I think its really important for women to have safe outlets to talk without judgment or misperceptions, Dufilho says, and that just didnt exist for me.

Dufilho soon discovered other women who were going through deconstruction, mainly via social media. It helped me not feel so alone, she says, helped me not feel crazy. Instagram has grown as an outlet for deconstructionism, with accounts like The New Evangelicals holding the church accountable or Deconstruction Girl, who uses memes to share about why she no longer believes.

I think its really important for women to have safe outlets to talk without judgment or misperceptions."

On Twitter, Stroop created the hashtag #emptythepews in 2017, which is still going strong today. Through it, people find a community and use it to share why they left evangelicalism.

Its important for us to open up to each other and expose to the public about how evangelicalism harms people, says Stroop, who now identifies as an agnostic atheist. And to maybe find some solace in relating to each other. Stroop lists Professor Barr, anti-racism educator Tori Glass, historian and Jesus and John Wayne author Kristin Du Mez, and Parenting Forward podcast host Cindy Wang Brandt as essential voices in the deconstruction movement.

However, a recent article on Desiring God, a ministry site tied to famed theologian John Piper, warns women against seeking advice online. Christian author Tilly Dillehay argues in the piece that a woman should discuss theology with an older woman mentor at church rather than an online community. Some of Satans best work is accomplished by women talking to women, in the floating world of disembodied souls on the Internet, Dillehay states.

Women talking to each other is dangerous. Theyre not wrong about that, Stroop confirms. Its going to challenge their male patriarchal authority if were going to be able to talk to each other.

WHY WOMEN, WHY NOW

Beyond the politicizing of faith spurred by recent elections, which Sharp agrees has done a lot of damage to Christianity, she points to the prevalence of sexual abuses and misconduct in evangelical churches as to why women specifically are questioning the church establishment.

Its not only the church where Evangelical women endure sexual misconduct. A Christianity Today article posted this week reported on unchecked sexual harassment in the evangelical publications offices. For more than 12 years, the article explains, two men in leadership who were the subject of multiple sexual harassment claims faced no consequences or inquiries. Both men have since left the magazine that was founded by Billy Graham, with one now registered as a sex offender for trying to pay a minor for sex.

There is a real moment in history to pause and say What am I a part of as a woman, Sharp explains. I think women want a very strong response from churches.

Women may be leading deconstruction, but Barr isnt sure if the church will notice as she says evangelicalism has a history of discounting women's voices. She hopes that the dwindling number of congregants may force churches to take notice this time.

Women are often the constants in the family who go to church and bring their children and teach their children, Barr says. According to Pew Research Center, Evangelical Protestants consist of 55 percent women and 45 percent men. While 59 percent of women say that religion is important in their life, compared to 47 percent of men.

Women may be the majority, but several evangelical denominations use Biblical text to deny women the opportunity to hold leadership positions, instead believing men and women have different but complementary roles in the church with women in the supporting role.

Complementarian theology is tied most closely to the Apostle Pauls teachings, such as 1 Timothy 2, which states: Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

Dufilho recalls trying to attain this biblical standard of womanhood. She has stacks and stacks of prayer journals in which she begs God help me. Forgive me. Help me to submit. The prayers ask forgiveness for what Dufilho now calls basic human emotions: anger, sadness, jealousy.

For a long time, I just felt like I wasnt living up to the expectations of being a godly woman. I had a really small box of what a good Christian wife and mother should be, she says. I thought thats what God thought I should be.

Its important for us to open up to each other and expose to the public about how evangelicalism harms people.

It wasnt until after she left her Southern Baptist Convention church that Dufilho felt free to explore feminism and challenge scripture. I didnt want to be two-faced, she says. If Im going to go down this path, I cant stay here at this church anymore.

When Dufilhos family began visiting other churches, they were able to listen to women preaching from the pulpit. I felt so grateful my children were going to grow up hopefully with a different perspective, she says.

Complementarianism, Barr argues in her book The Making of Biblical Womanhood, isnt even biblical and has damaged all of our relationships with God because it has made us think that God is something that God is not. All women are different and not all women fit the mold that evangelicals say that women have to be. It has created distance between women and God.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

In a sermon last fall, lead pastor Matt Chandler of The Village Church in Flower Mound outside of Dallas disparaged deconstruction, calling it a fad, some sort of sexy thing to do. A clip of the sermon spread across social media and sparked outrage from the deconstruction community.

Historically, people have always done this examination of what they believe and why they believe it, Barr says. Its not trendy in a sense that its something that is going to go away because its always been there. Its that social media allows more people to see it.

The end of evangelicalism, the renouncement of Godthere are those who worry that deconstruction only results in Christians leaving the faith. But Barr hopes the movement will elicit positive change in evangelical churches. I think that what this has done is shown the church in very clear language that there is a problem, she says. There are more people leaving than we really realized. I think its really opened peoples eyes.
The raid was conducted at a hotel in Sangolda village of Goa and the police said they rescued three women, aged between 30 and 37 years, including a TV actress, a woman from Virar near Mumbai, while the third one hailed from Hyderabad.  Representatoinal image/DC

HYDERABAD: A high-profile sex racket, which caters only to top-level clientele in star hotels and casinos of Goa, was unearthed by the crime branch police of Goa, following the arrest of a 26-year-old man from Hyderabad.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, inspector Rahul Parab of Goas crime branch said the accused, Hafiz Syed Bilal, was caught along with three women, including a television actress, during a raid on Thursday night. Our informer baited Bilal and asked him to meet him with the women at a hotel. Bilal refused and asked the informant to book him a room at a posh hotel as he does not conduct deals in small motels. It was revealed during a later investigation that more people from Hyderabad are involved in the racket as Bilal is only 2-3 months old into this, said the official.

The raid was conducted at a hotel in Sangolda village of Goa and the police said they rescued three women, aged between 30 and 37 years, including a TV actress, a woman from Virar near Mumbai, while the third one hailed from Hyderabad.

Bilal, a native of Kadapa of Andhra Pradesh, charges Rs 50,000 per night from his high-profile clients, whom he meets at casinos and top hotels in Goa. He was living here in Panaji, also rooming in a five-star hotel, for the past few weeks. There was no cash or drugs seized in the raid. Further probe is underway to get his clientele list and his aides in the racket, added the Inspector.
Looking for a job in the Golden Triangle?

Lamar State College-Orange and Workforce Solutions of Southeast Texas are here to help.

LSCO and Workforce Solutions of SETX are hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday.

RELATED: LSCO reapproved as Louisiana degree-granting institution

The job fair is free and open to the public and will feature employers from Southeast Texas looking to hire.

The fair will be held in the Shahan Events Center, located at 209 Green Ave. in Orange.

olivia.malick@hearst.com

twitter.com/OliviaMalick
Though located in Southeast Texas, Alter's Gem Jewelry conducts business on a global scale.

"This industry deals globally," the store's managing owner Brian Alter said. "We don't get diamonds from (the United States), we don't get colored gems from here for the most part -- most gold doesn't even come from here anymore."

Diamonds and other jewelry in the store are sourced from countries around the world, including Russia, which is responsible for about 30% of the world's production of rough diamonds, Alter said.

But earlier in the month, the store's Facebook page disclosed that, after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the business would no longer be placing orders with manufacturers that source from Russia.

RELATED: A Diamond and a Story for That

"I have inquired of virtually all of our manufacturers, designers and supplies what positions they are taking, what efforts they are making to deal with this situation," Alter said. "We belong to a very powerful buying organization called Continental Buying Group, and the group has always taken a front step on any of these things that are important like the Patriot Act or blood diamonds, or any of these issues."

Alter said he was the first member of the organization to contact the head of the buying group to ask what they planned to do to address the situation.

"(Their) first response was, 'We haven't done anything yet, what do you suggest?'" he said. "Well, within 48 hours, the attorney of the buying group had prepared a document that we have forwarded to all of our manufacturers that basically says they are no longer using directly or indirectly products that are supplied by or manufactured in Russia."

So far, about half of the more than 200 manufacturers have signed the document, Alter said.

The remaining half have another week to follow through, though Alter said some may not and some may not be able to because they can't identify the sourcing of their diamonds or they have Russian investors.

RELATED: Lumberton native applies to volunteer in Ukraine

"People who cannot sign off, I won't place orders with-- just that simple," he said. "And anybody that doesn't sign off that I have an existing order for, I've already told them they need to put it on hold because I won't accept the inventory."

Alter said the invasion of Ukraine hit home for him.

"If you are at all, in my opinion, a student of history, the excuses and the arguments and the statements that (Vladimir) Putin made himself in his (February 21) speech, mimic the same stories that Adolf Hitler used when he started expanding out of Germany," Alter said. "It's the same argument that every autocrat or dictator uses in order to try and claim lands and it's done in a way so it's not an attack -- 'Oh we just don't recognize (the country) anymore, so it belongs to us. We don't believe you ever were independent, you really belong to us and we're going to take you back.'"

Those arguments resulted in the Holocaust and millions of lives lost in World War II, Alter said.

"I happen to be Jewish. So, that hits home a little bit because I'm watching history repeat itself," he said. "The real question is, if (Putin is) successful in Ukraine...where he goes next. This is scary. This is an attack on democracy in a massive way."

RELATED: Here are five charities you can donate to in order to help support Ukraine

While Alter said he is favorable towards the economic sanctions that President Joe Biden has put against Russia, he wishes the United States was doing more.

"It bothers me because we have the ability to stop it and we're not," Alter said. "We're helping, and I understand the reason not to confront, and I'm not arguing that point. But when I was growing up, you didn't stop a bully by taking away his allowance. You had to stand up to him and if you needed to, punch him back in the nose to get him to leave you alone. And we're punching in a different way."

Alter said the online response from his customers has been completely positive. He hasn't heard anything from in-store customers.

But Alter said he didn't make the decision to get comments from people in his store.

"I have to sleep with myself at night," he said. "And I needed to do something to be able to take a position to help. Honestly, if there were a way to go pick up all the children and all the dogs that were being left on their own there, I'd go and bring them all here, but that's not realistic."

RELATED: 5 things to know about Russias invasion of Ukraine

Alter said he had to do whatever he could within reason to help and he doesn't want anything to do with Russia at this point.

"The sad part is, I had the privilege of going to Saint Petersburg a couple of years ago -- it is one of the single most beautiful cities on the planet and I hope everybody gets to visit, it's got an amazing history," he said. "This is the one place, with my small company, that I can try and hit back. And we're doing it as an entire organization. Our organization (CBG) is 110 retail jewelers across the country and we do well over a billion dollars a year in volume combined. It's still a drop in the bucket for the total amount of jewelry business done around the world but it's not an insignificant amount."

There's not anything Alter can get from Russia that he can't get somewhere else, he said.

"Am I willing to pay more if I have to? Yes," he said. "But right now, I don't have to."

Alter said he doesn't believe this decision will have a negative financial impact on his business.

RELATED: Here's how the Russian invasion of Ukraine could impact Texas

"Not unless somebody refuses to shop with us who's pro-Russian," he said. "And you know what? That's OK. There's a lot of jewelers on this street and if you don't want to shop with me, there's 20 places on Dowlen you can go shop."

There is nothing currently in the store that is of Russian origin that Alter is aware of, he said.

"If there's a ring (in the showroom) with 30 diamonds in it, I couldn't tell you if one of those is a Russian diamond or not, there's no way to identify it," he said. "But I'm not buying and I really haven't been buying anything (of Russian origin)."

Alter said in the future, depending on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, he might reverse his decision.

"You don't have to be enemies forever," he said. "We're not enemies with Japan and Germany, even though we fought them in wars. They're some of our greatest allies. The world goes on. But this is what I can do now. This is my way of helping Ukraine stand up to a bully. It's the only way I've got, realistically, to make an impact. I don't want a single penny of what we do to directly or indirectly head back to Russia right now."

olivia.malick@hearst.com

twitter.com/OliviaMalick
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.
Oil prices went up along with prices of sunflower and palm oil after the war started a month ago. (Representational image)

ANANTAPUR: The Ukraine-Russia war impact has impacted edible oil prices across the country. The groundnut seed scarcity to have serious impact on the coming rabi season, the peak season for seed production in all major oil seed producing states.

The groundnut seed price rose to its highest peak of Rs.190 a month ago. Oil prices went up along with prices of sunflower and palm oil after the war started a month ago.

Oil price reached Rs 180 to Rs 190 per a litre in the retail market though some shopping malls are having stocks and selling them at lesser prices. The hike in groundnut oil prices is also due to the huge demand in the market. Pure groundnut oil is sold at Rs 450 a litre. Farmers were selling for oil extraction instead of keeping or supplying seed for rabi season.

A temple management in Anantapur had to throw out more than 10 litres of groundnut oil that was adulterated and purchased from regular shop. The seller could not notice the presence of adulterated oil and supplied it to the temple because of huge demand.

The crops of the recent kharif season were badly hit due to unfavorable climatic conditions and untimely heavy rains in the state. Farmers incurred huge losses in AP. Anantpur has been top grower of groundnut in the country.

The state government now concentrated on procurement of seed for rabi which could only survive in the upcoming kharif season.

Anantapur joint-collector Kethan Garge said the agriculture department and seed procurement agencies must start the process by identifying areas where groundnut had yield good in the kharif.

In addition, various agencies were asked to procure seeds from Telangana and Karnataka to meet the demand.

Peanuts and peanut oil have been an integral part of cooking in Rayalaseema and Karnataka as also Gujarat and Maharashtra. The present market trends are a cause of worry to families that are unable to afford high prices.

People are unable to afford the high peanut price. Even the traditional hotels now use peanut selectively in curries, Krishna, a hotel proprietor said.

In the recent kharif, the major crop was badly damaged in about 11 lakh acres in Anantapur district alone.

Anantapur is top producer of groundnut in the country, but the crop in 33 mandals were hit due to poor rainfall in the peak period. Normally, three showers are enough for the crop, but the shadow zone creates troubles, Manjunath, a farmer from Rolla, observed.
TIRUPATI: Tirupati MP Dr. M. Gurumurthy has written to Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for permanently opening the sandbar mouth of Pulicat Lake near Rayadaruvu in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Once the ministry releases  48 crore for the purpose, it will ensure availability of abundant fish in brackish waters of Pulicat near Sullurupeta. This will help nearly 20,000 fishermen of the area, who otherwise venture into areas of the lake that come under Tamil Nadu, leading to frequent conflicts between fisher folk of AP and TN.

Pulicat is the second largest brackish water lake next to Chilka in Odisha. The lake in AP receives fresh water from Swarnamukhi, Royyala Kalava, Kalangi and Arani Ennure rivers. However, lack of inflows from these rivers due formation of roads across the lake to Sriharikota and other areas has caused heavy siltation on AP side of the lake. Due to this, fish have been depleting year by year, thereby affecting livelihood of fisher folk living in nearly 20 habitations along the lake in Andhra Pradesh.

Impact of 2004 tsunami opened the sea mouth of Pulicat Lake wide, which raised hopes of better inflow of backwaters from Bay of Bengal. However, due to accumulation of silt, the sea mouth narrowed and closed completely by 2008. As a result, the lake has started drying up on its fringes. The situation has become more complicated in past 14 years, the Tirupati MP told Deccan Chronicle.

While the southern part of Pulicat Lake, which falls in Tamil Nadu, is quite deep and has abundant water throughout the year, northern part of the lake in AP has become shallow with a depth below 0.5 metres. This has led to formation of sandbars across the sea mouth. This results in the lake drying up for major part of the year. Because of this, fisher folk of Andhra Pradesh are forced to cross over to TN side, which leads to frequent quarrels between them. Such disputes can be solved if the silted river mouth at Rayadaruvu is opened, the MP explained.

He said Central Water Commission had constituted a committee for opening of the sea mouth. The committee submitted a report in 2017 estimating that opening of the sea mouth will cost  48 crore. However, the union ministry has made no sanction in this regard. The MP has now written a letter to union ministry seeking steps for opening of the sea mouth and protecting livelihoods of thousands of fisher folk families in AP.
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PITTSFIELD  Before she abandoned 15 cats in two locations in January, Kelly Hathaway told a friend in Lanesborough she was desperate to get rid of the animals to avoid eviction, authorities said.

Hathaway admitted leaving the cats in remote areas of Lanesborough and Richmond after the woman declined Hathaways request to take them in, according to a report by Sgt. William C. Loiselle, a special state police officer with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Law Enforcement Department.

New details about the animal cruelty case emerged after Fridays arraignment of Hathaway, 49, and Arthur Raney, 59, who are both facing multiple felony counts in the incident. They were charged earlier this month following an investigation into the Jan 28 incident.

Most of the cats were rescued and are receiving care in local shelters, but two died and another remains missing.

Raneys black 2006 Chevrolet Equinox was seen on surveillance video visiting the Richmond site where the cats were abandoned, the report said.

When interviewed by police on Jan. 31, Raney admitted to driving Hathaway and her cats, which had been placed in a metal cage, to be dumped because he felt bad for her [Hathaway] and didnt want to see her evicted. Raney and Hathaway are tenants in separate units in the same Pittsfield rental building.

The landlord told police they were trying to sell the building, and had asked Hathaway to remove the cats because of their offensive urine smell and their difficulty of finding a potential real estate agent, the report said.

A GROUP EFFORT

The cats were discovered by passersby in the two towns amid bitter cold conditions. A couple heading out for an afternoon hike found six of the abandoned cats near a trailhead on the dead end of Potter Mountain Road in Lanesborough.

They caught three of the cats, but the three others climbed up a tree, the report said. The Lanesborough Fire Department was able to retrieve one, and another eventually made its way to a makeshift shelter set up in the area.

About an hour later, a motorist came upon the other group of cats near Beech and Shore roads in Richmond.

The motorist posted a message to area animal advocacy groups asking for help, and the manager of the Berkshire Humane Society mobilized staff members and volunteers. Most of the cats were rescued after an hourslong search that stretched into the evening, but two did not survive.

Raney and Hathaway each pleaded not guilty in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday to 15 counts of animal cruelty. They were released on their own personal recognizance with the condition they own no pets.

Each count of animal cruelty is punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and seven years in state prison.
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.
Reporter

Greta Jochem, a Report for America Corps member, joined the Eagle in 2021. Previously, she was a reporter at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. She is also a member of the investigations team.
WEST STOCKBRIDGE  Citing frustration with what he says is inefficient functioning and bias in the dealings of town government, a Select Board member tendered his resignation last week.

Roger Kavanaghs March 14 announcement came the same day he expressed dismay about what he said was a dismissive response by a town official to an inquiry by a resident and former board member.

Kavanagh will remain on the board until May 9, the date of annual town elections. He had two years remaining of his three-year term.

His announcement also comes after months of unrest last year about missteps in the towns handling of permitting for performing arts space, The Foundry. Problems that included noise complaints exposed past, though unintended, negligence by the town and what Kavanagh suggested is bias by town officials.

Ive learned that the Town is slowly and not so quietly splitting in to factions, one that wants everything to be like it used to be and one that sees transformation as the only answer for the future,  Kavanagh said in a statement. I believe the Select Board needs to actively bridge that divide and ensure that the voices of both groups are heard and their collective needs are recognized.

Kavanagh said he doesnt believe this is happening adequately, and that little has changed over his last 22 months on the board, despite his efforts to bring some much needed structure and transparency to town government. He called its current functioning a template for inefficiency.

The dust-up over how noise from The Foundry affected the family that owns and lives at Truc Orient Express restaurant  as well as how The Foundry might have been misled by the town regarding permitting, then suffered when the pandemic hit  appears to have sunk divisive teeth deeper into municipal veins.

The issue exposed past neglect by the town that also included road access blunders. The town soon found itself facing a lawsuit from Truc that has not been resolved. But winter threw some quiet on the discord.

Then came an email last month from former board member and former fire chief Peter Skorput to Town Administrator Marie Ryan. He wanted to know if The Foundry had received a permit for its oversized backlit sign that is visible from Main Street.

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Kavanagh said Ryan wanted to place the issue on the boards meeting agenda, but board Chairman Eric Shimelonis disagreed and dictated a response to Skorput that The Foundry had met all its permitting requirements.

It is intentionally abrupt and dismissive, Kavanagh said of the response. As elected officials, we were voted in to serve the whole town, and if somebody asks a legitimate question  whether or not its annoying and whether or not its about something we dont want to talk about anymore  they deserve an answer: yes they had a special permit, no they didnt have a special permit.

Shimelonis said he takes full responsibility for the letter and apologized for it, but also called Skorputs question silly.

It really has nothing to do with where it was coming from, Shimelonis said. After a summer of pummeling The Foundry with regulation  were not cracking that open after the summer weve had.

The fact that Shimelonis, a professional musician, had previously helped The Foundry with sound on at least one occasion had sparked claims of favoritism.

In an email, Kavanagh said while he did not want to comment beyond his statement, he did want to speak to Shimelonis remarks about what he said is longstanding divisiveness in town.

Knowing that divisive disputes are part of the DNA of a community is no reason to accept that as a current reality, Kavanagh wrote. Change is inevitable, but it doesnt have to be divisive and it should never be accepted as the normal state of affairs for any community.

Conflict between Shimelonis and Skorput erupted in 2019 over problems in the fire department and an investigation into a bungled response to a house fire on Main Street. Skorput also was later fined by the state for ethics violations in 2020 for improprieties as a board member. He later admitted he had made some mistakes.

Then came elections.

Skorput, a lifelong resident, ran for a board seat again in 2019; Shimelonis won. In 2020, Skorput tried again for a seat, and lost to Kavanagh. Kavanagh was reelected last year in an uncontested race.

Regarding The Foundrys sign, town officials could not be reached Friday to confirm a permit was needed or obtained.
ANANTAPUR: Union minister Kishan Reddy called upon the people of Andhra Pradesh to alienate corrupt and family-owned politics and choose the BJP as the only alternative in the upcoming Assembly polls. He promised to develop the Rayalaseema Region by submitting a proposal to the Prime Minister as the present government failed to complete long-pending irrigation projects to eradicate drought conditions of Rayalaseema in three years.

Addressing the Rayalaseema Ranabheri, a protest organised by the state BJP to highlight the failures of the state government over pending projects and other key issues of the region in Kadapa on Friday, Kishan Reddy came down heavily on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over massive failure in all aspects in the past three years though the people of AP gave clear mandate for YSRC.

Recalling the recent verdict of people in UP against family-based politics, the union minister observed that a land mafia was ruling the state. You should get rid of the rowdy government by choosing only BJP. The BJP, if comes to power, would complete the Polavaram project with responsibility. He promised to develop Gandikota in all ways as a tourist spot and to provide necessary funds for development of Srisailam Goddess Bramaramba and Mallikarjuna Swamy temples. Referring to the worsening conditions of Rayalaseema, the union minister assured to take up necessary development programmes for the region.

BJP state unit president Somu Veeraraju, party senior leaders Adinarayana Reddy and Ram Madhav also spoke on the occasion.
Lenox native James Brooke is a visiting fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He has traveled to about 100 countries, reporting for The New York Times, Bloomberg and Voice of America.
 



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Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable.
Did the Romans Really Not Know What They Were Doing?

There has been a good deal of discussion about the precise extent of this intercession. For whom was Jesus praying? Was his petition limited to the Roman soldiers, or did it also extend to the Jewish priests? When he said Forgive them, was he praying for forgiveness only for people who were there when he was crucified, or for everyone whose sins sent him to the grave? Is this forgiveness only for sins committed in ignorance, or is it also for sins committed with full knowledge and willful intent?

At the very least, Jesus was praying for the soldiers who nailed him to the cross. Even though they were only following orders and did not know that they were killing the Son of God (Acts 3:17; 1 Cor. 2:8), they were guilty nonetheless and therefore in need of forgiveness for this sin, or else they would be damned. Ignorance does not constitute an extenuating circumstance; not knowing is never an excuse.

It is true that these men were ignorant of the enormity of their crime. Yet they still should have known better (especially given the verdict that Pilate had pronounced at his trial; Luke 23), as we all should know better whenever we sin against God. Jesus had mercy on their relative ignorance and prayed for their sin to be forgiven.

This did not necessarily mean that all of their transgressions were completely and immediately forgiven. But it did mean that God would not hold this particular sin against them. The murder of his beloved Son was such a heinous sin that unless they heard the words of Jesus, they might never believe that they could ever find mercy. But Jesus prayed for their forgiveness, and by faith, they could be forgiven for this and all their sins.

Notice, however, that Jesus did not specify that his prayer was only for the soldiers, who were not the only people sinning against him. The priests were also therethe religious leaders who had pressed and persecuted Jesus to the cross. Surely, they were included in this petition, for they did not know what they were doing any more than the soldiers did, and they too needed the Fathers mercy.

So, the Savior prayed for the priests as well as the soldiers. But in praying for these Jews and Gentiles, Jesus was showing on the cross how he prays for us all. Even if he was praying exclusively for the people who actually crucified him, it would still give us hope for our own forgiveness because here, we see the heart of the mercy of God. The Saviors words demonstrated his redemptive purpose in dying on the cross. If Jesus was willing for the Father to forgive the very men who murdered him, then what sinner is beyond the reach of his mercy?

Surely anyone who repents will be saved. When his enemies said, Crucify! Jesus said, Forgive. Jesus is willing to forgive anyoneeven people like us, no matter what we have done, as long as we come to him in faith.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain Image/Antonio Ciseri
The school my children attended had students of many different religions, as well as students with no religious background. In thinking about what makes Christianity unique from other religions, it is important to respect the religious beliefs of others that are different from our own. We should also take the opportunity to listen, dialogue, and learn about other religions.

All religions are concerned about the relationship of human beings with that which is spiritual. It can seem like the similarities end there. Even the nature of belief in the divine can vary from one God to many gods, from that which is holy to the eternal essence or ultimate divine reality. But we can find common ground in the general revelation of other religions  such as doing good unto others, the concept of love, moral behavior, and belief in an afterlife.

Here, I want to focus on four aspects of Christianity that make it unique and stand out from other world religions.

1. Gods Plan of Salvation

The Bible gives Gods plan of salvation for saving sinful human beings from death and reconciling them unto Himself. This is accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some well-known verses sum up Gods plan of salvation:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17).

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

These verses remind us that salvation is a gift from God. God gave His all  His beloved Son  and initiated our deliverance and rescue out of His goodness and love. Salvation is Gods work, through Jesus Christ, and is offered by His grace.

2. We Cannot Save Ourselves

In Christianity, nothing we do can save us. We cannot stand before God on personal merit. We are not rewarded with eternal bliss based on how we live our lives. We cannot achieve perfection on our own. Right practice, or taking personal responsibility to follow the right path, does not help our spiritual state. Obedience in our actions does not get us to heaven.

Titus 3:5a says He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

The Bibles story of redemption tells us how human beings are unable to please God; to do enough to live by Gods holy and righteous standards. We see this, in particular, in the Mosaic covenant of the Old Testament. Redemption of humanity is through Jesus Christ with the guarantee that we are saved by faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast."





Photo credit: Getty Images/monkeybusinessimages

3. God Comes to Us

Christianity is unique in that God comes to human beings. Christian theologian John Stott, in his book Basic Christianity says In the Bible we do not see man groping after God, we see God reaching after man. It is not what we think, do, or experience that gets us to God.

Gods action of not only coming down into the world, but saving humanity, is seen in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stott continues, The Christian good news is not confined to a declaration that God has spoken. It also affirms that God has acted. God has taken the initiative in both these ways because of the character of mans need. For we are not only ignorant; we are sinful. It is not sufficient therefore that God should have revealed himself to us to dispel our ignorance. He must also take action to save us from our sins.

In Christianity, God in His mercy reconciles human beings to himself through the work of Jesus Christ.

Even within Christianity we can fall into the trap of believing that rituals, high ethical standards, and right practice help us earn our way into Gods presence. Yet all that is required is faith. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. And: It [Gods choice] does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on Gods mercy (Romans 9:15-16).

4. The Incarnation of Christ

Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the way to God and the exact representation of God the Father. In Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God  fully human and fully God. Hebrews 1:3a says The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. No other central figure in a world religion has claimed to be God.

When Philip, one of Jesus disciples, asked show us the Father, Jesus replied: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father? (John 14:9).

As theologian David Wells says: Christ has been seen as unique. He was the only incarnation of God in human flesh, who died for us on the cross. He did what no one else could do or has done: He bore our sins and rose again for our justification. There was no one else like him in his time, and there is no one else like him in ours. He was and is unique without rival, peer, equal, or comparison. He is in a category by himself. He is Godthe incarnate and sovereign Lord.

Christianity is the only faith with an empty grave, whose leader came back from the dead and walked and talked with his followers.

Without the incarnation of God in the flesh and Jesus Christs resurrection from the dead, we would not have Christianity, or our restoration to God and eternal life. Jesus said: I am the one who brings people back to life, and I am life itself. Those who believe in me will live even if they die (John 11:25).

The uniqueness of Christianity and the claims made by Jesus himself will make others feel uncomfortable, and even annoyed. They are controversial in our religiously diverse society. Yet, the Bible is clear that salvation is freely available to all people who believe that Jesus Christ took on humanitys sin so we might be reconciled with God for eternity.

Related: Listen to Our FREE New Parenting Podcast! Christian Parent/Crazy World with Catherine Segars is now available on LifeAudio.com.

Photo credit: Getty Images/VectorMine
HeartLand Hands celebrated a ribbon cutting for their new food pantry in Horn Lake which was made possible through the generosity of volunteers and major charitable donors.
MERIDIAN - The baby at the center of a controversy over the last week due to an "imminent danger declaration" by State if Idaho officials was returned to its parents around noon on Friday.

"In these situations, the goal is to reunite the child to its parents as soon as it is healthy enough to be returned. Normally the parents agree to certain stipulations by the court," said a Friday statement form the Meridian Police Department. "There is no need to continue protesting or harassing our public health officials, police officers or anyone else involved."

Ammon Bundy, a candidate for Idaho Governor, and a group of his followers began a protest outside St. Lukes in Meridian on Saturday, March 12, following the decision to place the underweight baby in the care of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Protestors claimed that parental rights were being violated, and the baby should be returned to the care of the parents.

Attorney General Lawrence Wasden issued a statement regarding the child protection case and the actions of some protestors. Wasden's statement is below.

As provided by law, Idahos child protection system has helped protect thousands of our most vulnerable young people who cant otherwise protect themselves. This system works because its deliberate, provides due process, is directed by laws that clearly outline when and how state intervention may occur, and is staffed by caring, selfless people.

Ive been disappointed by some protestors actions this week. Protesting is a right guaranteed in our Constitution and I will passionately defend that right. But targeting and attempting to intimidate social workers, police officers and members of the judiciary who are simply doing their jobs to protect a vulnerable human life goes too far. It also ignores the fact that the child protection system provides a legal process for these matters to be adjudicated. None of us can take the law into our own hands in this fashion. Doing so is contrary to the Rule of Law and our republican form of government.
Prominent expert devotes life to inheriting TCM

People's Daily Online) 13:50, March 19, 2022

I have spent my whole life doing one thing  inheriting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), said prominent TCM expert Zhou Chaofan, who has been involved in the research of TCM for more than 60 years.

Zhou Chaofan (Photo/People's Daily)

Zhou, 86, is a member of the expert committee under the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CASMS). Born in 1936, in Pingyang county, east Chinas Zhejiang Province into a family with generations of TCM practice, he was admitted to the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (now the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine) and graduated in 1963. The research of TCM was my fathers lifelong wish and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, Zhou said, explaining his decision to major in TCM.

After graduation, he worked for the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (now CASMS), where he dedicated himself to TCM research in labs for about three years. After realizing the existence of a huge gap between some experimental results and clinical practice, he participated in clinical practice at the Guanganmen Hospital under the CASMS for three years, before plunging back into the research of TCM. These experiences made Zhou deeply aware of the significance of combining experiments with clinical practice.

Zhou also treated patients across China, accumulating rich experience in TCM diagnosis and treatment. While treating farmers in Dexing city, east Chinas Jiangxi Province, Zhou began to collect TCM specimens and gathered more than 100 varieties of TCM specimens there.

The rich diagnosis and treatment experience at grassroots broadened my horizons and enriched my knowledge of TCM theories, giving me a deeper understanding of the development of TCM, Zhou said.

Meanwhile, Zhou participated in compiling a book about Chinese herbal medicine, which was commended at the National Conference on Science and Technology in 1978. He also took part in the compilation and revision of the Pharmacopoeia of the Peoples Republic of China, an official compendium of drugs, covering Traditional Chinese and western medicines, six times in 30 years.

Since the 1980s, Zhou has combined TCM treatment methods with modern research results, making many breakthroughs. He threw himself into researching the fundamental theories of TCM for six years, reading numerous ancient medical books.

The principles of treatment through TCM methodology are crucial to treating patients, so TCM doctors have to master them. The innovation in TCM theories means the change of the principles of treatment, Zhou said.

Zhou has published over 10 high-level academic papers and four monographs on TCM, including those on the principles of treatment through TCM methodology, laying a solid foundation for the development of a research method that combines experiments on TCM, theories and clinical practice.

After retiring from work, Zhou has also thrown his energy into the research and inheritance of TCM and has given 20 relevant lectures.

The combination of clinical practice and experiments regarding TCM is the key to inheriting TCM, Zhou said, hoping that the younger generation will make continuous progress in the inheritance and innovation of TCM.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
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With over 450 students enrolled in the Heller School, the diversity of experiences and identities they represent is impossible to fully quantify. We maintain a firm commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.

Professional Backgrounds and Experience

Many Heller students come from professional backgrounds as researchers, grassroots activists, nonprofit leaders, government policy wonks and social justice advocates. The average number of years of work experience of Heller students is 4.5 years.

We are the third most popular graduate school for returned Peace Corps volunteers. Taken together, Peace Corps volunteers, City Year alumni and AmeriCorps alumni account for 37 percent of our fall 2021 entering class.

Global and Domestic Student Enrollment

About one-third of our students are from countries other than the United States, representing over 50 different countries. Among them, the countries with the largest student representation are China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt, India, Ethiopia, Canada and Uganda. More than 30 languages are spoken at Heller, and every year we celebrate events such as Africa Night, the Global Bazaar, and International Mother Tongue Day.

Domestic Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Among domestic students, we aspire to have a racially and ethnically diverse student body in addition to an inclusive and welcoming environment for students of color. For the 2021 entering class, 43% of our domestic students are students of color. The racial and ethnic diversity among our 2021 domestic student enrollment is as follows:

White: 57%

Black: 15%

Asian: 13%

Hispanic: 11%

Two or more races: 3%

Gender

At the Heller School, we recognize that gender is not a binary and we welcome students who are gender fluid and transgender. Roughly 60 percent of our student body identify as female and roughly 40 percent identify as male, with some students who choose not to identify as either male or female.
Growing up in British Columbia, the chance of having any kind of connection to Westman seemed unlikely.

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Growing up in British Columbia, the chance of having any kind of connection to Westman seemed unlikely.

My paternal grandparents were both born and raised in the Vancouver area and my maternal grandparents were from Germany and Quebec respectively.

Front page of Focal Point for March 19, 2022. This image shows Gordon Slark, grandfather to Sun reporter Colin Slark, deep in thought while lying on a pile of hay around the same time he was training in Westman to become a military pilot in the 1940s. Colin Slark writes about the unique connection he and his late grandfather share in Westman.

But in the years since I moved to Brandon and my parents started rummaging through some of the old documents my fathers father kept from the Second World War, I discovered Westman was home to a chapter in my grandfathers life I knew little about.

For Gordon Alexander Slark, the man my cousins and I referred to as "Poppa," military service had been a formative experience and one that left a lasting impression on him and his family in both subtle and noticeable ways.

Though he didnt tell a lot of stories about the specifics of his service that I can recall, he made sure to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies and other memorial functions in uniform.

One of the medals he proudly wore on his chest, the Burma Star, not only referred to the theatre of war in which he served in India and what is now called Myanmar, but also the brotherhood he maintained with other veterans who served there under an organization with the same name.

The hearing aids he wore were another reminder of his wartime experiences, with the hearing loss worst in his right ear because as co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator, it was closest to the engines on his side of the bomber.

SUBMITTED Gordon preps for flight at the Service Flight Training School in Souris in 1944.

Every morning until he died, he would start the day by doing the calisthenics routine he was taught in the Royal Canadian Air Force, even though his doctors tried to convince him to take it a little easier. But taking it easy was not the kind of person he was.

As his dementia worsened, short- and long-term memory loss would sometimes leave him confused but other times, it would seem as if he could suddenly remember events from long ago as if he were reliving them.

One time I joined him at the kitchen table at his house and he told me something Id never heard before, an account of one of the battles he participated in.

Though I dont remember all the details, he did tell the story to a documentary crew working on a short piece about the campaign in Burma called "The Forgotten War."

In his segment of that documentary, he recalls that the mission wasnt with his regular crew. He needed flight time and this other bomber was down a co-pilot, so he was brought in as a temporary replacement.

Before the mission, he went for a cup of tea with one of his new comrades from the Canadian Prairies. The other man didnt have cash on him, so Gordon spotted him with a promise of repayment upon their return.

During a bombing run on Japanese forces, his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Though the plane kept operating, the crews navigator was hit in the knee, shattering it.

"I put a tourniquet on it, but hed lost quite a lot of blood," my grandfather told the documentary crew. "He was sick, he couldnt hold his dinner down  I could see he was very pale."

SUBMITTED On Dec. 11, 1943, Gordon wrote in his diary that he got off a train at Kemnay and headed to Souris to start training at the Service Flying Training School there.

Trying to return with their dedicated navigator out of commission, the long journey back to base was made even more difficult for my grandfather while he talked to his dying comrade as his life ebbed away.

Hearing this was a shock. Id heard war stories, but I had no idea that my grandfather had gone through something that painful. I never asked him about any other stories after that, maybe out of fear that I wouldnt like what I heard, maybe out of concern that it would make him relive events that had scarred him.

In the documentary, my grandfather recalled he had buried the memory until a trip to Regina where the sister of the navigator came up to him and asked him about the incident.

"They never knew," he said. "Theyd never told her. We had a little cry together and that was kind of a nice evening."

After both of my fathers parents died, there was interest in the stack of journals my grandfather had been writing for most of his life.

I remember in the attempt to sort through two lifetimes worth of possessions, I took a look through his 1945 journal. Although the story about the navigator was devastating, there were also moments of laughter like when my grandfather and his compatriots missed the boat heading to England for demobilization after Japan surrendered in August 1945.

After that, I didnt think much of the journals until after I moved to Brandon in 2019.

One day I received a message from my mother asking me if Id ever heard of a place called Virden.

SUBMITTED This mid-air photo shows planes in starboard echelon position, according to Gordon Slarks annotations.

Flipping through pages of my grandfathers journals that covered 1943 through 1945, she had discovered that Gordon received his initial flight training in a small Manitoba community shed never heard of before.

It was delayed for a while after the COVID-19 pandemic started, but my parents finally managed to make it out to Brandon earlier this year.

On the itinerary was the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, the only museum dedicated to the effort to train pilots from across the former British Empire in flight schools across Canada to prepare them for aerial combat in the Second World War.

By combining my grandfathers diaries with the information at the museum, we deepened our understanding of what he went through during the war more than a decade after he died.

On June 17, 1943, Gordon wrote in his diary that he quit his job at the Vancouver Water Board in preparation for enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force just six days later.

The day after enlisting, he boarded a train to Edmonton for basic training. Following a good mark on a classification test on July 2, he was on track to be either a pilot, navigator or bomber.

That basic training lasted until early October when he caught a train heading through Moose Jaw, Regina and eventually Virden.

"Arrived Virden about 3 oclock  to barracks," his Oct. 3 entry reads. "Very deserted countryside."

SUBMITTED When attending Burma Star meetings with fellow veterans of the Burma Campaign later in life, Gordon would wear this outfit.

That facility was Elementary Flying Training School No. 19, which taught trainees how to operate De Havilland Tiger Moth and Fairchild Cornell aircraft.

The next day, Gordon was in school for his introduction to airmanship. He learned about the basics of navigation, signals and armament and was assigned to an instructor for 30 minutes in the air in a training aircraft in the afternoon.

While he didnt get to go up in a plane every day, he clearly enjoyed the experience. On his third day of training in Virden, his journal entry signs off with three words expressing the joy he felt while flying: "Fun no end."

There was some fun on the ground too, probably a good thing as several days of instruction were cancelled or modified due to weather and cold temperatures.

Thankfully, a friend of his from his days at the University of British Columbia, J.D. McCauley, trained with him in Virden and ended up serving with him in India at the end of their war journeys. My father remembers visits to the McCauley family as a child in the 1960s.

Gordon called Virden "just a village," but there he saw movies, went bowling and even attended another companys graduation dance.

"Lots of booze, girls and songs  didnt drink so not up to scratch," he wrote on Oct. 13. "Bed 12:30."

After enviously writing about a comrade named Stewart, who had managed to go for a solo flight the previous week, Gordon finally secured his turn on Oct. 24.

SUBMITTED A row of Tiger Moths sit lined up on the runway at the Elementary Flight Training School in Virden in this photo titled Off to lunch from 1943.

"Up for an hour with Sideen then went up solo for 15 [minutes]," he wrote, underlining solo. "Oh what a thrill."

Possibly busy with the final training he received in Virden, the entries from Nov. 11 through 24 are completely blank except for one note observing his brother Arts birthday.

On Nov. 25, it was Gordons last full day in Virden. One of Gordons photo albums includes the program for the graduation banquet held that night, signed by his fellow graduates.

After packing up, he took a train to Winnipeg the next day where he met with friends, girls and explored Fort Garry. After a few days of fun, he took a train back to Vancouver and arrived in time for his parents wedding anniversary.

That vacation ended on Dec. 9, when he hopped on a train to return to Manitoba, getting off at Kemnay and then on to Souris.

The school in Souris was a step up from the one in Virden, teaching those who had passed their first round of instruction. Service Flying Training School No. 17 used Avro Anson and North American Harvard teaching aircraft.

The change in aircraft was not lost on Gordon. "Ansons are huge compared to Moths," he wrote.

Since the air museum in Brandon has a surviving Tiger Moth, Ansons and even a Harvard, my parents and I were able to see that size difference for ourselves. The Tiger Moth is a single-engine bi-plane while the Anson is a twin-engine multi-role craft.

COLIN SLARK/THE BRANDON SUN De Havilland Tiger Moths like this one in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museums hangar, were used as training aircraft at Elementary Flight Training schools such as the one Gordon attended in Virden.

There were ups and downs. On Dec. 14, Gordon was made flight senior. That diary entry is punctuated by two question marks, as if he wasnt sure how hed managed to achieve that. Two days later, he got a talking to at morning inspection for not having his shoes in proper condition.

Coursework included meteorology, navigation and armaments in addition to aircraft practice. Even months into his experience, the novelty of solo flights had not worn off on him.

On Dec. 23, he mentions the Link flight simulator for the first time. Visitors to the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum may have noticed a surviving example of one of these simulators in the historic hangar.

Its short, cramped and almost looks like some kind of miniature submarine. As my parents and I observed the contraption during our visit, we wondered how it could possibly have been "fun" as my grandfather described. Maybe you had to be there in the moment.

In wartime photo albums my mother recently uncovered, one section shows pictures of Hartney. While there wasnt a flying school in that community, there was a relief landing field for the Souris school.

Beyond living in the same area in which my grandfather trained in the 1940s, another potential connection between my present and his past shows up in the Dec. 29 edition.

"Receive the paper now  Sun," he wrote. Given that the historical Winnipeg Daily Sun had folded by then and the modern Winnipeg Sun wouldnt launch until 1980, its likely he was reading the Brandon Sun  the same paper I work for 80 years later.

After spending the beginning of 1944 in Winnipeg, gaining more flight time and taking some bombing classes, Gordons journal for the year abruptly ends on March 5. The next entry we know of is at the beginning of 1945 when he had arrived in India and was preparing to enter combat.

COLIN SLARK/THE BRANDON SUN Once pilots finished training on smaller aircraft at Elementary Flight Training schools, they moved up to bigger aircraft at Secondary Flight Training schools. Planes like this Avro Anson at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum were used for that purpose.

My parents and I arent sure if my grandfather became too busy to make diary entries, lost the taste for a while or might have been forbidden to write for fear of divulging military secrets.

The family knows he spent time as a flight instructor in Boundary Bay, B.C.  named because it straddles the border between that province and Washington state  but we werent sure of the circumstances.

While we dont have diary entries for that nine-month period in my grandfathers life, our visit to the air museum did help us understand why he was sent to be an instructor before combat.

During a conversation with one of the volunteers at the museum, we brought up Gordons transfer to Boundary Bay and that we didnt understand it completely. The volunteer suggested that he must have been recognized for his skills, because that sort of thing happened when the military wanted a pilot to pass on their skills before entering danger.

That theory was confirmed during our exploration of another section of the museum, where that process described in detail on a poster and a plane from the Elementary Flight Training School is included in one of the dioramas.

Its also likely he spent time there for his final instructions on how to fly B-24 Liberators, as there was also an Operational Training Unit in Boundary Bay.

While the timing isnt listed, annotations in one of my grandfathers photo albums show that he travelled to India in a Liberator from Dorval, Que., through Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq before arriving in Karachi, and from there he took a train to Bombay, which is now called Mumbai.

The survival of my grandfathers war diaries has been a comfort to me since his death, knowing that even though I can no longer ask him questions, I could still learn about a man I dearly loved and respected.

Through taking a job in a city and a region I had never previously visited, I have been able to see some of the same places Gordon did in 1943.

Taking in the museums exhibits and artifacts, I saw what kinds of planes in which he trained, learned about the lessons he took and filled in some blanks about what he experienced.

According to Stephen Hayter, the executive director of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, these kinds of family discoveries dont happen with every visit, but there are still plenty of people who drop by because of their connection to the history encapsulated by the facility.

"Were just about at the end of being able to talk to [Second World War] veterans personally," Hayter said. "Its an opportunity now for families to dig a little deeper into their familys history."

While many veterans refuse to discuss their war experiences, some families like mine are fortunate to have journals or logbooks that explain where they went and what they did.

"Its quite common that family members come to us not knowing the story of their relative in the RCAF," Hayter said. "It happens frequently that we have families coming through the door with a logbook and want a little interpretation  What [do] these symbols mean, what does this little excerpt refer to?"

Luckily, Hayter said, the National Archives of Canada holds the service records of those who served in the RCAF. While it takes some time, it can provide a way for families with little information about their loved ones service to finally gain some details.

At my grandfathers funeral, in attendance were those who loved him, those who had enjoyed him as a teacher or principal and a contingent of those who had served with him or who had at least served in the same theatre of war with him.

As the "Last Post" rang out over the halls speakers, Gordons elderly comrades from the Burma Bombers  even those who could barely walk  marched to the front of the room in their dress uniforms to lay a poppy in front of his portrait and to give a final salute to their brother.

It occurs to me that even though I dont remember their names more than 10 years after the event, my journey to better understand my grandfather has helped me better understand what they experienced as fellow Commonwealth pilots.

I havent always felt like a lucky person, but stumbling my way into a life decision that gave me this kind of insight sure feels like luck to me.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
Manitobas top Indigenous leader has been suspended, amid multiple investigations prompted by a female co-workers allegation of sexual assault.

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Manitobas top Indigenous leader has been suspended, amid multiple investigations prompted by a female co-workers allegation of sexual assault.

The Winnipeg Police Service and external lawyers are investigating the claims against Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas, whos faced calls to step down.

The woman made a complaint to the WPS sex crimes unit, and, on Monday, formally notified the AMC executive council of chiefs Dumas allegedly subjected her to "harassment, sexual harassment, and sexualized violence."

The council held an emergency meeting Friday. Afterwards, the organization announced Dumas has been suspended for the duration of an outside investigation by "human resource lawyers," who would be "impartial, neutral and objective."

The council, which normally comprises 10 Manitoba chiefs, ordered reviews of the AMCs workplace harassment policies and constitution to identify potential amendments.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has suspended Grand Chief Arlen Dumas, pending investigations into allegations of sexual assault and harassment. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

It will appoint an acting grand chief Monday.

The AMC, a political group which advocates for 62 First Nations, declined to comment further.

A news release identified the complainant as a senior staff member. The Free Press isnt naming her because the complaint involves an alleged sexual assault.

In her emailed complaint, she urged the council to respond with "urgency" because she suspects other women at the AMC have experienced "the same thing."

Related Items Click to Expand Articles Mar 18, 2022: Manitobas most powerful chief accused of sexual assault Ryan Thorpe

She claims Dumas "harassed" her by phone, in person and virtually since her second day on the job.

"My personal experience of harassment and sexual misconduct has created an unsafe work environment where I have been subjected to gender-based violence," the woman wrote. "I am unable to provide more details to this issue, as a formal complaint has been filed with the Winnipeg Police Service sex crimes unit, but I can confirm from my experience, I was sexually assaulted."

The Free Press requested comment from Dumas, who is Manitobas most powerful Indigenous leader.

Several First Nations chiefs did not return requests for comment.

Bloodvein Chief Derek Cook said he agrees with the councils decision to suspend Dumas.

"We want to be leaders in not condoning this type of behaviour," Cook said Friday. "I believe it goes far enough right now because I believe in due diligence in the investigation."

According to the AMC constitution, registered chiefs or delegates can remove a grand chief by a majority vote at a special assembly. In such a scenario, the grand chief must be given a "reasonable opportunity" to address the assembly.

JESSICA LEE / FREE PRESS FILES I support her 100 per cent and Im right behind her on this. I thank her for her bravery because she also gave me credibility, said Bethany Maytwayashing.

Two Winnipeg women, who previously accused Dumas of inappropriate behaviour, said he should be removed from office.

In separate interviews, Bethany Maytwayashing and Renee Yetman said they are "proud" of the AMC staff member who came forward.

"I support her 100 per cent and Im right behind her on this," said Maytwayashing. "I thank her for her bravery because she also gave me credibility."

"It retraumatized me," said Yetman. "It was not easy to speak against a male leader thats supposed to be protecting us. He advocates for the missing and murdered Indigenous women, but hes the complete opposite."

Yetman, 36, said she met Dumas at a 2017 community event where she was singing in a female drum group. They later became Facebook friends and met in person.

She said Dumas claimed he was a single father. She believed he was interested in a relationship based on what he told her and wrote to her in text and social media messages.

I dont think that anybody who has an allegation of sexual assault against them should be still in their position.  MLA Nahanni Fontaine

Yetman said they had consensual sex after Dumas invited her to his home, but days later he told her he was in a relationship. Dumas has never publicly responded to her claims.

She first came forward in 2019 to support Maytwayashing.

In 2019, Maytwayashing accused Dumas of sending inappropriate texts and Facebook messages to her, after they met at a restaurant when she was 22 and he was in his mid-40s.

Dumas previously called the allegations "entirely false" and denied pursuing an intimate relationship with Maytwayashing. He claimed someone had impersonated him.

He took a two-week leave of absence in 2019 to "heal with his family," and apologized for an "open and informal communication style," which he feared made women uncomfortable.

Dumas, who was first elected as grand chief in 2017, won another three-year term in a 2021 vote.

(SUPPLIED PHOTO) Renee Yetman first came forward in 2019 to support Maytwayashing.

Maytwayashing and Yetman said they werent taken seriously by the AMC. At the time of Maytwayashings claims, the organization said it would hire a third party to investigate.

Maytwayashing said she doesnt know what happened and she feels there was no accountability.

Before the suspension was announced Friday, Manitoba MLA Nahanni Fontaine, NDP critic for justice and spokeswoman for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit people, said Dumas should step aside amid the investigation.

"I dont think that anybody who has an allegation of sexual assault against them should be still in their position," she said.

Dumas "on many occasions" has spoken in public about MMIWG2S people, the St. Johns MLA said.

"How are you going to have somebody whos in that position of privilege and power continue to execute his roles and responsibilities, which may include talking on behalf of MMIWG2S or addressing the issue of violence against women?" said Fontaine.

Fontaine said it is "incredibly brave and courageous" of women to go through a complaint process and share traumatizing details with police and the AMC.

As to whether Mr. Dumas steps aside, that is a decision for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs executive council to make.  Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont

The Free Press contacted the provincial government for comment.

"As this is an active police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment at this time," a spokeswoman for Premier Heather Stefanson wrote in an email.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont declined to say if he thinks Dumas should step aside or be removed from office.

"Allegations such as these need to be handled and taken very seriously, while respecting the course of justice and due process," he said. "As to whether Mr. Dumas steps aside, that is a decision for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs executive council to make."

Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, chairwoman of the National Family and Survivors Circle, had called on the AMC to remove Dumas from his position until an independent and thorough investigation was completed.

"Its deeply concerning there have been repeated allegations against a top political leader in the Indigenous community," she said.

The AMC needs to create an environment where there is safe reporting, action, follow-up and support, said Anderson-Pyrz.

 with files from Ryan Thorpe and Carol Sanders

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching
Proposed changes to the Police Services Act are aimed at boosting co-operation between Manitobas police services and setting out a code of conduct for police officers in the province.

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Proposed changes to the Police Services Act are aimed at boosting co-operation between Manitobas police services and setting out a code of conduct for police officers in the province.

The changes in Bill 30, which were introduced on Thursday, include establishing policing standards and a standard code of conduct for police services across the province. They come based on recommendations from an independent review of the legislation governing police in Manitoba.

Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in an interview the amendments around policing standards are the beginning of a series of changes to the act and there are more to come, calling it a "step by step process."

"Its not reflective of any particular concern were hearing regarding policing, its just best practices that are happening  and it might lead to other things," he said.

Municipal police officers would be covered by the code of conduct, but not RCMP officers.

The amendments would also establish a Criminal Intelligence Centre, which Goertzen said would promote inter-police service information sharing. The centre would be led by a criminal intelligence director.

"When you see some of the most effective police work that happens, its usually because youre sharing information, whether thats between poles forces in a province or across Canada," he said.

"We really want to promote that and continue that culture."

While there is good information sharing already, it could be better and more standardized, he said.

Changes to the Law Enforcement Review Act are also included as part of the package, which would extend the time for filing complaints with the agency from 30 days to 180. LERA investigates non-criminal complaints against police officers while the Independent Investigations Unit of Manitoba investigates criminal complaints.

Goertzen said the changes to bring in a police code of conduct will also help change how LERA complaints are dealt with.

But NDP justice critic Nahanni Fontaine said the provincial governments changes dont go far enough to reform LERA. It needs a complete overhaul and changes to its operational structure and investigative processes, she said.

"If LERA does not have the publics confidence for years and years  how long do you stick with some type of structure that is not working until you say, This isnt working, we need an overhaul, lets reimagine what a police complaints body would look like for Manitoba?" she said.

"[The provincial government] chose to do the bare minimum despite many, many criticisms, critiques and concerns from Manitobans."

Brandon Police Service Chief Wayne Balcaen said Friday he was glad to see the modernization of the Police Services Act start to take shape. Having a "robust" intelligence centre like the one proposed will be helpful, he said.

"Theres a saying that Intelligence isnt valued unless its shared, so having a robust intelligence centre will be beneficial for all police service," he said.

The changes around police standards and a code of conduct brings Manitoba closer to other provinces and what the public expects, he added.

"Were looking for an act that will be progressive and move all of our agencies in the same direction."

Goertzen said more changes to topics like police governance will come in the future.

 dmay@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @DrewMay_
It could be a once-in-a-generation turning point in Manitoba politics, or it could be much ado about nothing.

It could be a once-in-a-generation turning point in Manitoba politics, or it could be much ado about nothing.

On Tuesday, voters in Winnipegs Fort Whyte constituency will elect a new MLA to replace former Progressive Conservative MLA and premier Brian Pallister, who resigned last October. The seat has been vacant since then, and the Stefanson government waited until just before the six-month deadline to call the by-election.

There are five candidates running to become the ridings next MLA. They are former Winnipeg Blue Bomber and current entrepreneur Obby Khan (PC), former Winnipeg Symphony and Winnipeg Folk Festival executive director Trudy Schroeder (NDP), former Blue Bomber and provincial government employee Willard Reaves (Liberal), Nicolas Geddert (Green Party) and anti-vaccination activist Patrick Allard (independent).

Under normal circumstances, this would be an easy win for Khan. Since its formation in 1999, the riding has always been represented by a PC MLA and has always been an easy win for Tory candidates.

For example, Pallister received 57.2 per cent of votes cast in the 2019 general election. In every election since the riding was created, the Tory candidate received more than half of all votes cast.

In other words, Fort Whyte has always been among the safest of Tory seats  the kind the party could count on for a win; the kind that didnt require a lot of attention.

As a result, Fort Whyte has been largely taken for granted by the PC party and its MLAs for a long time. The riding doesnt have the large, active and motivated team of supporters that many other PC-held ridings have. It doesnt have hundreds of people it can reliably count on to knock on doors, make telephone calls, install signs and get voters to the polls.

Thats a big problem for Khan, but thats not all. First, hes running as a candidate for a party that, according to two years of polls, is very unpopular with Winnipeggers. He has to defend the governments handling of the pandemic and a host of other unpopular policies.

Second, hes running during a tough winter in the city, making it hard to convince riding residents to make the effort to vote. Third, the problem is compounded by the fact byelections almost always have low voter turnout, and people are usually far more motivated to vote against an unpopular government  to "send a message"  than to cast a vote that supports the sitting government.

Its called "voter enthusiasm" and, in a byelection thats being held when the government is deeply unpopular, you can bet there is far more enthusiasm among Fort Whyte residents who intend to vote ("likely voters") for a non-Tory candidate. They are likely far more motivated to vote against the government than for it.

If that is the case, which candidate benefits?

It should be the NDPs Schroeder. Her party is riding high in the polls inside the Perimeter, and they have plenty of volunteers to help her campaign. Thats the theory, but she has kept a surprisingly low profile both before and during the byelection campaign. Her campaign appears to lack the level of energy and enthusiasm that would be needed to steal the riding from the Tories.

That hasnt been a problem for the Liberals Reaves. He has been knocking on doors for months now, has been active on social media and has the support of the ridings federal MP, Liberal Terry Duguid. Reaves has tons of energy and enthusiasm, but Liberal candidates have only once received more than 18 per cent of votes in elections in Fort Whyte. The math isnt on his side.

Having said all of that, the result of Tuesdays byelection will have consequences for all three major parties and their respective leaders. For NDP leader Wab Kinew, a win isnt needed but a poor third-place showing with a star candidate would cause questions about the NDPs ability to win in Tory-held Winnipeg ridings.

For the Liberal leader Dougald Lamont, a win in Fort Whyte would be a huge step forward for him and his party. It would give the Liberals official party status in the Legislative Assembly, which comes with a bigger budget, more staff and a larger role during question period. It would give them profile and momentum heading into the general election next year.

For Premier Heather Stefanson, a win could quiet questions about her leadership, but a loss would be a disaster for her. It would send the message that few, if any, Tory seats are safe. It would make her vulnerable to yet another caucus mutiny, and it could cause a number of PC caucus members to decide to not seek re-election in 2023.

Tuesdays by-election could change the direction of Manitoba politics, or it could just continue the status. Either way, it will be interesting to watch.

 deverynrossletters@gmail.com

 Twitter: @deverynross
The shelves of Lismore artist Antoinette OBriens studio were lined with art, including a years worth of unfired ceramic works, and personal belongings. The floods washed most of it away and devastated her home.

The past few weeks have been limbo for OBrien, like many others in the flood-affected community. While the clean-up has been the primary focus, many are also contemplating where they will and if they should stay in the town.

Lismore artist Antoinette OBrien is now reconsidering her future in the town, but its the strong ties to community that may keep her there. Credit:Elise Derwin

OBrien says while the floods have made the housing crisis more complex, shes determined to stay with the community that has helped her survive the floods.

They include people who helped OBrien clean up her home; the local gallery curator who is providing accommodation for OBrien and her eight-year-old son; a woman in Sydney who started a fundraising page; and the group of old friends in Tasmania who will fly the mother and son down for a few days of reprieve.
Loading To deploy nationally positioned forces around the country and mobilise them with the equipment ... and the supplying and the provisioning  that, you cant just turn that off and on. Youre never going to have an ADF base sitting around the corner in every single town. Ricketts agrees but believes that successive governments have betrayed Australians by not properly planning for the disasters they knew were coming, while not acknowledging climate change. This flood didnt just pip over the records we had since the beginning of white settlement, this flood exceeded it by two-and-a-half metres in a single bound, he says.

This is the climate catastrophe. Its in our faces. This is what they have been warning us about. Ricketts says that to deny the role of climate change in catastrophes facing communities like his goes beyond political reluctance to reduce emissions. It prevents communities from preparing to save their own lives. Ricketts is not the only person with that view. A decade ago, Australia was at the forefront of international efforts to prepare communities for the impact of climate change. The work was informed by bodies including the Climate Change Adaptation Flagship at the CSIRO, the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility at Griffith University and the Climate Commission, an independent body created by the federal government in 2011.

All were defunded or scrapped after Tony Abbott won office in 2013. Ecologist and author Tim Flannery, who headed the Climate Commission, recalls taking a call from then environment minister Greg Hunt hours after the new coalition government was sworn in letting him know the commission had been sacked. The research it had posted on its website was soon removed from the public domain. Shortly afterwards, the CSIROs adaptation flagship was abolished too. One member of its advisory council, Professor Barbara Norman says it was made clear to its members that it, too, had fallen foul of a government that did not want to discuss climate change, let alone fund research on it.

Indeed, she recalls one meeting in which it was suggested the body might survive longer if it removed the word climate from its title. Another former member of the flagships advisory council says that her frustration over the bodys destruction over the past year had only grown as she has watched the fires and floods wreak havoc across the nation. While the Climate Commissions role was public education, the flagships role was to engage with communities to help them prepare for the sort of disasters that have been occurring with increased frequency in the years since it was defunded. Its devastating, she says. Weve continued to put people in harms way, to allow people to stay in harms way, despite the fact that we had a national leadership program looking at how communities could engage with the science and fact-basis of climate change and start to prepare for, and adapt to, their changing situation. The former NSW fire chief Greg Mullins says that the politicisation of climate change and the curtailment of federally managed research and preparedness has left state-based agencies vulnerable.

They are organised and resourced to fight the hazards of the last century, not this one, he says. Loading He believes that agencies like Victorias CFA, the NSW RFS and SES remain equipped to protect their communities from many hazards, but not the catastrophes we can now expect to happen more often. Emergency services acknowledge they are being stretched due to the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. In the 2019-20 bushfire season, they faced fatigue from battling blazes that raged for months while juggling work demands, prompting questions over the capacity of volunteer organisations.

Former deputy director-general of the NSW SES and flood expert Chas Keys said volunteering was an important aspect of Australian life. [Emergency services] are a lot better than they were 30 years ago  but everything can be better, he says. Keys added that Australias emergency management system wa good compared to other countries despite its reliance on volunteers. And emergency services are updating their practices as weather extremes hit. NSW RFS deputy commissioner of field operations Peter McKechnie says since the 2019-20 bushfires, the groups risk management processes had improved to include more scientific input from a new partnership with Melbourne University as well as community input. He said the RFS had received more support since the 2019-20 bushfires, including a large air tanker and 100 additional personnel dedicated to mitigation and preparation for fire seasons.

Every event, we learn something else and other ways of doing things. We are focused on preparing to fight fires as bad or worse as 2019-20 and we are ready to do a better job next time. Weve been well-equipped to take that challenge on, McKechnie says. But he added there was a shared responsibility between community members, government and agencies to invest in mitigation and preparations. Fire and Rescue attempt to hold the Gospers Mountain fire from crossing the Bells Line of Road in December 2019. Credit:Nick Moir The federal government rejects the criticism that it remains unprepared for climate impacts. Using uncharacteristically blunt language earlier this month Morrison said: We are dealing with a different climate to the one we are dealing with before ... I think it is just an obvious fact that Australia is getting harder to live in because of these disasters.

In October last year Environment Minister Sussan Ley announced the creation of the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy and a National Adaptation Office to co-ordinate work on climate resilience and adaptation across governments. Loading It has invested $38 million into a new Climate Systems hub to inform climate adaptation solutions. (Early estimates suggest the national cost of the recent floods could exceed $2 billion). A spokesman for Leys office notes funding goes to other programs, too, including the Future Drought Fund, programs for the Great Barrier Reef, and the Preparing Australia Program to deliver long-term disaster risk reduction and resilience. Mullins has joined the Climate Council, which with private funding grew out of the remains of the Climate Commission. He confesses to feeling jaundiced by the federal governments climate stance.

He dismisses these efforts as government by press release, and says it does not make up for the lack of national leadership in co-ordinating all levels of government to prepare for a new climate reality, nor for the scrapping of the bodies that were already in place. Taking away critical disaster research and planning capabilities may have already cost lives, and will almost certainly contribute to more deaths in future, Mullins says. Flannery says that even if the new bodies succeed, a crucial decade has already been needlessly lost. Back in the disaster zone, Ricketts says that in the days since the flood receded, there has been an odd beauty about the community response. I call it the free state of Lismore. Money doesnt change hands for anything in the first weeks after a flood. People share food, they share labour. They bring sandwiches to your door, he says.
Kylie McKendry loves cats, but she doesnt want her six-year-old pet Marla to bring home any injured or dead wildlife. Instead, she installed an outdoor enclosure.

Its for peace of mind, Ms McKendry, who also works at the Cat Protection Society of NSW, said. We moved into a busier street than we used to live in before, and we wanted to make sure we could be inside and she could be independent.

Kylie McKendry has built an enclosure in her garden to stop her cat killing local wildlife. Credit:Peter Rae

Ms McKendry said she lives near the Georges River where there are birds and wildlife for her chocolate Burmese to attack. I wouldnt want her to have any negative impacts [on them].

I am very devoted to cats and also love all other wildlife, but I dont want her bringing anything home  I dont want any presents. As a cat-owner, it is our responsibility to make sure they are not having negative impacts.
Keeping Julian in prison will kill him eventually, Moris, speaking at the Frontline Club, an independent journalists hub in west London where Assange held press conferences and hid out, tells The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The Australian government should be saying [to the US] hes our citizen, this has gone on for too long. Its harming our credibility, politically. Were getting a lot of flak over this issue. It would be helpful if you drop this. Sara Gonzalez Devant, as Moris was known until she changed her name in 2012 from safety concerns, was raised by fighters. Her mother is from Spain and grew up during the era of Francisco Franco, politicised by force from early on, living under a dictatorship. She later became a theatre director. Moris Swedish father was a town planner and architect. His work took the family to Botswana and Lesotho, where she went to school, in southern Africa. During apartheids height, when South Africans were leaving their country in disgust or being hunted down, the couple belonged to the Medu Art Ensemble, a troupe of politically aware artists in neighbouring Botswana. They formed friendships for life, says Moris. In 1985, just a few weeks before the family left the country, there was a cross-border night raid and South African authorities assassinated 12 people, including 10 members of the group. One, a painter, was a dear family friend who had been living with Moris and her parents, eight kilometres from the border, in Botswanas capital Gaborone, for about three years.

Loading That whole period really shaped my parents lives in their 20s and 30s, says Moris. Losing these friends was a big reference point in my upbringing, even though I was 2 when we left Botswana. The family moved to Europe when Moris was eight and in 2002 she went to Britain. Her human rights passion later took her to East Timor, the topic of her masters dissertation and where she worked for the UN in 2005, when a truth commission set up by the country and Indonesia opened. But it was through her studies in law and politics and refugee law, in Britain and Spain, that she discovered non-profit media organisation WikiLeaks, launched by Assange in 2006. It continues to operate, although Moris laments that many stories havent been published because its founder remains behind bars. Its shocking some journalists just starting their careers now have no idea what a resource WikiLeaks is, she says.

Given the media interest in him then, Assange thought Moris was a US journalist sent to interview him on the day they first came into contact. Moris had actually applied to be a researcher on his extradition case. Assange vehemently denied allegations that hed sexually assaulted two women in Sweden in August 2010. Sweden shelved its investigation in 2019. It was this confusing situation, says Moris, of their meeting, organised through his Australian lawyer Jennifer Robinson. I had no expectation that I would be meeting Julian on that day, she says, adding that she found him attractive as a man and all these things, but that wasnt the most significant [thing]. The impressions of Julian as I got to know him were that he was a very rare creature, says Moris. He just has that aura which I later fell in love with. With an olive complexion, she has dark hair and eyes to match that you cant turn away from. After Assange took up asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in April 2012, the fluent Spanish speaker was spending nearly every day there. Moris become a fixer of sorts for Assange and its staff. By 2015 the pair had formed a romantic attachment.

He is very funny, says Moris. We laugh a lot. I never get bored of speaking to him because he sees things from so many different perspectives. [Julians] fascinating as a person. Their engagement came in 2017. Given the sensitivities around their relationship, it didnt emerge until April 2020 that the pair had conceived Gabriel, then aged two, and Max, then one, while the hacktivist had been residing in the embassy. The couple had erected tents in the property, with Moris wearing layers of clothing to disguise her pregnancy bumps. Loading She introduced herself to the world that month in a WikiLeaks video in which she cuddled the boys and showed off baby photos. While for many people it would seem insane to start a family in that context, for us it was the sane thing to do, to keep things real, says Moris in the clip. She compares her situation to a war zone. Falling in love is kind of an act of rebellion in a context where theres a lot of attempts to destroy your life and your reasons for doing what youre doing, adds the lawyer. A prison guard warned her that US intelligence had attempted to steal DNA from a nappy of Gabriels, who Assange watched being born through video link. Moris realised she couldnt take her eldest son to the embassy any more. While pregnant with Max she realised she could no longer safely visit it.

Assange was dramatically arrested after seven years living there and hauled off to Belmarsh nearly three years ago. Today Moris, 39, relies on her mother and brother for child care help. But I cant keep that up, she says. My dad is very elderly, so my mum has to be with him. The situation is constantly changing. Its just ... try to manage whatever comes up. January 2022: Stella Moris joins supporters of Julian Assange outside Britains Royal Courts of Justice, flanked by Icelandic WikiLeaks journalist Kristinn Hrafnsson (left). Credit:Latika Bourke During Britains COVID lockdowns, the couple didnt see each other for several months but were able to talk. Assange wasnt able to hug Gabriel - now four and bearing a striking resemblance to his father according to Moris - and Max, three, for over a year. When he could, it was this huge thing, she says. Moris explains that her partner is fascinated by knowledge and by exploring knowledge and ideas, and one of the things he loves about being with the kids is how they learn.

Hes very affectionate with the kids, says Moris. She says that when you start experiencing restrictions on your lifethe small things become everything. Youre thankful for being able to hold his hand  something like this becomes enormous, says Moris. Theyre now limited to one or two weekly visits. You adapt, says Moris. But when you look at it objectively, its just completely outrageous. Its horrific  hes alone in his cell for over 20 hours a day. She says Assange cannot properly receive mail.

In October Assange, who has Aspergers syndrome, suffered a mini-stroke. Independent doctors have warned it could be a precursor for something much more devastating. For every new health problem, hes receiving more medication which also carries its own risks, says Moris. Im really worried that [Julian] is deteriorating to such a degree that the damage will be irreversible. The UKs High Court late last year overturned a January 2021 ruling that the Australian was at risk of taking his own life and could not be sent to the United States, adding that assurances by the US that Assange would not be held in solitary confinement and could serve his sentence in Australia if convicted had been guaranteed. In a February 18 briefing with journalists, Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, said that Assange had not committed any serious crime and there was no legal basis for his incarceration. But he was not very optimistic that hed be freed through British courts.

Loading Assanges plight has captured the attention of figures around the world from Pamela Anderson to Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who in December through the Herald and The Age called for Assange to be tried in the UK or brought home. In a recent poll conducted by this masthead, 71 per cent of people supported calls for Assange, who has won dozens of journalism prizes including a Walkley award, to be released to Australia. A transient who grew up in the bush, Moris says that Assange loves hiking and misses nature. I want the kids to see Australia but I want them to have their father showing them Australia. Theyre Australian. She is in the process of sorting out their Australian citizenship for the country, which they have a huge map of on a wall at home. Max also has a much-treasured plastic cup with a koala on it.
Donna Bennett has been sober for exactly 707 days. She knows this because of an app on her smartphone, which also tells her how much money she has saved and how many days shes added to her life by staying off the sauce.

The paralegal is part of an online community supporting people to get and stay sober. They use online groups and apps, some backed by neuroscience, to fight urges and stay motivated.

Donna Bennett enjoys a non-alcoholic avo-colada. Credit:Peter Rae

When the pandemic struck in 2020, and many Australians were drinking in record numbers, Ms Bennett had an epiphany.

The Wollongong local had just returned from a big weekend in her hometown, Melbourne, where shed had a scary blackout.
Emporia, KS (66801)

Today

Rain showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 52F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 52F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Australia is the envy of the world when it comes to our success at cutting smoking rates - they have more than halved in the past 30 years - but the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, particularly among young people, puts this significant achievement at risk. The federal government must redouble its efforts to crack down on vaping, before it becomes endemic among our young people and entices them towards tobacco.

As reported in The Sun-Herald today, new import restrictions on vaping products containing nicotine appear to be doing little to curb a thriving black market in the goods. Teenagers are also easily accessing vaping products and using them at school, even though their sale to children is illegal in Australia. Some schools are having to take measures to stop their students vaping, like installing CCTV or vaping detectors, or locking bathrooms between breaks.

Colourful, flavoured vapes are being procured and used by teenagers. Credit:Sanghee Liu

Decades of government interventions to stop people smoking tobacco  advertising bans, plain-packaging, a hefty tobacco excise and public health campaigns  have clearly made a difference in Australia. These days, only 11 per cent of Australians aged 14 or over smoke daily, compared to 24 per cent in 1991. But those gains are under threat.

Vaping is growing in popularity, particularly among young people, towards whom many of these products appear to be marketed. Between 2016 and 2019, the percentage of Australians aged 18-24 who had tried an e-cigarette jumped from about 19 per cent to 26 per cent, and experts are concerned vaping acts as a gateway into smoking for some e-cigarette users. A study carried out by the Australian National University in 2020 found that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are three to five times more likely to start smoking tobacco cigarettes  a finding that has been replicated in studies overseas.
Australia will send close to $75 million in additional aid to Ukraine to assist its fight invading Russian forces, including weapons, humanitarian help and 70,000 tonnes of coal.

The request for coal comes directly from Ukraines government, with support from the Polish government. Its designed to keep the countrys coal-powered generators firing and its electricity grid up and running.

Ukraine relies heavily on coal and nuclear energy to power its energy grid, but Russian forces have captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, the largest of four in the country.

Scott Morrison attending a vigil for Ukraine at St Andrews Ukrainian Church. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The federal government has sourced the supply of thermal coal from Whitehaven Coal. It is worth about $28 million with the current thermal coal spot price at about $400 per tonne. The cost of the coal and the shipment will be met by the Australian government.
A five-bedroom home in West Footscray passed in at auction on Saturday, then sold for a suburb record $1.93 million immediately after, as Melbournes property market loses pace.

Despite a big crowd, which included neighbours watching from their front yards, the home at 39 Palmerston Street only received three bids.

Jas Stephens Yarraville auctioneer Tate Moore takes bids during the West Footscray auction. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

It was one of 1274 auctions scheduled in Melbourne on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 67.0 per cent from 975 reported results, while 118 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate.

An opening bid of $1.65 million was below the $1.75 million to $1.85 million price guide.
In his first judgment, Downing ruled partially in Reillys favour, ordering an investigation into her complaint of abuse of authority, while also criticising Guterres handling of her case. Guterres, Downing said, failed to properly address Reillys complaint and unlawfully deferred the UNs consideration of the matter. Downing said to his knowledge and that of anybody else in the organisation with whom he discussed the issue, Reillys case is the only [whistleblower] case  where the Secretary-General had personally intervened. Downing said Guterres, through his chief of staff, initially intervened in the case to address Reillys concerns. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the General Assembly hall. Credit:AP During the hearing, Downing criticised senior figures within UN management for putting a spin on what has occurred, such that the applicant [Reilly] is being portrayed as an unreasonable person, and that concerns me.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric rejected claims that Guterres had personally intervened in Reillys case. Asked to respond to Downings claim that Guterres had unlawfully deferred the UNs consideration of the matter, Dujarric said we reject Judge Downings claim outright. Reilly discovered the UNs practice of handing over the identities of Chinese dissidents in 2013 after Chinas Geneva delegation requested a list of names set to speak at the UN Human Rights Council, including Dolkun Isa, the head of the World Uighur Congress. The congress is the peak global advocacy group for the Muslim minority in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang. UN whistleblower Emma Reilly. Credit:Antoine Doyen The Chinese government has threatened dissidents families for speaking out about conditions in the region where up to 1 million Uighurs have reportedly been put through re-education camps in what the US has labelled a genocide. Beijing says the claims are part of a groundless Western smear campaign.

Speaking to Britains LBC Radio in 2020, Reilly claimed that once Beijing receives the names of dissidents set to speak at upcoming Human Rights Council sessions, it uses that information to harass these peoples families that are still based in China. In an internal email in February 2013, Reilly suggested her colleagues reject Beijings request, as we did for the Turkish mission before the last session. That suggestion was ignored and Reilly began speaking out internally. She said she was subsequently ostracised, publicly defamed and deprived of functions. The 43-year-old then reported the practice to Uighur organisations, international NGOs and the European Union delegation later that year. In 2017, she spoke to the media for the first time. Reilly remained employed by the UN while undertaking legal action over her treatment before being formally dismissed in 2021 for having engaged in unauthorised communications with external parties in relation to issues concerning the official activities of the organisation. Loading Dujarric said the UN did not continue to share activists names with the Chinese government. It is unacceptable for human rights defenders to face reprisals for co-operating with or sharing information with the UN, he said.

Wang Huiyao, the founder of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a think tank that often advises the Chinese government, said allegations of genocide in Xinjiang were totally untrue and that Chinese security services monitored some Uighurs to stop terrorist attacks. Every country has a few dissidents, Dr Wang said in a phone interview from Beijing. In Xinjiang, everythings very normal, very healthy, and its economy is probably having its best time at the moment. In the two years between Reillys first judgment and her dismissal, China secured one of five seats on the panel that picks UN human rights abuse rapporteurs. It now controls the top positions in three of the UNs agencies across agriculture, telecommunications, and aviation. Since February, Beijing has been using its votes on the UN security council and UN courts to block or abstain from votes critical of Russias war in Ukraine. Former US assistant secretary of state Jeffrey Feltman said China had shifted its focus from the UNs development activities.

China now flexes its muscles in the heart of the UN, its peace and security work, he said in research for the Brookings Institute. Loading China has repeatedly referred to the 53 partners, including Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, that voted to support its actions in Hong Kong and 65 who backed its human rights record in Xinjiang in 2020 as evidence that it had the support of members in the General Assembly. Dozens of other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the US condemned its crackdowns in the two regions. Wang said Beijing was not trying to influence the UN but co-operate with it. I think that the fundamental difference between China and the West is values. So-called Western democracies have their own system and China has its own democracy system, he said.
Paris: It was going to be a fractious campaign dominated by far-right talking points on immigration, identity and security. But the French election race changed overnight when Russia invaded Ukraine. The war has given President Emmanuel Macron, who was already leading in the polls, a commanding lead  he has leapt to 30 per cent approval since the invasion, 13 points ahead of his nearest rival, Marine Le Pen.

Macron presented his election manifesto in Paris on Thursday (Friday AEDT) promising further tax cuts and welfare reform if he wins a second term.

Emmanuel Macron, buoyed by a war-fuelled ratings boost, delivers a campaign speech under his slogan Emmanuel Macron with you Credit:AP

In the modern era of French politics, never before has a presidential campaign been impacted by such a serious geopolitical crisis, says Isabelle Le Breton-Falezan, an assistant professor in political communication at Sorbonne University.

What looked like a tight race at the end of last year when the far-right, Trumpian figure Eric Zemmour declared his candidacy and soared in the polls, now seems like a fait accompli.
London: One of the worlds leading Russia historians, Simon Sebag Montefiore, says Vladimir Putin is no madman. Instead, his invasion of Ukraine is a miscalculated gamble motivated by a desire to restore Russian glory harking back to the 18th century.

Putin has delivered several ranting speeches to justify his illegal invasion of Ukraine that have sparked suggestions that he has become irrational. Most notably, he appeared before a flag-waving stadium crowd in Moscow on Saturday (AEDT) to quote an 18th-century military commander and celebrate war sacrifices.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appears at a pro-war rally in Moscow. Credit:Ramil Sitdikov/Sputnik Pool Photo via AP

But speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in London, Montefiore, the author of several bestsellers on Russian leaders including The Romanovs, Catherine the Great & Potemkin and Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar and Young Stalin, said that while Putin was more isolated than before, he was not crazy and that his invasion was not a surprise but the latest phase in a rising momentum of power imposed by violence starting from Chechnya to Syria and now Ukraine.

I dont think hes a madman at all and everyone always says that about leaders whose motivations and culture they dont understand, Montefiore said.
Washington: US President Joe Bidens high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had a pressing goal: assess where Beijing stands on the Ukraine crisis and warn that there would be consequences if it assisted with Russias attack.

Three weeks into the carnage, the absence of clear condemnation by China has heightened the White Houses suspicions that the country is considering giving Vladimir Putin military aid to continue with his onslaught, while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter of Russias war.

President Joe Biden meets virtually from the Situation Room at the White House with Chinas Xi Jinping. Credit:The White House

During a direct, substantive and detailed conversation on Friday (Saturday AEDT) lasting almost two hours, Biden walked Xi through the crisis as the President saw it, highlighted the unity and response of America and its allies, and made it clear that the US policy on Taiwan (which acknowledges Taiwan is a part of China, but doesnt support Chinas claim of sovereignty) had not changed.

According to the White House, he also described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians. The administration is yet to explain what exactly those consequences would be, but it is widely expected to include punishing sanctions.
State-owned miner on Saturday announced that it has touched a record of 40 million tonnes (MT) in this fiscal so far.

In the preceding fiscal, the company had produced 35 MT of iron ore.

" creates, history becoming the first company in the country to cross 40 million tonnes (MT) in a (financial) year," the Ministry of Steel said in a statement.

By the end of the ongoing financial year, the production would reach to a level of 42 MT, a company official informed.

has set a target of becoming a 100 MTPA company by 2030, the ministry statement said.

"I congratulate the NMDC team for this historic accomplishment. I am confident that we will continue to cross many more milestones on our way to fulfil the nation's vision of 'AtmanirbharBharat'. This achievement also shows that we are on track to become a 100 MTPA company by 2030," NMDC CMD Sumit Deb was quoted as saying in the statement.

Hyderabad-based NMDC, under the Ministry of Steel, is the country's largest iron ore mining company.

(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.)
caretaker Chief Minister N and senior MLA Th Biswajit Singh, who were seen as contenders for the CM's post after the saffron party returned to power for the second time in a row, on Saturday left for Delhi in separate flights to meet the central leaders, sources said.

The two leaders left for the national capital after being summoned by the party top brass and who will be the chief minister this time is likely to be known by Sunday, sources said.

After the election results were announced, Biren Singh, Th Biswajit and state president A Sharda Devi had gone to Delhi on March 15 amid reports of "groupism" within the party and returned to Imphal on March 17.

Social media was abuzz with speculations about which one of the two will become the next chief minister. The decision will be made by the BJP Parliamentary Board.

The BJP returned to power in the insurgency-affected Manipur, picking up 32 seats in a house of 60.

It had managed to form a government in 2017 despite having just 21 seats compared to Congress's 28 by joining hands with two local parties NPP and NPF.

However, this time around, the BJP contested alone and managed to win a majority on the plank that a vote for the party would bring peace to the troubled state both in the valley and the hills where tribals hold the ground.

(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 officials said vaccine makers have upgraded their Covid-19 vaccines against the variant and other strains but new shots will be validated for safety and efficacy before they can be rolled out.

Widely-used inactivated shots in the country have been tweaked to fight up to three variants, including and the preceding predominant delta strain, according to Zheng Zhongwei, an official who oversees Covid vaccine development at the National Health Commission. Another protein subunit shot targeting four variants is seeking approval for human testing overseas, he said.

We share the urgent wish of everybody to use target vaccines, Zheng said at a briefing in Beijing Saturday. As we expedite development of omicron vaccine, we consistently make safety and efficacy our No. 1 priority.

He said omicrons ability to evade immunity induced by existing vaccines has been proved in studies to be partial, meaning that receiving full vaccination still effectively reduces risk of hospitalization, severe disease and death caused by the variant while getting booster shots can reduce the risk of breakthrough infections.

Early lab studies have shown inactivated vaccines developed by Chinese companies Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and Sinopharm elicited less protective antibodies against the omicron variant than mRNA vaccines from Inc. or Moderna Inc, even after a booster shot. That led to some researchers recommending people who were previously fully inoculated with the inactivated vaccine to boost their immunity with a more potent shot.

also has allowed people to get a different type of Covid booster if they received the inactivated ones. The country is also developing an mRNA vaccine and has obtained data on protection against omicron by mixing different shots in overseas trials, Zheng said, without providing further details.

Omicrons weaker virulence and Chinas mass vaccination drive -- nearly 90% of its 1.4 billion people are fully vaccinated and more than a third have gotten boosters -- have lead to 95% of those infected showing only mild or no symptoms in a nationwide outbreak that has become the worst for the country in more than two years.

on Saturday reported the deaths of two people after contracting Covid. Both are over 60 years old and have underlying diseases, with one of them unvaccinated. Officials said both patients Covid infections have been mild and their underlying diseases killed them.



Chinese officials have been urging the countrys elderly population to get vaccinated. While some 80% of those over 60 have been fully vaccinated, the share drops to around half for people aged 80 or above, a group most vulnerable to the virus and at high risk of getting severe diseases and death without vaccine protection.

Elderly people account for more than 90% of deaths in the Covid outbreak in Hong Kong, with unvaccinated people more than 30 times more likely to die than the vaccinated, according to Zheng.
The Covid-19 situation is currently comfortable now in but it may change "dramatically" over the next few weeks amid the emergence of a new variant of the Coronavirus, a top health official warned here on Saturday.

Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Dr. Pradeep Vyas said that while almost all restrictions have been relaxed in the state, some new variants are suspected to be fuelling infections in Israel and other countries.

Simultaneously, Health Minister Rajesh Tope hinted at the possibility of a fourth wave of Covid, sparking fresh concerns in various quarters.

In a precautionary issued to all Collectors, Municipal Commissioners, Zilla Parishad CEOs and others, Vyas said that the state now has less than 2,000 'active cases' which is a good sign, but "we need to be alert".

He pointed out that Covid cases are now steadily rising in different parts of the world, including China and Europe with a weekly growth of 8-10 per cent and more than 11 million per week.

"Though at present we are quite comfortable with only around 2,000 'active' Covid cases, but situation may change dramatically over the next few weeks," Vyas said.

He reiterated the need to prevent crowding, wearing masks, alertness in identifying clusters of SARI and ILI cases and increasing their surveillance, besides to catching up on vaccination as the state is below the national average.

Dwelling on the current global scenario, Vyas said in the past 24 hours, some countries recorded the highest ever new Covid cases since the beginning of the pandemic two years ago.

South Korea reported 621,000 new cases in a day, Germany 262,000 and UK 84,000 cases daily, and, in comparison, the state had recorded the highest figure of around 68,000 new cases in a day during the second wave (early-2021), indicating the extent of infections presently in different countries.

--IANS

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Amid threats from nuclear weapons in the region, Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday discussed North Korea's destabilising ballistic missile launches in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Kishida condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches, saying that they are destabilising the region.

The Japanese PM is in New Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India- annual summit.

In a joint statement, both the countries reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, consistent with the relevant UNSC resolutions, and the importance of addressing the concerns related to North Korea's proliferation linkages.

They urged to fully comply with its international obligations under the relevant UNSC resolutions, and to immediately resolve the abduction issue.

The Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their intention to collaborate closely to realise peace and stability in Afghanistan, and stressed the importance of addressing all humanitarian crisis, promoting human rights and ensuring establishment of a truly representative and inclusive political system.

"They also reaffirmed the importance of UNSC resolution 2593 (2021) which unequivocally states that the Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts, and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those sanctioned by the UNSC," the joint statement said.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Prime Minister and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have discussed ongoing war between and Ukraine, and talked about peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

Kishida in a statement said Modi discussed the situation in . "Russia's attack on the is a serious issue which has shaken the international world order," Kishida said.

However, Modi did not made any comments over the ongoing and War which has reached 24th day.

The Japanese Prime Minister further stated that the world has been shaken today due to many disturbances, it's very important for India and to have a close partnership.

"We expressed our views, talked about the serious invasion of into Ukraine. We need a peaceful solution on the basis of international law," Japanese PM said.

He further stated that India and should increase efforts for an open and free Indo-Pacific region.

"Japan, along with India, will keep trying to end the war and keep providing support to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries," he said.

Kishida arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India- Annual Summit on Saturday.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received Kishida at the IGI Airport.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a big-ticket move, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday announced an investment target of five trillion yen (Rs 3.2 trillion) in India over the next five years after holding talks with his Indian counterpart on a wide range of issues, including the crisis.

The two sides inked six agreements providing for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, besides firming up a separate clean energy partnership.

At a joint media briefing, Modi said deepening India- ties will not only benefit the two countries but will help in encouraging peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

In his comments, Kishida said the situation in figured in the talks and described the Russian attack on that country as a serious development that has shaken the roots of international order.

"We discussed the situation in . The Russian attack on Ukraine is a very serious matter that has shaken the basis of the international system. We need to approach the matter with a strong resolve," Kishida said.

"I told Modi that one-sided efforts to change status quo by force can't be allowed in any sector. We both agreed on the need for a peaceful solution to all conflicts on basis of international law," he added.

Referring to bilateral trade ties, he said has an investment target of five trillion yen (Rs 3.2 trillion) in India over the next five years.

"We have announced that in the next five years, we will invest five trillion yen in India and we will further strengthen our cooperation," Kishida said.

The announcement follows the investment promotion partnership of 2014 when both sides had agreed for Japanese investment of 3.5 trillion yen from 2014 to 2019.

Following the talks, also announced a sustainable development initiative for the Northeastern region.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a media briefing that Modi and Kishida have "substantive discussions and outcomes" commensurate with the depths and expanse of India's engagement with Japan.

In his comments, Modi also said that India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply.

The two sides also vowed to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese prime minister said there is a need to work for a new world order, pitched for reforms of the UN Security Council and called for making the world free of nuclear weapons.

He said both sides will increase defence cooperation and take forward military exercises, adding the next '2+2' foreign and defence ministerial dialogue will be held soon.

Kishida said cooperation in the energy sector will expand.

The Japanese prime minister, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived here at around 3:40 pm on his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government.

He will depart for Cambodia on Sunday morning.

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In his first visit to after assuming office and also amid the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his two-day stay in New Delhi will take part in the 14th India- Annual Summit, besides holding bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi.

The India- Annual Summit had last taken place in Tokyo in October 2018.

Kishida's visit to gains significance amid the western countries slapping sanctions against Russia for its military operation in Ukraine while the major oil-consuming countries are keeping a close watch on the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on oil prices.

and have multi-faceted cooperation as partners within the ambit of their "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 exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Earlier PM Modi had spoken to PM Kishida on phone in October 2021 soon after the Japanese Prime Minister had assumed office. Both sides had expressed a desire to further strengthen "Special Strategic and Global Partnership".

Since PM Modi's visit to Japan in 2014, tremendous progress has been made with the implementation of several important decisions taken by both countries. Shinzo Abe was then the Japanese PM.

Japan had announced an investment of Yen 3.5 trillion for India, which included public and private participation in various projects.

At present, there are 1455 Japanese companies in India. Eleven Japan Industrial Townships (JIT) have been established, including Neemrana in Rajasthan and Sri City in Andhra Pradesh hosting the most number of Japanese companies. Japan is also India's 5th largest source of FDI, besides being the largest development partner.

However, several infrastructure projects are currently underway with the help of Japanese assistance, including Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, Dedicated Freight Corridor, Metro projects, and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project.

India and Japan had signed a "Digital Partnership" in October 2018. At present, Indian startups have raised more than USD 10 billion from Japanese Venture Capitalists. India and Japan have also launched a private sector driven fund-of-funds to invest in technology startups in India which has raised USD 100 million so far.

Both sides also have Cooperation in the field of ICT, in areas such as 5G, under-sea cables, telecom and network security.

Progress has also been made in skill development. The total number of Japan-India Institutes of Manufacturing (JIM) now is 19 (it was 8 in 2018). These institutes are established by Japanese companies based in India for training skilled workers.

Japanese companies have also set up seven Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) at various colleges while 220 Indian youth have been placed in Japan as interns under "Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP)".

Last year, India had also signed a "Specified Skilled Workers Agreement". The Japanese side has since January this year started holding examinations for nursing care under this programme.

The "Agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defence Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (or ACSA)", which was signed on 9 September 2020, came into force on July 11 2021.

Both the countries signed a convergence on free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. They signed a Reciprocal Provision of "Supplies and Services Agreement (RPSS)". Meanwhile, the inaugural 2+2 ministerial meeting was held in November 2019.

A decision was also taken in the 2017 Summit to establish the "India-Japan Act East Forum". The objective is to coordinate developmental projects in Northeastern parts of India in areas of connectivity, forest management, disaster risk reduction and capacity building.

Several projects, including the up-gradation of highways in Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram are underway.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived here on a short visit.

The visiting leader is scheduled to hold summit talks with Prime Minister at 5 pm.

The Japanese prime minister arrived in New Delhi at around 3:40 pm and is scheduled to depart at 8 am on Sunday.

The previous India- annual summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

Besides key bilateral issues, the situation in is also likely to figure in the Modi-Kishida talks.

"The summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

#WATCH | Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets PM Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/JUGj5NN5AX  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022

The annual summit between Prime Minister Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe was cancelled in December 2019 in Guwahati in the wake of massive protests rocking the Assam capital over the amended citizenship law.

The summit could not be held in 2020 as well as in 2021 primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Live news updates: Ten AAP MLAs, including a woman, were inducted in the Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet in Punjab here on Saturday. Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at Punjab Bhawan. Among the 10, eight are first-time MLAs. All of them took the oath in Punjabi.



Ukraine's interior minister said Friday that it will take years to defuse unexploded ordnances after the Russian invasion. Denys Monastyrsky said that the country will need Western assistance to cope with the massive task once the war is over. A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at and a large part haven't exploded, they remain under the rubble and pose a real threat, Monastyrsky said. It will take years, not months, to defuse them.

The UN migration agency estimates that nearly 6.5 million people have now been displaced inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million refugees who have already fled the country.
Prime Minister on Saturday held "productive" talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on a wide range of issues including ways to further boost bilateral economic and cultural ties.

Kishida, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived here at around 3:40 pm on his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government.

"Advancing friendship with . Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @kishida230 held productive talks in New Delhi. Both leaders discussed ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries," Modi's office tweeted.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the agenda of the summit talks between Modi and Kishida included multifaceted bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

"PM @narendramodi welcomed Japan's PM @kishida230 for the 14th India- Annual Summit. Discussions on our multifaceted bilateral ties, regional & global issues of mutual interest on the agenda," he tweeted.

According to a media advisory issued by the external affairs ministry, the Japanese prime minister is scheduled to depart from India at 8 am on Sunday. Kishida is travelling to Cambodia after concluding his India visit.

Before leaving for India, Kishida said Russia's invasion of Ukraine is unacceptable and such actions should never be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese prime minister said he will exchange views on the situation in Ukraine with leaders of India and Cambodia.

#WATCH | Prime Minister and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida hold the 14th Annual Summit, at Hyderabad House in Delhi.



"Another step toward advancing the India- partnership - a partnership for peace, prosperity and progress!" says MEA pic.twitter.com/U3A2z89AEn  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022

Prime Minister Modi had spoken to PM Kishida on phone in October 2021 soon after he assumed office. Both sides expressed a desire to further strengthen the special strategic and global partnership.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The annual summit between Prime Minister Modi and his then Japanese counterpart was cancelled in December 2019 in Guwahati in the wake of massive protests rocking the Assam capital over the amended citizenship law.

The summit could not be held in 2020 as well as in 2021 primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



Hours before Kishida's arrival here, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported that he is expected to announce a plan to invest 5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in India over the next five years during his visit.

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Looking at the new surge in cases in South Korea, and Europe, we can not let our guard down as yet, Maharashtra Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here on Saturday.

The Union health ministry had sent a letter to the states a day before about the need to remain alert, he told reporters here.

When asked by reporters whether masks should still be mandatory considering that new daily cases in Maharashtra are fast dwindling, Tope said, "The Union government's letter clearly says that we can not be careless, looking at rising cases in China, South Korea, Europe. We must continue to be alert."



South Korea, whose population is only half that of Maharashtra, is reporting more than one lakh infections a day and there were reports of hospital bed shortages in that country, he said, adding that "we must become wise from others' experience."



When asked if a fourth wave of was imminent," he said, "We must continue taking precautions, that is all we can do."Maharashtra on Saturday reported 97 new infections and one death.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday described the Russian invasion of as a "very serious" matter, saying it has "shaken" the roots of international order.

The visiting leader made the comments in the presence of Prime Minister at a joint media briefing after the 14th India- summit here.

A joint statement said that Modi and Kishida, in their talks, called for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine, pitched for resolution of the conflict through dialogue besides underscoring the importance of safety and security of nuclear facilities in that country.

It said the two leaders expressed serious concern over the conflict and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the unfolding humanitarian crisis in .

"We discussed the situation in . The Russian attack on Ukraine is a very serious matter that has shaken the roots of the international system. We need to approach the matter with a strong resolve," Kishida said at the media briefing.

"I told Modi that one-sided efforts to change status quo by force can't be allowed in any sector. We both agreed on the need for a peaceful solution to all conflicts on the basis of international law," he added.

The joint statement said Modi and Kishida reiterated their call for an "immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for resolution of the conflict."



While has been severely critical of for its invasion of Ukraine, India has been pitching for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

"The prime ministers expressed their serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region," the joint statement issued after the talks said.

"They emphasised that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," it said.

It said the leaders underscored the importance of the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and acknowledged active efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) towards it.

"The leaders affirmed that they would undertake appropriate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine," it added.

Modi and Kishida highlighted their commitment to working in tandem towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, based on a rules-based order that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.

They also emphasised the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.

"In this regard, they reaffirmed their common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from coercion," the joint statement said.

"They shared the view that the economies of both countries in such a world would be powered by robust bilateral investment and trade flows through diversified, resilient, transparent, open, secure and predictable global supply chains that provide for economic security and prosperity of their peoples," it said.

Reaffirming that the two countries would continue to work together to realise the shared objectives, they resolved to further advance the India- Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The leaders emphasised that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect.

"They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritising the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas," the statement said.

They emphasised the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint.

"They further called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS, without prejudice to the rights and interests of all nations including those not party to these negotiations," it said.

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Prime Minister on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister and the Indian government for their assistance in evacuating Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in the Sumy oblast of Ukraine.

"I write to express my sincere thanks to you and your government for extending support and assistance in rescuing and evacuating some Bangladeshi nationals along with the Indians who were stranded in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine," Hasina said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi.

"The wholehearted cooperation that your government has been extending in this regard is a testament to the unique and enduring relationship that our two countries have been enjoying over the years," the letter further read.

She also recalled PM Modi's visit to last year on the occasion of the birth centenary of the country's first Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, adding that the bilateral ties between the two countries have strengthened over the past few years.

"I gratefully recall your visit to during the celebration of the birth centenary of our father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman last year," Hasina said, adding, "Our bilateral ties have been further consolidated through meaningful engagement at all levels over the past years."

She also extended Holi greetings and expressed confidence that the two countries will continue to stand by each other.

"I am confident that both Bangladesh and India would continue to stand by each other always and work together to realise the collective aspirations of the people of the two countries. I wish you good health and a very happy Holi ahead," Hasina said.

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister had even earlier extended her thanks to her Indian counterpart on March 9 for the evacuation of Bangladeshi nationals under Operation Ganga.

Under 'Operation Ganga' to rescue Indian citizens from Ukraine's neighbouring countries, more than 20,000 Indians and other nationals were brought back by special flights to India.

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Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to intensify the protest demanding the Centre to procure entire paddy from the state during Yasangi (Rabi) season.

The Chief Minister said that the Union Government is procuring 100 per cent of paddy from Punjab, and agitation programmes will continue to demand the (FCI) to procure 100 per cent of paddy from .

He said that it is life and death issue for the farmers of and TRS is gearing up for intensive struggle this time over the procurement of paddy.

The Chief Minister has convened a meeting of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Legislature on March 21 to chalk out the strategy in this regard.

He has directed all MLAs, MLCs, Party State Executive Committee Members, District Presidents, ZP Chairpersons, Presidents of DCCBs, DCMS and District Presidents of Raithu Bandhu Samithis to attend the meeting.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said that the meeting will chalk out a plan to hold dharnas, agitations and protests demanding the Union Government to buy yasangi paddy in the state.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister and delegation of ministers will leave for Delhi on the same day to meet the Union Ministers and even the Prime Minister to demand for buying of paddy.

The TRS MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will stage protests in line with the agitation in Telangana.

--IANS

ms/skp/

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Desperate to prove that it is not a 'Team B' of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the (AIMIM) is ready to ally with the Maha Vikas Aghadi to keep the out of power in .

State AIMIM President and Aurangabad MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel said that he had made the proposal to the Nationalist Congress Party's Health Minister Rajesh Tope who paid a condolence visit to him yesterday.

"It has always been alleged that the AIMIM helps the to win elections by splitting the Muslim votes. To disprove these charges, I have made a proposal to Tope that we are ready to ally with the NCP and Congress. He has not commented on our offer," Jaleel told mediapersons late last night.

Jaleel reiterated that the has inflicted maximum damage to the country and the AIMIM was ready to ally with any party and do everything possible to keep the saffron party out of power.

Though he evaded replies on the Shiv Sena, the latter rejected the AIMIM offer outright, while the Congress and NCP have remained mum on it.

The AIMIM MP said: "All these parties are eager to bag Muslim votes though they claim to be 'secular', but always blame us when they are defeated."

--IANS

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Delhi airport, Bengaluru metro and Kandla port picked for 5G pilots

The telecom regulator has identified Delhi airport, smart city Bhopal, the Bengaluru metro, and Deendayal port (Kandla) in Gujarat for conducting pilot projects using street furniture and aerial cable for the deployment of small cells. Read more



Boeing's Eagle-II fighter may join race for Indian Air Force contract

The Indian Air Force (IAF), which is acquiring 114 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) from the global market, will relish the option of buying the highly capable F-15EX Eagle-II, developed and built by The Company. Read more



accounts for 1% of world's nuclear warheads, shows SIPRI data

In 1994, Ukraine signed a tripartite agreement with Russia and the United States to give up its nuclear warheads for economic compensation and security assurances. The country transferred its last nuclear warhead to Russia in 1996 and dismantled its strategic nuclear delivery vehicle in 2001. Read more



Net-zero shift may have less impact on banking, says RBI study

The transition to the net-zero emission target will entail limited spill-over impact on Indian banking because three sectors with direct exposure to fossil fuels  electricity, auto, and chemical  form only 10 per cent of non-retail credit, according to a study by the Reserve Bank of (RBI). Read more



Retail investors firing up flows into equity MFs despite market volatility

Often heavy buying by (MFs) gets highlighted. But it is the individual investors who provide the firepower to domestic fund managers. Equity MFs have not seen a single month of net outflows in the past year. Since March 2021, investors have poured Rs 1.45 trillion into equity-oriented MF schemes. And, there have been months when flows have exceeded $3 billion. Read more
US Vice President and Apple CEO have greeted people on the occasion of the festival of colours.

Harris took to Twitter to send her greetings on Friday.

Today is a day celebrating joy, positivity, and coming together through vibrant colors. To the South Asian community and those who celebratehappy Holi! Harris, the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President, said in a tweet.

Apple CEO Cook also sent his greetings on the occasion.

Wishing everyone celebrating a vibrant beginning to spring. Here's to spreading the joy of color with these beautiful images, Cook said in a tweet as he posted several pictures of the festival of colour.

On Friday, top American lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Congressman Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Congresswoman Judy Chu among others greeted Indian-Americans and Hindus across the world on the occasion of the festival of colors and said that Holi celebrates love and the triumph of good over evil.

Holi was celebrated across India and some South Asian regions with great enthusiasm on Friday with people thronging the streets, smearing each other with 'gulal' (colours) and exchanging greetings after two years of muted festivities due to COVID-19 curbs.

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More than three decades ago, when thousands of fled the terror nightmare in their homeland in 1990 to seek refuge elsewhere in India, many landed in Mumbai, the City of Dreams, and Pune, the academic capital of Maharashtra.

A majority of the uprooted Kashmiri Pandits, with their parents, wife and children, escaped from certain death with hardly anything more than the clothes they wore, and spent months in agony and uncertainty over how to rebuild their future from scratch in strange surroundings.

Maharashtra was the only state which opened its doors, hearts, wiped their tears and helped the grow new roots in this state, over a couple of thousand kms away from their birthplace.

"At that time, a group of met the roaring tiger of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray. Led by the late Lt Gen (Retd) P.N. Hoon, the delegation discussed the entire issue of Kashmiri Pandits threadbare with the Sena Pramukh," said Sanjay Nahar, who runs an NGO, Sarhad, in Pune.

Acclaimed author-journalist Rahul Pandita, a teen then, recalls how the Kashmiri Pandits -- though penniless -- did not seek monetary aid from Balasaheb Thackeray, but wanted something that could help them stand on their feet and make them independent in the long run.

Nahar said the delegation requested Balasaheb Thackeray to use his good offices and offer the Kashmiri Pandits reservations in technical or engineering courses in various academic institutions here.

Interestingly, the meeting was facilitated by a reserved, young journo -- Sanjay Raut -- now the stormy petrel of the Sena and its chief spokesperson.

Balasaheb Thackeray readily agreed to the proposal -- though some opposition parties then had sniggered -- and sowed the seeds for affording a stable future to an entire generation of Kashmiri Pandits.

Amit Wanchoo -- the grandson of the legendary H.N. Wanchoo who was assassinated by terrorists in December 1992 -- said that it was only Balasaheb Thackeray then "who threw a lifeline to Kashmiri Pandits" when they had nobody to call their own.

"Many had no funds or friends, spent months in dirty cattle-sheds or slums, worrying about their future. We always believed that education is important for children, but educating them away from their homeland was a big challenge," said Wanchoo.

He is among the few who decided to remain in Kashmir despite the near-total exodus by his fraternity.

With Balasaheb Thackeray throwing open all the higher-technical-engineering institutions for Kashmiri Pandits, thousands took advantage to enrol themselves and encounter the future with confidence, and around 7,000-8,000 have benefitted, said Nahar.

More importantly, Pandita said that the gesture came without any 'strings attached', and Balasaheb Thackeray never treated them as any kind of 'a political vote-bank or a bargaining tool', and it remained a totally unselfish measure.

Sena MP Raut remembers the days when Balasaheb Thackeray was the sole person who spoke for the Kashmiri Pandits when the rest of the country kept quiet in dread of the terrorists.

"When the delegation met Balasaheb Thackeray, he openly advocated giving arms to the Kashmiri Pandits for their self-defence Instead, they asked for educational quotas, which he readily agreed to and allowed 5 per cent reservation in the state. Nobody knows the pain of the Kashmiri Pandits more than the Shiv Sena," Raut said.

Pandita and Wanchoo point out how many Kashmiri Pandits occupying top positions in Indian government or in leading companies worldwide had benefited from Maharashtra's generosity in their darkest hour.

Wanchoo said that inspired by Balasaheb Thackeray, even Maharashtra proved magnanimous towards Kashmiri Pandits and contributed their mite to wipe the tears of their brethren from the snowy Valley.

"I met him in 1994 and he was surprised to learn that some -- like me -- still opted to live on in Kashmir. There were many young students living in home-stays, rentals or as paying guests in Maharashtra. But when they couldn't afford to pay their dues, the local owners/families quietly waived them off," said Wanchoo.

Nahar recalled the times when many Kashmiris -- Pandits, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs -- who became 'refugees' overnight, had problems with even basics like food and clothes and many NGOs came forward in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and other cities to care for them.

According to Pandita and Wanchoo, "we are indebted to Balasaheb Thackeray and till now, we consider Maharashtra as our 'second home' for all practical purposes".

Years later, Balasaheb Thackeray's initiative bloomed across the country with other states and even the Centre coming up with various reservations, quotas, grace marks, certain privileges etc. for the Kashmiri Pandits/Muslims/Sikhs, that ensured the displaced persons secured a firm foothold in life.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

--IANS

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Picture this: A pilot heads to Europe for a weeks vacation and smokes marijuana, which is legal there. After resting over the weekend, she commands two flights to Delhi and back on Monday. After her last landing at Mumbai, the airline orders her to submit her urine sample for testing for psychoactive substances.

Her urine tests positive for marijuana and she is sent for a weeks rehabilitation. A year later she revisits Amsterdam for a week but this time abstains from marijuana. She commands two flights after her return. In the next urine test, her urine throws up ...
India is in final talks to start wheat export to while discussions are going on with countries like China, Turkey, China and Iran to begin the outbound shipments of the commodity, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.

It said that India's wheat exports increased to USD 1.74 billion during April-January 2021-22 as against USD 340.17 million in the same period last year.

In 2019-20, wheat exports were worth USD 61.84 million, which rose to USD 549.67 million in 2020-21, it said.

It also said that the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has recently organized a meeting of key stakeholders in the value chain for promoting exports to those countries which have a huge shipment potential in the wake of global supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"At the meeting, the Railways assured to make available sufficient rakes to meet any immediate demand for additional wheat transport. Port authorities have also been asked to augment dedicated terminals along with dedicated containers for wheat apart at ports," it added.

India's wheat exports are mainly to neighbouring countries with Bangladesh having the largest share of more than 54 per cent in both volume and value terms in 2020-21. It has entered new wheat markets such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar and Indonesia.

The top ten importing countries for Indian wheat in 2020-21 were Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia.

"We are giving thrust on building infrastructure in the value chain for giving boosts to cereal exports in collaboration with the state governments and other stakeholders such as exporters, farmer producer organizations, transporters etc," said M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA.

India accounts for even less than 1 per cent in world wheat export. However, its share has increased from 0.14 per cent in 2016 to 0.54 per cent in 2020. India is the second largest producer of wheat with a share of around 14.14 per cent of world total production in 2020.

India produces around 107.59 million tonnes of wheat annually while a major chunk of it goes towards domestic consumption.

Major wheat growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.

"The unit price of wheat plays an important role in international trade. While the unit export price of wheat has increased for all countries in the last five years, India's unit export price is slightly higher than that of other countries. This is one of the factors adversely impacting wheat exports from India," it said.

In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be exported, APEDA has recognized 220 labs across India to provide testing services for a wide range of products and exporters.

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Amidst a record surge in exports in the current fiscal and the precarious situation arising out of the Ukraine-Russia war, India is looking forward to starting to several new countries beyond its Asian/South Asian neighbours.

"India is in final talks to start to Egypt, while discussions are going on with countries such as Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran, etc to start wheat export," a meeting of the stakeholders called by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) was informed.

The export of wheat recorded a huge surge at $1,742 million during April-January 2021-22, growing 387 per cent over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched $340.17 million.

India has reported a wheat export worth of $2352.22 mn in the last three years, including the first 10 months of current fiscal 2021-22. In 2019-20, the wheat export was worth $61.84 mn which rose to $549.67 mn in 2020-21, a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.

Though India is not among the top 10 wheat exporters in the global trade, its rate of growth in exports has surpassed that of the other countries, indicating the rapid strides it is taking in reaching new markets worldwide, the Centre claimed and added, "India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt, while discussions are going on with countries like Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran, etc to start wheat export."

India's wheat exports are mainly to neighbouring countries with Bangladesh having the largest share of more than 54 per cent in both volume and value terms in 2020-21. In 2020-21, India entered new wheat markets such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar and Indonesia.

According to data by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), the top 10 importing countries for Indian wheat in 2020-21 were Bangladesh, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia. Top ten countries accounted for more than 99 per cent share in India's wheat exports in 2020-21 in both volume and value terms.

Given the bumper estimation, the APEDA - at the meeting held on March 17 called by M. Angamuthu, chairman, APEDA -- asked key stakeholders in the value chain for promoting exports to those countries, which have a huge shipment potential and asked all the stakeholders to strengthen its infrastructure for facilitating hassle free wheat export.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry directed to scale up shipments in order to alleviate any global supply chain disruptions in view of the geopolitical situation. The meeting had participation of key stakeholders such as traders, exporters, port officials, policy influencers from the Ministries of Food & Consumer Affairs, Railways and officials from various state governments.

At the meeting, the Railways assured to make available sufficient rakes to meet any immediate demand for additional wheat transport. Port authorities have also been asked to augment dedicated terminals along with dedicated containers for wheat.

India accounts for even less than one per cent in world wheat export. However, its share has increased from 0.14 per cent in 2016 to 0.54 per cent in 2020. India is the second largest producer of wheat with a share of around 14.14 per cent of world total production in 2020.

India produces around 107.59 Million MT of wheat annually with a large chunk of it going towards domestic consumption. Major wheat growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.

--IANS

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce a plan to invest 5 trillion yen (USD 42 billion) in India over the next five years during his visit to the country on Saturday, according to a media report.

The 5 trillion yen goal exceeds the 3.5 trillion yen in investment and financing over the five years that the then Japanese Prime Minister announced during his 2014 visit to India, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported.

is currently supporting India's urban infrastructure development as well as a high-speed railway based on Japan's shinkansen bullet train technology.

Prime Minister Kishida is due to reveal the public-private funding during an economic forum. He is expected to pledge growth in direct investment in terms of value, as well as an increase in Japanese companies expanding into India, the prominent business newspaper said.

Kishida is also poised to agree to an approximately 300 billion yen loan during his meeting with Prime Minister . An energy cooperation document concerning carbon reduction is expected to be signed between the two sides, it said.

During Saturday's public-private forum, Kishida is also expected to express his support to further infrastructure development in India with the goal of drawing Japanese companies to build factories, the paper said.

India represents the first leg of Kishida's three-day tour. He is scheduled to visit Cambodia on Sunday to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

and India are party to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a security framework known as the Quad that includes the US and Australia. Cambodia serves as this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Kishida plans to confirm the strengthening of security arrangements with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in mind.

In 2020, and India signed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, which allows for reciprocal provisions of food, fuel and other supplies between the Indian army and Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Kishida and Modi are to reaffirm that they will push that deal forward, the paper said.

Kishida and Modi are expected to agree to convene a two-plus-two meeting between the two countries' diplomatic and defence chiefs at an early date.

This will be Kishida's first overseas trip as prime minister since he traveled to Great Britain in November.

Kishida, 64, is the president of the Liberal Democratic Party since 2021.

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Amid threat in the Indo-Pacific region, Indian Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday discussed the security challenges in the .

Kishida welcomed the Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI) announced by Modi in 2019.

The Japanese Prime Minister arrived here on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India- Annual Summit on Saturday.

Both Prime Ministers acknowledged the growing space for cooperation between the IPOI and Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). India appreciated Japan's participation as a lead partner on the connectivity pillar of IPOI.

They reiterated their strong support for ASEAN's unity and centrality and their full support for the "ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)" which upholds the principles such as the rule of law, openness, freedom, transparency and inclusiveness.

The Prime Ministers emphasised that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with international law.

They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritizing the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas.

They emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint.

They further called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the and the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS, without prejudice to the rights and interests of all nations including those not party to these negotiations.

--IANS

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US President on Friday (local time) announced Indian American Puneet Talwar for Ambassador of Morocco as part of some key nominations for his administration, a White House press release said.

Other nominations included Candace Bond as the Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Timmy Davis as Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Nasser Paydar as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education and Michael Lombardo as Member of the National Council on the Arts.

Puneet Talwar has held senior national security and foreign policy positions in the State Department, White House, and the Senate. He is currently a Senior Advisor at the State Department.

Previously, he has served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council, and as a Senior Professional Staff Member at the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate.

Talwar's public service also includes key roles in the US House of Representatives and the State Department's Policy Planning Staff.

Outside of government, he has been a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Biden Center, a Counselor to the conflict resolution NGO Inter Mediate, and a non-resident Scholar at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies.

Talwar earned his B.S. Degree in Engineering from Cornell University and his MA in Affairs from Columbia University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a native of Washington, DC.

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US Secretary of State on Friday (local time) held a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict while talking about the efforts to bring an end to the war.

"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed the growing number of civilian casualties caused by President Putin's brutal and unjustified war of choice. The Secretary commended the incredible courage and fierce determination of the Ukrainian people as they defend their country against Russian forces who have shown little regard for human life," a US State Department readout said.

Secretary of State Blinken also reaffirmed "the United States' steadfast commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and reiterated the American support through assistance.

"The Secretary reiterated robust U.S. support for the people of through security, humanitarian, and economic assistance," the readout said.

"Spoke with @SecBlinken on efforts to bring an end to Russia's brutal war of aggression against and multiple war crimes. To this end, it is crucial to further strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities, apply more pressure on Russia, and use all available diplomatic tools," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba tweeted.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel discussing further support to in the ongoing war.

In a video address on the same day, Zelenskyy commented on the Ukrainian-Russian talks on a possible ceasefire, "It is time to meet. It is time to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the justice for Ukraine," Sputnik reported.

The developments come amidst the scheduled visit of US President Joe Biden to Brussels on March 24 to attend an extraordinary NATO summit as well as participate in a European Council Summit.

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Brazils Supreme Court banned the popular messaging service Telegram, in a widening crackdown on what authorities describe as and hate speech in the lead-up to presidential elections later this year.

On Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered internet providers and digital stores to block the app after repeated attempts by the federal police to get in touch with the service to remove content.

is notoriously known for its stance of not cooperating with judicial and police authorities in several countries, police wrote in their request to Moraes, which he cited in his decision. It has become an open space for the proliferation of various content, including that with repercussions in the criminal area.

The push to shut in is part of wide-reaching efforts to combat misinformation and falsehoods about the countrys electoral system.

President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies have pushed their online supporters to the London-based platform, after popular apps such as Twitter and Meta Platforms Inc.s Facebook took down posts containing false information about Covid-19 and promoting unproven remedies.

The far-right leader called the ban unacceptable late Friday evening, alleging it could affect some 70 million Brazilians who rely on the platform. He did not cite the source of user estimates.

The governments attorney general filed a precautionary measure in the Supreme Court challenging the order.

Pavel Durov, Telegrams founder and chief executive officer, said the ruling was simply the result of miscommunication, and that his platform was working to comply with the courts orders.

On behalf of our team, I apologize to the Brazilian Supreme Court for our negligence. We definitely could have done a better job, Durov said in a statement published on his channel.

Durov asked the court to delay its ban to set up legal representation in and set up framework for future requests.

While WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, continues to be more popular in Brazil, an August survey found that over half of smartphone users had downloaded Telegram.

Still Available

Following claims that he is being silenced by Big Tech, Telegram has become Bolsonaros social media app of choice in recent months, and he has amassed 1.1. million followers. Critics say Telegram has become a safe haven for conspiracy theories and vitriol.

The court gave five days to comply with the order or risk fines.

On Saturday morning, Telegram was still available in via Google Play. Brazils authorities temporarily shut down YouTube in 2006, and WhatsApp in 2016.

In August, Moraes ordered social media to remove posts containing widely shared details from a sealed police 2018 police investigation, which Bolsonaro released as supposed proof that the voting system can be hacked.

Brazils Electoral Court, which oversees voting, denies the allegations. Authorities have struggled to establish contact with Telegram, which is popular with activists and dissidents for its anonymity, and the ability to set up large groups of users.

Bolsonaro himself has attempted to sow doubt about the integrity of the October election, intensifying his unsubstantiated claims that electronic voting machines can be rigged, raising the fear of a disputed result.
Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, has called for more people to get the booster dose against Covid-19 as the country has started easing restrictions, such as limits on social gatherings and mask mandates.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Tam said that Covid-19 policies may soon shift from "an emphasis on requirements to recommendations" and that it's critically important that more people, especially for those 50 years of age or older, get a booster dose, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We're in a period of uncertainty where the virus is still undergoing evolution, so getting up to date with vaccines and wearing a mask is really a good idea," she said, adding that it would be difficult to expand vaccine mandates to cover a booster dose because eligibility for the third shot varies and people with a previous Omicron infection have been told to wait up to three months between a positive test result and getting inoculated.

According to a statement from Tam's office on Friday, recent studies indicated that an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine booster dose could enhance the overall immune response, which can provide longer lasting protection and possibly better effectiveness against variants.

Over 5.2 million eligible Canadians need one or more doses to complete their primary series and many are eligible to get a booster dose, the statement said.

According to data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada, over 17.6 million third doses have been administered till date.

National data has indicated that over 83 per cent of seniors aged 70 or older, 61 per cent of aged 50-59 years and 74 per cent aged 60-69 years have received an additional dose.

The data indicated that over 81 pe rcent of the total population have been fully vaccinated.

Age-specific vaccine coverage data, as of March 13, 2022, showed that over 88 per cent of people 12 years or older had at least one dose and over 84 per cent were fully vaccinated, while among children aged 5-11, 57 per cent had at least one dose.

Health on Thursday authorised the Moderna Spikevax Covid-19 vaccine for children 6-11 years of age.

Following authorisation, the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation released recommendations for the use of Moderna Spikevax Covid-19 vaccine in this age group.

--IANS

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Researchers in have developed a microwave machine "Relativistic Klystron Amplifier (RKA)", that could jam or destroy satellites in .

The device can generate a wave burst measuring 5-megawatts in the Ka-band, a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum increasingly used for both civil and military purposes, citing Asia Times, Taiwan News reported.

Although not powerful enough to shoot targets out of the sky from the ground, the RKA can be mounted onto satellites, which could then be used to attack enemy assets in by burning out their sensitive electronics.

Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) are systems that use concentrated electromagnetic energy rather than kinetic energy to damage or destroy enemy equipment and/or personnel in a physical conflict.

Although denies the RKA is a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), if the system were built at scale, it could send beams strong enough to rip through metallic materials moving at speed, reported Taiwan News.

In fact, a Beijing-based scientist told the media anonymously this tech could function as a high-powered weapon, saying its power was "overwhelming just to think about."

Space is becoming an increasingly hotly contested geopolitical arena. This comes after recent revelations tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that flew through low-orbit space in August last year.

Responding to the news in November, Thomas Karako, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and Studies (CSIS), said the US needs to deploy space-based sensors to counter the Chinese military's new missiles, reported Taiwan News.

Moreover, the recent conflict in Ukraine could also birth a greater risk of conflict in space and endanger satellites.

The collaboration Russia and Western countries enjoyed in space for decades may be ending fast with the Russian space director recently threatening Moscow might decline to correct the course of the Space Station, which would bring it crashing down to earth, reported Taiwan News.

In addition, last year Russia destroyed one of its own legacy satellites which created mass debris in space.

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Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky says it will take years to defuse the unexploded ordnance once the Russian invasion is over.

Monastyrsky told The Associated Press in an interview on Friday that the country will need Western assistance to carry out the massive undertaking after the war.

A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at Ukraine, and a large part haven't exploded. They remain under the rubble and pose a real threat, Monastyrsky said in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

It will take years, not months, to defuse them.

In addition to the unexploded Russian ordnance, Ukrainian troops have planted land mines at bridges, airports and other key locations to prevent the Russians from using them.

We won't be able to remove the mines from all that territory, so I asked our partners and colleagues from the European Union and the United States to prepare groups of experts to demine the areas of combat and facilities that came under shelling, Monastyrsky told the AP.

He noted that his ministry's demining equipment was left in Mariupol, a besieged port city of 430,000 people that has been subjected to relentless shelling for much of the war.

We lost 200 pieces of equipment there, Monastyrsky said.

One of the biggest challenges the Interior Ministry faces is fighting the fires caused by the relentless Russian shelling and airstrikes, Monastyrsky said.

The country's emergency service, which the ministry oversees, is facing desperate shortages of personnel and equipment, he said.

A firefighter was killed Thursday during the Russian shelling of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, while working to extinguish a blaze at a market that was caused by a previous attack.

Monastyrsky added that the emergency service's facilities in Kharkiv and Mariupol were completely destroyed in the Russian barrage.

Monastyrsky stressed that Ukrainian emergency responders urgently need more specialised vehicles and protective equipment.

The coming days will exacerbate a humanitarian catastrophe in critical areas, he said. I must say that casualties among civilians exceed our military losses by several times.

The interior ministry has been busy trying to counter groups of Russian saboteurs that inundated the country to target bridges, gas pipelines and other infrastructure facilities, Monastyrsky said, adding that dozens of such groups have operated in .

We realise that sabotage is a key tool in the war, he said, adding that Ukrainian forces have managed to spot Russian saboteurs by tracking their Russian cellphones.

"We reacted immediately by searching locations where these phones were detected and acted against those groups.

In occupied areas, Russian forces tried to scare Ukrainian police who remained there by visiting their homes and sometimes even planting explosives at their doors, Monastyrsky said.

They are trying to pressure people in the occupied territories, he said.

Massive protests that broke out in Berdyansk, Melitopol, Kherson and other occupied Ukrainian cities came as a surprise to the Russians, who expected to be welcomed by local native-Russian speakers, Monastyrsky said.

They have faced civilians who speak Russian but stand for Ukraine, he said. They realize now that they made a major mistake.

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The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the ongoing conflict in is further threatening global food security, with food prices already at an all-time high.

Jakob Kern, the WFP's Emergency Coordinator for Ukraine, told an online press conference that the conflict has triggered a wave of hunger across the globe, Xinhua news agency reported.

As the world's largest and fourth-largest exporters of wheat respectively, Russia and together are responsible for 29 per cent of the global wheat trade. Therefore, the two countries are critical to ensuring the of many countries around the world.

Global food and fuel prices have increased sharply since the start of the conflict, Kern said. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Price Index, they reached an all-time high in February 2022.

The price of wheat increased by 24 per cent from February 21 to March 15, Kern said.

"These hikes will affect local food prices and, through these, access to food, especially for millions of people who are already struggling to put food on the table," he added.

"This year we are at a crossroads: either we rise to the challenge of meeting immediate needs while at the same time supporting programs that build long-term resilience at scale, or we face even bigger problems down the line," Kern said.

--IANS

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The National Medical Forum has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to consider those medical who have been evacuated from Ukraine as war victims.

"By Geneva convention, these migrations were forced and as a result of the unfortunate war between the two countries leading to a loss of fruitful employment and living opportunities for these displaced and thus these displaced and migrated should be considered as War Victims", reads the letter.

Talking to IANS, Dr Prem Aggarwal, President National Medical Forum, said, "Just bringing the students from war-torn region will not help them. They are the war victims. We have to make one-time special clause for them to complete their studies". Dr Aggarwal said that the forum will also file a petition in the Supreme Court to declare them as the war victims.

Due to the ongoing war between and Ukraine, massive destruction and loss of lives have taken place in all the cities of Ukraine leading to exodus of Indian medical students from that country. These students were not involved in the war but were residing in the war zone and thus were at an extreme degree of risk of hostilities, reads the letter.

However, now they lost the opportunity to complete their education and fruitful employment, said the forum requesting the government to declare these forcefully migrated students as war victims so that the community can help them accordingly.

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Germany on Friday (local time) announced that the Group of Seven (G7) nations will discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine at a summit in Brussels on March 24.

Meanwhile, an emergency summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting will also discuss measures against Russia for its continued aggression in Ukraine, the German government said, reported Nikkei Asia.

Foreign ministers from the met virtually on Thursday, where they agreed to keep up pressure on Russia and provide more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

According to the sources, the summit will be led by US President Joe Biden, who is aiming to demonstrate unity not only within the framework of NATO but also the to keep up pressure on Russia.

The G7 leaders are expected to discuss additional sanctions and other measures against Russia and Belarus, which is aiding the aggression, as well as exchange views on how to stabilize the energy market, including the soaring price of crude oil, reported Nikkei Asia.

Increasing aid to Ukraine and support for neighbouring countries accepting Ukrainian refugees are also likely to be on the agenda, the sources said.

Regarding Japan's stand against Moscow in line with other members of the G7, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will explain his government's policy of increasing economic pressure on Russia, citing sources, Nikkei Asia reported.

Kishida is expected to travel to the Belgian capital, according to diplomatic sources.

Japan is the only country in the G7 -- comprising also Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States -- which is not a member of NATO.

Leaders of the G7 held a virtual summit on February 24, the day Russia moved ahead with a large-scale attack on Ukraine, to coordinate their responses to the crisis.

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The Islamabad High Court on Friday called Prime Minister Imran Khan's conduct during his rally in Lower Dir on March 11 as "inappropriate" and rejected his and Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar's plea to suspend the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) notice issued to them for participating in the rally.

"You should have appeared before the commission. Your conduct was inappropriate," Justice Farooq told Barrister Ali Zafar, who was representing and Asad Umar, reported The Express Tribune.

The judge was referring to the ECP summon to to appear before the ECP on March 14 to explain his conduct.

"Sufficient evidence is available to establish that you [PM Imran] have violated the provision of the Revised Code of Conduct, Elections Act 2017, and the Rules made thereunder," the commission's notice had read.

had made a profanity-laced speech in the rally, using derogatory language for the Opposition leaders and threatening them with consequences if the no-confidence motion scheduled against Khan is defeated.

Imran Khan launched a scathing attack on the troika of opposition figures, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif, the three leaders who are spearheading the no-trust move against him while addressing a public meeting at Dir Scouts Ground in Balambat which falls in the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Dawn reported.

Khan referred to the trio of Opposition leaders as "Showbaz Sharif, Diesel and Dakoo".

Adjourning the hearing till March 28, Justice Farooq noted that the court was not suspending the ECP's notice to Khan and Umar.

Meanwhile, ECP is considering putting off the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that were scheduled to take place in 18 districts of the province on March 31 saying that the election code of conduct was being seriously violated in the districts.

ECP believes that the level playing field had been disturbed in the area where the polls would be held and the commission would soon make a decision about when to hold the local government elections, The Express Tribune reported citing sources.

Separately, the ECP has also stopped Imran Khan from going ahead with his planned visit to the Malakand district of the province.

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will recognise the regime in when there is a consensus, particularly of regional countries, on the issue, Dawn news quoted Munir Akram, Islamabads UN envoy, as saying.

The question of recognition resurfaced on Thursday when the UN Security Council voted to establish formal ties with the Taliban-led Afghan government without extending diplomatic recognition to the regime.

Fourteen of the Council's 15 members voted for the resolution, while Russia abstained.

Russian Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia said he was compelled to abstain because attempts to secure consent from the host country for a UN presence were ignored.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said that since August 2021 when the captured Kabul, had entered a new phase and more flexibility was needed to deal with the situation.

Although was the first nation to call for more flexibility in dealing with Kabul's new rulers, Islamabad too has not recognised the regime, Dawn reported.

Asked if the UN vote would influence Pakistan's position on this issue, Ambassador Akram said: "We will do it (recognition) when there's a consensus, especially among regional countries."

Six of Afghanistan's immediate neighbours are meeting in China next month and this would be one of the top issues on their agenda.

China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will attend the meeting.

A Taliban delegation will also participate.

--IANS

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With an aim to exit the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Islamabad is planning to reduce the number of terrorists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to security sources.

According to the sources, there are about 70 terrorists present in currently, compared to the 125 in March last year.

They also said that Pakistan was forced to take such initiatives as it was is facing problems in getting financial assistance from institutions due to the listing.

In its last plenary session held on March 4, the Paris-based global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog decided to keep Pakistan on its grey list for an extended period of four more months and asked Islamabad to comply with the deficiencies remaining from two respective action plans.

According to the FATF, Pakistan has addressed seven money laundering-related 'Action Plan' items within an unprecedented timeframe and fulfilled 26 out of 27 terror financing-related targets.

The country is now just two items away from completing both its action plans

Pakistan has been on the grey list since June 2018 for its inability to check money laundering, terror financing but in subsequent years, he failed to meet the criteria fixed by the .

Reacting to Pakistan's latest initiative, officials deployed in the security grid in Jammu and Kashmir said the numbers were also reduced because of the coordinated counter-terror operations, due to which the terrorists are hesitant of infiltrating into the valley.

"It is surprising that the number of ultras are less in despite the fact that March is a conducive month for infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir as the snow starts melting in the border areas. Last year, we had conclusive evidence that over 125 terrorists were present in the various locations in close to Jammu and Kashmir's borders," one of the officials said.

He added that although Pakistan has reduced the number of terrorists in PoK, "it will keep on pushing the terrorists and over ground workers to execute the terror activities" and this could be seen in the recent spurt in violence in the valley.

Reacting to FATF's decision on March 4, 2022, the Pakistani authorities had said that their country will fulfil the remaining action plans soon.

However, Central security agencies have been maintaining strict vigils at the infiltration corridors via Krishna Ghati in Poonch, Bimber Gali in Nowshera of Rajori, Sunderbani in Hiranagar of Kathua, Keran in Uri in Tangdhar.

--IANS

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Marine Le Pen is one of Emmanuel Macron's closest rivals in the 2022 French election, whether she can beat the incumbent leader is left to be seen.

Even with the Ukraine incursion, the French elections will push through on April 10.

Upcoming French Presidential Elections

One big question is if Le Pen can beat the current president of France, with the momentum he is getting steering the country through the crisis, reported the Express.

Le Pen is part of the right-wing and is said to have links to Moscow. Macron's closest rivals seem to be conservative Les Republicains candidate Valerie Pecresse and the controversial right-wing National Rally leader Marine Le Pen.

Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour are on the radical side of the electoral battleground, also vying for the ballots of France's working-class conservatives before the April election time, citing the BBC.

Her opponent threw a wrench in the works late last year when he surprisingly decided to enter the presidential campaign and momentarily blew past her because of inexperience. The two opponents of the current president have the same views on immigration, security, freedom of speech; and have aired the divergence from the European Union.

She has gotten the better of her rival in the Ukraine crisis has allowed a slight lead over Zemmour, with her likely links to the Kremlin.

In 2014, the National Rally obtained a loan from a Russian bank worth roughly 9 million, which will be paid until 2028. Le Pen even met Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2017. A picture of the two shaking hands was published on 1.2 million election booklets with the tag line saying 'A woman of conviction.'

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth?

Le Pen avoided further controversy on her stand to distance herself from Russia. Clarified that she is independent of Moscow; gave support for taking in Ukrainian refugees, which her rival Zemmour was too slow to do.

Macron Could Still Win Over Le Pen

They, nevertheless, have now changed their focus to problems concerning the ordinary French voter, and it appears to be working for the National Rally leader.

Macron's female rival said this week that protecting France and her people is her obsession, noted the Economist. She added that the French should keep their jobs, be able to heat their homes, and have enough to live comfortably.

Le Pen stressed how the French are in the grips of the crisis starting from a pandemic, and a war in Ukraine is making it hard for everyone.

Some solutions that could be done are reducing VAT on fuel, gas, and electricity, making it 5.5 percent from 20 percent. Another is to push for tax breaks for employers adding a raise to their employees' salaries. But Zemmour was quick to copy her stand and was accused of copycatting the National Rally leader's stance.

He was caught pretending to strike up conversations over fuel prices at a gas station in Montauban in southwestern France last Sunday. It was later found out that it was a sham that involved supporters.

But Macron might be leading how he's handling the problem in Ukraine with a mature political attitude that might win over voters. Some say it might be a repeat of 2017 when he won a second vote.

According to recent polls, Le Pen is against odds that might place her opponent in another term, and Macron is still predicted to win.

Related Article: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron Negotiates on a Very Long Table in Kremlin Confusing the Meeting, Leaving the French Leader To Leave Empty Handed

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An ally of Imran Khan-led Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Friday rejected horse-trading allegations ahead of the no-confidence motion.

Hussian said, "This is the first no-confidence motion in which no one is buying or selling votes, this is just propaganda," reported Geo News.

In an official statement, the PML-Q leader said that he had been observing it in newspapers and on TV that "bundles of notes" are being distributed ahead of the no-confidence motion. He added that even Prime Minister had mentioned that "bundles of notes" were being distributed in Sindh House.

The PML-Q leader said that the government always tries to stop public gatherings and it was the "first time" that the Opposition and the government were holding rallies on the same issue. The Opposition is insisting on holding public gatherings due to the government's announcement.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry had claimed a day earlier that the Sindh House in Islamabad, "is currently the centre of horse-trading," while accusing the Opposition of buying the votes of MNAs, reported Geo News.

He had alleged that there were "reports of huge sums of money being shifted to the Sindh House," adding that the PPP has deputed police outside it to accommodate people there.

Following the claims, the Sindh House had become the centre of attention, with PTI MNA Raja Riaz, who is residing therein, claiming that 24 lawmakers were staying at the lodge.

The claims made by the minister and Riaz had also pushed PTI workers in Islamabad to stage a sit-in outside the Sindh House, reported Geo News.

While the protest started off peacefully at the beginning, it soon took a violent turn as demonstrators broke the gate open and stormed inside the Sindh House. The incident happened despite the presence of a heavy contingent of police outside the lodge.

The Opposition parties moved a no-confidence motion seeking the ouster of PM on March 8, accusing him of "mismanaging the economy and poor governance."

Amid all this, the PTI has called for a public gathering on March 27 -- a day before the no-confidence motion. Soon after the announcement, the Opposition also announced that it would lead a long march to Islamabad ahead of the no-confidence motion, reported Geo News.

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released his long-awaited reform programme of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse.

The 54-page text, titled Praedicate Evanglium or Proclaiming the Gospel, replaces the founding constitution Pastor Bonus that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988.

Francis was elected pope in 2013 in large part on his promise to reform the bulky and inefficient bureaucracy, which acts as the organ of central governance for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church.

He named a Cabinet of cardinal advisers who have met periodically since his election to help him draft the changes.

Much of the reform work has been rolled out piecemeal over the years, with offices consolidated and financial reforms issued.

But the publication of the new document, for now only in Italian, finalises the process and puts it into effect in June.

The document was released on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis' installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure to Francis' ministry.

The new reform emphasises the missionary focus of the church as well as the need for the to be at service both to the pope and local dioceses. It envisages greater roles for laity, making explicitly clear that lay people not just priests, bishops or cardinals can head a major office, and that all staff should reflect the geographic universality of the church.

In one of the major changes, it brings the pope's advisory commission on preventing sexual abuse into the Vatican's powerful doctrine office which oversees the canonical investigations of abuse cases.

Previously, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors existed as an ad hoc commission that reported to the pope but had no real institutional weight or power. The commission often found itself at odds with the more powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviews all cases of abuse.

Now the advisory commission is part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, where presumably its members who include abuse survivors can exert influence on the decisions taken by the prelates who weigh whether predator priests are sanctioned and how.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who heads the pontifical commission, welcomed the change and said it was evidence of Francis' effort to promote a stronger culture of safeguarding within the Vatican and wider church.

For the first time, has made safeguarding and the protection of minors a fundamental part of the structure of the church's central government: the Roman Curia," O'Malley said in a statement.

"Maintaining its status as a separate body within the Dicastery that enjoys direct access to the Holy Father and with its own leadership and staffing, the renewed and re-affirmed Pontifical Commission will play an increasingly incisive role in ensuring the Church is a safe place for children and vulnerable persons, the statement added



Other changes involve consolidation of two Vatican offices for evangelisation into one Dicastery for Evangelisation.

Previously the Vatican had an entire parallel bureaucracy dedicated to supporting the church in the developing world where Catholics are a minority, with another office dedicated to reviving the faith in countries where Catholicism is already heavily present. The new office combines them and is headed by the pope, assisted by two deputy prefects.

Overall, the reform document calls for a healthy decentralisation to give more decision-making authority to local bishops rather than have Rome continue to be the central clearing-house for governance decisions.

But the text also makes clear that such authority cannot touch on matters of doctrine, discipline and communion, a warning that individual bishops conferences cannot stray from core tenets of church teaching.

It seeks to break down the siloed nature of the bureaucracy, in which each congregation operated on its own fiefdom, by seeking to encourage greater communication and collaboration among offices.

In a break with the past, it calls for the heads of Vatican offices to meet regularly as a group with the pope rather than just individually. In essence, it calls for the Vatican bureaucracy to function more like a Cabinet that meets regularly with the head of state.

It makes clear that each dicastery, as the departments are known, are considered equal to one another. Previously the Vatican secretariat of state had an outsized role of influence and importance, followed closely by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Now, all dicasteries are equal.

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Russian President is healthy, sane and "in better shape than ever", his close ally President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS.

"He and I haven't only met as heads of state, we're on friendly terms," Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview shared by state news agency BelTA. "I'm absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal." used Belarusian territory as a staging post for its invasion of on Feb. 24.

Western leaders have suggested Putin made a costly miscalculation by launching the military assault on Ukraine, where Russian forces have taken heavy losses and their advance has largely stalled despite their apparent superiority.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested Putin is being "irrational" and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has described him as "totally paranoid".

But Lukashenko dismissed the notion that Putin, who is 69, was not at the height of his powers.

"The West, and you, should get this stupidity, this fiction out of your heads," he told the interviewer.

"Putin is absolutely fit, he's in better shape than ever ... This is a completely sane, healthy person, physically healthy - he's an athlete."

"As they say here - he'll catch a cold at all our funerals." Lukashenko also bemoaned the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. The theme is one Putin has frequently discussed, not least when he suggested in speeches before the invasion that was an artificial construct and an "inalienable part" of Russian history and culture.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union is a tragedy," Lukashenko said. "If the Soviet Union had survived to this day, we could have avoided all sorts of conflicts in the world...

"While the USSR existed, the world was multipolar and one pole balanced the other," he said. "Now the reason for what's happening in the world is unipolarity - the monopolisation of our planet by the United States of America."

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Russian President discussed the situation in Ukraine during a telephone call with his French counterpart .

The Russian president on Friday explained that the country's armed forces were doing everything possible to save civilian lives and open humanitarian corridors for the safe evacuation of the population, in response to concerns raised by the French leader.

The leaders also talked about the developments with regard to the ongoing peace negotiations, and discussed Russia's approach toward possible agreements, Xinhua news agency reported.

The French leader expressed concern over the situation in Mariupol, and called for an immediate ceasefire, local media reported.

--IANS

int/shs

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South Korean Embassy officials have started withdrawing from their temporary mission in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv as Russia has stepped up bombings in the region, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said.

They were evacuating to Hungary along with three South Korean nationals as the outskirts of the city of came under missile strikes and shelling by Russian forces on Friday, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"The members of the temporary mission in Lviv departed leading South Korean nationals in the morning and are moving to an area which the compatriots wanted," the Ministry official said.

The Embassy was relocated from the capital Kiev to three separate places, including Lviv, to support remaining Korean nationals in the war-ravaged country.

The two are in Ukraine's Chernivtsi and Romania.

There were five Korean nationals in the city and three of them joined the evacuation by vehicle, the official said, adding the Foreign Ministry will keep an eye on the other two, who reportedly decided to stay.

No damage was reported among South Koreans from the attacks in Lviv, the official added.

--IANS

ksk/

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Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, voted in favour of a shareholder proposal requesting Corp solicit buyout offers from private equity firms ahead of an extraordinary meeting on March 24.

The fund voted against the Japanese industrial conglomerate's plan to break itself up by spinning off its devices business, a voting record showed.

It owns 1.22% of Toshiba, according to Refinitiv.

Similarly, the State Board of Administration of Florida, with a 0.22% stake in Toshiba, voted against the management-backed break-up plan and in favour of the proposal from Singapore-based 3D Investment Partners.

Even though their stakes are small, support from such prominent institutional investors for 3D's proposal could add momentum to activist shareholder demands that the board fully explore alternatives to the break-up.

Earlier this week, one of Toshiba's external board directors said he would back 3D's proposal, breaking ranks with the public stance of the company board's.

has said there is no change in the board's opinion in opposing the shareholder proposal and that it will continue to make every effort to gain shareholder support for the break-up plan.

Glass Lewis, an influential proxy advisory firm, has backed 3D's proposal but rival Institutional Shareholder Services has not recommended voting for it even though it is opposed to the spin-off plan.

Explaining the rational for its vote, Norway's fund - operated by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) - said it considers such factors as whether there is sufficient transparency and whether all shareholders are treated equitably when evaluating corporate transactions.

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Ukraine's interior minister said Friday that it will take years to defuse unexploded ordnances after the Russian invasion.

Speaking to The Associated Press in the besieged Ukrainian capital, Denys Monastyrsky said that the country will need Western assistance to cope with the massive task once the war is over.

A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at and a large part haven't exploded, they remain under the rubble and pose a real threat, Monastyrsky said. It will take years, not months, to defuse them.

In addition to the unexploded Russian ordnances, the Ukrainian troops also have planted land mines at bridges, airports and other key infrastructure to prevent Russians from using them.

We won't be able to remove the mines from all that territory, so I asked our partners and colleagues from the European Union and the United States to prepare groups of experts to demine the areas of combat and facilities that came under shelling, Monastyrsky told the AP.

He noted that another top challenge is dealing with fires caused by the relentless Russian barrages. He said there's a desperate shortage of personnel and equipment to deal with the fires amid the constant shelling.

___



KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA- WAR:



has attacked the outskirts of the western city of Lviv, a crossroads for people fleeing the war and for entering to deliver aid or fight.

President Vladimir Putin appeared at a huge patriotic rally in Moscow and praised the Russian military



President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping spoke as the White House looks to deter Beijing from providing assistance to .

Rescuers search for survivors at a Mariupol theater hit by Russian airstrike; 130 rescued, hundreds still missing



- An estimated 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million who have already fled the country



OTHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY:



UNITED NATIONS Russia's first deputy U.N. ambassador says Twitter has blocked his account, accusing him of abuse and harassment, due to a tweet about the maternity hospital in the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

This is very deplorable, Dmitry Polyansky told reporters after a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday, and this clearly illustrates how much alternative view and free press, and free information is valued by Twitter and in this country.

Polyansky, who had more than 22,000 followers and was a prolific Twitter user, said he received a message earlier Friday from Twitter's cloud service saying he was violating Twitter's rules and was engaged in abuse and harassment.

He said Twitter referred to his warning in a tweet on March 7 that the hospital in Mariupol had been turned into a military object by radicals. Very disturbing that UN spreads disinformation without verification.

Associated Press journalists, who have been reporting from inside blockaded Mariupol since early in the war, documented the March 10 attack on the maternity hospital and saw the victims and damage firsthand. They shot video and photos of several bloodstained, pregnant mothers fleeing the blown-out maternity ward as medical workers shouted and children cried.

___



PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to lift the siege of Mariupol, allow humanitarian access and order an immediate cease-fire, Macron's office said.

Macron spoke with the Russian leader on the phone for 70 minutes. Earlier in the day, Putin had a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also pressed for an immediate cease-fire.

Macron, who has spoken numerous times with Putin, revisited complaints over repeated attacks on civilians and Russia's failure to respect human rights in Ukraine, the presidential Elysee Palace said.

It said that Putin, in turn, laid the blame for the war on .

Macron, who is campaigning to renew his mandate in April elections, said during a town hall-style meeting shortly before the call that he talks to Putin because he believes there is a way toward peace, between the Ukrainian resistance, tough Western sanctions and diplomatic pressure. We must do everything to find it, he said.

___



KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian officer in charge of defending the region around the country's capital says his forces are well positioned to defend the city.

Maj. Gen. Oleksandr Pavlyuk said in an interview with The Associated Press that the enemy is halted, adding that we are improving this system of defensive lines to make Kyiv inapproachable for the enemy.

Despite three weeks of Russian bombardment, Ukraine has kept up a stiff defense of its cities. Fighting continued in Kyiv's suburbs, depriving thousands of heat and clean water.

From time to time, the enemy tests our defenses, said Pavlyuk, a battle-hardened officer who earned his rank by leading Ukrainian troops in the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that erupted in 2014. But our boys are strong in their positions and also play an active role in preventing the enemy to fulfill their plans.

Pavlyuk, who has been put in charge of Kyiv's defenses earlier this week, said that the Russians are using the same tactics as they used in the east to target civilian structures to try to break Ukraine's resistance.

That's why now that war has been transformed into killing civilians, destroying civilian infrastructure, to frighten our people to the maximum, he said. But we will never give up.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for action against racial discrimination.

"Realizing the vision of a world free of and racial discrimination demands action every day, at every level, in every society," he told a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

"Today and every day, let us unite around our common humanity and speak as one for equality, respect, justice and dignity for all," the UN chief was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights. It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and stymies an inclusive and sustainable recovery from Covid-19, said Guterres.

is also a catalyst of coarsening public discourse that normalizes hate, denies dignity, and spurs violence. The linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable, he said.

No country is immune from intolerance, nor free of hate. Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent, minority communities, indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, and so many -- all continue to confront stigmatization, scapegoating, discrimination, and violence, he added.

"We all have a responsibility to engage in solidarity with movements for equality and human rights everywhere. And we must extend solidarity to everyone fleeing conflict or persecution without any discrimination based on race, religion or ethnicity. We must speak out against hate speech, offline and online. We must defend civic space by protecting free expression and assembly, the bedrock of pluralist, peaceful and inclusive societies. We need a renewed social contract, based on rights and opportunities for all, to tackle poverty and exclusion, invest in education, and rebuild trust and social cohesion."

In line with human rights obligations and commitments, member states must show stronger political will to accelerate action for racial justice and equality, Guterres said.

The Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination falls on March 21.

--IANS

int/shs

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Washington's efforts to pressurize into opening up the tightly guarded region have not succeeded as a new report assessment indicated that foreign diplomats, journalists and tourists were "systematically" denied access to China's autonomous region over the past year.

The dire assessment comes despite attempts by Washington to force Beijing to relax the limits it has long imposed on Tibet, including by sanctioning Chinese officials involved in formulating or enacting those restrictions, reported Policy Research Group (POREG)

Compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and China's closure of the US embassy in neighbouring Sichuan province, there was no sign of a loosening of restrictions compared with 2020, the State Department said in an annual report to Congress published on Thursday.

The obstacles, the report alleged, included harassment of US journalists, the stonewalling of diplomats' engagements with locals in Tibetan areas outside Tibet, and the refusal by the Chinese government to greenlight any visits to by the US charge d'affaires at its Beijing embassy.

"(China's) security forces used conspicuous monitoring to intimidate US diplomats and officials including while on personal travel to Tibetan areas, followed them, prevented them from meeting or speaking with local contacts, harassed them, and restricted their movement in these areas," the report said.

The report also noted that US efforts to access had been "severely" constrained by China's closure of Washington's consulate in Sichuan's Chengdu in July 2020 - in retaliation for the US government's closure of a Chinese consulate in Houston over accusations of espionage, reported POREG.

The report also said that rejections of tourists' applications to visit had increased around politically sensitive times, including the March anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule and the Dalai Lama's birthday in July.

Despite the remote and sparsely populated western region experiencing low infection rates during the pandemic, authorities in Tibet and surrounding provinces implemented "heavily" restrictive travel limits that had stayed in place for much of the past year, according to the report.

The restrictions, alleged the State Department, had been used by Chinese authorities as a "pretext" for detaining, harassing or removing US journalists from reporting in regions near Tibet, reported POREG.

The State Department report comes weeks after Freedom House, a US-based democracy watchdog, ranked Tibet as the least free territory in the world - alongside Syria and South Sudan - for the second year in a row.

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The United States does not allow to agree to the conditions put forward by in the negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Saturday.

According to Lavrov, the dialogues have improved, but the United States can "hold the hand" of the Ukrainian delegation. At the same time, the minister expressed hope that the military operation would end with a comprehensive agreement on the neutral status of with security guarantees for it, RT reported.

Commenting on the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Lavrov noted that these events were the culmination of the course that the West has pursued against since the early 1990s.

Lavrov also noted that statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he does not support neo-Nazis are at odds with his real actions.

"To my great regret and shame, President Zelensky declares that how can he be a Nazi when he is of Jewish origin, and he says this exactly on the days when defiantly withdraws from the agreement on the protection of monuments of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War - such an agreement within the framework of the CIS existed," Lavrov said.

The minister added that when Zelensky patronises such trends, it becomes "difficult to take the policies of the Ukrainian leadership seriously".

--IANS

san/arm

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Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters are the best examples of a good gunship with no equivalent to NATO, with higher speeds than the AH-64.

But as of later, their lethality is still with a strong punch against unarmored targets, but they fell against mere infantry when they should have flown with impunity. Several have been shot down in the conflict with Ukraine, and there is a reason why it's happening.

Russian Attack Helicopters

If went toe to toe with an Apache AH-64 E, the co-axial Alligator gunship would be facing equal chances, but against odds in Ukraine; its mind-boggling, reported the 19FortyFive.

In another conflict, the presence of the Soviet Gators would make adversaries sweat, but not the Ukrainians. The Daily Mail noted that Ukraine shot down four of these attack gunships.

The development of the Kamov Alligator is different from western gunship with a different set of precepts, cited Air Force Technology.

The 34 Kamovs that accompanied troops and special forces spearheaded the blitzing attack on Ukraine to gain control of the Antonov strategic airport at Gostomel.

The mission of the fast gunships was to hammer the defenders and allow a crushing blow in the morning of February 24. Its role is to dash in and wreck anti-air and troops with speed, but losses happened.

Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters would fly in 1997 for the first time and be built starting in 2008, and by 2011 it was used by the Russian Air Force.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth?

A total of 70 are in service, with side-by-side tandem seating equipped with helmet-mounted display and heads-up-display on the frontal windshield to manage targets.

It has a modern and advanced electronic countermeasures suite; jamming pod, radar warning, and the laser detect system. There is chaff and flares to escape heat-seeking missiles as well. But they were hit by man-portable air-defense that was not supposed to happen.

a-52s are made to fight with speed and agility in most airspace, with a top speed of 192 miles per hour and powered by a dual turboshaft engine. Armor is placed on critical parts of the gunship to survive minor arms hits, like armor all over the cockpit. Russian sources show that despite shot choppers with them with videos with successful assaults.

Soviet-era Weapons System

Armed with heat seekers, the Ukrainians were able to counter the Ka-52 heavy weapons load; Ukrainians destroyed the radar-guided missiles, but Soviet-era style Strelas or Iglas portable missiles were effective in this case, remarked Military Today.

An example of the loadout is a 30-millimeter dual cannon, anti-armor missiles on wings; other weapons are rocket launchers for massive missile attacks. It means the heat seekers are finding their mark too often, which is not suitable for Russian planners because simple weapons quickly took down a modern chopper. Similar to Afghanistan, that is not good.

The Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters need to fly at higher altitudes and use flares to stop heat seekers more, needing to adjust how to go in fast and dismantle defense by flying high and fast, with improved tactics.

Related Article: AH-64 Apache Lacks Long Range Missile; Army Will Hold Trials to Develop One Asap

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Norwegian authorities were searching Friday for a U.S. Marine Corps that went missing during a training exercise.

Norway's military said in a statement that the Marine Osprey was reported missing Friday night when it did not make a scheduled arrival at the Arctic Circle municipality Bod. The civilian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Northern launched a search and rescue operation.

Late Friday, Norway's military said, discoveries were made from the air south of Bod, adding, Due to the weather conditions, it has not been possible to enter the site from the air.

The Marine Corps said on Twitter, We can confirm an incident has occurred involving a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey . ... The cause of the incident is under investigation, and additional details will be provided as available.

said the aircraft, which has a crew of four, was participating in the military exercise Cold Response, in which NATO members train and operate along with Norwegian forces under harsh winter conditions. It said the exercise was planned and informed about long before the war in Ukraine.

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A bipartisan group of US Senators from the Observer Group sent President five proposals for the alliance amid tensions with Russia over their military operation in Ukraine, according to a letter sent by the Senators to Biden.

"As members of the Senate Observer Group, we wish to convey robust bipartisan support ahead of your trip to Brussels next week for this extraordinary Summit... We support your efforts to maintain transatlantic strength and unity at this critical moment for the alliance and have outlined a number of key issues we wish to convey ahead of your visit to Brussels," the letter, first obtained by Politico on Friday, said.

The Senators in the letter first called on Biden to convey the US Congress's support for NATO and express their appreciation to countries that recently decided to expedite or increase defence spending commitments.

The Senators then encouraged NATO and its members to urgently consider all options to support and take seriously President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for military equipment to defend Ukrainian skies, the letter said.

The letter then urged Biden to request NATO to bolster its presence on its eastern flank, including the establishment of an Enhanced Forward Presence in Romania.

The Senators also requested NATO increase its engagement in the Balkans region and consider contingency measures in the event that Russia vetoes the renewal of the EU Forces mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the letter said.

Lastly, the Senators in the letter urged Biden to consider making an additional stop to a NATO member country, either Romania or a Baltic state, to convey strong US support to the region.

Signatories of the letter include Senators Jeanne Shaheen, John Barrasso, Cory Booker and Marco Rubio among .

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Ukrainian President has warned that will pay a "high price" for its conflict with Ukraine, the presidential press service said.

"By attacking us, they will destroy everything that Russian society has achieved over the past 25 years," Zelensky said in an address to the nation.

In a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Russian President criticised Kiev for "trying to delay the negotiation process in every way possible, putting forward more unrealistic proposals", Xinhua news agency reported.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held several rounds of negotiations in a bid to broker a solution to the conflict between the two countries.

--IANS

int/shs

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Amid Russia's plan to transfer their troops from Armenia to support offensive against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video on Saturday, saying that he wants a serious conversation with Moscow as "the time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine".

"I want everyone to hear me now, especially (those) in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting; it is time to talk," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

Zelenskyy also accused Moscow in the video of blocking the humanitarian assistance in the war-torn cities of Ukraine, stating that "this is a deliberate tactic..".

Al Jazeera further quoted Zelenskyy saying that " will have to answer for it (the blocking of humanitarian assistance..."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian armed forces said that will be transferring their troops from Armenia, according to the media outlet, The Kyiv independent.

planned to deploy their troops from the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia to support its offensive against Ukraine, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Earlier on Friday Zelenskyy spoke to European Council President Charles Michel and discussed further strengthening of support to the war-torn country and also the membership of the European Union (EU) for Ukraine

"Discussed with President of the Council Charles Michel @eucopresident further support to (Ukraine) in countering (Russian) aggression, strengthening the anti-war coalition, prospects for restoring peace in (Ukraine). Special attention was paid to our movement towards membership in the #EU," Zelenskyy said in a tweet.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed the issue of the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict while talking about the efforts to bring an end to the war.

The developments came amidst the scheduled visit of US President Joe Biden to Brussels on March 24 to attend an extraordinary NATO summit as well as participate in a European Council Summit.

On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.

Russia has been facing immense pressure from the community to stop its military operations in which has created an immense humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees from Ukraine fleeing to the neighbouring countries to the West.

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Digital Editor
Tata Elxsi has launched TEngage, the first-ever truly digital health platform designed for omnichannel care at the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition being held in Orlando, Florida from 14-18 March 2022.

Tata Elxsi's TEngage allows hospitals and healthcare providers to offer a unified patient experience across all channels and delivers healthcare anytime, anywhere.

In contrast to the digital health solutions in the market, TEngage is cloud-based, fully customizable and allows hospitals to implement modules with just the required features, and keeping the deployment and operational cost in check. The HIPAA compliant platform supports a variety of third-party tools and can be seamlessly integrated with the organization's existing IT infrastructure.

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For this weekend T N Ninan brings out the multiple dimensions in the Ukraine conflict, which has a lot of the past in it.

Aditi Phadnis explains why, with the BJP getting a majority in both, defections in Manipur and Goa, both small states, will stop.

Sandeep Goyal says for Airbnb and Etsy.com, the Ukraine conflict has come as completely unexpected brand boosters.
The is trying to lure 10 MLAs in ahead of the assembly polls there, an adviser to Chief Minister has claimed.

Sanyam Lodha, the independent MLA from Sirohi in Rajasthan, also said that he has informed the leadership and its unit chief, Raghu Sharma, about the "inputs" he has received.

Assembly elections in are scheduled to be held at the end of this year.

The is trying to lure "10 MLAs ahead of the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections. Be alert", Lodha tweeted in Hindi on Friday.

In the tweet, he has tagged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress and the party's Gujarat unit.

"I have warned the Congress. I have inputs about it and that is why I have informed the party. I informed Raghu Sharma 20 days ago... There was no movement from his side so I have tagged the party high command to alert it," Lodha told PTI.

He said, "This is bound to happen if you remain in a slumber. We are anti- and it is our responsibility to raise an alert."



Before the Rajya Sabha elections in 2020, eight Congress MLAs in Gujarat had resigned and later joined the BJP.

At that time, the Congress had shifted its MLAs from Gujarat to Jaipur fearing horse-trading.

Recently, five former Congress MLAs joined the BJP. The Congress now has 65 MLAs in Gujarat.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several AAP MLAs who emerged as giant killers by defeating political stalwarts of rival parties in the Punjab Assembly polls did not find a place in Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's cabinet.

Among these are Labh Singh Ugoke, who defeated former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi in the Bhadaur assembly segment by a margin of 37,558 votes, and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, who beat Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal in his traditional Lambi seat by 11,396 votes.

While Ugoke once ran a mobile repair shop, Khuddian had joined the AAP after quitting the Congress last year.

Jeevanjyot Kaur (50), a social activist, won from the Amritsar East seat, defeating former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia from the Amritsar East seat.

Charanjit Singh, an eye surgeon, made Channi bite the dust in his home constituency Chamkaur Sahib.

AAP candidate Ajit Pal Singh Kohli defeated two-time chief minister Amarinder Singh in Patiala Urban, while Jagdeep Kamboj trounced SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in Jalalabad.

Some of the two-time MLAs, including Aman Arora, Baljinder Kaur and Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, also did not get ministerial berths.

Ten AAP MLAs, including a woman, were inducted in the Mann-led cabinet in Punjab here on Saturday.

Barring Harpal Singh Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, eight others are first-time MLAs.

There are 18 berths in the cabinet, including the chief minister.

The AAP stormed to power after winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. Mann took oath as Punjab chief minister on Wednesday.

(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.)
Opening arguments in the trial of former Theranos CEO Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani were postponed on Wednesday when a COVID-19 patient was exposed to someone in the courtroom.

Balwani, Elizabeth Holmes' ex-boyfriend and the former chief operating officer of the now-defunct technology business, has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges, according to The New York Post.

As a precaution, the federal judge presiding over the case in San Jose sent everyone home on Wednesday. According to US District Court Judge Edward Davila, someone who attended jury selection on Tuesday was exposed to the virus but tested negative. The court gave those in attendance testing kits.

The trial is set to start on Friday, but it could be postponed until the following week. Balwani's trial was supposed to begin on February 15, but it was delayed due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant.

Balwani's trial comes only weeks after Holmes was found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on several counts. She might be sentenced to up to 80 years in jail. The date of her sentence has been set for September.

Who is Ramesh Balwani?

Ramesh Balwani was born in 1965 in Pakistan. His Sindhi Hindu family later migrated to the United States. According to court records, Balwani was married to a Japanese artist Keiko Fujimoto. They lived together in San Francisco. In 2002, their marriage ended in divorce.

A report from The New York Times indicated that Balwani started his career in Microsoft. Later on, he joined CommerceBid.com as president of the start-up in 1999. The company made platforms that aimed to reduce costs by allowing companies to make suppliers compete with others. Within one year, the company was bought for $225 million as per Business Insider. Balwani reportedly left with $40 million, despite the company's collapse later.

Read Also: Elizabeth Holmes: 5 Things to Know About Theranos Founder Before Release of 'The Dropout' TV Series

Balwani-Holmes Romance

During the beginnings of Theranos, Balwani and Holmes became friends. They met on a trip to Beijing, which was under the Mandarin immersion program of Stanford University. Eventually, their relationship turned into romance, and they decided to live together in a condo in Palo Alto in 2005. Holmes was 18 years old at the time, and Balwani was 37.

Theranos' board of directors planned to replace Holmes as CEO with someone with more expertise in 2008. She eventually persuaded the board to let her remain, in part by promising to hire Balwani, who she claimed would make the company get back on track. However, Holmes did not disclose their actual relationship.

Balwani became Holmes' right-hand man in 2009 after giving Theranos a personal loan somewhere between $12 and $14 million after the company's tank ran empty.

Employees at Theranos referred to Balwani, who was president and COO at the time, as "the enforcer." He was in charge of the company's day-to-day operations. But scientists at the company expressed their disbelief that Balwani was making strategic judgments despite his lack of medical experience.

Men's Health reported that Holmes said Balwani had verbally and sexually harassed her during her trial in 2021. She claimed he did not have power over her or force her to lie to investors, but he had an impact on everything she did. She brought aloud texts he sent to her during her trial, supposedly to prove how he controlled her by directing her how to dress and what to drink and eat. Balwani denied her accusations as per SCMP.

Related Article: Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud, Faces 4 Federal Charges

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Short-distance rural tourism grew more popular in Chinas capital during this years Labor Day holiday amid curbs on travel to control the pandemic. Bookings for hotels and homestays outside urban areas started earlier than usual for this years five-day national holiday, with volumes climbing since April 10. Despite Covid control measures, most scenic spots in suburban areas remain open, though visitors are required to present negative Covid-19 test results to enter

May 04, 2022 03:50 PM
The key report this week is February New Home sales.



For manufacturing, the March Richmond and Kansas City manufacturing surveys will be released.



Also Fed Chair Powell speaks on the economic outlook, and Fed Governor Waller discusses the U.S. housing market.





----- Monday, March 21st -----

----- Tuesday, March 22nd -----

----- Wednesday, March 23rd -----

----- Thursday, March 24th -----

----- Friday, March 25th -----

8:30 AM ET:for February. This is a composite index of other data.12:00 PM:, At the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) Annual Economic Policy Conference, Washington, D.C10:00 AM:for March.7:00 AM ET: The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the8:00 AM:, At the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Summit 2022 (Virtual) 10:00 AM:for February from the Census Bureau.This graph shows New Home Sales since 1963. The dashed line is the sales rate for last month.The consensus is for 815 thousand SAAR, up from 801 thousand in January.During the day: The AIA'sfor February (a leading indicator for commercial real estate).8:30 AM: Thereport will be released. The consensus is for an increase to 215 thousand from 214 thousand last week.8:30 AM:for February from the Census Bureau. The consensus is for a 0.5% dncrease in durable goods orders.9:10 AM:, At the Tel Aviv University and Rutgers University Webinar: Recent Fiscal and Monetary Policies and Implications for US and Israeli Real Estate Markets (Virtual)11:00 AM: thefor March.10:00 AM:for February. The consensus is for a 1.5% increase in the index.10:00 AM:(Final for March). The consensus is for a reading of 59.7.10:00 AM:, February 2022
Risks posed by worldwide U.S.-funded biolabs cause jitters around globe

Xinhua) 13:55, March 19, 2022

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia's recent disclosure about the U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine has sent jitters around the globe.

Besides Ukraine, the United States has been funding secret biolabs in many countries around the world. The truth behind these biolabs and the risks of leakage of some dangerous pathogens have sparked serious concern in the international community.

SECRETIVE BIOLABS

The Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) is part of the U.S. Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program, according to a fact sheet of the defense ministry published on March 11.

Since 2005, when the BTRP has partnered with the government of Ukraine, the United States has invested approximately 200 million U.S. dollars in Ukraine, supporting 46 Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that in addition to over 30 biolabs in Ukraine, the United States has created "hundreds of such laboratories" in other countries.

According to publicly available data, 336 laboratories in about 30 countries receive funding from the BTRP.

The research work conducted by these defense ministry-funded biolabs is highly classified.

Although U.S. officials have dismissed the questions about these biolabs as "disinformation" and "conspiracy theories," there have been calls for Washington to comply with the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and make clarifications on related issues.

In face of the documents, pictures and objects discovered by Russia in Ukraine, the United States should make related information public, fully explain its biological research at home and abroad, and accept multilateral verification.

Alastair Hay, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Leeds in Britain, said: "the United States has been supporting various laboratories in the Ukraine through a post-Cold War program. As I understand it, these labs are generally involved in disease surveillance."

"It is unclear why the United States needs to support this work and why, for example, it is not happening under WHO guidance," said the professor.

POTENTIAL DANGERS

The United States claimed that it has funded biolabs in other countries to "contain biological threats." And yet these labs turn out to be have been designed to store and deal with dangerous pathogens and toxins.

Take Ukraine. A 2012 report by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences said that some Ukrainian labs have been upgraded to the level needed to handle some of the more dangerous pathogens such as anthrax.

Some media reports noted that the U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine were set up to create a mechanism for the covert spread of lethal pathogens, which has raised fresh disquietude about potential pathogen leakage.

Why did the United States choose to fund biolabs in Ukraine, which is not a rich country in Europe and does not excel in biomedical research?

While explaining the history of the U.S. biolab program in Ukraine to The American Conservative, Jonathan Askonas, an assistant professor of politics at the Catholic University of America, said the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) increased its activities in peripheral countries of the former Soviet Union. Ukraine was particularly attractive as it has a lot of skilled STEM workers and had a U.S.-friendly government.

The U.S.-linked labs in Ukraine are not bioweapons facilities, Robert Pope, director of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, also known as the updated Nunn-Lugar program, was quoted by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as saying. The current Ukraine-Russia conflict may put at risk a network of the labs that work with dangerous pathogens.

Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has been condemned as a "traitor" for tweeting that more than 25 "U.S.-funded bio labs" in Ukraine which, if breached, would release and spread "deadly pathogens". She called for a ceasefire "now around these labs until they're secured and pathogens destroyed."

On Thursday, the World Health Organization advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens stored in the country's labs to prevent "any potential spills."

HALF-HEARTED U.S. MEDIA

In disregard of the worldwide concern over the U.S.-funded overseas biological laboratories, the U.S. mainstream news outlets, which always flaunt the so-called "freedom of the press," have kept silent and just parroted what the U.S. government has said without any verification.

"What is in those Ukrainian biological labs that make them so worrisome and dangerous?" independent journalist Glenn Greenwald queried in an article published on March 9, one day after U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland admitted that "Ukraine has biological research facilities" when testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

"If these labs are merely designed to find a cure for cancer or create safety measures against pathogens, why, in Nuland's mind, would it have anything to do with a biological and chemical weapons program in Ukraine?" he asked.

The United States has been working with Ukraine to "eliminate biological weapons" left behind by the Soviet Union since 2005, but over the past 17 years, "the Pentagon has not finished removing test tubes from Soviet era freezers," said FOX news anchor Tucker Carlson.

"How does that work exactly? How heavy are these bio weapons? When was the Pentagon planning to finish this important job?" Carlson asked. "Those all seem like very obvious questions, but not a single (U.S.) reporter asked any of those questions."

"Instead of government and media actors leveling with the American people about a complex reality, they engaged in a shameful and self-defeating coverup under the guise of 'fighting misinformation.'" noted Askonas.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
United States President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in a call on Friday morning wherein the two most influential leaders talked about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The call started after 9 a.m. Eastern time and lasted for almost two hours, which is an unusual length of a phone conversation between two rival leaders.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' initial statement of the call, Xi stressed that both the US and China were responsible for promoting peace.

The White House said Biden explained the ramifications and "consequences" if China gives material support to Russia during the phone call.

While Washington did not provide detail on the consequences or how the US would define "material support," press secretary Jen Psaki indicated China's immense trade flows could be affected.

Pentagon sources reported that Moscow had sought Beijing for military and economic support in its campaign against Ukraine, and initial intelligence reports indicate that China has agreed.

According to US sources, China is unlikely to send Russia with major offensive weapons such as tanks or jets. Instead, officials anticipate China will send smaller supplies like food, ammo, spare parts, or monitoring equipment. But officials believe that China may provide financial assistance to Russia to let it cope with the impacts of Western sanctions, though it's unclear that the move will be able to mitigate the effects of the US and European sanctions.

Despite the unfriendly relationship between Washington and Beijing, the conversation between Biden and Xi was more productive than experts had predicted, according to a Chinese government readout as reported by CNBC.

The US, China Need To Coexist

The second readout released on Friday afternoon said that Xi and Biden "share the view that China and the US need to respect each other," "coexist in peace," refrain from confrontation and "improve communication and dialogue."

According to China's foreign ministry, Xi told Biden that the war in Ukraine must end the soonest time possible and called on NATO member nations to hold a dialogue with Moscow. He did not, however, blame Russia for the invasion, based on Beijing's statements about the call per Bloomberg report.

Xi underscored the "top priorities" of the moment: to sustain the diplomatic talks, protect civilian lives, and "prevent a humanitarian crisis, cease firing," and "end the war as soon as possible."

The Chinese President also called for Russia-Ukraine diplomacy and recommended that the US and NATO hold talks with Russia to settle the "core issue" of the Ukraine situation and come up with solutions for the security concerns of both countries.

Read Also: US VP Kamala Harris Needs To Brush Up on Foreign Policy Because She Mistakenly Called Ukraine a NATO Member

China-Taiwan Tensions Also Tackled

Xi also issued a warning to Biden regarding China's issue with Taiwan. He said that the United States "misread and misjudged" the intentions of Beijing. He noted that if the issue will not be addressed "properly," the ties between the two countries will sustain a "subversive impact."

However, Biden, according to a White House statement, "reiterated that US policy on Taiwan has not changed, and emphasized that the United States continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo."

Recently, Beijing has ramped up military flights near the island in dispute and warned against US involvement as per CNN report. Even if it did not appear that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan was likely in the early stages of the Ukraine crisis, there were suspicions that the Russian invasion might precede one.

Related Article: China: Experts Predict Major Economic Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown, But Xi Jinping Vows To Minimize Hit

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Ukrainian civilians receive weapons training in Lviv, Western Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. Fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine more than three weeks after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. U.N. bodies have confirmed more than 800 civilian deaths since the war began but say the real toll is considerably higher. The U.N. says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
County Health Department Director Nina Oliver expresses her concern over the rise in HIV/AIDS and syphilis cases in the county during the County Consolidated Human Services Board meeting Monday in the County Health Department conference room. (Cheryl Burke photo)
Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina chapter members gather Thursday outside the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality office in Raleigh to protest recent fisheries management actions. (David Sneed photo)
President Joe Biden talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping for over two hours on Friday morning, with the two leaders discussing China's connections to Russia amid the Ukraine crisis.

Biden cautioned Xi Jinping on Friday of consequences if China provides material support to Russia during the invasion of Ukraine. He also reiterated that the U.S. policy toward Taiwan "has not changed," according to the White House.

Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Discuss Russia-Ukraine War

The call, which began at 9:03 a.m. ET, was taken by Biden in the Situation Room at the White House. At 10:53 a.m., the call came to an end. According to the White House, Biden addressed the United States and its allies and partners' perspectives on the problem, per Fox News.

Biden also brushed off queries about his message to Xi after making remarks about a new government health research initiative on Friday. Xi stressed the "serious problems" throughout the world shortly after the conference ended, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Conflict and confrontation are not in anyone's interest", Xi Jinping said during his video call with Biden, as per the Republic World. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, at the high-level meeting, President Xi stated that the world is now "neither tranquil nor stable," and that the two countries must bear responsibility to lead it to peace.

It's worth noting that the two leaders' discussion takes place as the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its 23rd day on Friday. China's reaction to Russia's conflict in Ukraine has been chastised by U.S. officials.

China has also spoken out against the plethora of sanctions imposed on the Vladimir Putin-led government on several occasions. Previously, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Russia made misleading claims about the Ukraine war in a tweet, accusing China of backing the propaganda.

Read Also: Australia Broadens Sanctions Against Russian Banks and Billionaires, Threatens To Penalize China for Helping Russia

China Accused of Helping Russia Amid Intensfied Sanctions

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's conversation on Friday came only days after a meeting in Rome between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi. The said meeting between Sullivan and Yang was described by a senior administration official as an "intense, seven-hour discussion," per CBS News.

The Biden administration has "serious worries about China's alignment with Russia" as it continues its attacks in Ukraine, according to an official who briefed reporters on Sullivan's meeting. Furthermore, Sullivan was said to "direct" about the ramifications of "certain acts."

Sullivan raised a range of topics in U.S.-China relations, with extensive discussion of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, according to the White House. They also emphasized the importance of keeping open channels of communication between the two countries.

Wendy Sherman, the Deputy Secretary of State, is meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to the United States. Qin Gang arrived at the State Department on Friday, hours after Biden's meeting with Xi.

While many countries have distanced themselves from Russia in the aftermath of its three-week invasion of Ukraine and have banded together to impose severe sanctions on Moscow, Russia has turned to China for support and military aid and equipment, according to two US officials who spoke to CBS News earlier this week.

Related Article: Volodymyr Zelensky Issues Chilling World War 3 Warning Amid Russia 's Invasion of Ukraine: Civilization Is 'At Stake'

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Photo: The Canadian Press

Montreal police say they are investigating three separate attempted murders that happened at almost the same time late Friday night.

Sgt. Raphael Bergeron, a Montreal police spokesman, says a 19-year old who's unknown to police was stabbed with a knife at about 10:15 p.m. in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.

He was taken to the hospital for upper body injuries, but his condition is stable.

Bergeron said a few minutes later, two men were hit by gunfire multiple times, around 10:30 p.m., at different locations in the city's east end.

The first of the two, a 35-year old man, will have to undergo several surgeries, but his condition is stable.

Police say the second victim, another 19-year old, was sent to the hospital for serious injuries in the upper body, but his condition is also stable. Both victims are known to the police.
A woman from Netherlands national was allegedly raped inside a Jaipur hotel, said police on Friday.

She was allegedly sexually assaulted on the pretext of giving Ayurvedic massage in Jaipur's hotel.

The woman filed the complaint on Thursday at Sindhi Camp Police Station and the accused was arrested on Friday.

According to news agency ANI, Sindhi Camp Police Station House Officer (SHO), Gunjan Soni arrested the accused in just four hours after the case was registered.

The accused have been identified as Bijju Mulridharan, a resident of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.

He was arrested when he was trying to escape from Jaipur.

"A woman was allegedly assaulted on the pretext of giving an Ayurvedic massage in a hotel. The accused has been arrested and during interrogation, he confessed his crime. Medical examination of the woman has been done," said Gunjan Soni, Station House Officer (SHO), Sindhi Camp Police Station.

The victim who is a resident of the Netherlands, had come to visit India.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered and further investigation is underway.

(ANI)

Also Read: UP shocker: Seven-year-old girl allegedly raped in AyodhyaUP shocker: Seven-year-old girl allegedly raped in Ayodhya


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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.
The United States' top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has warned that the country may soon experience another COVID-19 surge amid what he called a "blip" in the UK.

The health professionals said that he expects an increase in the number of infections over the next few weeks, attributing the situation to the BA.2 coronavirus variant. However, he noted that the situation may not lead to a surge in hospitalizations or deaths of infected individuals.

Fauci on COVID-19

In an interview, Fauci said that he would not be surprised if, in the next few weeks, the United States sees either a flattening of the diminution or an increase. The infectious disease expert's remarks are based on conversations with colleagues in the UK, who are seeing a blip in cases. Often, the U.S. has followed the UK's pandemic trajectory by roughly three weeks.

Fauci noted that the UK's intensive care bed usage was not going up, which could mean that they were not seeing a blip of severe coronavirus cases. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the BA.2 variant, which is a more transmissible strain of the Omicron variant, now represents roughly 23% of all cases in the U.S., as per ABC News.

Furthermore, while the infectious disease expert predicted that the BA.2 variant will overtake the Omicron variant as the dominant strain in the future, it is not yet clear how severe it could be. Fauci said that whether or not the variant would cause a surge, a mini-surge, or a moderate surge, there are still many other things that are going on right now.

Read Also: China: Experts Predict Major Economic Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown, But Xi Jinping Vows To Minimize Hit

Over the last two months, coronavirus infections in the United States have decreased dramatically with the average number of new cases having totaled just over 30,000. After two years of the health crisis, the U.S. has begun easing COVID-19 restrictions, including masking and social distancing.

According to The Hill, all of the states in the country have chosen to remove their mask mandates as the CDC said that the majority of regions in the U.S. no longer need to mandate masks whenever people are indoors.

Cases in the U.S.

During the interview with Judy Woodruff, Fauci said that the United States, as a country, was heading down the right path with regards to the coronavirus pandemic. The White House chief medical adviser said that the combination of vaccination immunity and immunity associated with prior infection could stave off severe diseases.

Fauci noted that there were roughly 67% of the total population of the U.S. have been fully vaccinated with about 70% of the adults. He added that only about 50% of the citizens who are eligible for a booster shot have gotten their boosters.

The infectious disease expert said that as the country is "tiptoeing back to normality" people need to prevent doing the kinds of things that will set the nation back. He noted that psychologically the nation was not ready to go back to normal, but he stressed that the vaccination and boosters could help ease the transition, PBS News Hour reported.



Related Article: Canada Removes Testing Requirements for Fully Vaccinated Travelers, Citing Stable COVID-19 Case Count

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Ms. Wamp,

In reply to your recent statements regarding the NAACP Id like you to know that those for or against your candidacy would respect you more if youd simply gone to your Republican forum and said, I really dont give a d--n about the African American vote. Thank you for your time.

In my humble opinion what you and others of your persuasion fail to understand about ethnic communities is that family is, and always will be, Family. That even old Uncle Johnny is afforded respect at the Family reunion. That the DJ knows that in order to get the party started one is expected to play The Supremes before Destinys Child.



Oh Ms. Wamp, you claim to want my and my Familys vote, but Im writing to inform you that in our Family, around our dinner tables, in our churches, the NAACP is a Sacred institution. How could you imagine that maligning an organization whose only death can keep me from it membership rolls once included Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the little known heroine of Stantonsburg, N.C. Dora Mae Farmer, whose sons (my father included) had to extinguish a fiery cross on their small farm, lit by, no doubt, G0d-fearing hooded men; how could you think that your disparaging words would result in you receiving the coveted and hard fought for Black vote?



To be clearin case you are still a bit confusedyour statements about the NAACP at an election event for Republicans was about as fruitful at garnering African American votes as Eleanor Roosevelt was for her Democratic husband Franklin, from the Daughters of the American Revolution, after she invited Marian Anderson to sing on the steps of The Lincoln Memorial.

Gwendolyn Green

* * *

Ms. Green, let me remind you that I am the only candidate in this race who has served as a public defender. In that position I served the entire county well, including so many criminal defendants in the urban community.

Per my opponents website there are 44 employees in his office. Three of them are black. I have committed to at least doubling that number because in an office that is supposed to serve all of this community, three out of 44 is unacceptable.

Also, how many times in the last eight years do you recall hearing from the district attorney when it comes to crimes that have affected the black community? Did you hear anything from him when the three children were shot in the West Village in 2020? Did you hear from him when the beautiful young black girl was shot outside of Southside Social in 2018? Did you hear from him after seven women were shot and two were killed on Grove Street last fall? No. You didnt. Hes not interested in helping the black community, hes had eight years to do that. Hes interested in votes.

As for law enforcementthe district attorney is part of law enforcement. The DA is the chief law enforcement officer in the judicial district per Tennessee state law. One of many reasons I am so adamant about supporting law enforcement is because the district attorney is law enforcement. Im not running for judge. Judges are the neutral party. I will be fair and impartial, I will seek truth and justice, but I will not stand in front of a jury and remain neutral. Ill fight for victims and Ill enforce the law.

Dont let a political candidate divide us any further. We agree on mostly everything. We all have the same goal. My goal is to make this city safer. My goal is to reduce the number of phone calls grandmothers have to get telling them their grandson has been shot. My goal is to reduce the number of pills sold to our young people with no regard to whether they live or die. My goal is to make sure that next year, unlike last year, we prosecute more than three of 91 child sex abuse cases that come through the system.

Lets unite. Lets rally around the issue of public safety. Lets help each other. Lets talk about solutions.

Coty Wamp

Candidate for District Attorney

* * *

Ms. Wamp wants to shift attention away from her divisive comments. It is becoming increasingly clear that she lacks the necessary experience, maturity, and knowledge of both history and the law to hold any office in Hamilton County.

For the past several months Ive largely ignored her lies and vitriol, choosing to take the high road and focus on the important work the people of Hamilton County elected me to perform. The media has not held her accountable for the misrepresentations and invented statistics shes peddled.

The three cases Ms. Wamp mentions are unsolved. Under Tennessee law, a District Attorney General is prohibited from discussing pending criminal investigations. Ms. Wamp knows this because I explained the law when we made a joint appearance several weeks ago. Yet she deliberately continues to mislead the public about this and almost every other claim shes made about my office.

Not only does she disregard the law, she doesnt know basic facts about the DAs Office. I have 57 employees, not 44, and as District Attorney General Ive hired more minorities than all my predecessors combined. My office prosecuted far more than three child abuse cases within the last year.

Ive heard from the NAACP, various African American pastors, and other key community leaders in recent days who know I am committed to safe communities, decreased crime, and equal treatment under the law for everyone in Hamilton County. They also know, as does everyone in Hamilton County, that I am the only candidate qualified to be the District Attorney.

I encourage everyone in Hamilton County to watch the upcoming DA debates scheduled for March 29, April 4 and April 5. These events will give voters a clear understanding of which candidate is the prosecutor, which is the politician, and which one has the maturity and experience to uphold the solemn duties of the office.

Neal Pinkston
Legislation designed to shift under-utilized public school buildings to charter schools looked like it was dead this week but then resurfaced the same day, drawing a rebuke from a subcommittee chairman.

The sharp words came Tuesday from Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, as Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, introduced a bill, HB591, giving charter schools the first right of refusal to public school buildings not operating at 50 percent capacity or more and a shot at a cheap lease or price less than the market would bring.

Williams brought the bill before the House K-12 Subcommittee not long after Rep. Mark White, chairman of the House Education Administration Committee, took a similar bill off notice in the House Instruction Subcommittee chaired by Cepicky. That bill also would have made it easier for charter operators to open schools, in part by sidestepping the local school board and obtaining approval from a state charter authorizer appointed by the governor.

Cepicky contended that the lobbying firm pushing the legislation spent five weeks trying to pass it in the House Education Instruction Committee and refused to make changes lawmakers sought dealing with property sales at fair market value, a price agreed to by the seller and buyer without pressure.

Such a law, though, could cost Metro Nashville taxpayers millions of dollars because of the escalating price of property.

Cepicky noted Williams bill shows how the legislative process can be circumvented by lobbyists.

If you get a committee you dont like, you just amend the bill so itll get shifted into another committee, one that is more favorable to you, Cepicky said. Thats the first thing I take issue with.

Williams did not respond directly to Cepickys complaint but noted in the discussion it was the first education bill he has sponsored this year.

Ultimately, Williams postponed consideration of the bill on Tuesday because of questions lawmakers raised.

The legislation would make it easier for charter schools to take over public school buildings if 50 percent or less of the building is in use.

Critics of the legislation point out nearly any school building could be defined as under-utilized if it has a low number of students in classrooms or because of large spaces such as auditoriums, gymnasiums and career and technical education wings.

Lawmakers are leery of changes in charter school rules amid reports that Gov. Bill Lee invited Michigan-based Hillsdale College to start 100 charter schools in Tennessee. The college announced it is starting a nonprofit organization that will focus on charter operations in Tennessee, but the colleges president reportedly said he wants only 50 here.

Applications have been made for these classical charters in Williamson and Montgomery counties. But Gov. Lee said this week state law does not allow religious-affiliated schools to be opened as public schools.

Williams, meanwhile, contended that an agreement would have to be made by the public school system and the charter organization and that if the school district decided to sell the property it could get more than fair market value.

Opponents of the bill differ.

Cepicky pointed out that, based on the legislation, Maury County Schools in his district could be on the hook for $20 million worth of asbestos removal at McDowell Elementary School if a charter operator decided to take over the building.

Rep. Harold Love, D-Nashville, also raised questions about the bill when he noted Metro Nashville Public Schools had several buildings it started using for other purposes several years ago. The legislation could force the district into negotiating a sale with a charter organization, he said.

Williams responded that the property owner could sell it to another buyer if it cant reach an agreement with the charter organization. But Love said he is concerned about putting extra pressure on school districts.

For whatever reason, theres bad blood sometimes between the entities, Love said.

Likewise, state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, called Williams bill troubling. He stopped short of saying it was identical to the bill taken off notice by White, R-East Memphis.

However, he raised questions, saying it could apply to a teacher training building, which isnt used for student classrooms, next to Eakin Elementary School in Nashville.

Clemmons also said Hillwood High School in West Nashville, which is being closed because of construction on a new Hillwood High closer to Bellevue, could be considered vacant once the new site opens.

The community wants to turn the old campus into a park and community center, and he raised concerns that the legislation would give a charter school operator the ability to usurp the will of local residents. He noted property transfers often run into problems, stretching out the time it would take for Metro Nashville Parks to take over the building.

Williams countered that if an intended use for the building was in place, a charter organization wouldnt be able to take over the building, unless it sat empty for an extended period.

Nevertheless, after a short recess, Williams said he would try to come up with answers and postpone consideration of the bill until the end of the subcommittees calendar.
A bill to expand the federal E-Verify program progressed in the legislature Tuesday as part of an effort to crack down on employment of undocumented workers.

The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted to amend SB1780 to expand the E-Verify program to businesses with 35 employees instead of 25, as the bill was originally written.

Tennessee law currently only requires businesses with 50 employees or more to use E-Verify.

Committee members also voted to include a provision protecting employers from retaliatory discharge, or illegal termination, if an unauthorized employee applies for workers compensation due to an injury on the job.

A state House committee voted on the equivalent of the bill, HB1853, which was passed by the state House on first consideration on March 3.

Immigrant-rights advocates have called on legislators to vote against the bills passage, describing E-Verify as a flawed system that adds additional burdens to small businesses while targeting undocumented workers.

As our state tries to recover from the ongoing pandemic, this bill would only burden small businesses across our state working hard to fill the employment gap. Tennessee already has one of the strictest E-verify laws in the nation; so why is our state legislature creating additional and costly barriers to filling that gap? said Judith Clerjeune, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes (TIRRC Votes) Campaigns and Advocacy Director.
The Senate Education Committee chairman said Monday he believes county commissioners should sock away money to prepare for the effects of a new K-12 funding formula on local taxes.

Senators are trying to figure out the effect of a $9.5 billion funding formula shift on local governments, which are to be held harmless for three years, meaning the portion they pay in a 70-30 percent split will not force them to pay a greater share until the fourth year.

I would tell you if I was a county commissioner or some of those folks, I would be thinking about, lets open up a bank account, set some money aside because there will come a day when weve gotta utilize those funds. Its going to be tough for them not to spend some of those moneys, Sen. Jon Lundberg, a Bristol Republican who chairs the Education Committee, said after a Monday meeting.

That would be especially true if the state lowers the amount counties pay during the three-year hold harmless period for teachers who are outside the BEP formula.

In a two-hour presentation from Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, senators also concluded if they wanted to add $100 million to the base portion of the formula for teacher pay, they would have to pony up a total of $250 million because of the requirements attached to the factors or weights attached to the formula.

Asked about Lundbergs statement, Schwinn referred a reporter to the states projections.

Governor Bill Lee wants to change the states funding formula to make it more clearly reflect the amount state and local governments pay for each student. It would include a base amount of $6,860 and then take into consideration several factors, pushing expenses much higher for some students.

For example, an impoverished child with a learning disability in a rural school district would net a school district more funds.

Asked Monday if he could guarantee his plan would not force local tax increases because of some $1 billion added to K-12 education statewide, Gov. Lee said his plan lays out costs through 2030.

And though he said he couldnt predict the future, Lee added, But weve set it up such that they would not be required to increase taxes because theres no additional share for them. What happens in the future, its certainly their decision about other spending and how they make decisions about taxes, but it wont be in these initial years because of this additional funding.

Despite the provision delaying expenses for local governments, Metro Nashville Public Schools would receive $12 million more under the new formula but would also pay $35 million more for its share. The districts total budget is about $1 billion, and Metro Nashville draws 23% of its funds from the state.

In committee discussion, Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bo Watson also contended local governments would have to increase education funding once the three-year phase is over. He held up a white board with an equation to prove his point.

Youve got county commissioners looking at how much the pie costs, Watson, a Hixson Republican, said.

The state will pay 70 percent and locals 30 percent, but the amount of money locals receive also will be determined by their fiscal capacity. Counties with a strong revenue base will have to carry a bigger burden on funding across the state.

Schwinn explained the plan lowers local government expenses for three years. The states four largest counties spend much more than their required amount in an effort to bolster schools and give teachers higher pay.

But smaller counties with tight revenue bases could find it more difficult to catch up unless theyve been frugal or saved money over the three-year time frame.

According to Commissioner Schwinn, all school districts will receive more funds under the proposal. She told senators Monday if the Legislature were to put another $1 billion toward K-12 education under the current funding structure, 25% of school districts would need to raise taxes.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally predicted last week the Senate would pass the legislation this session. But senators are far from satisfied with the proposal.

Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro said afterward he is concerned that lawmakers are learning about key pieces of the legislation nearly every day since it was introduced three weeks ago.

Disability Coalition questions plan

The Tennessee Disability Coalition is challenging Gov. Bill Lees proposed K-12 education funding formula, saying it could put disabled students in a more restrictive environment and harm their ability to learn.

In a letter to Senate Education Committee members, the coalition said it supports several ideas in the governors plan but noted the funding plan is extremely concerning to the disability community because it appears to use the same special education solutions as the Basic Education Program and simply replicates previous practices, encouraging schools to over-identify and over-place students with disabilities.

The governors proposal, Tennessee Investment in Students Achievement, calls for spending some $9.5 billion in state and local funds on K-12 education in fiscal 2023-24, including a billion-dollar injection.

While critics of the plan say that is roughly the same amount the state is spending already, the Disability Coalition paints a picture in which students it supports could be more likely to be removed from general classrooms.

The governors plan uses a $6,860 base per student, then adds funding for factors such as disabilities, economically disadvantaged and several more.

Under this scenario, a school might decide a student with profound disabilities, who is very expensive to teach should be given a unique learning need of 10%, which means the child should receive homebound/hospital education.

The extra funds from weight make fiscal sense for the school, but this results in restrictive placement which may not be the least restrictive placement in which this student could succeed. This would deprive that student of an inclusive education in the school with their peers, the letter says.

The coalition contends other states use a better formula to help disabled students remain in schools.

Asked about the letter during a Monday hearing, Education Commissioner Schwinn said she received the letter from the group, which also served on a subcommittee that was to give input on the proposal.

Schwinn pointed out that under the BEP, the number of hours spent on special education for disabled students leads to a certain level of funding.

What we did is for modeling purposes, we cross-walked that same special education option code would be funded at under TISA, Schwinn said.

The department still hasnt worked on the rule-making process, which would estimate the amount the state would spend on students in 10 categories for unique learning needs.

Setting rules could take up to a year, but some portions could go through emergency steps, she said.

Sen. Mike Bell, a Riceville Republican, said Monday he has heard concerns raised from several groups about the amount of rule making that could be contained in the legislation and implied authority the commissioner would have.

Bell, though, said he believes the Government Operations Committee, which oversees rule making, should provide the proper oversight and take comments in public hearings.
Mildred Comer Easley was born March 15, 1943, in Jackson, TN to the late Milton Sr. and Alberta Comer. She was the thirteenth of fourteen siblings. Mildred accepted Christ at an early age and united with Blairs Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church where she sang in the choir.

In 1960 she graduated from West High School and continued her education at Lane College. While in college, she met Ben Easley. She graduated Lane in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She left Jackson for her first teaching assignment in Hickman, Kentucky.

After returning from the Army, Ben and Mildred continued dating and married on September 3, 1966. The couple moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee soon after marriage. There Mildred gave birth to her two children, Bennetrious (Neet) in 1969 and Stunnislas (Stun) in 1971.

Mildred furthered her studies and obtained a masters degree in education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her teaching career continued at Kirkman Technical High School where she was the first of three African Americans to teach at that school. She spent the latter part of her teaching career at Tyner High School. During her tenure at Tyner High School, she was able to see her two children graduate from there. She also had a major impact on many students at Tyner High through the years. After teaching for 39 years, she retired in 2003.

While in Chattanooga, Mildred was a member of Stanley United Methodist Church. She was very active in the womens ministry, choir ministry, Sunday school, vacation bible school, and served on the administrative board. Outside of church, she was a charter member of Las Damas Distinction, a social/service organization that she helped to organized along with her friends. She was also a member of Jack and Jill where she served as President for one term.

In 2013, Mildred moved back to her hometown of Jackson, TN. She wanted to come home to be closer to her nieces and nephews, and her daughter who lives nearby in Memphis, TN. She attended Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church under the spiritual guidance of Rev. Sharon Lewis-Karamoko.

Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, Milton Sr. and Alberta, and siblings: Ernestine, James, Milton, Zettie, Horace, Garthel, Doris, Eloise, Dorothy, Betty, Marie, and Joseph.

Mrs. Mildred Easley transitioned to her heavenly home on her birthday on Tuesday, March 15. She leaves to cherish her memories her husband Ben Easley of Jackson, TN; her daughter, Bennetrious Easley of Memphis, TN; her son Stunnislas Easley and his life partner Nicole McDonald of Ellicott City, MD; her brother, Sammy (Edna) Comer of Nashville, TN; three grandchildren, Jasmine McDonald, Inaya Criner, and Memphis Easley of Ellicott City, MD, her brother-in-law, Coris Easley of Paris, TN, her sister-in-law, Ethel Jean Comer of Jackson, TN; her god grandchild, Charles Smelley, III of Chattanooga, TN and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives.



Visitation for Mrs. Easley will be on Monday, March 21, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Mercer Brothers Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be on Tuesday, March 22, at 11 a.m. at Mercer Brothers Funeral Home, 501 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Jackson, Tn. 38301



Interment will be Tuesday, March 22, at 1:30 p.m. at the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads in Parkers Crossroads, Tn.



The Easley family entrusted their loved one to Mercer Brothers Funeral Home.


Neville Chamberlain, British PM, became the model of foreign policy appeasement in modern history. For one to receive a hypothetical Nevy Award, he must have a history of foreign policy disaster. Three top the list currently.

John Kerry, probably the choice of Victor Davis Hanson is one. Roy Exum shared his thoughts on Lord Kerry, Climate Kaiser (my words) recently. Kerry does have many of Chamberlains traits making him a strong candidate.

Republicans might award it to Joe Biden, but its not clear if hes actually involved in formulating any kind of policy. We know what he says publicly he wont do about Ukraine, but who knows what he is really doing?

My choice and the choice of the Wall St Journal in June 7, 2008, is Sen Chuck Schumer, D-NY. His treatise entitled Russia Can Be a part of the Answer on Iran offered, according to the Journal, is a clear illustration of why Democrats can no longer be safely entrusted with Americas foreign policy.

Schumer wanted the anti-nuclear defense systems the US installed at the request of Eastern European Nations dismantled because he said they were ineffective and they strengthened the relationship between Eastern Europe and NATO thereby mocking Putins dream of restoring Russian control over Eastern Europe. So Schumer was worried about Putins dream? What does he say now?

In spite of the rhetoric in the news today about Ukraine, the answer can be found over a decade ago. Putin wanted to restore the Iron Curtain. Then came Kerrys capitulation to Iranian bullies, a weak, confused Biden wandering the White House and a groveling Chuck Schumer carrying Putins water, and it should be obvious why the Russian leader seized the day.

Democrats can no longer be safely entrusted trusted with Americas foreign policy. Tell them so in November.

Ralph Miller
The UTC Symphony Orchestra will present a free Spring Concert live in the C.C. Bond Humanities Theatre at Chattanooga State Community College on April 10 at 3 p.m. It will also be livestreamed at https://livestream.com/utc/utcsymphonytwoicons

The concert will feature Florence Prices Mississippi River Suite. Ms. Price studied at the New England Conservatory and headed the music department at Clark University in Atlanta before moving to Chicago and pursuing a career in composition. She was the first African American woman to have a work performed by a major U.S. symphony. This work quotes several spirituals and blends them with jazz tunes and original music to depict the mighty river rolling down past New Orleans into the Gulf.

Next on the program, in honor of John Williamss 90th birthday, is A Tribute to John Williams. This montage was performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 when Mr. Williams was recognized for his incomparable contributions to the American musical culture. This delightful work includes themes from Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, Harry Potter, Raiders March and E.T.

This 60-member college/community orchestra includes university music majors and non-majors, UTC music faculty members, area music educators, and other talented amateur and professional musicians from the region. The orchestra is conducted by Sandy Morris.






Don Ray Stephens, Sr., 83, of Chickamauga, GA went to be with his Savior on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Don was born in Chattanooga, to the late Mr. William B. Stephens and Mrs. Martha Shrader Stephens on Jan. 1, 1939.

Don was a man of faith and member of Oakwood Baptist Church. He was a loving husband, devoted father and grandfather. Don served proudly in the United States Army for 21 years, retiring in 1977. He was a Vietnam Veteran and was a founding member of Vietnam Veterans of America 203 and served on the Honor Guard. Don was a founding member and ministry leader of Celebrate Recovery as well as a board member for Penfield Christian Homes. He was also a member of Sons of the American Revolution and First Families of Tennessee. Don definitely left the world better than he found it and his love, caring and commitment will be missed by every life he touched.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Alice Meyer of Strawberry Plains, TN.

He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Mrs. Anna Holden Stephens, son, Don (Sandra) Ray Stephens, Jr., of Chattanooga, TN, grandchildren; James Reid Stephens, Madeline Loraine Stephens, and Ian Connor Stephens, great grandchildren; Kailee Stephens, Kaida Stephens, and Sky Fields, sisters; Gladys Longmire of Dayton, TN, Sandra Bennett of Pensacola, FL, and Shirley Stephens of Nashville, TN.

A funeral service for Don will be conducted in the chapel of Lane Funeral Home and Crematory South Crest Chapel on Thursday, March 24, at 11:30 a.m. Interment will follow the service at Chattanooga National Cemetery at 1 p.m. with military honors rendered.

The family will receive friends at Lane Funeral Home and Crematory on Wednesday, March 23, from 5-8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 203, 3329 Ringgold Road, Chattanooga, TN 37412.

Condolences for the family may be left at www.lane-southcrestchapel.com.

Arrangements are by Lane Funeral Home and Crematory, Rossville.
Former State Rep. Colton Moore from Dade County has registered for the 2022 Georgia Senate race. He is one of two Republicans running for the 53rd district, representing Northwest Georgia. Longtime Senator Jeff Mullis is retiring.





When former Rep. Moore was elected state representative for Northwest Georgia in 2018, he was the youngest elected official in the history of Northwest Georgia.

His campaign said, "After four years in office, Moore is no longer a newcomer to politics. Moore worked to shrink government; decrease taxes; expand gun rights; clean up elections; improve school discipline rights for teachers; and keep male trans-athletes out of female sports. Moore has a voting record that is consistent with his political views. After an in depth review of 181 Georgia Legislators and their voting records, Moore was chosen by the American Conservative Union as one of Georgias Top 10 Most Conservative Legislators in 2020.

"Moore is known for his ideological steadfastness, despite pressure in the capital to allow external factors to dictate votes. Mike Burns from Catoosa county describes Moore as unshakeable: I met Moore when he was running for the House three years ago. After he was elected, it became apparent that he was a legislator with a backbone. He wasn't toeing any establishment line. It came as no surprise when in 2020, when election results still had not been reported seventeen days after the election, Moore took initiative and demanded that Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger turn the reviewing and certifying of election results over to the Legislature, as would be expected in a fair, democratic system.



"Moores open-minded, cooperative approach in his working relationships is refreshing in todays political milieu. Moore connects with legislators across the aisle and seeks common ground. As House Representative, Moore founded the Georgia Legislatures branch of the Future Caucus, with Democrat Jasmine Clark, focusing on bipartisan issues, which is crucial for the younger generation of politicians."
Six top executives from oil companies have been summoned to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in April. This comes amid the gas price hike that many Americans are experiencing amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

The chairman of the committee, Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., demanded that executives of six firms attend a discussion on April 6 to answer questions regarding the European conflict, their income, gas prices, stock buybacks, domestic oil production, and other corporate activities. A letter was sent to the said executives on Wednesday.

Oil Companies Urged to Testify in Congress Amid Gas Price Hike in the US

Pallone's letters follow Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's accusations of "price gouging" by huge oil and gas firms on Wednesday. The letter noted that gas prices have remained high in recent days despite lower crude oil prices. Major oil industry officials should also be asked to testify before Congress, according to Schumer, Roll Call reported.

Following Russia's strike in Ukraine, President Joe Biden banned U.S. imports of Russian fossil fuel supplies. Democrats pushed to suspend the federal gas tax, while Republicans and moderate Democrats called for increased domestic oil and gas production.

BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Devon Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources and Shell are the firms Pallone mentioned. According to a BP spokesperson, the corporation is looking into the request. Requests for feedback from the others were not immediately returned.

Early in March, oil prices surpassed $130 per barrel. Petrol prices in the United States climbed as well, averaging $4.33 per gallon on March 11, according to AAA, the automotive club. According to POLITICO, after prohibiting US imports of Russian oil and petroleum products last week, Biden attempted to divert blame for expected increased costs as a result of his policies. The preisdent referred to a prospective increase as "Putin's price hike."

Brent crude oil, the worldwide benchmark, was trading at $106 a barrel on Friday after briefly approaching $140 a barrel following Russia's invasion of Ukraine a few weeks ago. However, average gasoline prices were $4.27 per gallon on Friday. This is close to the previous high of $4.30 per gallon set just a few days earlier.

Read Also: Is the Daylight Savings Time Permanent Now? Americans React to Senate Approval of 'The Sunshine Protection Act'

Joe Biden, Democrats Continue to Point Fingers on Gas Price Hike in the US

Following last week's ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil and petroleum products, Biden sought to deflect blame for anticipated cost increases by referring to a potential increase as "Putin's price hike."

President Joe Biden and other prominent Democrats blame today's sky-high gas prices on Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, suspected oil-company collusion, and even COVID-19. They refuse to accept responsibility for their own enormous blunder.

"It's simply not true that my administration or policies are holding back domestic energy production," President Biden remarked, revealing either an Olympic-level lack of self-awareness or a perjury-strength aptitude for lying, per New York Post.

Between Biden's inauguration and Putin's invasion, gas prices increased by 48.3%. The average gallon of ordinary gasoline hit a new high of $4.31 this week, up 81 percent since Biden took office. While Putin's brutality has aided in the rise of gas prices, he just added to the agony that Biden and the Democrats have already inflicted on the American people.

Read Article: Record-Breaking Gas Prices Won't Ease Anytime Soon; How Can President Joe Biden Help Americans?

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An acclaimed chef who has cooked for members of the royal family including Queen Elizabeth II said he wouldnt roll out the red carpet for Meghan Markle in his restaurants. He also said the duchess would have to pay for her meal, unlike the monarch.

Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Chef Richard Corrigan has several restaurants in London

Richard Corrigan is an award-winning Irish chef who cooks up his creations at the London eateries Corrigans Bar & Restaurant Mayfair, Bentleys Oyster Bar and Grill, and Daffodil Mulligan Restaurant & Gibneys Bar, as well as Virginia Park Lodge in County Cavan, Ireland.

He studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology and received his first Michelin star in 1994. He earned another Michelin star three years later and was crowned winner of the Great British Menu three times. The chef has also prepared meals for the queen on more than one occasion.

Chef Corrigan says he wouldnt roll out the red carpet for Meghan

Daily Mail journalist Richard Eden spoke to Corrigan about cooking for some members of Britains most famous family and the chef admitted that he wasnt keen about serving a certain duchess.

Chef Richard Corrigan poses for photo on the carpet at An Evening with Dermot OO | Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images

Its no secret that after stepping down as senior royals and moving to California the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost a few fans on the other side of the pond and it apparently Corrigan is one of them. Eden recounted his conversation with chef writing: Celebrated chef Richard Corrigan has prepared food for the royal family, but does not appear keen to toil over a hot stove for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Asked if hed cook for Meghan, the owner of Mayfair restaurants Bentleys and Corrigans tells me: I cooked for the queen free of charge, of course. And Ill cook for anyone, but let me just say, some people will have to pay.'

Corrigan added that he wouldnt deny Meghan entry into his restaurants, but she would not receive the treatment the queen got. Id let her in the restaurant, for sure, but the queen had the red carpet rolled out. Would Meghan? I dont think so.

Eden tweeted that following the publication of his conversation with Corrigan, the restaurateur had to deal with online abuse from Meghans fans for daring to say he wouldnt want to cook for the Duchess of Sussex free of charge.

Other royal family fans then chimed in to defend the chef writing: He was asked a question, and he answered honestly. Whats the big deal? and Perfectly reasonable comment from the very talented Mr. Corrigan.

The Duchess of Sussex may never return to the U.K.

Meghan Markle listening to students speak during a visit to Tupou College in Tonga | Kirsty Wigglesworth  Pool/Getty Images

But Corrigan likely doesnt have to think about ever serving Prince Harrys wife since she hasnt been back to London in over two years and doesnt seem to have any intention of returning.

The Duke of Sussex already stated that his family would not return unless they can hire their own private security. But its doubtful that they will be getting a green light for that. And some journalists believe that the whole security hold-up is an excuse because Meghan has no interest in going back to England.

As royal commentator Camilla Tominey said: Maybe what the Sussexes are really trying to tell us is that Meghan categorically doesnt [want to return]. Only time will tell.

RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were Miserable and Depressing to Work for, Royal Photographer Reveals
It seems like celebrity chefs are everywhere these days. Food shows, cooking competitions, advertisements, the kitchenware section of your favorite big box store Everyone has their favorite chef and were going to look at one who has been around for a long time  Chef Alex Guarnaschelli.

Alex Guarnaschelli | Matthew Eisman/Getty Images

Solving culinary conundrums

Guarnaschelli has been in the public eye since her appearance on Iron Chef America in 2007. Since then, shes been a host, judge, or contestant on numerous Food Network shows. Her expertise shows in the simple way she tackles culinary problems such as salvaging a broken sauce. Rather than panicking, she just whisks in a few spoonfuls of warm water to balance out the fat and bring everything back together, according to Mashed.

Follow the tip from this Iron Chef and you wont have to worry about a separated cream sauce or grainy chocolate ever again. Celebrity chefs have plenty of other tips to offer people who would love to cook better without going to culinary school. Before we explore those cooking tips, lets take a closer look at Chef Guarnaschelli and her journey toward celebrity status.

Chef Guarnaschellis road to fame

Guarnaschellis cooking career began at her mothers side. Her mom was a cookbook editor and Guarnaschelli grew up helping her test recipes. Although she attended New Yorks prestigious Barnard College where she earned an art history degree, Guarnaschelli was drawn to the fast-paced world of professional kitchens.

She eventually settled on a food career and traveled to Burgundy, France to attend the famous La Varenne Cooking School. After seven years working under world-class chefs in France, she returned home to do the same with American chefs. Her cooking style melds French techniques with seasonal American ingredients.

After her Iron Chef appearance, she went on to act as a judge on Chopped and then got her own show, Cooking Loft with Alex Guarnaschelli. Her career as a celebrity chef expanded and she now appears on at least one Food Network show almost every day, including her latest show, Alex vs. America.

And now, lets return to cooking tips from other celebrity chefs

Cooking Tips from the Pros

Alton Brown recommends putting pasta and salt in an empty pan and then adding just enough cold water to cover the pasta. Bring to a boil and cook until al dente. This pasta hack saves time and water since youre not waiting for a giant pot of water to come to a boil before you can even begin cooking your pasta.

Brown also has a trick for getting those perfectly fudgy brownies that everyone loves so much. The secret is in the technique rather than any added ingredients. He simply bakes them at 300 for 15 minutes, removes them from the oven, lets them cool for 15 minutes, then returns them to the oven for 30 more minutes of baking. The end result is a fudgy brownie thats moist throughout and yet has a crispy, flaky top.

Looking for more cooking tips?

Guy Fieri always reverse-sears his steaks, according to People. He puts them in a low oven and slowly roasts them until theyre at the desired doneness. Then he sears them in a hot cast iron pan on the stovetop for a rich brown crust.

Martha Stewart says to pay attention to the details in a recipe. For instance, 1 cup sifted flour is not the same as 1 cup flour, sifted. The former is sifted before measuring while the latter is sifted after measuring. Youll get a different volume of flour from each and that could affect the outcome of your recipe.

Duff Goldman recommends leaving your eggs on the counter overnight if youre going to bake the next day. Youll get better baking results when your eggs are at room temperature.

RELATED: The Food Network Star Whos Marrying a Chopped Champ
Besides Anthony Strangis, also known as Shane Fox, the beloved pitbull Leon plays a crucial role in the downfall of decorated vegan-based restaurateur Sarma Melngailis as depicted in new Netflix docuseries, Bad Vegan. Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. In a blog post linked to her dogs Instagram account bio, she revealed more of the backstory behind his adoption.

Sarma Melngailis and Leon | Netflix

Sarma Melngailiss dog, Leon, is alive and has his own Instagram account

The beloved dog of restaurateur Sarma Melngailis, a pitbull named Leon, is still alive and currently 12-years-old.

According to the dogs Instagram account, @oneluckyrescuedog, operated by the vegan queen, Leon and she currently reside in Harlem, New York.

What do a Vegan chef, an immortal dog, and Dominos Pizza have to do with one of the strangest scandals in NYC history?



Bad Vegan premieres March 16 pic.twitter.com/7gHZL70w7k  Netflix (@netflix) February 15, 2022

RELATED: Lizzos Vegan Chicken Sandwich Recipe Is Based On a Popular Fast Food Chain

Melngailis started the social media account for her dog in Dec. 2014, so the many posts of her pup wouldnt clog her personal page. Over the past seven years, the Pure Food and Wine founder has regularly uploaded pictures of Leon interacting with others, dressed up for holidays, and reading books.

The most recent post includes a screengrab of the Netflix series Bad Vegan. Fame. Fraud. Fugitives, based around Melngailis, offering pawtographs in the caption.

Melngailis offered more backstory behind Leons adoption in a blog post

The vegan author attached a link in the biography for Leons Instagram account that directed followers to a 2010 blog post she wrote when first adopting the pitbull, titled, The Most Insane Greatest Thing Ive Ever Done.

She included more backstory behind adopting Leon that the Netflix docuseries left out. For example, the Latvia native explained shortly before finding her beloved pitbull; she cared for a rescue dog, Bazooka, owned by a server at a restaurant.

Natalie Portman's debut performance remains as impressive today as it was in 1994.



She plays a hitman's protegee in Leon: The Professional, co-starring Jean Reno and Gary Oldman; written and directed by Luc Besson pic.twitter.com/NVtxxGQVUv  Netflix (@netflix) November 3, 2021

Even though she fell in love with Bazooka, the restaurateur didnt think her busy lifestyle allowed for a dog. Remembering how she felt caring for the rescue dog, Melngailis suggested the same thing for actor Alec Baldwin, who frequented her restaurant and seemingly had a crush on her.

As told in the Netflix series, he ignored the several emails she sent him with rescue dogs, including one featuring Leon. Originally named Quinn at the time, she eventually adopted him, renaming him Leon, after the Jean Reno-portrayed hitman in 1994s The Professional, Trujillo for the last name of heavy metal band Metallicas bassist, Sterling Britt after her ex-boyfriend, and kept the shelter name as a middle name.

Leon played an essential part in Melngailiss story

As told in the four-part Netflix docuseries, the New York-based chef opened the citys first fine-dining raw food establishment, Pure Food and Wine, in 2004 with then-boyfriend, vegan chef Matthew Kenney.

After their relationship soured, she gained ownership over the restaurant, launching attached takeaway retail store One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway the following year. At the height of her success, she met Baldwin, who frequented the restaurant, but they didnt begin a relationship as she had a boyfriend.

The only thing you need to know about Bad Vegan on Netflix: NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO LEON THE DOG. Good thing he didnt have a bank account. (We all hope that he lives forever too.) @netflix #BadVegan #leon pic.twitter.com/BlH6qfIQ4K  LetMeThinkAboutThis (@winslow09) March 17, 2022

When the actor implied he wanted to date, the restaurateur pointed him to a slew of rescue dogs, eventually adopting one she eventually named Leon. The two spent a lot of time together before she met Shane Fox after noticing his Twitter communication with Baldwin. Even though many things seemed off about him, including what he did for a living, Leons approval of Fox, actually named Anthony Strangis, encouraged her to trust him.

Additionally, he convinced her he could make Leon immortal, persuading her to send him millions throughout four years, ultimately ruining her businesses. She served four months in jail on defrauding investors and criminal tax fraud charges. Bad Vegan. Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is streaming on Netflix.

RELATED: Bad Vegan: Where Is Sarma Melngailiss Ex-Boyfriend, Matthew Kenney Now?
When Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show, he was accused by some observers of going too far to avoid controversy. And when confronted with those opinions, he had a pretty strong reaction. Eventually, he concluded he thought it would be a fatal mistake to use his platform to broach controversial subjects. However, he did share his thoughts on such matters under the right circumstances.

Johnny Carson | NBCU Photo Bank

Johnny Carson said controversy just wasnt what The Tonight Show was for when he hosted

When Alex Haley interviewed Carson for Playboy in 1967, he asked if the often-private host was deliberately avoiding controversy on The Tonight Show as some had accused. Well, bulls***! Thats my answer, Carson told him. I just dont feel that Johnny Carson should become a social commentator.

He thought other talk-show hosts that courted controversy, namely Tom Duggan, Alan Burke, and Joe Pyne, used it to substitute for talent. They insult people. Theyre rude, he said of those figures. It embarrasses me to watch that kind of prodding and goading.

He went on to ask a couple of questions: Who cares what entertainers on the air think about international affairs? Who would want to hear me about Vietnam?

According to Carson, viewers could hear all they wanted from people with reason to be respected as knowledgeable. He argued, Controversy just isnt what [The Tonight Show] is for.

Johnny Carson thought it would be a fatal mistake to use his show as a platform for controversial issues

(L-R) Doc Severinsen, Johnny Carson, and Ed McMahon | NBCU Photo Bank

RELATED: Johnny Carson Had a Special Lewdness License, According to Ed McMahon

Carson further explained to Haley it wasnt just a personal choice to avoid certain topics, it was professional. He offered, Im not the host of Meet the Press.

According to him, being a proper social commentator would kill his humor. If youre a comedian, your job is to make people laugh. You cannot be both serious and funny, he opined. One negates the other. Personally, I want to be a successful comedian.

As such, he didnt think he would sustain his career by injecting opinions on divisive subjects. I think it would be a fatal mistake to use my show as a platform for controversial issues, he said. Im an entertainer, not a commentator.

But he confessed to having strong personal opinions and added, I might even be better informed than the average person, just because its my business to keep up on whats happening.

However, he concluded, That doesnt mean I should use the show to impose my personal views on millions of people.

Johnny Carson took some personal stands on The Tonight Show

We're discussing the amazing time when Harry Belafonte guest hosted "The Tonight Show" for Johnny Carson, written about by @JOANWALSH #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/6NezRoBKwh  Formerly 'AM JOY' on @MSNBC (@amjoyshow) February 19, 2017

RELATED: Johnny Carson Let Harry Belafonte Sit-in at The Tonight Show for a Week of Guests That Included Martin Luther King Jr.

All that being said, its essential to note Carson would allow others to use The Tonight Show as a platform to speak on important issues.

For instance, he handed his spot to Harry Belafonte to host a week of civil rights activists and historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. The host felt the conversations were essential to give a platform to but supposedly didnt feel qualified to be leading them.

We have dealt with controversial subjects on the show  sex, religion, Vietnam, narcotics. Theyve all been discussed, by qualified guests, and Ive taken stands myself, Carson explained to Haley. But its only when the subject rises naturally. I wont purposely inject controversy just for the sake of controversy.

He noted he could easily get in the headlines any day by attacking a major public figure like Bobby Kennedy or by coming out in favor of birth control or abortion.

But I just dont see it, and I dont play it that way, he concluded. I wont make this show a forum for my own political views.

RELATED: Ed McMahon Recalled 4 Times He Saw Johnny Carson Cry
Josh Duggars trial ended on December 9 with two guilty verdicts, but that was not the end of the legal process. Josh has been living inside an Arkansas correctional facility while he awaits his sentencing. While that date was set for April 5, Josh and his legal team have requested more time. Duggar family followers want to know why.

Josh Duggars sentencing was set for April 5 by Federal Judge Timothy L. Brooks

Josh Duggars trial ended in a guilty verdict, but Judge Timothy L. Brooks had a lot to review before handing down a sentence. He told the courtroom that Josh would likely be sentenced sometime in the next four months after he had time to review the case further.

Josh Duggar | Washington County Sheriffs Office via Getty Images

In early February, Judge Brooks set Joshs sentencing date for April 5. The date fell exactly into the timeline he offered at the end of the trial. Sentencing will do more than reveal how many years Josh will spend behind bars, though. Following sentencing, Josh will be moved from his current correctional facility to a federal facility. While it is unknown exactly where hell serve his time, there is just one federal facility in the state of Arkansas. It is four hours from the Duggar family home.

Josh Duggars defense team has filed a motion to postpone sentencing

While Joshs sentencing date has been set since February, his defense team is reportedly not yet ready. A motion filed by the defense claims that the legal team needs more time to gather evidence and information that might alter the sentencings outcome.

In the motion obtained by Us Weekly, the defense team also alleges that theyve had to delay video meetings with their client due to coronavirus (COVID-19) protocol. The legal team has requested a 30-day continuance. The continuance has been neither granted nor denied yet.

Anna Duggar is standing by her husband

Josh Duggars trial revealed his online behavior in horrific detail. Several expert witnesses and even a family friend took the stand for the prosecution. The evidence was overwhelming enough for the jury to return a guilty verdict after less than eight hours of deliberations. Joshs wife, Anna Duggar, was on hand to hear it all.

Anna Duggar and Josh Duggar | Kris Connor/Getty Images

Anna, however, appears to believe Josh is innocent, despite the trials outcome. The mother of seven took a hiatus from social media shortly after federal marshals arrested Josh in April 2021. She maintained the social media break for the duration of Josh Duggars trial and for several weeks after. On February 3, she returned to Instagram and Twitter to share a link, claiming there was more to the story.

Duggar family followers subsequently dragged her. She has not returned to social media since, but insiders claim Anna remains committed to Josh Duggar and their marriage. The couple, who wed in 2008, has been in regular communication via phone and video call since the guilty verdict.

RELATED: Josh and Anna Duggar Sold Home Ahead of Child Pornography Arrest
The anime Ranking of Kings Episode 23 release date and time have been announced for Japan, the US, the UK, and the rest of the world. Fans can catch the new episode of Ranking of Kings English sub and Japanese dub editions on Funimation and Crunchyroll (which recently merged). No matter where you live in the world, then heres what time you can see the next adventure for Prince Bojji, Kage, and the rest of the Ranking of Kings characters.

Prince Daida from Ranking of Kings | Funimation

The Ranking of Kings Episode 23 release date is Friday, March 25, 2022. Its title in Japanese is  (Osama to Taiyo), which translates as The King and the Sun.

Ranking of Kings Season 1, or Ousama Ranking in Japan, started on October 15, 2021, then continued through the end of the year. It aired alongside new Winter 2022 anime like My Dress-Up Darling and Attack on Titan: Final Season Part 2.

The previous Ranking of Kings episodes to air included episode 22, The Promise to a Demon. It dropped on March 18, 2022, directed by Hitomi Ezoe and written by Taku Kishimoto.

Daida and Miranjo had a reunion, but with a major twist. Meanwhile, Prince Bojji clashed with King Bosse managed to defeat him. However, the red demon reared his ugly head to consume the souls of Bosse and Miranjo in an unexpected turn of events.

What time can you watch Ranking of Kings Episode 23?

Whether you want to know the Ranking of Kings Episode 23 release date and time in PT, ET, GMT, or CET time zones, heres what time you can expect the English sub and Japanese dub to drop according to Game Revolution:

1:25 AM JST

9:25 AM PT (March 24)

12:25 AM ET (March 24)

4:25 PM GMT (March 24)

5:25 PM CET (March 24)

However, only viewers with premium Crunchyroll or Funimation subscriptions can catch Ranking of Kings episode 23 at these times.

If you only have a free account, though, youll have to wait a week to see the new episodes. Those should then release on March 31 and April 1.

Ranking of Kings is not available for streaming on Netflix or Hulu, in Japanese or English dub. Crunchyroll and Funimation remain the most reliable places to watch new episodes of the show.

When does the English dub release?

Some fans outside of Japan might prefer anime dubs to subs. However, the Ranking of Kings Episode 23 English dub has not received a release date at the time of writing this article.

So far, all Ranking of Kings episodes through 16 have an English dub available to watch as an alternative to the Japanese dub with English subtitles version.

For now, the only way to watch the latest episode of Prince Bojji, Kage, and the rest of the Ranking of Kings characters is with English subtitles.

With only 22 episodes released so far, Ranking of Kings has set itself apart from other anime shows. While the biggest anime like Dragon Ball and One Piece continue to dominate, Ranking of Kings has quickly become a modern classic series.

RELATED: 1 Ranking of Kings Controversy Causes Debate Among Anime Fans
Reporter and Real Housewives superfan Evan Real made an appointment with The Real Housewives of Orange Countys very own Dr. Jen Armstrong. As both a cosmetic surgeon and cast member on the hit Bravo reality show, shes no stranger to lawsuits and publicity. Real documented his experience with Dr. Jen, calling it a trip to the ER and comparing it to a cosmetic emergency. In the end, he was pleased. Heres how it all unfolded.

A real-life cosmetic procedure with The Real Housewives of Orange County star Dr. Jen Armstrong

From filler to lasers: I let 'RHOC' star Dr. Jen Armstrong make over my face https://t.co/rPuAHvnKyc pic.twitter.com/hssbh9boUK  Page Six (@PageSix) February 23, 2022

Evan Real is a Senior TV Reporter for Page Six. In February 2022, he set out to let Dr. Armstrong makeover his face. And he was more than enthusiastic about the adventure. Real was excited to see what the graduate of the University of Hawaiis School of Medicine would prescribe. Real said it wasnt hyperbole when he said it was the greatest experience of my life.

With stars in his eyes, Real recounts first visiting Dr. Jens Newport Beach practice. Initially, he assumed hed receive jawline filler and walk away feeling handsome with a celebrity-infused chiseled profile.

But in true plastic surgery fashion, Dr. Jen had more in store for Real. He shared that she wasted no time in pointing out his other areas of improvement, including his deep pores, reminiscent acne scars, and puffy under-eye bags. She even recommended some neurotoxins, much like Botox, to help even out his eyebrows.

Real said it sounded like a facial overhaul. But Dr. Jen put him at ease when she told him her patients know who theyre coming to. She went on to say he would leave her office looking refreshed, never overdone, which put his mind at ease.

How did the procedures with Dr. Jen go?

Dr. Jen Armstrong of The Real Housewives of Orange County | Jen Armstrong MD via Youtube

Dr. Jen, as Real described, was warm and disarming. Considering her medical experience with trauma patients and an award-winning past study on cyanide poisoning, he felt confident she would deliver on her recommendations. She told him, If you want [an overdone] look, theres probably another doctor whod be willing to do it. However, she went on, Those big balloon lips are not my thing.

On the spot, Real realized his lips were off-kilter. He said it felt like an episode of Botched as the RHOC doctor focused on his uneven lip fillers from a previous procedure. She quickly addressed the issue, citing, I cant handle this lip!

Dr. Jen dropped in some fast-acting dissolvers to return Reals lips back to sexy little pillows. And thats when Real said his experience with the Georgetown University graduate felt like a trip to the ER. He had a lip emergency, residual from another surgeon, and Dr. Jen came to his rescue quickly, as if his uneven lips were a life-threatening emergency.

The remainder of Reals procedures went as planned, leaving him more than satisfied with his overall experience. While Dr. Jen had performed quasi-miracles for Real, shes not had the same outcome with every patient. In fact, shes no stranger to lawsuits and controversy.

Dr. Jen is no stranger to legal turmoil

Dr. Jen Armstrong is one of the newer cast members of Season 16s The Real Housewives of Orange County. Womens Health shared details of one lawsuit: The patient claims a convicted, unlicensed doctor within Dr. Jens practice performed a procedure that proved to be faulty and required subsequent visits to remedy.

In another story, The Sun reported about a lawsuit for medical malpractice in which a patient claimed she was left with a disfigured face and mental anguish from a botched procedure.

Its not just malpractice. Reality Blurb shares details of yet another lawsuit filed by the company, Forever Ageless, claiming breach of contract and lack of payment for a period spanning two years.

One fan may have had his cosmetic rescue with Dr. Jen. But its clear not everyones enjoyed the same experience. Fans will want to stay on top of the latest headlines and tune into The Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo.

RELATED: RHOC: Dr. Jen Armstrong Calls Husband Ryne Hollidays Behavior Embarrassing as She Reveals They Separated After Filming Season 16
TL;DR:

The Challenge veteran Jemmye Carroll has never been one to hold back on her opinions.

Her latest victims include Messy Fessy Shafaat and Josh Martinez.

One of Jemmyes The Challenge co-stars thinks that she is just an opportunist.

The Challenge star Jemmye Carroll | Paul Zimmerman/WireImage

The Challenge star Jemmye Carroll has never been afraid to share her opinion about the show and her co-stars. During a recent appearance on Mike Lewis podcast, Jemmye spoke her mind about recent seasons. And in the process, she called out Messy Fessy Shafaat and Josh Martinez.

One of Jemmye Carrolls co-stars from The Challenge believes shes an opportunist

In late 2021, Jemmye shared private details in a Patreon video about Tori Deals breakup with Jordan Wisely. Which included claims that Tori cheated with Fessy. Tori quickly responded to Jemmyes claims with a video of her own where she declared that there was absolutely no cheating involved with her and Fessy.

Deal also called out Jemmye for being an opportunist and accused her of trying to profit from sharing details about her cast mates private lives. Tori made it clear that she and Jordan were very much broken up when she went to Turks and Caicos with Fessy, even though they didnt share the news publicly.

RELATED: The Challenge: Tori Deal Admits She Betrayed Devin Walker for Her Boo Emanuel Neagu  You Deserved a Better Friend

She even gave the specific date of October 6 as the day they broke up. And then shared that she and Jordan had a conversation about seeing other people.

Jemmye Carroll slams Messy Fessy Shafaat and Josh Martinez

During her appearance on Lewis podcast, Jemmye wasted no time going after Fessy and Josh when asked about issues on The Challenge in recent seasons.

The people are f****** losers, she said, per Heavy. They are, and I get it. Theres a lot of money at stake. Think about how slim [your chance of] winning the actual Challenge is. So, the people that are like in the middle like the Josh and like the Fessys, Im just like, Yall be authentic, be yourselves.

RELATED: The Challenge: Messy Fessy Shafaat Lied to Protect Josh Martinez From Getting Kicked Off  Josh Did NOT Return the Favor

She went on to explain that there was something about them that got them cast on the MTV reality show to begin with. So, they need to be authentic instead of trying to curate themselves for their brand.

I think a lot of it is social media and the time that we live in, she explained. People are trying to curate their personality for their brand instead of just showing up and being like, Yo, this is who the f*** I am, and Im just gonna be this person on TV, regardless.

Are The Challenge producers to blame?

Jemmye also called out The Challenge producers for the cast problems in recent seasons because she believes the root of the issue is lazy casting and production. She believes the focus is on finding hot people on Instagram, instead of seriously vetting potential cast members personalities and backgrounds.

It makes me sick as a fan because I was a fan of The Challenge before I was ever on Real World, she revealed. So to see the show get away from what it was supposed to be is disgusting.

RELATED: The Challenge: Jemmye Caroll Reveals There Was Another Ketchup Incident Never Seen By Fans

She also admitted that she quit the show after Final Reckoning because of the format change. Explaining that this is not the show I signed up for [or] fell in love with as a child.

After the interview, Jemmye took to Twitter to clarify that she actually likes Josh. But she warned that if you constantly want the smoke, youre eventually going to get burned by the fire.

The Challenge is rumored to return for season 38 in summer 2022 on MTV.
Ti Wests X is getting a whole lot of love from critics and audiences. The horror movie delivers a mix of dark comedy, 1970s slasher, and an abundance of sex. X only just recently hit theaters, but fans are already pointing out Easter eggs that foreshadow all of the kills in the movie. Its clear that the film is already an audience favorite.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from X.]

X is a slasher that takes place in rural Texas

Jenna Ortega as Lorraine | A24

X takes place in 1979. Wayne (Martin Henderson) comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme that he believes will work  porn that people can watch in the privacy of their own homes. He brings his cast and crew with him to a rural part of Texas, where a reclusive, elderly couple named Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Mia Goth) owns a cabin close to their own home. Wayne believes this to be the perfect filming location for his movie.

However, the elderly couple has no idea what these young folks are planning to do while they rent the cabin. When they do find out, the guests will have to fight for their lives to survive the night. The antagonists might not look like much, but they perfectly understand how to properly use the element of surprise on their victims.

Fans uncover Easter eggs that foreshadow the characters deaths

A Redditor posted about the kills in X. They pointed out the foreshadowing in several of their deaths. Some of them are really quick moments that most audiences would likely miss, but they all fit rather nicely into the narrative.

The elderly woman brutally stabs RJ (Owen Campbell), but his girlfriend, Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) realizes that hes missing. She asks Wayne for help to look for him. The amateur porn producer searches in the barn, where he accidentally steps on a nail. He hears something coming from the other side of the back wall, but he doesnt find RJ when he looks through the peepholes. Rather, a pitchfork suddenly emerges and stabs him in the eyes.

Earlier in the film, Wayne says regarding the porn film: peoples eyes will pop out their heads when they see this. This is a clear piece of foreshadowing for whats to come in the characters future.

Next, Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) tries to help the elderly woman when she spots her near the lake. However, she doesnt take Bobby-Lynnes kindness too well. As a result, the old woman pushes the young woman into the water, where an alligator brutally kills her.

If you look closely toward the beginning of X, Bobby-Lynn can be seen leaving a building with the image of a blonde woman having her swimwear ripped off of her by an alligator.

Jackson (Scott Mescudi) also tries to help the elderly couple when Howard asks for his help in looking for Pearl. They search the darkness together, but they separate for a short time. The old man ultimately shoots Jackson and kills him.

When the group first arrived in the cabin, Jackson mentioned his military service. He explained that farmers pointed their guns at him back in Vietnam, so he would prefer to not deal with that back in the United States.

Finally, Maxine (Goth) kills Pearl during the films climax. She manages to get in the van with the keys, but the elderly woman continues to taunt her. Maxine decides to put the van in reverse and run over Pearls head, turning it into mush.

When the group is headed to the cabin in X, they pass a truck that hit a cow. The front of the vehicle and the ground are covered in its blood and guts. A shot prominently shows the tires running through the cows guts, displaying a very similar shot to Pearls demise.

X offers some additional bits of foreshadowing

Jenna Ortega in a character poster for Ti Wests X, premiering at @sxsw on March 13. 



Add to watchlist  https://t.co/bZg8JZkAsG pic.twitter.com/IUytRa5jAa  Letterboxd (@letterboxd) February 2, 2022

The deaths missing from the Redditors post include RJ, Lorraine, and Howard. However, the film certainly does drop some clues to their deaths, as well.

RJs motivations to film the adult film include making a quality movie that will allow him to break into cinema. Hes constantly talking about getting the right shot and tries to capture the drama in what hes shooting. RJ gets the most artistically-shot death, as Pearl has a short, ethereal dance sequence covered in his blood after killing him.

Wayne calls Lorraine a church mouse because shes so soft-spoken. However, she understandably becomes a blubbering mess in the third act. As a result, she takes it out on Maxine and runs out of the house shouting, ultimately taking a gunshot to the face. X constantly pulls attention to her quiet nature, as characters try to get her to speak up. Her death is perhaps the loudest in the movie.

Finally, Howard ultimately dies of a heart attack when Lorraines final sounds in her death trigger it. However, the foreshadowing of his death is perhaps the most obvious. Howard is noticeably winded throughout the movie and he even talks about having a poor heart as the reason why he cant have sex with Pearl.

X is now playing exclusively in theaters.

RELATED: Bitch Ass Movie Review [SXSW 2022]: The First Black Masked Serial Killer
Yellowstone first introduced the world to the Dutton family back in 2018, and since then viewers have only become more invested in their story. Creator Taylor Sheridan has continued to expand the Duttons world with a prequel series titled 1883. Yellowstone has been renewed for season 5 and some fans are wondering if this will be its last. Although fans dont know how the Duttons story ends, Sheridan has had it all planned out since day one.

Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, and Kevin Costner | Paramount

1883 explains how the Duttons settled in Montana

At its core, Yellowstone follows the story of the Dutton family, who own the enormous Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Montana. The shows patriarch, John Dutton, fights tooth and nail to defend his land from developers and Chief Rainwater from the nearby Broken Rock Indian Reservation. The story explores Johns complex family dynamics with his children, Lee, Beth, Jamie, and Kayce.

Sheridan is leaving no stone unturned in fleshing out the story of the Dutton family. Flashbacks in Yellowstone explain Beths complicated relationship with her now-deceased mother. Additionally, Sheridans spinoff series 1883 explored how the 19th-century Duttons settled in Montana. The Yellowstone prequel also gave context as to why they have defended the land so fiercely for generations.

It's easy being green on the Dutton Ranch. Happy St. Patrick's Day! #YellowstoneTV pic.twitter.com/FGjVIKUpo1  Yellowstone (@Yellowstone) March 17, 2022

While talking with Variety, James Dutton actor Tim McGraw said of the 1883 finale: It was just so well-written, so devastating and heartbreaking, but at the same time, so on point and poignant for what turned out to be. It just gives you all the reasons in the world why they fight so hard for that land and why their family fights so hard for to keep what they have. It just made perfect sense.

Yellowstone EP says Taylor Sheridan has known how the Duttons story ends since the beginning

Yellowstone has been officially renewed for season 5. The fifth season will be split into two installments of seven episodes each. According to The Wall Street Journal, the first part of season 5 is anticipated to air in the summer of 2022, followed by part 2 in the fall. Its not yet clear if this will be the last season of Yellowstone.

According to David Glasser, the executive producer for both 1883 and Yellowstone, Sheridan has known how the Dutton familys story will end since the beginning. He knows every character and backstory, Glasser said of Sheridan to Business Insider. He told me the Yellowstone ending the day we started. When that happens, I dont know. But he knows where every character ends up.

In the wake of the 1883 finale, some fans see a dark future for the Dutton family. A Crow elder named Spotted Eagle points James in the direction of Paradise Valley. However, he warns James, In seven generations my people will rise up and take it back from you. Although there is some confusion about the Dutton family tree, the seventh generation isnt far off.

Yellowstone will continue with 1932 and additional episodes of 1883

As Sheridan continues the story of the modern-day Duttons marching toward whatever end he has planned, he also plans to keep fleshing out the history of the family. According to the Wall Street Journal, additional episodes of 1883 are expected to appear on Paramount+ this fall. Another spinoff titled 1932 is also in the works.

Glasser described these prequels as an anthology series, according to Business Insider. If youre a fan of the Dutton family and the saga bringing you to the current day [portrayed in Yellowstone], what will come is that continued saga, the EP said.

RELATED: 1883 Episode 8: 3 Hidden Easter Eggs Yellowstone Fans Will Love
A former West Virginia state lawmaker pleaded guilty on Friday to a felony related to the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot after he resigned over his participation in the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The former official, identified as Derrick Evans, was just elected as a state delegate when he recorded himself and livestreamed his actions of pushing inside the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors said that, in the footage, Evans could be heard screaming his own name while joining other protesters.

Capitol Hill Insurrection

According to his plea agreement, the former state lawmaker said, "We're in, we're in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!" Furthermore, prosecutors argue that Evans encouraged other people to siege the building at one point saying that if former Vice President Mike Pence betrayed them they would storm the Capitol.

The felony related to Evans, which is a civil disorder charge, could result in him receiving a sentence of up to five years in prison. However, it is highly unlikely that the former state lawmaker will be given the statutory maximum when he is finally sentenced in June, as per CNN.

Evans also agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution damage done to the Capitol building by the large mob of Trump supporters. Police authorities arrested the former West Virginia state lawmaker two days after the Capitol Hill riot, shortly before he stepped down from his seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

Read Also: North Carolina Investigates Former Trump Aide Mark Meadows for Alleged Voter Fraud

The 36-year-old Evans admitted on Friday that he committed and attempted to commit an act to obstruct, impede, or interfere with a law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of their duties during a civil disorder. United States District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Royce C. Lamberth accepted the former state lawmaker's guilty plea and set his sentencing for June 22.

According to NBC News, Evans faced five counts under a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury last year, which includes a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding. Before storming the Capitol building, the former lawmakers posted a meme online that said, "FIGHT FOR TRUMP" and asked friends if they were heading to D.C.

Pleading Guilty

After the Capitol Hill riot, Evans initially tried to disguise his attendance at the protest as him being an "independent member of the media to film history." Authorities have charged more than 775 people in relation to the insurrection, 225 of whom have pleaded guilty. More than 50 were already sentenced to periods of incarceration.

Evans' guilty plea has him facing a maximum fine of $250,000 and supervised release of no more than three years. The agreement will result in several other charges against the former lawmaker being dropped. One of which could have led to a fine or no more than 20 years of imprisonment.

Previously, the suspect also faced four misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, Metro News reported.



Related Article: Andrew Cuomo Eyes Political Bid Against Kathy Hochul, Argues 'Cancel Culture' Controls Democrats

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It hasnt even been a year since the death of rapper Young Dolph and the pain is still settling in for his loved ones. Arrests have been made in connection with Dolphs murder and a trial will be held at a later date. As the family waits to have their day in court, graphic details about Dolphs murder have been revealed. An autopsy recently gave insight into how many bullets Dolphs body was riddled with on that fateful day.

Young Dolph 2020 | Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Young Dolphs autopsy reveals he was shot over 20 times

According to autopsy findings, Dolph was shot 22 times. The autopsy report was released by The West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center on Tuesday, Mar. 15. In the report, which was obtained by Fox 13 Memphis, included where the gunshots entered and exited his body.

Source: YouTube

RELATED: Why Yo Gotti Is a Person of Interest in Tuesdays Young Dolph Shooting

The rapper was shot in his forehead, temple, face, right back, center back, left back, right arm, left arm, left chest, left abdomen, right chin, right neck, right wrist and right shoulder. The injuries were too damaging for him to survive.

Dolph was shot while buying sweets for his mother in Memphis at Makedas Cookies, a local bakery. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Dolph was 36 years old. His murder happened hours before he was set to manage a food drive ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The rapper has since been memorialized in Memphis

Dolph was a beloved member of the Memphis community and involved in several community givebacks. To pay their respects, the city of Memphis honored the late rapper with a street named after him in the same Memphis, TN neighborhood that he grew up in.

Though he was born in Chicago, he was raised in Memphis. TMZ reports that The City of Memphis announced plans to change a street name to something in Dolphs honoin a ceremony that took place on Dec. 15, 2021. His new street is at an intersection near the Memphis Depot Industrial Park.

Source: YouTube

Memphis City councilman JB Smiley led the renaming project. The idea was in effect almost immediately after Dolphs murder. Smiley wanted to wait until getting the approval from Dolphs family before making the news public.

Dolphs family were touched by the renaming ceremony. They say its a testament to the impact that Dolph made in his town. He sent the message that someone who went to the same schools as them, and walked the same streets that they do, was able to not only create a successful legacy for himself, but also prioritized family and community, they said, according to the report.

His longtime partner has been left to raise their two children alone and continues to speak out against gun violence

Besides fans who loved him, Dolph was a family man. Hed been in a relationship with Mia Jaye for over a decade and enjoyed spending time with Jay and their two children. Prior to his murder, the couple were planning their wedding.

In an interview with ABC News, she spoke on the extreme grief and emptiness she feels as a result of his murder. Its been extremely difficultjust having to pick up the pieces and to find the strength for my children, most importantly, she said. That is the one thing that Adolph and myself, that we just, we felt we had a duty to them. To protect them, to raise them, to just do so much for them, and together. Now that hes no longer here, its just very tough for me to be strong for them and also be strong for myself because Adolph, that was my soulmate. When I say they stole my futureit has taken a long time to iron out the kinks.

Even before his death, Jaye had a popular campaign Black Men Deserve To Grow Old, which she launched after the death of her brother. She continues to push the campaign and advise against gun violence in the Black community.

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Christians are living out Jesus' teachings as Ukrainians flee invasion Movement of love, generosity sweeps Poland as it opens arms to Ukrainians

CHELM, Poland  With little more than the clothes on their back, hundreds of Ukrainian women and children wait hours in line to cross into Poland as part of the largest movement of people in Europe since World War II. They shuffle their feet quietly, even apprehensively, toward an unknown future in an unfamiliar country.

Theyre stunned when they arrive. Volunteers have taped Ukrainian flags in their car windows and signs in Ukrainian reading, free rides to shelter. The drivers take the refugees to the Baptist church in Chelm, only a few kilometers up the road where people from around the world  Poland, Latvia, England, the United States, to name a few  are offering a place of safety and security for a few hours, few days or as long as they need it.

Families sit in stunned silence in an impromptu reception area where church volunteers tell the refugees the church has free food, drinks, showers and places to sleep. The congregation even has a set-up childrens area where they can play with bubbles or watch educational videos projected on a screen.

What were seeing is a movement of love and generosity across this nation. Poles are opening their doors and arms to Ukrainians. They are taking them into their churches. They are taking them into their homes. They are feeding them. They are caring for them, said Marek Glodek, president of the Baptist Union of Poland.

This is what Jesus calls His believers to do all the time. Polish Christians are taking the teachings of Jesus seriously and living them out each day during this situation.

More than 60% of the 110 Poland Baptist churches are responding to the needs of Ukrainian refugees, many of them in dramatic and radical ways.

At a warehouse in Chelm, donations for Ukrainians are coming in as fast as they are going out to Ukraine and to shelters across Poland. The deliveries continue even after Russia intensifies attacks on the western portion of Ukraine.

In north Poland, church members installed new insulation, air conditioning, heating, electrical lines and beds in an old summer camp to revitalize it to house refugees. Before the work was complete, they were housing 46 Ukrainians  all from one family. It can now house 60 more.

The work is tough, but it must be done. You just do it because its the right thing to do, said Lukas, who is leading the camp effort.

Near the Belarus border, a church is providing shelter for about 50 people and sending supplies into Ukraine despite increased Russian aggression. The effort is led in part by Natasha and Sergei, Ukrainians who came to Poland 10 years ago.

We didnt know why we were moving to Ukraine, Sergei said. We knew it couldnt just be about money. Now we know.

Natasha calls her parents, who remain in Ukraine, twice a day to find out if theyre still alive. After hearing their voices for a little while, she goes to work helping her countrymen. Between collecting and organizing supplies and registering people in the shelter, she moves quickly and calmly throughout the day.

I see dread in their faces. I see their pain. I see tears in their eyes. I see the fear for their family they left behind. But I also see how much they feel secure here. When I hug them, they shiver with the happiness of being safe, she said.

I feel like Ive done so, so little. I could have done so much more. But I try to do everything so they know weve done everything we can.

With Baptists in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Moldova taking center stage, Baptists from around the world are playing supportive roles by donating supplies, providing additional funding, praying and volunteering. People speak English, Latvian, Russian, Polish, Icelandic, Ukrainian and more in the shelter.

Texas Baptist Men alone has committed $300,000 throughout the region to Ukrainian, Polish and Romanian Baptists, enough to support five shelters for six months. TBM has a team in Poland and is sending larger volunteer teams to serve in the Chelm church shelter near the Ukraine border.

More than 1.5 million Ukrainians have sought safety in Poland, said Mickey Lenamon, TBM executive director and CEO. Baptists worldwide have joined together to meet their needs. TBM is honored to be part of that, whether it is through funding, sorting and loading donations in country, setting up beds, or even doing the little things that are needed like cleaning floors and toilets. We see what believers throughout the region are doing and are seeking to do likewise: follow Christ daily and share His love.

The crisis will have a long-lasting impact in the region. Families are divided as fathers and brothers fight for their country. Many Ukrainians wonder if they will ever return home or if there is anything to return to.

Until they decide, Baptists across Poland are providing a place for them.

The faces of Ukrainians arriving in Poland have the look of total despair, but I see the love of God poured out by the Polish people and see hope and comfort shining through, said Gary Finley, part of a TBM team serving in Poland.

John Hall is the director of communications for Texas Baptist Men.
Distorting Floridas parental rights bill

Who should be in charge of what children learn at school  the parents or the state? Florida is poised to pass a parental rights law that is being distorted as anti-gay.

The bottom line is: Is it appropriate for children from kindergarten through third grade to be introduced to questions of sexual and gender identity? The media says yes. Parents (mostly) say no.

Recently, Jarrett Stepman of the Heritage Foundation addressed this issue in an article for The Daily Signal, decrying the legacy medias distortions of Floridas bill. He notes, For the crime of trying to protect young children from sexually explicit material in the classroom, Florida legislators are being crucified by the media. I interviewed him on the radio on this topic.

The Florida bill is labeled HB 1557. That numerical name is probably the only thing that the two major sides agree on about it.

Because of the advantages of the major media and social media companies, which regularly censor any criticisms of the militant homosexual and transgender movement, people often hear only one side of this debate.

So the Florida law is falsely presented as some sort of attack on transgenders and homosexuals. But all the law does is bolster parents rights in the matter.

If some parent wants their children exposed to Drag Queen Story Hour or the like, its a free country. But why should those who dont agree with that view have their children exposed to something they believe is wrong? They should not. And this bill favors parental rights over the progressive bullies.

The bills opening words are: Parental Rights in Education. It goes on to say that it aims to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children.

The law prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels. What are those levels? Kindergarten through third grade. In other words, children generally 9 years old and younger.

In fact, Gov. Ron DeSantis proclaimed, The media cant defend injecting sexual topics like transgenderism into classrooms for kindergarteners, so they concoct false narratives to try to divert attention from this fact in the hopes that people will not read the bill.

The biggest of those false narratives is the lefts characterization  and the medias parroting  of it as the Dont Say Gay bill. Most who receive their news from the mainstream media have no idea that the bill (which does not mention the word gay or homosexuality anywhere in it) merely keeps sexualized topics out of the classrooms of kindergartners through third graders  where few sane people believe those topics belong in the first place.

Controversy surrounding this bill raises many questions. The most important of them is: Who is responsible for the childrens well-being, parents or the state?

The Bible says that parents are and that God has made us male and female.

Biology says we are male and female. One or the other. For example, the National Institute for Health notes, The biological differences between the sexes have long been recognized at the biochemical and cellular levels. Rapid advances in molecular biology have revealed the genetic and molecular bases of a number of sex-based differences in health and human disease.

In August 2020, I interviewed Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who noted that one silver lining from the pandemic was that parents got to see, many for the first time, what their children were actually being taught in their childrens schools.

He told me: When you take a look at the sex ed curriculum, there is an effort to indoctrinate children, not only in sexual activity, but within the whole LGBTQ agenda in terms of creating sexual confusion among our children.

I once interviewed Walt Heyer, a former transsexual. He had sex-reassignment surgery in 1983 because he believed he was a woman trapped in a mans body. For the first eight years as a woman, he felt relieved. But then his depression came back and was even worse. When Jesus healed him, he embraced his original identity.

Heyer now runs the organization Sex Change Regret. He notes that over 40% of those who have had gender reassignment surgery have attempted suicide.

He added that gender dysphoria is a form of depression. And while puberty blockers and sex reassignment surgeries may provide temporary relief, they dont address the root issue: When you dont like who you are at the core of who you are, youre depressed about who you are.

Why should parents, who are responsible for their childrens education and well-being, have to pick up the pieces as our society recklessly destroys these little children and their futures?

If it becomes law, I believe Floridas legislation will prove to be a step in the right direction for a culture mired in moral relativism.
Putin and the Slavic soul

I dont think you have a soul, said Joe Biden to Vladimir Putin in 2011 when Biden was vice president of the United States.

Putin seemed to confirm that opinion in his reply to Biden: Then we understand each other.

If it is true that Putin is soulless, it is a great tragedy. There is a compelling richness in the Slavic soul, a fetching passion that is hard to dismiss.

I experienced it the first time in Kyiv. I was there for several weeks in the early 1990s lecturing on ethics at the newly formed St. James Bible College.

The students rushed toward whatever we teachers could give them like rescued miners long trapped in a collapsed cave surging into the sunlight.

There was a vibrancy in the way the Slavic soul worshipped that still sticks in my own soul these decades later. I saw that soul in the face of a beautiful young woman rejoicing in her new freedoms as she described being baptized secretly by immersion in an ice-covered stream on a dark Sunday midnight.

In different parts of the Soviet bloc, I heard the Slavic passion in the preaching of the Word. Had there been no translator, my own soul would have resonated with the message.

Putin has no soul? He believes he may be an orthodox messiah?[1] Much of the world wonder about all that as it looks at the corpses of a mother and her two children lying in a gutter, brought down by Putins soldiers.

Such atrocity seems to suggest that Biden was right about Putin being soulless. Yet every human being  even Vladimir Putin  is made in the image of God. He is triune and so are His image-bearers. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Men and women are spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The human soul has the function of thought, emotion, will or volition. Soul and body are to be led by Gods Holy Spirit indwelling the human spirit. When that relationship exists, it results in the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Tragedy comes when the soul operates without the Holy Spirit. It is a terrible thing to be soulless, but it is a disastrous thing to be spiritless.

Apparently, Putin has a form of religion. One of the explanations for his determination to halt Ukraines westward gravitation is that he sees Kyiv as the seat of the Orthodoxy that is at the heart of what defines Slavic ethnicity and nationhood. Thus, perhaps to his mind, as some have suggested, Kyiv is the New Jerusalem.

If that is true, then his bloody crusade centers on preserving an institution of religion. However, Jesus makes it clear that the Gospel of His Kingdom is not to be spread through force, but through the witness of a godly life and the proclamation of Gods grace through Christ.

Among others, the face of the Slavic soul can be seen in two men who have impacted me and scores of others. One of them blessed me personally and up close, and the other from a distance.

Georgi Vins was a pastor and leader of a group of independent Baptists in Russia who suffered much under one of Putins predecessors, Nikita Khrushchev. On one occasion, Vins dared to go before the Central Committee of the Soviet regime to demand to know about some of their fellow Christians who had been arrested.

Rather than give an answer, the communist authorities arrested Vins and his group. After serving a prison sentence Vins was released and began preaching again, only to be re-arrested.

One day in the late 1970s, I read about Vins plight and was moved to begin praying for him. By then I was a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama, and never dreamed of personally meeting Vins. After all, he was in Siberia.

However, in 1979, through the efforts of President Jimmy Carter, Vins was released in a swap for some Soviet spies held in the United States. One day several months later, I was given the opportunity to have Vins come to Birmingham and preach in the church I was serving.

Vins and his wife stayed in our home for several days. There was no doubt that Georgi Vins was a true face of the Slavic soul.

Vins impacted me up close, but Alexander Solzhenitsyn revealed the Slavic soul at a distance for me and many others.

After being prosecuted, persecuted and imprisoned in the gulag, about which he would write, Solzhenitsyn was exiled to the United States. Like Vins, he was never truly comfortable here. Their Slavic souls yearned for their homeland.

And, like Vins, Solzhenitsyn continued to speak out. The passion of his Slavic soul for raw truth was especially evident in the speech he gave at Harvard University as he received the Templeton Award in 1983. Solzhenitsyn said that in the Soviet Union, the lie has become not just a moral category, but a pillar of the state.

Then, still at Harvard, a bastion of secular elitist culture, Solzhenitsyn was not afraid to address the American establishment with the truth of what caused the problems in Russia and threatened the United States.

More than half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that have befallen Russia: Men have forgotten God; that is why all this has happened.

So, if you want to see into the Slavic soul, look at Vins and Solzhenitsyn.

There is evidence that Putin is looking at the strongman imagery that characterized the First World War, and is seeking alliances with those he considers adequate role models of dominance. Pray now that Vladimir Putin will have a passion to pattern himself on Vins and Solzhenitsyn and receive the Christ they served and the Holy Spirit who empowered them.

That may be the only hope in this desperate moment we inhabit.

[1] Does Vlad Putin Believe He is the Orthodox Messiah?  Absolute Truth from the Word of God (grandmageri422.me)
Cuomo tells church he's a victim of the 'social death penalty': 'Remember the stonings in the Bible?'

Speaking at a second New York City church as he hints at a political comeback months after stepping down due to accusations of sexually harassing several women, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested he's a victim of the "social death penalty."

The former governor addressed a group of Hispanic ministers Thursday at the Christian Community Neighborhood Church, a Pentecostal congregation in the Bronx. He was invited by the churchs pastor Ruben Diaz Sr., a former New York City councilman.

I am not going anywhere. I am going to continue to fight the good fight, said Cuomo, who resigned as governor last August amid threats of impeachment.

The remark came in response to a question on if he plans to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul, his former lieutenant governor and successor, in the primary of the upcoming gubernatorial election, The New York Post reported.

Cuomo, 64, complained that elected officials failed to stand up to the extremist political discourse by fellow Democrats as he faced mounting pressure last year in light of allegations from 11 women of sexual harassment and misconduct, nine of which were current or former state government employees.

There is no doubt that there is no place where the tail is wagging the dog. One manifestation of extremism is the so-called cancel culture, Cuomo, who held office from 2011 to 2021, was quoted as saying. Cancel culture says if you dont agree with me and my point of view, then you should be canceled.

Its a social death penalty. Anyone can get canceled at any time. And it happens with frequency. No ones immune, he added, according to a local news report. Our cancel-culture mentality today is like modern-day stonings. Remember the stonings in the Bible?

The speech comes as Cuomo has run advertisements in recent days that suggest that he could be considering a primary challenge. Cuomo told reporters after his speech that he has a lot of options and is open to all of them.

Look, I have been through a very difficult year and did a lot of soul-searching. I have been blessed, he added. I have three very beautiful daughters and a very beautiful family. I served as your governor, and I am so proud of the way I did it.

Cuomo, whose father Mario Cuomo served as the states 52nd governor, said he knows how to get on the ballot.

I did it a couple times. The election isnt until November. So theres a lot of time to gather petitions, depending on how you want to run, he said, according to PBS.

According to NY1, the crowd in attendance at Christian Community Neighborhood Church was largely supportive of Cuomo and encouraged him to run for public office, even the presidency.

Earlier this month, Cuomo spoke to another congregation, Gods Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, quoting Scripture to declare, Gods not finished with me yet.

My father, God rest his soul, used to say government is an honorable profession but that politics can be a dirty business, he told the audience. Now, that is especially true today when this politics out there is so mean and so extreme. When even the Democratic Party chooses to cancel people that they have a disagreement with.

He also addressed the accusations against him.

Last February, several women raised issues about my behavior. As I said then, and as I say in this holy hall today, my behavior has been the same for 40 years in public life. You have seen me many, many times, and that has been my behavior, he said.

But that was actually the problem, because for some people, especially younger people; theres a new sensitivity. No one ever told me I made them feel uncomfortable. I never sensed that I caused anyone discomfort. I was trying to do the exact opposite, but Ive been called old-fashioned, out of touch, and Ive been told my behavior was not politically correct or appropriate. I accept that.

Cuomo admitted that there were no excuses for his actions and that he is truly sorry.

Ive apologized many times, and Ive learned a powerful lesson, and Ive paid a high price for learning that lesson, he said. God isnt finished with me yet.

State Attorney General Letitia James announced 11 legal violations against Cuomo, but he said not one of those violations had been proven. A report released by James office last August claimed Cuomos actions broke state and federal law. However, prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the former governor, citing insufficient legal grounds.

Cuomo argued that cancel culture was used to get him out of office because others in his party wanted his position.

Earlier this week, the New York Office of the State Comptroller released an audit report stating that the states health department under Cuomos administration undercounted COVID-19 deaths by as many as 4,000 and misled the public. During the early days of the pandemic, Cuomo was criticized for a policy of transporting recovering COVID-19 patients to nursing homes, and some believe the move resulted in the deaths of elderly nursing home patients.

Providing access to government data engenders transparency and promotes public trust. While the Departments 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 Executives narrative, often presenting data in a manner that misled the public, the audit report states.

A spokesperson for Cuomo slammed the report as a political move in a statement provided to CBS News.

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.
Putin quotes John 15:13 to hail Ukraine invasion at Moscow rally: 'The words from the Bible'

At a rally in Moscow on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin paraphrased John 15:13 to justify the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children.

During his speech at the rally held in Moscows Luzhniki Stadium to celebrate the eighth anniversary of Crimeas annexation, which is not recognized by most countries, Putin lauded the Russian military for heroically fighting in Ukraine.

You know, I remember the words from the Bible. There is no other love rather than if someone gives soul for their friends, Putin said, according to the BBC broadcast of his speech. The remark was followed by huge applause from the crowd.

Putins remark was a reference to John 15:13, which states: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends.

We are seeing the heroic deeds of our guys in this operation, Putin added, according to the CNN translation. These words from the holy scripture of Christianity, its something that is very dear to those who profess this religion.

But everything is down to the facts that this universal value for all the peoples and all the confessions of Russia and for own people above all and the best confirmation of that is how our guys are fighting in the course of this military operation, shoulder to shoulder, helping and supporting each other, he continued. If the need comes, they will shield each other on the battlefield from the bullets as brothers. We have not had such unity for a long time.

During Putins speech, Russia 24, the state-owned media outlet broadcasting the address, switched to footage of a military band playing on the same stage, The Moscow Times reported. The independent news outlet noted that Russian state television is tightly controlled and such interruptions are highly unusual.

However, the Kremlin later claimed the broadcast was interrupted due to technical problems on the server.

While the RIA Novosti news agency reported over 95,000 in attendance and over 100,000 outside the stadium, the newspaper cited reports of some people being forced to attend the rally.

They stuck us in a bus and drove us here, one woman was quoted as telling the SOTA news outlet outside the stadium.

Some reports in Russian media also suggested that people were offered 500 rubles (approximately $5) to attend the event.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Friday it had recorded 2,149 civilian casualties, including 816 killed and 1,333 injured, since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.

Those dead include 152 men, 116 women, seven girls, 16 boys, 36 children and 489 adults whose sex is not yet known. However, the actual figure could be much higher, the OHCHR reported.

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 multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the OHCHR statement said.

Nearly 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine and over 3.2 million have fled the country, the U.N. migration agency reported Friday. Nearly a quarter of Ukraines 44 million population has been forced to flee.

The pace and magnitude of the internal displacement and refugee exodus from Ukraine, as well as resulting humanitarian needs, will only increase if the situation deteriorates, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said, according to AFP.

Despite quoting the New Testament, Putins invasion of Ukraine has been condemned by nearly 300 Russian Orthodox leaders in an open letter issued earlier this month.

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.

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.

Moscow Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Putins, has been accused of lending religious justification for the invasion, although countless religious leaders have called for him to condemn the violence.

In late February, Kirill reportedly called Russias opposition in Ukraine evil forces who have fought against the unity of Russia and the Russian Church prevail.

In addition to the more than 280 Russian Orthodox priests, over 400 ministers of Evangelical churches in Russia have called for reconciliation and an immediate end to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance released a statement last week saying he mourns the invasion and did everything I could do to prevent war.

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, REA General Secretary Vitaly Vlasenko said in the statement addressed to his dear brothers and sisters around the world.

The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, which advocates on behalf of the global Orthodox Christian Church, said in a statement that Kirills words enable Putin by giving religious cover to this unconscionable and unjustified conflict.

Kirills statements ring hollow and have the stench of direct government interference, the OPAC statement shared with The Christian Post reads. Is this because he owes his position and the lucrative benefits he receives to Vladimir Putin? Why does he not speak out for his Ukrainian Flock? Why does he endorse the Russian military, even presenting them with a holy icon?
The New York Times' confirmation that Hunter Biden's laptop and its contents are legitimate has gone unnoticed by the mainstream media.

The New York Times published a detailed report on Wednesday about the Justice Department's ongoing investigation of President Joe Biden's son and how a grand jury is still gathering witness testimony and data related to his international business transactions.

Mainstream Media, Big Tech Avoid NYT Revelation about Hunter Biden

According to Grabien transcripts, ABC, CBS, and NBC made no mention of Hunter Biden on their morning and primetime newscasts on Thursday and Friday. Despite being 24-hour news networks, neither CNN nor MSNBC gave coverage to the unfolding issue.

The New York Times went to considerable measures to discredit the reporting as well. This week, the so-called "paper of record" changed its tune, Fox News reported.

In November, the five networks mostly ignored a New York Times piece alleging that while his father was vice president, an investment business led by Hunter Biden helped a Chinese company buy one of the world's most profitable cobalt mines from an American corporation.

The story reignited questions about possible conflicts of interest and if the current president was aware of his son's business operations, which Joe Biden previously denied.

In addition, when the New York Post tried to share the stories on Twitter in 2020, the social media company said it was against its rules to share "hacked" information. The story's distribution was likewise restricted by Facebook, per Washington Examiner.

Because of Twitter and Facebook stifling the news just days before a major presidential debate between then-President Donald Trump and candidate Joe Biden, the latter was able to dismiss the laptop emails as Russian misinformation, a position that members of his team had been repeating for months.

Read Also: Xi Jinping Eases Joe Biden, United States' Concerns on China Aiding Russia, Opposes Ukraine Invasion

White House Deflects Hunter Biden's Foreign Deals

Meanwhile, the White House brushed aside concerns that Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings were causing conflicts of interest while his father negotiates with China and Russia on a global scale.

Asked how Biden is "navigating conflicts of interest when it comes to sanctioning people who have done business with his family," Jen Psaki says she "has no more further details."



Hunter Biden received $3.5 million from Russian billionaire Elena Baturina in 2014. pic.twitter.com/tLmCQZRWzC  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 18, 2022

Press secretary Jen Psaki had no new information on a 2020 Senate Homeland Security and Finance Committee inquiry investigating charges that a firm tied to the younger Biden received $3.5 million in 2014 from Russian oligarch Elena Baturina, the ex-wife of Moscow's mayor.

According to another Washington Examiner report, Hunter Biden's position as a 10% stakeholder of the Chinese government-connected investment firm BHR Partners was also pressed on Psaki. Skaneateles is still listed as a 10% owner in BHR in China's National Credit Information Publicity System corporate documents retrieved last week, and a Washington, D.C. counterpart shows the younger Biden as Skaneateles' lone beneficial owner.

The deflections come after the elder Biden spent almost two hours in the Situation Room via secure video link with Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping, as US intelligence says Russia has sought China for military and financial support to aid its invasion of Ukraine.

Donald Trump Joins Others in Condemning Censorship of Hunter Biden's Story

With its report verifying the legitimacy of Hunter Biden's laptop and its contents, the New York Times acknowledged to being a part of an effort to "rig" the election for Joe Biden, according to Trump.

Republicans were outraged with the media for ignoring the news in the run-up to Joe Biden's victory, as well as social media sites like as Twitter and Facebook for proclaiming the report to be false.

The ex-POTUS was further vindicated after Lesley Stahl told him during a 60 Minutes interview in October 2020 that the contents of the laptop could not be confirmed and that it had previously been probed by Republicans in the Senate.

After creating a copy of the laptop's hard drive, the owner of the laptop repair shop notified the FBI. The laptop and its hard drive were confiscated by the FBI. Other contents of the laptop obtained by Daily Mail show how the first son would spend tens of thousands of dollars on drugs and prostitutes while in a drug-induced stupor.

Related Article: Hunter Biden's Laptop: NYT Finally Admits Denying Story in 2020

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Baptist pastor arrested for child porn possession after authorities search parsonage

A Baptist pastor in New Hampshire was arrested for possession of child sexual abuse images, following an investigation by multiple law enforcement entities that lasted nearly six years.

The Nashua Police Department arrested 46-year-old Stephen Bates on Tuesday after executing a search warrant on the parsonage. Bates is the pastor of Bible Baptist Church of Nashua, an independent Baptist congregation.

Police said in a statement that while searching Bates parsonage, they found two flash drives on his person, which had numerous images of child pornography on them.

As a result of him possessing child pornography Pastor Bates was arrested, stated the Nashua Police Department on Tuesday. Pastor Bates has been initially charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Images but more charges are expected as the investigation continues and more digital evidence is analyzed.

The charge is a Class A felony, according to authorities, and can carry a punishment of up to 15 years in state prison, exclusive of fines. Bates had his bail set at $3,000.

The investigation began in August 2016, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted Nashua Police with a tip indicating that child pornography had been accessed by a device with an IP address associated with Bible Baptist Church.

Offices of the Homeland Security Investigations in Denver, Colorado, and Blaine, Washington, conducted investigations into the distribution of child pornography and child sexual exploitation in 2019 and 2021. They also discovered the source of the crimes being an IP address associated with the church.

Additionally, in 2020, when police in Tallahassee, Florida, investigated the publishing of child pornography online, they learned that the account responsible for publishing the images utilized an IP address associated with the Bible Baptist Church.

From the onset of the investigation, Pastor Bates was contacted several times by investigators with the Nashua Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, the departments statement reads.

Pastor Bates was considered a person of interest during the earlier investigations but until today there wasnt sufficient evidence to charge him with any crimes.

Other investigative bodies involved in the case included the Nashua Police Departments Special Investigations Division, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes against Children Task Force and the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.

According to its website, Bible Baptist Church was founded in 1980 by a group of ex-Catholics. Bates became the churchs pastor in August 2005 following a unanimous vote.

The Christian Post reached out to Bible Baptist Church for comment on Bates charges, but a response wasn't immediately received. A second attempt to reach the church was also unsuccessful.

The churchs Facebook page appears to be disabled.
Pastor says hes ready to be authentic self after arrest for debt owed to former parishioners

Anthony Knotts, pastor of the Embassy Church International in Greensboro, North Carolina, and owner of Seafood Destiny, said he is now ready to be his authentic self after racking up more than $100,000 in loans and penalty charges on a credit card he borrowed from former parishioners.

The former parishioners, Ed Cobbler and his wife, Pat Lowe, told WFMY 2 News that they had forgiven their former pastor and friend for violating their trust, but they cannot ignore the hefty bill he racked up.

He kept running the [credit card] balance up and running the balance up, and it got very high, Cobbler told the news network.

The couple explained in court papers that while members of Embassy Church International in 2011, they allowed the 52-year-old pastor to use their credit card because they had become good friends and trusted him.

We became very close to our pastor. He was like one of our best friends, Cobbler recalled.

As time went by, however, the pastor failed to pay some $50,000 in charges on the card. Ten years later, that amount has doubled to more than $100,000, with late fees and interest charges, a legal filing says.

I said, Listen, Anthony, I forgive you, but Im not forgetting the debt. You owe the money. But as far as my heart  I forgive you, Cobbler was quoted as saying.

The couple claims Knotts wrote them two bad checks to clear part of the debt.

The Christian Post called the phone number provided by a lawyer to reach Knotts but received no answer and was unable to leave a message.

The Knotts-led Embassy Church International has a relatively large following on social media, with over 2,000 Facebook followers and 450 followers on Instagram. The churchs website appears to be down for maintenance with a note stating that a new site is coming soon.

The phone number listed for the Embassy Church International has either been disconnected or is no longer in service.

According to News & Record, Knotts failed to show up for debtors examinations scheduled for Dec. 13 and Jan. 3.

A judge ordered him on Jan. 11 to appear in court on Feb. 14 to explain himself, but he failed to show up again. Superior Court Judge John O. Craig III held him in contempt of court and ordered the pastors arrest.

It just breaks my heart as to the way its all come to this. It should have never been. It didnt have to be, but he chose it to be this way, Lowe told WFMY News 2 after he appeared in court on Monday.

Cobbler and Lowe further allege that Knotts owes them $10,000, which he borrowed but failed to pay back.

In a separate case, Performance Food Group, which supplies food to the pastors restaurant, is seeking more than $28,000 from him after he allegedly paid them with bad checks.

In a statement released by his lawyer, Jason L. Keith, dated March 9, Knotts explained how the arrest quickly changed his life.

Seven days ago, coming into this jail was the worst experience of my life. However, what started out to be the worst experience has become a true blessing, he said.

He noted that he was failing to be my true authentic self.

All my life, I have lived to please other people first. Behind these jail walls, in the last seven days, all that has changed, he said. I realized I hadnt been the authentic me all my life. To be honest, I didnt know how to be. However, these last seven days there has been nobody here but me, myself and God. I truly believe this had been my belly in the whale experience and my Damascus Road experience like Paul. Totally humbling, eye-opening, but life-changing.

Knotts said that hes now on the journey to become the authentic me and apologized to his family, his former parishioners and the court for his actions.

I would like to sincerely apologize to Ed Cobbler and Pat Lowe. I would like to apologize to Judge Craig and the Guilford County Court System. I would also like to apologize to my wife, three children and immediate family, he said.

Im sorry for any shame I may have caused you. I would also like to apologize to my church family and my Seafood Destiny family.

However, Knotts statement has been removed from his lawyers Instagram account. Keith told CP that Knotts has been released on bail and can now speak for himself.

Knotts is expected to return to court later this month.
Entertainment Weekly recently published an interview with actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, teasing the piece with a headline about Perez baring it all as a nude model for a 1970s magazine centerfold in the first episode in HBO Maxs scandalous new show, Minx.

The real scandal, in my view, is not the promised nudity but the way its misrepresented. Perez never actually appears fully nude in that episode. He wears a prosthetic penis.

As prosthetic penises have become more common in film and on TV, Ive watched publications eagerly document the trend with cheeky headlines: The power of the dong: The year the penis was unleashed in Hollywood, How the Sausage Gets Made: Inside Hollywoods Prosthetic Penis Craze and Welcome to the year of the cock.

But to me, their growing use, and the way in which actors wielding them are deceptively described as partaking in full frontal nudity, often reinforces existing taboos under a guise of progressivism and gender equality.

Whats wrong with just showing the real thing?

No more than a costume

Ive been researching representations of penises and the way theyre connected to masculinity since the 1993 publication of my book Running Scared: Masculinity and the Representation of the Male Body.

The media, it seems, has become fascinated with prosthetic penises while skirting the issue of why filmmakers and actors are avoiding actually baring it all.

Minx is set in the 1970s and tells the story of an activist who becomes the editor of an erotic feminist magazine that includes nude male centerfolds. Her partner in the enterprise is a successful pornographer.

The premise seems ripe for actors to appear in the flesh. And sure enough, early coverage of the show plays up this element. Minx, according to a review in Deadline, uses nudity to defang the insidious shame associated with sexuality in all forms.  [In the show] a penis is just a penis and a breast a mere breast.

But a prosthetic penis is not just a penis; it is not even a penis.

The Minx pilot does include a minutelong scene in which about 18 bottomless men audition to appear in the centerfold, and flashes of their real penises are shown.

Although The New York Times praised the montage for its unusual degree of realism, I think it highlights how the show carefully regulates the representation of penises.

None of the men in this brief scene are major characters. And the one whos ultimately chosen, played by Perez, wears a prosthesis, which simply amounts to a costume.

Titillating PR

Furthermore, the phony phalli on screen often reflect cultural stereotypes.

In the 2015 film The Overnight, a character with a small prosthetic penis is comically obsessed about its size and his sexual performance. As one prosthetic artist explained to Fast Company, Filmmakers will always give a bigger penis to more manly, virile characters and smaller penises are usually just about the gag factor.

He added that hed welcome diverse, real penises because theyd make people a little bit more comfortable with sexuality and combat the taboo of showing the penis.

Culture writer Christina Izzo derides the popularity of prosthetics as a cock-out cop-out.

But Izzo is a lonely voice. Most coverage of prosthetic penises tends to portray them as progressive for purportedly providing a visual balance to female nudity and feminist for making actresses more comfortable on set.

I believe the issues should be separated. When intimacy consultants require the use of prosthetic penises in intimate sexual scenes with bodily contact for the comfort of actresses, they perform a profoundly important role. However, many of the instances of frontal male nudity Ive analyzed involve no intimate sexual contact.

Eric Dane and Jacob Elordi are two of many actors in Euphoria who purportedly wore prosthetic penises even as they implied that theyve broken the taboo of showing penises.

It is impossible to verify most claims about the extent of the use of prosthetic penises on any show, and some actors refuse to answer the question. An is it real or not tease encourages speculation and has become its own form of publicity for shows and actors.

Sculpting meaning into something trivial

My research on sexuality and the male body shows that representations of the penis in the media influence cultural notions of sexuality and gender. Since the penis is a potent cultural symbol, people are bombarded with conflicting messages attempting to control its meaning.

For example, medicine reassures men that nearly all of them are average. Pornography shows extremely large penises. Men with small penises are the butt of size jokes. Racist stereotypes suggest men of some races have large penises and are hypersexual, while others are undersexed with small ones.

Prosthetic penises are just another way to attach significance to the organ.

Of course, the truth is that penises have no fixed meanings. The first issue of Playgirl magazine, which featured real frontal male nudity, was published in 1973; it makes the use of prostheses in 2022 seem overly prude. Mature representations of real, diverse penises, without shame or special significance, would be far more worthy of media attention than prostheses.

That, to me, would be truly revolutionary.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.
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On March 9, LGBTQ employees and allies at Pixar Animation Studios sent a joint statement to Walt Disney Company leadership claiming that Disney executives had actively censored overtly gay affection in its feature films. The stunning allegation  made as part of a larger protest over the companys lack of public response to Floridas Dont Say Gay bill  did not include which Pixar films had weathered the censorship, nor which specific creative decisions were cut or altered.

But in at least one case, the statement appears to have made a significant difference.

According to a source close to the production, Pixars next feature film, Lightyear  starring Chris Evans as the putative real-life inspiration for the Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear  does feature a significant female character, Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba), who is in a meaningful relationship with another woman. While the fact of that relationship was never in question at the studio, a kiss between the characters had been cut from the film. Following the uproar surrounding the Pixar employees statement and Disney CEO Bob Chapeks handling of the Dont Say Gay bill, however, the kiss was reinstated into the movie last week.

The decision marks a possible major turning point for LGBTQ representation not just in Pixar films, but in feature animation in general, which has remained steadfastly circumspect about depicting same-sex affection in any meaningful light.

To be sure, there are several examples of forthright LGBTQ representation in feature animation created for an adult audience, including in 1999s South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, 2007s Persepolis, 2016s Sausage Party, and 2021s Flee. But in a G or PG rated animated movie, the pervasive approach has been to tell, not show  and only barely at that. Arguably the most high-profile LGBTQ character in an animated studio feature to date  Katie (Abbi Jacobson), the teenage lead of The Mitchells vs. the Machines, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Netflix  is the exception that proves the rule: This explicit fact of Katies identity is only fully revealed in the final moments of the film when her mother makes a passing reference to her girlfriend.

In Pixars 27-year history, there have been just a small handful of unambiguous LGBTQ characters of any kind. In 2020s Onward, a one-eyed cop (Lena Waithe), who appears in a few scenes, mentions her girlfriend. In 2019s Toy Story 4, two moms hug their child goodbye at kindergarten. And 2016s Finding Dory features a brief shot of what appears to be a lesbian couple, though the movies filmmakers were coy about defining them that way at the time. The most overtly LGBTQ project in Pixars canon is a 2020 short film, Out, about a gay man struggling with coming out to his parents  which the studio released on Disney Plus as part of its SparkShorts program.

But according to multiple former Pixar employees who spoke with Variety on the condition of anonymity, creatives within the studio have tried for years to incorporate LGBTQ identity into its storytelling in ways big and small, only to have those efforts consistently thwarted. (A spokesperson for Disney declined to comment for this story.)

In Pixars 2021 release, Luca, two young sea monsters who appear human when on land, Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), build a profound friendship with each other that many interpreted as a coming out allegory  the New York Times review of the film was headlined Calamari by Your Name. The films director, Enrico Casarosa, even told The Wrap that he talked about the potential of Luca and Albertos friendship being romantic in nature. But he quickly added that we didnt talk about it as much because the film focuses on friendship and is pre-romance.

Some people seem to get mad that Im not saying yes or no, but I feel like, well, this is a movie about being open to any difference, Casarosa added.

According to two sources who spoke with Variety, however, the Luca filmmakers also discussed whether the human girl who befriends Luca and Alberto, Giulia (Emma Berman), should be queer. But the creative team appeared to be stymied by how to do it without also creating a girlfriend for the character.

We very often came up against the question of, How do we do this without giving them a love interest?' says one source who worked at the studio. That comes up very often at Pixar.

Its unclear why a studio that has imbued multi-dimensional life into everything from plastic toys to the concepts of sadness and joy would be stumped by how to create an LGBTQ character without a love interest. But it also appears Pixar has had difficulty incorporating queer representation even as part of the background. Multiple sources told Variety that efforts to include signifiers of LGBTQ identity in the set design of films located in specific American cities known for sizable LGBTQ populations  namely, 2020s Soul (in New York City) and 2015s Inside Out (in San Francisco)  were shot down. One source said that a rainbow sticker placed in the window of a shop was removed because it was deemed too distracting.

Other sources said same-sex couples were also removed from the background from these films, though a studio insider insists they do appear in Soul. (A review of the film by Variety noted a few examples of two women sitting or standing in close proximity with each other in shots that last less than a second, but the nature of their relationship is ambiguous.)

What is most troubling is how this censorship apparently manifested at the studio. The March 9 statement by Pixar employees states that Disney corporate reviews were responsible for the diminution of LGBTQ representation at Pixar  which would include the tenure of Chapeks predecessor as CEO, Robert Iger. Its why Pixar employees say they found Chapeks assertion in a March 7 company-wide memo that the biggest impact Disney can make is through the inspiring content we produce so galling.

Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disneys behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar, the statement says. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it.

But none of the sources who spoke with Variety could cite first-hand knowledge of Disney executives directly cutting LGBTQ content from specific Pixar features. Instead, the examples from Luca, Soul and Inside Out were purportedly driven either by the individual movies filmmaking team or by the studios own leadership. Effectively, Pixar engaged in self-censorship, say these sources, out of an abiding belief that LGBTQ content wouldnt get past Disney review because Disney has needed the films to play in markets traditionally hostile to LGBTQ people: namely China, Russia, much of West Asia and in the American South.

Indeed, the inclusion of a one-eyed lesbian cop in Onward was enough to ban the film in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; and the version released in Russia swapped the word girlfriend with the word partner.

All of which makes the decision to restore the same-sex kiss in Lightyear  the first Pixar film due to open in movie theaters rather than on Disney Plus since 2019  that much more meaningful for the studio and its employees, especially the ones who risked breaching Pixars decades-long near impenetrable silence about internal matters in their March 9 statement.

For Steven Hunter, the director of the short film Out, that effort was particularly important. While he is no longer at Pixar and couldnt speak to any specific instances of censorship there, he said it was still nerve-wracking speaking out about the company at all. But with LGBTQ equal rights under threat by a sudden raft of state-level legislation, the importance of visibility in storytelling was too great for him to stay silent.

I stand by my colleagues, Hunter told Variety. Im really proud of those folks for speaking up. We need that. We need Mr. Chapek to understand that we need to be speaking up. We cant assume that these laws that theyre trying to put in place arent hurtful and bigoted and, frankly, evil. We are not going away. Were not going back in the closet.

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A man in East Texas has taken his mobile home and turned it into a large tin castle, with more than 20 rooms and most of it made out of tin and other pieces of salvage.

Wayne Fisher, 68, first started working on this project 45 years ago, according to KLTV.

Fisher said he started reading some do-it-yourself magazines and began reclaiming salvage from across the city of Tyler and fixing it up to add to his home. The home is located in the 13000 block of Highway 155, south of Loop 323.

He made friends with people who dealt with salvage and lumber across the city, and he was able to purchase those items from them.

It turned out to be a life-long hobby, Fisher told mySA.com. It captivated my interest and I just went from there.

Eighty percent of the home is taken from those pieces of salvage, he told KLTV, a project hes done all by himself.

He used primarily corrugated barn tin on the outside, which makes the home look like a tin castle, he said. His goal was to make the outside of the building look like a barn.

I've often been caught working up in the yard and somebody comes by and says that they would love to have a copy of my blueprints, Fisher told KLTV, saying that all those blueprints are inside his head.

He said hes now finished adding extra rooms to the property, but is now focused on finishing and furnishing the rest of the home. Fisher said maintenance on the home is an everyday job.

The Smith County Appraisal District website said the assessed value of the home is about $69,000, but the market value of the home is $101,654, according to data from the 2015 tax year.

Fisher lives in this East Texas "castle" with his Boston terrier, who's named Tyler.

Click through the slideshow to see more photos of the home.

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
Ah, the tech bro vest  a garment so ubiquitous and divisive that even Patagonia, arguably the defining manufacturer for this layering article, vowed in 2019 to limit which companies it would make branded vests for.

Someone in San Francisco is so displeased with them, and what they seemingly stand for, that theyve taken to posting flyers around the city to call out these particular residents. Transgressions listed on the flyer include living and bar-hopping in the Marina, commuting to work by car in the second best city in the U.S. for public transportation (even for Tesla and EV owners) and talking about how bad crime and homelessness is in SF.
McDonald's is now closed in Russia, part of a wave of companies exiting the country after its invasion of Ukraine sparked sanctions from the West. But a local alternative, Uncle Vanya, appears to be gearing up to take a bite of the Russian burger business - with a strangely familiar logo.

In a March 12 trademark filing, Uncle Vanya's yellow and red logo looks almost identical to the iconic Golden Arches of McDonald's, but tilted 90 degrees to the right. They form part of the letter "B" in the Cyrillic alphabet, which corresponds to the "V" in "Vanya."

Though none of these new restaurants have opened yet, the plan could apparently be to take over the existing shuttered McDonald's restaurants. The restaurant takes its name from the 19th-century play "Uncle Vanya" by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia's lower house in parliament, said last week that Russian brands should take over McDonald's locations. "They announced they are closing. Well, OK, close. But tomorrow in those locations we should have not McDonald's, but Uncle Vanya's," he said. "Jobs must be preserved and prices reduced."

Officials have also said Russia can ignore patents owned by entities from countries that Moscow sees as hostile while Russian President Vladimir Putin last week also endorsed a plan to nationalize foreign-owned businesses that have left the country. He said Russia must "introduce external management" on departing companies "and then transfer these enterprises to those who want to work."

The moves pave the way for Uncle Vanya to fill McDonald's void in Russia.

McDonald's 1990 arrival in the Soviet Union drew crowds as well as headlines, becoming a symbol of the West's triumph over communism at the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union collapsed in the following year. Since then, the American chain has gained popularity in both Russia and Ukraine, both former members of the Soviet Union.

Nine percent of McDonald's $23.2 billion in revenue last year came from the two countries.

The Chicago-headquartered company has said it will keep paying full salaries for employees in Ukraine, where McDonald's had 108 stores before the war, as well as in Russia, where the company had nearly 850 stores and 62,000 workers.

When McDonald's opened its doors in Moscow 32 years ago, McDonald's managers expressed confidence they would stay in Soviet Russia, come what may, The Washington Post reported.

This time, McDonald's managers are less upbeat.

Chris Kempczinski, the chief executive of McDonald's, told employees that it was impossible to predict when the company can reopen in Russia. "We are experiencing disruptions to our supply chain along with other operational impacts," he said in an email to employees that was disclosed earlier this month.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is part of a series featuring local women in leadership in honor of March being Women's History Month.

MANISTEE -- Manistee County Council on Aging Executive Director Sarah Howard's thoughts instantly go to her granddaughters when contemplating the importance of Womens History Month.

Howard feels sending out a positive message to young females on how they can accomplish anything in life that they set their mind to is of incredible importance. She said a big part of her being successful comes from approaching life in a positive manner and how she interacts with others.

The one thing I tell my granddaughters is smile, always be kind and helpful, said Howard. As a child I was always very shy, but if I saw someone and smiled at them it would brighten their day, which is important. By smiling at them it shows people they matter.

Howard has been the director at the council on aging for nine years and still uses that philosophy on a daily basis when she meets people at the Wagoner Community Center. Like many other accomplished women, her road to the directors position took her to many different places before finding what has become her dream job at the local senior center.

I worked in home care for a long time as the director down in Ann Arbor, said Howard. My grandparents both passed away within a couple of years, and I really wanted to come home so my husband and I moved the kids up here.

When a job came open for a program coordinator at the senior center, it first caught the eye of her husband.

He saw it in the newspaper and said, Sarah you would be perfect for this', said Howard. So I applied and Lora Laurain was the director at the time; (she) interviewed me. By the time I got home from the interview, she called and said the job was mine. It was a job that Carol Greve had done forever before she got sick.

Interviews for the director position were held after Laurain left the position when she moved to Florida with her family, but it wasn't something that was on Howards radar at the time.

I wasnt interested, but they hired someone and it didnt work out. They came to me and wanted to know if I was interested, said Howard. I told them only if it let me still do some of the fun stuff I like to do.

The things she enjoyed doing were the history trips and related things because the real draw to the job was having fun with the people. It is something she still enjoys very much about the position.

So when they said that was fine, I took the job and here I am nine years later, said Howard.

Howard said they do a little bit of everything at the senior center, and she loves the variety.

I am so busy doing the day-to-day business stuff and with this building (Wagoner Center) and my office is on the opposite side of the building so I am not always where all the action is taking place, she said. But I also do some things like today when I did two routes of the Meals on Wheels just because I like to see people at home and it is nice to do things like that.

On the day before she did meal routes, she was in meetings in Traverse City with the Area Agencies on Aging. The day before that, her activities including celebrating International Womens Day by printing cards and giving them with flowers to women who came into the center.

We are always just trying to find ways to connect with our population who comes in, she said. Every day there is something different going on and we are always thinking of different things to do.

She said a good example of that is she doesnt consider herself to be a crafty person, but she has taught a wreath making class.

I saw it being done and thought it was something cute I could do, she said.

Other outings the senior center is working on include a movie and popcorn event at the Vogue Theatre. She said it is important to keep busy and do different things.

Howard said the idea of working with senior citizens in a creative manner as a career wasnt something she thought she would be doing years ago, but is thrilled at how great it all worked out.

I never thought this is what I would be doing, but working with older people was always fun for me, said Howard. I still joke with people about not knowing what I want to be when I grow up. There are still so many things I would like to accomplish in life, so who knows.

Howard said a good example of doing new things is the weekly columns she writes for the News Advocate about events at the senior center. However, it has become one of her favorite parts of the job.

I am not a writer and its just a matter of me putting things down like I talk and just being me, she said. I can be anywhere and people come up to me and say, Youre Sarah from senior center who does that article for the newspaper, and I love reading those.

Howard said it is just a matter of treating people like she would like to be treated herself.

Even as a kid I would invite the whole class and never singled out just a handful of people, she said. I think it is important to be inclusive, welcoming and to want people to come back.

Its something she learned from her mother, who is her role model.

My mom was a school teacher and she still is an amazing woman who raised three kids on her own, and she just did everything she could that was best for us, said Howard. That is how I raised my kids and they mean more to me than anything. Its the same with people as I want them to know I truly do care. .
Canadian police are facing accusations of racism after they arrested an indigenous woman and ignored her warnings that her son was in danger of being left with her partner, who has been taken into custody for the murder of their child.

Authorities discovered the dead body of Tanner Brass after police officers arrested his mother, Kyla Frenchman, while she argued about the situation. Kaij Brass, the boy's father, was charged with second-degree murder.

Police Racism

Several indigenous leaders argue that police racially profiled Frenchman and have demanded the local police chief's resignation. Authorities have also suspended two Canadian police officers in the city of Prince Albert Saskatchewan over the case.

The incident began when police personnel responded to reports of a domestic dispute in the early hours of Feb. 10, finding Frenchman outside of her apartment building. She said that she told officers her partner kicked her out of the house and warned of her 13-month-old son's safety in the hands of Kaij.

Officers allegedly told Frenchman to wait outside while they tried to enter the building but returned shortly after saying that no one answered the door. The mother said that she then demanded they check on her son. Instead, police arrested Frenchman for suspected intoxication, an allegation she denies, as per BBC.

Several hours after the arrest of Frenchman, police received another report related to the home, but this time about a homicide involving a child. During a news conference on Friday, the mother of the victim struggled to speak as she demanded justice for her son. Accompanied by friends and relatives, she reminisced of her child who was a "happy baby."

Read Also: Capitol Riot Case: Ex-West Virginia State Lawmaker Pleads Guilty, Could Serve Up to 5 Years in Prison

Frenchman wrote a statement that was read on her behalf where she noted that she "begged and pleaded" with police to help her and her child. However, she argued that instead of assistance, she was handcuffed and sent to jail.

According to Yahoo News, the Prince Albert police department released a statement where officials described the death of the boy as a tragedy. The department added, "As an organization, there is nothing we can say to lessen the grief and torment at this shocking loss of a deeply loved child from our community.

Tragic Death

The vice-chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Heather Bear, said that if the police officers who showed up for domestic abuse were called to a white family, they would not have done the same thing they did with Frenchman. The police department has not responded to this allegation.

On Thursday, Chief Jonathan Bergen issued a statement that announced the two officers involved in the case were suspended with pay. Before taking additional measures, the police chief said he was waiting for an independent investigation by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC).

Bergen's statement also noted that three police officers involved in various supervisory roles over the course of the incident were under investigation. Authorities still have custody of the father of the victim and have scheduled him to appear in Prince Albert Provincial Court on Mar. 14, CBC reported.



Related Article: Kanye West Banned From Instagram for 24 Hours After Series of Vile Attacks, Threats Toward Pete Davidson, Other Celebrities

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After a two-year interruption to the much-needed service, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center returned this year to address the areas ongoing blood shortage and established a partnership with Medline and held a donation drive on their facility on Wednesday morning through the afternoon.

According to Laredo Donor Recruitment Consultant Jesse Cortez, the blood supply was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the current blood shortage. As the center returned to hosting blood drives, he said that they are working on recuperating all the blood lost during the past two years.

We are picking it up little by little, thats what we are trying to do to get more blood out there, Cortez said.

The center encourages willing donors to participate to help with the blood shortage. Cortez said that for every 30 donors, three lives are saved. With drives being held every day, he believes good progress will be made over time as more donors reach out to help. Furthermore, he explained a donation process regarding whole blood and double red cells blood.

Whole blood donations will include everything including platelets, plasma and red blood cells, while the double red cells procedure only takes red blood cells. As for donor criteria, the donor must be at least 16 years old, weigh 120 pounds and a present a signed parental consent form if not older than 17. The center adds that they must be in good general health and present a valid photo ID.

Cortez elaborated saying that while rare, iron deficiency may cause a donor to be prevented from donating blood. He recommends eating a good breakfast and dinner a day prior to donating and stay well hydrated. For potential donors with medical conditions, asking a doctor about donating is important and should be done before donating.

According to Medline, donating blood can make a difference for the lives affected by trauma, transplant patients, diabetics, newborns and mothers. It can also help those in emergencies and many more.

As per the Medline donation drive, the partnership allowed the center to easily connect with the 300 employees at the facility, which would be a large boon to the center if even half of them donated blood. Laredo Medline HR Manager Kavita Idnani-Ramos said that after seeing a national blood shortage, she wanted to put her part in addressing the issue and facilitate further employee engagement.

Cortez emphasized that if every Medline employee donated, multiplied by the three lives saved per 30, it would be a lot of lives saved. He added that all the blood received is then sent throughout Laredo hospitals and the South Texas region, so he encouraged donors to go out and donate.

I really wanted to do something where we are all saving lives, she said. Medline specifically thats what we are all about, is saving lives, and I thought this would be a great partnership.

I strongly believe in saving lives and I think this is a great opportunity for everyone to be a part of drives.

This outlook seemed to have resonated with her family as Idnani-Ramos aunt, Sushma Mahbubani, said that after experiencing some troubling times, it was important to help those who are still struggling. When one looks after another, the burden of the troubling experiences is alleviated.

If you are going through something, its good to have someone there for you. I would love it if someone was out there for me if I ever needed someone and I would like to be there someone for someone, Mahbubani said.

As family has always been an integral pillar of the Laredo community, she said that her family looked out after each other during tough times. Whatever may be the case, donating money or blood to those in need is a power action and Mahbubani believes that giving to those less fortunate is a strong value to have.

Businesses interested in partnering with the center can reach out to Cortez to find more information on available dates. As for the future, more drives will be made available in Laredo and returning and new donors can find the dates through the centers website.

Blood is very valuable, most of the people we usually get are people that have gone through it with family members and thats when they spread the word, Cortez said. Last week, I had somebody that called me and said, I want to do a blood drive because I know how valuable the blood is, because I had one of my family members involved in an accident and they used so much blood with him, so we want to give back to the community.

It is valuable, it is meant for everybody that do need the blood, and its very good to be spreading it out to tell everyone that it is valuable.
If your relative lived at Trinity Towers on West Illinois as ours did, you may have noticed that the buildings seem to be derelict structures and home to vagrants and cats. It wasnt always so; in fact, at the turn of the century, it was still a thriving assisted living facility owned by Presbyterian Homes in the heart of the city.

Its ambience gave it a vibe like a sorority house for the elderly. Birthday parties occurred frequently in the dining room and rousing games of canasta and chickenfoot in the lobby.

Once Manor Parks assisted living facility, Helen Greathouse Manor, was completed in 2005, remaining residents were transferred there. Former Manor Park Inc. President and CEO Alan Hale recalls, Trinity Towers had a wonderful history and valued purpose from its opening in 1970 to its closing. We sold it to a group of local investors who soon flipped it to the Midland County Housing Authority, which had hoped to rehabilitate it for low-income elderly.

Staff there said government funding fell through, so in 2018 the housing authority sold the property, appraised by MCAD at $1.725 million to 2800 W. Illinois LLC, based out of town. The entitys agent is a veteran real estate investor, who says he has a big local team and maintains more than 100 other units in our area. With a stated penchant for these types of projects, he filed plans with the city which showed renovations to Tower 1 (facing Illinois) to provide affordable housing.

City staff explained approved plans included the purchase of an adjoining lot for more parking spaces. The lobby was to be refurbished to hold a catering space, retail area for lease as well as office area. The second floor living accommodations were to be reconfigured by sealing some doorways to turn individual rooms into two-bedroom units. Open balconies would become private terraces, and each apartment would have a highly-efficient Mitsubishi HVAC unit.

The contractor brought in a crew from El Paso who moved into some of the adjoining empty fourplexes to perform asbestos abatement in Tower 1 and a gut rehab. A couple of floors were finished, the owners representative confirmed. Some of the problems identified by Hale included a worn-out roof, old elevators and cast-iron pipes that broke continually.

After what the agent estimates to be an investment of a few million dollars, the work paused because of the local economy downturn and COVID-19 pandemic.

The ultimate goal is to offer affordable housing in Tower 1, rent those units to get some cash flowing and then fix up Tower 2, which apparently does not contain asbestos. The owner didnt budge from the project when a potential buyer approached him because, he says, The buildings are structurally sound, so why would I give it up? I intend to complete it. He may look into local, state and federal programs for assistance, he added.

Despite the earlier remodel, today many windows are broken and a barbed-wire, chain-link fence surrounds the two towers. A vandalized car (left behind by a worker) sits in the former courtyard, and the fence has a breach large enough for people and animals to crawl through. (When apprised of this, the owner directed some of his team to re-secure the property.)

Hopefully, as 2022 brings high oil prices, less severe COVID infections, and more growth in Midland, well see a brighter future for the old Trinity Towers and another location with affordable rental units for Midlanders in a year or two.
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Firefighters with the Midland Fire Department are joining other agencies across Texas as part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) to assist with the fires in and around Eastland.

Firefighters Cody Quintana and Michael Meiner are representing MFD, according to the department's Facebook page.
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Kim Kardashian has reportedly increased her security after being "really scared" by Kanye West's social media rants.

After the rapper claimed that her new boyfriend Pete Davidson would get her "hooked on drugs," the reality star's friends believe she is "totally broken."

Kim Kardashian has lately been accused of not allowing Kanye West to see his four children. Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian retaliated against Kanye West, saying that he had seen the kids that morning.

Kim Kardashian Is "So Scared" of Kanye West's Outbursts

West now wants complete custody of the kids, which has Kardashian at a crossroads on what to do, as per Mirror. According to the insider, Kardashian has resorted to conversing with Kanye's pastor Adam Tyson, who is "the only one who can get through to him."

"She's also asked other friends - Kylie's boyfriend Travis Scott, and one of Kanye's team - to straighten him up and let him know that what's he's doing right now is not ok," the source said.

Following ex-husband Kanye West's social media outbursts, Kim Kardashian has improved her security. According to The Sun, a source said the SKIMS founder is "so scared and jumpy" that she is "on high alert" and making sure she has security right now. The insider also said Kardashian requested Pete Davidson to do the same.

Kanye West has threatened the comedian and accused him of aiming to "destroy" his family since Kim Kardashian moved on with 'Saturday Night Live' star.

In the animated music video for his song "Eazy," Kanye West was portrayed as "kidnapping and decapitating" Pete Davidson, a concept he has defended despite widespread condemnation. Kanye West was just banned from Instagram for at least 24 hours after hurling a racist insult at Trevor Noah.

The feud appears to have begun when Noah, 38, used a segment on his program to discuss Kanye West's treatment of Kardashian. The interim suspension came following a barrage of threats sent against his ex-wife and Pete Davidson.

According to a source, Kim Kardashian believed Kanye West's suspension from Instagram was "fair." Per Daily Mail, after learning that the rapper had been suspended from the social networking site for 24 hours by its parent company Meta, Kardashian didn't have a dramatic reaction.

Read Also: Justin Bieber Addresses Wife Hailey's Stroke-Like Hospitalization Due to 'Scary' Blood Clot in Her Brain

SKIMS Founder "Protects" the Father of Her Children

Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from the West rapper in February 2021. West was prohibited from the photo-sharing platform for breaking its harassment policies.

However, Kim Kardashian stated that she wanted to "take the high road" on her ongoing divorce from Ye, then known as Kanye West, and the shared custody of their four children.

Kardashian stated on Wednesday's edition of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' that their four children - North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm - are her first priority. She was lauded by DeGeneres for "protecting" Ye.

Kim Kardashian opened out on the talk show about the problems she's having with co-parenting as Donda 2's social media rants continue. According to Republic World, the KWTK star claimed she's hopeful no matter what's going on in her life. The entrepreneur also remembered her parents, Kris Jenner, and her late father Robert Kardashian.

Since Kanye West's contentious Presidential rally and Twitter outbursts, Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West's divorce has been making news. After seven years of marriage, the founder of SKIMS sought for divorce months after the occurrences. Currently, it looks like the rapper is trying to make up with Kim Kardashian, but she has moved on with her life.

Related Article: Kanye West Banned From Instagram for 24 Hours After Series of Vile Attacks, Threats Toward Pete Davidson, Other Celebrities

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Telegram is caught in between political tensions in Brazil. The company has been accused of allowing political accounts to exist despite the rampant spreading of misinformation.

The Brazilian Supreme Court also tasked the cooperation of Apple and Google with the enforcement of a ruling they recently released.

Telegram Suspension in Brazil

Telegram received an order of suspension from the Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday, March 17. This suspension comes after the messaging app refuses to fully cooperate with the Brazilian government for not adhering to a previous judicial order in freezing accounts spreading disinformation.

The sealed order handed today demands that Telegram must be officially suspended by Brazil's telecommunications agency Anatel until it complies with local orders and pays a series of fines.

In addition to the misinformation spreading in Telegram, Brazil's Supreme Court ruling also stated that Telegram's suspension is also due to the noncompliance of the app company in accordance with the country's law.

Telegram in this situation is caught in the battle between both these government authorities. The messaging app has been criticized for being a safe haven for political public figures to spread misinformation and hate speech.

Telegram Caught in Political Tension

Justice Alexandre de Moraes' decision is rooted in the political turmoil in the country's hindrance towards freedom of speech polarizing Brazil.

Telegram has already received multiple requests for cooperation from Brazil, however, due to noncompliance, the Brazilian government has threatened suspension early this year.

Brazil's threat of suspension was based on claims that the company had failed to respond to requests for assistance in combating erroneous election information.

Telegram has also failed to prevent rampant political disinformation and has become the communications hub for President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters and allies

Meta's messaging app WhatsApp and Twitter have both adhered to the country's Supreme Court ruling in suspending accounts that spread fake news.

Read Also: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Believes Moon Landing in 2029: Does This Mean NASA Artemis?

Furthermore, according to reports, the order gives Apple, Google, and local phone carriers five days to block Telegram, while Anatel has 24 hours to put an official halt to the messaging app's operations. However, Apple and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for information regarding this news.

As reported by The Verge, a spokesperson from Google confirmed the received ruling from the Brazilian government officials.

Google stated that it "received a Supreme Court order regarding the messaging app Telegram in Brazil," but as the case is sealed, it "will not be commenting."

Brazil's President Bolsonaro is under investigation from their Supreme Court for allegedly leaking police documents and spreading misinformation about linking AIDS to the COVID-19 vaccine in their country.

Political figures choose to do so in Telegram to avoid being banned and suspended on platforms like Twitter and Facebook which have more rigid guidelines with political fake news.

Telegram also experienced suspension from Russia previously. Telegram was prohibited in Russia for refusing to share encryption keys in anti-terrorist investigations, but that ban was lifted in 2020 after public outcry.

The Brazilian legal system has previously ordered the blocking of WhatsApp, a rival to Telegram's service, however, the bans have proven to be only temporary in nature.

According to Reuters, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has apologized to the Brazilian authorities for the company's negligence. Telegram legally asked the Supreme Court to delay the implementation of the ruling for several days as it gives them more time to work on the requirements for compliance.

Related Article: Amazon Pull Down Stock Prices from $2,785 to $139 Through a Stock Split; Board Buys Back $10 Billion Shares
Oklahoma City, OK (73106)

Today

Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 59F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 59F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
Claremore, OK (74018)

Today

Showers and thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Clinton, IA (52732)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 45F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 18)  Senator Imee Marcos' claim there had been a serious security breach in the operations of elections software provider Smartmatic has received mixed reactions from candidates.

While some raised concerns over the senator's allegation, others questioned the motive for her revelation.

In a statement, presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should maintain its integrity and of the 2022 elections. He added that the poll body should implement protections to prevent any breach - especially on the vote counting machines.

For vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the issue should be taken seriously. She said her political party, Lakas-CMD, is already looking into the security breach issue.

Another vice presidential candidate, Senate President Tito Sotto, expressed concern - noting that "Comelec is tasked to ensure that the results of the elections are not tainted with doubt and especially, that the conduct of the electoral exercise was not attended by anomalies."

Sotto also said the Senate should investigate the matter, and recommended that Comelec implement increased transparency and vote security measures.

Meanwhile, the tandem of Leody de Guzman and Walden Bello questioned Marcos' claim.

"Parang gustong palabasin na sila ay pinagpaplanuhang dayain. Baka naman yan ay in reverse kaya maging mapagbantay tayong lahat dito sa move ng mga political dynasties at trapo sa eleksyong ito," presidential candidate De Guzman told reporters.

[Translation: It seems they want to show they are being planned to be cheated on. Maybe it's the other way around so we need to be vigilant with the moves of these political dynasties and traditional politicians in these elections.]

Bello also warned members of the media against Marcos' revelation.

"But if Imee Marcos says something talagang (really) you need to think twice, thrice, four times before you accept whether it's true or not. Why is she saying it? Meron bang personal interest dyan (Is there personal interest there)?" the vice presidential bet said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The Bureau of Immigration on Saturday said it is expecting the number of inbound travelers to increase by an average of 12,000 daily as travel restrictions are further relaxed.

Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the number of arriving passengers in the country is currently at 10,000 per day.

Ngayon po after more than a month of implementation, we are seeing around daily po nasa 10,000 ang dumadating sa bansa, which is really what we are expecting," Sandoval said at a public briefing. "Nakikita natin na unti-unti po itong tataas.

[Translation: After more than a month of implementation, we are seeing around 10,000 daily arrivals in the country, which is really what we are expecting. We can expect that this will gradually increase.]

We are expecting po na baka pumalo pa ito hanggang sa 12,000 on the average per day given itong summer season, kung saan nakikita natin na maraming foreign nationals ang maaring pumunta dito to spend the summer season here in the Philippines, she added.

[Translation: We are expecting that it may reach up to 12,000 on the average per day given the summer season, wherein we can see that more foreign nationals may arrive here to spend the summer season.]

The Philippines reopened its borders to fully vaccinated tourists from visa-free nations on Feb. 10.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism earlier anounced that there will be no more limit to the number of international passengers arriving in the country starting April 1.

For its part, the National Vaccination Operations Center advised the public to get their booster doses against COVID-19 as the country is reopening further.

We must be able to protect our constituents," said NVOC co-lead Dr. Kezia Lorraine Rosario. "Thats why our call of action is for us to give your booster doses.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) denied the 1 provisional fare hike petition of 1-UTAK, PASANG MASDA, ALTODAP AND ACTO.

In a press statement released on Friday, the Board explained it had to 'judiciously balance' the rights of the riding public who depend on the public transport system, vis-a-vis the right of the operators to financial returns.

The Board emphasized that while it recognizes the present clamor of stakeholders in public land transportation services for necessary action relative to fare rates, they cannot be insensitive to the plight of Filipinos every time an increase on the prices of the commodities occur, as a domino effect to the grant of fare increase, the statement read.

It also cited the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) position that a fare hike would fuel further inflammatory expectations when the costs are transferred to consumers, as high transportation expenses will reduce the purchasing power of those dependent on public transport.

The LTFRB also stressed that it is mindful of the present economic state of Filipinos brought about by the continuous rise in oil prices, along with the effects of the pandemic.

NEDA said any petition for fare adjustment, permanent or provisional, is a matter of paramount public importance, noting that it will accelerate the increase in the prices of basic commodities and services.

To cushion the impact of such challenges, LTFRB said the Duterte administration has proactively set in place solutions to ensure the viability of the public transport system.

These solutions include the Fuel Subsidy Program, which aims to cover the net incremental increase in fuel prices for Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs), as well as the Service Contracting Program.

The LTFRB has already begun distributing 6,500 fuel subsidies to PUVs, and will continue the aid for 377,433 beneficiaries until the end of March. As of Friday, around 700 million have been disbursed.

Meanwhile, the Service Contract with a budget of 7 billion will start next week once the Department of Budget and Management releases the funds.

On the other hand, the main petition of 1-Utak, PASANG MASDA, ALTODAP and ACTO for a PhP5.00 increase in the minimum fare which will increase the current 9.00 fare to 14.00 will be heard anew on March 22.

Petitioners are expected to furnish the Board with evidence to support allegations in their petitions.
Kawit, Cavite (CNN Philippines, March 19) Mocha Uson, a longtime defender of President Rodrigo Duterte, has endorsed Manila Mayor Isko Moreno for president.

Uson, a deputy administrator at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, joined Morenos Kawit, Cavite rally on Friday evening.

Kaya po ako nandito ngayon ay dahil nag switch to Isko na rin po ako," Uson told Moreno's supporters. "Dahil po alam niyo ba mayor, taga Maynila ako? Binoto kita. Alam niyo po, nakita ko po yung bilis kilos. Yung iba po pinapangako pa lang nila. Nagawa na po yan ni Mayor Isko."

[Translation: Ive made the switch to Isko, thats why Im here. You know what, Mayor, Im from Manila. I voted for you. You know, I saw how you act fast. While others are still making promises, Mayor Iskos already accomplished things.]

Uson herself is a candidate in this years elections, running for a House seat as the first nominee of the Mothers for Change (MOCHA) party-list.

During the rally, she also led Moreno and two supporters to a dance number to the tune of the viral hit Paro-Paro-G by DJ Sandy.

Uson did not say yet if she is also backing Morenos running mate, Dr. Willie Ong.

Ong, nonetheless, thanked the controversial vlogger for appearing in the rally, adding that she helped him during his failed Senate bid.

Morenos campaign strategist Lito Banayo said Uson was supposed to back the presidential bid of Senator Bong Go before he withdrew.

Last week, she approached us to say she wanted to support Isko, even if she was a solid DDS leader, Banayo said in a text message to CNN Philippines.

Banayo added that Uson talked to her close friends about the decision to support Isko because she did not want to support (Marcos) Jr.

Aksyon Demokratiko chairman Ernest Ramel said Usons decision to join the Isko Moreno campaign is entirely hers.

The party welcomes all those who are making their own choices to support Isko and are campaigning hard for his victory," Ramel said in another text message to CNN Philippines.

"She is not officially in our slate as other party-list organizations are also supporting our standard-bearer so we see no problem with this, he added.

Uson has drawn flak for social media blunders, including using wrong photos to depict soldiers in Marawi City, a federalism campaign using local terms for female sex organs, and falsely claiming that Mayon Volcano is in Naga City.
Three Russian cosmonauts just arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) three hours after leaving for space aboard a Soyuz capsule.

Their Russian, American, and German colleagues warmly greeted them as they made an appearance in their yellow and blue spacesuits, colors that match the Ukrainian flag.

The International Space Station Knows No Borders

"When you're in space, there's no borders. You don't see country lines or state lines," this was NASA ISS program manager Joel Montalbano's response to a reporter's question last Monday, March 14.

The statement still holds true a few days later as the all-Russian crew safely arrived in the ISS earlier among American colleagues and wearing Ukraine's colors, yellow and blue.

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov have entered the International Space Station to begin their six-and-a-half month expedition.



Their arrival temporarily raises the stations crew complement to 10.https://t.co/GAptC5htE9 pic.twitter.com/wBJpOQAaf5  Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) March 18, 2022

The trio of Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov will join the ranks of four Americans, two fellow Russians, and one German aboard the ISS.

When asked why the cosmonauts chose the yellow suits, they nonchalantly replied that it was for practicality's sake: "It became our turn to pick a color. But in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So that's why we had to wear yellow," said Artemyev, as reported by the Associated Press.

The real reason may not be truly known. There is a possibility that the cosmonaut did not explicitly say anything that would hint at his criticism on the Russia-Ukraine events because of Putin's warning yesterday.

"The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths," Putin said in disgust for Russians who are displeased with the "special military operations" in Ukraine.

Read Also: PayPal Helps Ukraine, Waives Fees for Funds Sent to Ukrainians

While tensions run high on Earth, NASA and Roscosmos, U.S.' and Russia's respective space agencies, continue to run their agreed operations together. They remain to be focused on the goal of bringing more information into the Earth's collective knowledge of space.

"The teams continue to work together. Are they aware of what's going on Earth? Absolutely. Astronauts and cosmonauts are some of the most professional groups you'll ever see. They continue to operate well, and there's really no tension with the team. This is what they've been trained to do and they're up there doing that job," Montalbano said confidently.

NASA-Roscosmos Tension Buildup

While everything appears to be clear now that Russia and the U.S. will not sever their professional relationship in space exploration, previous events have shown otherwise.

Just before record-holder astronaut Mark Vande Hei stepped foot back on Earth, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin had threatened the U.S. that it will prevent Vande Hei's return. The threats were made after U.S. sanctions piled up on Russia, severely compromising its economy.

However, Vande Hei is now back on Earth and Rogozin's threats were proven to be more metaphorical than realistic. It seemed that Bill Nelson, NASA's Administrator already knew this at the time and was more than aware of Rogozin's temperament.

"That's just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he's worked with us," remarked Nelson.

Despite the initially dangerous threats, Nelson's remarks and Roscosmos' non-action are quite telling of the relationship between the two major superpowers when it comes to space. No matter the tension and conflict on the ground, Americans and Russians in space remain to be colleagues and will exhibit professionalism until the foreseeable future.

Related Article: NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei Sets Record With the Longest Spaceflight: Here's More of His Contribution
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The Philippine Debate Union called out presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and his running mate Sara Duterte for their refusal to participate in debates sponsored by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

In an official statement released on Saturdaysigned by alumni, affiliate members, and institutionsthe group expressed their dismay and concern over Marcos' constant skipping of such events.

This is not the first time the said candidate refused to engage in interviews and participate in debates with majority of his opponents present. The constant refusal is a deprivation of the Filipino peoples right to gain knowledge on the Presidential aspirants vision for the country, the statement read.

The group also slammed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte's decision to skip the COMELEC debates, calling her behavior alarming when she chose to be represented by an empty podium at the debate conducted by CNN Philippines last February 26.

Marcos and Duterte previously skipped the vice presidential and presidential debates hosted by CNN Philippines in February. Marcos also rejected an interview with veteran journalist Jessica Soho, saying she is 'biased.'

Neither candidates will be attending COMELEC's PiliPinas Debates 2022 happening on Saturday and Sunday (March 19 and March 20, 2022).

The Marcos camp earlier said the presidential candidate will continue with their preferred mode of directly communicating and engaging with the people.

Duterte's camp also confirmed earlier that she will not participate in the upcoming COMELEC-sponsored debate, but offered no explanation.

The group called the tandem's deliberate choice not to show up in the events as severely 'disconcerting' as it denies individuals the opportunity to know their candidates, as well as the future that said candidates intend to create for them.

It said it is crucial for the public to know the platforms, values, character, and stances of the candidates vying for the highest government positions, and debates are considered avenues for the public to ask questions, and scrutinize and evaluate the candidates standpoints and performances.

"We are concerned that this pattern of behavior of Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte-Carpio may become the norm. Our country does not deserve leaders who claim to be brave, but are, in truth, frightened of debatesfrightened of the voices of the Filipino people. Leaders who withdraw under pressure and dodge dialogue with their constituents are no leaders of the Filipino; they are cowards," the statement concluded.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  Candidates vying for the highest post in the country are one in saying that in light of rising fuel prices, the proposed four-day workweek scheme should be studied carefully for the welfare of workers.

Partido Lakas ng Masa presidential bet Leody De Guzman, a labor leader, said workers must be given a 30% overtime pay under the proposed 10-hour daily working hours to compensate for the three days that they will miss work.

"Dapat gawin yung four days ay overtime pay. May 30% overtime pay, hindi parang one-and-a-half days lang 'yun," said De Guzman during the Commission on Elections' first presidential debate on Saturday.

[Translation: The four days (of work) should also include overtime pay. They (workers) must have 30% overtime pay, not like the payment for one-and-a-half days.]

Senator Ping Lacson agreed with De Guzman's suggestion as he bats for an amendment to the Labor Code in terms of payment of wages under the proposed schedule.

"May problema rin kung ie-extend natin ng sampu o labindalawang oras sa pagtatrabaho sa isang araw. Ide-demand ng mga manggagagwa na sila ay bigyan ng overtime pay. Iyon ang ayaw ng mga employers," said Lacson, the presidential candidate of Partido Reporma.

[Translation: There is a problem if we will extend working hours to 10-12 hours in a day. The workers will definitely demand overtime pay. That is what the employers do not want.]

Vice President Leni Robredo emphasized that under a four-day workweek schedule, the payment of wages should be commensurate to the number of hours the employee worked in a day.

"Hindi pwedeng ang kwenta nito ay four days lang sila nagtrabaho. Kailangang commensurate sa oras na tinrabaho nila yung take home (pay) nila," said Robredo, the lone female presidentiable in the 10-man field.

[Translation: The computation of wages should not be like they worked only for four days. Their take home pay must be commensurate to the number of hours they worked.]

Former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella also had the same stand as De Guzman, Lacson, and Robredo on having a fair pay for workers under the proposed working schedule.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor and Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno noted the proposed four-day workweek is not applicable to all industries.

"Kung BPO (business process outsourcing offices), for example, one day work-from-home (setup), I think I agree. Pero may mga industriya tayo na kailangan ng (But we have industries that need) physical presence to create more productivity and efficiency in production," said Moreno.

Senator Manny Pacquiao also shared Moreno's view, citing the health risks of 10-hour daily working hours for workers in some industries.

"May mga trabaho na hindi madali. Yung mabibilad ka sa araw, tapos sampung oras ka nandoon na nagtatrabaho. Baka hindi ka makapagtrabaho, magkasakit ka lalo," said Pacquiao.

[Translation: There are jobs that are not easy. Like if you will be working directly under the sun for 10 hours. It might end up that they cannot work and will be sick.]

Democratic Party of the Philippines presidential candidate Jose Montemayor Jr. said the country's economy should also be considered in implementing the four-day workweek schedule.

"Kailangang mai-stimulate ang ating economy by consumption, spending, and fiscal stimulus. Yung three days na yun, sayang rin yun. Kapag hindi nagsi-circulate ang pera dito sa ating bansa, ang mangyayari ay lalong magiging stagnant and it will lead to stagflation," said Montemayor.

[Translation: Our economy needs to be stimulated by consumption, spending, and fiscal stimulus. The three days can be a missed opportunity. If the money in our country is not circulating, what will happen is our economy will be more stagnant and it will lead to stagflation.]

Other presidential bets Norberto Gonzales and Faisal Mangondato both said the proposal should be thoroughly studied.

So far, Iloilo City is the only local government unit in the country that explicitly stated it is looking to adopt a four-day workweek schedule due to rising fuel costs.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  Nine out of ten candidates for the countrys top post on Saturday gave different views on whether President Rodrigo Dutertes "Build, Build, Build" program has been successful as his term nears its end.

RELATED: Presidential bets to continue ongoing Build, Build, Build projects; pitch vision for infra devt

Asked if the flagship infrastructure program was a success, Sen. Panfilo Lacson pointed out during the Commission on Elections first presidential debate that only a fraction of the projects have been completed.

In February, the programs chief implementer and Public Works Usec. Emil Sadain said only 18 out of the 199 projects on the list will be delivered by June  when Dutertes term ends.

With the programs implementation, Lacson also expressed concern over the countrys rising debt  instead pushing for public-private partnerships as a funding source.

Labor leader Leody de Guzman criticized how the program's funding could have been utilized instead to address hunger and poverty especially amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

Meanwhile, its a yes for ex-presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Both candidates said they will continue the program and expand it to include science and technology, education, housing and health.

Vice President Leni Robredo said she will continue the infrastructure initiative, but would prefer public-private partnerships (PPP) over official development assistance to avoid more loans. She also wants to focus on projects promoting rural development and water resource management.

For Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who will also continue the program, it can only be called successful once the projects are actually done. The boxer-turned-politician wants more items in Visayas and Mindanao to spur development there.

While Muslim presidential hopeful Faisal Mangondato said he will keep the program running if he wins, he wants to make sure the projects benefit the people.

Lawyer and doctor Jose Montemayor Jr., meanwhile, stressed that infrastructure in the pipeline must continue anyway as contracts for the projects are already in force.

Ex-Defense chief Norberto Gonzales, however, said he wants to review first the direction and rationale of the program before continuing it.

Duterte promised a golden age of infrastructure for the Philippines during his State of the Nation Address in 2017. The "Build, Build, Build" initiative was intended to promote equitable development nationwide.

Only the late dictators son and namesake Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos skipped Saturdays debate.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  Presidential hopefuls on Saturday pitched a slew of solutions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on jobs and development, especially for new graduates.

Some candidates proposed more learning opportunities for students.

Labor leader Leody De Guzman and Sen. Manny Pacquiao wants stronger trainings under the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella likewise suggested possible scholarships and tutorial courses to fill in education gaps incurred amid the global health crisis.

Ex-Defense chief Norberto Gonzales acknowledged that catching up on work performance will take a while especially for fresh graduates because of COVID-induced disruptions. Firms must also factor in the prevalence of self-employment amid the health crisis.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno pushed for investing in what he called STEAM  science, technology, engineering, mathematics along with agriculture in state universities and colleges in line with his thrust for food security.

Vice President Leni Robredo also focused on investingin particular, raising the countrys budget for education to 6% of overall gross domestic product from the current 3% to address problems existing way before COVID-19.

Others tackled as well improving labor conditions and ensuring more employment opportunities.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson supports placing the entire country under Alert Level 1  proposed by the National Economic and Development Authority  to help open up more jobs with more firms allowed to operate.

Lawyer and doctor Jose Montemayor Jr. stressed the provision of incentives and fair salaries for workers  in line with improving overall treatment of laborers  instead of requiring them to get vaccinated.

De Guzman likewise suggested shortening the probationary period for workers to speed up their regularization.

Muslim presidential bet Faisal Mangondato also pitched a subsidy for jobless Filipinos which they can use as capital for their own production.

The Asian Development Bank flagged in a recent report that worker displacement and skills mismatches triggered by COVID-19 hound the Philippine labor market. While the national joblessness rate eased in 2021 to 7.8%, its still far from 5.1% in pre-pandemic 2019.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 20)  Three presidential contenders want sources and platforms publishing fake news to be punished under Philippine laws to prevent disinformation in the society.

Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno said fake news sources and online platforms should be held liable for allowing the proliferation of fake accounts and disinformation.

"There are laws already existing. It has to be applicable to everyone and that includes the source of this application," said Moreno during the Commission on Elections' first presidential debate on Saturday.

Before the start of the debate, Moreno dodged questions from the media on how he will stop online disinformation after controversial blogger Mocha Uson declared her support for his presidential bid and even joined his campaign rally in Cavite the other day. Uson has earned criticisms for her misleading or false claims in social media.

"Did you file cases against her? If there is a case, then she would be able to answer it under the rule of law," the Manila mayor told reporters.

Vice President Leni Robredo supported Moreno's stance in the debate that fake news sources should be identified and punished, as she cited studies of two unnamed companies that said she is the most targeted presidential candidate by fake news stories and accounts.

RELATED: Robredo top victim of disinformation; Marcos being promoted by misleading content - group

Robredo also agreed that social media platforms should be held accountable since these are where disinformation and fake accounts exist.

"Ako yung number one na tinitira ng lahat ng disinformation. Number one na nakikinabang sa disinformation ay si (I am number one victim of disinformation. The number one who benefits from this disinformation is) Mr. Marcos," said Robredo, referring to her opponent and frequent presidential debates absentee Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos.

Senator Manny Pacquiao added the government must have control on social media platforms since many lives are destroyed by false information.

"Maraming impormasyon na naisaksak natin sa kokote ng mga young people ngayon na pinapaniwalaan nila. But hindi po iyan totoo," the boxer-turned-politician said.

University of the Philippines journalism professor Yvonne Chua told a Senate hearing last Feb. 2 that Facebook remains the top social media platform that drives disinformation during the election season.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19) Presidential candidates pledged to invest heavily on agriculture and boost micro, small, and medium enterprises as they faced off Saturday in the first debate organized by the Commission on Elections. Some said funding may come from the collection of the unpaid estate taxes of the Marcos family.

Former presidential spokesperson Ernie Abella said he wants the agricultural sector to be a "powerhouse," which other industries could rely on.

Both labor leader Leody de Guzman and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno also said that through their sorties, they realized how much farmers have suffered from poverty.

"Ang pinakaimportanteng ekonomiya ay ang ekonomiya ng sikmura, pagkain sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino," Moreno said.

[Translation: The most important economy is one that provides food for each Filipino family.]

De Guzman also hit the Rice Tariffication Law, which he said caused huge losses among farmers due to how it pulled down prices of their produce.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao also criticized the law which he once supported, thinking that farmers will be compensated with subsidies, but most have said they had not received aid at all.

Pacquiao, fellow senator Ping Lacson, and Vice President Leni Robredo, meanwhile, said they will prioritize bolstering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to restart the economy.

"Tulungan natin sila ibangon kasi napaka-laki ng tama sa ating ekonomiya na galing sa sektor ng MSMEs," Lacson said.

[Translation: Let's help the MSME sector because most of the damage to our economy came from MSMEs.]

Former defense chief Norberto Gonzales also underscored the need to create more jobs, Faisal Mongandato emphasized the importance of a strong economy, while Jose Montemayor, Jr. said there must be government spending to stimulate the economy.

On the prospect of a four-day work week, some of the candidates said they're in favor  but with some conditions.

De Guzman said workers should be paid for overtime hours if they have to extend their shifts from eight to ten hours a day. Lacson and Robredo agreed.

"Dapat gawin yung four days ay overtime pay. May 30% overtime pay, hindi parang one-and-a-half days lang 'yun," the labor leader said.

[Translation: The four days (of work) should also include overtime pay. Workers must have 30% overtime pay, not like the payment for one-and-a-half days.]

Four candidates also came to a consensus that the best way to fund investments and stimulus packages is to collect the unpaid estate taxes of the Marcos family.

"Pag nasingil natin ito, hindi na natin kailangan tipirin ang ating mga kababayan (If we collect these unpaid taxes, we can spend more for our countrymen)," Robredo said.

Moreno was the first to bring up the proposal before Lacson, Robredo, and De Guzman expressed their agreement.

The family of fellow presidential candidate and former senator Bongbong Marcos owes 203 billion in estate taxes since 1997.

Marcos did not attend the debate. His camp said he preferred to directly communicate with the people.
(CNN)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has implored Western allies to provide his country with military aid as Russia continues its unprovoked invasion.

"We need you right now," Zelensky told US members of Congress in one of his latest pleas for assistance before a friendly government.

The US and other NATO member nations have fulfilled a number of Zelensky's requests, while stopping short of certain measures they say could risk an escalation in the war.

Weapons assistance

The military aid provided to Ukraine so far includes weapons that range from portable drones to complex, long-range missile systems.

Switchblade drones. Small, portable, so-called kamikaze drones that carry warheads and detonate on impact. The smallest model can hit a target up to six miles away, according to the company that produces the drones, AeroVironment. It's unclear which size model the US will send to Ukraine.

Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. These heat-seeking, anti-aircraft missiles have a range of about five miles and 11,000 feet. Critically, Stinger missiles can distinguish between enemy and friendly aircraft.

Javelin anti-tank weapons. This guided missile system can be shoulder-fired by a single solider and has a range of up to 8,200 feet.

AT-4 anti-armor systems. These Swedish anti-armor weapons are "lightweight, single-shot and fully disposable," according to the company that produces them, Saab Bofors Dynamics.

Patriot air defense missile system. The US also delivered two missile defense systems to Poland this month intended to deter Russia and boost Poland's security amid Western concerns that the Ukraine conflict could spill into NATO-aligned nations.

The Patriot air defense missile system -- Patriot stands for "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target" -- is designed to counter and destroy incoming short-range ballistic missiles, advanced aircraft and cruise missiles.

The battery includes missiles and launching stations, a radar set that detects and tracks targets, and an engagement control station, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.

Other actions

Beyond military aid to Ukraine, the US and its NATO allies have issued a slew of sanctions against Russia.

Putin. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada have announced they would introduce sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

SWIFT. The US, EU, UK and Canada have banned certain Russian banks from SWIFT, the high-security network that facilitates payments among 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries.

'Most favored nation' status. The House of Representatives has passed a bill to suspend normal trade relations with Russia. The final vote was 424-8 with strong bipartisan support for the legislation, which next heads to the Senate.

Energy and oil. EU officials said the bloc would slash imports of Russian natural gas by two-thirds this year, and the EU announced a plan to achieve energy independence from Moscow "well before 2030." That would separate Europe from its single biggest energy supplier.

Separately, President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to the United States. And the UK government said Tuesday it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 and explore ways of ending natural gas imports as well.

Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Germany has halted certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow's actions.

Unfulfilled Ukrainian requests

As Russia's deadly invasion has continued, Zelensky has requested some actions that Western allies fear would put them in direct conflict with the Kremlin and escalate the war.

No-fly zone. Zelensky has repeatedly called on Ukraine's allies to establish a no-fly zone over the country. A no-fly zone is an area where certain aircraft cannot fly for any number of reasons. In the context of a conflict such as the one in Ukraine, it would probably mean a zone in which Russian planes were not allowed to fly, to prevent them from carrying out airstrikes against Ukraine.

The problem with military no-fly zones is that they have to be enforced by a military power. If a Russian aircraft flew into a NATO no-fly zone, then NATO forces would have to take action against that aircraft. Those measures could include shooting the plane from the sky. That would, in Russia's eyes, be an act of war by NATO and would likely escalate the conflict.

S-300 missile defense systems. This surface-to-air missile system can strike targets that are both higher in altitude and farther away than Stinger missiles are designed for.

Slovakia has preliminarily agreed to provide Ukraine with a key Soviet-era air defense system to help defend against Russian airstrikes, according to three sources familiar with the matter. But the US and NATO are still grappling with how to backfill that country's own defensive capabilities, and the transfer is not yet assured.

MiG fighter jets. Earlier this month, the US dismissed a proposal from Poland to transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to the United States for delivery to Ukraine.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement that the US did not believe Poland's proposal was "tenable" and that it was too risky.

"The prospect of fighter jets 'at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America' departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance," Kirby said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Ukraine has requested military aid. Here's how allies are providing assistance"
(CNN)  Wang Jixian didn't set out to become the Chinese voice of resistance in Ukraine. The 36-year-old resident of Odesa, a key target in Russia's invasion of the country, simply wanted to show his parents he was fine.

"I'm coming back from buying groceries," he said in a video posted to Douyin, China's version of TikTok, on February 24, the first day of the invasion. Wang, a programmer originally from Beijing, described buying meat and fruit in the video, remarking that some food stores were still open.

But his mood darkened as the days passed and the Russian assault escalated. When he logged onto Douyin, he said he would see Chinese videos praising Russian troops or supporting the invasion.

"I was very angry, then I thought I would record videos for them, and I'll tell them what the real battlefield is," he told CNN.

His daily videos, posted across various platforms including YouTube and the Chinese messaging app WeChat, quickly gained traction as a rare voice offering Chinese audiences a glimpse into war-torn Ukraine -- a stark contrast from Chinese state media, which has promoted Russian disinformation such as unfounded claims Ukrainian soldiers are using "Nazi" tactics.

In one widely-watched video, Wang held up his Chinese passport and said, "These Ukrainian guards are not Nazis, they are IT programmers, common people, barbers -- these are the people."

But in doing so, he had waded into the middle of a messy controversy, with China facing international pressure as it refuses to condemn Russia's invasion, and an outpouring of pro-Russia sentiment on China's highly restricted and censored social media -- something Wang is hoping to change.

Backlash of critics

Wang had studied art in college, and enjoyed dance, music and painting -- so when he moved to Odesa four years ago for work, the city's "artistic atmosphere" immediately appealed to him. One video on his Douyin account last year showed a man playing piano in a colorful room filled with books and paintings.

His videos look very different now. Several are filmed late at night, with the sound of explosions and air raid sirens in the background. Other clips show snapshots of daily life -- quiet streets, Ukrainian flags hung outside buildings and painted onto walls.

"Are those air raid alarms? Those bastards are coming again," he said in one video. "People are doing their own business, my neighbor is out walking his dog again. This is our Odesa."

Other times, he's more impassioned. "Someone told me nowadays, society has the laws of the jungle, where power comes from the barrel of a gun," he said, referencing a famous quote by Communist leader Mao Zedong. "Where is the sense in that?"

As these videos began garnering attention, sometimes racking up more than 140,000 views, the number of critics rose too, with comments calling him a national traitor.

"You don't need this Chinese passport anymore, you have already forgotten which country you are from," one popular comment on Douyin read. "The official position of the country should be the position of all Chinese people."

China has tried to stake out a neutral position, choosing not to condemn Russia or even call it an invasion while frequently saying "all countries' legitimate security concerns" should be addressed.

In a call with US President Joe Biden on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said both countries have a responsibility for ensuring peace. But the White House said afterward it was still concerned China could provide Russia assistance.

"I don't understand how I 'betrayed' the country," Wang told CNN. With limited access to news broadcasts and widespread online misinformation, he said he doesn't understand China's or Russia's position -- all he knew was that "every day the city is under fire, many were killed."

The comments of anonymous online strangers don't bother him -- but they do when it's from people he cares about, such as a Chinese Embassy staff member he knew from his previous residence in North Macedonia.

He said the staffer reached out to him recently, insinuating Wang was being paid to post his videos, and asking: "Who sent you?" When Wang insisted he wasn't doing it for money, the staffer replied: "Your current behavior is not in line with national interests. I want to cut off relations with you, let's block each other."

That "really hurt my heart," Wang said.

Determined to stay

Chinese censors have also cracked down on his videos online, he said. While all his videos have stayed up on YouTube, which is blocked in China except for those with VPNs, only about 80% of his videos have been left on WeChat, and fewer than 20% on Douyin.

He doesn't know what rules he has broken. He got so frustrated that in one video on March 7, he stuck black tape in an X over his mouth, silently gesturing to the camera to convey that he was safe and still in Odesa.

After speaking with CNN, his Chinese social media accounts were banned, leaving him unable to contact his family back home.

He has received "countless" messages from contacts, placing pressure on him to stop posting, he said. But he has no intention of doing so.

"I want to (provide) some voice for the people in Ukraine, for the heroes, for my neighbors. Because in my eyes they are all heroes," he said. "I see people being calm, I see people brave ... I want to remind you to see who is dying, who has been killed."

There are signs his message may be landing. Under his videos, hate comments are interspersed with well wishes from viewers, urging him to stay safe and evacuate. A handful of comments express support for Ukraine.

But for now, Wang has no intention of leaving -- not until "Odesa is too destroyed for humans to stay," he said. Apart from his affection for the city, it was a matter of principle, he added: "I can't stand the act of bullying people in front of my face."

When he isn't filming videos, Wang provides volunteer support in repairing people's cell phones and assisting the displaced.

"(If) I turned back and left, it would be enough to make me regret for the rest of my life," he said. "I have no interest or desire to leave Ukraine until the war is ended and Ukraine has won."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "A Chinese vlogger shared videos of war-torn Ukraine. He's been labeled a national traitor"
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Zelensky warns Russia of "high price" of conflict with Ukraine

Xinhua) 14:10, March 19, 2022

KIEV, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday that Russia will pay a "high price" for its conflict with Ukraine, the presidential press service said.

"By attacking us, they will destroy everything that Russian society has achieved over the past 25 years," Zelensky said in an address to the nation.

In a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Kiev for "trying to delay the negotiation process in every way possible, putting forward more unrealistic proposals."

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held several rounds of negotiations in a bid to broker a solution to the conflict between the two countries.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Parents at Seoboo Elementary School in Ulsan hold a rally protesting the government's decision to send Afghan children to the school, Feb. 9. Newsis



By Lee Hyo-jin



Afghan children in Ulsan, who have not been able to attend school yet due to fierce protests from some Korean parents, will finally begin their school life next Monday, according to the local education office, Friday.



The children of "Afghan special contributors" who were evacuated to Korea last August after their homeland was taken over by the Taliban, settled in the southeastern port city of Ulsan in February after their parent got jobs there.



A total of 28 children aged between seven and 13 were enrolled at Seoboo Elementary School in Dong District, but their admission has been left in limbo due to protests by some Korean parents.



Ulsan's education office announced Friday that the students will begin their school life on March 21, and they will be offered separate education programs depending on their Korean language skills.



The students will be divided into three groups based on language skills, with each class taught by one homeroom teacher and two Korean tutors. About 75 million won of the city budget will be allocated to operate their education programs.



However, it remains to be seen whether the Afghan children will be able to study in the same classroom with their Korean peers, as the education authorities have yet to come up with detailed plans.



"We were able to finally fix the admission date following several meetings with the parents. But some of them are still protesting, saying that the Afghan children should receive education at a separate facility. We will need some more time to settle this issue," an official at the education office said.




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
Galcia.cc scored 46 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 12 Jan 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the galcia homepage on Twitter + the total number of galcia followers (if galcia has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the galcia homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the galcia homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the galcia homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if galcia has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the galcia homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE galcia Silver & Brass & Gold Kustomhood Accessories DESCRIPTION galcia KEYWORDS , galcia, , SilverAccessory,  OTHER KEYWORDS galcia, kustomhood accessories, kustomhood, accessories,



The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Japanese UTF-8Japanese DETECTED LANGUAGE Japanese Japanese SERVER Apache/2.2.3 (CentOS) (PleskLin) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Operative System running on the server. Character set and language of the site. Type of server and offered services. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of galcia.cc as detected by CoolSocial algorithms.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for galcia.cc by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
Gchfg.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 18 Jul 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

The total number of people who shared the gchfg homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the gchfg homepage on Twitter + the total number of gchfg followers (if gchfg has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the gchfg homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if gchfg has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the gchfg homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the gchfg homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button.

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PAGE TITLE  DESCRIPTION  KEYWORDS  OTHER KEYWORDS



The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. The language of gchfg.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for gchfg.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

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Twitter account link

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Congratulations, governmentgrant.com got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site:

Governmentgrant.com scored 68 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 14 Feb 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the governmentgrant homepage on Twitter + the total number of governmentgrant followers (if governmentgrant has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the governmentgrant homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if governmentgrant has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the governmentgrant homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the governmentgrant homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the governmentgrant homepage on StumbleUpon.

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PAGE TITLE Government Grants DESCRIPTION Grants are Free Money given by the US government to aid individuals in business, housing, education, health, and personal needs. KEYWORDS government grants, free government money, free grants, free money, housing grants, college grants, business grants, women grants, education grants OTHER KEYWORDS grants, government, grant, government grants, business, women, energy



The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Strict CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United States) UTF-8English (United States) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.2.3 (CentOS) (PHP/5.1.6) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. The language of governmentgrant.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for governmentgrant.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

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Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
100%

Website nbcdfw.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 40183 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 498241 bytes (486.56 kb uncompressed) and 76826 bytes (75.03 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-04-27, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
In this file photo taken May 14, 2021, people have food and drinks at a riverside park in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul. Newsis





By Lee Hae-rin







The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to designate public spaces including Han River parks and public transportation as no-drinking zones.







The city government will announce legislation of the revised ordinance on March 24, allowing the mayor and district heads to ban drinking in parks, government offices, public transportation and educational institutions including schools, kindergartens and libraries, the government said, Thursday.







City Council will vote on the revision after the local elections on June 1. If the revision passes, it will take effect six months after the proclamation and those violating the regulation will be subject to fines of up to 100,000 won ($82).







Seoul has been reviewing measures to ban outdoor drinking in these areas, mainly due to growing calls following the death of a university student who had been drinking by the river last April. According to the city's online survey of 1,000 citizens, the majority of respondents supported designating riverside parks as no-drinking zones.







However, those opposed believe the revision limits individual freedom, as seen in an online debate hosted by the city government last June to August. The city government banned nighttime outdoor drinking temporarily at riverside parks last July in response to the spread of the coronavirus, but lifted the measure in November as part of a government scheme to "return to normalcy."







In response, a city government official said that "designating non-drinking zones requires gathering feedback and opinions from experts and citizens," and said that even if the revision is passed, the government will try to ban drinking only in a limited area during scheduled times to avoid excessive regulation.


Uv5r.99k.org scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 10 Aug 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

The total number of people who shared the uv5r.99k homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the uv5r.99k homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the uv5r.99k homepage on Twitter + the total number of uv5r.99k followers (if uv5r.99k has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the uv5r.99k homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if uv5r.99k has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the uv5r.99k homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE 403 Forbidden! DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS 403 forbidden, forbidden,



The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of uv5r.99k.org as detected by CoolSocial algorithms.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for uv5r.99k.org by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

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The memorial service for Judith McFerran Robertson will be held at Algiers United Methodist Church, 637 Opelousas Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70114 at 2PM on Sunday, May 22, 2022 with Reverend JoAnne Pounds officiating. The obituary for Judi can be viewed and online condolences made at www.shule
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While Deep Space Nine may have inadvertently predicted many of our contemporary problems, it was made back in 1995. Picard, on the other hand, is forced to reckon with the precedent of the existing Star Trek canon from the perspective of 2022, just two years ahead of said events. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, the show is able to bridge the gap between real life and the craptastic Star Trek future, which  sure isnt great for us.

For starters, the crew land in a version of Los Angeles that looks not unlike it does today. Even the massive tent city in a public park (which directly connects to the unhoused internment camp seen in DS9) resembles the real life encampments of unhoused people, currently being targeted by the city. And behind the camp is a billboard for a Europa Mission; NASA actually is planning a flight to Europa in 2024, with a cost of $4.25 billion.

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Placing these two images side by side seems like a pretty pointed criticism, and a surprising one coming from Star Trek, which has historically romanticized space travel  particularly the kind of space travel in which you get to romance green women. In terms of the militaristic police force subjugating the rights of citizens, which was key to the version of 2024 we already saw, well in Picard we get a scene in which Starfleet Captain Rios gets roughed up and arrested by ICE  because raiding hospitals is very much their thing.

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If we needed any further evidence that the reality of the show gels with our reality, apparently Rick and Morty exists in the Star Trek-verse  so in retrospect, were just glad that we never had to endure Commander Riker going on and on about Pickle Rick between trombone sets.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter!

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A woman reacts in a residential district in Kyiv, Ukraine, damaged by Russian shelling as its invasion of the country continues, March 18. Russian troops are trying to encircle the Ukrainian capital as part of their slow-moving offensive. UPI-Yonhap





The U.N. migration agency said Friday that nearly 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million who have already fled the country.







That means that around a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people have been forced from their homes.







The estimates from the International Organization for Migration suggests Ukraine is fast on course in just three weeks toward the levels of displacement from Syria's devastating war, which has driven about 13 million people from their homes both in the country and abroad.







The findings come in a paper issued Friday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.






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 
The developer of a popular JavaScript component hosted on the npm repository decided to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine by adding code to his own component that would add or delete files on people's computers in a way they didn't expect. The component, called node-ipc, is a dependency for a variety of other projects, which had to issue emergency updates to stop the undesired behavior they unwittingly inherited.

It's the second time something like this has happened this year in the Nodejs community, and some people have started referring to such acts of self-sabotage by developers as protestware. Experts believe that while developers certainly have the right to modify their own software, such acts risk damaging trust in the open-source ecosystem, which has faced increased supply-chain security challenges in recent years.

What happened with node-ipc?

Node-ipc is a nodejs module for local and remote inter process communication with over 4 million monthly downloads on the npm repository. It is a dependency for over 350 other npm components, including popular ones like the command line interface (CLI) for the Vue.js JavaScript framework or Unity Hub, a project related to the Unity game engine.

Over the past week the developer of node-ipc, who uses the name RIAEvangelist on GitHub, released several updates to the still supported versions of node-ipc to add malicious code to the component. This was first spotted by another developer named Tyler Resch, known as MidSpike on GitHub, who opened a report on the node-ipc bug tracker on March 9. Some of his comments in the discussion thread were later deleted by RIAEvangelist so Resch documented them in a separate repository.

According to an analysis by researchers from developer security firm Snyk, it all started on March 8 when RIAEvangelist, who is the maintainer of over 40 components on npm, published a component called peacenotwar on the registry. This component writes a file called WITH-LOVE-FROM-AMERICA.txt on the user's desktop with messages protesting the war in Ukraine in several languages. That same day, the developer also released a new major version of node-ipc called 11.0.0 that added peacenotwar as a dependency.

Things escalated on March 15, when RIAEvangelist decided to also release node-ipc 9.2.2, an update to the 9.x branch of the module, adding peacenotwar as a dependency to this branch as well. The 9.x branch is considered the stable version of the module and is the most widely used, drawing massive attention to the issue as users of multiple projects that use node-ipc started finding the new file on their systems.

Signs of software supply chain malware

However, it turns out this was not RIAEvangelist's first attempt at sabotage through node-ipc. After spotting peacenotwar, Tyler Resch looked back through code commits and found a suspicious one on March 7 that added a file called ssl-geospec.js. This file had code obfuscated in base64 that, when executed, reached out to a remote geolocation service to test if the system's IP address was based in Russia or Belarus. If the result was true, the code proceeded to overwrite all files on the system volume with a heart character. In essence, this was destructive behavior intended to sabotage the systems of Russian and Belarusian users.

According to Snyk's analysis, this malicious code was added to node-ipc version 10.1.1 on March 7 with no mention of it in the changelog or readme. Around 10 hours later, another version called 10.1.2 was released with virtually no code changes. According to the researchers, this second release might have been an attempt to trigger automated dependency upgrades. After another 5 hours, on March 8, RIAEvangelist released version 10.1.3, which removed the malicious code.

Mitigation and supply chain trust

At this time, versions 9.2.2, 10.1.1 and 10.1.2 have been removed from the npm registry. Version 11.1.0 remains but the module's description page now has a note that v11 contains the peacenotwar dependency.

On the node-ipc bug tracker the maintainer argued that: "It is documented what it does and only writes a file if it does not exist. You are free to lock your dependency to a version that does not include this until something happens with the war, like it turns into WWIII and more of us wish that we had done something about it, or ends and this gets removed."

Locking or pinning the dependency to a safe version on node-ipc is what the Vue.js maintainers did and is good practice. Snyk also recommends using the "overrides" feature of the npm package manager to exclude any impacted versions. However, this feature is only supported in npm version 8 and above. The Yarn package manager also supports selective version resolutions.

GitHub, which operates the npm registry, has published security advisories for both the file overwriting and peacenotwar issues. The incident raises a lot of questions: Can this maintainer be trusted in the future? Should his privileges to publish projects on npm or other repositories be revoked? What if more developers resort to sabotage acts like these? In January, two other popular modules called colors and faker were intentionally sabotaged by their maintainer. Is protestware going to become a common problem?



"Even if the deliberate and dangerous act of maintainer RIAEvangelist will be perceived by some as a legitimate act of protest, how does that reflect on the maintainers future reputation and stake in the developer community?," Liran Tal, Snyk's director of developer advocacy, said. "Would this maintainer ever be trusted again to not follow up on future acts in such or even more aggressive actions for any projects they participate in?"

"When it comes to this particular issue of trust, I believe the best way for it to be handled is with proper software supply chain hygiene," Brian Fox, CTO of supply chain security firm Sonatype, tells CSO. "When youre choosing what open-source projects to use, you need to look at the maintainers."

Fox recommends exclusively choosing code from projects backed by foundations such as the Apache Foundation, which don't have projects with just one developer or maintainer. With foundations there is some oversight, group reviews and governance that's more likely to catch this type of abuse before it's released to the world.

"This isnt just about the code being contributed," Fox says. "It applies to dependencies as well. Foundations use the same diligence with dependencies, again, making this much less likely to be a concern and why maintainer hygiene is so important to consider when picking a project."

According to Fox, Sonatype supports the rights of developers to do what they choose with the code they own, but as the stewards of a repository themselves -- Java's Maven Central -- the company made it very clear that it will remove anything that's truly malicious. "We support the right of the developer in this instance, but repositories should not host code that is truly malicious in nature -- and we may not feel comfortable hosting his code in the future."
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NEW MILFORD  In 1991, when resident Kathy Deliktas was in the seventh grade, her family fell on hard times and couldnt afford to pay for a class science trip  so her teacher, Craig Vial, paid for her.

Vials good deed was never forgotten and Deliktas, now 42, thought about him often over the years. Recently, she found his address and mailed him a long letter, telling him all about her life  and included the $65 that he paid for her to go on the trip.

Deliktas received a letter back from her former teacher within the week.

I was sitting next to my daughter and was reading it and started sobbing, and I started reading it to her, said Deliktas, traveling back more than three decades in time.

When I was 12, my parents were divorced and my mother, who lived in (Brookhaven) New York, sent me and my older sister Christine to live with my father in South Carolina, said Deliktas, who has a 24-year-old son, and a 14-year-old daughter who attends Schaghticoke Middle School in town.

Deliktas remembered they were very poor that year.

We were on food stamps. My dad worked as a parts person in an auto store, said Deliktas, who is a business administrator at New Milford Library.

I remember a church group coming and bringing us Thanksgiving dinner.

Her science class at Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle School in South Carolina was scheduled to take a weekend field trip to St. Christopher Barrier Island. The cost of the trip was $65.

Upon learning her family couldnt afford the trip, Vial paid for Deliktas out of his own pocket.

In his letter, he thanked Deliktas, and wrote the idea that any deserving student should miss out on a field trip because of their economic situation is appalling. I tried to assure that that wouldn't happen. Every now and then I'd even get help from advantaged parents.

He couldnt be reached for further comment.

Deliktas remembers the trip being a lot of fun and also a learning experience in marine biology.

We stayed overnight in a camp for two nights, she recalled. She has memories of sleeping in a bunk bed, walking on the beach and looking at marine nature.

She recalls Vial as being a fun teacher and one who strongly connected with his students.

He was very high energy and was always zipping around and moving from one subject to the next, she said. If you were to raise your hand and ask a question that was completely off topic, he would always answer your question in great detail. He always had a whole bunch of knowledge.

Deliktas found out later in the school year from her father that Vial had paid for her trip. The following year, Deliktas moved back to live with her mother, and lost touch with Vial.

My mother had mental health issues and killed herself in 1994 on Christmas Day when I was in 10th grade, Deliktas said. I ended up back with my dad in South Carolina to finish out high school.

As Deliktas grew into an adult, she said she often thought of her beloved teacher.

I have literally thought about my teacher Mr. Vial maybe twice or three times a year every year for 30 years  it was just his kindness that didnt leave my memory, she said.

Deliktas said the letter gave her closure and the chance to reconnect with Vial, and she plans to write him back.

If I was able to put a smile on his face for five minutes of him getting my letter, than I am happy, she said.

sandra.fox@hearstmediact.com 203-948-9802
Russians MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal missiles flying over Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, in this May 9, 2018, file photo. Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, March 18, to destroy a weapons storage site in the west of the country, its defense ministry said March 19. AFP-Yonhap





Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missile for the first time in Ukraine, Friday, to destroy a weapons storage site in the west of the country, its defense ministry said.







Moscow has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.







"The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aero-ballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region," the Russian defense ministry said Saturday.







A defense ministry spokesman declined to comment when reached by AFP.






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EAST HAVEN  David Mahler has worked with orthotics and prosthetics since 1998 but recently decided it was time to open his own business.

Mahler, who said he has always been an owner at heart, took the leap and opened AFI Orthotics and Prothetics at 65 North Frontage Road in East Haven.

AFI stands for advocate, fabricate and inspire, all of which Mahler said he does for his patients. Mahler and his staff advocate for patients with insurance companies, fabricate prosthetics in-house and hope to inspire patients when they get to talk to each other and learn about their experiences, he said.

Our business really is about customer service, Mahler said. Theyre going through such a trying time. This gives them a sense of life back.

After an amputation, patients are referred to Mahler or others who fabricate prosthetics. Once Mahler evaluates a patient, a plaster mold is taken and then the fit is optimized. The casting process takes four to six hours, he said.

Other businesses that do not fabricate prosthetics in-house delay the process, according to Mahler, who said the process could take three to four weeks.

I try to give them something to leave with that day, Mahler said.

This work is done in a room just off the entrance and waiting area of the business. One room over, the work continues.

On a recent tour of the facility, Mahler showed Mayor Joseph Carfora and state Sen. Paul Cicarella, R-North Haven, another room where further fabrication is done.

A flat sheet of plastic is put into an oven and, once hot, the plastic is brought down over the form that was already made. A vacuum pulls the plastic down, creating an airtight seal. The plastic is then buffed and smoothed out, with excess plastic being cut away.

Theres no room for error in fabricating, Mahler said.

Mahlers wife, Jessica Ryan Mahler, said her husband carries red lipstick around and will use it when patients try on a prosthetic. The lipstick will show where the prosthesis is rubbing, which it should not be. Rubbing can cause pain and blisters.

Its like a jacket, she said. It shouldnt fit tight. It should fit nicely.

And she knows this firsthand  she met her husband 16 years ago after she lost her left foot. The pair just celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary.

Jessica Ryan Mahler was riding on a motorcycle when a 19 year-old who was texting while driving clipped her, she said. She rolled 50 feet and wound up with a compound fracture below her knee. She was taken to a hospital in Danbury, which would not touch her before she was brought to Yale, where her amputation occurred.

I met David that day and was never afraid, she said.

After the plastic portion of a prosthetic is complete, materials are layered up and resin is poured and worked until it saturates the material. The resin then hardens and the prosthetic can be customized based on the patients personality.

AFI has an airbrush artist that can do custom work, but the company also has put items such as the Dallas Cowboys logo, Captain America and for children, Spongebob and Patrick, on prosthetics.

Why wear it when you can show it? Mahler said.

Mahler said when he first started working in the field, amputees kept their prosthetics hidden. Now with the Paralympics and inclusion of prosthetics in media, he has seen a change in patients wanting to show off their prosthetics.

The last stop on the tour of the business was the main room, where patients can walk on various surfaces to test out their prosthetics. Surfaces include stairs, a ramp, a regular wood floor and stones.

This is an impressive operation, Cicarella said after the group looked at types of prosthetics, such as feet, hands and legs, on display.

Carfora said he was impressed as well and that if the business owner ever needed anything, he could contact town hall.

I wish them all the success in the world, Carfora said. They did a wonderful job.

For Mahler, his focus is making sure his patients receive the appropriate care they deserve and know that he cares, adding that his patients inspire him all the time.

I love a broken prosthesis, because it means youre out living your life, Mahler said.

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
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.
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.
An internal investigation that abruptly ended the careers of eight Connecticut State Police recruits shows they improperly accessed a test on accident investigations hours before it was to be administered to the 61-person class earlier this year.

In the 162-page internal affairs report, two investigators detail how the test was posted through an online software system  PowerDMS  and the eight recruits accessed the document throughout the day on Jan. 10 before it was scheduled to be administered in person that night.

I decided to save it to my computer to use it as a study guide, one recruit said when interviewed by investigators, according to the report.

When asked why, the recruit said: To use it as an advantage, sir, the report stated.

Several other fired recruits admitted when asked that they also downloaded the exam to use as a study guide.

The decision I made was an absolute mistake, one recruit said, according to the report. I regret it every single day.

The report identified the fired recruits as Andrew Boucher, Bruno Franceschi, Jennifer Giron, Christian Sienko, John Simmon, Tanner Studlack, Jovanni Vincenty-Medina and Cody Witkowski. Hearst Connecticut Media Group could not reach them for comment.

When asked if any changes were being made at the academy, Col. Stavros Mellekas said, the process is being reviewed by command staff.

Test posted early

While recruits usually live on the Meriden campus while attending the police academy, the report noted they had been working from home given the worsening COVID-19 situation in the state in early January.

The instructor for the accident investigation portion of the academy created the exam with the option for recruits to take it at home during an allotted two-hour window.

Staff at the academy had planned to administer the test on Jan. 7, so the accident investigation instructor drafted a 25-question exam in a Microsoft Word document. It was uploaded to the PowerDMS platform on Dec. 27, 2021, by another instructor, the report read. The instructor who wrote the exam then went on personal leave from Dec. 29, 2021, until Jan. 11.

But on Jan. 6, staff decided to administer the exam in person on Jan. 10, so a commander at the academy changed the publish date to that day, according to report.

Recruits were notified the exam would be held in person from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, the report stated. However, instructors left the exam on PowerDMS with a Jan. 10 publication date in case the recruits were unable to return to in-person learning. At 12:01 a.m. that day, the test was released and recruits could access the document online, the report read.

Investigators noted that around 12:48 a.m., recruits began accessing the exam. They were required to provide a signature that they reviewed it. But the report noted that the students were not supposed to work on the test.

Returning to the academy

Recruits were required to return to the academy on Jan. 10 at 5:45 a.m. for a schedule that included Taser and criminal investigations training, along with a criminal investigations test and the accident investigations exam, the report read.

During the day, information circulated that the document posted to PowerDMS was the actual exam scheduled for that evening, according to the report. Investigators said some of the recruits accessed the exam with designs of referencing or downloading the test in a manor tantamount to a violation of Connecticut State Police Training Academy Rules and Regulations section 1.13.1 pertaining to Cheating/Plagiarism, the report stated.

After lunch, an individual, whose name was redacted, was behind two recruits in line for the mens bathroom when the person saw one of the recruits holding a printed copy of the exam and appearing to be studying it, the report stated. The recruit was also talking to other recruits in a way that made clear he was using the test as a study guide, the report read.

The entire recruit class was informed about the exam being available on PowerDMS and they were urged not to access the document, the report stated. They were also told to inform an instructor if they had worked on the exam, the report stated. It was unclear from the report who addressed the recruits. After receiving these instructions, an audit of the PowerDMS system showed that some recruits continued to access the exam, the report read.

At 4:30 p.m. that day, the recruit coordinator, a sergeant in the state police, informed the class the test would be administered on paper and not through the online system. Investigators said this was the first time the recruits were told explicitly how the exam would be administered, the report read.

An individual, whose name was redacted, then told the sergeant that other recruits witnessed one of their classmates working on the exam, the report read. The sergeant told the individual to return to class and that he would speak to the recruits after the criminal investigation exam.

Recruits confronted

Around 5:10 p.m., the sergeant called all 61 recruits into the academy auditorium. He told them he was aware that some of them had accessed the document through PowerDMS so they could work on the exam, the report read.

The sergeant said accessing the document to work on the exam was not allowed. He asked for the recruits who accessed the exam for this purpose to stand up and go to the back of the auditorium, the report stated.

Two of the recruits stood up and headed to the back of the auditorium, the report read. The sergeant repeated his request, but no other recruits stood up, the report stated.

After the sergeant said the agencys technology department was going to review each recruits laptop to see who had worked on the exam, six other recruits stood up, according to the report.

The eight recruits, who were the subject of the internal investigation, were taken out of the auditorium and told to write a memo about what they had done, the report read.

When later asked by investigators, some of the recruits who initially did not stand up said they froze or panicked.

Termination packages were later put together for the eight recruits before they went before the agencys Termination Board to explain their actions.

The remaining 53 recruits were given a questionnaire as investigators looked into the cheating allegations. According to the report, the investigators said a vast majority of the recruits knew the document was a test, and many closed out of it. Some expressed confusion about the test showing up in the documents section of PowerDMS and not the test section.

All of the accusations of cheating against the eight recruits were upheld, according to the report.

The men and women of the State Police are expected to hold themselves to the highest standards in law enforcement, Mellekas, commander of state police, said in a statement earlier this week in announcing the termination of the eight recruits. When those standards are not met, a process for review must be followed to determine if recruits are worthy of earning the title of state trooper.
Gov. Ned Lamonts recent proposal to allocate $90 million for upgrades to heating, ventilation and cooling systems in Connecticuts public schools is a necessary response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. What is often overlooked in discussions about indoor air quality, however, is another ongoing health crisis  asthma.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Connecticut has among the highest childhood asthma rates in the nation. In 2018, nearly one out of every 10 children in Connecticut had asthma. Children with asthma are three times more likely to be chronically absent from school than their peers without asthma.

Moreover, when they are present, children with asthma are less likely to fully participate in school activities because of concerns about asthma triggers. The burden of asthma across Connecticut is not shared equally. In 2021, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked New Haven the fifth most challenging place in the country to live with asthma. Connecticuts five largest cities  Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Waterbury  have the highest asthma rates in the state, disproportionately burdening Black and Latinx families.

As leaders with Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut, or CONECT, we have advocated over the last several years for greater support for students living with asthma in New Haven. While Gov. Lamonts proposal is an important step in the right direction, rather than requiring municipalities to provide matching grants to fund the project costs as proposed, the Legislature should consider a scaled matching program to avoid placing an undue burden on the school districts where asthma prevalence is highest and the municipal tax base may be lower.

An investment in indoor air quality is an investment in childrens futures. It indicates to families that their children  particularly their children with asthma  will be able to breathe safely at school. This reassurance is invaluable. As schools across Connecticut strive to recover learning loss and re-engage students, taking proactive measures to support families burdened by chronic health challenges including asthma is essential to improving attendance and lowering hospitalization rates.

In addition to improving indoor air quality, districts should be supported in pursuing creative solutions to health-based causes of absenteeism. Notably, New Haven Public Schools is taking the lead; in collaboration with Clifford Beers, the district has hired five school community care coordinators. whose responsibility will include empowering and supporting families of students experiencing health impediments to attendance, both mental and physical. This school-community approach will help educate families and students and the resources and practices that reduce health-related barriers to school attendance. Investments in indoor air quality, coupled with long-term investments in programs like this, are critical to achieving safe and supportive learning environments and healthy students.

As the COVID-19 pandemic peaks and subsides  and peaks and subsides, and peaks and subsides  lets prioritize the students and families who, before, during, and after the pandemic, express serious concerns about indoor air quality and its implications on their ability to breathe and learn. Additionally, many public school buildings across the state are in need of intentional upgrades. We praise Gov. Lamonts proposal to address air quality in schools and call on the Legislature to do so in an equitable manner to ensure that all our children can breathe, learn and thrive.

Veronica Douglas-Givan is an education advocate and member of CONECT; Charles A. Pillsbury is a professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law; Dr. Beverley Sheares is an associate professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine.
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BRIDGEPORT  The citys chief legal counsel is preparing to depart after a nearly 33-year career, over six of those as head of the municipal law department.

City Attorney R. Christopher Meyer confirmed Friday that he is planning his exit by the end of May.

Thats not saying it couldnt happen sooner, Meyer added.

Initially hired in the 1980s by then-Mayor Tom Bucci, Meyer, a Bridgeport native and current resident of the Black Rock neighborhood, worked in the law department until 2014 when he resigned during the tail end of Mayor Bill Finchs administration.

Meyer a few months later subsequently became a top campaign adviser to another former boss  ex-Mayor Joe Ganim  when Ganim launched his successful comeback. Ganim had run Bridgeport from 1991 until 2003, ousted Finch in 2015s Democratic primary and went on to win that Novembers general election.

Soon afterward the returned Ganim returned Meyer to the municipal payroll as head legal counsel for his administration.

I never expected to be the head of the office this long, Meyer, 60, said Friday.

Ganim won another four-year term in 2019 and is expected to seek re-election in 2023.

I think hes been a great mayor for the city and plan on devoting lots of time to helping him get re-elected, Meyer said, emphasizing he is not leaving because of any issues with his boss. He said he simply believes it is time for fresh leadership in the legal office

I want to give someone else a chance to bring some new, fresh ideas, Meyer said. There's no immediate reason Im leaving other than Ive done it a long time now and renewal I think is good for a place.

Meyer credited himself with working hard to try and reorganize and modernize the law department and with encouraging more teamwork among the nearly two-dozen staff who report to him. He also became known for the once-per-month buffet lunches he hosted at work which, Meyer said, were paid for out of his own pocket rather than with a legal budget that many City Council members have traditionally sought to trim.

Wed invite council members, some members of the public, Meyer said. I wanted to promote camaraderie and people working together.

Under Meyer the Ganim administration also launched an online method for submitting Freedom of Information Act requests for municipal documents. City Hall had heralded the system as a major step in establishing a more transparent government. But, as reported earlier this week, the number of FOIA submissions has exploded from 544 in 2017 to an estimated 2,167 currently, and Meyer is looking to hire a paralegal to eliminate the backlog and avoid potential state-imposed penalties.

Meyer, like some of his predecessors, has also sometimes been accused of working solely for the mayor, although technically he is legal counsel for the entirety of Bridgeport government. In fact the City Council is again considering engaging its own attorney in an effort by members to be more independent of the executive branch, although similar past proposals have always failed to move forward.

Ive tried to be the lawyer for the city, Meyer said Friday. A lot of people misunderstand the city attorney only as being the mayors. Or people that have an agenda like to push that (claim). Lots of times the mayor and I disagree on something. Well have a discussion, talk it out and hell understand and say, I accept that. They dont see the disagreements we have in private.

Ganim in an interview Friday called Meyer an excellent manager.

The citys going to miss him both as an outstanding lawyer but also as head of that department, which is reorganized and more focused than Ive ever seen it and saved the city tens if not hundreds of millions, he said. I respect the fact at this point in his life and career that Chris ... wants to think about where he wants to go in his future.

Ganim declined to suggest a replacement but said the law department is organized to the point where, hopefully, it would be easy for someone to take over.

I dont know what Ill do, whether Ill go into private practice again, Meyer said. But, he added, he will not take the sometimes controversial route of some other municipal lawyers who have retired and then been hired back by the city as private consultants.

Since his tenure as mayor ended Bucci has been a private labor attorney and, in that role, regularly been at odds with Bridgeports law department.

Chris is the utmost professional. Very capable and competent. Hes a good public servant, Bucci said Friday, adding being Bridgeport City Attorney is an extremely tough job.

You have to follow the law and be guided by the law while there may be others interested in pulling one way or the other (and) skirting the legal envelope, Bucci said. There are so many competing interests youre dealing with  department heads, the City Council, the public. And youre dealing with the mayor, probably the hardest thing to do.
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

ANSONIA A New Haven man was hospitalized after being shot multiple times in Ansoina early Saturday, police said.

The Ansonia Police Department was dispatched to the area of West Main and Bridge streets for multiple complaints of shots fired at approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
New York State Police / Contributed Photo

A Westport man was found dead Friday morning after a hiking trip in New York, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

Thomas Howard, 61, was found dead in the High Peaks Wilderness area in New York at around 10:30 a.m., according to a statement from the New York DEC and the New York State Police.
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

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Connecticut has a proud tradition of home rule, deeply appropriate to The Constitution State. When leaders in Hartford finally removed the outmoded, top-down, state-level prohibition of adult cannabis use last year, Nutmeggers clear preference for direct, local control was reflected in the law their representatives passed.

Today, the decision about where cannabis is accessed by adults 21 and older has been left to individual municipalities. So far, 77 percent of local governments have taken action, with three out of five embracing cannabis legalization.

The choice by these policymakers reflects an accurate assessment of the science, economic opportunity and social justice implications surrounding cannabis. Other municipalities would do well to follow in their footsteps and legalize now.

The reality is, arguments against cannabis legalization have crumbled in recent years. Contrary to the propagandist advertisements of the 1980s, cannabis is not and never was a gateway drug. Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse refutes that claim. The real danger has always been an illicit cannabis market that funnels money to criminals who can use it to support their dealing in hard drugs, such as heroin, as well as human trafficking and other illegal activities.

Rather than being a public danger, a legal cannabis market contributes tremendously to safety. Removing illicit cannabis sales from the criminal-funding toolkit makes neighborhoods more secure. Whats more, where cannabis is legal, adults who choose to partake need not risk black-market interactions or fall prey to cannabis products tainted with dangerous substances. Instead, they can purchase cannabis from approved retailers, which operate in the full light of day and are held to strict quality standards.

These facts alone are sufficient to oppose prohibition but there are also compelling reasons to actively support legal sale of cannabis to responsible adults who choose to use it. Cannabis is a growth market projected to reach $25 billion nationwide by 2025. Connecticuts share of that revenue, based on our proportion of the U.S. population, could exceed $644 million. After more than two long years of a global pandemic, such an economic spark is welcome.

Connecticut has even ensured that the advantages will reach those in greatest need. When enabling legalization, state lawmakers established a social equity council to incentivize creation of cannabis businesses in neighborhoods most harmed by aggressive, often racist enforcement of the anti-cannabis laws they rescinded. This measure means legal cannabis sales will bring more consumer dollars and jobs into underserved communities.

The financial upsides extend further. Income from legal cannabis is, of course, taxed, as illegal cannabis sales cannot be. Already states permitting adult-use cannabis have collected more than $10 billion and their combined annual cannabis tax income is expected to hit $12 billion per year by 2030.

Under Connecticut law, municipalities that allow retail cannabis will collect a 3 percent gross sales tax. Consider that a similar measure in Michigan is returning $10 million each year to local governments. To what use could Connecticut jurisdictions put their cannabis tax funds? A look around the country is inspiring. Colorado, the state with todays highest cannabis tax revenues, for example, has invested the $1.6 billion earned over the past six years in programs ranging from full-day kindergarten to capital construction grants.

Its worth noting that municipalities opting for legalization retain authority over the local cannabis market. They can opt out of allowing certain license types and implement supporting structures at their own pace, evaluating effectiveness every step of the way. And they can oversee and adjust as they see fit. Thats local control in action.

The days of playing ostrich about cannabis must end. This natural product entered our communities by the 19th century. It has remained in Connecticut despite decades of draconian efforts by anti-cannabis crusaders intent on criminalizing and eradicating it. Refusing to legalize cannabis within city or town limits today will not keep it out.

A responsibly administered, regulated and taxed market for adult-use cannabis is the better alternative to prohibition and the illicit sales, consumer risk, crime, enforcement inequities, over-incarceration, and lost opportunity long associated with criminalization.

Bryan A. Murray is vice president of government relations for Acreage Holdings, a multistate cannabis operator that operates three medical dispensaries in Connecticut.
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Le gouvernement a decide le 18 mars 2022 de promulguer la Declaration of Assets (Mauritius Prisons Service) Regulations 2022 qui va concerner les gardes chiourmes.

Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Declaration of Assets (Mauritius Prisons Service) Regulations 2022, to extend the application of the Declaration of Assets Act to every officer of the Departmental grade in the Mauritius Prisons Service. The Commission of Inquiry on Drug Trafficking has recommended, among others, that any successful candidate must before taking office and subsequently on a periodic interval, make a declaration of his or her assets as well as those of his or her family and close relatives. The Declaration of Assets (Mauritius Prisons Service) Regulations 2022 provide for:

(a) every officer of the Mauritius Prisons Service in office, at the commencement of these Regulations, to make a declaration of his assets and liabilities with ICAC, including the assets and liabilities of his spouse, his minor children and his children of age and grandchildren, not later than 90 days after the commencement of these Regulations; and

(b) where before the commencement of these Regulations, a senior officer of the Mauritius Prisons Service has, pursuant to the Act, already made a declaration of his assets and liabilities with ICAC, that senior officer of the Mauritius Prisons Service shall not be required to make a new declaration of his assets and liabilities under these Regulations.
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
More than three weeks into his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, President Putin is still no nearer anything that looks like victory. Astonishingly, it is even possible he is staring defeat in the face.

Whatever the military outcome, Putin faces one of only two prospects: his demise, possibly bloody; or a future as an isolated global pariah with whom almost nobody will deal.

Certainly, the longer he clings on in the Kremlin, the more he will impoverish Russia. Economic sanctions will only get tighter as his military machine in Ukraine acts in ever more brutal ways.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured at a news conference in Moscow, Russia, last month

America and its Nato allies have already made it clear to those who matter in Moscow that there can be no return to anything resembling 'normality' as long as Putin remains in power. That could embolden some to act.

The Russian blitzkrieg, which was meant to overwhelm Ukraine in a matter of days, never got off the ground. The UK's latest defence intelligence assessment reports that Russian advances have ground to a halt for more than a week.

The Russian airforce still does not control the skies over Ukraine, and its navy seems to be baulking at amphibious landings on Ukraine's Black Sea shores.

Meanwhile, Russian casualties continue to mount, with U.S. intelligence estimating 7,000 Russian dead so far. Ukraine claims the death toll is twice as high. Even the lower figure, after only four weeks, is more than America's total losses after 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Independent analysis of video footage and photographs suggests Russia has lost more than 200 tanks, almost 500 armoured vehicles, 70 air-defence systems, 13 helicopters and 32 fighter jets.

But given that not all incapacitated vehicles have been visually documented, the actual count will be much higher. Even as things stand, the number of tanks lost is already the highest in any military action since World War II.

And the scope for reinforcing the troops currently on the ground in Ukraine is diminishing by the day. With 75 per cent of its Battalion Tactical Groups  the Russian army's basic fighting unit  already deployed, sending in more effectively leaves much of Russia defenceless, in terms of conventional forces.

As Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at St Andrews University, says: 'Russia could no more attack Nato at the moment than it could attack Mars.'

True, much of Russia's invasion force remains intact. But they are running out of food, fuel and ammunition. Russian military logistics are so poor that re-supply is in doubt.

This will further undermine their morale, which is already low. At the outset, Putin assured his military commanders that sending columns of heavy armour into a friendly nation would be a walk in the park. So the ferocity of Ukrainian resistance came as something of a shock.

A school, pictured today, in the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine, destroyed after Russian forces' shelling

So did the appalling performance of the Russian armed forces. They have failed to operate as a combined military force, with poor command and control, a breakdown in encrypted communications (with the result that Nato intercepts their exchanges and passes them on to the Ukrainians) and useless leadership.

Generals almost never die on the battlefield in modern warfare but four Russian generals have managed to get themselves killed by venturing too far forward in a desperate bid to sort out the chaos at the frontline. Putin, in fits of fury, has sacked eight more.

Before the invasion, U.S. and UK intelligence intercepted communications between tank commanders querying if they were really expected to go to war with a bunch of conscripts. They were told Putin had assured them that Ukraine would welcome the Russian army as saviours. Nobody around him felt able to gainsay that nonsense.

It therefore came as something of a shock to the conscripted men, who had been told it was just a big military exercise, that they were invading a foreign country and expected to kill people.

Ukrainian resistance has rightly won the respect of the world. But it would have been much less effective without American and British support.

After Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, U.S. intelligence assessed that Ukraine proper could be next. The CIA set up a training camp in the east, with the British later following suit in the West.

In recent years, Ukraine's military has been taught how to wage unconventional war in small, mobile groups with devastating weapons against a Russian army trained to fight en masse and therefore vulnerable to 'shoot and scoot' guerrilla warfare.

Of course, it is still possible for Putin to secure a victory of sorts by razing Ukraine's towns and cities, as he's done before in Syria (Aleppo) and Chechnya (Grozny).

But even a scorched-earth victory would leave Putin facing an urban insurgency for which Ukrainian forces have been specially trained.

Because Western intelligence underestimated how well Ukrainians would resist Russian invasion, they concentrated on training them for a post-invasion war of attrition. If that's what comes, they have the skills and resolve to mount it. And weapons are pouring in to arm them.

The destructed aftermath of a school in a residential area near Kharkiv after it was wrecked by Russian troops' shelling, pictured today

It all adds up to the Russian military's worst nightmare. To prevail in such circumstances Western military experts reckon the invading force needs a superiority of around of 25:1  in other words, 25 invaders for every local defender. Russia could only muster around 4:1.

One U.S. intelligence assessment suggests that Ukraine's forces could reckon on killing eight Russian soldiers a day and, over time, that cost would be impossible for the Russian public to bear. The current 'kill rate' is far higher.

As the grip of sanctions tightened, Putin's ability to replenish his military would weaken. More than 1,000 missiles have been fired at Ukraine.

Sanctions will make it hard to replenish that arsenal. Particularly as the West has already cut off the Kremlin from the portion  approximately half  of the $640 billion 'Fortress Russia' fighting fund he invested in the West. There has also been a mass exodus of Western companies from the Russian market. Even Europe is now working on ways to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas, thereby reducing the Kremlin's main source of cash.

No democracy and no self-respecting business that wishes to retain its ability to operate in the West will be able to deal with Russia as long as the current Russian president remains in power.

Putin's mission was to re-establish Russia as a Great Power. It is one of the ironies of his Ukrainian escapade that not only does its failure mark the beginning of the end for him, it signifies the relegation of Russia from the ranks of the world's superpowers for at least a decade, if not a generation.

Even China looks to be having second thoughts about its previously unstinting support of the Moscow regime. Its state media are now broadcasting footage of Russian war crimes. The Chinese ambassador to Kyiv said this week: 'We've seen how great the unity of the Ukrainian people is'.

President Xi has been left in no doubt that if he sends military aid to Putin he too risks sanctions.

So it's hardly surprising that Putin looks and sounds not just increasingly isolated but increasingly deranged. This week his broadcast to the Russian people was full of neo-fascist meanderings about 'self-purification' and the 'cleansing of the nation', with internal enemies being 'spit out like flies'.

But he remains a force to be reckoned with. He is in charge of monstrous arsenals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; though whether he could ever deploy them is another matter.

We do not know if and when he will be removed from office; but he must surely live in constant fear (rightly) of an assassin's bullet.

Resistance certainly appears to be growing on the home front despite his increasingly draconian penalties for anyone with the temerity to even mention the word 'war' let alone protest against it.

Andrew Neil writes: 'President Xi (pictured) has been left in no doubt that if he sends military aid to Putin he too risks sanctions'

If Putin's days are indeed numbered, and the Kremlin falls into more civilised hands, then the West must be ready to react with a positive spirit and helping hand.

It must learn from the mistakes it made during Russia's last brief flirtation with democracy in the 1990s, when all manner of hucksters flooded into Moscow pushing policies that denuded the Russian people of their wealth and assets.

Above all, the West needs to remember that Russia went from centuries of tsarist tyranny to Soviet despotism without trying anything in between. There is almost no experience of democracy in Russia and we know democracy takes its time to put down roots, especially in unfertile soil.

So the West will need a longer-term strategy to embrace a post-Putin Russia and bring it for ever into the democratic community of nations. It will not be easy, but there is no alternative.

As long as Russia is in the grip of kleptocrats and dictators there can be no settled peace in the world.
Boris Johnson isnt the only Tory engaged on a charm offensive with Saudi Arabia.

Just weeks before the PMs oil-begging visit to the human rights-loving Kingdom last Thursday, Baroness (Karren) Brady of TVs The Apprentice fame was in the Saudi capital (pocketing a fee plus free flights and accommodation) to speak on the importance of women in business and female entrepreneurship.

Other speakers at the Riyadh tech conference included the deputy chairman of Chinese electronics giant Huawei and the Saudi energy minister.

Baroness Karren Brady (pictured) of TVs The Apprentice fame was in the Saudi capital to speak on the importance of women in business and female entrepreneurship

This is the same Baroness Brady who quit Philip Greens retail empires board after he was accused of sexually harassing female staff  something he vigorously denied.

Brady said she couldnt square her feminist credentials with working for Sir Shifty.

Yet Saudi Arabia continues to allow men to file lawsuits against women for disobedience, detains female activists and requires women to seek a mans permission to start a business or leave a domestic abuse shelter. They have, however, graciously been allowed to drive.

Though silent about her trip, the 52-year-old businesswoman, whose full title is Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge (even though she is vice-chairman of West Ham FC), has now spoken more times in Saudi Arabia than she has in the House of Lords over the past two years.

Her only contribution in the Chamber was on a Womens Day debate last year when she urged us all to celebrate the progress that we continue to make on our long march to empowerment and equality. A long march indeed for the women of Saudi Arabia.

Sources tell me that Policing Minister Kit Malthouse has been desperate to make his mark during weekly Cabinet meetings.

Frequent interventions about the economy have led colleagues to believe hes pitching to be the next Chancellor.

Unsurprisingly, incumbent Rishi Sunak (above) has been staring daggers across the table over Malthouse ramblings on the importance of monetarism

Unsurprisingly, incumbent Rishi Sunak has been staring daggers across the table over Malthouse ramblings on the importance of monetarism.

He may be no Milton Friedman, but Malthouse has been closely allied to Johnson since the PMs days as London Mayor.

Yesterday, a senior Tory told me that with Partygate mostly behind him, Boris might feel emboldened to shuffle Sunak and his leadership aspirations out of the Treasury within months. Watch this space.

The first Tory MP away day for several years has been cancelled because of the war in Ukraine.

A mini-conference of northern soul-searching was due to be held this weekend in Blackpool.

But the Government has bigger priorities than boosting backbenchers morale. Such as a fancy party for its biggest donors.

War or no war, the schmoozing of Leaders Group money men and women willing to cough up 50,000 a year to rub shoulders with BoJo (pictured) will not be cancelled

War or no war, the schmoozing of Leaders Group money men and women willing to cough up 50,000 a year to rub shoulders with BoJo will not be cancelled.

The next extravaganza with the PM plus Cabinet will take place in ten days at a glamorous London venue, I can reveal.

Bombs may be dropping all over Ukraine but in London the unseemly donations-for-access beano must still go on.

The BBC wont disclose how much licence-payers money is being spent on defending a legal case brought against it by former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.

Hes suing for defamation over allegations he sanctioned the killing of an ex-Sinn Fein official and double agent.

Responding to a Freedom of Information request, the BBC admitted there was public interest in being transparent over its use of licence-fee money but said it was outweighed by the need for secrecy.

This includes concerns that competitors might use the information to its disadvantage. Heaven forbid.
Celeb-loved fashion juggernaut Balenciaga have launched a new line of Crocs with a summery makeover which are set to be seen by the pool on many A-listers in months to come.

The 'Balenciaga Crocs Pool', slide sandals are the latest take on the classic 'ugly shoe' from the Paris Fashion House that have become a viral sensation despite their unconventional look.

With a distinctive open toe, and rounded platform sole the shoes cost a whipping 415 and come in black, white, yellow, pink and vivid green.

The 'Balenciaga Crocs Pool', slide sandals are the latest take on the classic 'ugly shoe' from the Paris Fashion House that have become a viral sensation despite their unconventional look

Available for both men and women, the first look at the footwear was shared by Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia.

The Georgian-born designer posted a picture of the shoes to Instagram - with hundreds of fashion fans saying they can't wait to get their hands on a pair.

Balenciaga, which is loved by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, first collaborated with Crocs in 2018 causing shockwaves in the fashion world after sending models down the runway in Croc-like shoes at Fashion Week 2013.

Last year, they launched stiletto crocs, combining the classic resin shoe with a sturdy elevated heel in a variety of bright colours.

Available for both men and women, the first look at the footwear was shared by Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia .

Balenciaga, which is loved by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, first collaborated with Crocs in 2018 causing shockwaves in the fashion world after sending models down the runway in Croc-like shoes at Fashion Week 2013.

They were met with mixed reactions online where some Twitter users said the shoes were 'painful' and unnecessary, and others said they couldn't wait to get their toes on a pair.

The same collection also includes rain boots with a platform sole, for those seeking something a bit more sturdy.

Crocs, launched in 2001 at Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida, were initially designed to be worn on boats.

The odour-resistant resin coating made it a popular choice, and the company initially sold 200 pairs. It has now sold more than 300 million.

The shoes have 'Balenciaga' embossed on the front (left) and says 'designed in colloboration with crocs' on the bottom

To the horror of fashion directors, sales soared in 2006. Tim Gunn, a fashion consultant, told Time magazine at the time: 'The Croc  it looks like a plastic hoof. How can you take that seriously?'

By 2009 Crocs was heading steadily towards bankruptcy after making a $159million loss on the previous year.

But they've faced a resurgence in recent years, through brand deals with fashion houses such as Balenciaga the company was able to head back towards profitability.

Social media users were shocked when high-end designer Balenciaga and comfy footwear brand Crocs revealed that they had teamed up on a stiletto high heel last summer

On social media, a handful of fashion fans who have purchased their own Balenciaga Croc Madame have shown them off

Last year, Academy Awards' musical director Questlove sent fashion directors quaking when he wore a gold pair on the red carpet.

The company has long turned to celebrities to promote their footwear - which feature 13 holes on the tops and sides for ventilation.

In 2018, Crocs partnered with rapper Post Malone before working with Justin Bieber and Latin pop-star Bad Bunny.

The Academy Awards' musical director Questlove (pictured) sent fashion directors quaking when he wore a gold pair on the red carpet

American rapper Post Malone has also worked with Crocs to design his own line of the footwear. The first collection, launched in November 2018, sold out in just 10 minutes

The new collections, which are said to be worn 'pool side' have a 5mm elevated sole arch - meaning it's perfect for a dip in the water.

They've been met with mixed reviews online, with some saying they 'love them' and 'can't wait to try' while others pointed out the high price.

'The Balenciaga crocs open toe platforms are so good. But the price point isnt making any sense. Really wish design team at crocs werent asleep for so long. They should have been made years ago! Without the Balenciaga collab,' said one.

' Im annoyed that I like these,' added another.

'Love them,' said a third.
Nouveaute dans la telephonie avec la decision du gouvernement de promulguer le Information and Communication Technologies (Registration of SIM) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 qui vient retarder au 16 janvier 2023 sa mise en application et qui va permettre a ceux qui detiennent dune carte SIM de lenregistrer au plus tard le 31 Juillet 2023.

Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Information and Communication Technologies (Registration of SIM) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 which provide for the postponement of the coming into operation of the Regulations from April 2022 to 16 January 2023. Thereafter, existing holders of SIM cards would be given up to 31 July 2023 to register their SIM cards with respective operators.

Page 2 of 8

The following are being included in the Regulations:

(a) image check and liveness detection in the interpretation section;

(b) in order to register a SIM card in the name of the minor child, the birth certificate would be used for a citizen while for a non-citizen, the SIM card would be registered in the name of the parent/guardian; and

(c) contrary to the provision to have a SIM card deactivated immediately upon the death of a subscriber, it was now proposed that a delay of 15 days be provided in the Regulation so as to give the operators sufficient time to send an SMS to the mobile phone of the deceased. In the eventuality the mobile phone was being used by another person, the latter would be invited to transfer of the SIM card in his name.
The words ton, landau and rake may sound like utter gibberish, but theyre essential terms for fans of Netflix period drama Bridgerton.

And with the highly-anticipated second season of the Regency romp set to be released by the streaming service on March 25, now is the time to swot up up on some period-appropriate language.

Bridgerton, which has garnered more than 82 million views worldwide since its Christmas Day 2020 release, is based on a series of books of the same name by Julia Quinn set in the Regency era.

Language experts and historians have shared their tips on some of the slang of that time with Mail On Sunday readers.

The cast of Bridgerton will return to the small screen on March 25th, when Netflix will release season 2 of the hit show. Pictured, left to right: Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Emilia Hunt), Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson)

Ahead of the second season, experts have revealed some Regency slang, so viewers can work out if their favourite characters are 'tons' or 'rakes' (pictured L-R: Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton)

Historians advise viewers not to take historical dramas too literally, saying that they often 'reinvent' the past in many ways

'Ton' is one of the terms used most frequently in Bridgerton, which was set in 1813 in the Regency era when George IV ruled as King 'regent' for his mentally-ill father.

It may sound like the modern word 'town' but it is actually a specific phrase coined in the 1700s from the French phrase 'le bon ton', which translates to 'good form or etiquette'.

Dr Hannah Greig is a historian at the University of York, and one of the academic consultants to Bridgerton.

She said: 'In Regency London the "ton" were the celebrities of the day and their stages were the vast houses, parks and new streets of the West End.

'Also referred to as the 'world of fashion' and 'the beau monde', they were an exclusive social set who combined wealth and status with dazzling displays of fashion and individual charisma.'

Season 2 of Bridgerton will follow Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he sets out to find a suitable wife, but ends up in a love triangle

The show's protagonist Anthony gets caught up in a love triangle with two sisters, Edwina (Charithra Chandran, left) and Kate (Simone Ashley, right) during season 2 of the show

Dr Greig said the closest modern equivalent was the phrase 'it factor', meaning an elusive quality essential to fame.

Another key term Bridgerton fans must know is 'landau', referring to a horse-drawn, four-wheeled carriage with a raised outside seat for the driver.

According to Taylor Hermerding, a cultural expert at leading language learning platform Babbel, the term originates in 1743 from Landau, a city in south-western Germany, where the carriages were first made.

BRIDGERTON SEASON 2: THE BED-HOPPING LORD SEEKS A WIFE The main love story for Bridgerton's second season moves on to Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, and his search for a wife. From the moment we saw Anthony's bare bottom in the very first scene of season one, it was clear this was no Mr Darcy. 'He's incredibly complicated,' says Jonathan. 'He's experienced such trauma with his father dying and his mum not being able to handle that, and then having to take on the responsibility of becoming a viscount. 'And this series can really take the time to dig into the psychology of a man of that era.' After his messy break-up with opera singer Siena Rosso in series one, it's back to the marriage mart for Anthony in season two  the balls, the courtship, the etiquette, the jealousies and the heaving bosoms that we saw as Daphne and Simon conducted their will-they-won't-they courtship. Anthony finds himself in a love triangle with the Sharma sisters who have just returned from India. His eyes alight on girl-of-the-moment Edwina, but her wily sister Kate may have other ideas. There's one change you're sure to note in Anthony. 'The sideburns have gone!' says Jonathan. Showrunner Chris Van Dusen decided to ditch Anthony's mutton chops to show that he's no longer the 'rakish party boy'. It's time for the viscount to get serious. Advertisement

'You will not find the ton travelling in anything less auspicious than a landau for fear of public ridicule,' added Ms Hermerding.

Bridgerton fans can also expect 'rakes' to play a key role in the upcoming series. The term does not refer to a horticultural tool, but rather a carefree, aristocratic man.

Ms Hermerding said the handsome Duke of Hastings, played by Simon Basset in series one, was 'the perfect example of a rake' because he had numerous relationships and refused to follow moral standards.

But if a rake puts a foot wrong, he may be labelled as 'high in the instep'.

This bizarre phrase is a cutting Georgian insult referring to anyone who comes across as arrogant or acting above their station.

'While it may seem odd, it refers to the idea that the upper classes would have stronger foot arches than other people at the time as a result of higher quality shoes,' said Ms Hermerding.

Another insult viewers can expect to hear is being 'barely out of leading strings' a disparaging way of saying someone is very young.

The phrase, used in series one, refers to cloth strips sewn into children's clothing to stop them falling when learning to walk.

The 'strings' were controlled by an accompanying adult.

A man barely out of leading strings is unlikely to attract a 'diamond of the first wate'.

This phrase referred to the most beautiful young woman 'in the ton' and likely carried a lot of social pressure.

In the context of diamonds, the 'first water' is used to describe the clearest or highest-quality gems.

Babbles experts credit Bridgerton for including a plethora of Regency-era terminology, but Penelope Corfield, a professor of history specialising in the Georgian era, reminds viewers not to take the upcoming series too literally.

'I am a great fan of TV historical fiction like Bridgerton but it reinvents the past - and often for good reasons.

'For example many people in the Regency era had terrible teeth from eating too much West-Indian sugar, so the gleaming white teeth in Bridgerton are anachronistic.

'But viewers wouldnt really switch on to see people smiling with black stumps and rotting gums!'

Bridgerton season 2 will be released on March 25th on Netflix - and a teaser for the programme suggests the new season will be as racy as the last

Earlier this month, Netflix gave fans a glimpse of what they can expect to see in season 2, releasing a teaser trailer.

This season will follow Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he sets out to find a suitable wife - but in true Bridgerton fashion, 'a considerable scandal' is promised to ensue when he gets caught up in a love triangle with two sisters.

And the new season of the show seems to be as racy as the last, with scenes of a naked Anthony covering his modesty in his bedroom and in wet clothing after falling in the river as the result of some flirtatious behaviour.

This second instalment will see Viscount Anthony, driven by his duty to uphold the family name, search for a debutante who meets his impossible standards to marry.

'It is only only out of the greatest love for my family I aim to choose a bride with my head and not my heart', he says.

Bridgerton season two will be released on Netflix on Friday March 25th.
Simon Bowes-Lyon has been pictured at a London wedding just seven months after being released from jail, where he served time for sexual assault.

The Earl of Strathmore, 35, a cousin of the Queen, was seen leaving the church following the nuptials in Notting Hill today.

He was pictured clutching what looked like an order of service as he walked down the street alone after the service.

Meanwhile, guests were seen mingling and loitering in the road, as they waited to board double decker wedding buses.

Simon Bowes-Lyon, the Earl of Strathmore, a cousin of the Queen, was snapped attending a wedding in Notting Hill today

Guests poured of St Mary of the Angels church, where the Queen's disgraced cousin Simon Bowes-Lyon was photographed attending a wedding

Today's ceremony was the second one the earl has been pictured at in recent weeks: last month, he was snapped at his younger brother Jock's wedding to socialite Posy Brinkley.

Those images marked the first time the earl had been photographed since his release.

According to an onlooker, other guests at Jock's wedding seemed to engage normally with Bowes-Lyon.

The onlooker said: 'Everyone seemed to greet him. Some did fist bumps because of Covid, but they all seemed chatty with him. It was almost as if nothing had happened.'

The Earl of Strathmore, pictured in London today, is a first cousin twice removed of the Queen and a great-great-nephew of the Queen Mother

Simon Bowes-Lyon was seen clutching what appeared to be an order of service as he walked down the road alone after the wedding service

After the service, some of the guests were spotted loitering in the road, as they waited to board double-decker wedding buses

Simon Bowes-Lyon, known as Sam, is a first cousin twice removed of the Queen and a great-great-nephew of the late Queen Mother.

He was jailed last February for sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman at his ancestral home, Glamis Castle in February 2020.

He persuaded her to open a door before pushing her on to a bed and subjecting her to a drink-fuelled attack that lasted for 20 minutes.

His 'force, aggression and persistence' left the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffering from nightmares and needing therapy, a court heard.

He pleaded guilty to the sexual assault which took place at his 16,500-acre estate near Forfar in Angus .

Last month, Simon Bowes-Lyon (pictured, second left) was pictured at his brother Jock's wedding (pictured, left)

Handcuffed: Bowes-Lyon in February 2021, after being sentenced to 10 months imprison for sexually assaulting a woman

Where the assault took place: Glamis Castle is Simon Bowes-Lyons' ancestral home, it is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus

He was jailed for 10 months at Dundee Sheriff Court with his name put on the register of sex offenders for 10 years.

He had previously issued a public apology to his victim, but Sheriff Alistair Carmichael told him that there was no alternative to custody.

The aristocrat is understood to have been released from prison in August last year after serving half his sentence.

A friend, who did not want to be named, said at the time: 'As far as possible he wants to move on with his life.'
Did official figures overestimate Britains grim Covid death toll?

Its a question that has been asked persistently by medics and members of the public alike almost since the start of the pandemic.

First, disturbing stories emerged from bereaved relatives of terminally ill patients who died from the disease theyd battled, only to be posthumously labelled Covid victims.

Then health chiefs admitted, embarrassingly, that the numbers theyd been feeding the Government were only an approximation  provoking fury from Ministers.

More recently it was revealed that a quarter of Omicron deaths included in the daily figures did not, in fact, list Covid as a primary cause.

More than two years since Covid-19 emerged, many feel they want a simple answer: how many were killed by this virus?

Last week, in the first of a series of special reports probing the science that has underpinned our pandemic response, The Mail on Sunday set about tackling the ongoing concerns that tests used to diagnose Covid were picking up people who were not actually infected.

The conclusion of some scientists was, yes, they did. And there were those who maintained that despite shortcomings, PCR swabs  used by millions  were accurate enough.

More than two years since Covid-19 emerged, many feel they want a simple answer: how many were killed by this virus? Pictured: A nurse puts on PPE in a Covid ward at King's College Hospital in London

Yet one study suggested that as many as a third of all positive cases may not have been infectious at the time they took the test.

It not only means the true scale of the pandemic could have been distorted, but also that many people may have been forced to self-isolate unnecessarily.

Equally concerning is the idea that the UKs stark and terrifying death figures  which were broadcast daily  were misleading and even overblown.

And today we will try to uncover the truth, or get as close as we can.

Another step forward in understanding comes from new analysis from scientists at the University of Oxford and charity Collateral Global, shared exclusively with this newspaper.

The group combed through 800 responses to Freedom of Information requests made by members of the public to medical institutions such as care homes and hospital trusts, and found fundamental flaws in way Covid fatalities were recorded.

In total, 14 different terms were used to describe a person who had died with Covid  including underlying Covid, due to Covid, involving Covid and died within either 28 or 60 days of a positive test.

Some hospital trusts required a positive test to certify a Covid death, while others didnt.

Most shockingly, in care homes, deaths were certified by doctors making their inspection via a video call  and this was permitted due to emergency guidance introduced in April 2020.

The experts say this, coupled with the lack of testing in care homes, means it is likely that assumptions were made and Covid was wrongly attributed as the cause of death.

Does this mean the Covid death figure is an over-count? There is no way of knowing for certain  which the Oxford group suggests is far from ideal.

It is incredibly important to understand the logical chain of events that led to death, says Professor Carl Heneghan, epidemiologist and director of the University of Oxfords Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, and an author of the new report.

But if every health body is using a different definition, how do we know whether Covid has directly caused the death or if it was something else that was underlying?

Two years into this pandemic, it is clear nobody can really understand or answer that question.

One person convinced that non-Covid deaths were being blamed on the virus is Gary Wylde, a 59-year-old sales executive from Wolverhampton whose mother Jessie suffered from dementia as well as a severe lung disease that limited her ability to breathe.

When Jessie died in April 2020, doctors noted her cause of death as Covid-19  despite her never testing positive for the virus.

The doctor explained to me that, in the absence of a test, doctors are encouraged to put down Covid on death certificates, said Gary.

Likewise Julie Perkins, a 57-year-old civil servant from Leicestershire, who believes her 83-year-old father Ted died after suffering a stroke in May 2020.

The retired road worker, who lived in a care home, also had a high temperature for six days and his death certificate stated he died of Covid-19  despite a recent negative test.

We were extremely shocked when the GP wrote hed died of the virus on his death certificate, said Julie. Its just not right.

Some hospital trusts required a positive test to certify a Covid death, while others didnt. Most shockingly, in care homes, deaths were certified by doctors making their inspection via a video call  and this was permitted due to emergency guidance introduced in April 2020

Health chiefs admitted, embarrassingly, that the numbers theyd been feeding the Government were only an approximation  provoking fury from Ministers

Concerns about Covid death figures first emerged in mid-2020 after it was revealed that the now-defunct Public Health England calculated its rolling toll simply by checking NHS databases to see if a person who had tested Covid positive at some point had died.

It did not consider how long before the death that a test result occurred.

A Government source admitted at the time: You could have tested positive in February, have no symptoms, then be hit by a bus in July and youd be recorded as a Covid death.

Covid fact About 120 in every 100,000 men working in restaurants and catering died of Covid, the Office for National Statistics found. Advertisement

In August that year, Covid testing chief, Professor John Newton, insisted the method was robust but added: It is only an approximation of the number of people who die from Covid-19, because other causes of death are included and some people who die from Covid-19 never had a positive test.

Shortly after this, then Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the closure of Public Health England, to be replaced by the UK Health Security Agency  where Prof Newton is a director. The protocol was also changed, so that deaths only within 28 days of a positive Covid test were counted.

The Government also began reporting a second figure  one that experts claimed was more trustworthy  compiled by the Office for National Statistics and based on whether Covid was written on a patients death certificate.

But worries began to emerge about the accuracy of this, too. Death certificates routinely list both the direct causes of death  the specific condition that killed that person, such as pneumonia or sepsis, and what led to that fatal condition or event developing, such as a viral infection.

They may also list other conditions that might have contributed to that person dying  for instance, if they suffered a long-term lung illness, or diabetes, that made the patient vulnerable.

These details are key, as it was long known that frailty and pre-existing conditions made people far more likely to die of Covid. The worry was that those who died due to long-term health problems, but happened to pick up Covid along the way, were being counted in the official statistics. This would be a distortion of the truth.

In early 2021, audits by the Office for National Statistics showed that roughly 90 per cent of the Covid deaths it reported had died directly from the disease  meaning Covid was listed as a primary cause on their death certificates, not simply a contributory factor.

But the Collateral Global report has now cast doubt over even this data. It uncovered more than 1,500 cases, across eight UK hospitals, where Covid was the only thing listed on the death certificate.

Epidemiologist Professor Tom Jefferson, a co-author of the paper, describes this as implausible.

It is well known that Covid deaths were vastly more likely in those with underlying conditions, such as heart disease or dementia, and so he adds: It means we cant trust what is written on that certificate.

Lack of tests in the first wave of the pandemic may have compounded problems. A study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, involving 80,000 Covid patients admitted to 247 UK hospitals between March and August 2020, found that in nearly a third of cases, no confirmatory PCR test was carried out.

The above graph shows the daily estimates of Covid cases from the Office for National Statistics gold-standard survey. It reveals cases have now surged above the levels at Christmas, when scientists were calling for a lockdown

Pictured above are the weekly estimates of Covid cases for England since the survey began. It reveals that cases rose 28 per cent last week compared to the previous seven-day spell. The uptick is being driven by the more infectious Omicron variant BA.2 and, ministers say, by relaxing the final Covid restrictions

Doctors working on the NHS front line during the first and second wave have told The Mail on Sunday they witnessed first-hand inaccurate medical reporting.

One intensive care specialist in the Midlands said: There was an overwhelming focus on Covid because everyone was scared of it.

So often doctors assumed that the virus was responsible for the illness, rather than something else.

There were occasions where junior doctors would refer a patient to me who was suffering a common bacterial infection, but I was told to treat them for Covid.

In fact, they just happened to have Covid, but it wasnt the reason they were seriously ill and went on to die. There were patients who came in with extreme blood loss following a traumatic injury, then tested positive for Covid.

Their cause of death should have been listed as shock and laceration, but Covid ended up on there.

Perhaps most concerning is the way in which deaths were routinely recorded in care homes, where 45,632 Covid fatalities occurred.

At the beginning of the pandemic the Government issued emergency guidance that allowed doctors to verify a death remotely  via a video call or webcam.

This meant that care home staff would make the calls and hold the camera up so the doctor could see the deceased.

The doctor could write the death certificate based on this.

Remote death certification policies have remained in place, but are set to be scrapped on Thursday along with the rest of the temporary coronavirus legislation.

Prof Jefferson suspects this meant that assumptions were made, resulting in significant errors.

The Oxford researchers report found that in some care homes, half of all Covid deaths involved an incomplete death certificate, where only Covid was listed.

Prof Heneghan adds: By the very nature of people who are in care homes, they have lots of co-morbidities [the presence of two or more diseases at the same time] that contribute to their death.

This usually includes either underlying heart failure, or diabetes or something else  and then they got Covid.

So there should be more than one issue besides Covid on the death certificate, otherwise we dont know why these people died.

Experts say these factors mean the true toll of Britains care home deaths remain a mystery.

Prof Heneghan says: Nobody was checking any of these deaths properly. You could just put Covid on the certificate and no one asked questions about it.

The researchers say there is a possibility this means death counts have been an overestimation  but the opposite could also be true.

Were not trying to say one way or the other, but the key is accuracy, says Prof Heneghan. Was Covid really the predominant underlying case of death in care homes  or was it something else?

Other experts are less sceptical, however. Certainly for all the Covid deaths I witnessed, there was no doubt what they died from, says Dr Sue Crossland, an acute medicine doctor in an NHS hospital in the North of England.

In the first wave, patients severely ill with Covid had very distinct combinations of symptoms like blood clots and lung inflammation. It was unlike anything that any of us had ever seen before.

Covid fact Diabetes is the most common pre-existing condition among Covid victims, with a quarter of last weeks Covid deaths having the disease. Advertisement

Another sign that the Covid death figures arent an overestimate comes from looking at total numbers of excess deaths.

These numbers are the total of people who die of all causes on top of what is expected in an average year. Between March and May 2020 there were roughly 55,000 excess deaths in the UK, and 63,000 in the winter of 2020.

The winter figures are six times higher than the same period in 2019.

In 2017, during a bad flu season, excess deaths were the highest in more than 30 years  50,000. But some say excess deaths can be explained by lockdown-related causes rather than Covid itself.

Research by the British Heart Foundation found that at least 5,000 heart-attack patients had gone without life-saving treatment between March and July 2020.

Some of the excess deaths will be people who missed out on care, says Prof McConway, emeritus professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University.

But the majority of excess deaths are clumped together in April and May. And most of the lockdown-related deaths, including people missing out on cancer treatment, wouldnt have been so immediate.

Prof Heneghan suggests that only a forensic analysis of historical Covid deaths will uncover the truth. He adds: We should take a sample of deaths that had Covid written on the certificate and try to validate the accuracy.

Get all the medical documentation and expert consultants to look at it independently. Then we will understand the correct chain of events that led to a persons death  and if it matches up to what is on the death certificate.
Holding

ITV, Monday

Rating:

Jeremy Kyle Show: Death On Daytime

Channel 4, Sunday/Monday

Rating:

Holding is a crime drama based on the bestselling novel by Graham Norton and its not a posh-house-thriller, for which we must be thankful, but it is a return to one of our other old friends: small town, big secrets.

Personally, I blame Broadchurch, which isnt to say this doesnt have some charm. Brenda Fricker is in it, for heavens sake!

And it features some decent character work, the best cooked TV breakfast of the year  early days, but Id be surprised if a better one comes along  plus it is nicely gentle without being Midsomer Murders or Vera. For which we must also be thankful.

Set in sleepy Duneen, Holding focuses on local police officer Sergeant PJ Collins. Above: Pauline McLynn as the local busybody, Mrs Doyle

Its set in Duneen, a sleepy village in West Cork where the local police officer is Sergeant PJ Collins (Conleth Hill, although sometimes I was put in mind of Benny Hill. I lived in fear of him chasing a half-naked woman round a tree).

We first meet him waking up in bed while, downstairs, the Garda stations housekeeper, Mrs Meany (Fricker), cooks up his breakfast  sausages (three), bacon, eggs (three), mushrooms, fried bread, but at least she uses a low-cal oil spray.

Only kidding. A whole block of butter goes in there. Collins is overweight and not happy about it, judging by his look when he catches sight of himself in the mirror.

He is, you sense, lonely and melancholic, and whatever is missing from his life he attempts to fill with food. Theres a crisp packet amid his bedding. He wolfs processed cheese slices in his car. You did feel for him, straight off the bat.

He is certainly underworked, as established at the outset when he has to convince the local busybody (played by Pauline McLynn as Mrs Doyle, thereby introducing a Father Ted vibe) that someone painting their shop a colour you dont like is not a crime.

But then human bones are excavated at a construction site and suddenly he has a case. Theres a terrific moment when he says: We need to call ah hmm forensics!

As directed by Kathy Burke, this is slow-paced but, at the same time, characters were introduced so quickly it was initially hard to work out who was who. Is that one of the sisters?

I was also confused by this: when he doesnt have time to eat that breakfast and Mrs Meany puts it in a baguette, why does he go to eat it in the farmhouse thats about to be demolished? Do you know?

The bones likely belong to Tommy Burke, who had disappeared from the area, and was involved with two women: Evelyn (Charlene McKenna)  one of three sisters, I finally worked out  and Brid (Siobhan McSweeney), whom he jilted at the altar, and is now an alcoholic.

Mind you, Mrs Meany is also hiding something, given the amount of time she stares out of the window.

In fact, everyone stares out of the window, into the middle distance, at some point or another. What is it about secrets that makes you stare out of windows in this way?

This was beset by cliche. I am not an alcoholic, says Brid, before falling over. And Id certainly put money on Collins not being as bumbling as he seems and showing up that Dublin detective.

Plus it was tonally all over the place. Was it meant to be comic? Or not? Im not sure I yet care who killed Tommy, but Ill keep with it  there are four episodes  as I do seem to have developed a fondness for Collins.

Meanwhile, if youre ever in Duneen, do stop at the police station as Mrs Meany is sure to feed you a ton of sandwiches. Ham.

On to the dark side of ITV and Jeremy Kyle Show: Death On Daytime, which has caused a sensation, but honestly? It ran for 14 years and you never thought: how is bear-baiting poor and vulnerable people in any way acceptable?

The Jeremy Kyle Show was finally axed after the suicide of Steve Dymond, who insisted hed been faithful to his fiancee (Jane, above) but failed a lie detector test

Were all complicit, in a way.

The Jeremy Kyle Show was finally axed after the suicide of Steve Dymond, who insisted hed been faithful to his fiancee but failed a lie detector test.

Never mind that such tests are notoriously unreliable, so long as it gave Kyle licence to shout Youre disgusting! in someones face. Dymonds last voicemail messages to his fiancee were unbelievably distressing.

We heard from participants whose lives had been ruined, one way or another, and also workers on the show (played by actors), who described how guests were pumped up, manipulated, were objects he [Kyle] could exploit and how the show, generally, took peoples self, crushed it, then sent them on their way.

As I said, I think we all knew, deep down, but it was still shocking. Drug addicts were told there was one bed available for rehab so they would have to win it by being the worst, even though beds were available for all of them.

You did worry that this was exploitative itself. Did we need to see the bereaved crying at gravesides?

But I hope it puts paid to this type of television and heres a warning: some years hence well be looking at Love Island and wondering: how could we have been complicit in that?
Driving Forwards: A Journey Of Resilience And Empowerment After Life-Changing Injury

Sophie L. Morgan Sphere 16.99

Rating:

Sophie Morgan says she has two birthdays. The first is the date she was born 37 years ago. The second is her A-level results day when, aged 18, she was paralysed from the waist down in a car crash and her new life began.

An incorrigible wild child, Morgan found herself living out her most feared experience, with no hope of a cure. Her mother secretly vowed if the injuries didnt kill her daughter, shed put her out of her misery with a pillow over her face.

But the pairs mindset changed from despairing to determined.

Sophie Morgan (above) has faced agonising setbacks and lays them all out in her wrenchingly honest narrative

Within months of her discharge, she was driving, skimobiling in Canada and winning a place at art school.

She has since covered three Paralympics for Channel 4 and, most recently, achieved her ambition of presenting shows with no relevance to her disability.

Yet this memoir is very far from the triumph over tragedy tale you might expect  and a lot better for that. Morgans wrenchingly honest narrative is full of (literally) agonising setbacks.

An abscess from an allergic reaction to a plaster means that to this day, she must lie  sometimes for months  on her front to prevent it worsening. A televised trek across South America with other disabled people ended with her hospitalised with amoebic dysentery.

She realises that despite her bloody-mindedness, some barriers are simply too high to overcome.

Desperate to fit in, she settles in relationships  unable to get beyond the notion that she should be grateful to any man who pays her attention. She silently endures discomfort and inadequate disabled facilities in case she loses friends or work.

Shes constantly dehumanised, accused by strangers of being a benefits scrounger, while also patronised as inspirational  as she dryly puts it  for crossing a restaurant to go to the toilet.

She finds the adjective insulting, but theres no doubt this book is inspirational, eye-opening and deeply moving.

Cimino: The Deer Hunter, Heaven's Gate And The Price Of A Vision

Charles Elton Abrams Press 19.99

Rating:

Few film directors endured as swift and precipitous a fall from grace as Michael Cimino.

In 1979, his Vietnam epic The Deer Hunter won five Oscars, including Best Film and Best Director.

A year later, his widescreen western, Heavens Gate, was panned mercilessly and ran so ruinously over budget that  according to legend  it bankrupted the studio. The fallout was brutal.

On The Deer Hunter, Michael Cimino (above, with Robert De Niro) jettisoned writers, fought producers and antagonised all-comers

Just as Heavens Gate had become a symbol of all failed films, writes Charles Elton, so Cimino became a symbol of all failed directors.

However, as Eltons diligent, gossipy and enjoyable biography reveals, nothing about Ciminos life was straight-forward: less a case of fact being stranger than fiction than fact and fiction endlessly overlapping until its unclear which is which.

I Googled myself one time, Cimino said in later life. I dont know most of the people Ive been.

A former agent and TV producer, Elton brings page-turning brio and a gumshoes tenacity to his subject.

Born in New York in 1939, Cimino came to movies via television advertising, gaining his big break directing Clint Eastwood in Thunderbolt And Lightfoot.

On The Deer Hunter, Cimino jettisoned writers, fought producers and antagonised all-comers. Richard Dreyfuss memorably described him as a disgusting creature.

This combative approach cost him dear following the fiasco of Heavens Gate, which recouped less than $4 million of its bloated $44 million outlay.

Although Elton scotches the myth that the film bankrupted United Artists, it made Cimino a laughing stock and ruined his reputation.

Remaining rude, obsessive and intransigent, he was fired from Footloose and directed a few misfiring, low-budget films before succumbing to enforced retirement in 1996, at 57.

Through it all he gradually became a creature of his own invention.

He had a daughter who wasnt his daughter; a wife who may or not have been his wife; a fake service history in Vietnam; an unremarkable family he shunned and depicted as monsters.

In later life his physiology altered dramatically, from chunky, archetypal Italian-American to rake-thin androgyny.

Addressing rumours that the director was transitioning between genders, Elton describes a brave journey and tracks down a secret acquaintance who recalls that Cimino, as Nikki, would visit her wig store to engage in makeover sessions.

Yet like much else in his life, definitive conclusions remain elusive. The extent to which Cimino believed his own fantasies is unclear.

Somehow the fine wires have got really crossed and the line between reality and fiction has become blurred, he said at one point.

Forensic but never cruel, Elton contrives a redemptive final act of sorts. Its reputation bolstered by a 2012 directors cut, Heavens Gate is now widely regarded as a masterpiece; in later years Cimino embraced the acclaim, particularly in Europe.

His death in 2016, at 77, is characteristically shrouded in rumour and innuendo.

The narrative twists and turns of Cimino will keep readers riveted until the final page.

Graeme Thomson
A young female recruiter has shared the secrets of how she amassed a property portfolio worth $3.2million before she turned 30 (pictured, Lorna Wang)

A young female recruiter has shared the secrets of how she amassed a property portfolio worth $2.55million before turning 30.

Lorna Wang, a Sydney recruiter for a big multinational, acquired four properties across Australia - including in Sydney, Adelaide and Ipswich - as she built her wealth.

The now 30-year-old is one of thousands of women increasingly investing in property to secure their financial futures - with the gender split amongst single homebuyers hitting an even 50:50 between men and women for the first time.

Ms Wang credited the huge strides she has made towards her goal of financial freedom to a savings habit she learned from a frugal mother - plus getting the right advice.

Ms Wang saved from day one of her after-school job working in a Penshurst chemist until she was 22 to buy her first home, a basic two bedroom unit in Yagoona for $367,000 (pictured, the building she bought in Yagoona)

'We are first generation Chinese-Australian,' Ms Wang told the Smart Investment Property podcast.

'We were raised with not very much, my mum was a single mum, she raised me and my sister on welfare, I knew from day dot I had to save money, I had to help my mum, my sister.

'As soon as I could work I started working.'

Wang saved money from the first day of her after-school job, working in a Penshurst chemist, until she bought her first home at 22 - a basic two-bedroom unit in Yagoona for $367,000.

Eight years later it's valued at $465,000.

It took Wang another four years to buy again, and even then she needed the help of a mortgage advisor to help refine her strategy.

When she was 26 she was ready to buy again and with the help of a mortgage broker she bought a house in Adelaide for $395,000.

When she was 26 she was ready to buy again and with the help of a mortgage broker she bought a house in Adelaide for $395,000

She purchased two bedroom house at Clovelly Park, 15 minutes drive from Glenelg beach. Three years on the home is worth $560,000.

Getting a broker's help crystalised her thinking and plans. Today she sees buying property as far simpler than she bought her first home.

'I still wouldn't have bought my second home I would have been too fearful about Covid,' she said.

'I joked with my friend that buying property is easier than buying a dress.'

As soon as she'd bought in Adelaide, Ms Wang scoured regional markets again, settling on a quiet suburb in Ispwich where there was a supply shortage.

She bought her third home in the booming town in Brisbane's south-east for $349,000. It's now worth $455,000.

The second home Ms Wang bought was in Ipswich, above, in 2019, four years after her original purchase. The assistance of a mortgage broker paid off

The interior of the home Ms Wang bought at Ipswich

She bought her fourth property in north Bendigo for $360,000 which is now worth $560,000 and she is planning another investment on the NSW Central Coast.

After buying again at Parafield Gardens in Adelaide now has five properties worth a total of $2.55million.

Her latest buy was for $380,000 and is now worth $515,000.

She used the research and buyers' agent service InvestorKit for four of the purchases.

Saving money has been the backbone of her strategy - not buying luxury items or big overseas holidays - but she admits she does go out 'every other weekend'.

'I do go out, I do enjoy myself, but my main goal is financial freedom, so eyes on the prize,' Ms Wang told the podcast.

'My mum raised me pretty well. She's proud of me.'

Ms Wang's most recent purchase was a home in north Bendigo, Victoria

Ms Wang is one of a growing number of single first home buyers purchasing property.

'The overall proportion of single female applications increased by 1 point to 50 per cent compared to 12 months prior,' a spokeswoman said.

'In comparison, the overall proportion of single male applications decreased by 1 point to 50 per cent.'

Men tend to buy slightly more expensive properties - but the gap is closing.

The average loan size for women applying for a single mortgage increased by 7 per cent to $411,752 in 2021.

In comparison, single male applications increased 6 per cent to $449,273 in 2021.
A Florida bridgetender has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly raising a drawbridge connecting Palm Beach to Florida before a 79-year-old grandmother walking her bicycle reached the other side.

West Palm Beach police arrested Artissua Lafay Paulk 43, at her home on Thursday in connection to the death of Carol Wright, 79. Her bond is set at $20,000 and a judge issued a no-contact order on Friday, according to Fox 13.

Paulk is accused of opening the Royal Park Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway on February 6 as the cyclist walked across, causing Wright to plunge 60 feet to her death.

The older woman was walking her bike from Palm Beach toward West Palm Beach around 1 p.m. and was within 10 feet of reaching the safety of the barrier arm that halts traffic when the drawbridge started to go up, police said.

A Good Samaritan, who witnessed the incident, raced to Wright's aid and tried to pull her to safety but lost his grip. She slipped through the gap formed by the rising bridge and the main roadway and desperately tried to cling on, before plunging more than five stories to the concrete base of the 1,238-foot span over the Intercoastal Waterway.

Artissua Lafay Paulk 43, a drawbridge employee, has been arrested and charged with manslaughter on Thursday after raising the Royal Park Bridge before a 79-year-old grandmother was finished crossing

Her bond is set at $20,000 and a judge issued a no-contact order with the victim's family or any witness

Carol Wright, 79, a grandmother, died after she plunged 60 feet after falling gap formed between the roadway and the rising bridge

A Good Samaritan tried to hold onto Wright (left), but was unable to pull her to safety

'The woman tried to hang on. There was a bystander nearby who tried to help her, but tragically she fell five or six stories below where she died landing on concrete,' West Palm Beach police spokesperson Mike Jachles said.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said in its report released Thursday that Paulk said she checked multiple times and did not see Wright before opening the span that afternoon.

Before raising the drawbridge, the tender is required to get multiple visual confirmations that the span is empty of cars and pedestrians, which the employee claimed she did.

The FDOT report said Paulk told investigators that she walked out on the balcony before and after turning on the red lights and lowering gates to stop traffic, made two announcements on loudspeakers, and ultimately stepped outside three times to make sure no one was on the bridge, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Paulk claimed to have walked out on the balcony before and after turning on the red lights and lowering gates to stop traffic, made two announcements on loudspeakers, and ultimately stepped outside three times to make sure no one was on the bridge, but the Wright family lawyer says surveillance footage - that has not been released - says otherwise

Wright was 10ft from crossing the safety barrier when the bridge began to open and fell through the gap (pictured)

Paulk allegedly texted her supervisor - who is also her mother-in-law - that she lied to police before deleting the messages

Surveillance video will show that this account is false, according to attorney Lance C. Ivey, who is representing the dead woman's family. Police have not released the footage.

'I believe that when we get the video evidence of this incident, it will reveal unequivocally that the bridge tender's statement doesn't align with the true facts,' Ivey told WPTV.

'There are a number of different camera angles from different sources that were taken into account for evidence and review to corroborate the witnesses' statements,' police told WRAL.

The police statement said investigators searched the bridgetender's cellphone and determined she had not been using it at the time.

Later, however, she reportedly texted a friend: 'Im here with the police I killed a lady on the bridge.' And she also reportedly told her supervisor - who also happens to be her mother-in-law - that she lied to the police before deleting the messages, Fox 13 reported.

She was interviewed by detectives again on Thursday after being brought to police headquarters. She was then taken to jail, where she was booked on one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence.

The investigation being conducted by the West Palm Beach police will focus on whether the bridge tender violated safety protocols by failing to make sure there was no one on the bridge before raising it, or whether the bicyclist ignored warning signals and walked over the span after the crossing arms were already down.

The bridge is equipped with bells and whistles to alert drivers and pedestrians that the drawbridge is going up.

'For one thing you will hear the bell before the arms go down, so when you hear the bell you gotta get out of the way before the bridge goes up,' bicycle safety advocate Juan Orellana told WPTV.

Mark Allen Hagen, 50, of Metter, Georgia, was driving across the Main Street Bridge in Daytona Beach last Saturday when his bike clearly crashed into the water after he crashed into a traffic arm and nearly toppled off the rising drawbridge

Hagen jumped from the bike at the last second as he lost control, sliding down the bridge a little as he lost his helmet during the impact

Earlier this week, a motorcyclist from Georgia nearly dived off a drawbridge in Daytona Beach after he failed to noticed the traffic arms were down.

The man was driving across the Main Street Bridge in Daytona Beach, Florida, around 10 a.m. last Saturday - a terrifying incident that was caught on a local traffic camera.

The driver - Mark Allen Hagen, 50, of Metter, Georgia - reportedly crashed into one of the traffic arms as it was lowering to allow the bridge to rise and notify drivers to wait until it was safe, breaking it in half as he shot through onto the bridge.

He can seen in surveillance footage wobbling on his bike while crossing the slick lanes on a gloomy, rainy day. Hagen was heading east across the bridge, which connects Daytona's Surfside Historic District and Orange Island Park.

Seconds later he can be seen losing control of the bike and falling sideways just as bike nearly reaches the gap. He lands so hard his helmet flies off - but the motorcyclist was otherwise otherwise uninjured, police said.

In the video he can also be seen rolling onto his back just as the bridge locks into place at its highest point.

He was later transferred to Halifax Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. His bike took the brunt end of the impact, reportedly accumulating $5,000 in damages, according to the Daytona Beach Review News-Journal.

He was charged with careless driving, which carries a $166 fine.
A University of Liverpool student is among the winners of the Pandemic Institute's first Student Excellence Awards, which aim to boost the career development opportunities of PhD students who could be at the forefront of the fight against future pandemics.

Sponsored by Liverpool-based diagnostics and in-clinic Covid-19 testing company DAM Health, the 5,000 awards will enable the students to further their research by attending international conferences or take up world-leading training and development opportunities.

Along with recipients from LSTM and Liverpool John Moores University, Nicola Seechurn was presented her award by Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool's Public Health Director, during a ceremony attended by business, civil and political leaders from across the Liverpool City Region at the Spine on Paddington Village in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool Innovation District.

Left to right: Ryan Robinson, and Valeria Carini, both students, Professor Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health at Liverpool City Council, student Helen Savage, Matthew Baylis, The Pandemic Institute Director, student Rachel Byrne, Professor Frank Joseph, Medical Director of DAM Health, student Nicola Seechum and Christine Cottrell, from Dam Health

Nicola is a PhD student in the University's Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences.

Her research is about mosquito-borne viruses and assessing the risk of these entering the UK, with a particular focus on West Nile Virus, which can cause severe disease in people, and Usutu, which can severely affect wild bird populations.

On receiving the award, Nicola said: 'I am planning to go to several international conferences. It will be a great way to discuss novel ideas, learn and develop new skills and to network with researchers in the same field as myself. I think this experience will be invaluable so I would like to thank the Pandemic Institute and DAM Health for providing these opportunities.'

Professor Matthew Baylis, Director of the Pandemic Institute said: 'We often think of pandemic preparedness in terms of new vaccines, medicines or diagnostic tests, but a big part is investing in the work force who will develop these innovations and help combat future disease outbreaks. I am therefore delighted that DAM Health has partnered with the Pandemic Institute and given funding to enhance the training of local PhD students. We are incredibly grateful to Frank Joseph and his team, and proud of our PhD students for their great work. Today's Student Excellence Awards event will, we hope, be the first of many as the Pandemic Institute works with local, national and international organisations to help prepare the world better for future pandemics'

Professor Frank Joseph (pictured), Medical Director of DAM Health, said: 'We are proud to have partnered the Pandemic Institute with the Student Excellence Awards

Professor Frank Joseph, Medical Director of DAM Health, said: 'We are proud to have partnered the Pandemic Institute with the Student Excellence Awards and delighted to be supporting some of Liverpool's most upcoming and brilliant minds in scientific and medical research with these grants.

'All of the students are incredibly deserving because they have the potential to become key figures in the fight against possible future pandemics and wider medical diagnostics. It was fantastic to be part of today's ceremony and especially to join Professor Matt Ashton and Professor Matthew Baylis to make these presentations.'
The ex-police chief who led a disastrous sex abuse probe into Ted Heath had a 'personal and undisclosed' relationship with his former ethics boss, a disciplinary hearing has heard.

Mike Veale's relationship with Christiana Emsley was cited as the key reason for a 'biased' and 'unfair' investigation into a senior officer working at Cleveland Police, dubbed 'the worst force in the UK.'

Mr Veale and Ms Emsley were accused of launching a 'flawed' probe into Superintendent Beverley Gill - who was accused of covering up sex scandals at the force, but had her case thrown out at a disciplinary hearing in Stockton-on-Tees on Friday.

In a statement following the ruling, Ms Gill suggested Ms Emsley had been 'influenced' by Mr Veale, who she said had 'improper control' over the probe as a result.

Mr Veale is best known as the officer who, while at Wiltshire Police, launched a sex abuse investigation against the late former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath based on 'evidence' provided by serial liar Carl Beech, who is now in prison.

He later became head of Cleveland Police and opened the investigation into Ms Gill in 2018. However he stepped down in 2019 and is currently facing gross misconduct proceedings for allegedly breaching professional standards during his time there.

Mike Veale's relationship with Christiana Emsley was cited as the key reason for a flawed investigation into a senior officer working at Cleveland Police, the force branded 'the worst in the UK.' (Pictured: Mike Veale)

Ms Emsley was Cleveland's first civilian head of Standards and Ethics and worked under Mr Veale in an effort to clean up the force's tarnished image. But she was suspended in 2020 and is currently involved in an employment tribunal against Cleveland police.

Ms Gill claimed the investigation against her was ordered by Mr Veale to make an example of her and arose from his relationship with Ms Emsley.

It had been claimed Ms Gill turned a blind eye to Detective Inspector Simon Hurwood as he sexually harassed 21 junior colleagues over a 14-year period, eventually leading to him being sacked in disgrace.

But the gross misconduct case against her, which began three years ago, was finally thrown out yesterday.

In a statement read to the hearing by her barrister Hugh Davies, QC, Ms Gill launched a blistering attack on both Mr Veale and Ms Emsley.

She said: 'The history of the investigation against me which led to the bringing of these proceedings has been biased, flawed and inherently unfair.

'I have been used as the warning to others sought by former Chief Constable Mike Veale.

'Improper control and influence on the investigation appears to have arisen because of his personal and undisclosed relationship with Christiana Emsley.

'Witness statements display loaded questions, witnesses disliked me based on my direct management style and statements are loaded with opinion, rumour and hearsay evidence.

'The conduct of this investigation by Cleveland police has seriously compromised the outcome of the final IOPC-led investigation.'

The case against Ms Gill had to be abandoned, partly because both Mr Veale and Ms Emsley allegedly blocked the disclosure of vital documents.

Christiana Emsley (pictured) was Cleveland's first civilian head of Standards and Ethics and worked under Mr Veale in an effort to clean up the force's tarnished image

Both are involved in proceedings which produced statements with direct relevance to the case against Ms Gill.

Cleveland Police asked for the documents to be disclosed to the disciplinary hearing but their requests were refused.

An application to the High Court to obtain them through a legal battle was considered but was eventually not sanctioned by the force.

Their barrister Stephen Morley was forced to concede that he was not in a position to proceed with the hearing on Friday and it was thrown out by the panel.

After the hearing a Cleveland Police spokesperson said: 'The Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) today determined it would not be possible to proceed due to the difficulties outlined with disclosure in this matter and the allegations will be dismissed.

'The LQC acknowledged the need for a full hearing which has not been made possible at this time due to other ongoing legal proceedings and could not have been forseen.

'These ongoing legal proceedings mean we are unable to comment further.'

Mr Veale was Chief Constable of Cleveland Police from 2018 to 2019 before resigning the following year.

In 2019 the police inspectorate branded the force 'inadequate' in all key areas and it has been rocked by a seemingly endless string of scandals.

Victor Marshal, professional standards coordinator, Police Superintendents' Association said: 'The Police Superintendents' Association has supported Bev throughout this process, during which she has cooperated fully with every aspect of the investigation.

'She has strongly denied any wrongdoing throughout, and we are pleased that today all allegations have been dismissed by an independent panel, because all were in agreement that no fair hearing could take place.

'We have formally raised our deep concerns over the handling of this investigation at a senior level, and the unacceptable length of time it has taken to conclude. It has been extraordinary in many ways, not least because of the fact that material exists to substantiate Bev's own concerns with the investigation, which the force has never shared.'

Following the case, Ms Gill added: 'I have strenuously denied all the claims made against me throughout, and have challenged the process that has been followed.

'I question the motivation behind the investigation, which I believe has lacked any legitimacy, something my legal representatives have continuously raised.

'Cleveland Police has failed to respond to these formal concerns and have consistently failed to share material it holds, which supports my case.

'This investigation began in 2018, I have been suspended from serving communities for no proven reason and have suffered ill health as a result.

'I am pleased that this process has now come to end, and that despite being put through four years of investigation and being prevented from doing the job that I love, all allegations against me have been dismissed.'
A former Royal Marine Commando who suffered intense PTSD after multiple tours of Afghanistan has told how he fought back against the crippling mental condition.

War hero Mark West, 40, survived being shot in the head thanks to his Kevlar helmet on his first tour and was cited for 'bravery, composure and leadership of the highest order' on his second.

But when he returned home, he was found himself tormented by the traumatic memories of fierce firefights and multiple casualty extractions he'd experienced in the bitter and bloody conflict.

War hero Mark West, 40, survived being shot in the head thanks to his Kevlar helmet

He's decided to speak out now to share his experiences of warzones that left him mentally scarred, the symptoms he was left with and the project that finally helped him recover  involving planting thousands of trees - in the hope of inspiring other veterans with similar problems to seek help.

Mark was serving as a Reconnaissance Operator when he went on two six-month winter tours of Afghanistan as part of 42 Commando Reconnaissance Force.

On his first tour in 2006, Mark, then a 25-year-old Royal Marine, was shot in the head by a single round from an AK47 assault rifle during an intense firefight in Kajaki, Southern Afghanistan.

It was fired from 60 meters away and penetrated the lip of the helmet, buckling it and exiting the side.

Mark was serving as a Reconnaissance Operator when he went on two six-month winter tours of Afghanistan as part of 42 Commando Reconnaissance Force

Only the Kevlar protection in the helmet saved him from certain death.

He hit the floor, gathered his composure and dusted himself down before returning to the firefight.

He was to see more action on his second tour. On December 21, 2008, Mark was on a patrol south of hotspot Nad-e Ali, Helmand Province, when the lead vehicle in his convoy drove over a roadside bomb.

Despite being eight vehicles back, Mark was one of the first on the scene. As a highly trained first aider, he was able to help triage the casualties and load them onto a response aircraft.

Moments later the convoy came under heavy fire and a second roadside bomb detonated. Mark ignored the risks of being shot - or another IED going off - and ran 150m towards the danger.

He dived into the canal to recover the body of a colleague whilst small arms fire landed all around him, then prepared the killed-in-action colleague for helicopter extraction.

Mark - who had previously worked as a firefighter prior to his military service - joined Green Task Force as an operations manager for the Northwest

His citation reads: 'His courage and professionalism were an example to all present during an intense period of sustained and violent engagement with the enemy.'

Mark returned to the UK in 2009 and was diagnosed with PTSD.

He said: 'When you come home, integration is forced on you. It takes a while to get to grips with the change.

'When I got shot in the head, it was at the end of my tour. Just 72 hours later, I was sitting in the front room at my then in-laws watching the television. That's quite a transition.

'Leaving things behind is the tough bit. It's hard to explain if you haven't been through it, but you're properly alive when you're out there, you know where you stand.'

When Mark finally left the forces in 2011, he found that his PTSD could be triggered by certain TV documentaries and even adverts.

He struggled through the depths of depression for five years, leading to his marriage falling apart.

But after a brief stint working within the police as a response officer, Mark - who had previously worked as a firefighter prior to his military service - joined Green Task Force as an operations manager for the Northwest.

When Mark finally left the forces in 2011, he found that his PTSD could be triggered by certain TV documentaries and even adverts

Mark said: 'I can't tell you how important it's been for the veterans to be out in the open air and with each other - it's lifesaving. In the first four weeks of working with veterans alike, I'd laughed more than I had in the previous two years and that's good for the soul.

'Veterans have a drive, a work ethic. Irrespective of cap badge, or unit, or service, we've got that one common bond. We're fully prepared to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in.

'Then there's the bigger picture of carbon emissions. It's great to be involved in a project that is helping repair the planet.'

The organization focuses on nature-based therapy to provide a route to employment for veterans who have struggled with their mental health. More than one in six serving and former service personnel who have seen combat suffer some form of PTSD.

Mark's latest project with Green Task Force was an initiative sponsored by Octopus Energy in Gwent, South Wales.

It saw a team from Octopus join forces with service leavers from the Green Task Force and students from a local military preparation college.

Their mission was to plant 20,000 hedgerow trees over a number of weeks to create a habitat for wildlife and absorb greenhouse gases as they grow.

While getting stuck into the work, the teams talked about mental health, PTSD and the importance of preserving the natural world.

Mark, from Yorkshire, said: 'In the Gwent project, the land had been damaged by excessive farming and overgrazing. It was brilliant of Octopus to provide that sponsorship, support the veterans and help return the landscape to what it should have been.

Mark's latest project with Green Task Force was an initiative sponsored by Octopus Energy in Gwent, South Wales

'This is exactly the kind of thing businesses should be getting involved in. It's helping people get into the fresh air which is great for mental health. There's a feelgood factor of being out of the office for a day. And of course, it's helping carbon emissions.'

Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy CEO, described Green Task Force as a 'fantastic' project.

He said: 'Brave veterans - some injured in combat or saving colleagues - have got so much to offer society.

'They have an unbeatable work ethic and outstanding leadership skills.

'As the son of a serviceman, I was born in a military hospital, and am hugely proud of this programme which not only helps veterans overcome some of the mental damage of war, like PTSD, but is helping restore and improve our natural environment.'
A landmark dining spot in North Whitehall Township has found new life thanks to a pair of brothers.

Johnny and Richard Schafer in July purchased the longstanding Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145, and after several months of renovations, the duo opened a new eatery, Laurys Station American Grill, on March 13.

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Laurys Station American Grill, a full-service restaurant serving classic and modern American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, opened March 13 at the former Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145 in North Whitehall Township. (RYAN KNELLER / The Morning Call)

The duo added new everything in the kitchen  including new lighting, plumbing and tile flooring  and gave the dining room a heavy refresh with new wall paint, ceiling tiles and restored teal booths, Johnny said.

The dining rooms appearance mostly stayed the same, but the Schafers refurbished much of the existing features, including neon lights and stainless steel accents.

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Were bringing this landmark back to its glory days, Johnny said. When we first took over, we were just going to redo the floors, but then I said to Richard, Lets do this right and make it beautiful for the next 40 years because it wont be easy to tear apart this kitchen in the future.

The Hi-Way, at the corner of Route 145 and Rising Sun Road, closed last summer after more than 40 years of business under another pair of brothers, Nick and Mike Gentis.

Laurys Station American Grill, a full-service restaurant serving classic and modern American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, opened March 13 at the former Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145 in North Whitehall Township. (RYAN KNELLER / The Morning Call)

Although we are saddened to leave, we feel confident that the restaurant will continue to serve you all in the future with the same great service and food which we always strived to achieve for the past 42 years, the Gentises wrote on the Hi-Ways Facebook page last year.

Laurys Station American Grill, with seating for around 150 customers, features an expansive menu of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and homemade desserts.

Customers will find menu mainstays from the Hi-Way, including omelettes, wraps and seafood platters, along with a host of new options, including pig wings (pork shanks fried and tossed in your choice of sauce), poutine-style fries (topped with breaded cheese curds and gravy) and a hunter burger (bison, boar, New Zealand elk and wagyu beef blend, grilled to your liking).

More than two dozen entrees, most under $17, include steaks such as an 8-ounce top sirloin and a 14-ounce, king-cut prime rib; pasta dishes such as chicken alfredo, lobster ravioli and veal Parmesan; seafood selections such as broiled scallops, crab imperial and flounder Florentine; and other options such as pot roast, liver and onions, boneless pork chops and honey-dipped fried chicken.

The newly opened Laurys Station American Grill in North Whitehall Township offers a variety of classic and modern American dishes, including a brisket burger. (Laurys Station American Grill/Contributed photo)

Breakfast favorites, including pancakes, French toast and eggs Benedict, are also offered.

Johnny, who lives in Lehighton, has operated other businesses in the past and most recently helped his son, Jason, open The Mason Jar Family Diner on Lizard Creek Road in the Andreas section of West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, in January 2021.

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In North Whitehall, he and his brother also implemented exterior renovations, including giving the restaurants former beige facade a new gray coat of paint.

Countless people have stopped by to inquire about the restaurants progress over the past several months.

Were excited to finally be open, and we know the community feels the same, Johnny said.

Laurys Station American Grill is open 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, but the restaurant may temporarily close on Mondays and Tuesdays due to staffing issues, Johnny said. Info: 610-261-1911.

Bethlehem news

Speaking of new life for landmarks, the revitalization of the Westgate Mall continues with the recent announcement that three quick-service restaurant chains, a bank and a retailer will occupy newly constructed buildings following the razing of a large portion of the Bethlehem shopping centers interior.

Westgate Mall owner Onyx Equities third phase of redevelopment plans, which were approved by the Bethlehem Planning Commission on March 10, include the demolition of approximately 50,000 square feet of the current Schoenersville Road malls interior to allow for the construction of about 8,000 square feet of new building space.

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Two new structures will include a freestanding bank with a drive-thru, next to the relocated Weis Markets grocery store, and an adjacent strip mall that will house Jersey Mikes Subs, QDOBA Mexican Eats and Starbucks eateries, the latter of which will feature a drive-thru. The strip mall also will feature a yet-to-be-announced retailer.

The redevelopment of part of the malls infill section will open the site and allow for a connection between the front and back of the center, something that it never had, Ryan Whitmore, professional engineer with Landcore Engineering Consultants, said at the March 10 meeting. It also will allow for the creation of 55 parking spaces.

The latest announcement follows other stages of the malls overhaul, which included last years relocation of Weis Markets from its long-standing, 32,000-square-foot store near the center of the shopping center to a newly remodeled, 63,000-square-foot store within a 108,000 square-foot-building previously occupied by The Bon-Ton department store.

The revitalization of the Westgate Mall continues with the recent announcement that three quick-service restaurant chains, a bank and a retailer will occupy newly constructed buildings following the razing of a large portion of the Bethlehem shopping centers interior. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

In the back of the former Bon-Ton building, Lehigh Valley Health Network in late December signed a lease to open a 27,000-square-foot medical equipment processing facility.

Onyx Equities, the New Jersey real estate investment and property services firm that acquired Westgate in 2018, this winter also announced that Harbor Freight Tools planned to open a 16,000-square-foot location in mid- to late 2022 at the former Weis site, and an additional 10,000 square feet of space at the south end of the shopping center  which previously housed Rite Aid  had been leased to Oak Street Health primary care medical facility. Facade upgrades are planned.

Other plans for Westgate include an international quick-service hamburger chain, which has signed a lease to build a free-standing, 4,500-square-foot retail pad at the northern corner of the center, in front of the Weis, and a financial institution, which has signed a lease to develop a free-standing, 3,500-square-foot building on the former Dempseys restaurant pad.

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Both projects are pending site plan approval by the city, and Onyx hopes to commence development on them near the end of the year.

Also in Bethlehem, work is moving forward at Bonn Place Brewings expansion project  a new taproom at the former Bavarian Tavern, 702 Broadway, according to a post on the business Facebook page.

The South Side venue will feature a bronze and oak bar top, marble tile flooring and a sliding door made of reclaimed wood from the site.

Not done, but progress and getting there! the post reads. Cant wait to have you over for a pint.

The brewery opened in 2016 at 310 Taylor St., about a mile east of its forthcoming venue. When asked for further information regarding the project this week, co-owner Sam Masotto had no comment. Info: facebook.com/bonnbrewing.

A final bit of Bethlehem news: Rosannas Restaurant and Catering, at 2 E. Broad St., has been temporarily closed since Feb. 26 to allow for various upgrades, including a new look, and many new surprises, according to the business Facebook page.

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The eatery, which has operated at Broad and New streets for more than 20 years, is expected to reopen in the spring with the same dedication to its friends and community. Info: facebook.com/RosannasRest.

Odds and ends

A popular destination for grilled and frozen treats is for sale in Williams Township.

The Canalside Cup, a longstanding walk-up restaurant at 1610 S. Delaware Drive, is in transition as current ownership looks to sell the business, according to a message posted Wednesday on the eaterys Facebook page.

The roadside food stand, operating spring through fall with shaded picnic tables along the Delaware Canal, is known for its more than 50 varieties of soft-serve ice cream, including noteworthy flavors such as black raspberry, creme de menthe, maplenut and teaberry, which are mixed on-site.

Other menu highlights include other frozen treats such as hard ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes and water ice, along with savory selections such as burgers, cheesesteaks, gyros and fries.

Owner Deb Kozik has been operating the business for 17 years on South Delaware Drive, also known as Route 611, which was damaged by Hurricane Ida last summer.

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A portion of the roadway, between Browns Drive south and Raubsville Road, reopened in early March after six months of being closed and negatively impacting businesses along the normally well-traveled stretch. The Canalside Cup was situated near the northern end of the closure.

Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. >

As I sit here with tears rolling down my cheeks and a lump in my throat, its time for the next page to turn, in the next chapter in my familys life and my own, Kozik writes in the Facebook message. I had full intentions of opening The Canalside Cup on schedule this year, but after many obstacles that have surfaced, its time for me to hand over the reins to a new owner. Info: facebook.com/TheCanalsideCup.

Ill finish with a couple of Allentown developments:

First, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, offering a New Orleans-style menu of spicy chicken, fried shrimp and other regional selections, is set to open a newly constructed restaurant in the first quarter of 2023 at 1935 S. Fourth St., according to Popeyes media relations team.

The 2,145-square-foot eatery will be less than a half mile south of a former Popeyes location, which abruptly closed in 2014 at 1756 S. Fourth St.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, offering a New Orleans-style menu of spicy chicken, fried shrimp and other regional selections, is set to open a newly constructed restaurant in the first quarter of 2023 at 1935 S. Fourth St. in Allentown. The site was previously home to a Checkers fast-food restaurant. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

The 1935 S. Fourth St. site was previously home to a Checkers fast-food restaurant, which Allentown Health Bureau shut down in 2018 due to health violations. Crews moved the modular Checkers structure to another site this week.

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Second, Miller-Keystone Blood Centers new Allentown Donor Center opened Monday at 740 Hamilton St., Suite 120, on the ground floor of the Five City Center office building. This new location is open Monday through Thursday, with morning, afternoon and evening appointments available for the convenience of blood donors in the area. To schedule an appointment at this, or any MKBC location, visit GIVEaPINT.org.

Retail Watch, appearing every weekend, keeps track of retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Contact Ryan Kneller at 610-820-6597 or retailwatch@mcall.com.
A black woman from Baltimore who was hired by Google to increase their recruitment from historically black colleges sued the Silicon Valley giant on Friday accusing them of systemic racial bias.

April Curley, 34, began working for Google in 2014 but was fired in September 2020.

On Friday, she said managers at the search engine company actively thwarted their career ambitions - steering them to lower-level jobs, paying them less and denying them opportunities to advance because of their race.

'While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their black employees,' said Ben Crump, Curley's lawyer - a high-profile civil rights advocate who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, among others.

Curley has been active in denouncing Google on social media, accusing her managers of mocking her accent, saying it should be registered as a disability, and deliberately directing her away from promotions despite her qualifications.

April Curley, 34, on Friday filed a law suit accusing Google of being systemically racist. She was fired by the firm in September 2020

In January, she posted a video to TikTok saying: 'Top three reasons that black women leave Google at higher rates than any other demographic in the country.

'Coming in at number three: black women are significantly undervalued, and the skillset and expertise that they bring to the company.

'In my case, I once had a white male engineer with no experience in education question my understanding of the word curriculum.

'I am someone with two degrees in education, including a master's degree from John Hopkins.

'And that brings us to the second reason, which is that black women are solely seen as DEI experts, and are expected to advance diversity initiatives across the organization internally and externally. Often expected to be done as unpaid labor.

'Which leads us to the number one reason that black women leave Google: and that is the fact that black women are denied promotion at higher rates than any other demographic at the company.

'Black women are sold a dream that if they do all the things, then they'll be promoted. And that's not what the data shows. They hate us.'

Curley, in her social media posts, has frequently taken Google to task for its policies

Curley claimed on social media that working at Google harmed her mental health

She said the experience left her requiring medication

According to the complaint filed at the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California - which Curley and Crump want to have class-action status - Google maintains a 'racially biased corporate culture' that favors white men.

They say black people comprise only 4.4 percent of employees and about three percent of leadership and its technology workforce.

The U.S. population is 13.4 percent black, according to the latest census data.

Curley, in her suit, said her hiring proved to be a 'marketing ploy,' as supervisors began denigrating her work, stereotyping her as an 'angry' black woman and passing her over for promotions.

Curley's lawsuit seeks to recoup compensatory and punitive damages and lost compensation for current and former black employees at Google, and to restore them to their appropriate positions and seniority.

Curley also said Google, whose parent company is Alphabet, subjected black people to a hostile work environment, including by often requiring they show identification or be questioned by security at its Mountain View, California campus.

She said she was fired after telling her bosses she was compiling a file on Google's 'discriminatory practices', Crump said.

Crump and Curley will hold a press conference on Monday with more black former Google employees 'citing a pattern and practice of racial discrimination,' the lawyer said.

Google is yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Three months after her firing, Curley took to Twitter to explain in a lengthy thread her efforts to recruit candidates, the alleged resistance from Google and the reasons why she believes she was fired.

Curley, a former diversity recruiter at Google, accuses the tech giant of showing her the door because 'they were tired of hearing me call them out on their racist bulls***'

'The reason Google never hired an HBCU student straight out of undergrad into one of their key engineering roles is because they didn't believe talent existed at these institutions - until I showed up,' she wrote.

Curley tweeted how after she began working at Google she fast became aware of 'all the racist s**t put in place to keep black and brown students out of their pipeline,' arguing she 'routinely called out shady recruitment practices such as 'screening out' resumes of students with 'unfamiliar' school/university names.'

'In many instances, Google engineers who were interviewing HBCU candidates would leave demeaning and absolutely insulting feedback about students which would ultimately result in a rejection at the hiring committee stage,' she alleges.

Curley, a black woman joined Google in 2014 noting she 'quickly became aware of all the racist s*** put in place to keep black students out of their pipeline.'

Curley suggests that her 'adamant advocacy of black and brown students to be fairly and justly considered for roles at Google' resulted in 'active abuse and retaliation from several managers who harassed her

'In several cases, students were questioned IN INTERVIEWS about the quality of the computer science curriculum that they were receiving at their HBCU and criticized for 'not meeting the bar' compared to 'elite' White institutions.'

Curley suggests that her 'adamant advocacy of black and brown students to be fairly and justly considered for roles at Google' resulted in 'active abuse and retaliation from several managers who harassed me - and many other black women.'

'My skip-level manager, a White woman, told me VERBATIM that the way I speak (oftentimes with a heavy Baltimore accent) was a disability that I should disclose when meeting with folks internally,' she wrote.

'This white woman also told me that she never felt comfortable supporting my work because she was 'intimidated' by me and therefore never considered me for leadership opportunities.'

In addition, Curley went on to allege that another manager 'had his ego bruised FROM JUMP when I refused to discuss my sexuality with him,' explaining he once asked her which of her colleagues she would sleep with.

The lengthy Twitter thread detailed the background behind Curley's firing and her deep frustrations with the company she worked for

Curley believes as a result of her actions, more than 300 black and brown students from HBCUs have been hired into engineering roles

'Despite STELLAR performance metrics which can be supported by multiple data points, I was repeatedly denied promotions, had my compensation cut, placed on performance improvement plans, denied leadership opportunities, yelled at, intentionally excluded from meetings, etc.,' she said. 'Ultimately my last manager, his manager and HR decided that the best way to shut me up was to fire me.'

Curley was fired by Google in September, but left with the knowledge she 'single handedly increased Google's black engineering hiring from HBCUs by over 300%.'

Curley claims her actions resulted in the hiring of more than 300 black and brown students from HBCUs who were hired into engineering roles.

'I could write FOR DAYS about alllllll the awfully racist recruitment and hiring practices I saw at Google, WITH RECEIPTS', she ended.

'I'll stop here for today and summarize my sentiment by saying F*** GOOGLE AND F*** THE WAY GOOGLE TREATS BLACK WOMEN and BLACK PEOPLE. THEY DO NOT WANT BLACK TALENT.'

'I could write FOR DAYS about alllllll the awfully racist recruitment and hiring practices I saw at Google, WITH RECEIPTS', she ended her thread on Monday

As a result of Curley's tweets, the founder and CEO of HBCU 20x20, Nicole Tinson, who heads an organization that 'prepares and connects black college students and graduates for quality jobs and internships,' announced it is to cancel its partnership with Google immediately.

'We refuse to partner with a company who continues to oust/disrespect black people. Black people deserve better, and it's clear Google has not find the need to do better, Tinson wrote. 'We do not encourage working or interning at Google.'

A spokesperson for Google released a statement to DailyMail.com on Tuesday afternoon.

'We have a large team of recruiters who work incredibly hard to increase the hiring of Black+ and other underrepresented talent at Google, including a dedicated team that partners and strengthens our relationships with HBCUs. This work is critical - in 2019 we welcomed graduates from 19 HBCUs and over the past decade, we've expanded our recruiting efforts to more than 800 schools.

'At the same time, we are absolutely committed to maintaining an inclusive and supportive workplace.

'We don't agree with the way April describes her termination, but it's not appropriate for us to provide a commentary about her claims.'

The suit came after that state's civil rights regulator, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, began investigating Google's treatment of black female workers and possible discrimination in their workplace.

In September a black Google employee accused the company of racially profiling him.

Angel Onuoha, an associate product manager who graduated from Harvard with a 3.8 average a year ago, was held for 30 minutes by security guards at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, he said.

Google blamed the incident on a mistake with Onuoha's security badge - and rejected any claims of bias - saying administrative issues prevented guards from being able to verify the pass.

On September 20, Onuohoa shared his experience in a tweet that has since become viral and earned more than 90,000 likes and nearly 14,000 retweets.

'Riding my bike around Google's campus and somebody called security on me because they didn't believe I was an employee. Had to get escorted by two security guards to verify my ID badge,' said Onuoha.

Angel Onuoha, an associate product manager for Google, says he was held for 30 minutes by security guards in a case of racial profiling

Onuoha shared his experience on Twitter that has been shared nearly 14,000 times

Onuoha was an accomplished student at Harvard, graduated with a 3.8 GPA last spring

After sparking questions from indignant users on Twitter, Onuoha returned to the platform to further explain what happened.

'They ended up taking my ID badge away from me later that day and I was told to call security if I had a problem with it. And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home,' Onuoha said.

Google told Forbes that the company had reached out to Onuoha and were actively investigating the circumstances around the incident.

'More broadly, one step we've taken recently to decrease badging incidents is to make clear that employees should leave investigating these kinds of access concerns to our security team. Our goal is to ensure that every employee experiences Google as an inclusive workplace and that we create a stronger sense of belonging for all employees,' Forbes reported.

Onuoha, an overachieving economics major, was admitted to the Stanford and Harvard schools of business after he earned his bachelor's degree.

He is also the co-founder of an equity fund that promotes 'the education of black students around the nation.'

Another black employeesreplied to Onuoha's tweet by sharing his own experience.

'I worked as security at Google and got security called on me. Smh,' Albert Richardson said.

In 2020, Google came under fire at the height of national protests over the killing of George Floyd, with employees denouncing its cuts to anti-racism programs and the company's inaction to address discrimination in the workplace.

Onuoha is the co-founder of an equity fund that promotes 'the education of black students around the nation'

Walked into G with my badge prominently displayed/laptop in hand, going in door to building while someone else was headed out, she asked me who I was/do I belong there, and berated me for others just letting me in.   Kimberley Kirk  (@KimBlievable) September 21, 2021

Dawg I worked as security at Google and got security called on me. Smh  Albert Richardson (@AldadofDamian) September 21, 2021
A close friend who held Kimberley Kitching's hand as she died claims the Labor senator was ignored by senior party figures after making complaints about bullying.

Health Workers Union secretary Diana Asmar was with Ms Kitching during the last 48 hours of her life and held her hand as she died from a suspected heart attack at a Strathmore home, in Melbourne, on March 10.

Ms Asmar claims Ms Kitching was under immense stress that had been brought on by being bullied, frozen out of important policymaking decisions, ignored by senior ALP figures and dumped from the tactics committee.

The union official claimed Ms Kitching was left 'a physical wreck' by the internal party drama, with her hands shaking uncontrollably.

'Her upper lip would quiver at the mention of Anthony Albanese or Penny Wong.'

Ms Asmar said the MP eventually took the matter to Labor deputy leader Richard Marles who allegedly failed to address the issues.

'It seems, however, that when a brilliant female senator brings allegations to the deputy leader of the ALP, all she gets is that of Sergeant Schultz: he knows nothing,' she wrote in an opinion piece for Daily Telegraph.

The incidents also prompted Ms Kitching to pen a heartfelt seven-page letter urging Labor party members to reflect on toxic behaviour before she called out a 'campaign of bullying'.

Health Service Union secretary Diana Asmar was with Ms Kitching (pictured) during the last 48 hours of her life and held her hand as she died from a suspected heart attack in Melbourne on March 10

Ms Asmar (pictured) claims the Labor senator was ignored by senior party figures after making complaints about bullying

The union official claimed Ms Kitching was left 'a physical wreck' by the internal party drama, with her hands shaking uncontrollably (pictured, Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong have been dragged into the bullying allegations)

Ms Asmar said Ms Kitching had confided in her several times about being bullied and frozen out by high-ranking members of the Labor party.

The close friend claimed that in one instance Ms Kitching was overlooked for her hard work in passing the Magnitsky Act.

The legislation allows the government to impose economic sanctions on foreign individuals who are involved in human rights abuses. It has lately been used to sanction Russian oligarchs during the Ukraine invasion.

Ms Kitching was awarded the International Award for her contribution but her hard work allegedly went unrecognised by Labor leader Anthony Albanese who did not phone the Labor MP to congratulate her.

Ms Asmar claimed Labor senator Penny Wong was initially opposed to the Act, but changed her mind at the last minute. Ms Kitching only learned of it through the media.

Ms Kitching was allegedly kicked off Labor's tactics committee following unsubstantiated claims of disloyalty and untrue accusations she had defended Liberal minister Linda Reynolds over the Brittany Higgins allegations.

Ms Asmar said the MP was denied any due process and took the matter to Mr Marles, who ultimately did nothing to remedy the situation.

Ms Kitching did not receive talking points for media press conferences - an alleged attempt to limit her media appearances - and was left out of important discussions - despite being the fourth most senior Labor figure in the senate.

Ms Asmar said the MP eventually took the matter to Labor deputy leader Richard Marles who allegedly failed to address the issues

Ms Kitching was awarded the International Award for her contribution but her hard work allegedly went unrecognised by Labor leader Anthony Albanese who did not phone the Labor MP to congratulate her

The Labor MP decided to write a seven-page letter addressing the campaign of bullying and planned to hand it to Kristina Keneally, The Australian reported.

The letter demanded the ALP reflect on the difference between 'entirely normal contest of political rivals or rival ideas and what could reasonably be characterised as a campaign of bullying'.

'Standards in workplaces have changed and we should all think about the application of those standards to ensure a safe workplace for everyone here,' she wrote.

The letter was written after Ms Kitching was dumped from the tactics committee and addressed several untrue accusations made against her.

She dismissed claims she had warned Ms Reynolds about the Higgins saga two weeks earlier and that Ms Wong was preparing a political attack against the Liberal minister.

'Simply put, it is not possible to divulge information to anyone about a matter of which I had no knowledge,' Ms Kitching wrote.

Kimberley Kitching pictured with fellow Labor senator Kristina Keneally. The party has been hit by allegations Ms Kitching was ostracised by Ms Keneally and other senior Labor senators Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher before her death

'I had never heard of Ms Brittany Higgins or Senator Reynolds' involvement in her story until it was first reported on 15 February 2021 on news.com.au

'Moreover, it is not possible to divulge a secret plan which did not actually exist. It has not been Senator Wong's practice to divulge her secret plans, if she ever has any, to me.'

Awkward footage showed Anthony Albanese dodging the media in his taxpayer-funded car as reporters tried to ask him about claims Ms Kitching was bullied by her Labor colleagues.

When asked if the party planned to investigate reports the late senator was ostracised by senior ALP senators Kristina Keneally, Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher, the Opposition Leader said only: 'Thanks mate'.

Mr Albanese's disappearing act came after his deputy, Richard Marles, also repeatedly refused to reveal whether the allegations would be probed by party officials.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday accused the ALP leader of 'vanishing' over the issue. 'As soon as things get a bit difficult for the Leader of the Opposition, he goes missing,' he said. 'He vanishes.'

'As prime minister... I'm regularly up in front of you and deal with the hard questions.'

Ms Wong meanwhile has revealed she apologised to Ms Kitching after insulting her childless fellow Labor senator by saying: 'If you had children you would understand'.

The Labor Upper House leader addressed the nasty sledge from two years ago in a joint statement with Ms Keneally and Ms Gallagher today.

In the statement, the trio denied bullying Ms Kitching, after they were labelled 'mean girls' in reference to the main characters in the 2004 teen comedy.

In their statement, the trio said 'allegations of bullying are untrue' but admitted 'robust contests and interactions' are frequent in politics.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese mustered only a 'thanks mate' as a reporter asked him if the party planned to investigate the claims

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday accused Mr Albanese of 'vanishing' over the bullying allegations that have rocked the Labor party

In October 2019, Senator Wong told Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand' in a discussion about climate change.

Ms Kitching - who was unable to conceive with husband Andrew - had argued the party should not support students who ditched school to attend climate protests.

Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt because she wanted to have children but could not.

Senator Wong has now revealed she apologised for the horrendous remark when it was reported by the ABC in November 2019 in an article that didn't name her.

'After these matters were publicly reported more than two years ago, Senator Wong discussed the matter with Senator Kitching and apologised,' the statement said.

'Senator Wong understood that apology was accepted. The comments that have been reported do not reflect Senator Wong's views, as those who know her would understand, and she deeply regrets pain these reports have caused.'

In October 2019 Senator Wong told Senator Kitching (pictured in May last year) 'if you had children, you might understand' in a discussion about climate change

The three senators also confirmed they will be attending Senator Kitching's funeral in Melbourne on Monday after speaking to her shattered family.

Senator Wong had earlier said she was unsure if she could go as she had a fundraising event in the Northern Territory on the same day.

Mr Albanese has refused to set up an inquiry into the bullying allegations and repeatedly refused to answer questions about the matter, claiming they are disrespectful to Senator Kitching.

After blasting the Coalition over the poor treatment of women, the scandal threatens to derail his bid to become prime minister in May.

Scott Morrison said Mr Albanese had gone into hiding. 'Where is Anthony Albanese? I mean, where is he on this issue,' he said.

The full statement by Wong, Keneally and Gallagher This has been a difficult time for the Labor family. Senator Kitching's tragic death has been a shock to us all. People are grieving and hurting. Our priority at this time has been Senator Kitching's husband, Andrew, her family and her loved ones. Their grief is profound, their loss immeasurable. Out of respect for them, and for Senator Kitching, we have not responded to allegations that have been made, despite them not being true. This has been hard, but we believed it to be the right thing to do to maintain some dignity for all concerned. Given the hurtful statements that continue to be made we feel it necessary to respond. The allegations of bullying are untrue. Other assertions which have been made are similarly inaccurate. All of us have spent many years in the service of the public. We do so because we want to make a contribution to the nation. Politics is a challenging profession. Contests can be robust and interactions difficult. All of its participants at times act or speak in ways that can impact on others negatively. We have and do reflect on this, as individuals and as leaders. It is for this reason Senator Wong wishes to place on record a response to specific claims regarding an exchange in a meeting with Senator Kitching. After these matters were publicly reported more than two years ago, Senator Wong discussed the matter with Senator Kitching and apologised. Senator Wong understood that apology was accepted. The comments that have been reported do not reflect Senator Wong's views, as those who know her would understand, and she deeply regrets pain these reports have caused. All three of us will be attending Senator Kitching's funeral. This follows engagement with Senator Kitching's family about our attendance. We will do so to recognise and respect her contribution to public life. Advertisement

Senator Kitching - who was from the Labor Right faction - made allegations of in-party bullying to Deputy Leader Richard Marles in June and then to workplace safety consultants in November.

She told Mr Marles she believed she was being 'frozen out' by the left-dominated Senate leadership team and claimed to have been unfairly dumped from the tactics committee meetings.

Mr Marles reportedly said he would 'sort it out' but nothing happened.

In an awkward interview with Ally Langdon on the Today show on Friday, Mr Marles refused to say if he had let Senator Kitching down.

'I'm not going to walk down that path,' he spluttered.

'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.'

Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Kristina Keneally (right) and Katy Gallagher in 2019

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.

Meanwhile, bombshell texts have 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 fallen out.

Former Labor MP Emma Husar has verified reports of bullying within the party, claiming it caused her so much stress she also developed a heart condition.

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.

Senator Kitching, who was friendly with Coalition MPs and frequently spoke out against China, died on Thursday when she pulled over her car in suburban Melbourne during a suspected heart attack.

She was under stress because he preselection for a senate spot was up in the air. She also had a thyroid condition which caused her to lose weight in recent years.

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
Norwegian officials said there were no signs of life after a military helicopter carrying four American crashed in the Artic Norway on Friday during a NATO training exercise.

The MV-22B Osprey aircraft belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps was taking part in a NATO military exercise called Cold Response when it was reported missing at 6:26 p.m., the Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCC) said.

A rescue helicopter and a Norwegian military Orion plane searching the area spotted the wreckage from the air at 8:17 p.m. after receiving an emergency signal.

'We've discovered an aircraft that has crashed. We've seen no sign of life,' Nordland police chief of staff Bent Eilertsen told Reuters.

'We've been told it's an American aircraft with four Americans on board,' he said.

The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed that an incident occurred with the aircraft and said the incident remains under investigation.

'Norwegian civil authorities are leading the search and rescue efforts at this time,' The Second Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement. 'We are grateful for their efforts and will assist them... in all manners possible.'

While tensions are high between NATO and Russia following the invasion of Ukraine last month, NATO said in a statement that the training exercise was unrelated and scheduled eight months in advance.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey, like the one pictured above, has crashed into the Artic Norway on Friday

The aircraft crashes south of Bodo, in Norway, on its way to a base in the area

There are 3,000 U.S. Marines in northern Norway participating in the Cold Response 22 NATO exercise, which is held every two years to help train NATO forces how to operate in the Artic

The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed that an incident occurred with the aircraft and said the incident remains under investigation

THE MV-22 OSPREY The MV-22 Osprey is the primary assault support aircraft for the U.S. Marines. It uses two engines positioned on the wing tips to allow the aircraft to take off and land vertically. It's design allows the aircraft to carry about 24 Marine combat troops twice as fast and five times further than standard helicopters. The Marine's V-22 Ospreys have been involved in a number of deadly crashes in the past. In 2017, three Marines died when a MV-22 Osprey went down off the coast of Australia. In 2000, a V-22 Osprey crashed at the Marana Regional Airport near Tucson, Arizona, killing 19 Marines on board. Advertisement

'It is not linked to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, which NATO is responding to with preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory measures,' NATO officials said in a statement.

Because of the bad weather, the rescue aircraft could not land. Instead, police and rescue services were trying to reach the site by land, but it was unclear how long this could take.

'It's dark, the weather conditions are bad and there is a risk of avalanches,' Eilertsen said.

The plane was on a training exercise and had been due to land at around 6 p.m. at a base in Bodo.

Weather was bad in the area, with conditions worsening.

There are 3,000 U.S. Marines in northern Norway participating in the Cold Response 22 NATO exercise, which is held every two years to help train NATO forces how to operate in the Artic.

The exercise runs between March 14 to April 1.

The Marine's V-22 Ospreys have been involved in a number of deadly crashes in the past.

In 2017, three Marines died when a MV-22 Osprey went down off the coast of Australia.

In 2000, a V-22 Osprey crashed at the Marana Regional Airport near Tucson, Arizona, killing 19 Marines on board.

The plane was on a training exercise and had been due to land at around 6 p.m. at a base in Bodo (above). Weather was bad in the area, with conditions worsening
The exact moment when Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her seven-year-old daughter Gabriella, in the early hours of Thursday morning, was not broadcast on national television. It was too intensely personal for such intrusive scrutiny.

What insights we could glean were documented informally by another daughter  35-year-old Elika Ashoori, who was sharing the same extraordinary experience as the little girl, as she, too, waited to embrace a beloved parent after years of enforced separation.

Elika's father, civil engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, was on the same flight back to freedom as Nazanin, after enduring five years in the squalor of Tehran's notorious Evin jail, where she was also incarcerated; both of them on trumped-up charges of spying which they have always strenuously denied.

It was thanks to Elika's mobile phone footage that the world caught the words we'd been waiting so many years to hear, since Nazanin was first held captive in Iran in 2016.

Elika Ashoori, 35, with seven-year-old Gabriella Ratcliffe. The pair shared the same extraordinary experience of having waited to embrace a beloved parent after years of enforced separation

Elika's father, civil engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, was on the same flight back to freedom as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, after enduring five years in the squalor of Tehran's notorious Evin jail, where she was also incarcerated; both of them on trumped-up charges of spying which they have always strenuously denied. (Above, on the plane home from Iran)

'That's them now. That's my mummy!' Gabriella exclaimed, almost disbelieving, as she glimpsed Nazanin through a window of the RAF airbase at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, beginning her descent of the plane's steps with Anoosheh.

And as Gabriella rushed into her mother's arms  the intimate moment obscured from the camera as they stood behind a screen  we heard, amid the tears, the excited babble of a little girl's voice.

'You smell nice,' Gabriella told her mummy, dissipating the tension as only a child can, before Nazanin replied: 'Do I? But I haven't had a shower for 24 hours!'

If Elika knew how Gabriella was feeling, it wasn't just because of the extraordinary situation they have found themselves in. They may be divided in age by 28 years but during their parents' enforced absence they have become the firmest of friends, forming a unique bond.

'When Gabriella first hugged her mum, her whole world was eclipsed into that moment. Everyone else disappeared  which is exactly as it should have been,' says Elika.

Finally reunited: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured holding her seven-year-old daughter Gabriella and with her husband Richard, and Anoosheh Ashoori with family members including his daughter Elika after landing in the UK

'I'm so very glad that void in her world where her mum should have been is now filled. And when they cuddled each other, no one would have dreamt of intruding on that sacred moment.

'Just as when I hugged my dad for the first time in five years, the world around me didn't exist. I was in a bubble. It was very emotional. We are not the type of family who cry, but it was an extraordinary situation.'

She recalls how she and her brother stood back so their parents could have the first moment together.

'We let them hug and they were both in tears. It was only the second time in my life that I'd seen my dad cry. The last time was 25 years ago when our family dog died. Then seconds later I was hugging him.'

She adds: 'It's amazing how quickly you switch back into the everyday world,' describing how they went on to discuss his flight  he'd enjoyed visiting the cockpit and showed them the David Attenborough magazine he'd been reading  'which was such a Dad thing to do,' she says with a laugh.

As Gabriella rushed into her mother's arms  the intimate moment obscured from the camera as they stood behind a screen  we heard, amid the tears, the excited babble of a little girl's voice. 'You smell nice,' Gabriella told her mummy, dissipating the tension as only a child can, before Nazanin replied: 'Do I? But I haven't had a shower for 24 hours!'

'We kept the conversation light. We know the conditions in prison were awful. There were rats and cockroaches; there was always light and noise.

'There were 15 people in Dad's cell, and to be coming home to a warm, comfortable bed must have been unbelievable for him. But there is a time for discussing those deeper things and it wasn't then.

'And while we were with Dad, Nazanin was hugging Gabriella, holding her so tight and speaking to her in Persian, but Gabriella was saying, 'I don't understand.'

'She sounds like a little girl who was brought up in London now, but when she first came back to England three years ago she could only speak Persian.'

Nazanin and Richard Ratcliffe's daughter has had a turbulent childhood, its horrors redeemed by the all-encompassing love of her parents and extended family. And now there is her friendship with Elika to sustain her, too.

Gabriella was 22 months old when Nazanin took her on holiday to Iran to visit her parents. She was arrested as she was about to board her flight back to the UK, arbitrarily charged, then imprisoned.

Elika says: 'When I hugged my dad for the first time in five years, the world around me didn't exist. I was in a bubble. It was very emotional. We are not the type of family who cry, but it was an extraordinary situation'

For the next three years Gabriella lived in Tehran with her grandparents to be close to her mother, so she could visit her in Evin prison.

Then, in the autumn of 2019, when she was due to start school, Gabriella returned to England to live with her dad.

Accountant Richard has been a tireless campaigner: lobbying politicians, leafleting, organising events and enduring weeks of hunger strikes to raise the profile of his wife's case.

Only Elika could understand Gabriella's singular deprivation. In 2017, her own father was arrested, then sentenced to 12 years in prison on fabricated charges of spying, after he left the family home in South London to visit his mother in Iran.

Few children have to endure such brutal separation from their parents. But Elika, an actor, patissiere and cake designer, who runs a stall on Greenwich Market in South-East London, could empathise entirely.

I wonder if Gabriella viewed Elika as a substitute mum during Nazanin's absence. 'No one could ever have replaced her mum, but I suppose for a little while it was natural for her to see me, on a subconscious level, as filling the void left by her mother.'

It must have been a comfort to Gabriella, knowing that she had a friend who understood so acutely the pain of separation from a parent, I suggest.

'I've never thought about it like that, but yes, I guess maybe she thought: 'Elika is the only other person I'm friends with who knows what I'm going through.' '

Elika first encountered Gabriella at a Christmas carol-singing session in 2019 outside the Foreign Office in London, one of the events in aid of their parents' release.

'We shared a bond from the very second we met,' Elika remembers. 'Gabriella is ahead of her years, a bundle of energy and joy, but when I first saw her she was very shy. She had just arrived from Iran and she didn't speak much English.

'I said 'Hello' to her, but it was a busy event, there was a lot of commotion and she was so young. I let her be and talked to Richard, and as our campaigns evolved, Gabriella and I started to hang out.'

The friendship that slowly grew was a charming one: the two connected in particular over their shared love of jokes  a capacity for humour helped to dissipate the pall of sadness hanging over their lives.

'Gabriella is so funny,' says Elika, who is also a smiley, gloriously positive woman with striking features and a rich, infectious laugh. 'She actually makes clever, quite sophisticated jokes.

'Her vocabulary is amazing. She doesn't dumb down her language like some children.

'She doesn't like to make mistakes or be taken lightly. Humour is an escape and I'm lucky to have it, too. Otherwise I wouldn't have stayed sane. I found I could channel my frustrations and sadness into making jokes  and cakes. I threw myself into that and my customers' happiness helps dispel my own worries.'

Gabriella, she recognises, was unconsciously using the same strategies to cope.

Finally, after years of false hopes, broken promises and crushing disappointments, the moment they had been longing for arrived.

'When we went to meet our parents, before the plane landed she was saying, 'Let's play!' I was doing the live feed on my phone and we pulled funny faces together and took selfies. She has a game with dice you roll and you have to improvise stories. She loves that. And she loves painting and chess and playing the piano.

'She did her own little commentary as the plane touched down. They were struggling to get the steps up to the plane and Gabriella said, 'Maybe they should take the plane to the stairs instead.'

And she tries to be a force of positive energy, too, to lighten the atmosphere around her.'

There are other striking resemblances between their lives.

Home at last: The Zaghari-Ratcliffe family are finally reunited after Nazanin was detained for nearly six years in Iran

'Gabriella's relationship with Richard is amazing. I love it,' she says. 'It reminds me so much of mine with my dad at that age.

'He is very calm, relaxed and softly spoken, just like Richard. And when I see Gabriella and Richard together I feel nostalgic. He is so devoted to her. My dad is just like that, too.'

Just as Richard, 45, Nazanin, 43, and Gabriella are a close-knit trio, so too is the relationship between Anoosheh, his wife Sherry, 58, and their children Elika and Aryan, 32. Their lives  the Ratcliffes' north of the Thames, the Ashooris in South London  will be forever enmeshed.

Elika and her partner Harry, a chef, live in Dartford, Kent, with their three dogs Mango, Noodle and Chickpea. 'Gabriella loves Mango and she loves making cookies, so that's what we did when we first started to hang out,' says Elika.

She and Gabriella also made a short film together for Amnesty International in December 2020, which poignantly shines a light on their friendship. It begins with a gentle and tentative exploration of their painful shared experience.

Gabriella asks Elika: 'What was the last wish you made?'

Elika replies: 'I made a birthday wish for my dad and your mum to come back.'

With quiet deliberation, Gabriella then asks when Elika misses her dad most, and her friend replies that it's at Christmas, on birthdays and when she bakes the cakes he used to love.

Gabriella, clutching a doll, holds it to her face and says, almost obscuring the words she finds hardest of all to articulate, that she really misses her mum at bedtime, and cries sometimes.

The film then captures them baking together, Gabriella's hands smeared in chocolate; even Mango sporting a blob of it.

There are biscuits to send in packages to Iran for Nazanin and Anoosheh and yes, they are actually delivered to Evin prison, although it seems that Anoosheh's are confiscated by the guards.

But if we believe it is Elika who is supporting Gabriella, we are understanding only half the story, because Elika says her young friend helps her, too.

'There is a generation gap between us but we share something really profound,' she says. '[What she has been through] is such a complicated, sophisticated thing to deal with and she has experienced first-hand more than I have. She has been to Evin prison and visited her mum, and to me that would be daunting as an adult.

'I don't know what it must feel like for a small child to have done that  to have been taken by prison guards to see her mummy. Yet she talks about it in such a matter-of-fact way and I think, if she can handle it, surely I can handle Dad's absence as well.

'We learn from each other. It doesn't matter what age you are.'

So now, as they adjust to 'normal' life once again and become reaccustomed to having both parents in their lives, will they go on being friends?

'I hope so,' says Elika. 'But just now Gabriella needs to cherish the time with her mum. Then, when she's ready, she can come for a walk with Mango and me and we'll make some more cookies.

'I will be there, too, if she ever wants to confide in me. But most of all, I hope she won't remember enough to need to.'
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, when questioned as to why the United States has let in just seven Ukrainian refugees compared to the hundreds of thousands welcomed by other countries, claimed it was because they needed to file for the proper programs.

President Joe Biden previously said he would welcome those fleeing Russia 's aggression 'with open arms'.

But in the three weeks since Russia first invaded, the US has accepted just seven Ukrainians - and some of those have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

When challenged about Biden's failure to keep his promise, Psaki claimed it was a matter of paperwork. She did not address why many other countries had been able to take in hundreds of thousands of people.

'We are still implementing our immigration laws at the border,' Psaki said when asked. 'When the president says he would welcome refugees, of course he would, but they have to apply through the refugee programs,' she added.

Psaki also noted that Title 42 - a Trump-era program that grants the government 'power to prohibit, in whole or in part, the introduction of persons and property' to stop a contagious disease from spreading - is still in effect, making it difficult for people to come over the boarder during the pandemic.

The process for refugee resettlement begins with getting a referral from the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). There's also a separate program and application process to try and seek asylum in America.

Right now, the US is not expediting applicants from Ukraine during the conflict, but Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas said earlier this week that they are considering a plan to fast track Ukrainian applications.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a news briefing at the White House in Washington Friday

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 1

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.

How does someone apply for refugee or asylum status in the United States? American law states that a refugee is someone who 'is of special humanitarian concern to the United States' that 'demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.' The process for refugee resettlement begins with getting a referral from the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). To get a referral, applicants need to contact their nearest office of UNCHR, the UN's Refugee Agency. If USRAP gives them a referral, they need to fill out an application and then undergo an interview by a customs officer who determines eligibility and considers the conditions of the person's country of origin and credibility, as well as a security check. An individual case can include a person's spouse (including same-sex spouses), children under 21 and some family members in limited circumstances. If approved as a refugee, the candidate is then given a medical exam, a cultural orientation and a loan for travel to America. They can also fill out separate forms that allow them to work as soon as they arrive in the US. One year after coming to the United States, the refugee must then apply for a green card for permanent residence. Ukrainians already in the US, for whatever reason, can go through a separate but similar application for asylum status. Right now, the US is not expediting applicants from Ukraine during the conflict, but Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas said earlier this week that they are considering a plan to fast track Ukrainian applications. Also slowing migration of all kinds is Title 42 - a Trump-era program that grants the government 'power to prohibit, in whole or in part, the introduction of persons and property' to stop a contagious disease from spreading - still in effect under the Biden administration, making it difficult for people to come over the boarder during the pandemic. Advertisement

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.

Meanwhile, Ukraine Take Shelter, a site begun by two teenaged Harvard students, has begun the efforts of trying to identify families willing to take them in.

Avi Schiffman, 19, told the Washington Post that the idea came to him when he was simply unable to sleep thinking of the conflict.

'I couldn't stop thinking about what I could do to help,' said Schiffmann. 'I wanted to do something that would have an instant impact.'

His Harvard classmate Marco Burstein, 18, used his coding expertise to launch the website, in a format they call a stripped down version of Airbnb.

'There have been more than 2 million refugees from Ukraine and it's bound to get worse,' Schiffmann said. 'They all deserve a safe place to stay.'

In the first week of the site's existence, they've received over 4,000 requests and counting.

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.

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.

Ukraine Take Shelter , a site begun by Avi Schiffman, 19, and Marco Burstein, 18, has begun the efforts of trying to identify families willing to take them in

Burstein used his coding expertise to launch the website, in a format they call a stripped down version of Airbnb

A view shows residential buildings which were damaged during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol

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.
The Duke of Cambridge should cut ties with the boss of P&O Ferries parent company, a former minister said yesterday.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the executive chairman of DP World, met Prince William this year after providing 1million of funding for his Earthshot Prize for eco initiatives.

The pair were pictured together at the firms flagship Jebel Ali Port in Dubai last month.

Prince William (right) and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (centre) were pictured together at DP World's flagship Jebel Ali Port in Dubai last month

DP World is also a principal partner of United for Wildlife, an initiative established by the prince in 2014 to help counter illegal trade in wildlife.

Former Home Office minister Norman Baker said the royal should consider cutting all links with DP World, adding: Its not a great look for Prince William to be associated with such a company.

DP World, which is ultimately owned by the Dubai royal family, pays bin Sulayem 5million a year. Previous guests of his in Dubai include Boris Johnson, who came to Jebel Ali in 2013 during his tenure as mayor of London.

In Britain, DPs deep-sea container port in Southampton has been granted freeport status  which brings certain tax advantages. The firm has also invested in a similar Thames Freeport project in Essex.

Last night a senior UK official quit DP Worlds board, stating he could not support how P&O Ferries carried out this restructuring. A spokesman for Mark Russell CBE, vice chairman of UK Government Investments and chairman of the Ministry of Defences procurement organisation, said he has written to the chairman of DP World to tender his resignation. The P&O Ferries furore is not the companys first high-profile industrial dispute.

In 2013 the International Transport Workers Federation voted to organise a global campaign to pressure DP World to discuss workers rights. The company was accused of an unlawful and aggressive attack on family life in its dispute with dockworkers in Australia, with the two sides reaching a deal in 2020. Another long-running dispute in a port near Mumbai saw DP World resist staff attempts to form a union, leading to strikes.

The company is also heavily involved in Russias attempts to create an Arctic shipping route known as the Northern Transit Corridor. It has committed to invest 1.5billion with the Russian sovereign wealth fund.

DP World did not respond to a request for comment.
A former Hells Angels enforcer who was warned he will need to wear make-up to cover his tattoos has been charged for allegedly displaying club insignia in public.

Dayne Brajkovich was allegedly spotted wearing the memorabilia while visiting a shopping centre in Perth.

New anti-gang laws have banned bikies from displaying their club insignia in public - which includes gang patches, stickers and tattoos.

Brajkovich is covered in full body ink with the phrases 'Hells Angels' and '1%er' tattooed in prominent places on his neck and forehead.

Dayne Brajkovich (pictured) was allegedly spotted by a shopper wearing the memorabilia while visiting a shopping centre in Perth

New anti-gang laws have banned bikies from displaying their club insignia in public - which includes gang patches, stickers and tattoos

He received the tattoos before the new law was introduced last Christmas - meaning Brajkovich may need to wear make-up to hide the insignia.

Police have charged Brajkovich in relation to two offences he allegedly committed in separate incidents at Ascot on January 21 and Belmont on January 30, The West reported.

The 42-year-old will front Perth Magistrates Court regarding the two charges in early April.

Acting WA Police commissioner Col Blanch suggested bikies will need to cover their tattoos with make-up or band-aids as he spoke about the new bill in October 2021.

'I would start with things like Band-Aids or make-up certainly or have it removed or alternatively, people can choose the option not to live in Western Australia if this law passes,' he said.

The maximum penalties for wearing prohibited insignia are 12 months in jail, a $12,000 fine for individuals or up to $60,000 for 'corporations'.

Brajkovich is understood to have fallen into a dispute with senior members before he was kicked out of the Hells Angels in February.

In March 2021, WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson slammed Brajkovich's attire at a Perth Magistrates Court sentencing hearing as 'unacceptable'.

Brajkovich is understood to have fallen into a dispute with senior members before he was kicked out of the Hells Angels in February

He wore a jersey emblazoned with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club initials HAMC and with 'HOF CITY' on it, believed to be a nod to a chapter the gang has in the German city of Hof.

His jersey also bore the numbers 81 on the jersey, a not-so-subtle nod to Hells Angels, with H being the eighth letter in the alphabet and A the first.

Brajkovich bashed Rebels bikie kingpin Nick Martin during a brawl at a bar on November 24, 2020, two weeks before Martin was shot dead at the Perth Motorplex in Kwinana Beach.

Mr Dawson said Brajkovich's tattoos and clothing are 'totally disrespectful to not only the court but to the community'.

'This is not us being hyper-sensitive about what people wear, this is absolute defiance in saying 'I'm outside the law and I'm going to remain outside the law'.'
Boris Johnson moved to heal divisions with the Scottish Conservatives yesterday after their leader called for him to resign.

In an address to the Scottish party's conference in Aberdeen, the Prime Minister went out of his way to praise leader Douglas Ross  who had led calls for him to quit over the Partygate row.

Mr Johnson was rewarded with a standing ovation despite having had his invitation revoked in January after 27 of the 31 Tory members of the Scottish parliament called for him to resign over allegations of lockdown-busting parties.

Boris Johnson moved to heal divisions with the Scottish Conservatives yesterday after their leader called for him to resign. pictured: Mr Johnson at the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Conference yesterday

Jacob Rees-Mogg deepened the row at the time by dismissing Mr Ross as a 'lightweight'. But relations have thawed in recent weeks as the political focus shifted to Ukraine.

Last week, Mr Ross withdrew his letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister, saying the issue should be 'put on pause while there is war in Europe'.

In his speech, the Prime Minister said: 'Douglas Ross has been able to defy the sceptics, stop Nicola Sturgeon from getting an overall majority as people said that she would. He's the only political leader in Scotland saying loud and clear what should be blindingly obvious to everyone. That this is not the moment to be having another referendum.'

In an address to the Scottish party's conference in Aberdeen, the Prime Minister went out of his way to praise leader Douglas Ross  who had led calls for him to quit over the Partygate row

In a further sign of improving relations, Mr Ross praised the 'leadership' of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet in responding to the Ukraine crisis.

The olive branch came as the Daily Mail revealed yesterday senior ministers had said the party had moved on from the Partygate row, despite police having yet to finish their investigation into potential lawbreaking in No 10.

Speaking at the Tory's spring conference in Blackpool yesterday, Mr Rees-Mogg, minister for Brexit opportunities, said the current crisis in Ukraine had 'reset' the political landscape and shown Partygate was a trivial issue.

But Tory Party chairman Oliver Dowden said any suggestions of wrongdoing needed to be 'taken seriously', despite the new circumstances.
Seven hundred students and staff gathered together on a school oval to form the words 'marry me' as their teacher was being proposed to mid-air by her boyfriend.

Jessica Roth thought she was merely being treated to a helicopter ride with her partner Tom Rudd last Friday.

As they flew over the school where Ms Roth teaches, Yarrilee State School in Queensland's Hervey Bay region, she noticed everyone had gathered onto the oval.

What Ms Roth didn't know is that her boyfriend had been planning the grand proposal for months and had been in cahoots with the school's principal and a helicopter company to finally pop the question.

Fifty teachers and 650 students had banded together to spell out the special words - to which Ms Roth gave a resounding 'yes'.

Jessica Roth was being treated to a helicopter ride with her partner Tom Rudd last Friday and was flying over Yarrilee State School in Queensland's Hervey Bay region, where she is a teacher, when she noticed everyone had gathered onto the oval to form the words 'marry me'

She said yes! Ms Roth had no idea her partner was about to pop the question, with the help of her students and fellow teachers

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Roth said the proposal was meant to be a surprise for her birthday but bad weather forced Mr Rudd to postpone.

'I didn't know anything about it! All I knew is that it was a delayed birthday present,' she said.

'I only discovered we were doing a helicopter tour once we got to the airport.'

She said when they reached the school she noticed the kids were all on the oval but didn't understand why.

'I was trying to work out why they were on the oval at such an unusual time of day and what event I was missing!' she said.

A total of 700 students and teachers banded together to form the words 'marry me' for Ms Roth

'As we got closer I realised they were actually lined up - then quickly realised it said those two special words!'

Mr Rudd then turned to her and pulled out an engagement ring.

'It was all very surreal and special. The kids were all waving and jumping up and down as we flew overhead,' the bride-to-be added.

'When Tom sent a message through to the principal telling her I said yes, the kids cheered and just starting throwing their hats in celebration.'

While the couple don't yet have a date for the wedding, Ms Roth says some of her students have already been planning how to decorate their uniforms in flowers so they can be her flower girls.

'Many of the little kids believe we actually got married in the helicopter,' she added.
The Queen will be spending 'much more time' in Scotland after fitting one of her favourite cottages in the Highlands with a 20,000 wheelchair lift, sources have claimed.

The 95-year-old monarch is also beefing up security around Craigowan Lodge, situated on the Balmoral estate, in Aberdeenshire, with the installation of a new security gate and a state-of-the-art intercom system.

A string of new CCTV cameras will also be installed, reports the Sun, as she plans to visit there more often following the platinum jubilee this summer, which will mark her 70th year on the throne.

News of the 'wheelchair-friendly' lift comes after sources said the Queen was struggling with mobility, as she now requires a walking stick and has not been able to walk her much-loved corgis.

The Stiltz Trio is the largest lift of its kind and can carry three adults - it also means Her Majesty can reach her bedroom without having to climb the stairs.

Craigowan Lodge has long been a favourite for the Queen, who visits the seven-bedroom stone cottage every April and August.

The Queen (pictured), 95, has beefed up security around Craigowan Lodge, situated on the Balmoral estate, in Aberdeenshire, including a new security gate and a state-of-the-art intercom system

Craigowan Lodge (pictured) has long been a favourite for the Queen, who visits the seven-bedroom stone cottage every April and August.

It is just one mile from incredible Balmoral Castle and was used by Prince Charles and Princess Diana for their honeymoon in 1981.

A Balmoral insider said: 'For many years we have thought it would be the perfect place for the Queen to spend more time when she's older.

'It's one of her favourite places in the country.

'With the proper lift and now this new security, it can effectively be sealed off so she can spend much more time there quietly in her late nineties.'

The extra security measures must now be approved by the local council, which will be expected in the summer.

Plans have also been submitted to prevent tourists or other vehicles from getting close to the property.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said: 'Craigowan is one of the Queen's favourite homes. She loves being there.

'The idea of making it easier for her so she can spend more time there in the future is a great idea.

'It's a big, big house. The security makes it very safe.

'It makes perfect sense. It's a home she has always enjoyed and it gives her a bit of independence.'

Royal biographer Penny Junor said of the Queen: 'I don't think we will see her out and about as much as it's quite clear her mobility is challenged.'

Decades-old photo shows Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke of Edinburgh and their children - (left to right: Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles) - at Balmoral Castle

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in a field with some highland cattle at Balmoral, Scotland, in 1972

She added: 'She does love Scotland but I would not think she would use it (the cottage) year round. It's a lovely place for the summer but it's pretty cold and bleak during the winter. But it is a very favourite place for her.'

Locals were overjoyed at the prospect of hosting the Queen more often.

James Anderson, chairman of Ballater and Crathie community council, told the Sun: 'We will be pleased to see more of Her Majesty.

'She loves it up here and it's a special place for her.

'The Royal Family do a lot for the village in bringing in a great deal of business.'

The monarch's local butcher at Balmoral said people would be delighted if she came up more regularly.

Barry Florence of H.M. Sheridan said: 'I've been lucky and privileged to meet the Queen on a few occasions  she has even been in the shop  and she said to me how much she enjoys it here and feels relaxed.

'What better place for her to spend more down time than at Balmoral.'

Windsor Castle has been home to the Queen for much of the past two years, and she is not said to plan on moving back to Buckingham Palace - which is currently undergoing a decade-long 360million renovation and 'reservicing' project.

Craigowan Lodge was first bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they snapped up the sweeping Balmoral estate in 1852.

A source close to the Queen said: 'This is not a retirement home.'

Mail Online has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
Fourteen medical students with the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine and participating with Lehigh Valley Health Network, hold their residency assignments during the annual Match Day in Allentown Friday, March 18, 2022. Students along with fourth year medical students across the country open sealed envelopes to reveal the name of their "match" - the medical residency assignment will shape their future careers as physicians. (JANE THERESE / Special to The Morning Call)

Megan Greenberg hugged fellow classmates when she saw the results of her medical residency assignment  she was going to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, one of her top choice hospitals.

These are happy tears, I promise, Greenberg, 27, said to fellow University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine classmates and family members in the moments after she opened the envelope containing the assignment

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The Allentown native comes from a family of physicians; her brother is an internal medicine doctor and her mother is an emergency medical doctor with Lehigh Valley Health Network. She said she knows how difficult the past two years have been for those in health care. But she also knows the industry needs people who that are passionate about the work. Thats part of the reason she plans to specialize in internal medicine.

Its something I look forward to, making a difference, Greenberg said.

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Both Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Lukes University Health Network held events Friday afternoon for students like Greenberg who will soon graduate from the networks respective medical school programs. LVHN celebrated 14 medical students from the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, and St. Lukes celebrated 30 soon-to-be graduates of the Temple/St. Lukes School of Medicine.

LVHN works with the University of South Florida on a program established in 2009 where students study at South Floridas Health Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa for two years, then spend two years at LVHN.

St. Lukes partnered with Temple University about 12 years ago to develop the Temple/St. Lukes School of Medicine. The school enrolls 40 students per class.

A fellow student makes a wish before opening his letter as, Grace Kim of Sierra Vista, Arizona, Megan Greenberg of Allentown and Alina Ran Zhu of Northern California open their residency assignments. (JANE THERESE / Special to The Morning Call)

Its all part of Match Day, an annual national event where medical students find out where they will spend the next three to seven years working as residents. Match Day 2022 is special because most residency announcements havent been held in person since 2019 due to the pandemic.

Through the process that leads up to Match Day, fourth-year medical students interview with prospective hospitals, then both the hospitals and medical students rank their choices. An algorithm then matches the students and hospitals based on the ranked lists.

Every grade, every clinical rotation that you do, every test that you take is for the purposes of getting this residency, and then the application process itself is pretty stressful, Greenberg said. You do interviews  which are now virtual  prepare your application, and then just kind of wait until the day you finally find out where youre going.

Getting a residency is also a highly competitive process  despite all the work and money required to graduate from medical school, not every outgoing fourth-year student is guaranteed a residency. As of 2020, the number of residency slots hadnt kept pace with new medical school enrollments either, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges.

But for those who get them, residency programs are where students learn to apply the knowledge they got in school and gain on-the-job experience while being paid a stipend.

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Nick Roma of Macungie celebrates with his fiancee Morgan Zellner as he learns that he has Matched into his top choice  St. Lukes Internal Medicine/Cardiology. He plans to be an interventional cardiologist and is thrilled to be staying local. (St. Luke's University Health Network)

Those who started their residencies over the past few years did so in an exceptionally difficult climate. Most, if not all, health care professionals have faced a greater level of risk and higher level of stress while caring for patients than any other time in the past century.

Difficult working conditions have many physicians, nurses and other health care workers experiencing burnout. As a result, some who had the option of reducing work hours did so and quit their jobs, according to Chad Meyerhoefer, a Lehigh University professor of economics.

Meyerhoefer said that though nurses and techs are the most in-demand among health care professionals, physicians are still very much in demand. The reality of the health care worker shortage also means that in the short term, demand for residents is probably greater than ever, he said.

Dr. Robert Barraco, LVHNs chief academic officer, said LVHNs residency program realizes that due to workforce challenges, it could use more residents and has requested to have the number of slots increased. But these increases need to be approved ahead of time and they cant flex the slots whenever they want.

He added that LVHN is excited about this incoming group of residents and those who will graduate over the next few years. He said theyve overcome adversity by having to deal with a massive change in their medical education halfway through it. He said theyve proven their resilience and dedication to a career in medicine before even graduating.

Theyll need that resilience and dedication  residencies can be tough. Meyerhoefer said his wife is a physician and he remembers the long hours she had to work during her residency. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, the rate among those who completed residency training from 2010 to 2019 was 55.5%. However, Meyerhoeffer said some go on to finish residencies at other hospitals.

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Some regulations made over the past couple of decades have made it easier to work as a resident, Meyerhoefer added. In 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education implemented rules limiting residents from being made to work more than 80 hours per week or 24 consecutive hours.

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic to health care, and the demands of residency, Vivek Gorijala said he is excited to enter the industry.

Its a different world compared to how it was a couple of years ago, Gorijala said. I will say theres also a lot more opportunities to make a difference  people out there suffering when it comes to COVID, people have been isolated for a long time, so Ill be able to work with and talk with people who have felt isolated and alone for the last few years. Its going to be a very rewarding experience.

Gorijala, 26, is from northern Virginia, but will be doing his residency with LVHN, his top pick. His specialization of choice is psychiatry and he plans to focus on children and adolescents.

I love working with younger kids  theyve certainly taken a hit when it comes to school being thrown off because of COVID, so Im really looking forward to that, Gorijala said.

He and Greenberg arent the only ones excited to enter an industry in need  the number of people applying to medical schools has grown over the course of the pandemic. Meyerhoefer said this type of phenomenon has occurred after other crises too.

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After 9/11, you had a lot of people who enlisted in the military and that effect went on for a number of years, Meyerhoefer said. During the pandemic, I think its possible that, because people saw that doctors were making a big difference on the front lines in the public health fight to keep the population safe, that may have instilled a desire among them to apply to medical school.

But Meyerhoefer said there is likely a deficit in the number of new physicians entering the workforce compared to those who have left over the course of the pandemic.

The number of practicing physicians in the U.S. has increased since before the pandemic; there were 1,061,141 in January, 2022, compared to 985,026 in 2018. But this increase was slower than the increase from 2014 to 2018.

Morning Call reporter Leif Greiss can be reached at 610-679-4028 or lgreiss@mcall.com.
Parents will be able to sign up for jabs for their five to 11-year-olds in weeks amid a rise in Covid infections.

It comes after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised last month that healthy children in this age range should be offered a vaccine on a 'non-urgent' basis.

The rollout, which is expected next month, will involve a special 'paediatric formulation' for young children, who will receive a lower dose of the vaccine, and be given two jabs 12 weeks apart.

It comes after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised last month that healthy children in this age range should be offered a vaccine on a 'non-urgent' basis (stock image)

Among at-risk children, who already receive the jab, adverse reactions are extremely rare. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said 'it is a very safe vaccine'.

Covid infections continue to rise, with levels in England similar to those seen at the start of February and record cases in Scotland.

A fourth booster jab for over-75s, care-home residents and over-12s with weak immune systems starts next week.

Across the UK, 3.3 million were estimated to have had coronavirus last week, up from 2.6 million the previous week. The numbers in hospital with the virus has also risen, to 14,671.

The rapid rise of the BA.2 variant  a more infectious sub-strain of Omicron  is driving the high levels.

Professor James Naismith, of Oxford University, described the latest figures as a 'sharp uptick'.
China yesterday insisted it 'opposes war' after Joe Biden warned the US would 'impose costs' if it backs Vladimir Putin's assault on Ukraine.

The US President held a tense two-hour video call with China's Xi Jinping amid American intelligence concerns Beijing could help fund Putin's war machine.

The White House said during the call, President Biden 'described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians'.

The US President held a tense two-hour video call with China's Xi Jinping amid American intelligence concerns Beijing could help fund Putin's war machine

In a readout of the call, Beijing said president Xi (pictured with Vladimir Putin in 2019) had said 'all sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation'

While China said president Xi had put forward a 'six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine'.

In a readout of the call, Beijing said president Xi had said 'all sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiationthat will lead to peace'.

But he also urged Nato and the US to have 'dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis'  suggesting some sympathy with Moscow's claim it has legitimate concerns about Nato expansion.

The statement apportioned no blame to Russia, but said president Xi had 'pointed out that China does not want to see the situation come to thisChina stands for peace and opposes war'.
The Foreign Secretary has warned Vladimir Putin may be using peace talks between Ukraine and Russia as a 'smokescreen' for the Kremlin to regroup troops for a fresh offensive.

Liz Truss said it was up to President Volodymyr Zelensky how his country approached peace talks.

However in an interview with The Times she said she feared that the negotiations- which have been said to have made some progress- were a 'smokescreen.'

The Foreign Secretary has warned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia might be being used as a 'smokescreen' for the Kremlin to regroup troops for a fresh offensive

Liz Truss said it was up to president Volodymyr Zelensky how his country approached peace talks. However in an interview with The Times she said she feared that the negotiations- which have been said to have made some progress- were a 'smokescreen'

Yesterday Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen that he had pledged to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine after speaking to Mr Zelensky.

Mr Johnson said that he was 'more convinced than ever' that Russian president Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine would fail.

The Prime Minister will address the Conservative Spring Forum in Blackpool on Saturday where he will likely discuss the conflict in Ukraine again.

Yesterday Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen that he had pledged to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine after speaking to Mr Zelensky

Mr Johnson said that he was 'more convinced than ever' that Russian president Vladimir Putin's military venture would fail

Britain's chief of defence intelligence said Mr Putin was now fighting a 'war of attrition', after initial expectations of a quick conflict were dashed.

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull said the Kremlin has been forced to switch tactics, turning to the 'reckless and indiscriminate' use of firepower.

He said that these different tactics will inevitably lead to more civilian casualties.

His words come after hundreds more Ukrainian civilians are feared dead following an attack on a theatre in Mariupol which was sheltering large numbers of women and children.

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull (pictured) said the Kremlin has been forced to switch tactics, turning to the 'reckless and indiscriminate' use of firepower which will inevitably lead to more civilian casualties

Rescue workers are trying to free people from the rubble of the bombed building while feared Chechen forces are fighting house to house in Mariupol.

Video said to have been released by pro-Putin Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov shows heavily armed fighters from the region pounding a high-rise building in the bombed-out city during a fierce gunfight with Ukrainian soldiers.

And survivors who managed to flee Mariupol told of people being left to bleed to death in the streets due to a lack of medics.

The situation has left people struggling to find food, with no water or electricity.

His words come after hundreds more Ukrainian civilians are feared dead following an attack on a theatre (pictured) in Mariupol which was sheltering large numbers of women and children

Rescue workers are trying to free people from the rubble of the bombed building while feared Chechen forces are fighting house to house in Mariupol. Pictured: destroyed block of flats in Mariupol

Svitlana Zlenko, who said she left the city with her son on Tuesday this week, described how she spent days sheltering in a school building - melting snow to cook pasta to eat while living in constant terror of Russian bombs which flew overhead 'every day and every night'.

She described how a bomb hit the school last week, wounding a woman in the hip with a piece of shrapnel. 'She was lying on the first floor of the high school all night and prayed for poison so that she would not feel pain,' Svitlana said. '[She] was taken by the Red Cross within a day, I pray to God she is well.'

She added: 'There is no food, no medicine, if there is no snow with such urban fights, people will not be able to go out to get water, people have no water left. Pharmacies, grocery stores - everything is robbed or burned.

'The dead are not taken out. Police recommend to the relatives of those who died of a natural death, to open the windows and lay the bodies on the balcony. I know you think you understand, but you will never understand unless you were there. I pray that this will not happen again in any of the cities of Ukraine, or of the world.'

Video said to have been released by pro-Putin Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov shows heavily armed fighters from the region pounding a high-rise building in the bombed-out city during a fierce gunfight with Ukrainian soldiers. Pictured: Damaged buildings in Mariupol

Svitlana Zlenko, who said she left the city with her son on Tuesday this week, described how she spent days sheltering in a school building - melting snow to cook pasta to eat while living in constant terror of Russian bombs which flew overhead 'every day and every night'. Pictured: The destroyed Mariupol theatre

Despite the pleas, shelling continued in other Ukrainian cities yesterday- with Lviv, in the west of the country, the capital Kyiv, and Kharkiv, in the east, coming under fire.

Ms Truss told the Times that if Moscow was serious about peace talks being held with Ukraine, they would not be using such methods.

She said: 'If a country is serious about negotiations, it doesn't indiscriminately bomb civilians that day.'

The Foreign Secretary added that she was 'very sceptical' about the talks between the two countries.

She added: 'What we've seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup.'

Despite the pleas, shelling was well underway in other Ukrainian cities on Friday - with Lviv, in the west of the country, the capital Kyiv, and Kharkiv, in the east, coming under fire. Pictured: Several buildings are destroyed by fragments of a Russian missile in Kyiv, Ukraine

Ms Truss also said: 'We don't see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table.'

In the interview with the Times she said that the Russians had 'lied and lied and lied' and that she was concerned the negotiations were another attempt to create a diversion and smokescreen.

However she said that as a sovereign nation Ukraine is fully entitled to undertake any negotiation process it sees fit.

Officials in the West had warned that Russian forces have large stocks of artillery ammunition and could maintain their bombardment of Ukraine for weeks.

Officials in the West had warned that Russian forces have large stocks of artillery ammunition and could maintain their bombardment of Ukraine for weeks. Pictured: A service member of pro-Russian troops in uniform without insignia is seen atop of a tank during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine

But General Hockenhull said that more than three weeks into the war, the Kremlin has not achieved any of its initial objectives.

He told journalists: 'It has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and has been bedevilled by problems of its own making,'

'Russian operations have changed. Russia is now pursuing a strategy of attrition. This will involve the reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower.

'This will result in increased civilian casualties, disruption of Ukrainian infrastructure and intensify the humanitarian crisis.'

Ms Truss also said that the Russian invasion is not going to plan and officials have attempted to create space for forces to regroup.

But General Hockenhull said that more than three weeks into the war, the Kremlin has not achieved any of its initial objectives. Pictured: Soldiers of the Chechen special forces liberate building after building in Mariupol

The Prime Minister said that it was time to 'tighten the vice' on Moscow and said he was 'more than ever convinced' that Putin will fail.

He emphasised that Putin had underestimated the heroism and resolve of Ukrainians to fight.

The Prime Minister added: 'He underestimated western unity.

'And among other things, by the way, he underestimated the passionate commitment of the people in this country to help.'

Also at the conference, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said that 100,000 places had been created in schools for children fleeing Ukraine and virtual lessons created during the coronavirus pandemic had been translated into Ukrainian

Sajid Javid had earlier said at the Conservative Spring Forum in Blackpool that the Prime Minister was being hailed a hero in Ukraine.

He said that the support the UK had offered Ukraine had prompted a British Ukrainian man to stop him in his constituency and say: 'the next time you see Boris you tell him, in Ukraine he's a hero'.

Also at the conference, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said that 100,000 places had been created in schools for children fleeing Ukraine and virtual lessons created during the coronavirus pandemic had been translated into Ukrainian.

Sajid Javid had earlier said at the Conservative Spring Forum in Blackpool that the Prime Minister was being hailed a hero in Ukraine. He said that the support the UK had offered Ukraine had prompted a British Ukrainian man to stop him in his constituency and say: 'the next time you see Boris you tell him, in Ukraine he's a hero'

Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, confirmed that more than 150,000 households had offered to house Ukrainian refugees, the majority of whom have made their way to Poland.

And on Friday, former prime minister David Cameron announced that he was driving a 'small lorry' to the Polish border with Ukraine with supplies.

It comes after Putin made a rare public appearance to address a flag-waving rally at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow to mark the eighth anniversary of his country's annexation of Crimea.

He praised the efforts of Russia's forces, declaring: 'Shoulder to shoulder, they help and support each other.'

It comes after Putin made a rare public appearance to address a flag-waving rally at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow to mark the eighth anniversary of his country's annexation of Crimea

He praised the efforts of Russia's forces, declaring: 'Shoulder to shoulder, they help and support each other'

Body language expert Judi James said that Putin tried to present himself as an 'emotional, reasonable and patriotic man' during his speech at the rally.

She added that his pauses for cheers seemed to be choreographed for moments when he tried to appear overcome by emotion.

And she said that Putin had dramatically rolled his shoulders during the speech, suggesting that he is trying to reboot his strength and his ability to fight.

And Ms James said that he uses alternate hands to gesticulate with signalling that 'ranges from tentative, thoughtful explanation with explanatory rituals, like a spread-eagled gesture that rolls into a loose fist, and a flaccid chopping gesture'.

As many as 7,000 Russian troops have died so far in the fighting, including four major generals and a number of other senior officers, American sources estimate.
Free-range eggs will disappear from supermarkets on Monday  because Britain's hens have spent the last four months cooped up.

Chickens have been in bird flu lockdown since November, meaning eggs previously classed as free-range must now be labelled 'barn'.

Officials at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ordered an estimated 35 million egg-laying hens indoors after an unprecedented spike in case numbers led to the 'largest ever' outbreak of H5N1, also known as bird flu, on UK soil.

Free-range eggs will disappear from supermarkets on Monday  because Britain's hens have spent the last four months cooped up

Farmers hoped the Government would lift the indoor housing order next week, but officials decided to keep it in place after the total number of outbreaks hit 80.

A Defra spokesman told The Guardian: 'The 16-week grace period we allowed for free-range eggs has now been exceeded, and eggs must now be marketed as "barn eggs".'

The British Retail Consortium said supermarkets will put up signs notifying customers of the change but added: 'When the measures are lifted, eggs will go back to being free-range.'

Aimee Mahony, chief poultry adviser at the National Farmers' Union, added: 'Shoppers may notice different labels on egg packs explaining the eggs have been laid by hens temporarily housed to protect their health and welfare.

'Once the risk levels have reduced and the housing measures have been lifted by Defra, birds will be able to go outside again.'

Eggs laid by hens that have been kept inside for more than 16 weeks cannot be sold under the free-range classification.

Bird flu has been rampant across Europe, with the continent suffering one of its worst winters for the disease.

The outbreaks are so widespread that France has been trialling bird flu vaccines. Meanwhile, a widely used food colouring that has been banned as a potential cancer risk in the EU will continue to be permitted in Britain.

Titanium dioxide, which is commonly used in paint and sunscreen lotion, can be added as a whitening agent in sweets, cakes, mayonnaise, hot cross buns and even Easter eggs.

Eggs laid by hens that have been kept inside for more than 16 weeks cannot be sold under the free-range classification. Stock photo used

It appears in many supermarket own-brand products along with some sold by famous names such as Mr Kipling, Dr Oetker and Cadbury.

The European Food Safety Authority has ordered a ban on the basis it is potentially genotoxic  a cancer risk.

However, experts at Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) are confident there is no safety risk based on the advice of two UK expert committees on food and additives and will continue to allow it to be used.

Despite this, the additive will be banned in Northern Ireland, which must fall in line with EU food safety rules as a result of Brexit. Many brands and UK supermarkets have decided to remove the ingredient.
An officer who was acquitted of murdering an Indigenous teenager boasted about not having to follow rules in the 'Wild West' Northern Territory - as shocking details of his past emerge.

Constable Zachary Rolfe was found not guilty of murder last week after he shot Kumanjayi Walker three times in Alice Springs in November 2019.

Suppression orders in place during the trial have since been lifted by the court revealing fresh details about Constable Rolfe's time as a police officer.

Constable Rolfe had been accused of previously using excessive force in previous arrests as text messages emerge showing the police officer boasting about doing 'cowboy stuff', while bodycam footage captured a brutal arrest in 2018.

NT police officer Constable Zachary Rolfe (pictured) was acquitted of murdering an Indigenous teenager boa- he sted about not having to follow rules in the 'Wild West' Northern Territory as shocking details of his past emerge

Constable Zachary Rolfe was found not guilty of murder last week after he shot Kumanjayi Walker three times in Alice Springs in November 2019

Constable Rolfe had been accused of previously using excessive force as text messages emerge showing the police officer boasting about doing 'cowboy stuff' while bodycam footage captured a brutal arrest in 2018 (pictured, mock-up of texts sent to military friend)

A sworn statement from Constable Rolfe's ex-girlfriend claimed he asked a colleague to scratch his face so he could justify the alleged use of excessive force during the arrest.

'The Crown alleges that the use of force was excessive because it was neither reasonable nor necessary,' Justice John Burns said in his pre-trial ruling.

Bodycam footage filmed Constable Rolfe taking part in the arrest of Malcolm Ryder.

Prosecutors alleged Constable Rolfe 'punched' Mr Ryder 'to his head, grabbed his hair and slung his head to the ground'.

'It further alleges that the accused's use of force resulted in Ryder being rendered unconscious and sustaining a laceration to his right forehead requiring 13 sutures and a laceration to his left forehead requiring three sutures,' Justice Burns said.

The Northern Territory Supreme Court heard a magistrate had found Constable Rolfe 'deliberately assaulted' Mr Ryder before he 'lied in evidence'.

Constable Rolfe had also sent text messages to an army friend where he referred to Alice Springs as a 'sh**hole' and compared it to the 'Wild West' that had 'f*** all rules'.

'Alice Springs sucks ha ha,' he wrote. 'The good thing is it's like the Wild West and f*** all the rules in the job really... but it's a sh** hole. Good to start here coz of the volume of work but will be good to leave.'

Another message read: 'We have this small team in Alice, IRT, immediate response team. We're not full time, just get called up from Gd's for high risk jobs, its a sweet gig, just get to do cowboy stuff with no rules.'

Constable Rolfe was accused of using excessive force in more arrests including allegedly slamming a person's head against a rock, karate chopping another one to the ground and slamming a different person against a wall.

Crown prosecutor Philip Strickland SC drew parallels between the arrests to the shooting death of Mr Walker.

Bodycam footage filmed Constable Rolfe taking part in the arrest of Malcolm Ryder

Prosecutors alleged Constable Rolfe 'punched' Mr Ryder 'to his head, grabbed his hair and slung his head to the ground' (pictured, man is arrested at the house in 2018)

'It further alleges that the accused's use of force resulted in Ryder being rendered unconscious and sustaining a laceration to his right forehead requiring 13 sutures and a laceration to his left forehead requiring three sutures,' Justice Burns said

'In all circumstances, the act of the accused caused injury or significant injury to the complainant, and in all circumstances, according to the expert who will be called by the crown, the force that he used was unnecessary,' he said.

Justice Burns ruled certain details of Rolfe's past as a police officer would not be admitted during his trial - meaning the 12 men and women on the jury were not aware of any of the previous complaints made against him.

He stated the evidence did not have 'significant probative value' and could lead to 'the danger of prejudice to the accused'.

Justice Burns said the incidents 'taken at their highest, strongly support a tendency on the part of the accused to make a false statement or do some other act seeking to justify the use of excessive force'.

Constable Rolfe claimed all complaints against him had been investigated before they were cleared.

'Every one of those has been investigated, and I've been cleared,' he told The Australian.

Zachary Rolfe (pictured) leaves the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in Darwin on Thursday, March 10, 2022

Kumanjayi Walker (left) and his girlfriend Rickisha Robertson (right). Mr Walker was killed by police in the NT in 2019

'That force was never excessive  it was relative to the situation on the day.'

Outside the Northern Territory Supreme Court in Darwin, Mr Walker's cousin Samara Fernandez Brown said she did not believe justice had been served after Constable Rolfe was found not guilty.

'We are all in so much pain, particularly our young men. They have struggled. They have been scared but still, they respected this process and so has our whole community,' she said.

'We have been respectful ... but still we have been let down.'

Constable Rolfe said the jury had made 'the right decision', while supporters said he should never have faced court.

'A lot of people are hurting today, Kumanjayi's family and his community, and it did not need to get to this point, so I am going to leave this space for them,' he said.

Ms Brown said the jury's verdict was not the end of her community's fight for Mr Walker and justice.

'We are deeply disappointed and although we've been given a trial I cannot honestly say that it has been fair,' she said.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being lined up to present the Best Picture Oscar next week despite both pulling out of Prince Philips memorial service.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were said to have been approached at the end of last year, but it is not yet known whether they have agreed to attend the event, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 27  just two days before the London service.

According to reports, Harry and Meghan had initially been lined up to present the award for Best Actress in a nod to their work on womens rights, but the plan was scrapped after Kristen Stewart was nominated for her role in Spencer, a film about the life of Diana.

A source told The Sun newspaper: It would be seen as a final kick in the teeth for the royal family if he did  hes too nervous to fly to London without police protection, but happy to stand up in front of a huge live audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Not great optics.

It comes days after Harry confirmed he wont be attending a memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on March 29, but said he will be attending the Invictus Games at The Hague in the Netherlands next month in a bizarre joke video which was pilloried by royal experts who said: His grandfather would have given him a clip around the ear and told him to grow up.

The decision not to attend the service comes after the duke took the Government to court over its decision not to provide full police protection when he visits Britain, his lawyers saying that Harry does not feel safe without the protection of Scotland Yard officers.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being lined up to present the Best Picture Oscar' next week despite both pulling out of Prince Philip's memorial service in London

It is not yet known whether they have agreed to attend the event, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27

According to reports, Harry and Meghan had initially been lined up to present the award for Best Actress in a nod to their work on women's rights, but the plan was scrapped after Kristen Stewart was nominated for her role in Spencer, a film about the life of Princess Diana

Harry was criticised for releasing a video promoting this year's Invictus Games just hours after confirming he won't attend Prince Philip's memorial service

The clip shows the Duke of Sussex learning Dutch ahead of the games, which will take place in the Netherlands in April, before ripping off his hoodie top to reveal an all-orange outfit

Harry and Meghan may be attending the Oscars in LA on March 27, and the duke has confirmed he will attend the Invictus Games in The Hague on April 16. But the couple are not attending a memorial service for Prince Philip in London on March 29

What is Harry and Meghan's schedule? GOING? MARCH 27  THE OSCARS, LOS ANGELES Harry and Meghan may be attending the Oscars to present an award at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. According to reports, Harry and Meghan had initially been lined up to present the award for Best Actress in a nod to their work on womens rights, but the plan was scrapped after Kristen Stewart was nominated for her role in Spencer, a film about the life of Diana. It is not confirmed if the couple are attending. NOT GOING! MARCH 29  PHILIPS MEMORIAL SERVICE, LONDON Harrys spokesman has confirmed that the duke and duchess will not be flying to London to attend Prince Philips memorial service in Westminster Abbey. Experts had predicted that Harry would not attend Philips Service of Thanksgiving, after his lawyers last month told a court the prince does not feel safe in the UK without the protection of Scotland Yard officers, during his ongoing legal battle over security. Royal biographers accused the duke of snubbing the Queen by not attending. It is believed that he gave the monarch barely any notice of his plans not to go to the service. GOING! APRIL 16  THE INVICTUS GAMES, HJOLLAND Harry has confirmed that he will be attending the Invictus Games in The Hague, Holland on April 16. The duke was pilloried for releasing a light-hearted video promoting the sports contest for wounded veterans in which he ripped off his hoodie to reveal an all-orange outfit. In the promo piece, which appears to have been filmed in his $14million Californian mansion, Harry told his team he really wants to get this right  before putting on orange sunglasses and a hat. Pointing down into the camera, he then tells his Invictus colleagues he is ready for the games. Advertisement

In a promo video for the Invictus Games, which appears to have been filmed in his $14million Californian mansion, Harry told his team he really wants to get this right  before putting on orange sunglasses and a hat and ripping off his hoodie to reveal an all-orange outfit. Pointing down into the camera, he then tells his Invictus colleagues he is ready for the games.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady, who cooked for Princess Diana, commented: His grandfather would have given him a clip around the ear and told him to grow up. The Queen will be devastated, and Princess Diana would, too, if she were here.

Experts had predicted that Harry would not attend Philips Service of Thanksgiving, after his lawyers last month told a court the prince does not feel safe in the UK without the protection of Scotland Yard officers, during his ongoing legal battle over security.

Royal biographer Angela Levin slammed the duke as a child stamping his feet over the decision and said the move was tantamount to blackmail, warning Harry could use dropping out of major events at the last minute as leverage to secure personal protective security in the UK.

Levin warned that though Harry has snubbed the Duke of Edinburgh really he is snubbing the Queen who is still grieving the loss of her husband of 73 years  and was only given 15 minutes advance notice of Harrys announcement.

He has got this all wrong. If he comes over for a royal event he gets police protection. What they wont do is, if he goes out with his friends he gets security. Hell probably use this same excuse to try to get out of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, she said.

Its all about me, me, me rather than going out of his way for his grandmother and showing her he cares. He's behaving like a child stamping his feet.

The Daily Mails Royal Editor Rebecca English says the decision has been seen by Palace insiders as a slap in the face to the Queen.

Within a couple of minutes of announcing that he would not be attending the Duke of Edinburghs service of thanksgiving, Harrys team also announced that he would be attending the Invictus Games in the Hague in April, just a few weeks later, she said.

This has obviously surprised a lot of people to travel to Europe to go to that, but not to his grandfathers memorial service has, to use a well-worn phrase, got peoples goat.

'They feel it is a slap in the face to the Queen and, again, another PR disaster as far as many people in the UK are concerned.

The Mail on Sundays Editor at Large Charlotte Griffiths believes that the move could have even more profound implications.

There is that feeling that this could be one of the last chances he gets to see some of the older members of the family, she said. It just feels so insensitive and so vitriolic and so pointless.

It came after Harry and Meghan announced they made donations to several charities including The Halo Trust.

The non-political charity helps communities across the world remove deadly landmines from their land.

Halo has 8,500 staff in 25 countries and territories and has been providing ambulances and logistics to medical authorities in Zimbabwe, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan and Guinea-Bissau.

A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex last week confirmed he would not be leaving his Montecito mansion to attend a memorial marking the passing of his grandfather, which is due to be held at Westminster Abbey on March 29

Royal watchers have discussed how Prince Harry's decision not to attend his late grandfather Prince Philip's service of thanksgiving could be perceived by the Queen (pictured)

The duke made an emotional pilgrimage to Africa in 2019 to retrace the steps of his mother Diana, who famously walked through a partially cleared Angolan minefield in 1997 to highlight the trusts efforts and the threat of the military munitions.

Footage was released on Friday of the duke holding a video call with two women who have made the decision to stay in Ukraine with the Halo Trust which has been clearing military ordinance in the eastern European country since 2016.

Diana worked with the Halo Trust in Huambo, Angola, during the 1990s in a fight against landmines. At the time, her support for an international treaty banning use of the explosive devices was seen as a political stance, but it was widely regarded as one of her greatest humanitarian efforts.

Harry, who has served as the charitys patron and visited Angola to see the work they are doing, met virtually with Olesia, Halos communications manager in Ukraine, and Maryna, 25, the charitys monitoring and evaluation officer.
A London-born conservationist who was given a prison furlough as part of a deal to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been sent back behind bars at the Iranian jail after just two days,.

The family of Morad Tahbaz, 66, expected him to be released permanently and returned to Britain alongside Nazanin and Anoosheh Ashoori this week.

But they learned from media reports he had only been given a temporary furlough and he was returned to prison on Friday after a brief stay at a relative's home in Tehran.

He had been released under arm guard and escorted to his relative's home but is now back at Evin prison after being taken from the two-bedroom flat.

Nazanin and Richard are said to be extremely concerned for his welfare and have called on MPs to help him.

Morad Tahbaz has been sent back to prison in Tehran after a two-day furlough despite the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Tahbaz's sister, Taraneh Tahbaz, said the situation was a 'farce' as she blasted the government for failing to secure the permanent release

The US State Department said anything short of an immediate furlough for the Iranian-American environmentalist would be considered a violation of Tehran's commitments to the UK.

Tahbaz's sister, Taraneh Tahbaz, said the situation was a 'farce' as she blasted the government for failing to secure the permanent release for her brother who also has British citizenship.

The family said in a statement: 'We the family are distraught at this moment.

'We were confident and assured that the UK government had taken on responsibility to secure his release...

'After the euphoria of Nazanin and Anoosheh's homecoming, there's a worrying sense that the UK government hasn't pressed the Iranian authorities for Morad's freedom in the same way.'

The Foreign Office said they are working hard to secure his release.

But Taraneh told The Times: 'We all thought something odd was going on.

'This was a way to get the other two on the plane in enough time and to make an excuse that he was on furlough while released and happy with his family.

'This was enough time for everybody to get out and be reunited with their families and obviously for the foreign minister to have her moment of glory.'

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Gabriella are making pizzas on Friday as they bond again at a Government safe house after her return from Iran

The family have been reunited after the mother-of-one's harrowing six-year stint in an Iranian jail on trumped-up spy charges (pictured before her arrest)

She said her brother had been receiving cancer treatment before he was locked up and has since contracted Covid twice.

A spokesman for Britain's foreign ministry said it had been told by Iran that Tahbaz had been taken back to Evin prison in order to fit an ankle bracelet and that the British government hoped he would be allowed out in coming hours.

A State Department spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that Iran made a commitment to the United Kingdom to furlough Tahbaz.

'We are not a party to this arrangement, but would join the UK in considering anything short of Morad's immediate furlough a violation of Iran's commitment.

'We are urgently consulting with the UK on appropriate responses,' the spokesperson said.

'We continue to work night and day to secure the release of our wrongfully detained citizens, including US-UK citizen Morad Tahbaz,' the spokesperson said.

British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has finally arrived in the UK with fellow detainee Anoosheh Ashoori bringing to a close her momentous journey home after six years in detention in Iran. Pictured: their arrival at RAF Brize Norton

Tahbaz was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for 'assembly and collusion against Iran's national security' and working for the United States as a spy.

In February, as months of talks on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal inched closer to an agreement, Iran, which holds a dozen Western dual nationals, said it was ready for a prisoner swap in return for the unblocking of frozen assets and release of Iranians held in Western jails.

The nuclear talks were close to an agreement 11 days ago until last-minute Russian demands for sweeping guarantees that would have hollowed out sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine threw the negotiations off track.

Russia now appears to have narrowed its demands to cover only work linked to the nuclear deal, leaving a small number of issues to be resolved between Washington and Tehran, diplomats say.

Nazanin is now in a British Government safe house with her family at an unknown UK location until at least next week.

This is the moment Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella at RAF Brize Norton

MailOnline revealed yesterday that Nazanin is excited to do other 'normal' things like take her daughter to school and the shops.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked for the Thomas Reuters Foundation as a project manager before she was detained at Tehran Airport in 2016 and accused of attempting to overthrow the Iranian Government, a charge she has always rigorously denied.

She shared her first family selfie with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella after the family spent their first night together in six years on Wednesday.

Husband Richard, who campaigned tirelessly for her release and was instrumental in securing her freedom, told the Times that Nazanin would like to focus on being a full-time mother in the immediate future but that she has not ruled out returning to a campaigning role.

He told the newspaper: 'People come out with an extra will to make up for lost time and to stop others having to battle against the bad guys that they feel are responsible.

'And that can take different directions. While I'm sure she's happy, I can't tell where her head will be in six months. I'm sure she's feeling a lot less angry today than she was a week ago. There's nothing like freedom for changing your perspective.'

In an interview by the charity after her release, Thomson Reuters Foundation CEO Antonio Zappulla described her as 'a very dedicated and bubbly colleague', adding: 'I didn't know just how resilient she is. I have nothing but admiration. Nazanin's life was upended, but her spirit was never broken. She is a truly remarkable woman, with a truly remarkable family.'

Mr Zappulla said the charity had supported her throughout her detention in Iran and said she is welcome back whenever she is ready.

He said: 'We will be providing all the support we can. Nazanin has continued to be a member of staff ever since the day she was detained. When she wants to come back her job will be there for her.'

He told the Times the foundation had never replaced Nazanin, adding: 'In fact, we promoted her while she was away.'
The controversial badger cull to stop cows catching TB has no scientific basis, according to research.

The analysis of the governments own published statistics on the incidence of bovine TB concludes there was no link between the culling of badgers and any decline in the level of bovine tuberculosis.

Research shows that the disease fell in Wales and other areas where there was no cull as much as it did in places where there was one, suggesting that other measures rather than shooting badgers was having an effect.

Research shows that the disease fell in Wales and other areas where there was no cull as much as it did in places where there was one

The peer reviewed research  published in the respected Veterinary Record  however was criticised by the government and farmers groups.

Some 140,000 badgers have been killed since the cull began in 2007 at a cost of many millions of pounds to the taxpayer  because badgers are accused of giving the disease to cows.

Since 2013 badgers in a designated high-risk area in west and south-west England have been shot en masse to control bovine TB  with the aim of reducing badger numbers by 70 per cent.

Biologist Thomas Langton and vets Dr Mark Jones, head of policy at Born Free, which opposes the cull, and Dr Iain McGill analysed the statistics to compare the incidence and prevalence of bovine TB in the culled and un-culled areas within the High-Risk Area between 2013 and 2019.

Their analysis found while the disease peaked and began to decline during the study period, there was no statistical evidence that the rate and nature of the decline was any different in the areas where badgers were being shot and the areas where there was no cull in place.

The study suggests bTB cases are falling rather not because of badger culling but rather other based measures including more intensive testing requirements for cattle and movement controls.

Dr Jones said: There is no justification for killing any more badgers. Its time to bring this unscientific, inhumane and unnecessary badger culling policy to an immediate and permanent end.

To justify the licenced killing of many thousands of legally protected badgers, the Government should at the very least be able to demonstrate a substantial and predictable disease control benefit.

The study suggests bTB cases are falling rather not because of badger culling but rather other based measures including more intensive testing requirements for cattle

Our analysis of the Governments own data found no evidence to support the mass killing of badgers and confirms the conclusion of scientists who oversaw extensive government research conducted between 1998 and 2005 that badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to the future control of cattle TB in Britain and that ...substantial reductions in cattle TB incidence could be achieved by improving cattle based control measures.

Dr Langton said: As the bovine TB epidemic continues to spread across England, government claims on badger culling having worked are supposition, using small amounts of data from small areas over short periods. Here, we have a real-world analysis, using extensive data from across Englands High-Risk Area, supported by comprehensive statistical analysis. It is what farm veterinarians, farmers and the public should already have been told regarding this continuing animal health emergency.

Hard working beef and dairy farmers should be given the advice and support that they need, to protect hundreds of thousands of domestic and wild animal lives and to prevent ruined farming livelihoods.

RSPCA Director of Advocacy & Policy Emma Slawinski said, We warmly welcome these definitive findings which come as no surprise to us, as they reinforce our long-held conviction that culling badgers does not prevent bovine TB in cattle. In the face of this conclusive evidence, the government should immediately call a halt to its cruel, ineffective and arbitrary programme based on the mass slaughter of badgers and focus on cattle based solutions.

Professor Rowland Kao, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at Edinburgh University who was not involved in the study said that because the area of culling expanded during the study it means the bulk of the analysis compares primarily recently culled areas to unculled;. As the impact of culling in TB is slow this means its not surprising no effect was seen.

A Defra spokesperson criticised the research and said: This paper has been produced to fit a clear campaign agenda and manipulates data in a way that makes it impossible to see the actual effects of badger culling on reducing TB rates. It is disappointing to see it published in a scientific journal.

NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw said: We are aware of this new paper and strongly concur with the governments Chief Vet and Chief Scientific Advisors disagreement with both the methodology used and its resulting conclusions.

Figures from peer reviewed research in the Downs report, which looked at the effectiveness of badger culling to reduce TB in cattle in Gloucestershire and Somerset, demonstrated reductions in herd breakdowns of 66 per cent and 37 per cent respectively.
In its sunlit cobbled central square, one Ukrainian city hosts a poignant protest at the innocent lives lost in the fighting.

The 109 empty prams were arranged in solemn rows yesterday in Lviv, near the Polish border, to mark the number of children killed since Russia invaded.

The haunting spectacle shows the human tragedy at the centre of the conflict: Families torn apart by war.

109 empty baby carriages on display in Lviv city center for the 109 babies killed so far during Russia's invasion of Ukraine

This comes as more than 1,300 people including women and babies are still feared trapped in the bombed ruins of a theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol as rescue efforts are hampered by constant Russian shelling.

The helpless casualties were yesterday forced to spend a third night entombed in the basement of the destroyed Drama Theatre which was hit by Vladimir Putin's forces on Wednesday.

Last night a local MP said those inside were forced to dig from within the wreckage because rescue attempts had been thwarted by ongoing airstrikes.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who branded Russia's attack as 'outright terror', last night vowed to continue the rescue mission.

'Hundreds of Mariupol residents are still under the debris. Despite the shelling, despite all the difficulties, we will continue the rescue work,' he said.

Local authorities said more than 130 survivors have emerged from the rubble of the theatre which was being used as the ravaged port city's biggest civilian bomb shelter.

Pictured: The aftermath of a theatre in the encircled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering on Wednesday March 16

But they said that those saved represented just one tenth of the civilians still trapped within the refuge which miraculously withstood the blast.

Ukraine's human rights commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova said: 'According to our data there are still more than 1,300 people there who are in these basements, in that bomb shelter.

'We pray that they will be alive but so far there is no information about them.'

Former governor MP Serhiy Taruta said he fears many survivors will die because the city's emergency services have been destroyed by Russian troops.

'Services that are supposed to help are demolished, rescue and utility services are physically destroyed. This means that all the survivors of the bombing will either die under the ruins of the theatre, or have already died,' he wrote on Facebook.

He said those trapped had been left to dig their way out of the collapsed three-storey building.

'People are doing everything themselves. My friends went to help but due to constant shelling it was not safe.'

However Mariupol MP Dmytro Gurin insisted that while the rescue mission had been hampered by constant Russian attacks, efforts were still under way.

The haunting spectacle shows the human tragedy at the centre of the conflict: Families torn apart by war

One woman said the strike had taken place while those sheltering beneath the theatre were cooking and only around 100 had time to flee.

Russia has denied responsibility for the devastating strike which was branded a 'war crime' and sparked global outrage.

After an agonising first night of uncertainty following the bombing, Ukrainian officials revealed on Thursday that they were hopeful that the majority within had survived.

Rescuers said that while the entrance to the basement had caved in, the relatively modern shelter had remained intact.

In its sunlit cobbled central square, one Ukrainian city hosts a poignant protest at the innocent lives lost in the fighting

But Miss Denisova said that while some had survived, the situation remained unclear.

She said there was 'currently no information about the dead or wounded under the rubble' and called the attack 'an act of genocide and a terrible crime against humanity'.

Ukraine's Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov branded the Russian pilot behind the bombing a 'monster'.

But the Kremlin's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya yesterday denied that Russia had targeted the shelter.
If nothing else, the Ukraine crisis has at least prompted a long overdue rethink about our energy strategy.

For too long, we have neglected domestic production and relied upon overseas imports in order to keep the lights on.

But how wearily predictable that the governments solution to the problem turns out to be to festoon the country with more giant wind farms.

Onshore wind turbines cause enormous damage to the countryside. They destroy our beautiful landscapes as well as harm local wildlife.

More importantly though, they have proved to be an erratic source of power.

Yes, wind power is becoming more productive in common with most renewables as technologies develop.

Britain has vast unexploited oil and gas reserves. We sit on layers of shale gas

And hopefully those will eventually help us phase out the requirement for environmentally damaging fossil fuels.

But that will take many years and what the UK urgently requires are traditional sources of power capable of plugging the gap in the meantime.

Britain has vast unexploited oil and gas reserves. We sit on layers of shale gas. Nuclear too should be an indispensable part of any future power equation.

But a mixture of risk-aversion, pandering to nimbyism and capitulation to the shrieking eco-lobby has resulted in these abundant energy sources being discarded.

Instead, we have a government which seems intent on burnishing its green credentials and pursuing a headlong dash toward net zero whatever the cost.

If were truly serious about devising a proper strategy capable of fulfilling our needs then it must think again. Otherwise we will find ourselves in hock to vile tyrants such as Putin for decades to come.

Beacon of humanity

The compassion shown by people in this country toward the victims of Russias aggression in Ukraine has been unwavering.

It is less than a week since the government launched its Homes for Ukraine scheme. In that short time, nearly 150,000 households have come forward to provide shelter for those fleeing the horrors of war.

Today, we learn the Oxfordshire village of North Moreton, which has population of just 350, has offered up room in its homes to 50 refugees alone.

Meanwhile, Mail readers continue to break all campaign records. Our Ukraine appeal has raised an astonishing 8million which is already reaching the front line.

Such kindness and generosity is nothing short of remarkable. And proof that during even the darkest of times, the British people can always be relied upon to shine as a beacon of humanity.

End this warped policy

For a more absurd illustration of the alarming muddle we find ourselves in over the transgender debate, look no further.

A woman in hospital says she has been raped, but the NHS inform police the attack could not have occurred as there were no men present on the patients all-female ward at the time.

Except it turns out her alleged attacker was trans. And current NHS policy requires staff to identify trans people only by their chosen gender.

Once again it seems our warped obsession with inclusivity is put above the needs of the real victims. NHS bosses must review this absurd and dangerous policy. And scrap it immediately.

Just when you thought John Bercows reputation couldnt plummet any further, we learn the disgraced ex-Speaker claimed thousands of pounds in furlough cash despite raking it in on the lucrative speaking circuit. A bully, a liar and now a scrounger. The arrogance of this egregious individual truly knows no bounds.
Photo taken on Nov. 22, 2021 shows facilities 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)

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with South Africa to move their ties forward toward a deeper level with higher quality and broader scope, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday afternoon.

Xi made the remarks during his phone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Noting that China and South Africa share a special friendly relationship of comrades and brothers, Xi said consolidating and developing their relations is of great significance to guiding China-Africa relations as well as solidarity and cooperation among developing countries.

The two sides should continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, step up efforts to implement the nine programs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the 10-year strategic plan on cooperation between the two countries, and strive for new achievements in bilateral cooperation in various areas, Xi said.

China welcomes more imports of high-quality South African products, supports the two sides in expanding cooperation in emerging fields such as new energies and e-commerce, and encourages Chinese enterprises to conduct investment cooperation in South Africa and to help South Africa achieve the development goals of the new investment drive, Xi said.

China is ready to discuss cooperation on vaccine production with South Africa, and support South Africa and other African countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi said.

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)

Xi noted that China, which chairs the BRICS this year, is ready to work with South Africa to maintain the development momentum of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, build a high-quality partnership that is more comprehensive, closer, more pragmatic and inclusive, realize the development of member countries and promote stronger, green and healthy global development.

China stands ready to work with all parties to uphold true multilateralism, safeguard international equity and justice, and safeguard the legitimate rights and common interests of emerging economies and developing countries, so as to actively contribute to the steady recovery of the world economy and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

Ramaphosa said he would like to extend once again his wishes to the centennial of the Communist Party of China and congratulate China on the successful Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Noting that China is a reliable and true partner and friend of South Africa as well as for African countries, Ramaphosa thanked China for sticking to a fair position and providing valuable assistance for South Africa and African countries to help them jointly overcome difficulties.

South Africa firmly adheres to the one-China policy and steadfastly supports China's stance on the issue related to Tibet and other major issues, Ramaphosa said.

At this difficult time for the world, he said, South Africa hopes to maintain close contact with China, consolidate friendship, carry forward the two countries' good tradition of mutual support, and deepen South Africa-China practical cooperation in various fields as well as Africa-China comprehensive strategic cooperation.

Ramaphosa said South Africa supports China in carrying out the work as the BRICS chair this year and looks forward to a successful BRICS summit this year.

The two leaders also exchanged views over the situation in Ukraine. Both sides agree that China and South Africa share a very close position on the Ukrainian issue, and that sovereign countries are entitled to independently decide on their own positions.

Both sides support Russia and Ukraine in keeping the momentum of peace talks and settling disputes through dialogue and negotiations.

The two leaders said they are ready to strengthen communication and coordination over the issue.
Five Lehigh County voters have asked a federal court to delay the final tally in a close judicial race while they appeal to have hundreds of discarded ballots counted.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a request for an injunction Friday in U.S. District Court in Allentown to stop the Lehigh County Board of Elections from certifying the election results until a federal appeals court can review Judge Joseph F. Leesons decision this week. That decision threw out a lawsuit on behalf of the voters.

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ACLU of Pennsylvania Legal Director Witold Walczak said the voters will file an appeal in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The elections boards next meeting is Monday, but certification of the judge race is not on the agenda.

A state appeals court in January ruled that 257 ballots that were mailed without handwritten dates on the return envelopes could not be included because the law allowing no-excuse mail-in voting requires the envelopes to be both signed and dated by the voter.

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The ballots have the potential to determine the outcome of a narrow race for Lehigh County judge between the third- and fourth-place candidates. Republican David Ritter has a 74-vote lead over Democrat Zachary Cohen. The elections board and a Lehigh County judge determined the ballots should be counted, but a Commonwealth Court panel overturned the decision, drawing on a 2020 state Supreme Court ruling.

The voters federal lawsuit filed last month argued that the date requirement violates the voting rights provision of the Civil Rights Act, which provides that no voter may be kept from voting because of an immaterial paperwork error. The voters argued that because the ballots were received in the voter registration office by the Election Day deadline, there is no question about their validity. They also argued that the law was unconstitutional.

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In his opinion granting summary judgment for the board of elections, Leeson found that Congress intended the voting rights provisions in the Civil Rights Act to be enforced by the U.S. attorney general and did not provide for individuals to have the right to sue under the law.

The voters argue that the history of the voting rights law stems from Reconstruction Era civil rights laws that were privately enforceable, and that when it was incorporated into the Civil Rights Act in 1957, both Congress and the attorney general acknowledged that would continue. While the 3rd Circuit has not addressed the question, other federal appeals courts have recognized the right of private enforcement.

The 3rd Circuit ought to have the chance to weigh in before plaintiffs lose their fundamental right to vote, the ACLUs filing says.

The ACLU also argued that the government lacked sufficient interest to justify the limitation on voting created by the requirement to hand-write the date on the ballot envelope. Leeson wrote that he found that the government does have a weighty interest in requiring ballots to be dated, drawing on a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The filing notes the board of elections voted unanimously to count the undated ballots before Ritter sued to stop it, and the Pennsylvania secretary of state has concluded the envelope dating requirement is not material. The ACLU argues that the voters have a strong likelihood of winning their appeal, but the harm if the election results are certified will be immediate and irreparable.

They will be disenfranchised as soon as Lehigh County certifies its election. Here, particularly in the unique circumstance where the election has not yet been certified, the public interest is best served by maintaining the status quo, resolving Plaintiffs appeal on the merits, and ensuring that every ballot cast by eligible, qualified voters is counted, the filing says.

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Morning Call reporter Peter Hall can be reached at 610-820-6581 or peter.hall@mcall.com.
Republican Representative Don Young, who was first elected to Congress in 1973 and was its longest-serving current member, died on Friday, his office said in a statement.

The 88-year-old congressman died while traveling home to Alaska, his office said.

'Don Young's legacy as a fighter for the state will live on, as will his fundamental goodness and honor. We will miss him dearly,' the statement said.

His office did not give the cause of death.

Jack Ferguson, who had served as Young's chief of staff, told the Anchorage Daily News that Young lost consciousness on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle and could not be resuscitated.

Republican Representative Don Young, who was first elected to Congress in 1973 and was its longest-serving current member, died on Friday

Young was Alaska's only member in the House of Representatives. The longest-serving member of the current U.S. Congress, according to his website, he represented Alaska for 25 terms and last year he filed to enter this November's election.

'I'm incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Don Young,' U.S. Representative Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, said in a statement.

'He was a passionate champion of his home state of Alaska, but he was also a mentor who, as the Dean of the House, had more institutional knowledge of Congress than anyone I know,' Scalise said.

Young, R-Alaska, is pictured with his wife Anne Garland Walton by Speaker Boehner's office in the U.S. Capitol in 2015

Young was Alaska's only member in the House of Representatives. The longest-serving member of the current U.S. Congress, according to his website. He is pictured with wife Anne Garland Walton

U.S. Representative Dean Phillips, a Democrat from Minnesota, said on Twitter: 'His fiercely independent voice for Alaska and one of a kind wit and character will be missed.'

Young was born in California in 1933 and moved to Alaska in 1959, shortly after statehood.

In Congress, he was known for directing billions of dollars of federal money to Alaska, the largest state in the country but with one of the smallest populations.

In late 2020, Young was diagnosed with COVID-19 after he had earlier ridiculed the disease as a 'beer virus.'

Politicians from both sides of the aisle paid tribute to Young.

'Alaskans are devastated by this shocking and sad news and I am saddened beyond belief about the loss of my friend. We have lost a giant who we loved dearly and who held Alaska in his heart -always. Don was coming home to the place that he loved, and to the people that loved him best. We love you, Don,' said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

'Don Young was a giant, with a heart as big as the Capitol and a spirit as strong as the Alaskan wild. He was the longest serving Republican in the history of Congress - working with ten Presidents and nine Speakers. He was a chairman of several committees, the dean of the House, and a mentor to all of us. No one worked harder for his or her state and people than Don,' added House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Young was born in California in 1933 and moved to Alaska in 1959, shortly after statehood. In Congress, he was known for directing billions of dollars of federal money to Alaska, the largest state in the country but with one of the smallest populations. He is pictured in Congress in his younger years

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg admitted they hadn't always seen eye to eye but he'd enjoyed working with a veteran politician.

'The first time we spoke, Don Young cheerfully informed me that I was the 17th secretary hed dealt with at DOT. Our politics werent the same, but it was always a pleasure working with him. A true character, he shaped US infrastructure in many ways, and will be deeply missed.'

'Some of my favorite stories as Republican Whip in the House are about Don Young. Nobody represented their state better or with more determination than Don Young represented Alaska.' added U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri.

'Congressman Don Young has been a great friend and colleague of mine for many years. I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of this amazing man who, in many ways, formed Alaska into the great state it is today.' - Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

'As the longest serving U.S. Congressman and Dean of the House, he was one of Alaskas biggest champions. His tireless work for Alaska over the last 49 years has made a tremendous impact across generations.' - Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson.

'Sad to hear the news of Don Youngs passing. Don was not just the Dean of the House, he was also a dear friend and a true legend of Congress. Don was a tireless fighter for Alaska who loved the outdoors, including his trips down to Louisiana to fish. Don will be greatly missed.' - Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La

'An absolutely heartbreaking loss for Congress, Alaska, and the United States of America. As Dean, Don Young was an institution in the House of Representatives, beloved and revered by Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Almost every Member of Congress has a one-of-a-kind story of their first interaction with Don Young. He was a tireless and exceptional advocate for the people of Alaska. He spent every single day doing what he loved - bringing his gargantuan voice and outsized leadership on behalf of Alaskans. He was a friend to so many. I was proud to call him a friend and colleague. Don Youngs sudden passing leaves a hole in our hearts and he is simply irreplaceable in the Peoples House. Our deepest prayers and condolences go to his beloved family, friends, dedicated staff, and constituents.' - Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.

'Sad to hear of the passing of Don Young longtime representative from Alaska he was a friend & dedicated public servant God bless his family during this difficult time.' - U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he received 'no complaints' from Senator Kimberley Kitching over claims she was bullied by other women in the party.

'I received no complaints about the treatment of Senator Kitching from Kimberley at any time,' Mr Albanese said at a press conference on Saturday.

That is just a fact. That is not to say that, of course, from time to time in politics, it's a competitive business [and] one where I think we could all be kinder to each other ... within the Parliament, within our own parties, and across the aisle, and I would always urge people to do so.'

Mr Albanese also rejected reports Ms Kitching was 'scared' of the ALP leader.

'That is just not true. Kimberley and I travelled together, have a look at the photos from the trip,' he said.

Mr Albanese was referring to a delegation he led to Taiwan which included Ms Kitching.

'She was vivacious, she was the life of the room she was in. And it is tragic to think that she has departed far too soon.

'It is a tragedy. Labor people overwhelmingly are just giving support to each other. It is a difficult time.'

Health Service Union secretary Diana Asmar was with Ms Kitching (pictured) during the last 48 hours of her life and held her hand as she died from a suspected heart attack in Melbourne on March 10

Ms Asmar claimed Ms Kitching was left 'a physical wreck' by the internal party drama, with her hands shaking uncontrollably (pictured, Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong have been dragged into the bullying allegations)

'I received no complaints about the treatment of Senator Kitching from Kimberley at any time,' Mr Albanese said at a press conference on Saturday.

The opposition leader also doubled down in defending the so-called ALP 'mean girls' in the senate, Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Kristina Keneally.

'Politics can be a robust business [but] politics is better for the participation of valued colleagues in leadership positions, including Penny, Katie, and Kristina Kenneally,' he said.

Mr Albanese has so far refused to set up an inquiry into the bullying allegations.

Mr Albanese's remarks came after Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday accused the ALP leader of 'vanishing' over the issue. 'As soon as things get a bit difficult for the Leader of the Opposition, he goes missing,' he said. 'He vanishes.'

'As prime minister... I'm regularly up in front of you and deal with the hard questions.'

The ALP leader's comments also follow revelations by a close friend who held Kimberley Kitching's hand as she died that the Labor senator was ignored by senior party figures after making complaints about bullying.

Ms Asmar (pictured) claims the Labor senator was ignored by senior party figures after making complaints about bullying

Health Workers Union secretary Diana Asmar was with Ms Kitching during the last 48 hours of her life and held her hand as she died from a suspected heart attack at a Strathmore home, in Melbourne, on March 10.

Ms Asmar claims Ms Kitching was under immense stress that had been brought on by being bullied, frozen out of important policymaking decisions, ignored by senior ALP figures and dumped from the tactics committee.

The union official claimed Ms Kitching was left 'a physical wreck' by the internal party drama, with her hands shaking uncontrollably.

'Her upper lip would quiver at the mention of Anthony Albanese or Penny Wong.'

Ms Asmar said the MP eventually took the matter to Labor deputy leader Richard Marles who allegedly failed to address the issues.

'It seems, however, that when a brilliant female senator brings allegations to the deputy leader of the ALP, all she gets is that of Sergeant Schultz: he knows nothing,' she wrote in an opinion piece for Daily Telegraph.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday accused Mr Albanese of 'vanishing' over the bullying allegations that have rocked the Labor party

The incidents also prompted Ms Kitching to pen a heartfelt seven-page letter urging Labor party members to reflect on toxic behaviour before she called out a 'campaign of bullying'.

Ms Asmar said Ms Kitching had confided in her several times about being bullied and frozen out by high-ranking members of the Labor party.

The close friend claimed that in one instance Ms Kitching was overlooked for her hard work in passing the Magnitsky Act.

The legislation allows the government to impose economic sanctions on foreign individuals who are involved in human rights abuses. It has lately been used to sanction Russian oligarchs during the Ukraine invasion.

Ms Kitching was awarded the International Award for her contribution but her hard work allegedly went unrecognised by Labor leader Anthony Albanese who did not phone the Labor MP to congratulate her.

Ms Asmar claimed Labor senator Penny Wong was initially opposed to the Act, but changed her mind at the last minute. Ms Kitching only learned of it through the media.

Ms Kitching was allegedly kicked off Labor's tactics committee following unsubstantiated claims of disloyalty and untrue accusations she had defended Liberal minister Linda Reynolds over the Brittany Higgins allegations.

Ms Asmar said the MP was denied any due process and took the matter to Mr Marles, who ultimately did nothing to remedy the situation.

Ms Kitching did not receive talking points for media press conferences - an alleged attempt to limit her media appearances - and was left out of important discussions - despite being the fourth most senior Labor figure in the senate.

Ms Asmar said the MP eventually took the matter to Labor deputy leader Richard Marles who allegedly failed to address the issues

Ms Kitching was awarded the International Award for her contribution but her hard work allegedly went unrecognised by Labor leader Anthony Albanese who did not phone the Labor MP to congratulate her

The Labor MP decided to write a seven-page letter addressing the campaign of bullying and planned to hand it to Kristina Keneally, The Australian reported.

The letter demanded the ALP reflect on the difference between 'entirely normal contest of political rivals or rival ideas and what could reasonably be characterised as a campaign of bullying'.

'Standards in workplaces have changed and we should all think about the application of those standards to ensure a safe workplace for everyone here,' she wrote.

The letter was written after Ms Kitching was dumped from the tactics committee and addressed several untrue accusations made against her.

She dismissed claims she had warned Ms Reynolds about the Higgins saga two weeks earlier and that Ms Wong was preparing a political attack against the Liberal minister.

'Simply put, it is not possible to divulge information to anyone about a matter of which I had no knowledge,' Ms Kitching wrote.

Kimberley Kitching pictured with fellow Labor senator Kristina Keneally. The party has been hit by allegations Ms Kitching was ostracised by Ms Keneally and other senior Labor senators Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher before her death

'I had never heard of Ms Brittany Higgins or Senator Reynolds' involvement in her story until it was first reported on 15 February 2021 on news.com.au

'Moreover, it is not possible to divulge a secret plan which did not actually exist. It has not been Senator Wong's practice to divulge her secret plans, if she ever has any, to me.'

Ms Wong meanwhile has revealed she apologised to Ms Kitching after insulting her childless fellow Labor senator by saying: 'If you had children you would understand'.

The Labor Upper House leader addressed the nasty sledge from two years ago in a joint statement with Ms Keneally and Ms Gallagher today.

In the statement, the trio denied bullying Ms Kitching, after they were labelled 'mean girls' in reference to the main characters in the 2004 teen comedy.

In their statement, the trio said 'allegations of bullying are untrue' but admitted 'robust contests and interactions' are frequent in politics.

In October 2019, Senator Wong told Senator Kitching 'if you had children, you might understand' in a discussion about climate change.

Ms Kitching - who was unable to conceive with husband Andrew - had argued the party should not support students who ditched school to attend climate protests.

Senator Kitching's supporters said the comment hurt because she wanted to have children but could not.

Senator Wong has now revealed she apologised for the horrendous remark when it was reported by the ABC in November 2019 in an article that didn't name her.

'After these matters were publicly reported more than two years ago, Senator Wong discussed the matter with Senator Kitching and apologised,' the statement said.

'Senator Wong understood that apology was accepted. The comments that have been reported do not reflect Senator Wong's views, as those who know her would understand, and she deeply regrets pain these reports have caused.'

In October 2019 Senator Wong told Senator Kitching (pictured in May last year) 'if you had children, you might understand' in a discussion about climate change

The three senators also confirmed they will be attending Senator Kitching's funeral in Melbourne on Monday after speaking to her shattered family.

Senator Wong had earlier said she was unsure if she could go as she had a fundraising event in the Northern Territory on the same day.

The full statement by Wong, Keneally and Gallagher This has been a difficult time for the Labor family. Senator Kitching's tragic death has been a shock to us all. People are grieving and hurting. Our priority at this time has been Senator Kitching's husband, Andrew, her family and her loved ones. Their grief is profound, their loss immeasurable. Out of respect for them, and for Senator Kitching, we have not responded to allegations that have been made, despite them not being true. This has been hard, but we believed it to be the right thing to do to maintain some dignity for all concerned. Given the hurtful statements that continue to be made we feel it necessary to respond. The allegations of bullying are untrue. Other assertions which have been made are similarly inaccurate. All of us have spent many years in the service of the public. We do so because we want to make a contribution to the nation. Politics is a challenging profession. Contests can be robust and interactions difficult. All of its participants at times act or speak in ways that can impact on others negatively. We have and do reflect on this, as individuals and as leaders. It is for this reason Senator Wong wishes to place on record a response to specific claims regarding an exchange in a meeting with Senator Kitching. After these matters were publicly reported more than two years ago, Senator Wong discussed the matter with Senator Kitching and apologised. Senator Wong understood that apology was accepted. The comments that have been reported do not reflect Senator Wong's views, as those who know her would understand, and she deeply regrets pain these reports have caused. All three of us will be attending Senator Kitching's funeral. This follows engagement with Senator Kitching's family about our attendance. We will do so to recognise and respect her contribution to public life. Advertisement

Senator Kitching - who was from the Labor Right faction - made allegations of in-party bullying to Deputy Leader Richard Marles in June and then to workplace safety consultants in November.

She told Mr Marles she believed she was being 'frozen out' by the left-dominated Senate leadership team and claimed to have been unfairly dumped from the tactics committee meetings.

Mr Marles reportedly said he would 'sort it out' but nothing happened.

In an awkward interview with Ally Langdon on the Today show on Friday, Mr Marles refused to say if he had let Senator Kitching down.

'I'm not going to walk down that path,' he spluttered.

'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.'

Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Kristina Keneally (right) and Katy Gallagher in 2019

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.

Meanwhile, bombshell texts have 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 fallen out.

Former Labor MP Emma Husar has verified reports of bullying within the party, claiming it caused her so much stress she also developed a heart condition.

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.

Senator Kitching, who was friendly with Coalition MPs and frequently spoke out against China, died on Thursday when she pulled over her car in suburban Melbourne during a suspected heart attack.

She was under stress because he preselection for a senate spot was up in the air. She also had a thyroid condition which caused her to lose weight in recent years.

On Saturday Mr Albanese said he was an 'inclusive' leader who valued the woman in his party.

'I am available to talk to people at any time and the idea that ... we politicise the tragedy of someone's death [is] not constructive,' he said.

'What we should do is pay tribute to Kimberley Kitching's contribution.'

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)
The mostly Gen Z activists have blocked the entrance and climbed among pipes and atop tankers at the Nustar Clydebank terminal, near Glasgow, resulting in dozens of police officers being called to the scene. In videos posted on Twitter, groups of activists can be seen holding up orange banners carrying their organisation's name, while demonstrators - some as young as 17 - warn they will push on with their 'disruptive action' across the country until the UK government releases a 'meaningful' statement agreeing to their demands. It comes just days after a total of 35 people were cuffed after members of the eco-mob damaged pumps and glued themselves to the tarmac and vehicles at two petrol stations on the M25. Meanwhile, drivers were warned last night that Petrol and diesel prices could hit new records within weeks - just in time for the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday getaway in early June. One protestor told Capital Scotland News on Tuesday that the group's demand to stop investment for new oil fields that 'won't be operational for decades to come' was 'more than reasonable'. He added: 'We don't want to be here, we don't want to be inconveniencing people, we don't want to be shutting people out of their work, we don't want to have police here wasting their time with this frankly, when they have got better things to be doing... Our plan is to stay here until we are forcibly removed, and over the longer term we are going to keep doing these disruptive actions until we get a meaningful statement from the government that they're going to halt the expansion of oil and gas.' A spokesperson for the group told MailOnline there have yet to be any arrests and that many plan to protest at the Scottish site 'for several days'.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki deferred Friday when asked about a firm linked to Hunter Biden getting $3.5million from a Russian billionaire who hasn't been sanctioned yet.

Psaki said she had 'no confirmation' of the findings of a Senate report saying just that, nor would she say whether or not the White House had point blank asked her boss' son about it.

With much of her Friday briefing discussing the president's video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, she refused to answer whether or not Hunter Biden divested from a Chinese investment fund controlled by state-owned entities.

Psaki said that the president will stay out of the Department of Justice's investigation of Hunter after the Times reported that he remains under investigation for tax fraud, money laundering and foreign lobbying violations.

'Yes, it's Department of Justice, and I would point you to them,' Psaki said when asked if 'the president still intend[s] to stay out of the case.'

hite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a news briefing at the White House in Washington Friday

Hunter Biden walks from his hotel in Manhattan, New York on November 10

Psaki refused to answer questions regarding Hunter Biden's ties and money to businesswoman Yelena Baturina

She was then asked about the money connected to Russia's wealthiest woman, Yelena Baturina, and reports that she'd dined with Biden in Washington in 2015.

'I don't have any confirmation of the accuracy of that report, so I have no further details,' Psaki responded.

She again hit back when asked about Baturina not yet receiving sanctions during the war in Ukraine and whether or not the president was dealing with conflicts of interest.

'Which we have no confirmation of and he's continued to sanction oligarchs more than we've ever sanctioned in the past, so I'm not sure that's a conflict of interest,' Psaki said, though Baturina remains without sanctions since the war started.

She was then asked about Hunter's ties to China and whether or not he'd divested from a Chinese firm controlled by state-owned entities

'He's a private citizen. He doesn't work for the government. I'd point you to his representatives.

This is the second straight day Psaki avoided questions regarding Hunter Biden as he made headlines yet again this week.

Psaki dodged questions about new developments in the Hunter Biden laptop saga Thursday  directing queries to the Justice Department after the New York Times said investigators confirmed the authenticity of emails appearing to be from his infamous computer.

The matter came up hours after the Times referenced it in a story about how the president's son had settled his unpaid tax bill amid a federal investigation.

The report referenced emails between Hunter Biden and former business associates, which it said appeared to be from a 'cache' of files that appears to have come from the laptop, which was cited as the source of a series of damaging reports the New York Post published weeks before the election.

'The email and others in the cache were authenticated by people familiar with them and with the investigation,' the paper reported.

Asked at Thursday's White House press briefing about the paper's authentication of the information a year and half after the original report, Psaki responded: 'I would point you to the Department of Justice and also to Hunter Bidens representatives  he doesnt work in the government.'

'I would point you to the Department of Justice and also to Hunter Bidens representatives  he doesnt work in the government,' responded White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki after the New York Times reported that investigators authenticated emails purported to come from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop

She was asked about the Times report on Wednesday, although DailyMail.com had computer experts verify the laptop months ago

She didn't offer much more when asked by DailyMail.com about her own labeling of the laptop as Russian disinformation in October 2020.

'Again, I would point you to 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,' Psaki said.

Biden had blasted reports on the laptop as a 'bunch of garbage.'

'There are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what hes accusing me of is a Russian plant,' he said, adding that 'five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what hes saying is a bunch of garbage.'

Both Biden and Psaki were referencing a letter from 50 top former intelligence officials saying the laptop stories had 'all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.'

The paper identified a 'cache' of files that appears to have come from the laptop pertaining to Hunter's business dealings

The laptop contained a trove of embarrassing images

President Joe Biden quoted from generations of family members at St. Patrick's Day events Thurdsay

Psaki tweeted about 'Russian disinfo' weeks before the election

If we are right, this is Russia trying to influence how Americans vote in this election, and we believe strongly that Americans need to be aware of this,' the officials wrote, four years after the Intelligence Community interfered in the 2016 elections.

However the Times story established that government investigators had confidence at least in the information uncovered on Hunter's laptop, however bizarre the story of how the information surfaced.

The laptop resulted in numerous reports about Hunter Biden's business dealings, and contained a trove of embarrassing photos.

The original story in the Post stated that Hunter had dropped off the his Mac at a computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware but neglected to pick it up.

The Times had cast doubt on the provenance of the laptop during its own reports.

It also reported that prosecutors had examined emails between Biden and Devon Archer, one of his business partners at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, citing sources familiar with the probe.

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.
A hardened ex-homicide boss has revealed the murderer who killed Daniel Morcombe sent shivers up his spine when he heard his chilling confession.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins has spent the past 44 years of his life keeping the streets of Brisbane safe since he was sworn into service on March 23, 1979.

Commissioner Wilkins has seen it all as he progressed through the ranks of the police force, from working the streets as a beat cop to dealing with murders as a homicide boss.

His exposure to the dark underworld meant he had to develop a thick skin very quickly as he stared down criminals.

A hardened homicide boss has revealed the murderer who killed Daniel Morcombe sent shivers up his spine when he heard his chilling confession (pictured, assistant commissioner Brian Wilkins)

Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins has spent the past 44 years of his life keeping the streets of Brisbane safe since he was sworn into service on March 23, 1979 (pictured, Daniel Morcombe)

Only on one occasion did Mr Wilkins feel terror pierce through his hardened exterior.

He had joined a police unit in Perth who were listening in on an audio recording device set up in a room of the Hyatt Regency in August 2011.

In the room an undercover police officer was speaking to Brett Peter Cowan.

Cowan was a serial paedophile who had been suspected of killing 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe on the Sunshine Coast in December 2003.

Detectives conducted an eight-year-long investigation that led them to Cowan.

Undercover cops posed as criminals to gain his trust before leading Cowan back to the hotel where they attempted to draw out a confession.

Commissioner Wilkins said he was listening nearby when the child rapist finally admitted he was the murderer.

'When I heard him through the listening devices confess that he had murdered Daniel, I must say that actually sent shivers up my spine,' Commissioner Wilkins told Gold Coast Bulletin.

'It was crazy (when he confessed). To me it was just a great sense of relief. We've got him... to actually find his shoes and find his remains, which corroborated what Cowan was saying, to me was the greatest times in my career.'

Commissioner Wilkins said he was listening nearby when the child rapist Brett Peter Cowan (pictured) finally admitted he was the murderer

The child killer subsequently led police to where he had dumped Daniel's remains, and the teenager was recovered from bushland at Glass House Mountains in August 2011.

He was sentenced to life behind bars in Brisbane's Wolston Correctional Centre in 2014, with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.

Cowan, now 52, remains an unpopular inmate due to his horrific crimes - which include an extensive rap sheet of child sex offences prior to Daniel's murder.

The convicted paedophile has been the target of several brutal attacks at the hands of fellow inmates, including being doused with boiling water in 2016 which left him with permanent scarring.

In May 2018, he was stabbed in the ear and neck with an 'improvised implement' and suffered superficial injuries.

Cowan will be eligible to apply for parole in 2034.

Mr Wilkins will hand in his badge as he retires from the police force in March.
America's top infectious-disease expert hinted that he might retire soon due to falling COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, suggesting the pandemic might finally be over.

Dr Anthony Fauci, 81, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and adviser to President Joe Biden, told ABC's Start Here podcast that he is considering retiring as COVID cases drop and restrictions have been lifted across the country.

'I have said that I would stay in what I'm doing until we get out of the pandemic phase and I think we might be there already if we can stay this,' Fauci said.

'I don't have any plans right now to go anywhere, but you never know. I can't stay at this job forever.'

Fauci has served as public health expert for more than 50 years and has advised every American president since Ronald Reagan, becoming the nation's top COVID expert while drawing criticism over the nation's handling of the pandemic.

The hints of retirement came as he warned that easing restrictions, the waning protection from vaccines and the rise of the BA.2 subvariant in the UK and around the world could bring on another wave of COVID infections to the U.S.

Dr Anthony Fauci , 81 (above), head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and adviser to President Joe Biden hinted that he might retire soon due to falling COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the U.S.

The U.S. recorded about 52,884 new cases over the past day, with about 1,685 new deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. At the height of the Omicron surge, the US hit an all-time record of well over a million new infections every day.

Fauci told ABC that the rise of the new variant, which has seen a spike in the UK, could cause a surge in the U.S. as it appears to be as infectious as Omicron, but added that it would not cause a surge in hospitalizations or deaths.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health was picked to be the White House's lead coronavirus coordinator

'I would not be surprised if in the next few weeks we see somewhat of either a flattening of our diminution or maybe even an increase,' he said, noting that the U.S. is typically two to three weeks behind the UK when it comes to a spike in cases.

'Whether or not that is going to lead to another surge, a mini surge or maybe even a moderate surge, is very unclear because there are a lot of other things that are going on right now.'

He added that the rise could result in COVID restrictions returning to the U.S., but he noted that it would likely be an uphill battle to put the mandates back in place after states all across the country lifted the protocols.

'From what I know about human nature, which I think is pretty much a lot, people are kind of done with COVID,' he said.

If Fauci steps down, his responsibilities would likely be picked up by Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, who was picked to be the White House's lead coronavirus coordinator after Jeff Zients steps down next month.

The possible retirement comes days after Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul announced he's introducing an amendment on to boot Fauci out of the job he's held since 1984, accusing the medical expert of 'abusing' his power during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's the latest move in a war of words between the two arch-rivals that's lasted nearly the entire pandemic since it began in March 2020.

'Weve learned a lot over the past two years, but one lesson in particular is that no one person should be deemed "dictator in chief." No one person should have unilateral authority to make decisions for millions of Americans,' Paul wrote in a Fox News op-ed on Monday.

'To ensure that ineffective, unscientific lockdowns and mandates are never foisted on the American people ever again, I will introduce an amendment to eliminate Dr. Anthony Faucis position as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and divide his power into three separate new institutes,' he added.

'Each of these three institutes will be led by a director who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term,' Paul explained.

'This will create accountability and oversight into a taxpayer-funded position that has largely abused its power and has been responsible for many failures and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.'

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 970,000 Americans since it began.

Its two years have been marked by partisan battles over health mandates such as lockdowns, vaccine requirements and mask rules.

Paul, who has been among the loudest critics of broad public health orders, bashed Fauci as an 'unelected bureaucrat with far too much power.'

'No one person should have the sole authority to dictate science, especially when that one person wasnt ever following the science. Ive said that from the beginning, and Ive been proven right over, and over, and over again. On masks, lockdowns, schools, natural immunity, all of it,' the Kentucky Republican said.

He referenced a late November 2021 CBS interview that sparked GOP outrage, during which Fauci said his critics -- who are all Republicans -- were actually 'anti-science.' Fauci also blamed Paul for threats the COVID expert and his family received.

Fauci has also been accused of shutting down inquiries into the possibility that the coronavirus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, following a bombshell report show he in fact did award U.S. tax dollars for gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Scott Atlas, a former White House COVID adviser, also criticized Fauci during an interview with Carlson Tucker on Thursday night, questioning whether he should even still be America's top adviser.

'When do we admit that the person in charge of the policy is wrong and has been a failure,' Atlas asked.

The criticism extended to the White House, which has been put on edge after a series of positive test results, including Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris' husband who tested positive last week.
An ex-girlfriend of actor William Hurt, who died Sunday aged 71, detailed the alleged physical and emotional abuse she suffered during the course of their more than three-year relationship in guest column for Variety Magazine.

'Bill would snap, physically shove, punch and beat me, followed by tears, apologies and him offering me expensive gifts,' author Donna Kaz penned.

'When the battering began I sloughed it off. He said he was sorry. Perhaps I instigated it. I only had to visit the ER once. It was only after many, many years I admitted to myself that I was the victim of domestic violence.'

Hurt announced he was suffering from prostate cancer which had metastasized to his bones in May 2018 and said at the time it was terminal. But he battled bravely on before finally succumbing on March 13. He was one week shy of his 72nd birthday.

He died, surrounded by his family, in his modest four-bedroom home in Portland, Oregon, where he had lived since 2015.

Now, in wake of his passing, Kaz - who kept the alleged abuse a secret for 35 years, before detailing it during a televised and in her memoir, Un/Masked, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour - is once again speaking out about surviving violence.

Late actor William Hurt (left) has been accused of battery by his ex-girlfriend, author Donna Kaz (right), during their more than three-year relationship in the late 1970s

In a guest column published in Variety Magazine on Thursday, Kaz (left) detailed how Hurt (right) 'would snap, physically shove, punch and beat me, followed by tears, apologies and him offering me expensive gifts'. She said his passing has forced her to face a series of mixed emotions

'William Hurt died on March 13. There have been accolades all over social media, the press and television since then about his acting, his awards, his career. I agree with all of them. But I must also use a good deal of energy to prevent his memory from sitting down next to me and abusing me all over again,' she wrote in the guest column published Friday.

'In writing this I had to let him live again for a moment or two. And in that moment there was sorrow, regret, anger and a dream of reconciliation that will never be.'

Kaz, 67, and Hurt started dating the actor in 1977 when she was 23 and his career had just started taking off.

She recalled 'falling deeply in love' with Hurt, moving with him from New York City to Los Angeles and spending their days swimming, reading poetry and making love.

'But our relationship quickly morphed into a different cycle,' she explained, noting that in 1980, 'at the height of his physical abuse,' Hurt 'dumped' her. However, the pair remained connected, seeing each other a few times each year until 1989.

Decades later, after she started volunteering at the Los Angeles Rape and Battery Hotline, Kaz realized she too was a survivor of abuse.

'For the very first time, I realized I had been abused. As other volunteers were introducing themselves as survivors, it hit me that I was a survivor too,' she shared, noting that after 'coming to terms with what really happened between us, I cut all ties with Bill Hurt.'

Kaz kept the alleged abuse a secret for 35 years, before publicly detailing it in a televised interview and writing about it in her memoir, Un/Masked, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour

She shared how continued to carry the impacts of her relationship with Hurt (pictured in 2019) despite having taken steps to move past their relationship. 'Domestic violence survivors carry something else with them as well. They carry their batterers with them,' she wrote

However, Kaz said she continued to carry Hurt with her, despite taking steps to move past their relationship.

'You have to understand something about surviving violence. It is always with you. It is something you will never get over. And just as you are never going to get over it you incorporate the experience into the fabric of your life. It becomes a part of you,' she penned.

'Domestic violence survivors carry something else with them as well. They carry their batterers with them. Their assailant lives forever in the memories of a deep love who inflicted cruelty and harm. These memories will always be connected. They are impossible to separate.'

Kaz shared how, in recent years, she would Google Hurt's name along with the word 'obituary,' hut her search 'always came up empty'.

'Once I read he was sick, but had made a full recovery. And then a few nights ago my phone pinged with too many messages to be good news. My famous abuser was dead,' she said.

'I wonder about all the folks who Google-search their abusers, waiting for the day when they will no longer exist. Death humanizes people. When our abusers die we might be surprised to discover that in the end they were mortal human beings.

'Except for us, they are also boyfriends, lovers, spouses who tried to change the course of our lives, leaving behind brutal remnants of themselves that we will never forget.'

William Hurt died, a week shy of his 72nd birthday, at his modest four-bedroom house in Portland, Oregon, where he had lived since 2015

Kaz explained how Hurt's death has left her with mixed feelings, as they will never have a chance to reconcile what happened between them.

'I am ambivalent that my chance of reconciliation with William Hurt will never be,' she said. 'I feel lucky that I survived and overcame him. I am ecstatic that I am still alive to speak my truth.'

The author also encouraged other alleged survivors to come forward and share their truth, saying: 'I want this to be the year that everyone talks about violence and abuse and works to end it forever.'

She expressed hope that the #MeToo will remain powerful and she will never regret telling her story, noting that as she told her story, after decades of secrecy, Hurt was 'was constantly there in the back of my mind'.

'I heard him ask if writing this sentence was really necessary and did this really happen this way and wasn't I just exaggerating everything and using our relationship to carve out my own little bit of fame?' she said.

The writer claims she has 'no idea' if Hurt ever read her memoir, but notes he did not try to stop the book from being published and that she had 'ceased hearing from him over 25 years ago'.

One of the last pictures of William Hurt was with his youngest son Will that Will posted to Facebook following his death

Hurt won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Luis Molina in the 1985 movie Kiss of the Spider Woman

Hurt spent his last few weeks in excruciating pain as he refused to take opiates and break his decades-long sobriety, a source close to the Oscar-winning actor has revealed.

He only eventually agreed to hospice care when the pain got too much to bear, the close friend told DailyMail.com exclusively on Wednesday.

'His death was not so much tragic as a gift, the source said. He was experiencing so much pain and suffering, and he went out peacefully.

He was totally against taking opiates because he had been sober for decades, the source said. Thats why he sought out alternative treatments. And he had been doing really well for so long. He even did a couple of movies in between all of this.

'But the cancer just got the best of him. He succumbed to getting morphine just in the last week.'

Weve talked a lot in the last year, and he was still his same self, the source said. When he was on his deathbed, he was a little confused, but he was still really sharp, right up to the end.

His son Alex told DailyMail.com there will not be a funeral. 'That's what he wanted. My dad wanted to keep things private.'

Hurt won his Best Actor Oscar for his starring role in 1985's Kiss of the Spider Woman. He was then nominated for the next two years for Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News. He also starred in movies including The Big Chill, Body Heat and Into the Wild.

Hurt in his iconic role as news anchor Tom Grunick in the classic 1987 movie Broadcast News. He was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars but beaten out by Michael Douglas's portrayal of Gordon Gecko in Wall Street

Hurt won his Oscar playing the role of Luis Molina opposite the late Raul Julia in Kiss of the Spider Woman

Hurt and Kathleen Turner steamed up the screens in 1981's Body Heat

He had four children, Alex, now 39, Sam, 32, Will, 31 and Jeanne, 28.

Alex was from his relationship with Sandra Jennings, Will and Sam from his six-year marriage to Heidi Henderson and Jeanne from his relationship with French actress Sandrine Bonnaire.

His first marriage to actress Mary Beth Hurt lasted from 1971-1981 but 10did not produce children.

He also had a two-year relationship with Marlee Matlin, his co-star in Children of a Lesser God. Her allegations that he raped and abused her have resurfaced since the actor's death.

There was a tribute to him on CBS yesterday morning, and it was so beautiful, the source said, and then they had to go f**k it up by talking about Marlee Matlin and the abuse she wrote about in her book.

He was not so kind at times, the source acknowledged.

It was complicated. I think he had demons. He had real demons, and thats what made him such a wonderful actor. But as a human being, he was challenged. And he really did try.
Vladimir Putin's number one Australian fan has been spotted speaking at a 'freedom' rally outside the Prime Minister's Sydney residence, Kirribilli House.

The self proclaimed 'freedom fighter', Simeon Boikov, was surrounded by anti-vaxxers and fellow pro-Russia supporters, alongside wife Ekaterina Olshannikova on Saturday.

Mr Boikov smiled for photos with an Australian flag draped across his back and spoke through a microphone to fellow protesters while he stood on the back of a ute.

An entourage of two men also stood behind him waving Russian flags.

He has previously campaigned against pandemic lockdowns and against mandated Covid vaccinations.

The self proclaimed 'freedom fighter', Simeon Boikov, was surrounded by anti-vaxxers and fellow pro-Russia supporters, alongside wife Ekaterina Olshannikova on Saturday

The staunch Putin supporter used the rally to spread his views about the invasion of Ukraine

Mr Boikov is seen smiling for photos while holding hands with his wife

Mr Boikov and his wife married in a traditional ceremony in February last year

Bizarrely he and his wife appeared to be in good spirits with Ms Olshannikova resting her head on his shoulder and the pair holding hands, despite the revelation he had an apprehended violence order taken out against him on behalf of his partner.

The pair had married in a traditional Orthodox ceremony last year.

On Saturday Mr Boikov hijacked the anti-vaccination protest to spread his views about the invasion of Ukraine.

'This latest act by the West, what it is a deep state. It's not Russia versus Ukraine. It's Russia versus the New World Order,' he told the crowd.

Protesters are seen at a rally outside Kirribilli House on Saturday

Demonstrators were out in force, protesting against vaccine mandates

NSW Police took out an AVO on behalf of Ms Olshannikova banning her estranged husband from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating her.

An extra condition was that Boikov not harm 'an animal that belongs to or is in the possession' of his wife.

The order was taken out just two weeks before he filmed a beach trip on Australia Day with his young wife where he proudly wore a t-shirt reading 'Aussie Cossack' on the front and 'Film the Police' on the back.

But on Saturday the pair appeared happily married, as he put her arm around her and she leant on his shoulder as they posed for pictures.

Mr Boikov took the chance to claim reports about the AVO were 'garbage', and demanded an apology.

Behind them a line of police officers blocked entrance into Scott Morrison's official Sydney residence as they kept a watchful eye on protesters.

A line of police officers blocked entrance into the Prime Minister's official Sydney residence as they kept a watchful eye on protesters

Similar protests were seen in Melbourne although with much bigger numbers

Many held handwritten signs with 'FREEDOM' plastered across them, as many demanded vaccine mandates be abolished.

Similar freedom rallies were seen in Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne, in what has become a weekly ritual for many protesting against Covid vaccine mandates.

Adelaide's CBD was filled with hundreds of protesters on Saturday with similar numbers seen in Melbourne, though participation in rallies has dwindled since the peak of the pandemic.

Mr Boikov has made headlines recently amid the violent conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The Putin fan, who claims the Russian leader is merely 'liberating' not invading Ukraine, has described his wife as an even more 'staunch' Putin supporter than him and claimed she was 'disgusted with the way the West' has turned against Russia.

She and Boikov, 32, a former Sydney private schoolboy who attended elite Trinity Grammar and St Andrews Cathedral School, married in a traditional ceremony in February last year, believed to have been held at St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Fairfield.

Boikov describes himself as 'a freedom fighter' and the self-appointed chieftain of his Aussie Cossack movement.

Ms Olshannikova took the AVO out against Simeon Boikov (above left, together) in January, less than a year after their marriage (right) in February 2021

Last month after Russia invaded Ukraine, Boikov declared 'I am on war time' and said he was spending most of his time monitoring the actions in Ukraine and posting pro-Putin content online.

He described Scott Morrison's pledge to send Ukraine $70million to fund missiles and armaments as dangerous to Australians and said the Australian Prime Minister was 'a complete fool' to provoke Putin who was 'not mucking around'.

Last week, Boikov urged Australians to boycott McDonald's, Coca-Cola, KFC and among nearly 70 other global brands after the corporate giants closed operations in Russia.
The owner of 'Sexy Summer Camp', which teaches teens about being becoming a prostitute, 'self-managed abortions' and BDSM, says she and her fellow counselors have been forced into hiding after furious backlash over the controversial camp.

Christopher Rufo, who specialized in culture wars, revealed the Sexy Sex Ed team's 'Sexy Summer Camp' program from last year.

He wrote that the sessions for teenagers, aged 13 and above, 'included lessons on 'sex liberation,' 'gender exploration,' 'BDSM,' 'being a sex worker,' 'self-managed abortions,' and 'sexual activity while using licit and illicit drugs.' '

Sexy Sex Ed was founded in 2012 in Whitesburg, Kentucky, to provide sex education to young people in rural Appalachia.

Rufo notes that the founder, Tanya Turner, 'calls herself a 'femme, fat, queer, magical pleasure worker' who was raised by 'a host of witchy women' in a 'coven-like mountain matriarchy' and uses 'crystals,' 'sex toys,' and 'tarot' in her teaching.'

Tanya Turner, who founded Sexy Sex Ed to help young people in rural Appalachia, was written about by Christopher Rufo

Rufo, who writes for the Manhattan Institute, said: 'Sexy Summer Camp founder Tanya Turner self-identifies as a witch, regularly posts about dildos and OnlyFans, runs mixed-age sex workshops with minors and adults, and talks openly about encouraging toddlers to masturbate'

Rufo wrote about the Kentucky organization on March 16

Rufo published online the schedule for the 'Sexy Summer Camp', which took place online over the summer for teenagers aged 13 and above

Rufo noted that discussions included sex and illegal drugs, and practicing masturbation on their hands

In a video on social media, she says that she has encouraged her four-year-old nephews to masturbate, describing it as healthy and normal.

'Masturbation is really healthy and I recommend it to people of all ages. All ages,' Turner said.

'As soon as my nephews could talk, they were doing that.'

Sexy Sex Ed said that, after the publication of Rufo's article, they were subjected to harassment and threatened.

On their website, they state: 'Since last Tuesday, Sexy Sex Ed, our educators, and our funders have been flooded with hundreds of threatening messages across all platforms.

'We recognize that the current misinformation attack against Sexy Sex Ed is part of a long-term, highly funded, and coordinated strategy of the right to maintain and entrench their power through media and narrative control.'

The website of Sexy Sex Ed said that their staff and supporters had been harassed

One source told Jezebel that some of the staff and supporters were afraid to leave their homes, for fear of abuse.

Rufo hit back, saying: 'Sexy Summer Camp founder Tanya Turner self-identifies as a witch, regularly posts about dildos and OnlyFans, runs mixed-age sex workshops with minors and adults, and talks openly about encouraging toddlers to masturbate.

'Criticism is legitimate and to be expected.

'The rush to play the victim is a way to avoid any meaningful discussion about the real issues.

'While we should reject any harassment, we should not allow unsubstantiated victimhood claims to obscure the fact that adults are targeting and sexualizing children.'
A man wanted by police in three states has been extradited to NSW following his arrest on the Gold Coast.

The 44-year-old had been sought in relation to outstanding warrants for domestic violence, drug, traffic and property offences, say NSW police.

He is also wanted by authorities in Victoria and Western Australia.

A man wanted by police in three states has been extradited to NSW following his arrest on the Gold Coast after a joint AFP-Queensland police operation

The 44-year-old had been sought in relation to outstanding warrants for domestic violence, drug, traffic and property offences, say NSW police. He was arrested at Tugun (pictured) on the Gold Coast, Queensland

The man was taken into custody at a residence in the beachside suburb of Tugun as part of a joint operation codenamed Persistence involving federal and Queensland police on Friday.

A first instance warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear before Mullumbimby Local Court in May last year.

There was then a failed attempt to arrest the man in June 2021 at a property at Upper Coopers Creek, inland from Byron Bay.

Police say he was later sighted in the Main Arm, Mullumbimby and Upper Coopers Creek areas.

Following extensive inquiries, local officers received a tip-off the suspect was living in Tugun.

The fugitive was expected to appear in Lismore Bail Court on Saturday

An extradition application was granted by Southport Magistrates Court following his arrest, with the man then charged with further driving and pursuit offences.

He was expected to appear in Lismore Bail Court on Saturday.

Operation Persistence was launched in January by the NSW State Intelligence Command to locate individuals wanted on outstanding warrants.
A Monroe County has been been sentenced to 24 months in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl, federal authorities said Friday.

Dimitris Smith Jr. 43, of Stroud Township, circulated the drugs July 3, 2018, to a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement in the township, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Scranton.

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An investigation into Smiths distribution began 2017 with an anonymous tip to Pennsylvania State Police concerning drug trafficking in Monroe County, authorities said.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Smith, which took place Thursday, according to authorities.

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State police and the FBI investigated the case, which was part of a joint federal, state, and local initiative to reduce violence crime known as Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys Offices nationwide.
A cyclist has allegedly been assaulted, robbed and pushed into oncoming traffic in a wild road rage incident that played out in the middle of a busy road.

The Gold Coast man, 36, dismounted his bicycle at an intersection on Ross Street, Benowa, on Friday night at 6:45pm and approached a silver SUV believing someone inside had hurdled an object at his head.

Police allege the passenger in the vehicle responded by getting out and shoving the rider before punching him in between cars that were waiting at a red light.

Pictured: The cyclist appears to confront those inside the SUV after being struck by an object

The passenger - a male in hi-vis - at one point even allegedly threw the bicycle at the owner during the road rage incident.

When the extraordinary scene began, the female driver of the SUV pulled over on the other side of the intersection, later returning to collect her passenger.

The two then ran through traffic at the intersection back to their vehicle.

'They fled the scene, stealing the cyclists backpack containing his phone and personal items,' Queensland Police allege.

At one point the male in hi-vis appears to throw the cyclist's bicycle at him (pictured)

The driver of the SUV leaves her parked car to go and collect her pack-pilfering passenger as the pair take off with the cyclists belongings (pictured)

A white ute tried to stop the vehicle from speeding off by pulling over and blocking it in.

But, the silver SUV mounted the footpath and disappeared from the scene.

The cyclist suffered abrasions and bruising as a result of the incident.

Investigators are now appealing to both the passenger and driver of the SUV to contact them and for any witnesses or people with dashcam footage to reach and contact police.

Detectives would also like to speak with the driver of the white ute which attempted to block the pair's path.
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Brave Ukrainians are risking their lives to get into Kyiv to help those left behind while their city is encircled and bombarded by the pitiless Russian Army, MailOnline has found.

Grass-root aid networks have sprung up across the country to ensure those who have stayed behind in their homes in the besieged capital are able to get food and other crucial supplies.

MailOnline travelled with SAVE UKRAINE to Kyiv from their warehouse headquarters in the safe haven city of Lviv to witness at first hand the desperate operation to get humanitarian aid to the people who need it most.

Set up by refugees who fled the capital to relative safety, this group are now risking their lives to get back into the city to help those left behind.

The group is made up of 30-something professionals who have hammered their contact books to appeal for donations of food, medicines, clothes, blankets and anything else that will help those left behind survive.

We travelled with one of their deliveries into the city where we discovered an inspiring situation in which brave volunteers are risking their lives daily to ferry vital supplies  food, medicine, clothes and blankets  into and around the besieged city to support the poor, sick and the vulnerable.

The group is made up of 30-something professionals who have hammered their contact books to appeal for donations of food, medicines, clothes, blankets and anything else that will help those left behind survive

Brave Ukrainians are risking their lives to get into Kyiv to help those left behind while their city is encircled and bombarded by the pitiless Russian Army, MailOnline has found

Now more than 70 volunteers sort, pack and transport this vital aid from their warehouse in Lviv to the front-line of need

We travelled with one of their deliveries into the city where we discovered an inspiring situation in which brave volunteers are risking their lives daily to ferry vital supplies  food, medicine, clothes and blankets  into and around the besieged city to support the poor, sick and the vulnerable

Vasily Trush with Mariya and baby Yegor and friend Stanislav Novokshonov

A volunteer service set up to help residents in towns and cities in Ukraine at a free food distribution centre in Poznyaky, Kyiv

Grass-root aid networks have sprung up across the country to ensure those who have stayed behind in their homes in the besieged capital are able to get food and other crucial supplies

MailOnline travelled with SAVE UKRAINE to Kyiv from their warehouse headquarters in the safe haven city of Lviv to witness at first hand the desperate operation to get humanitarian aid to the people who need it most

A volunteer service set up to help desperate residents in towns and cities in Ukraine sort and distribute clothing and bedding at their warehouse, formerly a carpet storage unit. Organiser and coordinator Martyn Kovalko

Families have told how these food parcels help them through these dark times

A soup kitchen established at the Dellini restaurant in Kyiv set up to help hungry vulnerable residents in the area

A volunteer service set up to help desperate residents in towns and cities in Ukraine at a free food distribution centre in Poznyaky, Kyiv. Pictured, Olga Podorozhna

In Kyiv on Sunday morning hundreds of women, children and old men queued for hours outside a Baptist Church in the snow in a housing estate in the Poznyaky district for vital supplies

Diana Kovenya with her son queueing for vital supplies as the Russian war in Ukraine rages on

As we speak the heavy thump of artillery fire can be heard in the background

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 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

Packed on to trucks, buses and vans, the aid is transported over-night to the capital where it is distributed through churches and restaurants or delivered straight to the homes of the frail and most vulnerable.

In Kyiv on Sunday morning hundreds of women, children and old men queued for hours outside a Baptist Church in the snow in a housing estate in the Poznyaky district for vital supplies.

Volunteer coordinator Yevhenii Hontarzhevskyi, 30, explained: Every day we provide what we can for the people who need it.

There are families, old and disabled who cannot get out of their homes easily, so we deliver food and medicine to them.

We always have a queue outside waiting to collect whatever we can offer them.

Families have told how these food parcels help them through these dark times.

Mother Diana Kovenya, 31, told MailOnline: This aid really helps me to keep food on the table. We are really grateful.

Many of the shelves are empty, there is no cereal, no flour in the shops. Life would be so much harder without it. There are five of us in my household. Me, my husband, our son Yan and my parents. My husband lost his job because of the war. The bombing keeps us awake at night and we cannot rest during the day.

Grandmother Natalia Sivak is not queuing for herself, but here to collect medicines for her disabled neighbour. The 64-year-old told MailOnline: I live with my daughter Alexandra and little Vanya. She is at work so he has come with me.

We are ok but my neighbour is disabled, she cant get out. She needs her pills and so I am here to collect it for her. Other people need the aid more than us.

Food parcels are packed with whatever can be found. Today there is; Yoghurt, dried beans, tinned meat, a jar of jam, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, tooth brushes and toothpaste, pasta, some flour, buckwheat, packets of dried spaghetti and macaroni, a jar of pasta sauce, some potatoes, some fresh Ukrainian raviolis, as well as a small bag of sweets and some chocolate. As well as vitamins and the correct medicines for each patient.

As we speak the heavy thump of artillery fire can be heard in the background.

New parents Tatiana and Stanislav Novokshonov and their one-year-old daughter Melania, tell how they are struggling to cope.

Tatiana says: Life is hard at the moment. Many of the shops are closed and I cannot find everything I need. I cannot find nannies or baby food.

Stanislaw added: Wed like to get out Kyiv but I lost my job because of the war and we dont have money. And we are scared to travel. We dont know if the roads are safe.

The lives of event manager Vasiliy Trush, 27, Mariya, 27, and their baby Yegor have been thrown into chaos by the war.

He said: We had a good life, a new baby son and then everything changed. I lost my job and we have no money. Our lives have changed completely.

Nearby the Dellini restaurant is getting ready for lunch-time service. With views over Kyivs Sonyachne Lake the sun terrace is a popular place to while away a Sunday afternoon.

But today the kitchen staff are preparing 500 meals to be collected and a further 200 to be delivered to whoever needs it  free of charge.

The group is made up of 30-something professionals who have hammered their contact books to appeal for donations of food, medicines, clothes, blankets and anything else that will help those left behind survive

Desperate Kyiv locals queueing for vital supplies including food as the Russian war in Ukraine rages on

A soup kitchen established at the Dellini restaurant in Kyiv set up to help hungry vulnerable residents in the area.

SAVE UKRAINE is an independent charity run by Ukrainian volunteers to support Ukrainian people in Kyiv and Kharkiv

Grass-root aid networks have sprung up across the country to ensure those who have stayed behind in their homes in the besieged capital are able to get food and other crucial supplies

Podorozhna pictured in the centre giving out food supplies in Poznyaky, Kyiv

Natalia Sivak pictured with her two-year-old grandson Vanya

Nearby the Dellini restaurant is getting ready for lunch-time service

With views over Kyivs Sonyachne Lake the sun terrace is a popular place to while away a Sunday afternoon

As we speak the heavy thump of artillery fire can be heard in the background

Chef Normina Ruban, 39, and her crew are knocking up a hearty chicken and vegetable soup. Main course is a quarter of roast chicken with herby potatoes and roasted peppers. Simple but delicious.

Restaurant manager Nikolay Karpenko, 32, told MailOnline: We provide meals for 500 people every day and we deliver another 200.

We feed all kinds of different people  refugees who have arrived in Kyiv, old people, the poor, the sick, the vulnerable. Everyone is welcome. We use our contacts to get our produce. We also get donations from local aid agencies like SAVE UKRAINE.

He added: At the moment we are getting fresh produce  meat, potatoes, vegetables. But we are storing our dried food for the future. If the Russians lay siege to the city we can still feed the people for a few weeks. We have dried and frozen food. And if we run out of meat we will take fish from the Dnieper river!

Among those queuing in the cold for hot food are Yevgen Bragar, his wife Elena and their six-year-old son Makar.

The family fled their home in Chernihiv when Russian tanks rolled across the border just a few miles away. Now they are trying to work out an escape route from Kyiv.

Elena, 33, explained: This hot food is a lifeline. We are trying to work out a way to get out. So this gives us time to plan our escape.

Grandmother Ludmyla Maltsova added: We are five in the family. My daughter is pregnant. This means we have a hot meal.

SAVE UKRAINE was set up by IT entrepreneur Martyn Kovalko.

Now more than 70 volunteers sort, pack and transport this vital aid from their warehouse in Lviv to the front-line of need. Among them are Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra musicians Taras Nester and Nadiia Duldiier.

Martyn, 33, explained: The day that the war started everyone asked what can we do.

So together with many friends we worked out a way to get aid to the people who need it the most.

SAVE UKRAINE is an independent charity run by Ukrainian volunteers to support Ukrainian people in Kyiv and Kharkiv. Click here for more information.
Sydney is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the unveiling of the Harbour Bridge, which has since hosted millions of cars, countless climbers, fireworks displays and a historically defining reconciliation walk.

Numerous celebrities have climbed the Coat hanger in its star-studded life-time, including Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, Kylie Minogue, Robert De Niro and Cate Blanchett.

Royals Prince Harry and Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark have also tested their altitudinal aptitude on the iconic steel arch.

Pictured: David Hasselhoff proposes to girlfriend Hayley Roberts on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Pictured: Royal Prince Harry and Prime Minister Scott Morrison climbed the Harbour Bridge with Invictus Games Representatives in 2018

NSW Premier Jack Lang was to open the bridge by cutting a ceremonial ribbon with a pair of scissors before a boisterous gathering of 300,000 Sydneysiders at the height of the Great Depression on March 19, 1932.

However Francis de Groot had other ideas.

The former cavalry officer and member of the right-wing New Guard militia, dashed past Lang on a racehorse as the clock struck 10, lunged forward and slashed the ribbon with a sword in one cinematic fell swoop.

Pictured: Philadelphian cruise liner SS Malolo passes by the partially constructed Sydney Harbour bridge in 1930

Pictured: Intended ribbon-cutter and NSW premier Jack Lang and his wife at the bridge opening ceremony

Pictured: Crowds crossing the Harbour Bridge for the opening celebration in March, 1932

Historian Ian Hoskins, who wrote an award-winning book about Sydney Harbour, told AAP the bridge soon became a focal point for Australia's place in the world as a modern nation.

"The Sydney Harbour Bridge not only became a symbol of Sydney, it became something people recognised as Australian very quickly," he said.

"It symbolised a new modern Australia. It said, 'look what we can do, we built this astonishing bridge in only eight years'."

From engineering marvel to national icon the Sydney Harbour Bridge remains an internationally recognised landmark of Australia

The architectural feat involved 40,000 tonnes of fabricated steel spanning 500 metres minus a middle support pylon.

Dr Hoskins said the massive Bridge Walk for Reconciliation in 2000 when 250,000 people rallied for a new social contract with Indigenous Australians was not only "visually appealing" but a potent political moment.

"A bridge symbolises literally spanning a gap and joining two sides, two sides of an argument, two sides of an issue. So the bridge is a symbol of reconciliation in many respects," he said.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge has long been home to the world's most impressive NYE fireworks display

Pictured: Sunset behind the Harbour Bridge in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics

Farmer and war veteran Ian Litchfield, 95, said he might bring out a bottle of Glenfiddich scotch while watching the anniversary celebrations from Hampton in central western NSW on Saturday.

The tipple will be to honour his father, one of the lead engineers who worked on the bridge.

"He was (bridge proponent John Bradfield's) chief supervising engineer for the fabrication and erection of the steelwork," Mr Litchfield told AAP.

Through thick and thin: The Harbour Bridge has been a cultural icon for nine decades, here pictured in a dust cloud blown over Sydney in 2009

Pictured: A poster promoting the opening ceremony of the Sydney Harbour Bridge reads 'AUSTRALIA IS CALLING'

"We were brought up with the bridge. It used to be discussed at the dinner table when we were young.

"I'm very proud of my father."

Mr Litchfield does not remember walking across the mighty structure with his dad as a five-year-old but the photographs of the occasion are precious to him.

What he does recall vividly is bursting with pride when he later came to Sydney and crossed the harbour by bus to attend reunions with mates who served on HMAS Bataan in the Philippines during World War II.

"I always used to enjoy it going across. I tried to get in the back part of the bus so you'd be higher up so you can see down the harbour," he said.

Their last gathering was about four years ago. Mr Litchfield is the only one still walking
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Glamorous race-goers dressed to the nines in fascinators, plunging necklines and revealing outfits hit the race track for Sydney's Golden Slipper on Saturday with filly Fireburn pulling off a stunning victory.

Revellers soaked up the sunshine and the Champaign at Rosehill Racecourse after weeks of rainy, cold weather across the Harbour City.

But after the rank outsider snuck across the line by two-and-a-half lengths, some lucky punters might be waking up with a sore head.

Comeback jockey Brenton Avdulla (pictured) revealed he was resigned to Fireburn being a Golden Slipper also-ran before the filly upstaged Australia's best two-year-olds to win the $5million race

Glamorous race-goers were out in force to soak up the sunshine after weeks of rain and cold weather in Sydney

Party time! Revellers ditch their high heel shoes and go barefoot after a long day of celebrations at the Golden Slipper

Comeback jockey Brenton Avdulla revealed he was resigned to Fireburn being a Golden Slipper also-ran before the filly upstaged Australia's best two-year-olds to win the $5million race.

In an extraordinary ending to the signature race of the Sydney autumn carnival, Fireburn recovered from interference in the middle stages that was so bad it was enough to convince Avdulla it had ended her chances at Rosehill.

'I don't know how the hell I won to be honest,' Avdulla told the Seven Network.

In a roughly run Slipper decided on testing ground after overnight rain, Avdulla had a lot to with Fireburn giving trainer Gary Portelli his second win in the world's richest race for two-year-old thoroughbreds.

Flower power: Race-goers are all smiles as they make their way to the track at Rosehill Racecourse

Time for a snack! A punter in a sharp suit takes a moment to tuck into a tasty treat as the action on the track plays out

Pictured: One glamorous race-goer ditches her high heel shoes after a long day of celebrations at Rosehill

Although circumstances dictated Fireburn was shunted towards the back of the field at the 600m, Avdulla did his best to allow the filly to regain her rhythm without ever thinking she was a winning chance.

But he was able to navigate an uninterrupted passage along the inside from the home turn, switching Fireburn around one runner before setting out after the leaders.

And in a matter of a few strides the race was over and Fireburn ($12) revelled in the heavy conditions for a 2-1/2 length win.

Best Of Bordeaux ($11) made a spirited bid for an all-the-way win to finish second with the favourite Coolangatta ($3.70) taking the minor placing after looking the winner at the 200m.

Brenton Avdulla on Fireburn (pictured) returns to the scale after winning race 8 the Longines Golden Slipper

Stylish and extravagant hats were a popular choice for fashion-conscious revellers enjoying all the trackside action

Best Friends! Gal pals embraced by the track after Fireburn snatched victory in the Golden Slipper

Avdulla, barely a month into a return to riding after a serious injury from a fall, said he was certain Fireburn had lost all chance.

'There was a massive shuffle up when we got out of the chute and we all but sold out and I thought out 'well there's our race over'.

'So I just tried to balance her up, try and get her sorted so she could earn a bit of prize money for connections.

'Then I got to 300 (metres) out I said 'this thing is still going to win'.

'I just had to duck and weave a bit and when she came off Best Of Bordeaux's heels it was race over.'

Brenton Avdulla on Fireburn is pictured crossing the finish line to claim the 2022 Golden Slipper in Sydney

Silky and stylish race-goers don pink and white outfits as they kick back and take in all the glamour of the Golden Slipper

Portelli prepared She Will Reign to win the 2017 Golden Slipper in similar conditions but Saturday's result had extra significance because he also trained Fireburn's unheralded sire Rebel Dane.

Rebel Dane was retired to stud as a dual Group One winner but has been largely been overlooked as a serious commercial stallion and he stands for a modest $11,000 in an era of inflated service fees.

'(Rebel Dane) was such a great horse to us ... he took us on such a great journey,' Portelli said.

'We were able to race in Hong Kong with him, he won two Group Ones and he just raced at the top level for so long.'

Jockey James McDonald said Coolangatta, first-up into the race since her Magic Millions win in January, became bogged down when it counted.

'She tried her heart out ... she let down but the ground got her,' McDonald said.

A group of mates are seen at Rosehill Racecourse on March 12 for the Lady's Day of the Golden Slipper Carnival

A touch of pink! Ladies were asked to add a touch of pink on March 12 to their outfits for a day of racing in perfect sunny conditions

One couple attended the races on March 12 in matching floral outfits as women in dresses of all colours strolled through Rosehill Racecourse's gates
The Scottish government sparked fury after it approved a deal by Pepsi to send thousands of seed potatoes to Russia even though many companies have pulled out of doing business in the country.

In a 600,000 deal with Aberdeen's Saltire Seed, 2,000 tons of seed potatoes will be delivered to Russian farmers by a convoy of 100 lorries.

Even Pepsi stopped selling drinks in Russia after alleged war criminal Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

The Scottish government has approved a deal by Pepsi to send thousands of seed potatoes to Russia even though many companies have pulled out of doing business in the country (File image)

In a 600,000 deal with Aberdeen's Saltire Seed, 2,000 tubers, or seed potatoes (pictured), will be delivered to tens of thousands of Russian farmers by a convoy of 100 lorries

It comes as many businesses have pulled out of Russia because of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: A firefighter stands on the wreckage of a secondary school in Merefa, Kharkiv, that was hit by a cruise missile on March 17

Although Pesi said the deal was legal and certified by Nicola Sturgeon's government it has faced backlash from the Ukrainian community.

Iryna Terlecky, the head of the Association of Ukrainians in Britain, said it was wrong to approve the exports.

She said many people would be frustrated that Pespi was trading with the Russians.

Saltire Seed chief Tim Halliwell said it was too difficult to stop the deal because growing seed potatoes takes four to five years, meaning supply cannot be stopped immediately (File image)

Although Pesi said the deal was legal and certified by Nicola Sturgeon's (pictured) government it has faced backlash from the Ukrainian community

'We hope that they will reconsider and do what is morally right,' she told The Times.

'Does Pepsi really care more about profit than the children that have been killed and the millions whose lives have been shattered?'

A Pepsi spokesman said the company was shocked by the war in Ukraine and that 'as a food and beverage company, now more than ever we must stay true to the humanitarian aspect of our business'.

The aftermath of a theatre bombed in the encircled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering on Wednesday March 16

Residents are seen on the street after emerging from bomb shelters, gathering their belongings as they prepare to flee the city

109 empty baby carriages on display in Lviv city center for the 109 babies killed so far during Russia's invasion of Ukraine

He added: 'We are continuing to support the livelihoods of the 40,000 Russian agricultural workers in our supply chain as they face significant challenges and uncertainty ahead.

'This includes the provision of high quality potato seeds that Scottish farmers have spent four years nurturing before they enter the agricultural system in Russia.'

Saltire Seed chief Tim Halliwell said it was too difficult to stop the deal because growing seed potatoes takes four to five years, meaning supply cannot be stopped immediately.

A woman weeps after seeing the ruins of her destroyed block of flat in Mariupol, which is under bombardment by Russia

An aerial view shows residential buildings which were damaged during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol

A government spokesman said: 'The Scottish government does not approve export deals.

'We have made clear the Scottish government and its economic agencies will use all available powers not to support trade with Russia.'

The devastating losses inflcited across Ukraine by the invading Russian army have sparked a poignant protest in Lviv, where 109 empty prams were arranged in solemn rows to mark the number of children killed since the war started.

The conflict has ground into its fourth week as Putin's troops have failed to take Kyiv - a major objective in their hopes of forcing a settlement or dictating the country's future political alignments.
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Russia unleashed its 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, the defence ministry said today, destroying a weapons storage site in the country's west on Friday.

Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.

Moscow claims the 'Kinzhal'- or Dagger - is 'unstoppable' by current Western weapons. The missile, which has a range of 1,250 miles, is nuclear capable. This was a conventional strike.

'The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region', the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.

Russian Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov also said that the Russian forces used the anti-ship missile system Bastion to strike Ukrainian military facilities near the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Aerial footage released by the Russian military claimed to show the missile strike. Large, long buildings are shown in the footage in a snowy region, before one is obliterated by a huge explosion - sending flames, earth and debris high into the air. People can be seen on the ground fleeing as smoke pours from the site.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat confirmed that a storage site had been targeted, but added that Kyiv had no information regarding the type of missile that was used.

'The enemy targeted our depots' but 'we have no information of the type of missile,' he said. 'There has been damage, destruction and the detonation of munitions. They are using all the missiles in their arsenal against us.'

Russia reportedly first used the weapon during its military campaign in Syria in 2016 to support the Assad regime, although it was unclear if this was the same model. Some of the most intense bombing came in 2016 during the battle for Aleppo, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the missile 'an ideal weapon' that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems.

Deliatyn, a picturesque village in the foothills of the picturesque Carpathian mountains, is located outside the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. The region of Ivano-Frankivsk shares a 30-mile long border with NATO member Romania.

Since Putin's invasion on February 24, most of the fighting has taken place in Ukraine's east - closer to Russia - as Moscow's forces struggle to make significant gains further into the country.

However, in recent days there have been signs of more western strikes, with one person being killed overnight in a missile attack near Lviv, the closest strike yet to the centre of the western city - where thousands have fled to.

The strike comes as Ukraine's forces continue to put up a fierce resistance against the invading armies, which have been forced to resort to seemingly indiscriminate artillery strikes on population centres.

Moscow's troops have been stalled for days. Kyiv has claimed the invaders have suffered almost 15,000 casualties.

American sources estimate the number is lower, saying that 7,000 Russian troops have died so far in the fighting, including four major generals and a number of other senior officers.

Reports on Saturday said that a fifth Russian general had been killed.

Russia unleashed its 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, the defence ministry said today, destroying a weapons storage site in the country's west on Friday. Pictured: An injured woman looks on as she receives medical treatment after shelling in a residential area in Kyiv on March 18, 2022

Ukrainian policemen secure the area by a five-storey residential building that partially collapsed after a shelling in Kyiv on March 18, 2022, as Russian troops try to encircle the Ukrainian capital

Pictured: The moment the Kizhal hypersonic missile destroyed the ammunition depot in western Ukraine, according to Russian Ministry of Defence

Large, long buildings are shown in the footage in a snowy region, before one is obliterated by a huge explosion - sending flames, earth and debris high into the air. People can be seen on the ground fleeing as smoke pours from the site (left)

Pictured: A video screen grab showing a test of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, dubbed 'an ideal weapon' by Vladimir Putin (file photo)

The missile can carry both conventional weapons and nuclear warheads, and can be launched from fighter jets - including Tu-22M3 bombers or MiG-31K interceptors. Pictured: The missile is seen being carried by a MiG-31K during a fly-over of Moscow's Red Square in 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the missile 'an ideal weapon' that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems. Pictured: Putin speaks during a rally on Friday to mark the eighth anniversary of 'annexing' Crimea, and spoke of 'de-Nazifying' the peninsula and of debunked claims of 'genocide' in the Donbass

Russia's announcement of the missile strike came as Kyiv's army high command claimed to have killed a fifth Moscow general since the war in Ukraine began. Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev (pictured) was one of Vladimir Putin's most senior commanders, in charge of the 8th All-Military Army of the Kremlin's vast Southern Military District

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile Russia's Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile is a nuclear-capable hypersonic aero-ballistic air-to-ground missile. The Kremlin claims it can reach Mach 10 speeds (10-times the speed of sound), and has a range of more than 1,250 miles. Putin has previously described it as 'an ideal weapon', likely due to its ability to perform evasive maneuvers at all stages of its flight path. The missile can carry both conventional weapons and nuclear warheads, and can be launched from fighter jets - including Tu-22M3 bombers or MiG-31K interceptors. The Kinzhal entered service in December 2017, and was officially unveiled by Vladimir Putin in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018. However, there were also reports of its use in Syria in 2016 in the battle for Aleppo, which saw some of the most intense bombing of the war and resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths. Russia has said that the missile is designed to strike NATO warships that themselves pose a threat to Moscow's missile system, as well as to destroy NATO missile defence systems. Russia has boasted that it is capable of overcoming any US air or missile defence systems that are known about, or under development. Advertisement

The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018, although there have been reports of its use before then.

In June last year Russia mounted a massive military show of strength to taunt British forces in the eastern Mediterranean. MiG-31K supersonic warplanes carrying the hypersonic Kinzhals were deployed in a drill from Putin's airbase in Syria.

Reports in the state run media made clear the exercises were specifically timed to coincide with the British Royal Navy's deployment of a strike group led by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Hypersonic missiles can be used to deliver conventional warheads, more rapidly and precisely than other missiles. But their capacity to deliver nuclear weapons could add to a country's threat, increasing the danger of a nuclear conflict.

'This is the first case of the use of hypersonic weapons in combat in the world,' military analyst Vasily Kashin told AFP.

Russia leads the hypersonics race, followed by China and the United States, and several other countries are working on the technology.

Kashin, head of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, said that compared to cruise missiles hypersonic weapons were more efficient at destroying underground storage sites.

'A hypersonic missile can have higher penetration and destructive power due to its very high speed,' he said.

Like the much slower, often subsonic cruise missile, a hypersonic missile is manoeuverable, making it harder to track and defend against.

But some experts have said Russia might be exaggerating the abilities of its hypersonic arsenal.

Military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer suggested that the use of the Kinzhal would change little on the ground in Ukraine.

'Fundamentally this does not change anything on the battlefield, but it gives a certain psychological and propaganda effect to scare everyone,' he told AFP.

Rescuers carry a Ukrainian soldier saved after 30 hours from debris of the military school hit by Russian rockets, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 19, 2022

An injured woman is seen on the shell-damaged street in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 18, 2022

Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko is seen on the shell-damaged street in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 18, 2022

A woman cries in front of her shell-damaged home in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 18, 2022

People carry a dead body after a residential buildings hit by a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 18, 2022

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky rewards a police special team member as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 19, 2022

He said Russian forces could have used the advanced missiles also because they might be running out of other weapons. 'The costs are too high,' he said. 'No one expected such a long war.'

Joseph Henrotin, defence strategy researcher and chief editor of DSI, a French military review, struck a similar note. Taking to Twitter, he suggested that Russia might be running out of Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems or wanted to raise the stakes by deploying a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in Ukraine.

Today, the Russian defence ministry also said it had deployed Bastion coastal missiles at electronic intelligence centres in the Odessa region.

In December 2021, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the appearance of a separate aviation regiment armed with MiG-31K aircraft with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.

Earlier Putin said that the country began to create hypersonic weapons 'in response to the US deployment of a strategic missile defence system.'

Russia's announcement of the missile strike came as Kyiv's army high command claimed to have killed a fifth Moscow general since the war in Ukraine began.

Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev was one of Vladimir Putin's most senior commanders, in charge of the 8th All-Military Army of the Kremlin's vast Southern Military District.

Moscow did not initially confirm his death in keeping with most previous claims of the 'liquidation' of Generals.

Ukraine now claims to have killed five holding the rank of General.

'As a result of fire on the enemy by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the commander of the 8th All-Military Army of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvishev was killed,' said a statement from the army general staff in Kyiv.

Ukranien soldiers sit next to the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, Saturday

Ukranien soldiers walk next to the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Saturday

A Ukranien soldier stands next to rifles of dead and injured soldiers close to the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 19, 2022

A Ukranien soldier runs to a military trench as a Russian jet fighter flies over next to the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 19, 2022

Pictured: A video screen grab showing a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile, launched during a strategic deterrence exercise by the Russian armed forces, in February 2022 (file photo)

An airman checks a Russian Air Force MiG-31 fighter jet prior a flight with Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a drill in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022

Pictured in this video grab released by Russia's Defence Ministry is the launching of a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile during a strategic deterrence exercise by the Russian armed forces

The statement did not say where he was killed but other accounts claimed it was in the village of Chornobaivka, Kherson Region. This was attributed to Vadym Denysenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister.

The Ukrainians also claimed that wounded Russian soldiers have filled all hospital facilities in Gomel city in Belarus.

'All health institutions with surgical departments are involved in the admission and treatment of the wounded occupiers,' said the Ukrainian general staff.

'Surgeons are working around the clock.All scheduled operations of Belarusian citizens are either cancelled or postponed indefinitely. A high death rate is recorded among the severely wounded Russian invaders.'

Overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces are blockading his country's largest cities to wear the population down into submission, but he warned Saturday that the strategy will fail and Moscow will lose in the long run if it doesn't end its war.

Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of deliberately creating 'a humanitarian catastrophe ' and appealed for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him, using a huge Moscow stadium rally where Putin lavished praise on Russian forces Friday to illustrate what was at stake.

'Just picture for yourself that in that stadium in Moscow there are 14,000 dead bodies and tens of thousands more injured and maimed. Those are the Russian costs throughout the invasion,' Zelenskyy said in a nightly video address to the nation recorded outside the presidential office in Kyiv.

The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home. The event was surrounded by suspicions it was a Kremlin-manufactured display of patriotism. Russian police have detained thousands of people from protests of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Fighting continued on multiple fronts in Ukraine. In the besieged port city of Mariupol, the site of some of the war's greatest suffering.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the country hopes to evacuate civilians on Saturday via ten humanitarian corridors from cities and towns on the front line of fighting with Russian forces.

She said a corridor had been agreed for the besieged city of Mariupol, although the authorities' previous efforts to evacuate civilians there under a temporary ceasefire have mostly failed, with both sides trading blame.

Meanwhile, more than 1,300 people - including women and babies - are still feared trapped in the bombed ruins of a theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol as rescue efforts continue to be hampered by constant Russian shelling.

The helpless casualties were yesterday forced to spend a third night entombed in the basement of the destroyed Drama Theatre which was hit by Putin's forces on Wednesday.

Their prospects of survival are growing bleaker by the day, with no supplies and Russian troops firing at rescuers trying to dig through the rubble.

Last night a local MP said those inside were forced to dig from within the wreckage because rescue attempts had been thwarted by ongoing airstrikes.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who branded Russia's attack as 'outright terror', last night vowed to continue the rescue mission.

'Hundreds of Mariupol residents are still under the debris. Despite the shelling, despite all the difficulties, we will continue the rescue work,' he said.

Russian troops have now reached the city centre and civilians remain hiding in bunkers while fighters battle on the streets.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said: 'Tanks and machine gun battles continue. There's no city centre left. There isn't a small piece of land in the city that doesn't have signs of war.'

The devastating losses across Ukraine have sparked a poignant protest in Lviv, where 109 empty prams were arranged in solemn rows to mark the number of children killed since Russia invaded.

More than 1,300 people including women and babies are still feared trapped in the bombed ruins of a theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol (pictured)

The helpless casualties were yesterday forced to spend a third night entombed in the basement of the destroyed Drama Theatre which was hit by Vladimir Putin's forces on Wednesday

Residents are seen on the street after emerging from bomb shelters, gathering their belongings as they prepare to flee the city

109 empty baby carriages on display in Lviv city center for the 109 babies killed so far during Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Pictured: The aftermath of a theatre in the encircled Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering on Wednesday March 16

A woman and her baby are pictured fleeing the city of Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor that was opened on Thursday, though previous attempts have failed after Russians shelled the routes

Local residents seeking refuge in the basement of a building are seen in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol

Local authorities said more than 130 survivors have emerged from the rubble of the Mariupol theatre which was being used as the ravaged port city's biggest civilian bomb shelter.

But they said that those saved represented just one tenth of the civilians still trapped within the refuge which miraculously withstood the blast.

Ukraine's human rights commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova said: 'According to our data there are still more than 1,300 people there who are in these basements, in that bomb shelter. We pray that they will be alive but so far there is no information about them.'

Former governor MP Serhiy Taruta said he fears many survivors will die because the city's emergency services have been destroyed by Russian troops.

'Services that are supposed to help are demolished, rescue and utility services are physically destroyed. This means that all the survivors of the bombing will either die under the ruins of the theatre, or have already died,' he wrote on Facebook.

An aerial view shows smoke rising from damaged residential buildings following an explosion in Mariupol on Friday

An aerial view shows residential buildings which were damaged during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol

A woman weeps after seeing the ruins of her destroyed block of flat in Mariupol, which is under bombardment by Russia

Women seek refuge in the basement of a building in Mariupol, which has been under Russian bombardment for weeks

A heavily bombed building is seen in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, after being destroyed by Russian shelling of the city

The haunting spectacle shows the human tragedy at the centre of the conflict: Families torn apart by war

In its sunlit cobbled central square, one Ukrainian city hosts a poignant protest at the innocent lives lost in the fighting

Evacuees fleeing Ukraine-Russia conflict sit in a damaged car as they wait in a line to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol

He said those trapped had been left to dig their way out of the collapsed three-storey building.

'People are doing everything themselves. My friends went to help but due to constant shelling it was not safe.'

However Mariupol MP Dmytro Gurin insisted that while the rescue mission had been hampered by constant Russian attacks, efforts were still under way.

One woman said the strike had taken place while those sheltering beneath the theatre were cooking and only around 100 had time to flee.

Nick Osychenko, the CEO of a Mariupol TV station, said as he fled the city with six members of his family, aged between 4 and 61, he saw dead bodies on nearly every block.

'We were careful and didn't want the children to see the bodies, so we tried to shield their eyes,' he said. 'We were nervous the whole journey. It was frightening, just frightening.'

Feared Chechen special forces are fighting house-to-house in besieged Mariupol while 'hundreds' of women and children remain trapped in the rubble of a city theatre destroyed by Russian invaders

The propaganda video then cuts before showing some of the Chechen fighters emerging from the building with children in their arms while supposedly 'liberating' civilians

Video released by pro-Putin Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov shows heavily armed fighters from the region pounding a high-rise building in the bombed-out city during a fierce gunfight with Ukrainian soldiers

Russia has denied responsibility for the devastating strike which was branded a 'war crime' and sparked global outrage.

After an agonising first night of uncertainty following the bombing, Ukrainian officials revealed on Thursday that they were hopeful that the majority within had survived.

Rescuers said that while the entrance to the basement had caved in, the relatively modern shelter had remained intact.

But Miss Denisova said that while some had survived, the situation remained unclear.

She said there was 'currently no information about the dead or wounded under the rubble' and called the attack 'an act of genocide and a terrible crime against humanity'.

Ukraine's Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov branded the Russian pilot behind the bombing a 'monster'.

Vladimir Putin has given a tub-thumping address to tens of thousands of Russians gathered at Moscow's world cup stadium, celebrating his invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and drumming up support for his new war

Putin spoke in front of a crowd tens of thousands strong at the Luzhniki World Cup stadium in Moscow, one of the few times he has been seen in public since launching his invasion 23 days ago

Putin used the rally to peddle falsehoods about why the war started and to shill a narrative of Russia's battlefield success, speaking of 'how our guys are fighting during this operation, shoulder to shoulder, helping each other'

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 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

But the Kremlin's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya yesterday denied that Russia had targeted the shelter.

Meanwhile feared Chechen special forces are fighting house-to-house in the besieged port city.

Video said to have been released by pro-Putin Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov shows heavily armed fighters from the region pounding a high-rise building in the bombed-out city during a fierce gunfight with Ukrainian soldiers.

The propaganda video then cuts before showing some of the Chechen fighters emerging from the building with children in their arms while supposedly 'liberating' civilians.

Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that its troops have now entered the city and are fighting in the centre, amid fears that it could soon fall into Putin's hands after three weeks of shelling weakened the defences. If the city does fall, it will be the largest captured so-far - albeit at the cost of near-totally destroying it.

Svitlana Zlenko, who said she left the city with her son on Tuesday this week, described how she spent days sheltering in a school building - melting snow to cook pasta to eat while living in constant terror of Russian bombs which flew overhead 'every day and every night'.

She described how a bomb hit the school last week, wounding a woman in the hip with a piece of shrapnel. 'She was lying on the first floor of the high school all night and prayed for poison so that she would not feel pain,' Svitlana said. '[She] was taken by the Red Cross within a day, I pray to God she is well.'

She added: 'There is no food, no medicine, if there is no snow with such urban fights, people will not be able to go out to get water, people have no water left. Pharmacies, grocery stores - everything is robbed or burned.

'The dead are not taken out. Police recommend to the relatives of those who died of a natural death, to open the windows and lay the bodies on the balcony. I know you think you understand, but you will never understand unless you were there. I pray that this will not happen again in any of the cities of Ukraine, or of the world.'

Despite the pleas, shelling was well underway in other Ukrainian cities on Friday - with Lviv, in the west of the country, the capital Kyiv, and Kharkiv, in the east, coming under fire.

The war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin ground into its fourth week as his troops have failed to take Kyiv - a major objective in their hopes of forcing a settlement or dictating the country's future political alignments.

But back home in Moscow, Putin on Friday gave a tub-thumping speech to tens of thousands of banner-waving Russians in an attempt to drum up support for his stalled invasion.

The despot took to the stage at Moscow's Luzhniki World Cup stadium dressed in a 10,000 Loro Piana jacket - despite his country's economy crumbling under the weight of Western sanctions - to address a crowd waving Russian national flags and banners marked with the letter 'Z', which has become a potent symbol of the invasion.

Putin, who called the rally to mark the anniversary of the last time he attacked Ukraine to annex the Crimea region, spoke of sharing a 'common destiny' with Crimeans, of 'de-Nazifying' the region in 2014, and of the 'bravery' of soldiers currently fighting in Ukraine. He was met with chants of 'Russia, Russia, Russia.'

Speaking in front of banners that read 'For a world without Nazism' and 'For Russia' - with the letter 'Z' in each picked out in bold - he said: 'Sevastopol [capital of Crimea] did the right thing when they put up a barrier to neo-Nazis and radicals, which is already happening on other territories.

'[The] people of Donbass also disagreed with this, and straight-away they organised military operations against [the Nazis]. They were surrounded and shelled by guns, the Ukrainians sent airstrikes against them. This is called genocide,' he said, repeating his widely-debunked justification for attacking. 'It is to save people from this suffering and genocide that we launched our military operation.'

Putin then praised troops taking part in his 'special operation', who he said are fighting for the 'universal values' of all Russians. The words 'we don't abandon our own' were emblazoned on screens around the stadium. Paraphrasing the Bible, he said: 'There is no greater love than giving up one's soul for one's friends.

'The best confirmation of this is how our guys are fighting during this operation, shoulder to shoulder, helping each other. When it is necessary, they cover each-other as if it was their own brother from bullets. We haven't had such unity in a long time,' he said.

But a bizarre moment in the speech came when Putin suddenly disappeared from news feeds in mid-sentence - replaced by a band that was mid-way through singing, perhaps suggesting his address was not broadcast live.

The speech came on Friday as nine people were killed and 17 wounded in shelling of the suburbs of the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev said on Saturday.

The military has since declared a 38-hour curfew in Zaporizhzhia, which was being attacked by Russian forces with mortars, tanks, helicopters and rocket systems, Kurtiev said in an online post.

The Russians have bombed Mariupol back to Middle Ages: As families are blown to pieces queuing for water and food is cooked on fires made from chopped-up furniture, IAN BIRRELL speaks to one mother whose story reveals a horror hidden from the world

When Kristina Dzholos sat down to breakfast the morning after her family's escape from Mariupol, she could not bring herself to eat.

She was hungry but she could not forget the people left behind in the city that has come to symbolise the barbarity of Russia's assault on Ukraine, the families still trapped in basements and cellars under the horror of constant bombardment.

'The place I left had no food, maybe not even water since they were melting snow. I could not eat  I just wanted to help them since what's happening is a humanitarian disaster.

'There were half a million people in Mariupol before the war and there are still 350,000 people trapped there. These people need food, they need water, they need heating. They need saving from hell.'

All war is hell. But Mariupol's descent into darkness has been meteoric, merciless and utterly monstrous after Vladimir Putin's forces unleashed a horrific barrage of bombs, missiles and shells that have flattened this pleasant port on the Sea of Azov.

Satellite view of Mariupol shows burning and heavily damaged apartment buildings and stores, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues

An explosion is seen in an apartment building after Russian's army tank fires in Mariupol, Ukraine

More than 80 per cent of properties have been destroyed in less than three weeks and Kristina, 30, who worked in public relations for the local council, has been an unwilling witness to so much horror.

She saw a man have his leg blown off, an elderly couple with faces shredded by flying glass, people queuing for water wiped out before her eyes  and endured 19 nights cowering with other families in their local school before she managed to flee.

Yesterday, she told me her story as she headed to safety in western Ukraine with her husband Ivan, 39, a driver, and nine-year-old son Svyatoslav.

Like so many others, the family had discounted the threat of Russian invasion. Then, as fighting began on the city's outskirts, they listened to civic leaders telling them to stay calm and joined communal efforts to distribute food and clothing to the frontline.

They put tape over their windows for protection from flying glass, stocked up the freezer and started sleeping on mattresses alongside other families at High School Number Two, across the yard from their flat.

'What we witnessed over the first three days was lots of mutual support. Ukraine is an amazing nation  everyone was united, helping each other, raising money for the volunteers.'

A resident of Mariupol stands inside an apartment which was damaged during Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A man walks through a building in Mariupol which was destroyed by Russian artillery

On the fourth day they woke up to discover there was no heating or power. Then as they ran back to their flat, Russian shells started to land all around them  one exploded in their yard, blowing out all the windows.

'We ran into the staircase,' said Kristina. 'I could hear the shell landing somewhere very close, so I just fell on my son trying to protect him. It was a miracle we survived.'

Shops were running out of food and with the utilities cut off, she cooked as much of the food from her freezer as possible.

A Ukrainian artillery unit based nearby meant their part of the city was a target and there was constant shelling. The house across their road was blown up, then the next-door block of flats hit by shells.

'It was so scary. When the whole building is shaking and you have your child next to you and you don't know if the next shell will land on your building This is the terrible experience we all went through,' she says.

Yet this was just the beginning: 'Then the real horrors began.'

For the next 16 days, Kristina, her husband, and son stayed at the school with 162 others, including 52 children, trapped at the heart of the lethal Russian assault on a port that Putin tried  and failed  to capture eight years ago.

The scenes around them, in the city that had been her home since she was eight years old, were apocalyptic. 'I saw one man run across the yard towards the apartment block and a shell land next to him, which blew his leg off. We were afraid to help him in case we were killed and there were no ambulances.' She does not know if he survived or not.

Yet, for the first couple of days, she would run out to try and find a phone signal. Her mother, Angela, three younger brothers and her husband's parents were also all trapped in the city.

'I saw so many dead people lying in the streets and everything covered in blood. There was a huge unexploded missile sitting beside a crossroads. It was all destroyed in the city centre.'

Kristina only stopped leaving the school premises after witnessing a massacre. 'When they were still selling water, I saw people lined up outside a shop to buy water and three or four were killed when a shell landed nearby.'

Some people would dash out to grab food or medicines if a shop or pharmacy was bombed. But soon, like so many others in the city, they were cooking on open fires using chopped-up furniture and melted snow for water 'like something from the Middle Ages'.

Local residents have sought refuge by hiding away in the basements to the properties in the port city

The children were kept entertained with cards, chess and board games  regularly interrupted by the bombs. Many developed colds due to the freezing weather, so there was a constant sound of coughing.

'Our kids are our heroes,' she says. 'They keep telling us it will be alright. They have been so brave.'

One attack blew a hole in the school building. It remained standing but left one woman with shrapnel injuries, writhing in agony all night.

'She had the metal piece in her thigh, she was screaming with pain,' said Kristina.

Another time, an elderly couple arrived seeking help for their wounds. 'They had really bad cuts on their face but no one could help them.'

The couple were taken the next day to a hospital where medics have kept working despite the building also being struck by shelling. By this time there was a stream of people searching Mariupol for missing relatives.

'People were going from one shelter to another asking for people they knew, trying to find them, while the bodies were just lying in the streets.'

Some corpses were hastily covered with a thin layer of soil amid the shelling, while others were dumped in a mass grave dug in a nearby park  resulting in fears that many people will never discover the remains of their loved ones.

Kristina said her distraught mother-in-law asked police what to do about a neighbour in her 90s who was crying out in agonising pain.

'They said, 'Wait until the screaming stops, then open the window so the smell of her death will not be in the building'.'

The intensity of the attacks was now growing as Russian forces closed in. 'It was getting worse and worse, there was more shelling, we were running out of food.

'Every night we felt the building shaking and we were just sitting there praying. It is so horrible when you hear the shell flying towards you and you have no idea where it will land  then you're so relieved it does not land on your building. They finally managed to flee on Tuesday after seeing another family escape the previous day in their car.

Kristina and her husband managed to get to their car, grabbed a few belongings from their flat, and their son and cat from the school.

'As we put him in the car, another shell landed in the next-door yard. Everyone outside dropped to the ground, people were screaming.'

They joined a gathering convoy of vehicles, passing through streets filled with broken buildings, shattered glass and dangling electrical wires.

'We could hear the planes on top of us and we were just praying... We knew either we died on the road or we died in the shelter but at least on the road we had a chance.'

Local residents seen next to a building in Mariupol which was destroyed by heavy Russian artillery fire

More than 80 per cent of properties in Mariupol have been destroyed in less than three weeks

They passed up to seven Russian checkpoints  where the invading soldiers let them pass after checking their documents, looking in their boot and inspecting Ivan's hands and fingers carefully for any sign that he had been using firearms.

Kristina feels relieved to have escaped the hellhole  but is distraught about her mother, brothers and in-laws: 'I just want them to be alive. Not to be under fire. Not to be dead.'

She thinks some 40 people remain in the school, including the head who insisted on staying.

'There is nothing more important than human life and I want this horrendous war to stop,' she says.

'If these people deciding [others'] fates were in Ukraine now, if they had spent one day in that school, they would have a different approach to life.'
A knife-wielding thug who sparked a violent stand-off with police officers was only stopped after being knocked over by a patrol car.

Mobile phone footage taken by a neighbour showed Iain Davie, 37, lunging at police while holding a knife, with another blade sticking out of his trousers, on Quebec Drive in East Kilbride, on 1 September last year.

Officers were called to the residential street in Lanarkshire at around 6pm after the alarm was raised by terrified members of the public who spotted him with the two blades in his trousers.

The yob even told the driver of one police car that he was 'going to die', repeatedly striking the window of the vehicle with his blade.

Officers tried to spray him with incapacitant substance PAVA in a bid to end the incident, but it had no impact on him.

During the stand-off as he continually approached each officer with his knife in hand, Davie slipped on grass.

He tried to get up, but the officer in the squad car quickly took this as the opportunity to pounce.

Davie was struck by the police car and knocked back to the ground.

Other officers then jumped at the chance to pin him down and arrest him.

Police said he was taken to Wishaw General Hospital in Wishaw, north Lanarkshire, as a precaution following his arrest but was not injured.

Davie, of East Kilbride, appeared via video link from HMP Barlinnie at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted eight charges of assault in September last year.

He also admitted two charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and also possessing a blade.

Sheriff Thomas Millar deferred sentence until next month for reports and remanded Davie in custody.

Depute fiscal Neil Thomson told the court how the early evening incident was brought to an end.

Knife-wielding thug Iain Davie, 37, who sparked a violent stand-off with police officers on a residential street in East Kilbride (pictured), who was only stopped after being knocked over by a patrol car, has been jailed

He said: 'The accused began running towards different officers, lunging towards them with a knife in his hand attempting to strike them with the knife.

'On each occasion officers were able to take evasive action.

'PAVA spray was discharged but had no effect and police batons were drawn as well.

'As the accused attempted to run towards one officer, he slipped and stumbled on the grass and a constable drove a police vehicle at a slow speed.

'As the accused was getting to his feet, he made contact with him and nudged him back to the ground at which point officers pounced upon him and secured his arrest.'

Jackson Bateman, defending, said: 'He is realistic about what is ahead of him.'

During the stand-off as he continually approached each officer with his knife in hand, Davie slipped on grass. He tried to get up, but the officer in the squad car quickly took this as the opportunity to pounce (pictured is the moment the police car drove towards Davie)

Davie was struck by the police car and knocked back to the ground (pictured left, the moment he slipped on the grass). Other officers then jumped at the chance to pin him down and arrest him (right). Police said he was taken to Wishaw General Hospital in Wishaw, north Lanarkshire, as a precaution following his arrest but was not injured

After being charged in September 2021 for attacking the officers, Chief Superintendent Alan Waddell, Divisional Commander for Lanarkshire Police Division, said: 'Response officers were first on the scene and following alleged threats to officers and damage to police vehicles, a tactical decision was made to subdue the man with low speed contact from a police car.

'The 37-year-old man was arrested and taken to Wishaw General Hospital as a precaution but suffered no injuries.

'No members of the public or police officers were injured.

'He was charged with various offences in connection with the incident and is due to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court today.

'As PAVA was deployed and in line with normal procedure, a referral will be made to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.'
Three cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station wearing flight suits in the national colours Ukraine.

The three spacemen flew to the international space station on board the Soyuz MS21 space craft from Kazakhstan.

The men were the first new arrivals on the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.

Video of one of the cosmonauts taken as the capsule prepared to dock with the space station showed him wearing a blue flight suit. It was unclear what, if any, message the yellow uniforms they changed into were intended to send.

Three Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station wearing yellow and blue flight suits which some people have claimed resemble the Ukrainian national colours

The spacemen arrived at the space station following a three-hour flight from Kazakhstan

The mission commander, Oleg Artemyev was asked about the colours. He said they had accumulated a great deal of yellow material in the warehouse so they had to make use of it

Artemyev said each crew gets to choose the colour of their flight suits so they chose yellow

Oleg Artemyev was asked about the yellow flight suits when the newly arrived cosmonauts were able to talk to family back on Earth.

He said every crew chooses its own flight suits, so that they are not all the same.

'It became our turn to pick a color. But in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So that's why we had to wear yellow,' he said.

Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov blasted off successfully from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft at 8:55pm on Friday. They smoothly docked at the station just over three hours later, joining two Russians, four Americans and a German on the orbiting outpost.
A group of British firefighters are on their way to support firefighters in Ukraine, stocked with more than 5,000 items of fire and rescue kit.

In social media footage, 22 vehicles were captured beginning their journey from London as another 22 fire engines also left Ashford, Kent, as part of a humanitarian aid campaign.

The convoy of trucks will make its way into Poland, where fire engines will be able to cross the border and support firefighters in Ukraine.

The second convoy, consisting of donations from fire services across the UK, left Ashford in Kent this morning

This comes as the leader of a convoy has described the trip as 'personal'.

Mike Pitney, who with other volunteers is taking 22 vehicles including fire engines and lorries packed with equipment, said he felt he had to help out the emergency services in Ukraine after Russia invaded last month.

UK charity Fire Aid and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) sent an initial delivery to the country on March 11.

The second convoy, consisting of donations from fire services across the UK, left Ashford in Kent this morning.

Donated kit includes generators, hoses and several fire trucks.

Donated emergency service equipment at Ashford fire station, organised by Fire AID and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)

Mr Pitney told BBC Breakfast: 'For me it's quite personal, I've been going out there now for 10 years to Ukraine, so I have friends and family, as far as I'm concerned, out there.

'When this happened, it was obvious that if I could lead that convoy, I would lead that convoy.

'Normally you go for six or eight (in a) convoy but the need out there outweighs the work that needs to be done to make this happen.'

He described the equipment as 'past-life equipment' and that something 'needed to be done with it'.

Claire Hoyland, project manager for the charity Fire Aid, said: 'We gather decommissioned equipment from the UK fire and rescue services. So the equipment has reached the end of its life in the UK but it's still perfectly usable.

'So we take it overseas, alongside training, so people around the world who haven't got the equipment we've got (can use it). It's functional.'

She said the charity's members immediately mobilised in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Donated kit includes generators, hoses and several fire trucks

Mark Hardingham, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said they had reached in Dover and got on a ferry to Europe.

He told the BBC: 'For the next three days, the volunteers and the firefighters from fire services across the UK, and for Fire Aid, will be driving into Poland.

'Then when they get to Poland, all of the equipment, all of the fire engines will be made available to go across the border into Ukraine to support our colleagues in their firefighting.

'The footage I've been watching on television has been horrific. I've seen firefighters dealing with the most terrible set of circumstances in Ukraine, often with equipment that is outdated or damaged by the conflict.

Fire officers at Ashford fire station pictured as they prepare vehicles and donated emergency service equipment

'So the stuff that we sent across from every fire service in the UK is going to be vital for them to support their local communities and to keep those firefighters in Ukraine safe as well.'

Fire minister Lord Stephen Greenhalgh tweeted: 'Convoy with largest ever single donation of fire and rescue equipment has set off for Ukraine: 22 vehicles, 18 fire engines and over 6,000 items of equipment, incl. acid proof chemical suits + a mass decontamination Incident Response Unit!'

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'We are helping to ensure that crucial fire and rescue equipment and PPE donated by fire and rescue services will get to where it can directly provide succour to those brave firefighters, emergency services and volunteers on the front line in Ukraine.'

Fire Aid members have been working in partnership with the Ukrainian emergency services since 2012.
Many of Britain's Lads Army who travelled to fight Putin's army in Ukraine are facing Russian troops on the front lines.

Shortly after the war in Ukraine broke out, groups of men gathered outside the Ukrainian embassy in west London to answer comic-turned-wartime leader Volodymyr Zelensky's call to arms for foreign fighters to join his country's defence against Russia.

Brits to sign up to fight Russian despot Vladimir Putin's army have included former sniper Shane Matthews, 34, ex-carer Aiden Aslin, 28, who fought Isis in Syria, and former soldier Shaun Pinner, 48, who has a Ukrainian wife.

Lawyers have warned that Britons who fight in Ukraine could be prosecuted under UK terror laws  much like those who took arms for Kurdish militia forces against ISIS in Syria.

Former Lance Corporal Shane Matthews, 34, (pictured in Ukraine) from Chichester, said most of the forces heading to the front line 'are civilians' who 'have never held a rifle before',

Shane Matthews, who completed multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, flew out to Poland before 'thumbing lifts' to the Ukrainian capital

The former British soldier is in Ukraine teaching combat medical training

Mr Matthews (pictured on tour in Afghanistan in around 2008) completed multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment

He joined Britain's Lads Army to fight for President Zelensky's Ukraine against Putin's invading Russian army

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

Around 20,000 volunteers from around the world have already signed up to fight, with at least 15,000 already on the ground in Ukraine, including a small contingent of Brits.

Mr Matthews completed multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment.

He flew out to Poland before 'thumbing lifts' to the Ukrainian capital, where he has been helping to fortify the city and train civilians.

He maintained he only had his rifle with him for self-defence and was focused on training rather than fighting.

The ex-soldier said he has witnessed Russian shells 'raining down' on bridges, churches and schools as bombs fell 'indiscriminately'.

He also shared harrowing photos of the devastation.

However, he predicted that Ukraine would ultimately triumph.

This week he watched through his sniper scope as 12 Russian soldiers were caugfht in a firefight as they entered Irpin, near Kyiv.

'The Taliban would do a better job . . . there's no way they could encircle Kyiv,' he told The Times.

He was convinced he was on 'the winning side' after he witnessed Russian troops' 'complete incompetence' in Irpin.

Speaking from the streets of Irpin, a district northwest of Kyiv, Matthews said last week: 'These photos I have put up are of the 'military targets' being attacked [by the Russians] today.

'Military targets being a church, a two-storey school, a bridge... which was attacked as civilians were evacuating from the city.

'I have just spoken to a chap whose dad was killed two days ago and today in the artillery strike that we were in just now, his son was killed.

'And this is 'denazification'?

'They are indiscriminately shelling every target in this city and the world's just going to sit and watch this?

'It's wrong  it's a genocide.

'[They're] war crimes.'

Matthews added that he had narrowly avoided being hit by artillery fire while drinking tea.

He said: 'We were sat in this lovely summer house, just about to drink tea, and about 50m through there [a wood block], 120mm artillery just started raining down.'

In recent days, the experienced sniper has been teaching Ukrainian defence forces how to treat battlefield casualties.

Most of the forces heading to the front line 'are civilians' who 'have never held a rifle before', the former Lance Corporal added.

Mr Matthews came out of retirement to help Ukrainian forces with training as well as fortifictaion tactics

This week Mr Matthews (pictured on tour in Iraq in around 2011) watched through his sniper scope as 12 Russian soldiers were caugfht in a firefight as they entered Irpin, near Kyivn

The ex-soldier said he has witnessed Russian shells 'raining down' on bridges, churches and schools as bombs fell 'indiscriminately', sharing harrowing photos of the devastation  but predicted that Ukraine would ultimately triumph

Speaking from the streets of Irpin, a district northwest of Kyiv, Matthews said: 'These photos I have put up are of the 'military targets' being attacked [by the Russians] today  military targets being a church, a two-storey school, a bridge... which was attacked as civilians were evacuating from the city'

However, Matthews insisted the Ukrainians fighting spirit was second to none and they had been 'absolutely hammering' the Russians in Irpin.

'The Ukrainian artillery was absolutely hammered the Russians while I was giving one of my medical lessons,' he said.

'Apparently the Russians have got no defensive positions in Irpin so the Ukrainian boys are absolutely hammering them, which is good news.'

A 19-year-old member of the Queen's Guard, whose identity has not been revealed for security reasons, dropped his ceremonial duties as a Coldstream Guardsman and signed up for Ukraine's International Legion of foreign volunteer fighters

Pictured, members of Ukraine's international legion. Volunteers from the US, UK, Sweden, Lithuania and Mexico have joined

Pictured, volunteers from Portugal and Brazil in Ukraine army fatigues in the days following Putin's invasion

Putin's invasion of Ukraine - which he had anticipated would last only a few days with limited casualties - is now nearing its third week with heavy losses on both sides, as Moscow gives the first signs it could be willing to end the fighting by saying there has been 'substantial progress' in peace talks

Matthews added: 'On another note, all signs point towards Irpin being pushed through by the Russians  convoy killers in place, everything is fortified to hell and I can safely say that a collapse of the city will not happen.

'The guerrilla-style tactics being employed by the Ukrainians is something you simply cannot defend against, it's like the Taliban on steroids.'

Another Briton on the front line in Ukraine is Aiden Aslin, 28, a former carer who previously fought against Isis with Kurdish militia in Syria.

He said being in Ukraine was 'mentally exhausting'.

Aiden Aslin, 28, (pictured) is a former carer who previously fought against Isis in Syria. Now he is prepared to fight against a Russian invasion of Ukraine

Both Mr Aslin (left) and Mr Pinner (right) are prepared to fight off a Russian invasion in Ukraine as they wait on the frontline

Shaun Pinner, 48, (pictured) is one of at least ten UK nationals who have travelled to the country's wartorn eastern region, known as the Donbas, to take on pro-Moscow separatists

'The threat of danger is constant and something as simple as going to the toilet could end up with you getting injured because drones can drop grenades,' he told Al Jazeera.

Mr Aslin previously spent ten months in Iraq fighting Islamic State.

On his return home in 2016 he was arrested. He was held for 30 hours after officers boarded his plane at Heathrow, where members of his family were eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Mr Pinner, who previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment, said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier

He was immediately taken to Nottinghamshire Police headquarters for questioning over a suspected terrorism offence.

His Ukrainian girlfriend, who is in a city under siege by Russian forces, told The Times it was difficult to stay in touch with him as the war raged on.

Yet Mr Aslin is not the only Britain ready to fight off a Russian invasion.

The former carer has been joined by ex-soldier Shaun Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire.

Mr Pinner is married to a Ukrainian woman and has been in Donbas for the past four years.

He previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment and said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier'.

Speaking from a trench ten miles outside Mariupol, he said: 'I am here defending my family and adopted city. Russia started this war  it's funded by Russia and driven by Russia. But we will fight them, make no mistake about that.'

Mr Pinner said fighting in the trenches was 'like Hell', with snipers 'less than 600m away'.

Pinner reportedly told his Instagram followers last week he was 'working relentlessly Digging, cleaning, fighting and more digging'.

Aiden Aslin, 28, was held for 30 hours by Nottinghamshire Police on his return to the UK from Iraq in 2016

Mr Pinner said there has been tension in Ukraine' for years'.

'It's only new to Europe, who have finally woken up to what's happening here,' he told Al Jazeera.

Mr Pinner is one of the oldest in his unit, which has three Brits and one Croatian as well as Ukrainians.

The team is known as the Marines First Battalion. 'I've always got something to prove,' Mr Pinner added.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (pictured) said the UK will back Britons going to fight in Ukraine

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (pictured) said he didn't 'want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians' and asked people who were not properly trained or an 'experienced member of an armed forced' not to join the war in Ukraine

Although Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gave her backing to Britons who wanted to join the resistance movement, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and a No 10 spokesman both appeared to contradict her.

Mr Wallace said he didn't 'want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians'.

He asked people who were not properly trained or an 'experienced member of an armed forced' not to join the war in Ukraine.
Local residents queue up to receive humanitarian aid in Volnovakha of Donetsk, March 15, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

MOSCOW/BERLIN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, saying that Moscow is ready to search for solutions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict during negotiations with the Ukrainian side.

Putin criticized Kiev for "trying to delay the negotiation process in every way possible, putting forward more unrealistic proposals," the Kremlin said.

Putin said the solutions the Russian side was searching for would be in line with its "principled approaches."

During the conversation, Scholz called for a ceasefire, improvement in the humanitarian situation, and a diplomatic solution to the conflict as soon as possible, according to a statement issued by the German government.

Putin also mentioned Russia's humanitarian work in Mariupol, and efforts carried out by Russian armed forces to save the lives of civilians by opening humanitarian corridors and evacuating people.

Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Thursday that it would take between a few days and a week and a half for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace agreement.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held several rounds of negotiations in a bid to broker a solution to the conflict between the two countries. 
Labor has surged to victory in the South Australian state election with a 41-year-old father of three known for showing off his ripped physique on social media set to become the new premier.

Peter Malinauskas, who was previously the state's health minister in 2017, will take over from Liberal leader Steven Marshall who is at risk of losing his own seat after a massive swing away from the government in Saturday's vote.

The crushing victory is a major set back for Scott Morrison ahead of the federal election expected to be come in May, with pre-election polling mirroring South Australia predicting the Coalition will be given the boot by voters.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas (pictured with his wife Annabel) is set to become Premier

Peter Malinauskas fronts the cameras as he places his vote in the ballot box

Mr Malinauskas paid tribute to the outgoing state leader calling him 'utterly generous, gracious' and a man with 'class'.

'I think sometimes on election nights when governments change hands, that the successful party can confuse the elation of electoral success with an inflated sense of achievement,' the election winner said.

'Naturally, people of South Australia and Labor are right to feel satisfied tonight. But true satisfaction for us comes in realising our ambition, ideal of delivering a fairer, better society and more opportunity for those who need it most.'

Labor's key to victory was secured by an early swing across marginal seats in metropolitan Adelaide.

With 24 of the 47 seats now called, Labor's primary vote is up close to eight per cent in the metropolitan area and slightly less on a statewide basis.

The party appears to be attracting many voters who supported Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST party at the last election.

Labor has surged to victory in the South Australian state election with a 41-year-old father of three known for showing off his ripped physique on social media set to become the new premier. Pictured: Liberal Party Premier Steven Marshall with former PM John Howard ahead of the vote

Premier Steven Marshall is at risk of losing his own seat of Dunstan as Labor steamroll the Liberals

Labor soared ahead in the key marginals of King, Newland, Adelaide and Elder, the four seats considered most likely to fall if the opposition was to win.

According to early figures, statewide Labor had 40.2 per cent of the primary vote, to 35.4 for the governing Liberals.

Key independents Dan Cregan in the Adelaide Hills, Geoff Brock, who shifted to the seat of Stuart in the mid-north, and Troy Bell in Mt Gambier were on track to be re-elected.

Early figures also had Premier Steven Marshall in trouble in his own seat of Dunstan though he was still just ahead.

Putting on a brave face, the first Premier to lose his seat since the onset of the Covid pandemic was graceful and upbeat during his concession speech.

'It has been an honour and privilege to serve the people of South Australia,' he told supporters.

The hunky dad caused a stir earlier this month when he shared a topless snap of him holding daughter Eliza at a swimming pool

The crushing victory is a major set back for Scott Morrison (pictured) ahead of the federal election expected to be come in May, with pre-election polling mirroring South Australia predicting the Coalition will be given the boot by voters
A husband accused of murdering his wife took her phone and sent messages to himself claiming she 'had a boyfriend' and 'would leave the country', prosecutors have claimed.

Nezam Salangy, 44, is alleged to have killed his wife Zobaidah at their pizza takeaway in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in March 2020.

His younger brothers Mohammed Yasin Salangi, 33, and Mohammed Ramin Salangy, 31, are charged with assisting an offender.

It is alleged that the men took Mrs Salangy's dead body from the Prego Pizza takeaway and drove it to a countryside spot where they buried it in a shallow grave.

Her body was finally found covered in branches and wrapped in a duvet cover and bin bags on October 16, after police missed the location for six months.

Nezam Salangy, 44, is alleged to have murdered his wife Zobaidah before taking her phone and sent messages to himself claiming she 'had a boyfriend' and 'would leave the country'

In court yesterday, prosecutors claimed Nezam Salangy drove out to areas in the West Midlands and Birmingham in the days after his wife's disappearance, allegedly in possession of her phone.

The court heard that data showed Nezam Salangy's car telematics placed him in the same location as his missing wife's phone, including on Smethwick High Street.

Messages sent to Nezam Salangy's phone from Mrs Salangy's at the time were read out in court, with one saying: 'Don't contact me anymore. I have a boyfriend and soon will leave infidel country. Go away, I have boyfriend and don't need you anymore.'

Another claims that she 'never liked UK'.

'When Nezam travelled to Saltley, so did Zobaidah's phone,' Simon Denison QC, prosecuting, told the court.

It is alleged that the men took Mrs Salangy's dead body from the Prego Pizza takeaway (pictured) and drove it to a countryside spot where they buried it in a shallow grave

'The prosecution says it's further evidence that he was in possession of her phone and writing all those messages to her but also from her.'

Mrs Salangy's phone and SIM card have never been found, the jury heard.

Mr Denison said that after Nezam Salangy was arrested on April 4, he told officers that he 'was confident his wife was still alive and would return home'.

He added that Nezam Salangy said his wife 'left him because she no longer wanted to live in the UK and wanted him to sell the house'.

'Nezam said she had mental health problems but was scared to go to the doctor,' Mr Denison said.

'He said he'd not seen her self-harm but she was very angry and didn't like living in the country.'

The jury at Worcester Crown Court was also shown a series of CCTV images from the night of March 28 into March 29, 2020, when prosecutors allege Nezam Salangy and his brother Mohammed Ramin Salangy buried Mrs Salangy.

Footage from homes and businesses along the three-mile route between Prego Pizza on Austin Road, Bromsgrove, and Copyholt Lane, where Mrs Salangy was buried, show a light coloured car heading out at just after midnight and returning at just after 3am.

Her body was finally found covered in branches and wrapped in a duvet cover and bin bags on October 16 near Copyholt Lane, after police missed the location for six months

Data from phones used by Nezam Salangy and Mohammed Ramin Salangy were also used by police to place the pair along the route and at the burial site area, jurors heard.

Mr Denison put it to the jury that the two men had returned from Copyholt Lane to Prego Pizza at around 3am for around 20 minutes, then headed back out to Copyholt Lane before returning back at 4:20am.

Mr Denison said: 'The prosecution say that you can be sure, that in that 20 minutes they were at Prego Pizza, they were preparing to move and then moving Zobaidah's body in the Nissan Micra to be taken and disposed of in the grave they dug in Copyholt Lane.

'Having been back to Prego Pizza to bind and collect her, they took her out in the car and that activity recorded is when they were burying the body at 4.20am.'

The court has been told that Nezam Salangy's other brother, Mohammed Yasin Salangi, who is also accused of assisting an offender, had remained in Caerphilly, near Cardiff, during the night of the alleged burial.

The jury was told that during a police interview with Nezam's brother, Mohammed Ramin Salangy, officers asked him if he'd got involved with something due to 'family loyalty'.

Mr Denison said: 'Mohammed Ramin said Nezam had told him that Zobaidah was dead. He said Mohammed Yasin had told him that she had killed herself.

'He said Nezam took her somewhere. She was placed in the car wrapped in bedding material so he didn't see her face.'

Mr Denison added that police showed Mohammed Ramin Salangy maps of the area but he didn't know where they had been.

The prosecution said that when Mohammed Yasin Salangi was interviewed, he told police that on March 28 he got a call from his family in Afghanistan to say his brother and wife had argued.

Mr Denison said: 'Mohammed Yasin said he wouldn't interfere and that he didn't have a good relationship with Nezam.

'He said Nezam called him and said the oven wasn't working and asked to bring a part to the shop.'

Mohammed Yasin Salangi told police that their mother had later called them and he'd said 'they couldn't go in any event due to Covid', Mr Denison said.

During the police interview, Mohammed Yasin Salangi said a cab driver had turned up and his brother went to Bromsgrove while he stayed in Wales.

The court heard that Mohammed Yasin Salangi told police that when he spoke to Mohammed Ramin Salangy the next day, his brother said 'they're stupid people but there's absolutely nothing going on and they're fine'.

Nezam Salangy, of Austin Road, Bromsgrove, denies murder.

Mohammed Yasin Salangi and Mohammed Ramin Salangy, both of Adamscroft Place, Caerphilly, deny assisting an offender.

The trial continues.
The heartfelt concession speech by outgoing South Australian Premier Steven Marshall was rudely interrupted when a pub-goers appeared to give ABC viewers the middle finger.

Eagle-eyed Twitter users pointed out that a red-haired woman at the pub where the Liberal leader was making his address from after losing Saturday's state election, made the crude gesture in the background.

But others online argued the woman seen giggling alongside a blue-haired patron, was merely merely scratching her face.

'Flame-haired woman in the background giving Marshall the bird throughout his concession speech. Priceless. Why is he doing it at the pub?!' a Twitter user wrote.

Another said: 'The pub smoking room was an interesting backdrop choice. This woman spent most of the speech giving the middle finger and the fella on the left kept dozing off.'

Some viewers were quick to spot the suspected single-finger salute and share it on Twitter (pictured)

In South Australia's election Labor surged to victory in the with a 41-year-old father of three known for showing off his ripped physique on social media set to become the new premier.

Peter Malinauskas, who was previously the state's health minister in 2017, will take over from Liberal leader Steven Marshall who is at risk of losing his own seat after a massive swing away from the government in Saturday's vote.

The crushing victory is a major set back for Scott Morrison ahead of the federal election expected to be come in May, with pre-election polling mirroring South Australia predicting the Coalition will be given the boot by voters.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas (pictured with his wife Annabel) is set to become Premier

Peter Malinauskas fronts the cameras as he places his vote in the ballot box

Mr Malinauskas paid tribute to the outgoing state leader calling him "utterly generous, gracious and a man with 'class'.

'I think sometimes on election nights when governments change hands, that the successful party can confuse the elation of electoral success with an inflated sense of achievement,' the election winner said.

'Naturally, people of South Australia and Labor are right to feel satisfied tonight. But true satisfaction for us comes in realising our ambition, ideal of delivering a fairer, better society and more opportunity for those who need it most.'

Labor's key to victory was secured by an early swing across marginal seats in metropolitan Adelaide.

With 24 of the 47 seats now called, Labor's primary vote is up close to eight per cent in the metropolitan area and slightly less on a statewide basis.

The party appears to be attracting many voters who supported Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST party at the last election.

Labor has surged to victory in the South Australian state election with a 41-year-old father of three known for showing off his ripped physique on social media set to become the new premier. Pictured: Liberal Party Premier Steven Marshall with former PM John Howard ahead of the vote

Premier Steven Marshall is at risk of losing his own seat of Dunstan as Labor steamroll the Liberals

Labor soared ahead in the key marginals of King, Newland, Adelaide and Elder, the four seats considered most likely to fall if the opposition was to win.

According to early figures, statewide Labor had 40.2 per cent of the primary vote, to 35.4 for the governing Liberals.

Key independents Dan Cregan in the Adelaide Hills, Geoff Brock, who shifted to the seat of Stuart in the mid-north, and Troy Bell in Mt Gambier were on track to be re-elected.

Early figures also had Premier Steven Marshall in trouble in his own seat of Dunstan though he was still just ahead.

Putting on a brave face, the first Premier to lose his seat since the onset of the Covid pandemic was graceful and upbeat during his concession speech.

'It has been an honour and privilege to serve the people of South Australia,' he told supporters.

The hunky dad caused a stir earlier this month when he shared a topless snap of him holding daughter Eliza at a swimming pool

The crushing victory is a major set back for Scott Morrison (pictured) ahead of the federal election expected to be come in May, with pre-election polling mirroring South Australia predicting the Coalition will be given the boot by voters
Priti Patel today warned that women fleeing Ukraine could be Russian spies coming to Britain to launch Salisbury-style attacks.

The Home Secretary said it would be 'naive' to think that only men can be a threat as she dismissed calls for security checks to be ditched on people fleeing Putin's war.

Speaking at Tory spring conference in Blackpool, Ms Patel hailed the generosity of the British public in offering to house refugees and stressed that the government was doing everything it could to help.

But she batted away criticism that visa checks are still being required, amid comparisons with higher numbers being taken in European countries. The Home Office has revealed that 8,600 visas have been granted under the family scheme by the end of the week.

Priti Patel said it would be 'naive' to think that only men can be a threat as she dismissed calls for security checks to be ditched on people fleeing Putin's war

A file picture of refugees seen at the Medyka Poland-Ukrainian border crossing yesterday. There is no suggestion they are not genuine

Ms Patel said even in times of conflict the government needed to remain 'watchful'. 'There are very good reasons as to why Ukrainian refugees must come here safely and legally,' she said.

'I've been asked why couldn't we suspend security checks on people escaping Putin's war...

'I know from the briefings I receive from the intelligence and security services that instability around the world brings with it greater threats.

'I sign daily warrants from our security and intelligence agencies relating to extreme danger this country faces from all kinds of terrorism, Serious Organised Crime and state threats.

'Only four years ago, the Russian military intelligence services used a chemical weapon on British soil. It happened in Salisbury, a beautiful city whose inhabitants would have felt completely safe.

'Dawn Sturgess could never have imagined that she would lose her life to Novichok.

A volunteer pushes a wheelchair for a Ukrainian refugee at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova today

Refugees stand by an evacuation bus after fleeing from Mariupol in Ukraine today

A police at a cordon outside Dawn Sturgess's home in Salsbury after the Novichok attack in 2018

'The truth is that a very small number of people can wreck utter havoc, and Russia has a history of covert hostile activity.

And I'm afraid it is naive and misguided to think that only men can be covert operatives, or that refugee flows would not be subject to some form of exploitation.

'There are those who would come to our country, to this country, who would mean us harm and who plot to strike at our very way of life.

'The processes that we have put in place closely follow the advice of our intelligence and security services. They mean we can help Ukrainians in need, without making our country less safe. State threats and terrorism take many forms.'
Armed police arrested a man wanted on suspicion of attempted murder after dramatically swooping on a 400,000 terraced house in a leafy suburb of Manchester.

Officers from Greater Manchester Polices Specialist Operations Unit with shields and big guns burst into the property on Nicolas Road, Chorlton yesterday afternoon.

A suspect, 20, was subsequently arrested and remains in custody for questioning on suspicion of attempted murder, section 18 assault, robbery and sexual assault, the force said.

Armed police arrested a wanted man on suspicion of attempted murder after dramatically swooping on a 400,000 terraced house in a leafy suburb of Manchester

Officers from Greater Manchester Polices Specialist Operations Unit with shields and big guns burst into the property on Nicolas Road, Chorlton yesterday afternoon

Much of Nicolas Road was sealed off by police for around two hours on Friday, as officers remained at the scene while the property was searched.

Residents heard yells of armed police as officers could be seen approaching a house before raiding the property.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: We were in the back room and heard someone shouting.

It sounded like an altercation at first but then I realised they were saying armed police. There were four armed response vehicles. You dont see that level of police response very often.

Another woman said she heard shouts of armed police, stand back at about 4:50pm.

She added: They sawed down the door. There were five vans, cars and multiple officers out front. One had a shield and others had big guns. It was scary. I was crouching down in my window.

Much of Nicolas Road was sealed off by police for around two hours on Friday

A suspect, 20, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, a force spokesman said. Fridays operation came after a warrant was issued for a wanted man

Another neighbour said a 100-150m stretch of Nicolas Road was taped off for around two hours as police carried out their investigations.

A spokesperson for GMP said: Yesterday (18 March 2022) afternoon, armed officers from our Specialist Operations unit, were in attendance at a property on Nicolas Road, Manchester.

This was in relation to a search for a wanted man. A 20-year-old man was subsequently detained and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

There is no wider risk to the public and officers remained at the scene whilst the house was searched.

Assistant Chief Constable Scott Green said: Last nights strike demonstrates the excellent collaboration we have here at GMP of officers and detectives working together across different districts, and between a number of central resources, to operate in such a swift and decisive manner to bring to custody those that we believe are responsible for such serious incidents.

Firearms discharges are down a third in Greater Manchester in the last 12 months and that is a trend we are only determined to continue decreasing; so when attacks like this are reported to us, suspects and the public alike should see this action and know to expect a very robust response from us.
Two off-duty corrections officers are in stable condition after they were struck by bullets in a bar shooting in Queens.

The unidentified corrections officers, a man, 31, and a woman, 29, were shot in the early hours of Saturday while inside Showtime Bar and Lounge in South Richmond Hill.

Police said the suspect got into an argument inside the bar and was kicked out by bouncers.

The suspect became upset, came back and fired at the bar from outside before fleeing, according to the NYPD.

The unidentified corrections officers, a man, 31, and a woman, 29, were shot at in the early hours of Saturday while inside Showtime Bar and Lounge in Queens

Police said the suspect got into an argument inside the bar and was kicked out by bouncers and got upset and shot at the bar from outside before fleeing

The corrections officers, whom police said were not the intended targets, were struck by the bullets, with the woman getting shot in her left foot and man getting struck in his left hand.

The officers were transported to a local hospital where they remain in stable condition.

Police are still searching for the suspect.

The shooting comes as New York City is reeling from a February crime wave that saw a nearly 60 percent spike in incidents over last year.

The city's latest crime figures show 9,138 incidents last month, as opposed to 5,759 during the same period in 2021 - with double-digit surges in nearly every major category.

There were 32 murders in February - three more than the same month last year.

The corrections officers were struck by the bullets while inside the bar, with the woman getting shot in her left foot and man getting struck in his left hand (inside of bar pictured)

Multiple other categories saw shocking jumps, including car theft, which soared by nearly 105 percent; grand larceny, which jumped nearly 80 percent over the previous year; robberies, which surged 56 percent; a 44 percent bump in burglaries and a 22 percent spike in assaults. Rapes also saw a terrifying 35 percent rise in February.

Residents have also reacted with horror to a string of high-profile incidents, including the vicious battering of a woman with a hammer by a homeless man in Queens and the smearing of feces on another woman in the Bronx - after which the alleged perpetrator, a violent criminal with a history of 44 arrests, was released without bail.

These incidents were in addition to the murder of Asian woman Christina Yuna Lee, 25, who was tailed to her apartment by another homeless man, Assamad Nash, 35, and stabbed to death.

On Wednesday, Christian Jeffers, 48, who identifies as a woman, was arrested on charges of assault, aggravated harassment and menacing as hate crimes, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from a brutal attack on a 29-year-old man that took place at the 14th Street subway station in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Jeffers, wearing a black wig and purple lipstick, was caught on video smashing the stranger in the head with a hammer after the two bumped into each other and then exchanged words.

The crime wave comes during 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. Former Mayor Bill De Blasio's policies contributed to the current crime wave, experts said.

The New York subway has been ground zero for the latent crime wave after an alarming 73.3 percent increase in underground incidents - including 182 in February alone.

Hate crimes have also doubled since last year  with anti-Asian attacks more than tripling and anti-Jewish complaints up by a whopping 54 percent over the same time last year, from 134 to 207 incidents.

One recent poll revealed that nearly 75 percent of all New York City voters consider crime to be a 'very serious' problem.
A 'depressed' Vladimir Putin is 'set to hold a nuclear evacuation drill' having 'moved his family to a 'secret underground city' with the Kremlin's doomsday plan, insider sources have claimed.

One source that previously said Putin is suffering from multiple and serious medical problems, and also claimed that Russian death toll in the Ukraine war was higher than even Kyiv's estimates with over 17,000 casualties in 23 days of fighting.

Putin 'often pours his anger out on those close to him,' the latest account said from the source - a Telegram channel supposedly linked to an ex-Kremlin intelligence insider who claims to retain close links to those in Putin's circle.

'He has no deep conversations with almost anyone, and limited contact even with his children - not only his [adult] daughters but also his [undisclosed] children with [Olympic gold medal winning gymnast, 38] Alina Kabaeva'.

The source said that Putin shocked his top generals recently by demanding nuclear drill be undertaken, increasing fears he is preparing for a nuclear conflict.

Another Russian expert has previously claimed that Putin has moved his family to a secret location that is not just a bunker, but a huge underground city, in order to keep them safe from a potential nuclear fallout.

Putin previously threatened NATO allies with 'consequences greater than any you have faced in history' should they intervene in the Ukraine conflict, and placed Russia's nuclear forces on high alert earlier this month.

On Saturday, Russia launched its 'unstoppable' nuclear-capable Kinzhal hypersonic missile, destroying a military storage facility in Ukraine.

Sources have claimed Vladimir Putin (pictured on Friday) is suffering from multiple and serious medical problems, including increasing levels of paranoia - raising fears of nuclear conflict

Pictured: Vladimir Putin with alleged mistress and Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Alina Kabaeva, whom is is said to have undisclosed children with. Putin has reportedly sent his family and loved ones to a secret underground city, to protect them from a potential fallout

In a recent post, the Telegram channel General SVR said that senior political figures 'were warned on behalf of the president that, perhaps in the near future, they will participate in practising evacuation in case of a nuclear war.

'All who were contacted with this warning were seriously surprised and concerned about this initiative by the President.

'But all, without exception, confirmed their readiness to participate.

An element of Russian plans for a nuclear war are a fleet of 'flying Kremlins' - Ilyushin Il-80 Maxdomes, on permanent standby - that would be used by Putin and his closest allies to stay above a potential war.

These 'doomsday' planes are seen as ageing and due to be replaced by adapted Ilyushin 96-400M's allowing the Russian leader to control troops and missiles during an atomic catastrophe.

However the ultramodern bunker in the sky is not believed to be ready yet.

While initially the channel was dismissed as unreliable, lately briefings attributed to Western intelligence have echoed its assertions over Putin's supposed health issues.

The channel also said: 'The general mental state of Vladimir Putin has recently caused alarm among people in the president's inner circle.'

Repeating earlier claims about his alleged condition - previous dismissed by the Kremlin - the post said: 'When Vladimir Putin, who suffers from oncology, Parkinson's disease and schizoaffective disorder, invites members of the government and the heads of the State Duma and the Federation Council [the lower and upper houses of parliament] to take part in preparing for evacuation in case of a nuclear war it becomes not fun at all'.

The only person who might trigger Armageddon is Putin, said the account.

Vladimir Putin recently shocked his top officers by demanding a nuclear evacuation drill is carried out amid continued concerns over the Russian despot's state of mind, a source has claimed. Pictured: A 'flying Kremlin' or 'doomsday plane' that would be used by Putin and his closest allies in the event of a nuclear war

Ilyushin Il-80: Putin's flying war room The windowless Il-80 is Putin's so-called Doomsday plane, designed to act as a Kremlin in the sky in the event of nuclear attack. Putin would be able to rule Russia and issue commands to his military from the airborne command post in the event of a full-scale war. This includes the ability to order a nuclear strike. The crown jewel of the Il-80s equipment is known as Zveno-S, which includes an advanced communications suite that uses satellite antennas housed on top in a large oval-shaped pod towards the front on the plane. Two more large pods - attached under the wings - each carry a turbine engine that services as an additional power supply source for the on-board equipment. There is also a special very low frequency (VLF) antenna system used for communicating with submarines carrying ballistic missiles. Il-80s were first flown in 1987 and an upgrade programme was launched in 2008, in which the second version of Zveno-S was introduced to at least two of the planes. Length: 200 feet (60 m) Wingspan: 160 feet (48 m) Cruising speed: 530 mph (850 km/h) Range: 2,230 miles (3600 km) Engine type: Kuznetsov NK-86 Manufacturer: Ilyushin First flight: March 5, 1987 Number built: 4 Advertisement

It names ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, who now has a security role, along with the speakers of the two houses of parliament - Vyacheslav Volodin and Valentina Matviyenko - as among those allegedly told there would be a drill for nuclear war.

A schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition including schizophrenia symptoms, for example hallucinations or delusions, and mood issues like depression or mania.

The channel today claimed Russia had logged the death toll as 17,000 including 12,949 service personnel.

The rest were from private military armies - or mercenaries, backing the Kremlin and supposedly deployed in Ukraine.

Russia has not given its estimated death toll in Ukraine for more than two weeks.

Earlier reports have said Putin had moved unidentified members of his immediate family either to a luxury mountain villa in neutral Switzerland, or to a hi-tech underground bunker in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.

Political scientist Valery Solovey, 61, linked to the Telegram channel, said earlier this month: 'In fact, it is not a bunker, but a whole underground city, equipped with the latest science and technology.'

He warned: 'I hope this means something to you?

'That the President sends his family to this bunker.'

He did not identify Putin's family members but previously alleged Kabaeva is his secret spouse, and Russia's hidden first lady. 'This is his real family, and Alina is capable of influencing his decisions,' Solovey said last year.

A former professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) - a training ground for future top diplomats and spies - Solovey's home was recently searched and he was quizzed for eight hours.

The channel has also claimed that Putin and defence minister Sergei Shoigu - in charge of the faltering military invasion of Ukraine - attended a shamanic ritual in Siberia which involved the sacrifice of a black wolf in a rite to improve the president's health.

'A piece of white fabric was soaked with the wolf's blood and burned,' it said.

'They allegedly saw a black raven in the smoke that circled for a long time.

'For some reason, this sign was explained to Putin as a great success.'

Quizzed over his claims that Putin had a serious illness, strongly denied by the Kremlin, Solovey said: 'I do not use the expression 'terminally ill' and I have never used it.

Solovey did not identify the family members of Putin supposedly sent to the bunker, but has previously alleged that Olympic Gold-winning rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 38, is the Russian leader's secret spouse (undated photo of Putin and Kabaeva at the Kremlin)

Russian Doomsday Plane IL-80 pictured during Victory Day parade in Moscow

'I use a euphemism: personal circumstances of compelling force.'

Putin has two adult daughters Dr Maria Vorontsova, 36, a geneticist, and Katerina, 35, a high-kicking 'rock'n'roll' dancer-turned-mathematician.

He is also reported to have a daughter Luiza Rozova, a 18-year-old heiress also known as Elizaveta Krivonogikh, from a previous relationship with cleaner-turned-multimillionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh, 45, now a part-owner of a major Russian bank.

Unconfirmed rumours denied by the Kremlin say he has children with Kabaeva.

In an embarrassing security lapse last year, one of the four existing doomsday planes was infiltrated and robbed as it was undergoing a refit in Russian city Taganrog, on the Sea of Azov.

Some 39 pieces of radio equipment were stolen after a cargo hatch was opened.

As Ukraine continues its strong resistance against Putin's forces, resulting in more death and destruction amongst Moscow's ranks than was ever expected, the Russian leader is said to be getting increasingly paranoid about even his closest allies.

Report suggest the humiliated dictator is looking for a scapegoat for the war's failure, which is now dragging into its fourth week.

Boris Karpichkov, a former KGB spy now living in the UK, told the Sun Online that Putin lost the way before it even started.

'He turned out to be a psychopath really heavily obsessed with paranoid ideas and conspiracy theories against himself and about non existent threats Russia allegedly faces from the rest of the world,' Karpichkov said.

Ukrainian policemen secure the area by a five-storey residential building that partially collapsed after a shelling in Kyiv on March 18, 2022, as Russian troops try to encircle the Ukrainian capital

Damaged civil settlement is seen after Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 18, 2022

Putin reportedly only had contact with his inner circle during the Covid-19 pandemic, but even they were asked to present faecal samples several times a week to check for infection and, in some cases, asked to isolate for two weeks before meetings.

Rumours surrounding the Russian leader's health have been swirling for years, with repeated reports suggesting that he is suffering from cancer and Parkinson's disease, or been affected by long Covid-19 causing 'brain fog'.

This - coupled with Putin putting Russia's nuclear forces on high alert earlier this month - has raised fears that the world is edging closer to nuclear conflict.

'Senior officials of the leading Nato countries also allow aggressive statements against our country, therefore I order the minister of defence and the chief of the general staff to transfer the deterrence forces of the Russian army to a special mode of combat duty,' Putin said in a televised address last month.

'Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading Nato members made aggressive statements regarding our country.'

Meanwhile, the president of Belarus, who has allowed Russia to use his country's territory to invade Ukraine, says he has no intention to host Russian nuclear weapons.

Alexander Lukashenko has beefed up military ties with Moscow after Western sanctions over his crackdown on protests after his reelection to a sixth term in an August 2020 vote that the opposition and the West rejected as rigged. He has

Lukashenko had previously offered to host Russian nuclear weapons, but in an interview with Japanese broadcaster TBS released by his office on Friday, he said he has no such plans.

'I'm not planning to deploy nuclear weapons here, produce nuclear weapons here, create and use nuclear weapons against anyone,' he said, dismissing the allegations of such plans as an 'invention by the West.'

Lukashenko said that he had made an earlier statement about a possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus in response to the talk in the West about a possible redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons from Germany to Poland.

The Belarusian leader noted that the constitutional amendments approved in a vote last month that shed Belarus' neutral status has no relation to nuclear weapons.
Russia has been accused of interfering with the global GPS navigation system during a major Nordic war game in Finland.

European aviation authorities have said signals, heavily used by commercial aircraft, have been affected from Finland, through the Mediterranean and even as far as Iraq.

Disruptions to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which include GPS, are caused by the 'jamming' or 'spoofing' of satellite signals.

Since the war erupted on February 24, 'jamming and/or possible spoofing has intensified in geographical areas surrounding the conflict zone and other areas,' the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said in an online bulletin Thursday.

Vladimir Putin, pictured, was been accused of ordering his troops to jam the global GPS network, making navigation more difficult, according to the European Aviation Safety Agency

The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned airlines to be aware of possible attacks on teh integrity of the GPS system and ensure pilots do not rely on the satellite based system

The European Airline Safety Agency has warned GPS signals in an area from Finland to Iraq has been disrupted

The EASA said the issue was observed in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, the Baltics, eastern Finland, the Black Sea, the eastern Mediterranean and northern Iraq.

'The effects of GNSS jamming and/or possible spoofing were observed by aircraft in various phases of their flights, in certain cases leading to re-routing or even to change the destination due to the inability to perform a safe landing procedure,' the agency said.

But the agency said it is unlikely that they will need to suspend flight operations.

EASA asked all air transit workers to report any GPS anomalies and warned that aircraft operators should be ready to use other navigation tools in case of satellite malfunctions.
A female City University student was murdered in her London halls before the suspect fled the tower block at 5am, it has been claimed.

The 19-year-old psychology student, who has not been named, is believed to have been killed on the fifth floor of a block of flats on Sebastian Street in Clerkenwell, London owned by Unite Students.

She was found with injuries just after 5am this morning at Arbour House, and tragically died at the scene despite the best efforts of paramedics.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said they had launched a murder investigation and there have been no arrests. A post-mortem examination will be scheduled and a cordon remains at the scene, with homicide detectives from the Mets Specialist Crime Command leading the investigation.

The 19-year-olds neighbour Leona Sigmud, 20, described her as just a normal student who kept herself to herself.

The music student said: She was a normal student, there was nothing special about her. I saw her in the hallways but I never really spoke to her.

Of course she was nice and was never rude. I didnt know her personally. I dont think she was British. When I heard someone was murdered I didnt believe it at first. I thought it was gossip. We are all feeling rather shaken up. This doesnt happen every day.

The Metropolitan Police said they were called to reports of a woman, believed to be 19, injured at Unite student accommodation in Sebastian Street, Clerkenwell, on Saturday

Neighbour Arsh Srivastara, 21, who is a business student said: At around 5.45am I heard a voice that sounded like a grown man.

I heard the fire alarm go off and I heard someone running out of a back ground floor exit near where I live. I thought it was the suspect.

After that the police showed up around half an hour later. They have been investigating ever since. I heard them talking about someone trying to escape through the hallway door.

I didnt know anything about her until today. She lived on the sixth floor.

Flowers were left at the scene while distraught residents filed in and out of the student housing. One pair of girls, who were too upset to talk about what happened, hugged and comforted each other outside the building.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said the building had lax security which only ran from 12pm-8pm on weekdays.

The finance student, 19, added: I saw the police in the morning and there were helicopters. I am completely shocked and obviously traumatised.

Speaking at Islington Police Station, Chief Inspector Adam Instone said: Arbour House is a student accommodation and I know there will be great sadness and deep concern among the local people and the student community.

Officers found the teenager suffering from serious injuries inside Arbour House and despite treatment from the emergency services she was pronounced dead at the scene

I share that sadness and concern and I can assure them that a thorough homicide investigation is under way, led by skilled and experienced detectives who will work tirelessly to identify and arrest whoever is responsible.

Tackling violent crime is the Mets top priority. Police officers, including forensic specialists, remain at the scene. Local people will also see additional police in the area.

If you have any concerns about safety in and around the Clerkenwell area, please speak with those officers.

A Unite Students spokesperson said: As this remains an on-going police incident, we are unable to comment on their investigation.

Our priority at this time is the safety and wellbeing of students at Arbour House. We are working closely with the police and City, University of London.

A spokesperson for City, University of London said: As a university, we will do everything we can to support our students and staff and we will continue to fully support the police with their investigation. We are working closely with Unite Students who own and operate Arbour House.

Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8358 1010, call 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD1252/19March.
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Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has sneered that Moscows ties to China will only grow stronger because of the Wests sanctions against Russia over its illegal war on Ukraine.

The Kremlins top diplomat said Russias ties to China will intensify at a time when the West is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, according to the Interfax news agency.

This cooperation will get stronger, because at a time when the West is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, of course we  as two great powers  need to think how to carry on in this world, Lavrov was quoted as saying.

Joe Biden had warned Chinas despot Xi Jinping there would be consequences if Beijing provides support to Russia during its invasion of the Ukraine.

In the nearly two-hour video call between the two leaders, Biden described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians, the White House said in a readout of the conversation.

But the White House declined to say what those consequences would be and refused to say whether or not Biden made any specifics asks of China, which has a close diplomatic relationship with Russia.

The call was part of the administrations effort to keep China from providing a lifeline to Putin, who is becoming increasingly isolated since he invaded Ukraine nearly a month ago and whose economy has crashed as a result of Western sanctions.

It was the first time that Biden and Xi spoke since a video summit in November. Relations between Washington and Beijing have become more tense due to Chinese aggression in the Pacific and its growing threats towards the neighbouring island of Taiwan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting on the sidelines of a BRICS summit, in Brasilia, Brazil, November 13, 2019

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference following talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Moscow, Russia, March 16, 2022

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

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

According to one US intelligence estimate, 7,000 Russian troops including four generals have already been killed  more than the number of American troops killed in either the Iraq or Afghanistan wars at 4,825 and 3,576 respectively  and between 14,000 and 21,000 troops have been injured in the fighting. The estimated Russian death toll is of a scale similar to that of the Battle of Iwo Jima, where 6,852 US troops were killed and 19,000 were wounded during five weeks of fighting Japanese forces in the most intense phase of the Pacific theatre of World War Two

Ukraines military claims Russia has lost 466 tanks, 115 helicopters, 914 vehicles, 95 aircraft, 213 artillery systems, 44 anti-aircraft weapons and 60 fuel tanks. The information could not be independently verified

President Biden and President Xi spoke about the situation in the Ukraine, where Biden warned of the consequences Beijing would face if they helped Russia

China released a photo of the video call between Presidents Biden and Xi, which lasted nearly two hours

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 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

Biden spoke to his Chinese counterpart from the Situation Room in the White House, where he outlined the efforts of the United States and its allies to respond to the invasion, including the financial sanctions imposed on Russia.

In the readout of the call, the White House did not list any items the two men agreed upon other than to keep the lines of communication open.

A senior administration described the call as direct and substantive.

I would say the conversation was direct. It was substantive and it was detailed. The two leaders spent the preponderance of their time discussing Russias unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the implications of the crisis for US China relations and the international order, the official said.

The official said the call wasnt for Biden to make any specific requests for Xi but to lay out his assessment of the situation, what he thinks makes sense, and the implications of certain actions, the official said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration wasnt offering any more details on the conversation because the next move was China's.

Because China has to make a decision for themselves about where they want to stand and how they want the history books to look at them and view their actions. And that is a decision for President Xi and the Chinese to make, she said when asked at her Friday press briefing about the lack of specifics.

Russian officials have 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 countrys 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.

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 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 Putins doorstep.

The Russian President claimed Western attempts to have global dominance are coming to an end as he slammed sanctions imposed because the EU doesnt 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.

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.

Russia unleashed its 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, the defence ministry said today, destroying a weapons storage site in the country's west on Friday. Pictured: An injured woman looks on as she receives medical treatment after shelling in a residential area in Kyiv on March 18, 2022

More than 1,300 people including women and babies are still feared trapped in the bombed ruins of a theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol (pictured)

Cars drive past a destroyed Russian tank as a convoy of vehicles evacuating civilians leaves Irpin, March 9, 2022

Damaged civil settlement is seen after Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 18, 2022

People get upset after Russian shelling destroyed their homes in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 18, 2022

Handout image shows an apartment building after a rocket strike in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, March 18, 2022

109 empty baby carriages on display in Lviv city center for the 109 babies killed so far during Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Ukrainian policemen secure the area by a residential building that partially collapsed after a shelling in Kyiv, March 18, 2022

The Russian ruble has now lost nearly 50 per cent of is value since the start of 2022, with the currency falling off a financial cliff after Putin declared the war in Ukraine.

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.

There have also been recent reports of Russians filling fridges with McDonalds 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.

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.
SHANGHAI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- China's index of export container transport edged down in the past week ending Friday, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The average China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) went down 1.9 percent to 3,301.1, said the exchange.

The sub-reading for the Persian Gulf/Red Sea service led the decline with a week-on-week drop of 4.9 percent, followed by that for the west coast America service and Southeast Asia service, which both went down 3.8 percent from the previous week.

Bucking the trend, the sub-reading for the Korea service reported a week-on-week gain of 5.5 percent.

The CCFI tracks spot and contractual freight rates from Chinese container ports for 12 shipping routes across the globe, based on data from 22 international carriers.

The index was set at 1,000 on Jan. 1, 1998. 
A 2,000-year-old coin depicting a wine-swilling Celtic king who boasted of having a high sex drive has been unearthed by a detectorist and is tipped to sell for 4,000.

The gold stater dates to between 30-40AD and was issued by King Verica, whose kingdom was what is now Kent, Sussex and Hampshire.

He aligned himself with the Romans and imported copious amounts of Italian wine and drinking vessels in exchange for British slaves.

The gold stater dates to between 30-40AD and was issued by King Verica

Who was King Verica? Verica was a British client king in the Roman Empire in the early first century (AD) in the years following the Claudian invasion of 43 AD. A client king is a ruler who is dependent on another state or country for their own power, but the coins suggest Verica had been ruler of the Belgic Atrebates tribe. He had trade and diplomatic links with the Roman empire, hence his title as client king, and being recognised as rex in Rome. Records state that 'Bericus' (thought to be Verica) was expelled from Britain around 40AD to 42AD during a revolt. As an ally of Rome, Verica's banishment was the perfect excuse for Roman Emperor Claudius, to begin an invasion. Following the invasion, Verica may have been reinstated as king, but this is not factually supported. He was later succeeded by Cogidubnus. Verica's relationship with the Roman Empire has been the basis of many arguments that the site of the Roman invasion in Britain was along the south coast, rather than the now recognised spot at Richborough in Kent. Advertisement

He also encouraged the Roman invasion of Britain in the 1st century after his own kingdom was threatened by an invading tribe.

The coin was dug up by a treasure hunter in a field in Edmondsham on the Dorset/Hampshire border last summer.

One side depicts a large vine leaf that signifies his liking for wine.

The other shows Verica on horseback beneath the letters VIRI. The four letters are thought to have several meanings.

They are said to represent the name Verica. They also mean the word 'virile' in Latin, which could also be a nod to his reputation as a lothario.

Finally, the letters could also be read as Latin for Venum Rex - the wine king.

The stater, which is made from a mix of gold, silver and copper, is going under the hammer with Chris Rudd Auctions, of Norwich.

Mr Rudd said: 'Verica was well in with the Romans and imported quite a lot of wine.

'This coin has a large vine leaf on one side which is a very unusual decoration for a British coin.

'Around his seat of power that is Chichester, Roman wine vessels have been found dating to before the Roman invasion. Verica was definitely a wine importer and probably exchanged wine in return for British slaves.

'Verica was the person responsible for the Roman invasion. He gave them reason to come over here and conquer Britain in 43AD.

'He was angry that a rival tribe north of the Thames was trying to take over his region and his cities.

'So he went to Emperor Claudius to ask for help and encouraged the Romans to come across. Claudius wanted to prove himself to the Romans and thought he could get a lot of glory by invading Britain.

'The coin was found in Dorset which is the furthest west one of these coins has been found.

'It is a scarce coin and there are about 50 to 100 of these that are known.

'The stater was struck for military purposes, for Verica to pay his warriors to fight invading forces.'

Mr Rudd compared Verica to Russian dictator Putin.

He added: 'This stater depicts him posing as a strong man on horseback, a bit like Putin.

'VIRI has numerous meanings. It means his name in Latin, it means the word virile, it means 'the high one' and it means the wine king. The Celts liked to play on words with their coinage.'

The stater is being sold on 20 March.

The one side of the coin shows Verica on horseback beneath the letters VIRI
A declaration disaster was issued in 11 Texas counties as a massive wildfire that has burned down at least 50 homes and left a sheriff's deputy dead continues to spread.

Firefighters are tackling the Eastland Complex Fire, which has burned through 45,000 acres and was only around 15 percent contained as of Saturday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service fire.

The fire started on Thursday and has quickly spread because of the dry conditions and wind gusts of more than 40 mph in large parts of the state.

On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster in the counties hardest hit by wildfires after confirming that dozens of homes had been destroyed by the flames.

About 18,000 people live in Eastland County. In the town of Gorman, about 475 homes were evacuated, but officials don't yet know how many structures may have burned, Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman Matthew Ford said.

The Texas A&M Forest Services warned that fires could also affect parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, and Nebraska warned of an extreme fire risk.

Videos of the blaze posted to social media show the blaze form into what appears to be a 'fire tornado'

Flames pictured spreading quickly through dry grass as the wildfire spread because of the dry conditions and wind gusts

The flames from the Eastland Complex Fire seen on Thursday night. Since it has started the wildfire has burned through 45,000 acres

La Paloma fire activity is seen in Starr County on Friday. The fire has burned through an estimated 1,036 acres and is 80 percent contained

Priscilla Maynard is pictured in front of a burned home Friday near Carbon, Texas as a firefighters struggle to contain a wildfire spreading throughout Eastland County

Visibility is low due to the fire which has caused hazy conditions for up to hundreds of miles away

On Thursday, Eastland County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Deputy Barbara Fenley died helping resident escape the blaze.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Fenley was going door to door, getting residents to evacuate their homes and the last time she communicated she indicated she was going to check on an elderly person in Carbon, Texas.

'With the extreme deteriorating conditions and low visibility from smoke, Sgt. Fenley ran off the roadway and was engulfed in the fire,' the sheriff's statement said.

The 51-year-old leaves behind a husband and three sons.

'She didn't care who you were or what you did. She was always going to be there; Doesn't matter if you were 5 years old or 85 years old, she was going to take care of you,' her son Jon told NBC 5.

The Cisco Police Department posted a tribute to their 'sister' and said she will be deeply missed.

'She was a special servant and an attribute to our profession. We will kneel in prayer for her family, friends and colleagues as they mourn. RIP dear friend, you will be missed.'

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush commended the 51-year-old's bravery.

'Deputy Fenley was killed while trying to save citizens from the fires burning across West Texas last night. Her service to our state will not be forgotten,' Bush posted on Twitter.

On Thursday Eastland County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Deputy Barbara Fenley (pictured) died helping resident escape the blaze

A pickup truck is marked with an 'X' on Friday in Carbon, Texas to signify it had been checked and cleared by personnel

A family is pictured walking through smoke on Thursday after evacuating the Continental Villa mobile home park in Abilene, Texas

Eastland County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Deputy Barbara Fenley, who died helping people in the wildfire on Thursday, leaves behind a husband and three sons

'She didn't care who you were or what you did. She was always going to be there; Doesn't matter if you were 5 years old or 85 years old, she was going to take care of you,' her son Jon (pictured with Fenley said)

On Friday, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned that much of Western and Central Texas faces an elevated fire risk due to dry, windy conditions and urged residents to check for local burn bans and use caution with anything that could start a grass fire.

'We had a fairly dry summer last year and that continued into the fall and winter,' said National Weather Service meteorologist Madison Gordon. With winter passing, 'we now have a lot of fuel available in fields.'

The fires caused hazy conditions hundreds of miles away, with the Houston Fire Department and the citys Office of Emergency Management on Friday morning sending out automated phone messages alerting area residents to smoke and ash.

Videos of the blaze posted to social media show the blaze form into what appears to be a 'fire tornado' while another clip showed the full extent of the massive blaze from above as seen from an airplane at night.

A Baptist church in downtown Ranger, Texas, about 85 miles west of Fort Worth, was destroyed Thursday when flames engulfed the 103-year-old building. The police department and other historic buildings were also burned, Dallas TV station WFAA reported.

Roy Rodgers, a deacon at Second Baptist Church, said the third floor and roof collapsed and the rest of the building had extensive smoke and water damage. Rodgers said the church plans to hold its next Sunday service in a parking lot across the street, where the congregation will decide what to do.

'It's heartbreaking,' Rodgers said. 'A lot of people are taking it pretty hard because a lot of people have ties to the church.'
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Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system is giving Ukrainian forces the edge in winning the drone war as the nation fights back with technology to track down invading Russians.

Aerorozvidka (Aerial Reconnaissance) is being used to attack Russian drones and target Vladmir Putin's army of tanks and track down their positions in the conflict, which has been ongoing since February 24, according to The Telegraph.

Drones used in the field are able to use the newly available Starlink to keep connected and provide intelligence as internet and power outages plague Ukraine.

With the technology, the drones can be directed to drop anti-tank munitions to help ward off the Russian attack.

The so-far-successful implementation of the satellites into the defense of the war-torn nation makes good on a promise outspoken mogul Musk - who challenged Putin to a fist fight for the future of Ukraine earlier this week - made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the month, that SpaceX will send more Starlink satellite stations to provide internet to some of the country's stricken cities.

The president of the embattled country took to Twitter to thank the Tesla CEO, 50, for the support, and invited the tech mogul to visit Ukraine once the war is over.

Drones used in the field are able to use the newly available Starlink to keep connected and provide intelligence as internet and power outages plague Ukraine

With the technology, the drones can be directed to drop anti-tank munitions to help ward off the Russian attack

'Talked to @elonmusk. I'm grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds. Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities,' Zelensky wrote at the time.

Musk (pictured) delivered the terminals for satellite-based internet following a request by Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov

Meanwhile, more Musk satellites are still coming.

Early Saturday morning, a further 53 Starlink internet satellites were launched into space via rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, further bolstering the burgeoning surveillance network.

SpaceX said Saturday that the 230-foot rocket, dubbed the Falcon 9, launched the satellites into low orbit without a hitch.

The Ukrainians are also enlisting the help of PD-1 unmanned aerial vehicles fitted with infrared sensors. With a wingspan of 10 feet, the vehicles are being used to collect vital information on the movements of Russian troops.

The Ukrainian drone unit uses a 'Delta' system, which has been perfected in recent years with the help of Western advisers.

It can be accessed by basic laptops, and has a 'situational awareness' software installed, which creates an interactive map using images from drones, satellites, human intelligence and sensors to build a physical picture to help in tracking the enemy.

The system, which is said to be on par with similar NATO technology, is believed to have been tested in the Sea Breeze military exercise held in the Black Sea in 2021, which involved the USA, Ukraine and 30 other countries.

The Ukrainians have perfected the system with the help of Western countries, who have provided radio communications superior to Soviet-era technology. The US is said to have spent millions of dollars on the system to protect against Russian hacking.

Early Saturday morning, a further 53 Starlink satellites were launched into space by rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, further bolstering the relatively new surveillance network

SpaceX said Saturday the 230-foot rocket, called the Falcon 9, successfully launched the satellites into orbit without a hitch

Within days of Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's vice-prime minister's tweet, trucks arrived at Ukraine hauling Starlink terminals (pictured a terminal in Odesa, southern Ukraine)

The most downloaded app in Ukraine More than 100,000 people have now downloaded the Starlink app, with global downloads more than tripling in the last two weeks. Sensor Tower, a firm that provides App Store and Google Play data, said the app was downloaded 21,000 times globally across the two stores on Sunday. That is the most global installs in a single day, the company added, with the majority of the downloads coming from Ukraine. Advertisement

Over the past week, the US has contributed roughly $1 billion in new assistance to Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday detailed how much military aid the US is already providing - and will provide - to the country, after President Zelensky recorded an impassioned plea for aid from the superpower, asking Biden to back a no-fly zone his administration has repeatedly rejected.

In the remotely held address to the US senate, Zelensky urged Americans to remember Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks when looking at the recent events in Ukraine, and firmly asked the president, by name, in English, to step in.

'It's not enough to be the leader of the nation. Today it takes to be the leader of the world,' Zelensky said. '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 and those who are strong.'

Following Zelensky's speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also criticized the Biden administration for what he's seen as a lackadaisical response to the conflict in Ukraine.

Biden Wednesday called Zelensky's speech 'convincing and significant,' as he announced an additional $800 million in military assistance on top of an already $13.6 billion aid package for the country, in a spending bill signed into law Tuesday, which includes weapons sought-after by Ukrainian forces to quell the Russian onslaught, such as anti-armor and anti-air systems.

Speaking from the White House, Biden said the new package will consist of 9,000 anti-armor systems, 7,000 small arms, 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 20 million rounds of ammunition, and 100 drones, 'so [Ukrainians] can continue to defend their space.'

During the speech, Biden asserted that the US is 'fully committed' to getting those weapons to Ukraine in the coming days.

With that said, there are still fears that the system could be impacted by internet disruption as Russia continues its assault, leading to power outages and internet connectivity issues.

Starlink, however - now the most popular app in Ukraine, with more than 100,000 downloads in the few weeks since it went live - uses terminals that resemble TV dishes equipped with antennas that have so far addressed those concerns, with the satellites mounted on roofs to allow Ukraine citizens to access the Internet via satellite in rural or disconnected areas.

Ukraine has so far received thousands of antennas from Musks companies and European allies, which the country's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, saying the tech has already proved 'very effective,' in an interview with The Washington Post Friday.

'The quality of the link is excellent,' Fedorov, 31, told the paper from an undisclosed location in the country, in remote interview made possible by a Starlink connection.

'We are using thousands, in the area of thousands, of terminals with new shipments arriving every other day,' the official revealed, speaking on how the satellites have proved instrumental in helping citizens and leaders communicate as the Kremlin continues its large-scale attacks in cities across Ukraine.

Shortly after the invasion, Fedorov, who also serves as the country's vice-prime minister, had sent a tweet to Musk, asking to be given access to Starlink stations.

Musk, currently valued at $232 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, responded just hours later: 'Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.'

Within days, trucks arrived at Ukraine hauling Starlink terminals, as well as adapters providing power via cigarette lighters in cars, or battery packs, and a roaming feature to ensure people are connected while they travel to safety.

Starlink uses thousands of small satellites around 340 miles above the earth's surface.

Base stations on earth send radio waves up to the satellites, which beam those down to a satellite dish terminal back on the planet.

The aim of the system is to bring internet access to rural and poorly connected parts of the world. It has allowed internet connections to travel quickly, with more speed provided due to travelling through space.

The lower orbit of Starlink also allows signals to travel even faster.

Over 2,000 satellites have been sent up to space so far, and there are plans to launch around 12,000 in total.

The usefulness of the system has now reached into military operations, with the Ukrainian drone armies of 'Aerorozvidka' being able to use it to continue communicating with their bases by sending signals from Starlink terminals and using ground stations in neighboring countries, including Poland.

The Aerorozvidka unit was formed by a group of civilian model airplane enthusiasts and those with a background in engineering in 2014 following the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine.

The group helped to build drones and sensors for the military to monitor the border, and helped to adapt commercially available drones to gather intelligence and even drop homemade explosives.

Over 2,000 satellites have been sent up to space so far, and there are plans to launch around 12,000 in total

Eventually, the system was integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces.

It is proving so effective that the US feels supplying the Ukrainians with aircraft is unnecessary, and have opted to send Switchblades - known as kamikaze drones - which were initially designed for US special forces, and have the ability to take down a tank.

General James Dickinson, commander of US Space Command, told the Senate armed services committee: 'What we're seeing with Elon Musk and the Starlink capabilities is really showing us what a megaconstellation, or a proliferated architecture, can provide in terms of redundancy and capability.'

The US however, has remained adamant about not deploying actual troops into Ukraine, out of fears for its own national security - or as Biden has put it, to avoid a possible 'World War III.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated Tuesday that the administration does not and will not support Zelensky's no-fly zone request for those reasons.

'We have the responsibility to do here is to assess what the impact is on the United States and our own national security,' the White House spokesperson said.

But Russians have so far reacted angrily to the US' - and particularly Starlink's - support for Ukraine.

Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, said: 'This is the West that we should never trust.

'When Russia implements its highest national interests on the territory of Ukraine, Elon Musk appears with his Starlink which was previously declared as purely civilian.

'I warned about it, but our 'muskophiles' said he is the light of world cosmonautics. Here, look, he has chosen the side.'

The US have opted to send Switchblades - known as kamikaze drones - to Ukraine, which were initially designed for US special forces, and have the ability to take down a tank

Photos of destroyed or captured Russian BM-21 Uragan MLRS 9P140 launcher, Tigr-M, and a T-72B3 tank near Pryluky in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine

Drones have been instrumental in targeting Russian equipment as it travels into Ukraine

The Ukrainian drone unit uses a 'Delta' system, which has been perfected in recent years with the help of Western advisers.

The use of Starlink as a method for citizens and the government to stay connected during the invasion serves a major test of the relatively new technology, experts say, and could have lasting implications for the future of conflict.

Aside from powering weapons and aiding the military, Musk's satellites have so far allowed citizens to stay informed against an enemy known for their misinformation efforts.

Britain's Ministry of Defence warned last week that Moscow is 'probably' targeting Ukraine's communications infrastructure.

With that said, despite repeated attempts by Putin's forces to disconnect Ukrainians from the web, Russia has threatened its own independent journalists with jail time if they report 'fake' news about the war.

The Russian forces have been using their fair share of hypersonic weapons, unleashing its 'unstoppable' Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine this week.

Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.

Moscow claims the 'Kinzhal'- or Dagger - is 'unstoppable' by current Western weapons. The missile, which has a range of 1,250 miles, is nuclear capable. This was a conventional strike.

Aerial footage released by the Russian military claimed to show the missile strike. Large, long buildings are shown in the footage in a snowy region, before one is obliterated by a huge explosion - sending flames, earth and debris high into the air. People can be seen on the ground fleeing as smoke pours from the site.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat confirmed that a storage site had been targeted, but added that Kyiv had no information regarding the type of missile that was used.

Russia reportedly first used the weapon during its military campaign in Syria in 2016 to support the Assad regime, although it was unclear if this was the same model. Some of the most intense bombing came in 2016 during the battle for Aleppo, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths.

Pictured: A video screen grab showing a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile, launched during a strategic deterrence exercise by the Russian armed forces, in February 2022 (file photo)

A Russian tank is destroyed by Ukrainian forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the missile 'an ideal weapon' that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems.

Hypersonic missiles can be used to deliver conventional warheads, more rapidly and precisely than other missiles. But their capacity to deliver nuclear weapons could add to a country's threat, increasing the danger of a nuclear conflict.

Russia's announcement of the missile strike came as Kyiv's army high command claimed to have killed a fifth Moscow general since the war in Ukraine began.

Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev was one of Vladimir Putin's most senior commanders, in charge of the 8th All-Military Army of the Kremlin's vast Southern Military District.

Moscow did not initially confirm his death in keeping with most previous claims of the 'liquidation' of Generals.

Ukraine now claims to have killed five holding the rank of General. The Ukrainians also claimed that wounded Russian soldiers have filled all hospital facilities in Gomel city in Belarus.

Overnight, Zelensky said Russian forces are blockading his country's largest cities to wear the population down into submission, but he warned Saturday that the strategy will fail and Moscow will lose in the long run if it doesn't end its war.

A heavily bombed building is seen in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, after being destroyed by Russian shelling of the city

An explosion is seen in an apartment building after Russian's army tank fires in Mariupol, Ukraine

Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of deliberately creating 'a humanitarian catastrophe ' and appealed for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him, using a huge Moscow stadium rally where Putin lavished praise on Russian forces Friday to illustrate what was at stake.

'Just picture for yourself that in that stadium in Moscow there are 14,000 dead bodies and tens of thousands more injured and maimed. Those are the Russian costs throughout the invasion,' Zelenskyy said in a nightly video address to the nation recorded outside the presidential office in Kyiv.

The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home. The event was surrounded by suspicions it was a Kremlin-manufactured display of patriotism. Russian police have detained thousands of people from protests of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Fighting continued on multiple fronts in Ukraine. In the besieged port city of Mariupol, the site of some of the war's greatest suffering.
View was echoed by Boris Johnson speech where he said: 'We don't need to be woke, we just want to be free'

is also the Government's equalities minister, was speaking at Tory Party's spring conference in Blackpool

Said UK's response to Ukraine war showed it was time to restore Britain's values

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'time to end' the so-called culture wars

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has called Britain's so-called culture wars to be cancelled by declaring that it is 'time to end' to shut down 'ludicrous debates' on pronouns.

Ms Truss, who is also the Government's equalities minister, said the 'constant self-questioning and introspection' needed to cease.

In a speech to the Conservative Party spring conference in Blackpool on Saturday, Ms Truss said the UK's response to the crisis in Ukraine should mean a restoration of pride in Britain's values.

There have been recent calls to reassess the reputations of key British figures, including wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, for views they held that are deemed incompatible with the modern day.

Road names and buildings have also undergone name changes due to links with slave traders.

Liz Truss, who is also the Government's equalities minister, told the Tory Party's spring conference in Blackpool that the 'constant self-questioning and introspection' needed to cease

During the debate on culture, trans rights have come to the fore, with heated public rows over the ability for people to self-identify as a gender different to the one they were born with, and people declaring their preferred pronouns in written interactions.

The Foreign Secretary told the conference: 'Now is the time to end the culture of self-doubt, the constant self-questioning and introspection, the ludicrous debates about language, statues and pronouns.

'Our history, warts and all, makes us what we are today.

'We live in a great country, a great democracy and we should be proud of it.'

The Prime Minister also included reference to the values battle in his speech closing the two-day conference.

There have been recent calls to reassess the reputations of key British figures, including wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, for views they held that are deemed incompatible with the modern day. Pictured: Churchill's statue being protected during 'Kill The Bill' protests

Mr Johnson argued that the battle for democracy in eastern Europe highlighted the freedoms people enjoyed in Britain, adding: 'We don't need to be woke, we just want to be free.'

The comments come after Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, during an appearance at the resort conference on Friday, said it was time to 'get away from the wokery that has beset huge sections of society'.

Mr Johnson, the Tory leader, also attracted criticism for remarks appearing to compare the situation in Ukraine with the UK Brexit vote.

He told supporters he knew that the 'instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, is to choose freedom, every time' before citing the example of the European Union referendum in 2016.

It is not the first time the Prime Minister has involved himself in the culture debate, with the Churchill biographer having been a vocal defender of Sir Winston's reputation in standing up to the Nazis.

He said, around the time of Black Lives Matters protests almost two years ago, that the decision to board up Churchill's statue in Parliament Square, to protect it from potential vandalism by protesters, was 'absurd and shameful'.

In a series of tweets at the time, Mr Johnson said: 'Yes, he sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today, but he was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial.'

On gender self-ID, following a consultation, the UK Government announced in 2020 it did not support allowing people to officially change gender without a medical diagnosis.

It instead announced plans to remove barriers to gender switches, including making the process available online, reducing the certificate fee from 140 to 5, and opening three new gender clinics that year to cut waiting lists.
The cat flap sex attacker who sparked a UK-wide manhunt after escaping an open jail gave guards the slip by leaving a makeshift dummy in his bed.

Paul Robson was handed two life sentences for bursting into a 23-year-old womans house in Oxford through a cat flap and sexually assaulting her while holding a knife to her throat in August 2000.

The 56-year-old was moved to Category D HMP North Sea in Lincolnshire in January this year after his fifth parole review, but walked out of the open prison less than a month later and fled on a prison bicycle.

Four days and a national manhunt later, Robson was found wandering around Skegness 20 miles away and was subsequently arrested.

Robson has now been jailed for another eight months and will not be eligible to apply for parole for at least two years.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that the sex fiend was reported missing on February 19 after the dummy was found on his bed.

He had enjoyed a single cell at HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire before he was moved, where he had become a Buddhist.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, mitigating, said following the move to Lincolnshire he found himself sharing a cramped cell with another inmate who annoyed him by playing on his Xbox all day.

Paul Robson was handed two life sentences for bursting into a 23-year-old womans house in Oxford through a cat flap and sexually assaulting her while holding a knife to her throat in August 2000

The 56-year-old was moved to Category D HMP North Sea in Lincolnshire

Four days and a national manhunt later, Robson was found wandering around Skegness 20 miles away and was subsequently arrested

He was advised to a do a jigsaw on his bed, the barrister continued, adding his client did not want to change jails but had no choice.

On the night of the escape, Robson had waited until his cell mate was asleep and climbed out of the window after leaving the dummy in his bed.

Mr Cranmer-Brown said Robson made his way to Skegness because he had been brought up in a seaside resort.

The court heard Robson had no family and had become institutionalised, but still hoped to be released one day.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst told Robson his eight-month jail term for the escape would run alongside his life sentence. Robson had denied the theft of a bicycle and the charge was left on file.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: Paul Robson is now safely back behind bars and will face an uphill struggle proving he can ever be trusted to move to an open prison again.

Robson, pictured as a younger man, was sentenced to a minimum of nine years but has spent 20 years behind bars and only moved to an open prison in February 2021 after five parole hearings

While absconds have halved since 2010 and are now extremely rare, the Deputy Prime Minister has introduced greater scrutiny of Parole Board recommendations on open prison moves.

Robson has a history of sexually-motivated attacks, including assaults on women and girls as young as eight years old.

Police in charge of the manhunt had earlier said Robson risked causing significant harm to the public and warned people not to approach him. They added he could be anywhere in the country.

He has spent 20 years behind bars and only moved to an open prison in February 2021 after five parole hearings.

Convict support and advice network the Prison Guide has previously described Category D jails as like the heaven of prisons.

The Government said: These prisons have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence to carry out work, education or for other resettlement purposes.

Open prisons only house prisoners that have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions.

Robson has preyed on women and children all his life, when not locked up behind bars, for multiple sexual assaults dating back to the 1980s

Yet an inspectors report published in June last year said 70 per cent of prisoners were assessed as presenting a high risk of harm to others and more than half were convicted of sex offences.

A spokesman for the Parole Board said: The Parole Board refused the release of Paul Robson but recommended a move to an open conditions prison following an oral hearing in February 2021.

This was a recommendation only and the Secretary of State for Justice considers the advice before making the final decision on whether a prisoner is suitable for open conditions.

We will only make a recommendation for open conditions if a Parole Board panel is satisfied that the risk to the public has reduced sufficiently to be manageable in an open prison.

A move to open conditions involves testing the prisoners readiness for any potential return into the community in future. Prisoners moved to open conditions can be returned to closed conditions if there is concern about their behaviour.

Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness, Matt Warman, called Robsons escape a failure of the system.

Any absconding from North Sea Camp is deeply worrying for local people, and its a sign of a failure within the system that should be making sure only those suitable for open prisons are placed there, he said.

This is a matter I've raised repeatedly with the MoJ and others, and while its welcome that numbers have fallen from previous levels, there is clearly more work to do.

East Area Commander Chief Superintendent Kate Anderson told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: We received a call from a member of the public this morning alerting us to a potential sighting of Paul Robson in Skegness.

Just before 9.30am a number of officers went out to search the area. They have seen someone matching his description who started to run away from officers, but they have given chase and were able to detain him and now he is back in custody.

He was in Grand Parade out in the open. A member of the public had seen him and thought I think that looks like him, has phoned in immediately to say where and when he saw him and that has given us the information we needed to be able to get there.

We have put a lot of resources into this over the last few days and we are really pleased he has found.

There was a foot chase, but thankfully the officers pursued him and were able to catch him. He did try to run away, but they did a brilliant job.
Real Time host Bill Maher slammed cancel culture for 'lumping the Russians too much with their government,' saying that if it were to happen in America, it would be called 'racism.'

Maher, 66, disagreed with 'lumping everyone together' and cancelling 'all Russians' for the invasion of Ukraine on Friday night's episode of Real Time.

'Do you think we're lumping the Russians too much with their government?' he asked his three panelists.

'I feel like what we're doing in this country is that everything Russian is bad and every Russian is bad. And first of all, it's not fair. If they weren't white, I feel like we would call that racism,' he said on the show.

'To lump everyone together - not everyone - but a lot of the Russian people don't know what's going on.'

One of the panelists, Echelon Insights founder Kristen Soltis Anderson, who appeared for her 12th time on the show, agreed with Maher, saying: 'This has gone way too far.'

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Real Time host Bill Maher, 66, slammed 'lumping the Russians too much with their government' because 'a lot of Russian people don't know what's going on'

Maher (second right) said he hoped Putin had someone line Trump, who had Mark Milley, to go against his destructive plans

'I don't love any of these stories about a young Russian pianist being canceled from his performance with the Montreal Symphony because he's Russian,' she continued.

Anderson was referring to piano prodigy Alexander Malofeev, 20, who was set to perform three times with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra on March 9, 10 and 13. Malofeev, who has family in Ukraine, had been vocal about his distaste for the Russian invasion prior to the performance.

The Symphony said he felt it was 'inappropriate to receive Mr. Malofeev' for the performance after a number of Ukrainians living in Montreal emailed asking the Symphony to cancel Malofeev's performances. The Symphony also said that it wasn't about his stance on war, which supported Ukrainians, but rather about promoting Russian 'cultural product.'

Americans have also ousted Russian vodka and vandalized Russian restaurants and churches since the start of the war in February.

Another panelist, Max Brooks, agreed that canceling all things Russian was 'unwise,' and compared it to how the world treated Germany after World War II.

'What we were very smart about doing in World War II was we knew the war was going to come to an end, and we knew if we punished all Germans the way we did after World War I, we would back them into the corner.

Panelist Max Brooks (left) said the world needed to extract Russians from Putin like it happened with the Germans in WWII with Hitler in order to have a post-war plan He also said: 'If we don't stop Putin, we condemn our children [and] our grandchildren to another century of war.' Second panelist Kristen Soltis Anderson (right) said she 'didn't love the stories' about the Montreal Symphony Orchestra canceling the Russian pianist's performance because he was Russia

Third panelist Ernest Moniz also slammed NATO for creating a 'mechanism' for crisis communication with Russia, but threw it out the second conflict began

'So, we crafted the narrative that you Germans are lead astray by Hitler, because we knew - even if in some cases it wasn't true - we said to the average Nazi, you still got to run the post office. So, we have to think, we cannot back the Russians as an entire group into a corner.

'If we can separate [Vladimir] Putin from the Russians, in general, then we don't only have a victory, we have a post-war plan,' Brooks finished.

Third panelist, nuclear physicist and CEO of Energy Futures Initiative Ernest Moniz, brought up how NATO and Russia made a 'new mechanism to talk if there were crises' before 2014.

In April 2014, NATO unanimously decided to suspend cooperation with Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea - where Russian forces annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. However, the NATO-Russia Council still exists.

'As soon as the crisis came, we said we're not going to talk,' Moniz said. 'It makes no sense.'

Maher also said he hoped Putin had someone like Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley - who worked under Donald Trump and told the Chinese he was not going to follow Trump's order to attack the country if it were ordered - around him.

'I must say, under Trump, Milley assured the Chinese that: "If this nut who I work for gives the order, I'm not going to do it."' Maher said. 'I would like to think that Putin has someone around him like that.'

If we don't stop Putin, we condemn our children [and] our grandchildren to another century of war. - Max Brooks on Real Time

Brooks went on to say that only way to survive as a 'small country in the world that is not aligned' with the Iran Nuclear Deal is 'with an atom bomb.'

'Ukraine was born nuclear. It was born independent with a Soviet nuclear stockpile,' he said. 'It only agreed to give up those nuclear weapons with the expressed promise that Russia would never invade. And now [Russia's] done it.

'The Iran Nuclear Deal is just one of the many, many nuclear deal we're going to have to diffuse.'

Anderson also brought up Australia, which is now trying to become a bigger nuclear power.

'Even a country like [Australia], who you used to be able to say: "Well they're under the protection of the United States, it will be fine," even they're saying: "We'd like to be in charge of our own defense a little bit more,''' Anderson said on the show.

DECODING PUTIN'S NUCLEAR THREAT Putin's warning putting his nuclear forces on 'high alert mode of combat stand-by duty' is seen as only step two of four on the way to a nuclear war, says Victor Abramowicz. Expert Pavel Podvig adds that it probably puts them on a 'preliminary command' that would allow missiles to be fired to order. But he considered at this stage that they would only be fired if the president suddenly vanished and enemy nukes hit Russian territory first. David Cullen, of the Nuclear Information Service, compared it to UK nuclear submarine commanders being given letters of authority by the British PM for permission to launch missiles if London came under nuclear attack. Advertisement

Australia has become worried it would be a Russian target if Putin tries to prove a point and frighten the West into thinking a bigger city, like Perth, could be on the cards next. It feared Russia may nuke Perth as a show of power and determination while still avoiding engaging the U.S. in mutually assured nuclear Armageddon.

Despite potentially killing up to half a million in the nuclear bombing, future effects would be limited, with the radiation fallout confined to the vast desert outback.

Perth, however, was at the top of the nuclear hitlist in the 1980s during the Cold War, which cause hysteria throughout the country.

Maher took a more sad tone when he asked: 'How many times can do this to countries, say we'll be there, but not be there?'

Brooks compared the invasion to Ukraine and the world standing back as a 'Haile Selassie moment.' The Ethiopian emperor went to the League of Nations in 1936 and begged them to help the country from Mussolini's attack. Brooks said the League of Nation's passiveness led to more dictators, like Hitler, to emerge.

'He begged them to stop this dictator Mussolini from invading his country. He said: "Today is us, tomorrow is you." And the world did nothing, and that gave the greenlight to another dictator Adolf Hitler,' he said on the show. 'If we don't stop Putin now, he will keep going.'

He went on to say he didn't suggest America get involved with the war, as NATO countries 'must never - under any circumstances - fire on Russian forces.'

'This is the line,' he said. 'But if the Ukrainians are willing to shed their blood - not just for themselves, but for the entire world - we owe it to our children to help them.

'Because if we don't stop Putin, we condemn our children [and] our grandchildren to another century of war.'
A schoolgirl was arrested yesterday for drink-driving after she stole a car and crashed it into an opticians.

The 15-year-old and another girl, 16, were arrested by police after they reversed the car through metal railings and the shopfront of an Eye Centre opticians in Gorseinon, Swansea.

Witnesses said a young girl was seen running away 'at some speed' after the crash.

A schoolgirl, 15, crashed a stolen car into an opticians (pictured) in Gorseinon, Swansea, on Friday evening

Shop owner David Griffiths said it was lucky no one was killed when the car smashed into his store at 10.30pm on Friday, after the shop had closed

'She should've gone to Specsavers,' one said. 'She made a spectacle of herself.'

Shop owner David Griffiths said it was lucky no one was killed when the car smashed into his store at 10.30pm on Friday, after the shop had closed.

'It was really lucky no one was behind it because they would have died,' he said.

Co-owner Helen Silverberg praised neighbours for helping out after the Gorseinon Eye Centre was destroyed.

She said: 'From the staff at Greggs bringing us coffees to the Crossroads Clinic offering us space if we need it, so many residents and passers-by have wished us well.

'It's a lovely community.'

Witnesses said they saw a young girl running away from the scene 'at some speed' after the crash

A spokeswoman for South Wales Police said: 'Two teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking.

'The 15-year-old has also been arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level is above the limit.

'Both girls are currently in police custody.'
Almost 800,000 people from across the globe have signed a petition calling on Russian president Vladimir Putin to be tried as a war criminal as a result in is invasion of Ukraine.

The petition's authors have asked world leaders to 'hold Putin and his accomplices personally accountable for their illegal invasion of Ukraine'.

The petition went live on March 14 and is being supported by people from every continent. The organisers hope that one million people will add their names to the list.

Russia has faced heavy international criticism since launching their unprovoked attack on Ukraine which as seen their military deliberately targeting civilians.

Among the targets hit by Russian missiles and artillery are hospitals and apartment complexes.

Almost 800,000 people have signed an international petition to indict Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges

Russian president Vladimir Putin is facing calls to be prosecuted for war crimes over the conduct of his troops involved in the invasion of Ukraine

A senior British minister said anyone in the chain of command in Russia could face prosecution by a war crimes tribunal

Security experts have said Russian commanders have changed tactics because their initial plans for a rapid victory have failed.

The UK's armed forces minister James Heappey, said the indiscriminate shelling of cities was 'very probably' a war crime and that Putin bore ultimate 'culpability' for the atrocities.

He said there was the potential for anyone in the chain of command to be prosecuted.

He told Sky News: 'The evidence being gathered points very much towards war crimes being committed in Ukraine.

'The culpability for war crimes sits absolutely with the leader of the Russian government, the man who decided to do all of this in the first place,' he said.

'It is not just Putin who ends up being responsible for war crimes as and when the evidence is gathered and people are held to account.

'They too are involved in the prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine. This is a stain on the Russian nation.'

The UK's armed forces minister James Heappey, said the indiscriminate shelling of cities was 'very probably' a war crime and that Putin bore ultimate 'culpability' for the atrocities

Britain's chief of defence intelligence Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull said the Kremlin has been forced to switch tactics, turning to the 'reckless and indiscriminate' use of firepower which will inevitably lead to more civilian casualties.

The Russians have 'enormous' stocks of artillery ammunition and could maintain their bombardment for weeks in an attempt to force Ukraine into submission, Western officials say.

Gen Hockenhull said that, more than three weeks into the campaign, it is clear the Kremlin has still not achieved any of its initial objectives.

'It has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and has been bedevilled by problems of its own making,' he told journalists.

'Russian operations have changed. Russia is now pursuing strategy of attrition. This will involve the reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower.

'This will result in increased civilian casualties, disruption of Ukrainian infrastructure and intensify the humanitarian crisis.'

Russian forces have attacked hospitals and other civilian targets during the conflict

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Friday that she fears peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are being used as a 'smokescreen' by the Kremlin to allow forces to regroup.

In an interview with The Times, Ms Truss said: 'If a country is serious about negotiations, it doesn't indiscriminately bomb civilians that day.'

The minister said she was 'very sceptical' about the negotiations, and added: 'What we've seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup.'

She said: 'We don't see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table.'

Ms Truss told The Times that 'the Russians have lied and lied and lied. I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen'.

At the same time, Mr Putin is tightening his control over Russian media in a bid to disguise the heavy losses his forces have suffered in battle, Gen Hockenhull said.

'The Kremlin is attempting to control the narrative, hide operational problems and obscure high Russian casualty numbers from the Russian people,' he said.

As many as 7,000 Russian troops have died so far in the fighting, including four major generals and a number of other senior officers, American sources estimate.
Russias spy and defence agencies have started bickering over the disastrous Ukraine invasion, US officials have claimed.

A blame game has commenced between the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian Ministry of Defense, the two departments of the government responsible for the Ukraine invasion preparations.

The US officials added that it was possible that the agencies told Putin what he wanted to hear due to his deeply held beliefs regarding Ukraine.

It comes after Vladimir Putin placed the head of the FSB's foreign service and his deputy under house arrest after blaming them for intelligence failings that saw his army handed a series of embarrassing defeats in Ukraine.

A woman walks in front of the headquarters of Russia's Federal Security Services (FSB) in central Moscow

Jeffrey Edmonds, a former CIA and National Security Council official, told The Wall Street Journal: 'It is hard to imagine some senior intelligence person talking with Putin and not telling Putin what he wants to hear, especially if it is a belief that is deeply held, like Putins beliefs about Ukraine.'

'When it comes to this guy, its also clear that the culture of "someone is at fault and is going to pay" is clearly still operative,' added Jeffrey, a specialist on the region.

Andrea Kendall-Taylor, the US deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia from 2015-2018, added that Putin is seeking individuals to 'scapegoat and pass the blame' to and thinks 'hes in a much more precarious position now'.

Sergey Orestovich Beseda (pictured), head of the FSB's foreign service, was reportedly placed under house arrest after the intelligence service took the blame for the war's progress

Putin reportedly blames his intelligence agencies for misleading him over the extent of Ukraine's resistance to Russian attack

Last week, Andrey Soldatov, a respected author on the Russian secret services, said sources inside the FSB told him that Sergey Beseda, 68, head of the agency's foreign service, had been placed under arrest on Putin's orders.

Also arrested was Anatoly Bolyukh, Beseda's deputy, according to Soldatov, who said Putin is 'truly unhappy' with the agency - which he ran before becoming president.

Putin is said to blame the agency for intelligence which assured him ahead of the invasion that Russian forces would face only token resistance from the Ukrainian army and that Ukrainians themselves were eager to be rid of their leaders.

Among the reasons for the repressions are the embezzlement of funds allocated for subversive and undercover work in Ukraine, as well as deliberately false information about the political situation in Ukraine.

Anatoly Bolyukh, deputy head of the 5th Service of the Federal Security Service and head of the operational information department, was also reportedly arrested

Andrey Soldatov is a respected author on the Russian secret services

The FSB security service allegedly handed him intelligence suggesting that Ukraine was weak, riddled with neo-Nazi groups, and would give up easily if attacked.

In fact, the Russian armed forces have faced fierce resistance from Ukrainian soldiers that has battled them to a standstill, inflicted heavy losses, and forced Putin's commanders to resort to brutal siege warfare that has so far yielded few results.

Soldatov previously told The Times that most FSB agents are brought into the service as legacy hires based on their parents or grandparents being agents and are removed from mainstream schools to be educated in-house.

This is unlike western security services, which tend to recruit from elite universities or colleges to ensure they get 'the cream of the crop'.

Alternatively, he said, the organisation did gather good intelligence - but was simply too afraid to tell Putin the truth, instead doctoring their reports to appease him.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest public school district in the nation, announced Friday that it will lift face-covering requirements for students and staff - a day after New York City's health commissioner said children under five will be masked 'indefinitely' at school.

'Union ratification processes have begun and the new policy will be implemented no later than Wednesday, March 23,' LAUSD officials announced in a statement late Friday afternoon.

Now, the district of more than 600,000 students and 30,000 teachers will only 'strongly recommend' - not require - the usage of masks indoors.

Per the pact between the district and United Teacher's Los Angeles, students and staff will receive PCR tests through the end of the school year, according to ABC 7.

At-home rapid COVID tests will be provided to students and staff 'for baseline testing prior to the beginning of the 2022 spring break.'

While masks will no longer be required inside Los Angeles Unified School District buildings, students and staff will receive PCR tests through the end of the school year, and at-home rapid COVID tests will be provided to students and staff 'for baseline testing prior to the beginning of the 2022 Spring break'

In a statement to parents on Friday, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said that he 'strongly support[s] ending the indoor mask requirement and [is] committed to continuing to uphold our science-based approach to COVID-19 safety and protocols'

The district must also have KN95 or N95 masks on hand for any employee who requests them.

Most California school districts lifted their masks mandates earlier this week, although San Diego Unified School District will wait to drop their mandate until students return from spring break on April 4. But LAUSD held off until reaching an agreement with its teacher's union.

Yesterday, some LAUSD parents took to the streets, holding signs in favor of dropping the school's long-held mask mandates.

'Every other school district has managed to take their masks off, they put the kids first,' Danna Rosenthal told ABC 7.

'The kids are put last first, they're not thinking about the kids. they're only thinking about power and how they can hold onto it.'

'Every other school district [in California] has managed to take their masks off, they put the kids first,' Danna Rosenthal told ABC 7 on Thursday, before the district's mask mandate was lifted

Now, the district of over 600,000 students and 30,000 teachers will only 'strongly recommend' - not require - the usage of masks indoors

In a statement to parents on Friday, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said that he 'strongly support[s] ending the indoor mask requirement and [is] committed to continuing to uphold our science-based approach to COVID-19 safety and protocols.'

'I want to personally thank our students, employees and families for their support and patience. We know some in our school communities and offices will continue to wear masks, while others may not,' Carvalho's said.

'Please consider your situation and do what is best for you or your child. Now that this important issue is behind us, it is time to focus on each student's full academic potential.'

The agreement will remain in place until June 30 - then, the district will assess the state's COVID numbers to determine whether they should mask students in the subsequent school year.

Meanwhile, although New York City lifted its indoor mask mandate on March 7, newly-minted health commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said Friday that masking public school children under five in the city is 'indefinite at this point.'

'People who have tried to predict what's going to happen in the future in this pandemic have repeatedly found egg on their face, as they say, and I'm not going to do that here today,' he said at a COVID briefing in Queens on Friday.

The woke commissioner, who lives in Brooklyn with his partner and three children, including a four-year-old son, argued he wanted to mask children because under fives are not vaccinated.

'As a father of a two-and-a-half-year old-and two other older kids, I want to keep them as safe as possible. I would love nothing more than to send my son to daycare without a mask,' Vasan said, according to CBS New York.

'But as a scientist, and as a doctor, and an epidemiologist, I want to keep him safe because he's not eligible for a vaccine.'

NYC's new health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, thinks that children ages five and under should continue wearing face masks indefinitely despite by the nationwide trend to lift pandemic-era mandates

From supporting Critical Race Theory and BLM, to blaming climate change for mental health issues: The bizarre woke tweets of Dr Ashwin Vasan New York City's new health commissioner Ashwin Vasan's hyper progressive liberal tweets, which show his support for critical race theory, BLM and vaccinating young children have been laid bear. Critical Race Theory 'First they came for Critical Race Theory, now they're coming for mental health and suicide prevention programs when we are literally in the midst of a national children's mental health emergency? Absurd doesn't begin to define this logic,' he tweeted in November 2021. Addicts He cautioned people against using the terms 'addict' alleging they are 'stigmatizing to the lived experience' of people facing those struggles. In October 2021 he also called to stop jailing offenders with mental illnesses and suggested criminals get 'the resources they need to thrive in their communities.' BLM In May 2021, he posted: 'While some progress has been made in the last year, including the conviction of George Floyd's murderer, its not enough. We still have a long way to go to ensure that Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan, but a governing philosophy reinforced by substantive policy reforms at all levels of government.' Later that year, he called out apparent 'racist attacks' that took place at Fountain House and Body in NYC. 'What was once a safe space for people living with mental illness has become dangerous because of the hate that resides in our city and in our nation. Im tiredwere tired, of this hate. But were not giving up the fight. Stand with us in solidarity and in the knowledge that #BlackLivesMatter.' Defund the Police Vasan advocated taking money from police departments in favor of 'community-based mental health interventions'. In August 2021, he wrote in an op-ed that 1,500 mentally ill people shot and killed by police since 2015 'could have been prevented' if there had been funding for 'mobile crisis response at the federal and local levels'. Vaccination Vasan has advocated for vaccinating children as young as five against COVID. 'More good news for kids (and parents!): Pfizer is seeking authorization from the FDA for use in children 5-11,' he wrote. 'Will definitely be breathing easier once my kids are able to get vaccinated.' Climate change He also argued that climate change negatively impacts mental health, tweeting in November 2021: 'The mental health impacts of #climatechange cannot be understated. 'Constantly being on the precipice of disaster and irreversible changes to our planet lead to trauma, PTSD, depression, etc. and we are not equipped to handle it.' Homelessness Vasan claimed that the government, and not individuals were to blame for homelessness. 'Homelessness is not an individual failing,' he argued. 'It is a failure of our government's responsibility to ensure housing is a human right and to keep our most vulnerable safe.' Advertisement

His comments sparked fear and fury among frustrated New York parents who face having to force their young children to keep wearing a mask in the face of mounting evidence that they are at little risk.

It also comes as every state, including California which ended its mandate last week, has lifted or announced plans to lift masking requirements in schools.

The lone holdout is Hawaii, which is dropping its indoor mask mandate on March 26 but expected to extend the requirement for schools.

New York state and city also lifted school mask mandates earlier this month.

Vasan is the latest woke addition to new Mayor Eric Adams' collection of progressive leaders, among whom include soft-on-crime District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

He has publicly thrown his support behind controversial critical race theory, the Black Lives Matter Movement and even vaccinating children against COVID - and detailed his beliefs on social media.

'First they came for Critical Race Theory, now they're coming for mental health and suicide prevention programs when we are literally in the midst of a national children's mental health emergency? Absurd doesn't begin to define this logic,' he tweeted in November 2021.

In May 2021, he commemorated the anniversary of George Floyd's killing by showing his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

He tweeted: 'While some progress has been made in the last year, including the conviction of George Floyd's murderer, its not enough. We still have a long way to go to ensure that Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan, but a governing philosophy reinforced by substantive policy reforms at all levels of government.'

He has also issued his support for progressive left talking points like defunding police and stopping the jailing offenders with mental illnesses. Instead, he suggested criminals get 'the resources they need to thrive in their communities.'

Adams has appointed Vasan to address the pandemic, but the pair have seemingly opposing viewpoints on COVID related issues after the mayor told a group of angry parents who confronted him Thursday, that he planned to lift the mask mandates for children.

Vasan is the city's 44th health commissioner, replacing Dr. Dave Chokshi, who recently stepped down from the role.

Friday's remarks were made during his first-ever COVID press conference and have been met with anger online by many who accused him of 'torturing children'.

'It should be us as parents choice if we want our children to wear a mask. Worry about the crime rate in NYC & not our children,' Kimberly Raimondo stated.

'Why are we masking the little ones ? Thats child abuse,' questioned Dawn Doccola.

'Really pathetic these corrupt pols (sic) just can't let it go. Already proven to not work and actually makes things worse,' wrote Dimitrios Skaliotis.

The push to rescind mandates comes amid debate over the BA.2 variant of COVID, a sub-variant of the Omicron.

'Currently there's no evidence that BA.2 causes more severe illness, increases risks of hospitalization or that our current vaccines offer less protection against it, but we continue to monitor this,' Vasan said, according to The New York Daily News.

He added: 'We are tracking these variants very closely.'

Vasan also said he doesn't plan to drop the city's workplace vaccine mandate anytime soon.

However, despite his push for continuing mandates, the woke epidemiologist did note that restrictions are taking a toll on residents and reminded them to prioritize their mental health - a topic the doctor is apparently passionate about.

'We've all been through so much over these past few years and continuing coverage adds to strain of wellbeing,' Vasan said, encouraging New Yorkers to seek help from mental health professionals if needed.
A medical worker attends to the recipient of a kidney transplant in an ICU of the China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, March 17, 2022. (Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua)

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital, a specialized nephrology hospital in Sri Lanka built with the assistance of the Chinese government, has successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery from a living donor recently, the first of its kind since the operation of the hospital.



COLOMBO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A specialized nephrology hospital in Sri Lanka, built with the assistance of the Chinese government, has successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery from a living donor recently, the first of its kind since the operation of the hospital.

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital said the recipient of the transplant is a 28-year-old woman who had been suffering from kidney disease for 10 years and the kidney donator is her mother.

Medical staff prepare for a kidney transplant surgery at the China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, March 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Lu)

The mother and daughter are in stable condition after the surgery, and both the medical staff and patient are very satisfied with the results of the operation, according to the hospital.

Buddima Jayawickrama, a well-known transplant surgeon in Sri Lanka, who was in charge of the surgery, attributed the success of the operation to adequate preparation and close collaboration among all parties, as well as to the advanced and complete medical facilities of the hospital, especially giving credit to the technical team of the Chinese company that built the hospital for providing the hardware guarantee for the operation.

The success of this transplant surgery is a good start, which makes the hospital more confident to become an important platform for kidney transplant in Sri Lanka and South Asia, said Sampath Indika Kumara, director of the hospital.

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital, located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and officially opened in June 2021, has an area of 25,000 square meters, featuring 200 general inpatient beds, 100 hemodialysis beds. 
Yawning, snoozing and cradled by nannies, Ukraine's surrogate babies are pictured in a makeshift underground nursery in Kyiv as Putin's missiles rain down above- leaving their biological parents unable to collect them.

The country is usually a global surrogacy hub where parents from around the world travel to Ukraine before the births to complete relevant paperwork and then take their children home.

According to estimates, 2,500 to 3,000 children are born in Ukraine every year for clients outside the country, including China, the United States and EU.

But due to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, 19 newborns and their nannies are taking refuge in the Kyiv basement as their anguished biological parents cannot undertake the risky journey.

Photographs taken in the Kyiv basement today show sleeping babies in cots and mattresses and cushions laid on the floor

A nanny holds a newborn baby in a basement converted into a nursery in Kyiv, Ukraine today (pictured)

Photographs taken in the basement show sleeping babies in cots and mattresses and cushions laid on the floor.

Nannies are also seen cradling yawning babies and and rocking them while they lie in prams and bouncers.

One holds a yawning baby on her lap as the group shelter from Putin's Ukraine siege above them.

Nannies are also seen cradling yawning babies on their laps and rocking them while they lie in prams and bouncers in the Kyiv basement today

One worker is seen feeding a baby as he sits next to breakfast items and a coffee machine for those sheltering in the Kyiv basement today

One worker is seen feeding a baby as he sits next to breakfast items and a coffee machine for those sheltering in the basement.

Other babies have their nappies changed while they are cared for in the makeshift nursery.

Bottles are also laid out so that they can be given to the babies as nannies carry the newborns around the basement.

Nannies are also seen holding babies while tending to others who are sleeping.

The volunteers are looking after the group of newborn babies around the clock.

Other babies have their nappies changed while they are cared for in the makeshift nursery today

Bottles are also laid out so that they can be given to the babies as nannies carry the newborns around the basement today

In Ukraine, the entire surrogacy process costs the equivalent of 42,000.

The legal situation is also different to Britain, where the surrogate mother is automatically given legal rights. In Ukraine the 'intended parents' are the only ones with any legal rights.

Ukraine is one of the rare countries in the world to allow mothers to carry babies for foreigners as a commercial practice.

Nannies are also seen holding babies while tending to others who are sleeping in the makeshift nursery today

The coronavirus pandemic put a spotlight on this growing business sector in Ukraine.

A large clinic in Kyiv aired a video of dozens of babies born from surrogate mothers and whose parents could not come to pick them up because the borders had been closed.

A charity which helps couples seeking surrogacy called Growing Families has been contacted by more than 100 from 12 countries seeking assistance as the war continues.

The volunteers are looking after the group of newborn babies around the clock as their parents cannot collect them. Pictured: The babies are fed and tended to in the makeshift nursery in Kyiv today

Nannies take care of newborn babies in a basement converted into a nursery in Kyiv, Ukraine today

A select few biological parents have managed to complete the process, including one British couple, Metaish and Manisha Parmar.

They were in Kyiv with their newborn twins Sai and Amaya as the invasion began, sheltering in a basement with Ukrainians in an apartment block.

The couple managed to flee the city after a 17-hour car journey across the country and a walk in freezing temperatures with their babies clasped to their chests.

A select few biological parents have managed to complete the process, including one British couple, Metaish and Manisha Parmar. Pictured: Nurse Antonina Yefymovych feeds a surrogate-born baby inside a special shelter owned by BioTexCom clinic in a residential basement, as Russia's invasion continues, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine on March 15

And American couple Jessie and Jacob Boeckmann carried their newborn baby to the Polish border after she was born by surrogate on February 22, two days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Surrogate-born babies are seen inside a special shelter owned by BioTexCom clinic in a residential basement, as Russia's invasion continues, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine on March 15

And American couple Jessie and Jacob Boeckmann carried their newborn baby to the Polish border after she was born by surrogate on February 22, two days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Australian couple Jessica and Kevin van Nooten made the long journey from Melbourne to Ukraine to meet their newborn daughter Alba.

And last week they were able to finally reach her, after their entry into the country was thwarted when they were stuck at Dubai airport.

The couple said they were focusing on getting their premature daughter well enough to leave Ukraine so they could get her medical treatment.

Pictured: A newborn baby is seen on a rocking chair in Kyiv, Ukraine in a shelter for surrogate-born babies on March 17

Concerns are growing for the babies and the embryos that couples have in storage as the siege of Ukraine continues. Pictured: Newborn babies sleep in their cribs on March 17

Concerns are growing for the babies and the embryos that couples have in storage as the siege of Ukraine continues.

It has led one EU official to call for the evacuation of babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine.

The commissioner for internal affairs, Yiva Johansson, also spoke of her concern for children from surrogate mothers who were later put in orphanages.

Speaking to members of the European parliament, she said that parents in the EU member states and US had struggled to get their babies out of Ukraine even before the invasion.

It has led one EU official to call for the evacuation of babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine. Pictured: A newborn baby is dressed on a changing table in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 17

She said: 'During the pandemic many of those newborn babies have not been picked up, so they have been stuck and are now being taken care of in orphanages.'

However, some orphanages have been emptied during the invasion and it is unknown where the children are.

The commissioner said: 'Surrogate mothers that gave birth to babies right now, these babies cannot be picked up either and they are a bit in a limbo,'

She stressed the importance of evacuating newborn babies from Ukraine.

And Sam Everingham, global director of Growing Families, told the i 'It is such a difficult situation and we are getting many calls daily from couples who have got surrogates or embryos in Ukraine who are desperate for information.'

The commissioner for internal affairs, Yiva Johansson, also spoke of her concern for children from surrogate mothers who were later put in orphanages. Pictured: A newborn baby is dressed on a changing table in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 17
Jajuan Henderson is seeking a jury trial and damages after he was allegedly ambushed, shot and ultimately paralyzed from the chest down by plainclothes police officers last month after he went to his car to get an iced tea from his car.

Henderson, 29, was visiting the mother of his daughter on Centre Street in South Trenton on February 12 when a dark vehicle pulled up alongside him as he fetched the drink from his car, according to a civil suit filed by attorney Derek Demeri of Zeff Law Firm.

According to the lawsuit, a group of masked men wearing dark clothes 'jumped out of this mysterious vehicle and started yelling at [him]' and began banging on his driver's side window.

Henderson allegedly picked up his cellphone and called the mother of his child for help - then, 'appearing as any other group of dangerous criminals from a horror movie,' the masked men broke his car window and shot him four times, at least once in the spinal cord.

The men were Trenton police officers, although Henderson alleges he was unaware of that at the time.

Now, Henderson is paralyzed from the chest down.

He has named the city of Trenton, Trenton Police Department Director Steve E. Wilson and the four detectives - denoted only by the initials 'M.G.,' 'C.H.,' 'J.C.' and 'J.L.' in the filing - who were in the unmarked vehicle that night.

All four detectives have since been placed on administrative leave.

Jajuan Henderson, 29 (pictured in a family photo), is seeking a jury trial and damages after he was ambushed, shot and ultimately and paralyzed from the chest down by plainclothes officers with the Trenton Police Department on February 12

The lawsuit names the city of Trenton, the four detectives who allegedly ambushed Henderson on February 12, the Trenton Police Department and its director, Steve Wilson (pictured) as defendants

Henderson was represented by his mother, Gia Henderson (pictured), at a press conference held by the New Jersey chapter of the NAACP to announce the lawsuit on Thursday. She said that she recently lost another son, and when she heard Jajuan had been shot, her 'heart almost broke'

Henderson was represented by his mother, Gia, at a press conference held by the New Jersey chapter of the NAACP to announce the lawsuit on Thursday. She said that she recently lost another son, and when she heard Jajuan had been shot, her 'heart almost broke.'

'We want justice for Jajuan,' she said. 'We want change, transparency and accountability.'

Four aggravated assault charges, which have since been dismissed, were filed against Henderson, his attorneys said at the press conference.

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the charges, which represented the detectives' dramatically different account of events, had been dropped, according to NJ.com.

Although the aggravated assault charges have been dropped, Henderson still faces resisting arrest and obstruction charges.

As Mercer County processes those, the investigation of the officers' use of force has been transferred to neighboring Union County to avoid a conflict of interest.

The detectives allege that Henderson was uncooperative when they approached him at the 500 block of Centre Street around 12:10 a.m., according court records examined by the Burlington County Times.

Henderson, 29, was shot four times by the officers, at least once in his spinal column

Henderson was shot on the 500 block of Centre Street in South Trenton, pictured

Derek Demeri (right) an attorney with Zeff Law Firm who is representing Henderson, posted on Facebook after Thursday's press conference announcing the lawsuit

The department alleges that Henderson was unable to produce proof of insurance or a driver's license, refused to roll down his driver's side window completely and 'reached under the seats of his vehicle.'

One of the detectives, the department said, told Henderson to stop searching within his vehicle and, at that point, another detective started breaking the car's window.

They then allege that he tried to flee and nearly ran over detectives.

'Henderson started the vehicle, placed it in drive, and attempted to flee the scene,' the statement alleges. It says Henderson struck vehicles that were parked in front of and behind his car 'while officers remained in close proximity.'

The account did not identify which officer shot Henderson or how, only that he 'ultimately sustained four gunshot wounds during the investigation.' It is unclear why he was initially approached by detectives.

But Henderson's attorneys argue that the detectives' account is impossible: 'Even if it was true that [Henderson] did start the car and attempt to flee the scene after the window was broken, it was impossible to flee because the car was boxed by by the other cars and a utility pole.'

'A black man sitting in a car at midnight while on a cellphone was all these unidentified officers needed to smash the drivers side window,' the suit asserts.

'Despite being unarmed, nonthreatening, and minding his own business, these officers proceeded to use lethal force and shoot Jajuan in the neck.'

There is body camera footage that has not yet been released to the public, according to the lawsuit.

At Thursday's press conference, Zeff Law Firm attorneys criminal attorney David Bahuriak and civil attorney Greg Zeff acknowledged that they hadn't seen the body camera footage, either - and said that it should be available to the public by now

'Its very frustrating,' Demeri told NBC News. 'The family has a right to transparency in this process.'

At Thursday's press conference, Zeff Law Firm attorneys criminal attorney David Bahuriak and civil attorney Greg Zeff acknowledged that they hadn't seen the body camera footage, either - and said that it should be available to the public by now.

Footage should be released publicly when requested after an initial use-of-force investigation is complete - according to NJ.com, typically within 20 days.

The lawyers said it's been more than 30 days.

'The police have some explaining to do,' Bahuriak said. 'The communitys had enough.'

Regardless, Bahuriak said that no evidence they have pored over thus far justifies the officers' behavior under the pretense of a motor vehicle stop. He accused police of 'running the show' at the press conference, and called the officers driving around cities in plainclothes with tinted windows 'jump out boys.'

Trenton city spokesman Tim Carroll said city and police officials have complied with an investigation into the February 12 incident, and that 'the city has no comment on any pending litigation.'
Police confirmed that such a box was left for Nederlander in the early hours one day in January

A photo of the package shows a shoebox containing a large dead rat inside with the message 'LaTorella is a RAT,' written on the lid

'After he was let go, he was upset with somebody at the office of the Nederlander, so he sent them a dead rat in a shoebox,' his former co-worker said

The former co-worker said Cabana focused his wrath at labor relations executive Anthony LaTorella, sending him a twisted package

A former co-worker of Gary Cabana says he mailed a dead rat to a boss at a theater after he was fired as an usher

An ex-coworker says the alleged MoMA stabber mailed a dead rat to a boss at a Broadway theater after he was fired as an usher.

The former co-worker said that back in January, Gary Cabana, 60, got his revenge after he was let go from his job as an usher at Manhattan's Nederlander Theater by sending labor relations executive Anthony LaTorella a dead rodent.

A photo of the package shows a shoebox containing a large dead rat inside with the message 'LaTorella is a RAT' written on the lid, the New York Post reported. Police confirmed that such a box was left for Nederlander in the early hours of January 4.

Cabana was arrested earlier this week after allegedly stabbing two 24-year-old Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) employees a day after having his membership to the museum revoked.

After being told his services were no longer required at the theater in late 2021, Cabana reportedly flipped and sent a series of threatening emails to a woman working at the union that represents ushers, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

'Payback is coming,' he wrote to a union rep, police said.

'F*** you c***,' he allegedly said, according to the New York Post.

He also allegedly punched his former manager in the face while outside the theater on West 41st Street.

Cabana allegedly sent labor relations executive Anthony LaTorella, (pictured) a box with a large dead rodent inside with the message 'LaTorella is a RAT'

A former co-worker of Gary Cabana says he mailed a dead rat to a boss at the Nederlander Theatre after he was fired as an usher

Following the January 4 rat incident Cabana allegedly stabbed two 24-year-old museum employees in Manhattan in March

'He was very upset with them and he was pretty much banned from coming back into the theater, and I think that's what kind of made him snap,' Cabana's ex-colleague, who has not been named out of fear for his safety, told the New York Post.

According to the former co-worker, Cabana focused his wrath at LaTorella, sending him a twisted package.

'After he was let go, he was upset with somebody at the office of the Nederlander, so he sent them a dead rat in a shoebox.  That was out of character, or so we thought,' Cabana's former co-worker said.

The rat package seems to be one of many episodes leading to the alleged MoMA stabbing.

Cabana was finally arrested last week at a Greyhound bus terminal in Philadelphia after setting fire to a downtown hotel room.

Investigators in the City of Brotherly Love recognized him from surveillance footage while they investigated a fire in a fifth-floor room at a Best Western. Police said there was extensive damage to the room, WTXF reported.

Things had come to a head last Saturday in New York City, when Cabana said he 'lost it' after he was denied entry to the MoMA, where he planned to look at Van Gogh's Starry Night.

'He was very upset with them and he was pretty much banned from coming back into the theater, and I think that's what kind of made him snap,' Cabana's ex-colleague said

Cabana was fired from the Nederlander Theater in Manhattan last year. A criminal complaint was filed against him after he allegedly punched his former manager in the face

Cabana said he 'lost it' when he was denied entry to the MoMA where he planned to look at Van Gogh's Starry Night, above

In a series of messages to a Post reporter, he blamed a woman named Barbara for conspiring to ban him from the museum with the help of the two employees that he stabbed.

'The stabbed girls were in on the BACKSTABBING too. I don't backstab, I do the frontside only,' he wrote.

'When they said I couldn't go upstairs to see STARRY STARYY NIGHT EVER AGAIN I lost it.'

He said he had gotten a letter from the museum's security director saying he was 'aggressive [and] disruptive' on February 24 and last Wednesday, when the stabbing took place.

Cabana's address is listed as The Times Square, a charity-run building at 255 West 43rd Street for formerly homeless people or people who are mentally ill.

One of Saturday's stabbing victims was a 24-year-old woman working behind the front desk

Despite her injuries, the woman was heard joking about receiving hazard pay after suffering stabs to her back and neck

The former theater usher is shown brutally attacking the two women in the museum Saturday before going on the run

While on the run, he continued to post on social media.

On Facebook, he wrote: 'Bipolar is a tough road to hoe. Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. THEN U get framed and evicted from MoMA (not just the movies, ALL THE ART too) by a bitter old woman who shushes U when U LAUGH during a comedy,' Cabana wrote.

He seems to blame being banned from the museum on a woman named Barbara.

'She's the menace, NOT ME. Total Frame job by 'the Team Barbara' gang. It wasn't SCREAM 6 at MoMA it was poke poke poke wake-up call. y the frame job MoMA, get yer facts straight.'

He bashed MoMA over the way employees reportedly treated him and slammed the news coverage of the attack.

'What is worse? Hackers or Journos. Right now, I LOVE MY HACKERS for taking my mind off this frame job by MoMA,' Cabana wrote on Facebook.

'THERE WERE NO DISRUPTIONS. Security NEVER escorted me from MoMA on the 2 'supposed' days I 'acted up: 2/24 + 3/9.' Total blind side when I got 'the letter' from Daniel P. '

He also criticized the 'catty beeyotches of the world,' seemingly referencing the museum worker who turned him away from Saturday's screening of Bringing Up Baby.

'There is security at EVERY screening. No one has ever said, come with us U r a disruption NO ONE #nO1. Just this one lying conniving woman. Interview HER journos and Y did I never get a mtg with security just a blindside letter.'

In a Facebook post from Sunday, when he was still on the run, Cabana blamed being banned from the MoMA on a woman named Barbara.

Cabana's Instagram account shows he's an avid fan of theater and art. The account features multiple photos of Playbills and performances

It is unclear what type of MoMA membership he had, but the cheapest is a $65-a-year pass for unlimited access to exhibits.

Additionally, on his Instagram page, Cabana taunted police as they continue searching for him.

'They knew who I was all along but the morons wasted hours searching the museum when I was OBVIOUSLY LONG GONE with hundreds of witnesses WATCHING but no HEROES in the crowd that day,' he responded to someone commenting on his photo.

'NYC has turned in to a bunch of MIND-YO-BIDNESS P*SSIES,' he added. 'Not one person followed me as I run down 53td st (sic) with a bloody face from where the security hit me with a piece of lucite.'
Sheep? Meek, dumbly obedient 'lambs to the slaughter' which hang about on hillsides baa-ing mindlessly. No farm animal is so disparaged as the 'woolly-thinking' sheep.

Yet one thing I can tell you from 25 years of shepherding is this: sheep are not stupid, except where stupidity has been bred into them in the name of 'improvement' for the convenience of humans.

If the exterior of a sheep's head is concrete-like, the interior is subtle and surprisingly cerebral. There is intelligence behind the slit-eyes and the hard head.

Sheep are capable of learning. Like dogs, they can learn their own name.

One of my favourites, Action Ram, knew his. Despite all the trouble he caused over his ten-year career of rutting and butting, I forgave him everything for one moment of shepherding glory.

He had climbed a fence, wandered off over the brook and could not be found. Then I got a phone call. 'Your ram's in with our pedigree ewes'

If the exterior of a sheep's head is concrete-like, the interior is subtle and surprisingly cerebral. There is intelligence behind the slit-eyes and the hard head. Sheep are capable of learning. Like dogs, they can learn their own name, says farmer John Lewis-Stempel

'He's over there,' said Mrs Price when I arrived on the yard of her ancient stone farm. 'I can't do a thing with him.'

I called over the stone wall: 'Action!' He looked up. I held up a bucket of sheep nuts. He ran over. I walked around the back of the house and opened the gate.

Action walked through, followed me on the heel to the yard. I opened the boot of the car, put in the bucket of food and said: 'Up!'

Bless him. In he clambered. Off I drove. In the rear-view mirror: Mrs Price a standing statue, open-mouthed.

A sheep's ability to recall human faces is especially prodigious. A 2001 study found they can recognise and remember at least 50 faces for more than two years  that is longer than some people.

Sheep can discriminate between individual sheep, between breeds, between sexes, between emotions, between human beings.

Mr Lewis-Stempel (above, with one of his lambs), says: 'One thing I can tell you from 25 years of shepherding is this: sheep are not stupid, except where stupidity has been bred into them in the name of "improvement" for the convenience of humans'

In the oddest academic experiment ever  a competitive category  sheep were shown photographs of celebrities to test if they would recognise a particular one later.

In the follow-up multiple-choice exam, 65 per cent of them chose the correct, and food-rewarding answer: Fiona Bruce.

There is strong evidence that sheep can even exercise judgment. In tests, when an expected reward for completing a task is less than expected, sheep react emotionally (with increased cardiac responses and movement).

And they are quick learners. As food is crucial for survival  domesticated sheep spend up to 12 hours a day grazing  they need to evaluate an entire smorgasbord of plantstuff.

Researchers have discovered they can navigate complex mazes, and get quicker at doing so the more they practise. And every shepherd will confirm that sheep are rather good at puzzles, if the puzzle is how to get past the barrier to the greener grass on the other side.

For a week I was outwitted by our black-and-white Jacobs who, when placed on one side of a three-string electric fence in the morning, would, by the afternoon, be on the other side.

Then I caught them in the act. They had been reversing through the fencing  the wool of their rumps was sufficiently dense to insulate against the shock.

And our Hebrideans discovered that with their fine sense of balance, they were able to walk over a hoof-proof grid at the top of the track to the house.

In the oddest academic experiment ever  a competitive category  sheep were shown photographs of celebrities to test if they would recognise a particular one later. In the follow-up multiple-choice exam, 65 per cent of them chose the correct, and food-rewarding answer: Fiona Bruce (pictured)

There are tracks across the field, indented in the earth by generations of sheep. Follow my leader, certainly. Also, keeping to tracks avoids undue damage to the grass, which is food. Clever animals, sheep.

Sight is a vital part of communication, and when grazing they maintain visual contact with each other  each sheep throws its head up to check the position of the others.

Sheep have horizontal, slit-shaped pupils that allow a peripheral field of view of 270 to 320 degrees, meaning they can see behind themselves without turning their heads. They also have an excellent sense of smell.

They use their ability to discriminate tastes to self-medicate when ill, known as zoopharmacognosy. Until the early 20th Century it was common on hill farms for there to be a hospital field where sick stock would be sent for a self-cure.

If humans need their five-a-day of different vegetables and fruit, how many varieties do herbivores require?

More than allowed by conventional silage systems, in which the feed is composed of only one or two species of plant. One wonders, from time to time, who is stupid, the sheep or us.

The ultimate accolade for animal intelligence is to be classified as a tool-user, alongside chimpanzees, gorillas and Californian sea otters.

And according to a letter in New Scientist, sheep should be: the letter-writer reported how Gritstone sheep in Lyme Park, Cheshire, had reportedly scratched away snow to reveal hidden grass, using pieces of wood they held in their incisor teeth.

A flock cannot be understood in haste, or in prejudice. You need time and the wish to know, really know, sheep. To see them as they really are. Sheep might be sheep to some people, but to themselves they are different tribes with different cultures.

The adults of the breeds remain largely aloof from each other, and have different bedding habits.

The big Ryelands have the summer prime position, at the bottom of the field closest to the quenching brook. Above them are the Shetlands. Above them and spread out, as though enjoying the novelty of sunshine, are the Hebrideans.

Within the tribes are sub-groups, which may be forged of bonds other than family. On watching rams for three years, researchers discovered that they intervened on behalf of weaker colleagues and supported each other in fights.

Young lambs, too, form strong social bonds with each other and other animals, including goats, dogs and cattle. Sometimes a strong bond forms between two madly different animal types and they become mutually dependent.

A flock cannot be understood in haste, or in prejudice. You need time and the wish to know, really know, sheep. To see them as they really are. Sheep might be sheep to some people, but to themselves they are different tribes with different cultures

A sheep flock is a society. Hierarchies develop among rams, less so among ewes, and top ram invariably has the horns to match. The ram with the horns is the ram with the crown.

Our four-horned Jacob ram, Rameses, strutted about the place like the monarch of the glen, and would walk with impeccable imperial swagger to the top of the hill to cast his eyes over his territory and his flock.

His dominance was such that he was unable to abide an up-and-coming Hebridean ram in a field 50 yards away.

One day I found Rameses dead. He had charged a gate  the front bars of which were stoved in  in an attempt to see off the contender, and had broken his neck. The stereotype is that sheep are docile, passive, timid and stupid.

But their true behaviour, cognition and personality reveals them as complex, individualistic and social.

Given a choice of breeds to be brides, a ram will invariably choose his own breed over others.

Sheep even have sexual preferences  about eight per cent are gay, which is tricky when you are trying to breed from them.

A small percentage of rams will not mate with females in season and, if given a choice, will display courtship behaviour towards another ram in preference to a female.

Only in the rutting season does the gay ram stand out. Our gay ram, Vincent, generally fancied the 'wethers', the castrated males.

Sheep have been here almost as long as we have. Although the first Stone Age people to journey into Britain were hunter-gatherers, later waves brought their semi-domesticated livestock, including sheep, with them.

By the Bronze Age, sheep farming had made irredeemable marks in the landscape.

Excavations in the Fens have revealed earthen sorting pens for sheep, and the same Bronze Age people created much of the chalk downlands, and also grassland at altitudes that were previously wooded.

When the Romans colonised Britain, they found a landscape very much like that of today  after all, it had been grazed for millennia, with the trees largely gone from the uplands. Our island story is also the story of our sheep.

The proof is there, everywhere you look, even in such an unlikely, mega-metropolitan place as London.

Woolwich is from the Old English 'wich', a farm that produced wool. Lambeth is the place where lambs were landed by river.

The Old English words 'shep' or 'ship' gives us places as geographically diverse as Shepperton in Surrey, Shepton Mallet in Somerset, Shipton in Yorkshire. Wetherby, also in Yorkshire, is where wethers were kept.

Poor sheep. They have been so often overlooked. Now they are accused of abetting climate change through their 'gaseous emissions' and destroying the landscape with their hooves and mouths.

The Guardian columnist George Monbiot says: 'Sheep are the primary reason  closely followed by grouse shooting and deer stalking  for the sad state of the British uplands. Their husbandry is the greatest obstacle to the rewilding I would like to see.'

In other words, the only landscape worth a jot is one rewilded with trees, trees, trees.

Surely my Herefordshire hay meadow, with 30 plant species per metre, with skylarks nesting, with foxes stalking rabbits, is also a place where, as Monbiot puts it, 'animals and plants might live'? What about the meadow grazed by sheep for part of the year, the grass (and flower) crop which make their winter feed?

I really do like trees. I have planted them and I have managed a wood. I have an award from a woodland charity for my books on oaks and woods.

But we need a diversity of wildlife-rich habitats, such as grassland for meadow pipits and meadowsweet, and arable fields for corn marigold and corn buntings.

The Old English words 'shep' or 'ship' gives us places as geographically diverse as Shepperton in Surrey, Shepton Mallet in Somerset, Shipton in Yorkshire. Wetherby, also in Yorkshire, is where wethers were kept

I used to be weary from farming sheep, now I am wearied by mad-dog political attacks on sheep.

To rid Britain of sheep would entail the extinction of ovine breeds hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years old.

And the case against them and other ruminants, including cows, is sometimes hot air.

For example, agriculture contributes just ten per cent of the UK's carbon emissions, whereas transport contributes 26 per cent and energy consumption 25 per cent.

More than 70 per cent of UK farmland is under grass, most of this for sound reasons in that it is either too steep, too acid, too stony for crop production, or is to be kept as permanent pasture due to its botanical diversity and its benefits for pollinators and small mammals.

If this land were not grazed, most of it would not produce food in future.

Then there is the furore around ruminants 'burping' out methane. A UN report, Livestock's Long Shadow, claimed farmed animals are responsible for 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

But the figure included emissions along the entire supply chain, from land use to processing and refrigeration in supermarkets. The same calculation should apply to non-meat production, to its equal detriment.

Sheep and their copious, soil enriching droppings mean farmers can avoid synthetic nitrogen.

The Sheep's Tale, by John Lewis-Stempel, is published by Doubleday on April 7

Crop production on farms without livestock is crucially dependent on nitrogen fertiliser  and this causes the release of nitrous oxide, one of the fundamental greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.

Climate change is far from the only problem facing humanity, moreover. The intensive arable crop areas of Britain, some of which lose tons of top soil per acre each year, are running out of fertility.

The picture is similar across the world. And what better way to restore soil fertility than to include sheep on grass in a rotational system of crop production?

The sheep: the original, natural fertiliser of soil.

I love cattle and pigs, I have a deep affection for chickens and geese, but sheep are special.

It's there in the Bible. Jesus is the 'lamb of God', not His calf, His piglet, even His kid.

This is my hymn to sheep and their place in our lives. And my life in particular.

Sheep that have given my life some of its best moments, because few experiences match lambing under spring moonlight, or breaking open a bale of hay in a January snowstorm on the top of a faraway hill, the sheep gathered gratefully around.

And you, grateful to be their good shepherd.

 John Lewis-Stempel, 2022

The Sheep's Tale, by John Lewis-Stempel, is published by Doubleday on April 7, priced 12.99. To pre-order a copy for 11.69 go to mailshop. co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937 before April 3. Free UK delivery on orders over 20.
Correcting children who mispronounce words is a form of prejudice, according to academic experts.

Specialists from the University of Essex say there is no such thing as correct language or terminology and that there is nothing wrong, for example, with articulating the verb ask as aks.

In a blog, they also insist that using aint instead of is not or am not is simply an example of multicultural London English developed through contact between different dialects and immigrant tongues, including Jamaican Patois.

Correcting children who mispronounce words is a form of prejudice, according to academic experts (stock image)

They argue that viewing their usage as lazy or ignorant is accent prejudice towards poorer socio-economic groups who simply speak differently.

They also defend the dropping of the letter g at the end of words, as in saying runnin instead of running.

The blog, written by Professor Peter Patrick, Dr Ella Jeffries and Dr Amanda Cole from the Department of Language and Linguistics and posted on the universitys website, says the dropped g was previously associated with the upper classes  as in the phrase huntin, fishin and shootin  and only became stigmatised when it was deemed to be working-class.

They add that aks has its origins in Old English and German and was the typical pronunciation in the South and the Midlands, while ask was more prevalent in the North and eventually became the standard usage.

Decades of research shows that the idea that any variation from standard English is incorrect  or, worse, unprofessional or uneducated  is a smokescreen for prejudice, says the blog.

Linguicism [discrimination based on dialect] can have serious consequences by worsening existing socio-economic and racial inequalities.

They argue that viewing their usage as lazy or ignorant is accent prejudice towards poorer socio-economic groups who simply speak differently (stock image)

But critics said schools had a duty to teach children the difference between formal and informal language and to pull up pupils on their use of slang terms.

The failure to do so, they added, meant children who pepper their speech with street language  many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds  would continue to lose out to their more articulate peers.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of Buckingham Universitys Centre for Education and Employment Research, said: It is sad to see academics attempting to take us even further from reality by inventing another ism.

A shared language is key to the success of a country and teaching it must be a priority for its schools. There is always room for dialects and changes in meaning, but this has to be on the basis of a taught common core.

Former students at the University of Essex include Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured)  who has herself been criticised for failing to pronounce the last letter in words that end with ing

The debate comes after a number of schools banned certain words and phrases in an effort to improve pupils ability to express themselves clearly and accurately.

They include Ark All Saints Academy in Camberwell, South London, where students are corrected for saying basically at the beginning of sentences, using words such as cuss  an Americanism for swearing  and phrases including oh my days and oh my God.

Copthorne Primary School in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is encouraging pupils to avoid saying like repeatedly in conversation.

Former students at the University of Essex include Home Secretary Priti Patel  who has herself been criticised for failing to pronounce the last letter in words that end with ing  and former Commons Speaker John Bercow.
Ministers risk sparking riots if they try to impose another lockdown, according to a leading doctor.

Professor Roger Kirby, president of the Royal Society of Medicine, said the public would not tolerate being deprived of their liberty on such a scale again.

However, he conceded that some additional restrictions may be needed if hospitalisations and deaths rise significantly due to the current surge, warning: We are not out of the pandemic yet and must not risk becoming complacent.

Ministers risk sparking riots if they try to impose another lockdown, according to a leading doctor (stock image)

In an interview to mark two years since the first lockdown began on March 23, 2020, Prof Kirby said he thought the UK had acquitted itself well during the crisis.

But he added: Locking down people again, I dont think people would tolerate it again. There would be riots like there were in Belgium if they tried to do that.

Doctors are concerned about a new wave triggered by social mixing and the rise of a more transmissible variant of Omicron called BA.2.

Case rates among the elderly are at the highest level recorded during the pandemic, with one in 29 people over 70 in England infected.

Hospitalisation rates are also rising, with about 1,900 Covid admissions per day across the UK  50 per cent higher than a month ago although roughly half are incidental where a patient has been admitted for another condition.

To blunt any spike, health bosses will start rolling out the spring booster vaccination campaign this week.

However, he conceded that some additional restrictions may be needed if hospitalisations and deaths rise significantly due to the current surge (ambulances outside the Royal London Hospital)

It will offer five million people, including all over-75s and those over 12 whose immune systems are weakened, the chance to receive a fourth dose. The first 600,000 invitations will go out in the coming days.

Addressing the Tory Spring conference in Blackpool yesterday, Boris Johnson urged people to take up the offer.

The Royal Society of Medicine will hold its 100th free webinar about Covid on March 31.
Embattled Prince Andrew has resigned from the prestigious Naval and Military Club, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The 62-year-old Duke of York had been a member of the institution in St Jamess, Central London, since his time in the Royal Navy.

Well-placed sources say the move will be a particular blow, given that his late father had served as the clubs president.

Embattled Prince Andrew (above) has resigned from the prestigious Naval and Military Club

It comes as Andrew continues his withdrawal from public life after having a sexual assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre, which he denied.

Since he handed back all his patronages to the Queen in January, his membership of the club, known as the In & Out, has quietly lapsed.

It is thought he stepped down voluntarily as part of his decision to cut ties with organisations in the wake of his 12 million settlement with Ms Giuffre, previously known as Roberts.

A source said: The Dukes name remained on the members list at the In & Out for several months, even after he stepped down as a member of the Royal Family, but in recent days his name has disappeared from the books.

The 62-year-old Duke of York had been a member of the institution (pictured) in St Jamess, Central London, since his time in the Royal Navy

The club was founded in 1862 for gentlemen of the British Armed Forces, but now accepts female members and people who have not served in the Forces at all.

In 2012, Prince Philip marched members around St Jamess Square to mark the clubs 150th anniversary.

The club threw a lavish party last June to mark what would have been Philips 100th birthday.

The In & Out describes itself as a blended, eclectic mix of like-minded people from a wide range of backgrounds.

Well-placed sources say the move will be a particular blow, given that his late father (pictured left) had served as the clubs president

The club takes its nickname from the two grand pillars at its entrance, one of which reads In while the other is labelled Out.

Meanwhile, it is also understood that Andrew, who served in the 1982 Falklands War as a helicopter pilot, will have no formal role in marking the 40th anniversary of the conflict in the coming months.

A Royal source said: He wont be hosting so much as a barbecue. Its a shame for him in some ways. The Falklands was an important part of his life.
Fast approaching her 96th birthday, the Queen remains bright-eyed and quick-witted. Visiting foreign dignitaries and the pet dorgis file in and out of the formal suites at Windsor Castle as she cracks jokes with aides and continues to perform her still considerable duties.

Whether it is signing papers from her daily red box, speaking to Boris Johnson by telephone or drinking tea with the Governor-General of Canada, it's all done with humour and grace.

Why then, her sudden decision not to attend last week's Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, an event that means a great deal to her?

The change of plan, said the Palace, was about the comfort of Her Majesty. Yet, as courtiers privately acknowledge, it was also about preserving the majesty of monarchy.

Appearances matter  and much more so for a head of state. The Queen has made it clear her presence at events of personal significance such as the Commonwealth and Cenotaph services must not come at any cost.

A photograph of her late sister, Princess Margaret (pictured), in a wheelchair, six months before she died, has become a lasting cause of regret. 'It's a haunting image and not one the Queen remembers fondly,' said a source

There is one image in particular which Palace aides, and no doubt the Queen herself, are anxious not to replicate.

A photograph of her late sister, Princess Margaret, in a wheelchair, six months before she died, has become a lasting cause of regret. 'It's a haunting image and not one the Queen remembers fondly,' said a source.

It was in August 2001 that the family had gathered for a photocall for the Queen Mother's 101st birthday. Although still sprightly, she used two walking sticks.

A murmur then went round: 'Where's Margaret?' The Queen's sister was inside, recuperating after a series of strokes. She had not been expected to appear.

But the Queen Mother's page, William Tallon  'Backstairs Billy'  took it upon himself to push Margaret in front of the waiting media in a wheelchair.

Margaret was known for glamorous good looks that had lasted well into middle age. The world had never seen her like this.

Wearing a jacket and oversized black sunglasses, the Princess had her left arm trussed up in a sling and a shawl over her legs.

It is said the Queen, too, still shudders at the memory. An abiding principle is she 'must be seen to be believed'. A picture in any way reminiscent of Margaret's fate is out of the question

A source who remembers the occasion said: 'The optics were terrible. It was supposed to be about the Queen Mother but all anyone saw was a sadly declining Princess Margaret.'

At 70, Margaret looked worse than her mother, 30 years older. A terrible row ensued. Palace staff were furious with Tallon for wheeling her out in full view of the cameras, a gross invasion of her privacy, they felt.

It is said the Queen, too, still shudders at the memory. An abiding principle is she 'must be seen to be believed'. A picture in any way reminiscent of Margaret's fate is out of the question.

Why allow the Queen to have to awkwardly navigate the Abbey when there are opportunities to show her meeting and greeting state dignitaries at Windsor?

The Queen has recently conducted nine days of official meetings, including welcoming Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada.

Twice recently she has reiterated a pledge made on her 21st birthday: 'My whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.'

Yet, as she acknowledges, some things must inevitably change.

For years, our unstinting monarch has been handing more work to the Prince of Wales.

The Queen  known as 'Reader One' in Government terms  still receives a daily red box of official papers to sign. Her Royal Assent is still required on Bills passing through Parliament. (Charles is Reader Two.) But there are compensations: increased visits from family.

'Prince Charles will often stay over at Windsor now if he's visiting and will spend time with his mother rather than going back to Highgrove,' said a source. Prince William, too, is at Windsor more often.

She also enjoys the company of her dresser, Angela Kelly, a docker's daughter from Liverpool known to amuse the Queen with her down-to-earth wit.

When not on duty, she watches television or is absorbed in jigsaws laid out by her long-time page Paul Whybrew.

On his final engagement, in 2017, Prince Philip summed up the predicament in typically pithy style. After someone said 'I'm sorry to hear that you're standing down', the 95-year-old Duke shot back with: 'Well, I can't stand up for much longer.'

The Queen will carry out her God-given duties to the end. But we will see the Prince of Wales increasingly standing in  and standing up  on her behalf.

She has made it clear: the dignity of the monarch must be protected, come what may.

Queen plans more time at Balmoral after her lodge is fitted with wheelchair lift

By Ashlie McAnally for the Mail On Sunday

The Queen has had a wheelchair lift installed at her Balmoral home, fuelling speculation that she may spend more time at her beloved Highlands hideaway.

She has also applied to put in extra security, including CCTV and automatic gates, at the 50,000-acre estate on Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire.

Balmoral was bought for Queen Victoria by her husband Prince Albert in 1852 and has remained a favourite summer retreat for the Royal Family ever since. But the Queen, 95, often prefers to live in Craig Gowan House, a two-storey, seven-bedroom stone lodge on the estate.

The 20,000 high-tech lift, which can carry a wheelchair and three people, was approved for the lodge last year.

The Queen has had a wheelchair lift installed at her Balmoral home, fuelling speculation that she may spend more time at her beloved Highlands hideaway

Planning documents show that officials gave the green light for 'a Lifton lift within the rear wing of the property in order to solve the problem for disabled users in terms of gaining access up the existing staircase from ground floor to first floor, and vice versa.'

Plans were also lodged earlier this month for CCTV cameras as well as a fence, intercom and automated gate.

The Queen's mobility has worsened in recent months and she was photographed with a walking stick earlier this year. She missed the 50th Commonwealth Day service last week at Westminster Abbey but hopes to attend a memorial service for her late husband Prince Philip later this month and as many 70th Jubilee celebrations this summer as possible.

A decision by the Queen to spend more time at Balmoral would spark comparisons with Queen Victoria, who retreated to an isolated house on the estate after Albert died, aged 42, in 1861.

Planning documents show that officials gave the green light for 'a Lifton lift within the rear wing of the property in order to solve the problem for disabled users in terms of gaining access up the existing staircase from ground floor to first floor, and vice versa'

A decision by the Queen to spend more time at Balmoral would spark comparisons with Queen Victoria, who retreated to an isolated house on the estate after Albert died, aged 42, in 1861

Victoria could not bear to stay at the lodge that they had used together and had a smaller, grey granite property built on the edge of Loch Muick. It became known as the widow's house.

The surrounding hills had reminded Albert of his native Germany, while Victoria said the location 'seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils'.

Asked about the possibility of the Queen spending more time on the Balmoral estate, local councillor Geva Blackett said: 'We always welcome the Queen here, she is part of the community. We would love her to be here more if that's what she wants to do.'

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
A New York casino worker and mother of two was found dead at a housing project in the Bronx Saturday with a knife stuck in her chest and her throat slashed after telling family she feared for her life days earlier.

Bjana James, 37, was found at the Betances Houses NYCHA building on East 147th street on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The knife had been wiped clean of any evidence of the killer before it was left inside of her, the New York Daily News reported.

Her family said that she was last heard from on Wednesday, when she sent a text saying she feared for her life.

James' younger sister said that she texted a friend saying her boyfriend - who has not yet been named - was 'acting strangely and screaming about someone lacing his marijuana.'

Bjana James, 37, was found at the Betances Houses NYCHA building on East 147th street on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx

James' family said she's leaving behind two children, a 12-year-old son named Junior and an 8-year-old daughter named Maya (pictured above)

'She said 'I'm scared. He's going to kill me!'' said her sister, who requested anonymity.

James' cousin, who only identified herself as Shelly, said the boyfriend returned to the apartment eventually.

'(She texted me) 'He's here! He's back!' and ever since she wrote that we didn't hear from her again,' she said. 'Something wasn't right, she always replies.'

Family members tried to get in touch with James Thursday but she didn't reply. She was found Friday night.

'Her brother came first, turned her knob, it was open,' said Shelly. 'Thank God her mother didn't get in. Something just wasn't right.'

James' mother, Stacey, seen heartbroken at the scene of her daughter's death

Stacey, said that Bjana was living with an ex-con who was also a lifelong friend of her daughter

Her mother, Stacey, said that she was living with an ex-con who was also a lifelong friend of her daughter.

'I can still hear my daughter talking,' James, 61, said. 'My daughter was loved...People really loved my daughter. What could have gotten out of hand in an argument that could not be handled?'

'I'm trying to hold my composure,' added James. 'But I know in some time, I am going to break down.'

James' family said she's leaving behind two children, a 12-year-old son named Junior and an 8-year-old daughter named Maya, who were staying with their grandmother at the time of their mother's death. She worked at a casino in nearby Yonkers.

Friends and families lit candles at a small memorial at the apartment just hours later to celebrate Bjana James' life.

New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell has overseen a devastating crime wave in her first three months in office

'She was a loving person,' James' cousin said. 'She left her two kids behind. We have to go break the news to her kids. We didn't think this would happen.'

No arrests have been made yet. The investigation is ongoing.

Crime in New York City has skyrocketed in 2022 after increased numbers in 2021.

There were 32 murders in February - three more than the same month last year.

Multiple other categories saw shocking jumps, including car theft, which soared by nearly 105 percent; grand larceny, which jumped nearly 80 percent over the previous year; robberies, which surged 56 percent; a 44 percent bump in burglaries and a 22 percent spike in assaults. Rapes also saw a terrifying 35 percent rise in February.

The crime wave comes during 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. Former Mayor Bill De Blasio's policies contributed to the current crime wave, experts said.

The New York subway has been ground zero for the latent crime wave after an alarming 73.3 percent increase in underground incidents - including 182 in February alone.

Hate crimes have also doubled since last year  with anti-Asian attacks more than tripling and anti-Jewish complaints up by a whopping 54 percent over the same time last year, from 134 to 207 incidents.

One recent poll revealed that nearly 75 percent of all New York City voters consider crime to be a 'very serious' problem.
Parents and students at Manhattan's Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering were in shock to see the return of a Spanish teacher who was resigned from the school for 'sucking a man's nipple' during a Zoom lesson.

Amanda Fletcher, 38, was kicked out of the elite school in October 2020 after the New York City Department of Education officials found she 'engaged in an inappropriate sex act' while instructing her class over Zoom.

During the Zoom call, Fletcher 'appeared to suck the nipple of an unidentified topless male' while 'gyrating' or 'rocking back and forth,' the New York Post reported.

Fletcher, a tenured teacher, had appealed the decision and DOE officials said she had been reassigned to a 'district office' following her exit from the school.

While Fletcher settled misconduct charges by agreeing to 'irrevocably resign' on July 1, 2022, she reappeared at the school on March 7, startling students and parents alike.

'I find this whole situation nauseating,' one mother whose daughter testified before investigators told the Post. 'It's beyond a slap in the face.'

Amanda K. Fletcher, 37, (above) performed an 'inappropriate sexual act' in front of students at the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering during a Zoom class on September 30, 2020, state investigators said

She was removed from the elite New York City School in October 2020, and although she agreed to official resign this July, she was seen back at the school on March 7

The mom, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughter's privacy, said she complained to school officials but has not gotten an answer as to why Fletcher was allowed to come back.

School Principal Miriam Nightingale said it was out of her control and that she could not bar Fletcher from the school

'I don't care where the woman goes, but give us a heads up,' the mom said. 'Let the kids know because they did their duty by talking to investigators.'

School Principal Miriam Nightingale told the Post that the Fletcher's return is not something the school could control.

'The decision to return Amanda Fletcher to service was not made at the school level,' she said in an email. 'I cannot change her assignment to our school nor bar her from the building.'

The New York City DOE did not immediately reply to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The city's DOE had called the incident, which took place on September 30, 2020, as 'absolutely unacceptable.'

In the Zoom call, Students had earlier seen a man standing behind Fletcher as she ate spaghetti, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools found.

About 12 minutes before the class finished, Fletcher began getting amorous with her shirtless companion.

After fixing her lips onto his naked torso, and rocking back and forth several times, she resumed teaching and 'discussing a worksheet', one student told the investigators.

It's unclear how she ended up on camera in a compromising position, but it appears she may not have realized her camera was still on at the time.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Fletcher studied at DePaux University, a private college in Indiana, and has been teaching with the New York City Department of Education for 13 years.

The secondary school ranks 203rd nationally among secondary schools, and 24th in New York.
* After a six-hour journey, a yellow school bus took 11-year-old Ayizmal Mirzjan and her friends to their boarding school in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

* Easy as it seems today, the 250-km trip used to take several days on a horse or camel.

* In 2008, Taxkorgan adopted a school policy whereby all the students enjoy free education for up to 15 years from kindergarten to high school. The development of education in the county epitomizes that in Xinjiang as a whole.

URUMQI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- One day ahead of the spring semester, 11-year-old Ayizmal Mirzjan and her friends left their home village deep in the mountains of the Pamir Plateau for school.

It was the first time that the students boarded a standard yellow school bus, the same as the ones they saw in movies. After a six-hour journey, the bus took the little passengers to their boarding school at the county seat.

Easy as it seems today, the 250-km trip used to take several days on a horse, camel or motorcycle.

Students receive body temperature checks and get masks before taking a school bus in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Upon the departure, Ayizmal Mirzjan's cousin Zyatm Mayir took a selfie by the school bus and posted the picture on social media. "If only I could be as young as Ayizmal Mirzjan and go to school by such a comfortable school bus," she wrote on her WeChat account.

SCHOOL ON HORSEBACK

Ayizmal Mirzjan's village Reskam, which means "land with ores" in the Tajik language, is a border village located in the southwesternmost part of the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

At an altitude of over 3,000 meters, with several major rivers and mountains stretching through, the village used to see its residents' settlements scattered in a dozen of relatively inhabitable valleys.

The complex landscape had restrained the accessibility to education for the children of Reskam for generations, including elder members of Ayizmal Mirzjan's family.

Aerial photo shows a school bus running on the mountain road in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Jamlhan Yantonghan is a retired teacher in Reskam. Having worked in the village for over 30 years, Jamlhan Yantonghan called himself a mobile "primary school on horseback."

There was a time when he had to travel on a horse all across the vast pasture, visited the scattered households from door to door, found as many students as he could, and gathered them for class. Their classroom could be in a yurt, on a grassland, or even by a cliff.

It was not until the 1980s that the village established a proper school with classrooms and dormitories, Jamlhan Yantonghan recalled.

The school ignited a passion for education among Reskam's students. However, it soon occurred to the villagers that access to quality and modern education still seemed out of reach in such a remote village.

In 2008, Taxkorgan adopted a school policy whereby all the students enjoy free education for up to 15 years from kindergarten to high school, and students from fourth to sixth grade can attend the boarding school in the county seat.

Aerial photo shows a school bus running on a bridge in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

PAVING A WAY TO SCHOOL

However, the road to school has always been challenging for Reskam's students.

Over 20 years ago, Ayizmal Mirzjan's father attended the school in Reskam, which only gave lessons up to sixth grade. Like most of his peers, he did not continue with his education afterward.

Even five years ago, as Chen Jingquan, an officer at a police station along the route to the county seat recalled, once when a snow disaster struck, the students had to get out of the car and trekked 18 km across the snow-capped mountain peak, and then got in another car waiting for them at the other side.

Having escorted thousands of students over the past eight years, Chen knows all too well the difficulties: students had to navigate a perilous journey -- two 5,000-meter-high mountain peaks, a single-lane way built on the cliff right along the roaring Yarkand River, and snowfields -- before making their way to school.

Thanks to a construction project with an investment of 1 billion yuan (about 157.7 million U.S. dollars) in 2019, the road to and from the county seat has been renovated, while a tunnel that bypasses the two mountain peaks is scheduled to open to traffic by the end of this year.

Children prepare to leave their home for a boarding school, in Reskam village of the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Feb. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Now, with 14 school buses put into operation this year, students in Taxkorgan can enjoy safe and comfortable journeys free of charge, which their past generations could hardly imagine.

OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND BEYOND

In the past eight years, the county has invested more than 200 million yuan to improve school conditions. The enrollment rate of primary and secondary schools in Taxkorgan has increased from 75 percent in 2006 to 100 percent at present, and the university admission rate surged from 48 percent to 100 percent in 2021.

In addition to free schooling and dining, the 2,669 students in Ayizmal Mirzjan's boarding primary school can now have classes simultaneously with students from developed places of the country via a distance education system.

The development of education in Reskam epitomizes that in Xinjiang as a whole. The vast region has numerous towns and villages just like Reskam, where daily commutes between home and school would be very difficult for some students.

Therefore, attending a boarding school has become a common practice for students, and it is up to students' parents to decide whether to board or not. This education system not only ensures the quality of education but also eases the burdens on parents.

"Now, there are more ways out for children, and their ideas and horizons have been greatly broadened," Jamlhan Yantonghan said. "The saying that knowledge can change your fate will never go out of date."

Apart from free transportation and schooling, local education authorities also organize free vacation activities to broaden the students' horizons. Each year, 70 to 100 students from Taxkorgan, especially its remote villages, are taken on a summer camp to Shenzhen, a metropolis in south China, according to Molahabifu, deputy director of Taxkorgan's education bureau.

The children have become more confident and outgoing, said Molahabifu, adding that some are still in touch with their peers in Shenzhen years after the summer camp.

Aerial photo shows the Taxkorgan Airport under construction in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Feb. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

In June this year, the construction of the Taxkorgan Airport, the highest-altitude airport in Xinjiang, is scheduled to complete, connecting the students to an even wider world.

Wang Lu, who has been teaching in Taxkorgan for 10 years, has noticed that with better education and more opportunities, students in Taxkorgan now dare to dream bigger.

"Ten years ago, most of the children would only think about being a shepherd or getting married and starting a family when talking about future. Now, their dreams have become as colorful as being an athlete, a model, even an astronaut," said Wang.

(Video reporters: Gao Han, Bai Zhiqiang, Zhang Yuyang, Ding Lei, Shang Sheng and Fang Junwei; Video editors: Zheng Xin, Luo Hui and Yin Le) 
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become famous for his khaki green T-shirt, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin chose a 10,000 Loro Piana jacket for his appearance at a stadium rally last week.

With Russia feeling the impact of sanctions, it is unclear which of Putin's aides thought it wise for him to don a coat costing 25 times the nation's average monthly wage.

Putin, who teamed the puffer jacket with a 2,400 roll-neck sweater by Italian brand Kiton, told 200,000 people inside Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium that his invasion of Ukraine was to defend the 'universal values' of all Russians.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become famous for his khaki green T-shirt, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin chose a 10,000 Loro Piana jacket for his appearance at a stadium rally last week

Pictured: Putin in gym gear at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi in 2015

The high-fashion leader is also a fan of a 8,800 black Blancpain Grande Date Aqua Lung watch (pictured)

The high-fashion leader is also a fan of a 8,800 black Blancpain Grande Date Aqua Lung watch, and has been spotted in a 605 pair of Loro Piana suede trim sneakers.

One critic wrote on Twitter: 'While Russian people are fighting for food in stores, Putin addressed Russians wearing a Loro Piana jacket worth 1.5million roubles.'

Putin's physique looked bulky during the speech, sparking speculation he was wearing a bullet-proof jacket under the coat. There were also claims that much of the crowd were paid or coerced to be there.

By contrast, President Zelensky's decision to opt for a T-shirt has forged a connection with Ukrainians  although not everyone is pleased.

After Zelensky's recent appearance via videolink before the US Congress, economist Peter Schiff, who once stood as a Republican senator candidate, tweeted: 'I understand times are hard, but doesn't the President own a suit?'
The Mail Force Ukraine Appeal today announces its biggest donation so far to help stricken families caught up in Europe's worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will receive a 1 million cash boost from our record-breaking appeal.

Your money will help fund emergency aid and shelter for millions of refugees forced from their homes by Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Brave UNHCR staff are already distributing food, blankets, mattresses, baby formula and hygiene packs to the estimated two million people displaced within Ukraine.

On Ukraine's borders, the UN is providing aid and other support to the three million refugees who have streamed into Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia and Hungary.

Despite battles raging across Ukraine, experts at the The Halo Trust are preparing to clear landmines and unexploded bombs that litter key routes

The Mail Force Appeal was launched three weeks ago and our readers have responded with an extraordinary flood of cheques and online donations.

The total raised has now passed an astonishing 8million.

Actor David Morrissey, who is a UNHCR ambassador, last night said: 'Thank you so much to readers of The Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail for their incredible generosity to ordinary people in Ukraine who have been caught up in this crisis.'

The MoS last week witnessed how that generosity will help, as thousands of exhausted refugees received help from the UNHCR's partner agencies at Medyka, in South-East Poland, the single busiest border crossing with Ukraine.

Weary from their flight from the shelled city of Dnipro, 51-year-old Olga Sheronova and her son Pavel, 15, were helped to the front of the three-hour border queue and given cups of hot chocolate as they stepped on to Polish soil.

A family pictured today, after the they crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border into Medyka, Poland

'We left out of fear,' said Pavel. 'The crossing was really hard. On the train our friends have got little children and they were very scared.'

Olga added: 'It is very hard. I am very tired. We are hoping to go to a little city in Germany near Frankfurt. We have family friends there.'

Heavily pregnant Firuza Dodova, 28, a German and English language teacher, reached the crossing with her ten-year-old sister Farishta and mother Suraio, 49, after her home was destroyed in Russia's relentless bombardment of the city of Kharkiv.

Facing a four-hour queue in freezing temperatures, she was spotted by aid workers, who handed her a thermal blanket and took her straight through the border controls. 'Before we left Kharkiv, it was horrible,' she said.

'Every day and night we heard planes and some explosions, especially at night.'

She is desperately worried about her husband Alexey, 29, who had to stay behind in Ukraine and now faces the prospect of missing the birth of their child.

She said: 'Alexey is alive but he is struggling  at any minute everything can change. I don't know what to do or how to help him.

'I just pray that he will survive and some day be reunited with me and our baby. Alexey and I agreed on baby names a long time ago. If God is willing and everything is OK, it will be Alisher for a boy and Amina for a girl.'

On the Ukrainian side of the border, UNHCR has partnered with grassroots organisation NEEKA to help refugees as they queue to cross into Poland. Borys Feniuk, 51, who oversees the operation, praised Mail readers and other UNHCR donors.

He said: 'I want to say thank you on behalf of all Ukrainians to those donating money. And we are really grateful for the help of UNHCR.

'They have helped organise logistics and provided us with mattresses and blankets, because right now you can't buy these things in Ukraine.'

Twelve miles away at Przemysl rail station, UNHCR worker Aneta Ostasz, 39, moved through the crowds of refugees waiting for trains to take them deeper into Poland.

She was looking for drivers who are arriving at the station and offering rides. While most genuinely want to help, some have been charging extortionate prices and stealing identity documents.

Refugees are pictured as they cross the Ukrainian-Polish border in Medyka, southeastern Poland on March 19

After questioning one driver holding a makeshift sign offering a lift to Krakow, Aneta warned a group of refugees about the scammers.

Among the refugees here were Darina Bazdyrieva, 54, and her daughter Natalia, 25, who were huddled together with their cats Cindy and Shivia.

'We came from Kharkiv but we have no family here and nowhere to go,' Natalia said.

Aneta rushed to find a chair as an ashen-faced Darina wobbled on her feet. 'We are very, very tired but we just don't know what to do next,' Darina said softly.

Some of those in greatest need are in Ukraine's neighbour Moldova, where one in eight children are refugees. UNHCR has delivered 3,000 family tents for 9,000 people after running an aid convoy overland from Greece.

Kind-hearted Mail readers have sent more than 60,000 cheques as well as by bank transfer, phone and via our JustGiving Page.

The appeal was launched with a 500,000 donation from The Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail parent company, DMGT, at the personal request of chairman Lord Rothermere and his wife Lady Rothermere.

A team at Mail Force is working around the clock to assess how the money raised by the appeal can be best spent. As well as UNHCR, money has already been announced for charities including the Red Cross, Unicef and the Refugee Council.

Emma Cherniavsky, chief executive, UK, for UNHCR, said: 'I want to say thank you to the readers of The Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail for their incredible generosity.

'With your help, UNHCR staff in Ukraine will keep delivering essential items, such as blankets, folding beds, tarpaulins for emergency repairs and food.'
Senior Royals are considering plans to open some of their homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the horrors of war.

Aides to the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William are understood to be examining a range of 'practical measures', including the possibility of jobs and training courses, as well as providing accommodation.

Charles is said to be looking at finding spaces on his Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire as well as sites across his Duchy of Cornwall holdings, which include a number of holiday homes.

The Queen's Balmoral estate on Royal Deeside and Sandringham in Norfolk, which are both private and not funded by the taxpayer, could also provide space in holiday-rental cottages and offer temporary tourism-related and hospitality jobs.

Charles is said to be looking at finding spaces on his Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire (pictured) as well as sites across his Duchy of Cornwall holdings, which include a number of holiday homes

A source told The Mail on Sunday: 'All the households are united in this  the Queen, Charles and William  with all three agreed that they should find a practical way to help Ukrainian refugees.

'It means looking at accommodation options in England, including the Duchy of Cornwall, where Charles has a lot of holiday homes, and Scotland, where he has Dumfries House and the Queen has her Balmoral estate.'

The Queen, Charles and his wife Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have all donated to a coalition of 15 British charities working on the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal.

Charles and William have also spoken out in support of Ukrainians resisting Russian aggression, but it is understood they are keen to do more as Britons prepare to welcome refugees under the Government's Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Charles and William have also spoken out in support of Ukrainians resisting Russian aggression, but it is understood they are keen to do more as Britons prepare to welcome refugees under the Government's Homes for Ukraine scheme. Pictured: Dumfries House

An insider at Dumfries House said the Prince's Foundation, a charity that manages the 2,000-acre estate, was actively looking at how it could help Ukrainians with work, courses and accommodation.

The estate's education centre regularly offers training courses in skills from horticulture and sustainable farm practices to engineering. A Royal spokesman last night said: 'The Royal Household is looking at a number of ways to offer practical help and support.'

The royal family in Belgium last week said it would host three families of Ukrainian refugees. Last year, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde housed some of those who lost their homes in flooding.

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), a body that represents country estates north of the border, last week said it had received pledges to provide help from more than 40 landowners.

William and Kate have also offered to use their Royal Foundation to provide support for Ukrainians with mental health problems after the horrors they have witnessed

It is understood that SLE approached Balmoral, the Queen's private 50,000-acre estate, which will open to the public next month and is currently advertising for waiting and housekeeping staff as well as 'visitor enterprise assistants' with accommodation provided.

William and Kate have also offered to use their Royal Foundation to provide support for Ukrainians with mental health problems after the horrors they have witnessed. Dee Ward, Vice Chair at SLE, said: 'As estates are rural businesses, many are in the fortunate position of being able to offer not just accommodation but also employment opportunities.

'There will be many Ukrainian people with experience and talent in farming, food production and hospitality that can be of real value to our rural communities. We are under no illusion how difficult it will be for Ukrainians coming here, but we want to work with the Scottish and UK governments to provide opportunities for individuals and families wherever we can.'
A family walk through what was once a bustling residential street in the city of Mariupol. Now it is just another scene of almost apocalyptic destruction in Ukraine.

Passing twisted trees, blackened homes and abandoned vehicles, the mother appears to clutch the hand of her child, perhaps fearful that another deadly barrage of Russian shells or rockets is seconds away.

After three weeks of relentless bombardment and a merciless siege, Vladimir Putin's forces this weekend appeared on the brink of capturing the south-eastern port city on the Sea of Azov.

An evacuation of civilians from secure corridors pictured in Mariupol, Ukraine on March 18

Russian troops have finally broken into the centre of Mariupol and are battling Ukrainian forces street by street. One video showed feared pro-Putin Chechen special forces troops pouring machine-gun fire into a high-rise building.

Pictures yesterday showed an armoured vehicle, with pro-Russian troops on board, rolling through the city.

Shelling has hampered efforts to rescue hundreds of civilians, including women and children, who are believed trapped in the bombed ruins of the Drama Theatre, destroyed by a Russian air strike on Wednesday despite the word 'Children' being clearly written on the square outside to alert pilots.

Capturing this strategically important city will Moscow to forge a land corridor between Crimea, annexed in 2014, and the Russian separatist areas of Eastern Ukraine.

Service members of pro-Russian troops drive an armoured vehicle in Mariupol, Ukraine earlier today

With 80 per cent of the city's buildings destroyed or damaged, and with no running water, families resort to drinking melting snow to survive.

With no heating, women crouch around make-shift barbecues to cook what they can scavenge. Bodies litter the street as it is too dangerous to recover them for a dignified funeral.

Officials say 2,500 have perished since Russian forces poured across the Ukrainian border on February 24. About 35,000 people are believed to have escaped in recent days, many on foot and under Russian fire, but 300,000 remain.

As Russia's defence ministry said its forces were 'tightening the noose' around the city, a woman called Svitlana gave a harrowing account of her flight from the city  and the horrors faced by those who have chosen, or been forced, to stay.

'People with torn limbs bleed in their yards and no one can help them,' she wrote in a social-media post.

'These are peaceful people, our acquaintances and relatives. The dead are simply being covered by soil where they lie.

'My family was in the bomb shelter of High School No 2. Three days ago a shell shattered some of the windows. A woman was wounded in her hip. She laid all night on the first floor asking for someone to give her poison so that she would not feel the pain.'

A satellite image from today shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theatre, Ukraine

Ukrainian police now advise families to leave the dead bodies of their loved ones on the balconies of their apartments, she added.

Svitlana said: 'Every day and every night there are fire shots, whistles, shaking walls and horror. Where will it hit? There is no food, no medicine. When there will be no more snow people won't be able to go out for water. The dead are not taken out. The police recommend to open the windows and put the corpses on the balcony.'

Ukrainian MP Dmytro Gorin, whose parents are trapped in the city, said the Russians have dropped hundreds of bombs on the city and that conditions are medieval, adding: 'People are out of food and, more importantly, out of water.'

Meanwhile, more than 300 miles west along the coast in Mykolaiv, at least 50 Ukrainian soldiers died when their base was destroyed by a devastating missile bombardment.

Rescue teams were last night searching for bodies after three missiles hit a barracks on the northern edge of the city on Friday.

A discarded pram pictured as an evacuation of civilians from secure corridors took place in Mariupol, Ukraine on March 18

Thirty hours after the attack, a survivor was pulled from the wreckage, one of about 57 who were injured, but lived.

With more than 200 soldiers asleep at the base when the missiles hit, the death toll is likely to rise. 'At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble,' said Maxim, 22, an official at the scene.

The temperature in Mykolaiv, a port on the Black Sea, dropped to -6C on Friday night, raising fears that survivors may freeze to death while trapped.

In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, a 38-hour curfew began after a Russian rocket strike killed at least nine people.

Arriving from Mariupol, 150 miles away, Lyudmyla, a 54-year-old English teacher, said: 'We sat in the cellar for ten days and did not leave once.'
Russian warships skulk on the horizon, slipping in and out of view, torturing beautiful Odessa, the jewel of the Black Sea.

Will they launch a missile strike soon? Will there be an amphibious assault? Will paratroopers drop from the skies? And what of Vladimir Putins advancing army, held for now at Mykolaiv, 75 miles along the coast?

No wonder this seaports nerves are frayed. More than 60 per cent of Odessas population have already left, many to the relative safety of western Ukraine or beyond its borders.

Those who remain are a singularly resolute bunch, brave and bold, even by Ukrainian standards. Some of them hope the Russians will hurry up and attack if they dare.

Russian warships skulk on the horizon, slipping in and out of view, torturing beautiful Odessa, the jewel of the Black Sea

Let them come, we are ready to make them pay for what theyve done to Ukraine, says merchant seaman Oleksii Voloshyn, 25, his beckoning hand outstretched towards the sea, defiant as a mafioso.

For now the waiting continues. Squinting into pocket telescopes, now sold out in shops, Odessans scan the choppy seas for warships or scroll through their phones, searching the latest news.

As a symbolic prize alone, Putin would dearly love to seize Odessa, founded by Empress Catherine the Great in 1794. Its yellow-stone palaces and wide boulevards of baroque facades are a vivid reminder of Russias imperial power and prestige.

But its strategic value makes it more important still. Should Odessa fall, Ukraine would become landlocked and effectively cut off from overseas trade.

Some 70 per cent of all Ukrainian imports and exports are in the form of sea cargo, of which Odessa handles about 65 per cent.

Those who remain are a singularly resolute bunch, brave and bold, even by Ukrainian standards. Some of them hope the Russians will hurry up and attack if they dare

Militarily, too, its capture would be disastrous for Ukraine. After losing its naval base in Sevastopol following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Ukrainian navy moved its headquarters here.

We arrived on Friday morning. As our train pulled into the main railway station and we stepped on to the platform we were greeted, via speakers, with an excerpt from a Ukrainian opera. Was this a city really preparing for war?

But it quickly became clear that like Kyiv, 300 miles to the north, Odessa has turned itself into a fortress, her delightful Franco-Italian central streets blocked at every turn with sandbags and barbed wire and criss-crossed with metal defences known as hedgehogs, designed to thwart Russian tanks.

Sandwiched between a Hugo Boss store on one side of elegant Rishelievska Street and a Mango on the other, one eye-catching barricade features the words Liberte, egalite, fraternite painted on concrete blocks in blue and yellow letters, evoking the French Revolution of 1789 and the 1968 student riots in Paris.

Odessa brims with faded glamour and rakish charm. Here, poets, musicians and comedians  Odessans are noted for their humour  mingle with smugglers and black marketeers.

But its strategic value makes it more important still. Should Odessa fall, Ukraine would become landlocked and effectively cut off from overseas trade

There is always someone who knows someone who knows someone so you can get anything you need, says lawyer Mykhaylo Gorbatov. Odessa, he declares, is also a city that gets things done.

After the invasion began and the city was struck by missiles, resourceful local businessman Albert Kabakov, the director of the Black Sea Yacht Club, arranged for the dredging of his marina, which produced a mountain of sand.

At this time of year, Albert, 58, might normally be found sipping cold martinis with fellow yachtsmen while anticipating the summers racing schedule.

But for the past three-and-a-half weeks he and his army of volunteers have filled more than 500,000 bags with sand. Their handiwork is found all over the city.

At roadblocks, piled high on the beaches and smothering monuments, including the statue of the Duke de Richelieu at the top of the Potemkin Stairs, a giant stairway considered the gateway to the city.

But it quickly became clear that like Kyiv, 300 miles to the north, Odessa has turned itself into a fortress, her delightful Franco-Italian central streets blocked at every turn with sandbags and barbed wire and criss-crossed with metal defences known as hedgehogs, designed to thwart Russian tanks

In his office, with sweeping views of the Bay of Odessa, Albert invites us to join him for shots of local brandy. To victory! he exclaims. A true city patriot, he says he felt compelled to act.

It was my duty to help, I love this city, so I said to the municipal guys that I would take care of the sand. Remember, just one bag could save a life.

I also felt obliged to reacquaint myself with my rifle, which I havent used for 35 years. This morning I went down to the range with it. Look...

He shows us a target imprinted over Putins face, and underneath, in Ukrainian, the words: There is no disgrace in missing. The disgrace is in not shooting at all.

As it turned out Albert hadnt lost his touch. One bullet went astray, but three hit the Russian presidents face.

Before the war, there were concerns that some residents in the city, which contains many more ethnic Russians than most other Ukrainian towns, might welcome Putins invaders.

Before the war, there were concerns that some residents in the city, which contains many more ethnic Russians than most other Ukrainian towns, might welcome Putins invaders

As a symbolic prize alone, Putin would dearly love to seize Odessa, founded by Empress Catherine the Great in 1794

Streets are named after the many Russian writers who spent time in the city: Gogol, Nekrasov, Mayakovsky and Pushkin, who wrote part of his masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, here.

A survey last September showed that 68 per cent of Odessas residents agreed with Putins statement that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, while only a fifth thought the future of Ukraine was in European integration.

But Russias barbarity has changed everything. They thought we would give the occupiers flowers and help them take Kyiv. But the war has united us like never before: we are all Ukrainian, says Albert.

He leads us through moored yachts down to the beach where volunteers from all walks of life  students, doctors, musicians, IT workers  shovel sand into bags while a human chain loads them on the back of trucks.

Mykhaylo explains that his 12-year-old daughter, evacuated to Poland with his wife and four-year-old son, has now asked them to text message each other in Ukrainian rather than Russian.

Streets are named after the many Russian writers who spent time in the city: Gogol, Nekrasov, Mayakovsky and Pushkin, who wrote part of his masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, here

And then, the same day, a funny thing happened, Mykhaylo adds. Both myself and another partner in my law firm began speaking Ukrainian, kind of spontaneously, where previously we would have spoken Russian. This is a predominantly Russian-speaking city. But switching to Ukrainian just felt right. The same thing is happening all over Odessa.

A food hall nearby was meant to host a champagne and oyster festival this month. Now it serves as a sorting point for donations for Ukrainian troops. Organiser Valentina Malko, 38, tells us that Odessan volunteers have so far made 2,500 sleeping bags for frontline soldiers.

One man alone, a teacher, has made more than 4,000 pillows. Valentina says: The day the war started I was worried. But when my sister and her kids escaped I felt stronger. Now I see it as my responsibility to help. Im with my mother, who refused to leave. I feel the same. Why should I leave? This is my city.

Yesterday, a Saturday, would normally find Valentina out for a morning stroll along Prymorskyi Boulevard, lined with acacias, whose smell in spring, the Odessan writer Aleksandr Kuprin once warned, can induce newcomers to the city to fall in love.

Not that there was much chance of that yesterday. Along with the magnificent opera house and other architectural treasures, Prymorskyi now falls within the fortified zone and is out of bounds.

Not that there was much chance of that yesterday. Along with the magnificent opera house and other architectural treasures, Prymorskyi now falls within the fortified zone and is out of bounds

The Mail on Sunday was given an escorted tour of the zone yesterday by members of the Ukrainian National Guard. The previous night we heard explosions, which the soldiers explained was the citys air defence system shooting down Russian reconnaissance drones, hovering over the city.

It happens quite a lot, says Mykhaylo, 23, a soldier from the west Ukrainian town of Vinnytsia. Ive also seen footage of warships though its difficult to see them from here. Our navy struck one of them. On the first day of the war we were in our barracks near the city. Suddenly we were ordered to be on stand-by. At first we thought there had been a terrorist attack, but then a missile landed nearby, shattering all the windows, and we knew the invasion had started.

As we talk we pass the monument to Catherine the Great, where a bust of Adolf Hitler once stood. The city that was saved by the Soviets during the Second World War is now getting ready to defend itself from its former protectors.

Im proud to patrol and defend these streets, says the young soldier. At first I was a little bit afraid but not any longer. We are fully prepared to face the Russians.

So too is Albert, king of the sandbaggers. I take my pocket telescope with me wherever I go, he says. Just so I am ready.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will miss Sunday's El Clasico against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu after suffering a calf injury.

The French striker was absent from Madrid's Saturday training session and is likely to concentrate on getting fit for next month's Champions League quarter-final matches against Chelsea.

The 34-year-old was forced off the pitch after grabbing an assist and two late goals as LaLiga leaders Real defeated Mallorca 3-0 on Monday.

Karim Benzema is likely to miss El Clasico after picking up a calf injury against Mallorca

Benzema was forced off the pitch at the end of Real Madrid's 3-0 win against Mallorca

The club said defender Ferland Mendy would miss the next two weeks with a hamstring injury but forward Rodrygo, who also suffered an injury against Mallorca, was in Saturday's training session and should be available for Sunday's game.

Benzema is the top goalscorer in La Liga this year and boasts an impressive record of 22 goals and 11 assists in 25 league games - directly contributing to 33 of Madrids 59 league goals.

It's likely that Carlo Ancelotti will turn to Luka Jovic or Mariano after Benzema's injury - however they have just one league goal between them this season.

Defender Ferland Mendy is also expected to miss the next two weeks with a hamstring injury

Rodrygo (centre) however trained on Saturday and should be involved at the Bernabeu

Real will host bitter rivals Barca with the opportunity to strengthen their hold on the title race.

With 66 points from 28 games, Carlo Ancelotti's side have a 10-point advantage over second-placed Sevilla and are 15 ahead of Barca in third.

With 11 matches to play, they are on a high and have a La Liga-European Cup double in their sights.
The Holiday Guru is always on hand to answer your questions.

Here, he warns one reader to beware of bogus NHS Covid pass emails, and advises another on the best place for a special lunch in Paris.

Q. Im worried. I have a P&O Cruise booked. Will it go ahead given all the troubles at P&O Ferries?

Jennifer Lyne, Manchester.

The Holiday Guru reassures a reader that her P&O cruise is safe

A. Your trip is fine. P&O Cruises has nothing to do with P&O Ferries. It is owned by Carnival Cruise Line, a completely different company.

Q. I am in Spain and about to return home. Do I need to complete a Passenger Locator Form? I went on holiday before this weeks rule change.

Ann Jones, Portsmouth.

A. You are correct about the change Passenger Locator Forms were discontinued yesterday. It does not matter if you travelled out before then.

Q. I Would like to take my wife for an anniversary lunch in Paris, travelling by Eurostar. What is the cost of the trains? And do you have any restaurant tips for near Gare du Nord?

Julian Daniels, via email.

A. St Pancras-Paris returns are from 78 (eurostar.com). Close to the station, Chez Casimir is a pleasant brasserie serving boeuf bourguignon (from 35 for three courses, +33 1 4878 2880). Or try Brasserie Terminus Nord, which has juicy steaks (terminusnord.com), Brasserie Bellanger (nouvellegardegroupe.com) or Le Bistrot de Madeleine (lebistrodemadeleine.fr).

The Guru helps a reader who is planning to take his wife to Paris (pictured) for their anniversary

Q. I received an email saying it was from the NHS asking me to click on a link for a green pass for European travel. Is this a scam?

Ted Shepherd, via email.

A. Yes, it is. Do not click on the link. Travel passes on the NHS Covid-19 app or paper equivalent are the only valid vaccine passes (nhs.uk).

WERE HERE TO HELP

If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk.
Roxy Jacenko is leaving her famous Sweaty Betty PR headquarters in Paddington that has been the centre of her publicity and retail empire for more than a decade.

She has moved her operations to an $18million compound in Sydney's Beaconsfield spanning 700sqm across two streets, as well as commercial and warehouse space.

The Paddington office, which Jacenko bought outright eight years ago for $2.6million, is now worth an estimated $10million, and will remain Sweaty Betty's financial hub with portions of the building to be leased to other businesses.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about the move, Jacenko, 42, said it was necessary to move to the Beaconsfield address because she plans to grow her empire to be 'bigger than Ben-Hur' as the PR industry bounces back from the Covid pandemic.

In addition to her flagship firm Sweaty Betty, she runs influencer agency Ministry of Talent, candle brand XRJCelebrations, children's accessorises label Pixie's Bows - named for her 10-year-old daughter Pixie Curtis - plus toy brand Pixie's Pix.

EXCLUSIVE: Roxy Jacenko is leaving her famous Sweaty Betty PR headquarters in Paddington that has been the centre of her publicity and retail empire for more than a decade

Roxy has indeed come full circle in her career.

Her new Beaconsfield HQ is coincidentally where she first started Sweaty Betty back in 2004 at the age of 24. The office space was then just 100sqm.

'Would I do it again? Nope. But I am on the train now and I wont stop until I conquer,' Roxy said

Jacenko said her mother Doreen Davis bought the space for $18m after it went on the market late last year, but had previously owned it with her ex-husband Nick Jacenko in the early 2000s when they both worked in the rag trade.

She intends to hold onto her old office building in Paddington, which was designed by acclaimed interior designers Blainey North, and is in the process of leasing it out.

End of an era: The Paddington office (interior pictured), which Jacenko bought outright eight years ago for $2.6million, is now worth an estimated $10million, and will remain Sweaty Betty's financial hub with portions of the building to be leased to other businesses

Luxury: She intends to hold onto her old office building in Paddington, which was designed by acclaimed interior designers Blainey North, and is in the process of leasing it out

Jacenko said she was practically forced out of the Paddington premises because the storage area could not accommodate the rapid growth of her two kids' brands.

But her new office in Beaconsfield has a warehouse with an Amazon-style 'pick and pack' area where Pixie's Bows and Pixie's Pix products can be stored and shipped with ease without the need for a third-party distributor.

There is also a full studio and office space for 25 employees.

'It feels great and even better to be in a premises that my mother owns and to be able to keep it in the family,' Jacenko told Daily Mail Australia.

Business is booming: Jacenko said she was practically forced out of the Paddington premises because the storage area could not accommodate the rapid growth of her two kids' brands. Pictured with her 10-year-old daughter Pixie Curtis

No stopping her! Her new office in Beaconsfield has a warehouse with an Amazon-style 'pick and pack' area where Pixie's Bows and Pixie's Pix products can be stored and shipped with ease without the need for a third-party distributor

Empire: In addition to her flagship firm Sweaty Betty, Jacenko runs influencer agency Ministry of Talent , candle brand XRJCelebrations, children's accessorises label Pixie's Bows - named for her 10-year-old daughter Pixie Curtis (pictured) - plus toy brand Pixie's Pix

'To think I was in a 100sqm space some 18 years ago as a ballsy wannabe publicist and I can be back here in such a large space housing so many brands I have developed is exciting,' she said.

'It was a challenging decision to make for me as the Paddington office was a big achievement for me in terms of the purchase eight years ago. But we made the move with the view of growing even bigger, something that wasn't possible in Paddington.'

Jacenko's years at the Paddington HQ weren't without their troubles, with the premises infamously being targeted by vandals at one occasion, which is why she has decided to not disclose her new business address.

'I decided that I never wanted to put my businesses or my staff in that position again,' she said.

'This space is cool, modern and under the radar... It's no longer just about whose boardroom has the better custom carpet and whose offices look better. For me it's about how do I grow this [business portfolio] to be bigger than Ben-Hur.'

Moving on: Jacenko's years at the Paddington HQ (front desk pictured) weren't without their troubles, with the premises infamously being targeted by vandals at one occasion, which is why she has decided to not disclose her new business address

Chic: 'It's no longer just about whose boardroom has the better custom carpet and whose offices look better,' Jacenko said. (Pictured: the boardroom of the old Paddington HQ)

Reflecting on the move and her career so far, Jacenko said the key to her success had been constantly 'reinventing' herself and her businesses over the years.

'I have reinvented myself many times in my 41 years  never waiting for someone to come and say, "You need to make a move as business is changing," [and instead] taking the risk and doing so before it's too late or others do it,' she explained.

She said her success meant hard work, sleepless nights and plenty of sacrifice.

Not for the faint-hearted: Jacenko's success has meant hard work, sleepless nights and plenty of sacrifice

Sacrifice: 'So many people say, "You're lucky," but I have had sleepless nights for 18 years. Life has not been easy,' she said. Pictured: Roxy's candle designs from XRJCelebrations

'So many people say, "You're lucky," but I have had sleepless nights for 18 years. Life has not been easy,' she began.

'Running a business, let alone six, is so challenging. Throw a cancer diagnosis in, a young family and a pandemic there is nothing lucky about it.'

Jacenko said that if she had to start her professional life all over again, she would have instead chosen a life as an employee instead of a business owner.

Challenges: 'Running a business, let alone six, is so challenging. Throw a cancer diagnosis in, a young family and a pandemic there is nothing lucky about it,' said Jacenko (pictured with her children, Pixie and Hunter, and husband Oliver Curtis)

'When I hear someone say, "I want to work for myself," I honestly laugh,' she said.

She also had some advice for budding entrepreneurs: 'I say, be the best and most irreplaceable employee for someone else and go home and sleep at night!'

'Would I do it again? Nope. But I am on the train now and I wont stop until I conquer.'
It may already be Autumn, but Zoe Foster Blake was in a spring mood as she stepped out with her daughter on Thursday.

The beauty mogul opted for a romantic floral maxi-dress with a white base and a whimsical pattern throughout in pastel tones.

The 41-year-old showed off her glowing skin with minimal makeup for the outing, during which she was accompanied by daughter Rudy, four.

Spring in her step: It may already be Autumn, but Zoe Foster Blake was in a spring mood as she stepped out with her daughter on Thursday. Pictured with daughter Rudy, who opted for trendy gold boots

She added a pair of cats-eye sunglasses to her ensemble, and pulled her brunette hair off her face.

Zoe completed the look with a pair of vintage brown flats with diamante details across the front.

The author picked up a large bouquet of autumnal foliage, which she carried home as Rudy, wearing a pair of gold boots, skipped beside her.

Feeling floral: The author picked up a large bouquet of autumnal foliage, which she carried home as Rudy skipped beside her

Sparkly: Zoe had on a pair of vintage brown flats with diamante details across the front

Pretty: The beauty mogul opted for a romantic floral maxi-dress with a white base and a whimsical pattern throughout in pastel tones

It comes after Zoe and her comic husband Hamish Blake snapped up a luxurious $4.26million property in Jamberoo on New South Wales' South Coast.

A company controlled by Zoe quietly bought the six-bedroom, five-bathroom home in the private Nuninuna Estate late last year, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The couple, who live in a $8.925million home in Sydney's Vaucluse, are said to have added to their property portfolio with the purchase of the home just a 90 minute drive from the Harbour City.

New digs: It comes after Zoe and her comic husband Hamish Blake (left) snapped up a luxurious $4.26million property in Jamberoo on New South Wales ' South Coast

Hamish, 40, and Zoe relocated from their home in Melbourne to Sydney a year ago.

The couple sold their Richmond house for a whopping $7.435m in March last year, before purchasing a $8.925m family home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Hamish and Zoe married in 2012, and are parents to two children, son Sonny, seven, and daughter Rudy, four.

In August last year, it was revealed that Zoe had sold off a controlling stake in her Go-To skincare company for $89million.
First Dates star Cici Coleman took to Instagram on Friday to flaunt her fantastic figure in a sexy green bikini as she celebrated St Patrick's Day.

The 35-year-old who has been living in Indonesia since the beginning of the year, shared snaps of herself enjoying a cocktail.

In one shot blonde Cici poses with a brunette friend, who wears a matching emerald green bikini.

Happy St Paddy: First Dates star Cici Coleman took to Instagram on Friday to flaunt her fantastic figure in a sexy green bikini as she celebrated St Patrick's Day

The gorgeous pair both beaming, hold their drinks to the sky as they enjoy the tropical weather.

The two wore almost identical green two pieces which cling to their fantastic figures, to celebrate the Irish festivities, .

Faces hidden behind chic shades, Cici's long hair falls to her side wet from a swim in the ocean.

Fun: The gorgeous pair both beaming, hold their drinks to the sky as they enjoy the tropical weather

Girls: Cici shared a video with her friends as they enjoy the hotel pool laughing for the camera

Cici: Cici tousled her hair and pouted jokingly for the cameras as her friends laughed on

In another video the star can be seen enjoying a night time frolic in the pool with pals as they enjoy the music.

Cici tousled her hair and pouted jokingly for the cameras as her friends laughed on.

She started her St Patrick's day by sharing shots of herself working out in the gym, vowing that she wouldn't drink.

Nighttime: In another video the star can be seen enjoying a night time frolic in the pool with pals as they enjoy the music

Party: the star enjoyed the music and sipped cocktails as she and her friends danced in the hotel pool

But quickly changed her mind and stripped down to the revealing bikini to enjoy a cocktail or two.

As the blonde beauty lifted weights earlier in the day she revealed her plans to work on her bottom writing 'bring on the booty'.

She captioned the work out: 'For the first time since my knee injury I have zero pain, absolutely buzzing about this and now I can challenge myself again - bring on the booty'.

Hard work: As the blond beauty lifted weights earlier in the day she revealed her plans to work on her bottom writing 'bring on the booty'

No chance: She started her St Patrick's day by sharing shots of herself working out in the gym, vowing that she wouldn't drink - but quickly changed her mind

The gorgeous star who recently suffered a leg injury during her travels has been working hard on a new work out regime.

Taking to Instagram Cici shared before and after pictures taken four weeks apart where she posed in sexy swimwear.

She told in the caption how she was feeling 'so much better' after reducing her sugar intake and getting back to exercising after recovering from a surfing injury.

Looking good: Cici Coleman flaunted her toned frame as she showed off a one-month body transformation after moving to Bali on Tuesday (pictured left before and right after)

The beauty looked great in the 'after' picture as she slipped into a skimpy leopard print bikini that showed off her toned abs and ample assets.

She penned alongside in the caption: 'I had all the intentions of arriving in Bali and absolutely smashing exercise and eating good.

'For the first month I found myself shoveling down my own body weight in food because it is so yum out here. My average of 15k steps a day was reduced to sometimes 3k because nobody walks here. Then I got an injury from surfing which KO'd me.

Journey: The star, who was a waitress in the Channel 4 show First Dates, has jetted to Bali for a holiday of self exploration and improvement

'Now I've been given the green light from the osteo, I'm slowly but surely getting back to me again.

'I've only made some small tweaks, mainly trying to reduce my sugar intake and mannn I feel so much better for it.

'Let's see what the next couple of weeks bring. This pics were taken a month apart!'
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- With vigorous promotion and extensive participation over the past two years, waste sorting is a new trend that has reshaped the image of campuses across Beijing.

"In the past, sanitation workers sorted the garbage next to the trash can near the dormitory, generating a stifling odor. On windy days, the trash was blown everywhere and we always skirted around with our hands covering our noses," said Sun Jiajing, a sophomore at Beijing Forestry University. "Now, we are more proactive in classifying waste."

Since a revised version on household waste disposal in Beijing was implemented on May 1, 2020, many students have seen their campuses don a new look that is more pleasant, tidy and appealing.

In Beijing Forestry University, about one in four students are trash-sorting volunteers.

In the Beijing No. 20 High School, bins to recycle waste are placed on each floor and students on duty will set their wits to turn trash into wealth.

"I received training on trash classification before taking on the role as head of the trash sorting station. My job is to remind everyone to classify waste and recycle to the best extent," said Ding Shuyi, a student at the school.

As China pushes forward the "double reduction" education policy, which aims to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for primary and middle school students, waste sorting has been fused into academic teaching via innovative approaches of understandable input.

"Our Chinese teachers encourage students to write verses themed on waste classification, math teachers lead them to do math on topics such as water conservation, while our music teachers choreographed a 'waste sorting' dance with the students," said Zuo Chunyun, principal of a primary school in the suburban Tongzhou District.

Zuo added that students in senior classes would do projects on trash sorting and map out solutions in the form of handwritten newspapers and mind maps. Decorations made from recycled materials are exhibited in the school's corridor.

The same scene can be seen in Qianjin Primary School, Haidian District. "Garbage can be turned into resources," said Wang Liping, the principal. "We have raised 100,000 yuan (about 15,760 U.S. dollars) of charity funds by encouraging students and their parents to recycle waste, and the money was used to purchase movie screens for schools in Hotan, Xinjiang."

According to Liu Jianguo, a professor at Tsinghua University, the implementation of garbage sorting depends on the extensive participation and unremitting efforts of society, which is conducive to the promotion of social civilization.

"Wide participation of students and school staff will help promote garbage sorting a new fashion in society," added Liu.

Official data show over 90 percent of the residents in Beijing have participated in waste classification, and about 85 percent can accurately categorize the garbage. But still, relevant departments are striving to further raise the ratio.

"Our next move will be more precise supervision on groups that did relatively poorer jobs in sorting out garbage," said a staffer with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Management. 
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice reunited in a stunning dance during the live telethon for Comic Relief on Friday.

The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 27, and her professional dance partner, 31, performed a waltz along to Ellie Goulding's How Long Will I Love You, a routine they showcased in this year's series.

The duo returned to the ballroom for the first time since the Strictly arena tour to help raise money for those most vulnerable in the UK and beyond (including Ukraine).

Wow! In a magical moment, Strictly winners Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice took to the stage for a special waltz to How Long Will I Love You, where they did not fail to capture attention with a spellbinding performance

EastEnders actress Rose, 27, who is deaf, won hearts across the nation when she appeared on Strictly, going on to win the Glitterball Trophy.

BBC viewers were blown away by the performance, with many fans calling it 'beautiful' and another admitting they 'reduced' them to tears.

Fans took to twitter to share their thoughts on the performance, with one penning: 'Rose and Giovanni beautiful and graceful dancing!'

Comic relief: The duo returned to the ballroom for the first time since the Strictly arena tour to help raise money for those most vulnerable in the UK and beyond (including Ukraine)

After the show, Rose said: 'It's really nice to dance together again. We went through a really special journey'

Another wrote: 'It's so good to see Rose and Giovanni dance again. The best couple Strictly have ever had!'

A third said: 'Giovanni and Rose you still reduce me to tears when you dance together.'

Sir Lenny Henry caught up with the fan favourite's after their big performance, with the dancers admitting they were delighted to be back together.

Looking good: BBC viewers were blown away by the performance, with many fans calling it 'beautiful' and another admitting they 'reduced' them to tears

Rose told Lenny: 'It's really nice to dance together again. We went through a really special journey. Every time we pair up, it brings back happy memories. We really enjoy dancing together.'

Giovanni also spoke about the journey they had and hope that people with physical differences continue to feel inspired by Rose's journey on Strictly last year.

He said: 'As Rose showed this year, it doesn't have to stop anybody,' he pointed out. 'If you really want to follow your dream, if you really love dancing, you just have to go and do it.'
British-Australian actress Naomi Watts starred in the hit film King Kong back in 2005.

And this week, the 53-year-old Hollywood star enjoyed a visit to Universal Studios in Los Angeles with her family and walked past an exhibit about the movie.

Naomi, who is based in New York, shared a picture with son Sasha, 14, playfully wrestling her next to a display of King Kong.

'When your teen catches you eyeing an old flame': Naomi Watts enjoyed a trip to Universal Studios in Los Angeles with her family this week and visited a King Kong exhibit after starring in the hit film

Clearly clowning around for the camera, Naomi posted the picture to Instagram and captioned it: 'When your teenager catches you eyeing an old flame.'

Behind the pair stood Naomi's other child, Kai, 13.

It was while working on the Peter Jackson remake of King Kong in 2005 that English born Naomi first met and fell in love with her children's father, co-star Liev Schreiber.

Like the 1933 original, King Kong is a romantic adventure story about fortune hunters who discover a gigantic ape living on a mysterious island. They capture the beast, return to New York and turn the poor creature into an 'exhibit'.

In the story, the enormous primate, kidnaps and 'falls in love' with a would-be movie star played by Naomi Watts.

It's his devotion to her that eventually seals his fate.

Beauty and the Beast: It was while working on the Peter Jackson remake of King Kong in 2005 (pictured) that English-born Naomi first met and fell in love with her children's father, co-star Liev Schreiber

Happy family: The couple, who never married, were together 11 years before separating in 2016, and amicably co-parent their children

The couple, who never married, were together 11 years before separating in 2016, and now amicably co-parent their children.

Naomi met current partner American actor Billy Crudup while working together on the Netflix series Gypsy in 2017.

Beginning her career in Australia, Naomi had a mid-career surge after struggling to find international success when she was lauded widely for her spectacular performance in David Lynch's Mullholland Drive in 2001.

She won further acclaim as a tortured mother in 21 Grams for which she was nominated as Best Actress Oscar at the 2004 Academy Awards.

Three years ago Naomi won more accolades as a journalist fighting toxic masculinity in the Showtime mini-series, The Loudest Voice.

Watch The Loudest Voice only on Stan.
Mia Goth's burgeoning baby bump was on full display when she stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday.

The pregnant 28-year-old British-Brazilian actress showcased her bump in navy blue leggings and a white t-shirt as she strolled down the street.

The A Cure for Wellness star and her fiance Shia LaBeouf, 35, are expecting their first child together and Mia is said to be about eight or nine months along.

Any day now: Mia Goth's burgeoning baby bump was on full display when she stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday

Mia's high-necked cap-sleeved white top was pulled down over her high-waisted black leggings.

The London native draped a jean jacket over her arm and sported black and white sneakers with white socks.

She accessorized with a delicate silver necklace that had a drop pendant and wore a pair of Apple Airpods.

Out and about: The pregnant 28-year-old British-Brazilian actress showcased her bump in navy blue leggings and a white t-shirt as she strolled down the street

The Vogue model's long golden-streaked locks were pulled back in a low ponytail and she shielded her eyes from the sun with round black shades.

The Everest performer held onto her iPhone as she walked across the street.

Mia and Shia met on the set of Lars von Trier's NC-17 drama, Nymphomaniac: Vol II in 2012.

They appeared to have tied the knot in 2016 but Clark County Nevada tweeted that Shia and The House actress were never technically married by the Elvis Presley impersonator officiating their nuptials at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel.

LaBeouf - who said he 'would have killed' Goth during a heated 2015 altercation in Germany - filed for divorce in 2018 after nearly two years of so-called marriage.

Parents-to-be: The A Cure for Wellness star and her fiance Shia LaBeouf, 35, are expecting their first child together and Mia is said to be about eight or nine months along. Seen in 2014

However, they sparked reconciliation rumors in November 2021 when they were spotted on a date at Chuck E. Cheese.

Last Sunday marked the world premiere of Goth's film X at South by Southwest's Stateside Theatre in Austin, TX - which was attended by her castmates Martin Henderson, Kid Cudi, Brittany Snow, and director Ti West.

The Independent Spirit Award winner portrays fame-hungry porn star Maxine/Pearl in A24's 1979-set horror film, which was released in US/UK theaters on Friday.

Meanwhile, Shia flew to Puglia, Italy in November to star in director Abel Ferrara's untitled biopic on the Italian monk-turned-saint Padre Pio.

LaBeouf's career took a huge hit when his ex-girlfriend FKA twigs accused him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress in a lawsuit she filed in LA in December 2020.

'No marriage license':They appeared to have tied the knot in 2016 but Clark County Nevada tweeted that Shia and The House actress were never technically married by the Elvis Presley impersonator officiating their nuptials at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel

Castmates: Mia and Shia met on the set of Lars von Trier's NC-17 drama, Nymphomaniac: Vol II in 2012

The British 34-year-old (born Tahliah Barnett) also alleged the Echo Park native infected her with a sexually-transmitted disease during their turbulent 11-month relationship, which ended in May 2019.

The controversial Transformers star was arrested for the seventh time in June 2020 on misdemeanor battery and petty theft charges.

In May, LaBeouf was placed into a judicial diversion program outlining that he take anger management therapy once a week, continue his alcohol monitoring, and he cannot obtain/use any weapons/violence - according to TMZ.

Skipped! Sunday marked the world premiere of Goth's film X at South by Southwest's Stateside Theatre in Austin, TX - which was attended by her castmates (from L-R) Martin Henderson, Kid Cudi, Brittany Snow, and director Ti West
David Tennant left Comic Relief viewers in tears on Friday as the star made an emotional speech about the war in Ukraine during the live broadcast.

The Doctor Who actor's voice cracked as she admitted he felt 'helpless' regarding the ongoing Russian invasion of their neighbouring country.

David spoke directly to the camera asking viewers to donate before introducing the viral video of a little girl in Ukraine singing Let It Go from the movie Frozen.

Seven-year-old Ameilia sang the moving rendition of the hit song as she hunkered down in a bomb shelter in Kyiv.

The father of five admitted close to tears that the video 'broke his heart' the first time he saw it.

'There's [the crisis in] Ukraine and I don't know about you but I find it very hard to see past that at the moment'.

Emotional: David Tennant left Comic Relief viewers in tears on Friday as the star made an emotional speech about the war in Ukraine during the live broadcast.

A girl named Amelia sang a Ukrainian version of 'Let It Go' to a crowd of people packed into a bomb shelter in Kyiv

'I think it hit me because I feel so helpless because there's a wee girl in a basement singing the same song that my kids grew up singing. It's so scary and it's so wrong'.

Speaking about how important Comic Relief is for the UK and well as other countries across the world, he added: 'Once a year we do this thing together that reaches across borders and it reaches out to strangers'.

Finishing his speech he pleaded with viewers to donate: 'I'm saying thank you  I'm also saying please'.

Father: The father of five admitted close to tears that the video 'broke his heart' the first time he saw it

Wise words: 'There's [the crisis in] Ukraine and I don't know about you but I find it very hard to see past that at the moment'.

Comic Relief: Fans rushed to twitter to praise the actor for his emotional speech

Fans rushed to twitter to praise the actor for his emotional speech with one writing: 'David Tennant talking from the heart about the situation in Ukraine really got to me and he summed up how I feel'.

A second fan agreed: 'David Tennant speaking about Ukraine right now on Red Nose Day is leaving a serious lump in my throat. unimaginable to think we could ever be in their position'.

'Wow what a moving piece from David Tennant' a third added.

Fans: Viewers rushed to twitter to praise the star emotional speech with one writing: 'David Tennant talking from the heart about the situation in Ukraine really got to me and he summed up how I feel'

Gushing: A second fan agreed: 'David Tennant speaking about Ukraine right now on Red Nose Day is leaving a serious lump in my throat. unimaginable to think we could ever be in their position'

Emotional: 'Wow what a moving piece from David Tennant' a third added

In the video, Amelia belts out a version of 'Let It Go' for those sheltering in the bunker. Some are seen lying on the floor, while others stand or sit around Amelia and record her performance on their phones.

The song was originally recorded for the soundtrack of the animated Disney film Frozen. Sung by actress Idina Menzel and written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2014, Disney released a compilation of 42 foreign-language versions of the song, including translations in Ukrainian and Russian.

Video of Amelia's performance was first shared on Facebook on Thursday by Marta Smekhova, who says she stopped by to help decorate the shelter

When Amelia finishes, the crowd erupts in cheers and applause.

'Bravo! Bravo!' one voice exclaims, as a shy and rosy-cheeked Amelia clutches her hands in front of her face.

Many feared 'the little girl with the beautiful voice' would become yet another tragic casualty of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Fortunately, it was revealed yesterday that after six days in a bunker surviving on almost no food or water, little Amelia completed a gruelling two-day journey to Poland, and is now living safely with her grandmother.

A crowd at the shelter watches the little girl and records the performance on their phones

She made the trip with her 15-year-old brother Misha, while mother Lilia and father Roman stayed behind in Kyiv.

Lilia, 39, told The Sun: 'I always knew Amelia was very talented and a sweet angel and now the whole world knows the same.

'But it is a tragedy that she is only a star because of so much death and destruction.

'I was so sad to wave goodbye to my children but it was the best thing to do to make sure they are safe.'
Sofia Richie flashed the flesh in a smoldering and evocative new photo-shoot she starred in for Instagram this week.

The 23-year-old daughter of Lionel Richie flashed her enviably sculpted midriff as she flounced around in a series of revealing ensembles.

One of them included a 1960s chic black and white striped top that she left open to expose her cleavage and her tangle of necklaces.

Looking fab: Sofia Richie flashed the flesh in a smoldering and evocative new photo-shoot she starred in for Instagram this week

Another one of her ab-fab looks included a moss green shirt that she kept entirely unbuttoned as she went topless with underwear.

Sofia was doing the photo shoot in order to advertise Jacquie Aiche jewelry as part of the brand's Divine Rising campaign.

The little sister of Nicole Richie pulled her best smoldering supermodel stares of the camera in a string of evocatively softly-lit snapshots.

In one photograph a shadow was cast over half of face as she strolled into the sunlight wearing a fluttery salmon outfit.

Sizzling sensation: One of them included a 1960s chic black and white striped top that she left open to expose her cleavage and her tangle of necklaces

Swanking about: Sofia was festooned with jewelry as she stood beside a small manmade fountain while draped in a black lace-trimmed dress resembling a nightie

Aglow: Another one of her ab-fab looks included a moss green shirt that she kept entirely unbuttoned as she went topless with underwear

Sofia was festooned with jewelry as she stood beside a small manmade fountain while draped in a black lace-trimmed dress resembling a nightie.

The garment featured a slit up one side that allowed the showbiz legacy to flash a bit of leg as she struck a pose by the fountain.

She could be seen swanking about in a plunging chrome top that glinted under the lights as she posed up a storm for the shutterbugs.

Sofia is currently involved with Elliot Grainge whom she was spotted indulging in a bit of retail therapy with earlier this week.

In aid of: Sofia was doing the photo shoot in order to advertise Jacquie Aiche jewelry as part of the brand's Divine Rising campaign

A place in the sun: In one photograph a shadow was cast over half of face as she strolled into the sunlight wearing a fluttery salmon outfit

Radiant: She could be seen swanking about in a plunging chrome top that glinted under the lights as she posed up a storm for the shutterbugs

Sofia and her current boyfriend have apparently been an item for over a year, having first set off dating rumors at the start of 2021.

Elliot, whose father Lucian Grainge is the CEO of Universal Music Group, has joined the family business and started an indie record label.

Back in 2020 Sofia had ended her relationship with the reality TV heartthrob Scott Disick, 38, who has three children with Kourtney Kardashian.

Sofia dated Scott for more than two years before they broke up in 2020, briefly reunited and then split for good.

By the way: Sofia and her current boyfriend have apparently been an item for over a year, having first set off dating rumors at the start of 2021

Elliot, whose father Lucian Grainge is the CEO of Universal Music Group, has joined the family business and started an indie record label

Kourtney and Scott have retained a famously close and amicable relationship as they co-parent their children Mason, 12, Penelope, nine, and Reign, seven.

During the last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians Scott revealed that his close co-parenting bond with Kourtney caused problems for him and Sofia.

Now Kourtney is engaged to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Scott is in a swirl of relationship rumors with Too Hot To Handle alumna Holly Scarfone, 23.

Holly has been noted for her striking resemblance to Kourtney's little half-sister Kylie Jenner, the 24-year-old cosmetics tycoon.

Hindsight: Back in 2020 Sofia had ended her relationship with the reality TV heartthrob Scott Disick, 38, who has three children with Kourtney Kardashian

Incidentally: During the last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians Scott revealed that his close co-parenting bond with Kourtney caused problems for him and Sofia
Tom Schwartz hasn't tried to pass the buck when it comes to the end of his relationship with Katie Maloney.

The Vanderpump Rules star, 39, talked to a celebrity photographer about the end of his marriage outside of a Home Depot in Los Angeles on Wednesday according to E! News.

He wore a black jacket that read 'Very Much Alive' on the front, a pair of gray shorts and sunglasses to protect his eyes from the harsh California sun.

Taking responsibility: Tom Schwartz hasn't tried to pass the buck when it comes to the end of his relationship with Katie Maloney

When asked how he was doing after the breakup, the Minnesota native replied, 'Of course I'm sad, but, you know, we still love each other very much.'

Schwartz then revealed he's been busy preparing for the opening of the new bar he will co-run with co-star Tom Sandoval.

The photographer asked if Sandoval had anything to do with the couple's breakup  a notion Schwartz immediately shot down.

'No, no that's all on me,' he said. 'I wish I had a scapegoat, but that's all on me.'

Taking the blame: The Vanderpump Rules star, 39, talked to a celebrity photographer about the end of his marriage outside of a Home Depot in Los Angeles on Wednesday according to E! News. When asked if Tom Sandoval had anything to do with the breakup, Schwartz replied, 'No, no that's all on me'

He tried to elaborate on the reasons behind the breakup but only managed to say, 'It's complicated, obviously. But nothing in particular. You know, life, you know. It's complicated.'

Regarding his future when it comes to Vanderpump Rules, Schwartz said 'I don't know what the future of the show holds. I'm always optimistic, eternally. And yeah, I'm doing OK. I'm staying busy.'

Schwartz isn't the only member of the couple who is struggling with the breakup. Maloney addressed the split in an episode of her podcast You're Going to Love Me which came out on Friday.

'I'm sure you are all aware now that Tom and I have announced via Instagram that we are ending our marriage,' she said at the beginning of the show. 'As I said, it is something that I never thought I would have to announce but here we are.'

Also struggling: Maloney addressed the split in an episode of her podcast You're Going to Love Me which came out on Friday

Emotional experince: Maloney said the breakup has 'been emotional' and revealed the two are still living 'together in our house and we're trying to navigate these steps together'

She explained that the decision was not an abrupt or impulsive one, and the pair had been having discussions about their future together for a while.

'It's been a little bit of time now, a little over a month that we've been separated,' she admitted. 'It's been emotional, for sure. It's also been, in ways, peaceful and loving and the transition so far is going really well. We do still live together in our house and we're trying to navigate these steps together and work on becoming friends in that sense.

'There wasn't some kind of crazy incident that happened, there wasn't some crazy fight that resulted in this. It was my decision, which was probably the hardest and most painful decision I've ever had to make.'

Katie went on to explain what went wrong by saying that, 'the best and only way I can describe it is just like waking up inside of my life and having this voice that just became louder and louder and just events in my life and in our relationship coming into focus and feeling the weight of them on me and I wanted to deny them, I wanted to push them out of my head because I love Tom and we built a life together and he's my person and I wanted to be with him forever. But ultimately, I just wasn't happy.'

Just not happy: Katie went on to explain what went wrong by saying that 'ultimately, I just wasn't happy.

Announcement: The couple announced the split in their own individual Instagram posts earlier this week (pictured 2021)

The two previously announced the news on Tuesday in a pair of Instagram posts.

Schwartz's post began with him expressing how much it 'sucks' that he and Maloney will not be continuing their lives as a couple.

'Well this sucks. How am I supposed to capture 12 years of love in a f***in canned Instagram caption. What picture am I supposed to use? Is there a go-to break up font?

He went on to 'clear the air on some rumors floating around' by confirming their separation and stressing he respects Maloney's 'decision' to end the relationship.

'After nine years on a reality TV-show it feels a little tone def to say 'please respect our privacy' (especially while posting this) so instead I'll ask to please be kind.

'I don't fault you for any snap judgement. If I was watching us on VPR for the last 9 years I'd be making them too.'

No bitterness: 'As sad as I am, I am happy to say there is no anger or bitterness. Zero. Still so much love for you @musickillskate and your family,' he wrote, tagging Maloney's Instagram

Memory lane: Along with his length text post, the TomTom Restaurant & Bar owner included a number of his favorite snapshots of Maloney, as well as several shots of the couple together through the years

'Perception gets skewed [because] of seeing snippets of our lives on the show, but I am telling you we had some of the most blissful, romantic, fun times humanly possible over the course of our relationship.

'I'm talking heaven on earth level joy. She taught me so much about love & being a better partner.'

Schwartz said that although it's 'hard not to be feel like a statistic' for being 'another failed marriage,' he does not look at his relationship with Maloney as a 'failure.'

'As sad as I am, I am happy to say there is no anger or bitterness. Zero. Still so much love for you @musickillskate and your family,' he wrote, tagging Maloney's Instagram.

'I don't think we were ever a model couple. Maybe we are model divorcees. A dubious title I suppose. Also I am aware of tragedies taking place in the world right now. I have perspective here. I'll be fine.

Painful post: Schwartz, 39, first confirmed the news in a heartbreaking post shared to Instagram on Tuesday, where he suggested it was Maloney's decision to 'separate' after 12 years as a couple

'So, I will shut up now and say it one last time, love you Bub. Always & forever you'll be in my heart. On my a**? Maybe not so much,' concluded Schwartz.

Along with his length text post, the TomTom Restaurant & Bar owner included a number of his favorite snapshots of Maloney, as well as several shots of the couple together through the years.

For Maloney's statement, the 35-year-old reality star admitted to her 1.1 million followers that she 'never thought I would have to make an announcement like this.

'But I feel it's important that I'm open about my life with you. After 12 years on an adventure through life together, Tom and I are ending our marriage,' she wrote

'This ending is not met with resentment or animosity, no sides to choose. We have deep admiration for one another that will always remain and we cherish our friendship.

'Although we may be on different paths we will continue to love and support one another's happiness. Thank you for all the kind words and support,' she concluded.

The pair were together for 12 years and officially married for the past two. Fans have been able to watch nearly the entirety of their relationship play out on the small screen.
Amanda Bynes is taking another big step in her road to recovery.

The What A Girl Wants actress, who has struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues, has found a new home to move into once her nine-year-old conservatorship is dissolved, which could come soon.

Her attorney, David A. Esquibias, told TMZ that the former child star is hoping to move into the new and modern rental, which is reportedly in a very private neighborhood close from the ocean, with her fiance Paul Michael.

Big step: Amanda Bynes, 36, took another big step in her push for more personal freedom by finding a home to move into in Los Angeles. It comes amid her push to have her nine-year-old conservatorship dissolved

While the couple have spent most of their personal time together, this would be the first time they have actually ever lived under the same roof.

Bynes, 36, has been staying at sober living facilities that only allow women.

Bynes requested to terminate the conservatorship of both her person and estate on February 23, along with a capacity declaration stating that she was mentally fit to look after herself, according to Us Weekly.

The plan: Bynes' attorney, David A. Esquibias, told TMZ that the former child star found a modern rental home in a very private neighborhood close to the ocean, and that she plans on moving in with her fiance Paul Michael

In the court documents, her psychiatrist noted that she has 'no apparent impairment in alertness and attention, information and processing or ability to modulate mood and affect and suffers no thought disorders.'

The petition also revealed that Bynes has lived in a 'transitional house' where she learned 'daily life skills' as well as focused on her 'therapeutic needs' and 'worked towards developing a sustainable routine.'

And then, last year, she moved into apartment-style living and has since been held accountable for 'ongoing random toxicology screenings, weekly apartment checks, and a weekly case management session with her case manager.'

In another positive sign, Bynes has also been a student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, California, and her FIDM transcript indicates 'she consistently earns above-average grades.'

Plans on hold: Bynes' plans to move into the new home come in the wake of her petition to terminate the conservatorship, which went into place in 2013; the teen star (pictured) hasn't had a credited acting role since 2010

In a social media post on March 8, where Bynes thanked fans and followers 'for your love and support', she revealed that her next court date was 'coming up in two weeks.'

Bynes began her career as a child actress working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That (1996-2000), and had her breakthrough starring in its spin-off series The Amanda Show (1999-2002).

By 2002 she starred in The WB sitcom What I Like About You and made her film debut in the comedy Big Fat Liar.

While she went on to star in a number of successful films, her last credited role was way back in 2010 in the teen comedy film Easy A.
Daniel Radcliffe has no plans to play Wolverine in the next X-men movie.

The Harry Potter star, 32, stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday and vehemently denied that he will be reprising Hugh Jackman's role as the iconic mutant with retractable claws.

'I think it's because Wolverine in the comics is fairly short, so I think people are going "Who's a short actor? Him! He can maybe play him,"' the British actor joked.

Not the next Wolverine: Daniel Radcliffe, 31, confirmed that he has no plans to play Wolverine in the next X-men movie while appearing on The Tonight Show on Friday

The former child star looked dashing in a black turtleneck and a crisp grey suit, which he paired with a belt and black shoes.

He explained that the Wolverine rumors have been persistent for a while, with fans reading into his comments and drawing their own conclusions.

'This is something that has like come up every so often for the last few years,' he stated.

'Every time it comes up I'm like, "That's not true there's nothing behind that," and everyone's like, "Oh, he said it might be true!" And I'm like, no, I didn't. I said the opposite of that!'

Funny: ''I think it's because Wolverine in the comics is fairly short, so I think people are going "Who's a short actor? Him! He can maybe play him,"' the British actor joked

Denial: 'Every time it comes up I'm like, "That's not true there's nothing behind that," and everyone's like, "Oh, he said it might be true!"'

The actor went on: 'And then every so often I'll get bored answering the question in a sensible way, so I'll make a joke and every time I make a joke, I'm like, "Why did you do that?"'

'So the other day, I was like, "Prove me wrong, Marvel. And that has ignited a whole thing,' he joked.

When host Jimmy Fallon agreed with fans and said that Radcliffe would make 'a fantastic Wolverine' the star replied saying, 'Anything that implies the fleetingest similarity to Hugh Jackman is incredibly flattering so I'm happy with that.'

Jimmy then decided to stoke the rumors, stating, 'I'm so happy you decided to announce on our show that you are playing Wolverine. This is great!'

'No! No, it's not,' Radcliffe laughed.

Famous-co-star: The London-born performer also discussed his apprehension when his The Lost City co-star Sandra Bullock, 57, told him to call her by her nickname 'Sandy'

Uneasy: 'It took me so long to get to that point with her where I'd just be... I didn't feel like I was there even after months and she was like, "Really, call me Sandy,"' he recalled

The London-born performer also discussed his apprehension when his The Lost City co-star Sandra Bullock, 57, told him to call her by her nickname 'Sandy.'

'It took me so long to get to that point with her where I'd just be... I didn't feel like I was there even after months and she was like, "Really, call me Sandy, you don't have to call me Sandra,"' he revealed.

He also added that his friends later made fun of him for being so informal when speaking about the iconic Speed actress.

'In conversation with my friends I'd be telling a story about work and I'd be like, "And then Sandy said..." and they're like, "Ohh Sandy!"'

'Mr. Big Shot,' Jimmy laughed, while the actor continued, 'Right it's like, it's what she prefers! I hate informality as well!'

Having fun: Radcliffe and Fallon started out the show by playing a game called Cold As Ice, with the actor and host connected to a tube device going down the front of their pants

Radcliffe and Fallon started out the show by playing a game called Cold As Ice, with the actor and host connected to a tube device going down the front of their pants.

They were then quizzed, and whenever they answered a question incorrectly they would get a pitcher of ice water poured into their trousers.

Radcliffe answered the first two questions wrong, but won his last round. Meanwhile Jimmy failed all his questions, including one about his guest.

Not a Potter fanatic: Radcliffe answered the first two questions wrong, but won his last round. Meanwhile Jimmy failed all his questions, including one about his guest

Ice bath: Fallon mistakenly picked the first answer and was hosed down with ice water

The host was asked a question most Harry Potter fanatics would have no issue answering.

'What spell do you cast to turn someone into something funny? Is it A: Guffawedify, B: Riddikulus, or C: Prepostumsempera?' He mistakenly picked the first answer and was hosed down with ice water.

Radcliffe shot to fame at the tender age of 11 as the messy-haired protagonist of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, based on the best-selling book of the same title by British author J. K. Rowling.

He starred in the series for the next 10 years, until the release of the eighth and final film in 2011.

The actor touched on his recent Harry Potter reunion when Fallon asked: 'Was it odd... is it emotional when you meet your cast that you grew up with basically?'

Claim to fame: Radcliffe shot to fame at 11-years-old as the protagonist of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and touched on his recent Harry Potter reunion during the show

Reminiscing: 'It was lovely to see them again. I was reminded, you know, I was kind of going back like, I'm very happy to have these memories,' he said

'It was kind of all of that. It was so nice to see, some people obviously you've kept in contact with and some people you haven't as much. It was lovely to see them again. I was reminded, you know, I was kind of going back like, I'm very happy to have these memories.'

Elsewhere in the conversation, the entertainer spoke about his upcoming biopic film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, where he plays Weird Al Yankovic.

'I'm rarely excited to see the stuff that I'm in. I'm very, very excited to see that. I mean, you know, it's a fully insane movie, it's one of the most fun things I've ever done.'

Though he isn't sure when the movie will be out, he hopes it will be 'later this year.'

Upcoming biopic: Elsewhere in the conversation, the entertainer spoke about his upcoming biopic film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, where he plays Weird Al Yankovic

Excited: 'I'm rarely excited to see the stuff that I'm in. I'm very, very excited to see that. I mean, you know, it's a fully insane movie it's one of the most fun things I've ever done'

He also recalled the strange way he was cast for the film, after Yankovic saw him performing on The Graham Norton show years ago.

'When I talked to Al for the first time, I was like, "I'm immensely flattered by the idea that you would pick me to play you but like, why me?" You know, I'm mystified, but excited.'

'And apparently like, 13-14 years ago, I sang a version of a Tom Lehrer song on The Graham Norton show. I sang "The Elements" next to Colin Farrell and a very bemused Rihanna. I think he was just like, "Who is this kid and why is he singing "The Elements"'?

'I guess Al saw that and was like, "This guy maybe gets it. And so picked me. So I'm very, very lucky.'

Mishap: Radcliffe spoke about a mishap he had with Yankovic's accordion: 'I broke one of the straps and then immediately got them replaced. If he was furious about it, he kept it to himself'

The entertainer also spoke about a mishap he had with Yankovic's accordion.

'I got to have accordion lessons with Al. I got lent Al's accordion for the month. That was my last day with the accordion I was very sad to be having to say goodbye to it, because he gave me his own accordion to practice on for the month.'

'On day two of that, I broke one of the straps. And then immediately got them replaced and he was - again, thankfully he's like the nicest guy. If he was furious about it, he kept it to himself.'

The actor also joked about being mistaken for Elijah Wood: 'So there's a long running thing with me and Elijah getting mistaken for each other.'

'Originally "Lord of the Rings" and the first "Potter" film came out around the same time. And recently a guy just was driving past on the street in New York and I was standing on the corner and he just yelled, "Hey, Elijah, love your work!"'

Mistaken: The actor also joked about being mistaken for Elijah Wood: 'Recently a guy just was driving past on the street in New York and he just yelled, "Hey, Elijah, love your work!"'

Thoughtful: 'I was just like, "Cool thanks, man. Have a good day." And in my head the thought process was just like, "I don't want to ruin his day." Like, he's had a nice interaction with Elijah Wood as far as he's concerned. Like, why spoil that?'

'I was just like, "Cool thanks, man. Have a good day." And in my head the thought process was just like, "I don't want to ruin his day." Like, he's had a nice interaction with Elijah Wood as far as he's concerned. Like, why spoil that?'

Radcliffe's latest film The Lost City is a romantic adventure comedy also starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Brad Pitt. The film is directed by Adam Nee and Aaron Nee.

The movie's plot centers on writer Loretta Sage (played by Bullock) who writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels, which feature her dashing cover model Alan (played by Tatum).

While on tour for her latest book she is kidnapped by a quirky billionaire by the name of Fairfax (Radcliffe) who wants her to lead him to an ancient lost treasure she had previously described in her book.

The Lost City is set to be released on March 25, 2022, by Paramount Pictures.
Blake Lively turned up the heat as she led the stars attending the Gem Awards held at Cipriani 42nd St in New York this Friday evening.

The 34-year-old movie star flashed the flesh at the glamorous affair, which as its name suggests is held to honor jewelers and watchmakers.

For her latest public appearance, Blake showed off her cleavage in a plunging charcoal top that also allowed her to bare her enviably sculpted midriff.

Hello, gorgeous: Blake Lively turned up the heat as she led the stars attending the Gem Awards held at Cipriani 42nd St in New York this Friday evening

She selected a blouse that featured full sleeves as well as shoulder pads in a fashion statement reminiscent of the 1980s.

Sharpening her screen siren features with makeup, the wife of Ryan Reynolds swept her blonde hair tightly back that evening.

Blake added a splash of glitz to the look with a pair of drop earrings, sliding into a midnight blue pencil skirt that accented her trim waistline.

She balanced expertly on a sky-high pair of jeweled heels and rounded off her chic-to-the-hilt getup with a diamond print gold clutch.

Place to be: The 34-year-old movie star flashed the flesh at the glamorous affair, which as its name suggests is held to honor jewelers and watchmakers

Stunner: Sharpening her screen siren features with makeup, the wife of Ryan Reynolds swept her blonde hair tightly back that evening

Finishing touches: She balanced expertly on a sky-high pair of jeweled heels and rounded off her chic-to-the-hilt getup with a diamond print gold clutch

The array of stars who swung by the fete included British singer Lily Allen, who dared to bare as she went bra-less in a see-through white tulle frock.

Her daring ensemble was thrown over a frilly white solid miniskirt, and she jazzed up the look with a tangle of gold necklaces.

Lily, who is married to Stranger Things heartthrob David Harbour, could be spotted strolling beside Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski, 38, who looked dapper in a white blazer.

The Hammersmith-born songbird, whose parents are a movie producer and a famous pantomime comic, gathered her hair into a 1960s style updo.

Eye-popping: The array of stars who swung by the fete included British singer Lily Allen, who dared to bare as she went bra-less in a see-through white tulle frock

Legging it: Lily, who is married to Stranger Things heartthrob David Harbour, could be spotted strolling beside a young gentleman in a snappy suit

Lily, 36, warded off the wintertime chill by wrapping herself in a black coat as temperatures dropped after dark.

Another member of the guest list was House Of Sand And Fog actress Jennifer Connelly, who was radiant in a shimmering black cocktail dress.

Her full-sleeved ensemble matched her chessboard clutch and the simple black pair of high-heeled shoes she selected for the event.

The GEM Awards is 'one of the jewelry industry's most celebrated awards galas, honoring the achievements of individuals and companies whose work raises the visibility of fine jewelry and watches.'
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Dakota Johnson certainly was a sight to see on her latest red carpet.

The 32-year-old actress looked pretty in patterns for the premiere of her latest flick Cha Cha Real Smooth as part of the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on Friday.

In the film Dakota plays a woman named Domino who has an autistic daughter and befriends a young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host.

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Rocking it: Dakote Johnson looked pretty in patterns for the premiere of her latest flick Cha Cha Real Smooth as part of the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on Friday

Dakota looked stunning at the gala event as she sported an intricately patterned white, gold, pink, beige, and brown Gucci suit featuring flared trousers.

She kept the rest of her look by the Italian high-fashion house as she sported a nude colored monogrammed bodysuit and black heels.

The Fifty Shades Of Grey star accessorized with dangling gold earrings along with a matching necklace with two small pendants.

Wow factor: The 32-year-old actress looked stunning at the gala event as she sported an intricately patterned white, gold, pink, beige, and brown Gucci suit featuring flared trousers

House of: She kept the rest of her look by the Italian high-fashion house as she sported a nude colored monogrammed bodysuit and black heels

Dynamic duo: In addition to starring in the film, Dakota also served as producer alongside friend and business partner Ro Donnelly as they launched production company TeaTime Pictures together back in 2019 which produced Cha Cha Real Smooth

Interesting: In the film Dakota plays a woman named Domino who has an autistic daughter and befriends a young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host

Her signature brunette tresses were put in a ponytail as her signature fringe hung just above her eye.

She accentuated her porcelain skin with pink blush on her cheeks and shiny lip.

In addition to starring in the film, Dakota also served as producer alongside friend and business partner Ro Donnelly as they launched production company TeaTime Pictures together back in 2019 which produced Cha Cha Real Smooth.

The two gal pals also posed for snaps together at the event as Ro looked casual cool in an oversized yellow sweater with a smiley face embroidered on it with black trousers.

Dark side: Odeya Rush - who plays Macy in the film - donned a black midi dress featuring a slit down the middle

Stunning: Her brunette tresses were combed back and tucked behind her ear a she sported a smokey eye and shiny pink lipstick

Pals: She was joined on the red carpet by Cooper Raiff who wrote, directed, and stars in a leading role in the film

Vibes: The 25-year-old filmmaker and actor sported a camouflage knit sweater over white dress shirt, black trousers, and patent leather dress shoes

Odeya Rush - who plays Macy in the film - donned a black midi dress featuring a slit down the middle.

The 24-year-old Israeli actress and model finished off the look with a pair of mesh heels with straps which wrapped around the ankle.

Her brunette tresses were combed back and tucked behind her ear a she sported a smokey eye and shiny pink lipstick.

Cooper Raiff - who wrote, directed, and stars in a leading role in the film - was also in attendance as he sported a camouflage knit sweater over white dress shirt, black trousers, and patent leather dress shoes.

Rising stars: Young actors Vanessa Burghardt (left) and Evan Assante were also in attendance

Partner: Producer Erik Feig sported a grey blazer over blue dress, shirt, brown corduroy pants, and black suede boots

Cha Cha Real Smooth premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival back on January 2022.

It was met with very positive reviews and has even earned a 90% on film aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes with 92 reviews.

AppleTV+ acquired the film's distribution rights for $15million and it is set to stream on June 2022.
Khloe Kardashian obscured her face behind a massive pair of black sunglasses while out and about in Los Angeles this week.

She was spotted heading into a gleaming white car with her three-year-old daughter True whom she shares with her sizzling ex Tristan Thompson.

Letting her luxurious platinum hairdo tumble freely over her shoulders, Khloe, 37, encased her svelte frame in a black ensemble.

Baby mine: Khloe Kardashian obscured her face behind a massive pair of black sunglasses while out and about in Los Angeles this week with her daughter True, three

The Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian hostess kept a close eye on her little tyke as they headed into their vehicle.

Khloe's latest outing comes after she posted a warm birthday message on Instagram to her little brother Rob, with whom she is famously very close.

Rob, 35, became a reality star with his siblings but has receded from public life amid his legal battles with Blac Chyna, with whom he shares his daughter Dream, five.

Referring to the fact Rob's birthday falls on St. Patrick's Day, Khloe gushed that he is 'My little leprechaun' and 'my Ace in life!'

The look: Letting her luxurious platinum hairdo tumble freely over her shoulders, Khloe, 37, encased her svelte frame in a black ensemble

She spilled: 'I hope you know how dope you are. Youre one of my favorite people on this planet. I want you to know how honored I am to be your sister. I would do anything for you! You are my best friend! Truly, youre The funniest guy I know! Never change your gentle and hysterically silly spirit!!'

Wrote she: 'Continue to find your best self. Continue to keep your head held high as you find your way through this insane life. Continue being the best daddy you can be. Youre a special kind of guy @robkardashianofficial'.

A couple of months ago Tristan apologized to Khloe for fathering a child with another woman while he was still with her.

Khloe and Tristan had an on-off relationship that lasted about half a decade, repeatedly scarred by his infidelity to her.

Side by side: Khloe's latest outing comes after she posted a warm birthday message on Instagram to her little brother Rob, with whom she is famously very close

Less than 48 hours before True was born DailyMail.com exclusively broke news of Tristan's alleged fling with New York City strip club bartender Lani Blair.

They remained together then but broke up in February 2019 after Tristan shared a kiss at a party with Kylie Jenner's then best friend Jordyn Woods.

When the coronavirus lockdowns struck Tristan and Khloe moved in together so they could both be with True - and wound up rekindling their romance as well.

Their latest split went public this past June as he denied a swirl of cheating rumors - and last month he allegedly welcomed a child with another woman.

Throwback shot: Rob, 35, became a reality star with his siblings but has receded from public life amid his legal battles with Blac Chyna, with whom he shares his daughter Dream, five

DailyMail.com exclusively obtained court documents in late 2021 claiming Tristan was having a baby by a woman named Maralee Nichols.

Maralee gave birth on December 1 and released a statement a couple of weeks later along with the first public pictures of her son.

Tristan fired up his Instagram early in January and confessed for the first time that he is the father of Maralee's new child.

'Today paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols,' he wrote on Insta Stories, apologizing to Khloe and telling her that 'you don't deserve this. You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you.'

'I love you forever and always Bobby boy!': Referring to the fact Rob's birthday falls on St. Patrick's Day, Khloe gushed that he is 'My little leprechaun' and 'my Ace in life!'

'There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichols' baby,' her attorney Harvey Englander later told DailyMail.com.

'Tristan made numerous false and defamatory statements and declarations about Maralee over the past few months, and she is taking his contrite statement today in the context of all of those statements,' he added.

Maralee has said her 'goal' is only to 'raise our son in a loving and private environment' and she has denied 'leaking' any pregnancy stories to the press.

Further she has disputed the idea that she and Tristan were having 'casual sex,' insisting she believed he was single when they first became involved.

Whoops: A couple of months ago Tristan apologized to Khloe for fathering a child with another woman while he was still with her

Tristan expressed his love for Khloe on social media last March just hours before flew to Houston, where he apparently fathered his new baby with Maralee.

Incidentally Khloe first became involved with Tristan when his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig was still pregnant with his firstborn son Prince, five.

Although Jordan claims she was still with Tristan when he took up with Khloe, Khloe has insisted she thought he was single at the time.
The Miami-Dade Police Department are still on the hunt for the shooter who gunned down and killed aspiring rapper Baby Cino.

The ambush happened just moments after Baby Cino (born Timothy Starks), 20, was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, Florida after being arrested on a gun charge, the Miami Herald reports.

Police are still gathering information but it appears someone pulled up to the car Starks was riding in and fired off at least 40 shots, which killed Starks and injured his friend who had just picked him up at the jail.

Murdered in broad daylight: Baby Cino (born Timothy Starks), 20, was shot and killed in a highway ambush just moments after he posted bond on a gun charge and left the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, Florida

Starks had been released from jail on Wednesday afternoon after posting bond. He was arrested the day before for allegedly illegally carrying a concealed weapon.

By the time his friend, Dante Collins Banks, went to pick him up in a red Nissan outside of the jail, Starks was still wearing his inmate wristband.

The shooting happened moments later, just as Starks' car entered Palmetto Expressway, which caused the driver to crash into the wall on the ramp.

It's believed Starks suffered several gunshot wounds, including one to his head, and died at the scene.

Banks, the driver of the Nissan, was shot in the abdomen and has since been treated at a local hospital and released.

Ambush: Police believe the shooter fired off more than 40 rounds into the car Starks and his friend were riding in just as they entered Palmetto Expressway, which caused the driver to crash into the wall on the ramp

Banks' mother not only confirmed to WSVN that her son picked up Starks at the jail, she also revealed that she was speaking to her son on the phone when shots began to ring out.

'My son was OK,' she said, adding, 'He was talking. He was just shook up 'cause his friend got shot.'

The investigation shut down all northbound lanes for hours on Wednesday in order to allow time for officers to try to gather evidence and collect the many gun shell casings on the ground.

Detectives are on the hunt for 'a dark-colored vehicle that was seen fleeing the area at a high rate of speed', and investigating whether the shooting is connected to previous incidents with a possible link to street gangs.

Known for his song Big Haiti Shottas, Starks is reportedly affiliated with the Boss Life gang in Little Haiti, according to a Miami Herald source.

Officers are asking for anyone who witnessed the shooting, or recall any bit of information no matter how small, to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Any potential witnesses can remain anonymous.
Sunrise has lost another producer, according to a new report on Saturday.

Senior supervising producer Monica Lepore is said to have resigned from the Channel Seven breakfast show on Thursday, The Daily Telegraph has claimed.

The exit came following a 'shake up' at the program, with three senior producers promoted earlier in the day.

Exit: Sunrise has lost another producer, according to a new report on Saturday. Senior supervising producer Monica Lepore is said to have resigned from the Channel Seven breakfast show on Thursday, The Daily Telegraph has claimed. Pictured: The cast of Sunrise

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Seven for comment in relation to this story.

It comes after news that longtime Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell, 38, will take up a new role in Los Angeles sourcing 'new programming out of the U.S. for the network', according to The Australian.

Pell's role could be run by two people moving forward, according to sources.

Lagging: Today, hosted by Karl Stefanovic (left) and Allison Langdon (right), has fallen further behind Sunrise in the ratings race since the beginning of the year

Meanwhile, rumours are swirling in the TV industry that the move may be a way for Seven to keep Pell on its books - and far from Nine executives who want to poach the wunderkind for the Today show.

Today, hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, has fallen further behind Sunrise in the ratings race since the beginning of the year.

News broke last month that Pell will step down from the role he's held for the last 11 years around Easter time.

According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald in December, the top producer was eyeing potential offers in the U.S.

Leaving: It comes after news that longtime Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell (pictured) will take up a new role in Los Angeles sourcing 'new programming out of the U.S. for the network', according to The Australian

Pell confirmed at the time his current contract with Seven was 'in negotiation' and no decisions had been made.

In 2019, the Herald Sun reported Pell had 'expressed interest' in relocating to America, prompting Seven bosses to offer him an annual salary of more than $1million to stay at the network.

Pell is said to be one of the highest-paid executives at Seven and produces up to 24 hours of live television every week.
Selling Sunset's Emma Hernan was seen out on Friday after it was revealed that an armed robbery recently took place outside her and the cast's West Hollywood office.

The real estate agent, 30, strolled down the sidewalk in an off-the-shoulder black sundress and a pair of strappy heels during a midday errand run in Los Angeles.

She was later spotted taking her beloved dog Benny, who strolled obediently beside her on a leash, on a walk in the area.

Spotted: Selling Sunset's Emma Hernan was seen out on Friday after it was revealed that an armed robbery recently took place outside her and the cast's West Hollywood office

Emma's long blonde hair was worn down and styled in loose curls. She accessorized with a glitzy necklace and earrings.

She was captured sipping on a to-go cup of coffee as she ventured around the city.

The cast of Selling Sunset have been left shaken following an armed robbery that took place on Thursday outside the office where the Netflix series is filmed.

A man was forced to hand over his luxury watch after a thief approached him with a gun as he left a restaurant in the same parking lot as The Oppenheim Group offices.

Walkin' the dog: The real estate agent, 30, was spotted taking her beloved dog Benny, who strolled obediently beside her on a leash, on a walk in the area

Company founder Jason Oppenheim spoke just hours after the incident occurred, and revealed that he has now banned his glamorous staff from wearing flashy watches and expensive jewels as a precaution.

'I told them not to wear jewelry or watches anymore,' Oppenheim told TMZ. 'We have to be diligent, you've got to look over your shoulder these days.

Oppenheim, 44, also said he is now considering getting a firearm to protect himself as Los Angeles has been experiencing a crime wave in recent months.

The incident comes as crime has risen by more than 130% in West Hollywood according to Fox11.

That data was revealed by the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station as officials looked at crime statistics from February 2021 to February 2022.

Shaken up: The cast of Selling Sunset have been left shaken following an armed robbery that took place on Thursday outside the office where the Netflix series is filmed

While Oppenheim said the cast of the show were not present at the time of the robbery, he promptly informed them all of the situation.

'I've let everyone know of the situation,' he said. 'We still have to work as normal but obviously not wearing any watches.'

'[We're] being careful, just looking around. It was very concerning, this city is having a lot of issues right now.'

When asked if he's now going to hire armed security, the star confirmed he is talking to the landlord of the offices to get extra protection.

He also revealed he is now going to get a gun to protect himself and had already begun practice shooting.

Scene of the crime: The incident took place in the parking lot behind The Oppenheim Group offices on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood (Pictured above)

Glam office: The cast of Selling Sunset are known for dressing up to the nines for work including wearing expensive jewels and watches

'Between Christine [Quinn] last week, and this in the parking lot today, it's very real,' he added, admitting that they have all been shaken up by the incident.

Earlier this month it was revealed that Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn had a terrifying scare after her house in LA was the target of a home invasion.

Quinn, 33, was at home asleep with her husband, Christian Richards, 43, and their nine-month-old son Christian Georges Dumontet, when they woke up to a noise outside.

The couple checked their security footage and noticed two armed robbers trying to break in through a window, as reported by TMZ.

Quinn and her husband called 911 and even though the police were quick to respond, the home invaders were gone by the time they arrived.

The star took to her Instagram Stories to discuss the scary ordeal: 'We were sleeping and we woke up to noises. The noises started getting louder and louder, and we didn't know what was going on.'

Precautionary: Company founder Jason Oppenheim spoke just hours after the incident occurred, and revealed that he has now banned his glamorous staff from wearing flashy watches and expensive jewels as a precaution. 'I told them not to wear jewelry or watches anymore,' Oppenheim told TMZ . 'We have to be diligent, you've got to look over your shoulder these days; Jason seen in 2021

'We immediately checked the security footage and outside of the master bedroom there was two armed robbers breaking our glass window,' she went on.

'Our windows are so strong, we have such good security in this house, that they weren't able to get in,' she explained.

The crimes come as 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'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

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.
Katie Price, who recently got a sleeve tattoo in Thailand, has explained the meaning behind her latest piece in a YouTube video on Friday.

The former glamour model, 43, shrieked in pain as she documented the process from design to inking on the luxury resort island of Koh Samui.

As she sat in the studio Katie explained that the ink on her right arm is dedicated to her mother Amy, 70, who is battling a terminal lung condition.

Ouch! Katie Price, 43, shrieked in pain as she shared footage of her new floral sleeve inking in tribute to her her terminally-ill mother Amy, 70, during Thailand trip on Friday

Tribute: Katie explained: 'I asked my mum what her favourite flowers were, because I was thinking of something to cover here, and she likes daffodils, lilies [and] hyacinths'

She detailed: 'I asked my mum what her favourite flowers were, because I was thinking of something to cover here, and she likes daffodils, lilies [and] hyacinths.

'We've come up with some drawings here, but he's going to make something up for me, to basically cover it [her arm].'

She gestured that the tattoo was going to start from her inner elbow, downwards and past her inking of with her fiance Carl Woods, before she added: 'Then I'll finish the Carl one.'

Designing: She continued: 'We've come up with some drawings here, but he's going to make something up for me, to basically cover it [her arm]'

Sweet: She showed off the completed design for continuing with the tattoo

She slipped into a comfortable oversized turquoise dress for her outing and a pair of matching fluffy slippers.

Her long blonde locks were tied to one side in a neat plait and she went makeup free in the South East Asian heat.

The clip then showed Katie as she groaned in anticipation as the artist prepared the stencil of the flowers.

Exciting: She slipped into a comfortable oversized turquoise dress for her outing and a pair of matching fluffy slippers

Painful: The clip then showed Katie as she groaned in anticipation as the artist prepared the stencil of the flowers

Intense: When asked if her mum would be happy with the tribute piece, Katie responded: 'She will be after'

Happy: Looking in the mirror at the completed floral inking, Katie jumped in excitement as she gushed: 'I absolutely love it!'

When asked if her mum would be happy with the tribute piece, Katie responded: 'She will be after.'

The television personality squirmed in the chair as she squeezed her eyes closed and exclaimed: 'He's only done a little bit and already I'm like, "F**k, the adrenaline is pumping!"'

Looking in the mirror at the completed floral inking, Katie jumped in excitement as she gushed: 'I absolutely love it!'

Inked: She then revealed her plans to 'come back tomorrow' to include a Unicorn in the piece, she said: 'I'm choosing my second tattoo'

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

She then revealed her plans to 'come back tomorrow' to include a Unicorn in the piece, she said: 'I'm choosing my second tattoo.

'I found this one of a unicorn because I like horses. It's all spirited with its mane everywhere.'

In the caption for the video, Katie penned: 'I decided to have a tattoo transformation! I wanted to get my mum's favourite flowers on my forearm so she can be with me wherever I go! I could never ask for a better mum and I'm so lucky she is in my life.

'As I love horses, I wanted to have a Unicorn on the other arm. I love my new tattoos! I wasn't pleased with the tattoo bracelets so I decided to cover them, I am looking at getting a bigger and better tattoo for my kids so make sure to stay tuned!'

Design: The stencil showed a galloping unicorn, while she also had an array of flowers inked around it

Done: The former glamour model grinned with excitement as the tattoo artist took the needle to her lower left arm to add a unicorn

This comes as Katie showcased the results of her 13th boob job as she wore a skintight vest top while fighting through the pain. of her unicorn tattoo.

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.

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)

Matching: Katie left room for her tattoo of Carl's face (pictured before her sleeve), which still features prominently on the inside of her forearm

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.

The new 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.

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.

Fresh ink: Katie had showed off a second sleeve of tattoos in a new Instagram snap shared on Wednesday

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, 39.

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.

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

Joker: Carl appeared to be in some discomfort as he got his Joker tattoo

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.

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.'

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

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.

'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.'
Justin Hemmes and his model girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel are more loved up than ever.

The couple made a rare public appearance together on Saturday, as they attended the Silver Party charity event at Hemmes' own mansion, The Hermitage, in Sydney's Vaucluse.

It was the first time in two years that the glitzy fundraiser had been held due to the Covid pandemic.

Romance: Justin Hemmes and his model girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel are more loved up than ever. Both pictured

The evening raises funds for the Kids Cancer Centre at the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.

The pair could not keep their hands off each other as they posed up a storm on the red carpet.

Madeline wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, and the pair exchanged a number of warm looks.

The model, 26, looked fantastic in a trendy slate toned dress that flashed lots of skin via cut-outs at the side, which were gathered along gold chain links.

Out and about: The couple made a rare public appearance on Saturday, as they attended the Silver Party charity event at Hemmes' mansion, The Hermitage, in Sydney's Vaucluse

Good cause: The evening raises funds for the Kids Cancer Centre at the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick

Close: The pair cuddled close as they posed up a storm on the red carpet

Her dress was maxi-length and clung to her figure, and it featured an open portion at the midriff.

The beauty added a pair of black, flat sandals with strappy elements, as well as chunky gold accessories.

She wore her blonde hair slicked off her face and accentuated with a long plait, as well as opting for a glowing makeup look with pink lip gloss.

Aww: Madeline wrapped her arm around her boyfriend as they stood side by side

Looking good: The model, 26, looked fantastic in a trendy slate toned dress

Wow! The beauty added a pair of black, flat sandals with strappy elements, as well as chunky gold accessories

Laughs! The couple appeared to be sharing a joke as they posed together

Her billionaire pub baron beau looked smart in a slim-fit black suit with a shirt underneath, which he left partly open to show off his chest.

The 49-year-old slicked his long hair off his face, and opted for a manicured beard while skipping accessories.

Also attending the event was Madeline's model sister Simone Holtznagel, 28, who recently starred on SAS Australia.

Look: The beauty wore her blonde hair slicked off her face and accentuated with a long plait

Fresh: She also opted for a glowing makeup look with pink lip gloss

Cool customer: The billionaire pub baron beau looked smart in a slim-fit black suit with a shirt underneath, which he left partly open to show off his chest

Simone looked glamourous in a white jumpsuit that showed off her cleavage thanks to the deep V-neck cut of the garment.

The 28-year-old added a pair of strappy heels as well as carrying a gold micro purse, and adding geometric statement earrings.

She wore her hair piled high in a retro style look, which the halter-neck cut of her outfit also added to, while choosing a glamourous make up look with plum lipstick.

Sisterly love: Simone (pictured) looked glamourous in a white jumpsuit that showed off her cleavage thanks to the deep V-neck cut of the garment

All white: The 28-year-old added a pair of strappy heels as well as carrying a gold micro purse, and adding geometric statement earrings

Throwback: She wore her hair piled high in a retro style look, which the halter-neck cut of her outfit also added to, while choosing a glamourous make up look with plum lipstick

P.E. Nation designer Pip Edwards dared to bare in a sheer crochet dress with a skimpy black bikini underneath.

She had a noticeably golden brown tan and had styled her short blonde hair by slicking it back off her face.

The famed designer and socialite was joined by friend and P.E Nation employee Cassie James.

Other A-list guests at the event included Nadia Fairfax, Justin Hemmes, Madeline and Simone Holtznagel, Terry Biviano and more.

Double trouble: P.E Nation's Pip Edwards arrived with friend Cassie James (pictured together)

Dare to bare: The famed fashion designer showed off her enviable physique in a sheer crochet dress and black bikini

Not to be outdone by Pip, socialite Nadia Fairfax put on a bold display in a bandeau top and short-shorts, with a gold netted piece over the top.

She had her hair tied up in a tight topknot and accessorised with giant gold earrings.

Sydney power couple Anthony Minichiello and wife Terry Biviano were hard to miss in stylish ensembles.

Lovely to be here! Justin and Pip greeted each other with a friendly hug

Former Rugby player Anthony wore beige chinos and an open shirt, which he accessorised with a thin scarf.

The glamorous Terry wore a semi-sheer brown frock with a plunging neckline and high split.

Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli caught the eye in a long blue shirt dress, which he wore over pants.

The event comes after Madeline gave a glimpse at her notoriously private romance with Merivale boss Justin.

She posted a sweet tribute to him on Instagram in February, to mark Valentine's Day.

Oh my! Not to be outdone by Pip, socialite Nadia Fairfax (pictured) put on a bold display in a bandeau top and short-shorts, with a gold netted piece over the top

Fabulous: Sydney power couple Anthony Minichiello and wife Terry Biviano were hard to miss in stylish ensembles. Pictured together

A bikini-clad Madeline was seen kissing Justin in one photo, while in another the couple is pictured together on his seaplane.

'Valentine's Day every day with you,' she captioned one photo.

Agents have reportedly been warning Madeline she could be missing important opportunities in the modelling industry because she is prioritising her relationship over her career.

'It's not like Madeline is going out with a Hemsworth,' one industry source told The Daily Telegraph.

Comic styling! Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli (pictured) caught the eye in a long blue shirt dress, which he wore over pants

'I don't think this relationship with Justin will have much of an impact on her career. If anything, she will be more known as a bit of a celebrity model as opposed to a fashion model.'

Another source close to the couple said: 'It's all well and good now, but there might come a time when the relationship runs its course and she will need her modelling career, so she can support herself financially.'

Madeline and Justin have been dating for some time, and she also spent lockdown at his Vaucluse mansion in 2020. She reportedly lives in a Coogee penthouse he owns.
Holly Willoughby enjoyed the sweet spring sun in a radiant snap posted to her Instagram on Saturday, despite being struck down with Covid.

The This Morning presenter showed off her glowing complexion and shut her eyes in the gleaming snap as the sun beat down on her pretty visage.

Holly, 41, had her pearl blonde locks flowing freely to her shoulders as she lifted one hand up to tousle it, while stood in her white dressing gown.

Gorgeous! Holly Willoughby basked in the early spring British heatwave in a radiant selfie posted to Instagram on Saturday

Time away: Holly had a week off of This Morning duties due to Covid, as she continues to self-isolate

The TV personality sported a natural makeup look with a glowing base and minimal eye makeup as she posed in front of some greenery.

She captioned the post: 'Just what the doctor ordered'

The sun-soaked selfie comes as forecasters predicted Saturday as the hottest day of the year so far, with more blue skies thought to be coming in April.

Vitamin D: She captioned the post: 'Just what the doctor ordered'

Resting up: Holly is still suffering with Covid and is 'fine' but 'annoyed' according to her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield

Holly is currently self-isolating as she is Covid stricken, but is doing well according to her ITV colleagues.

Philip Schofield, 59, confirmed Holly is doing well and he and Josie Gibson, 37, wished her a speedy recovery on Tuesday's This Morning.

Phil said: 'Holly's obviously still got rona so sending her massive love. Texting her throughout the day and making sure she's OK. She's fine, just annoyed. Lots of love, get well soon.'

Off: Philip Schofield, 59, confirmed Holly is doing well and he and Josie Gibson, 37, wished her a speedy recovery on Tuesday's This Morning

She was forced to pull out of hosting Dancing On Ice last Saturday after testing positive and has been replaced by Josie on This Morning while she self-isolates at home.

Holly has kept fairly quiet on social media throughout her isolation, returning to her 7.6million followers on Friday to announce her latest WYLDE MOON blog.

For her podcast and blog, Holly explained to fans that she 'wanted to do something different', given the current war - revealing she spoke to 'four fascinating women' for the piece.
Amanda Holden has travelled to the Ukraine border where she is interviewing refugees fleeing the conflict following Vladimir Putin's invasion last month.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, is spending time at a refugee camp at Medyka in Poland, a short distance from the Ukraine, with Amanda remarking: 'It's extraordinary to witness how quickly people have got together.'

There, she's been talking to people who's lives have been ripped apart by the conflict for a new podcast called Ukraine's Hidden Voices, which gives a platform to those affected.

Doing her bit: Amanda Holden has travelled to the Ukraine border where she is interviewing refugees fleeing the conflict following Vladimir Putin's invasion last month

The mum-of-two, who arrived in the country on Friday, told of her experience on Heart FM, she said: 'I am literally watching people trickling in from over the border. It's extraordinary to witness how quickly people have got together. There's a whole village here.

She went on: 'There are stalls and stalls of food and clothes. I've seen things from Asda and Tesco. It's amazing where it's all come from. People are serving teas and coffees and hot food.

'Every single thing has been thought up. There are even dog leads and dog bowls and toys for kids. There is nothing that hasn't been thought of.'

On the ground: The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, is spending time at a refugee camp at Medyka in Poland, a short distance from the Ukraine, with Amanda remarking: 'It's extraordinary to witness how quickly people have got together'

Amanda started up the podcast after being contacted by a woman in the Ukraine on a social media post, with the Heart FM presenter then determined to do something to give civilians affected by the harrowing conflict a voice.

She's since recorded seven episodes of the podcast and traveled to Poland ahead of the weekend to get a first-hand look of what the refugees are dealing with and to further talk to people in person.

Amanda took to her Instagram to document her visit, sharing several images and videos from the refugee camp.

In one stark video, Amanda showed a long queue of people waiting to head back into Ukraine city Lviv to help, after bombs were dropped there earlier in the day.

Visit: Amanda's recorded seven episodes of the podcast and traveled to Poland ahead of the weekend to get a first-hand look of what the refugees are dealing with and to further talk to people in person

First hand look: Amanda took to her Instagram to document her visit, sharing several images and videos from the refugee camp

Heartbreaking: In one stark video, Amanda showed a long queue of people waiting to head back into Ukraine city Lviv to help, after bombs were dropped there earlier in the day

While another showed a man, dubbed the 'peace pianist' playing the piano in the middle of the camp.

Amanda also filmed the piles of donations sent there, with items including clothes, bedding and wheelchairs.

In addition, the TV personality also uploaded a snap of members of a Bristol charity while making a dig at the UK government as she wrote: 'This little charity trying to make a big difference despite the ridiculous bureaucracy of our government.'

The sound of music: While another showed a man, dubbed the 'peace pianist' playing the piano in the middle of the camp

Charitable: Amanda also filmed the piles of donations sent there, with items including clothes, bedding and wheelchairs

Hard at work: In addition, the TV personality also uploaded a snap of members of a Bristol charity while making a dig at the UK government

'Hero': While she also shared on her grid an image of a man, alongside the caption: 'Zoom in on this hero  Read his sleeve I'm witnessing this for real & I's overwhelming help in anyway you can #ifnotus then who?

While she also shared on her grid an image of a man, alongside the caption: 'Zoom in on this hero  Read his sleeve I'm witnessing this for real & I's overwhelming help in anyway you can #ifnotus then who? ( I had permission from him to take this picture).'

Launching the Ukraine's Hidden Voices earlier this moth, Amanda said: 'I wanted to use this podcast to speak with mums, dads, sons and daughters about what is happening on the ground in Ukraine.

'At this time it's vital that we don't turn away, but we turn towards them and hear their stories and try to help in any way we can. Their stories are so important.'

While the podcast's official page reads: 'Ukraine's Hidden Voices will bring you interviews and conversations with many people from many different walks of life, all trying to survive and make the best life possible for themselves, their family and friends as the War in Ukraine continues.'

Experience: Amanda's visit to the Ukraine follows in the footsteps of judge Robert Rinder, who recently returned from the war-torn country after finding his Strictly partner Oskana Platero's disabled grandparents

Amanda's visit to the Ukraine follows in the footsteps of judge Robert Rinder, who recently returned from the war-torn country after finding his Strictly partner Oskana Platero's disabled grandparents.

The TV judge, 43, appeared on Friday's Lorraine to discuss the experience, where he revealed the elderly couple were forced to escape without their wheelchairs or medication following the Russian invasion.

He said: 'Her grandfather has Parkinson's and her grandmother wasn't able to get out of bed. Disabled people have had to escape with nothing that they need, no wheelchair or medication.'

Rob continued: 'They had nothing when we arrived really, except each other, we gave them what we could - a wheelchair, they gave us tea. They said despite having nothing, they were grateful to us and the British public for absolutely everything.'

Sharing an insight into their experience, Rob said: 'They are 85 and 95, they took a week to get over the border. They went through a trauma of being able to cross the border.

'That's the thing about what matters most, what this crisis brings home is hold your family close, hold democracy close. How great we can be at our very best.'

Rob also touched on his friendship with Oskana, who he said was 'desperately worried' about her grandparents when he first spoke to her following the outbreak of the war.

Emotional: The TV judge, 43, journeyed to the border of war-torn Ukraine when he heard that Oskana's relatives had to flee their home following the Russian invasion
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- American biotechnology company Moderna submitted a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday for emergency use authorization (EUA) on a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for adults 18 years of age and older, who already received a booster dose of any approved or authorized shot.

The request to include adults over 18 years of age was made to provide flexibility for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and healthcare providers to "determine the appropriate use of an additional booster dose," including for those at higher risk of COVID-19 due to age or comorbidities, said the company in a statement.

Currently a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the 50 microgram dose level is authorized by the FDA for emergency use in the United States for adults 18 years and older.

Moderna said it continues to collect and monitor real-world data on its COVID-19 vaccine. Clinical trials are ongoing for Moderna's Omicron-specific booster and a bivalent Omicron-specific booster.

Moderna's application followed the one filed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech earlier in the week, which requests FDA authorization for a second booster shot for adults 65 and older.

Pfizer said data showed rates of confirmed infections were 2 times lower and rates of severe illness were 4 times lower among individuals who received an additional booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine compared to individuals who received only an initial booster.

Both Pfizer and Moderna said their submission is based on real-world data sets from Israel analyzed at a time when the Omicron variant was widely circulating.

"These data showed evidence that an additional mRNA booster increases immunogenicity and lowers rates of confirmed infections and severe illness," said Pfizer on Tuesday.

The applications by the two companies would intensify debate about the durability of the protection afforded by the coronavirus vaccines.

Emerging evidence, including data from Kaiser Permanente Southern California, suggests that effectiveness against both symptomatic COVID-19 and severe disease caused by Omicron wanes 3 to 6 months after receipt of an initial booster, the third dose, according to Pfizer.

Thus, additional booster doses may be needed to ensure individuals remain adequately protected, said the company.

The FDA is set to convene its advisory committee of vaccine experts in April to deliberate how to arrange COVID-19 booster shots, including whether and when those boosters may be needed and for which populations, based on the available data and latest science on circulating or emerging virus variants. 
The Bachelor's Tim Robards successfully made the jump from reality TV to acting when he landed a role on Neighbours in 2018.

And now the former reality star is ready to make the leap from soaps to a serious acting career in Hollywood.

Speaking to Stellar magazine, the 39-year-old revealed that he's hired a new agent and is working on his American accent in the hopes of making it in Tinseltown.

Career moves: Tim Robards is hoping to take his acting career to the next level by breaking Hollywood, and he has dreams of playing James Bond one day

'Id love to be James Bond. I also love everything that Christian Bale does,' the ambitious actor said.

'Neighbours is a soap so its a certain format. Everyone is larger than life so it isnt necessarily the most realistic acting and storylines, so Im really looking forward to doing stuff where I can bring it down a little bit, and its not so soapy.'

Tim first shot to fame as Australia's first ever Bachelor back in 2013.

From there, he went on to appear on Dancing With The Stars, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Australian Ninja Warrior.

Claim to fame! Tim first shot to fame as Australia's first ever Bachelor back in 2013

His wife Anna Heinrich has also had quite the reality TV career herself, starring in SAS Australia, Trial by Kyle, and I'm a Celeb alongside Tim.

In 2018, Tim starred as Pierce Greyson on Neighbours until 2020, when he exited the popular soap.

Last year, the chiropractor told Daily Mail Australia why he believes that The Bachelor has suffered from bad ratings in recent years.

Big break: In 2018, Tim starred as Pierce Greyson on Neighbours until 2020, when he exited the popular soap

'When a show has been going for so many seasons, it's a lot,' he said. 'I guess with formats they have got to be fresh, so that's always going to be a challenge with something like that.

'We were the first one, so [obviously] it was fresh. But you see it with all the different shows. Sometimes they have a break for a while, then they rejuvenate and bring them back out, or put a bit of a twist on it.

'Look at Big Brother, The Voice - they tweak them, and give them a break for a little bit. It's one of those shows that can be fun and a little love story, but is that what people want?'
Ferne McCann cut a chic figure on Sunday as she stepped out with her boyfriend Lorri Haines and daughter Sunday to the new Ice Age screening at London's Ham Yard Hotel.

The former TOWIE star, 31, seemed in high spirits at the event, which celebrated the recent release of Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild on Disney+.

Ferne stunned in a pair of skintight leather trousers with a zip detail, whilst showing off her toned torso with a brown ribbed cami top.

Day out: Ferne McCann flashed her abs in a crop top as she attended the Ice Age premiere with beau Lorri Haines and daughter Sunday in London on Saturday

The reality star layered with a black blazer and added chunky black and white trainers to the look.

Ferne kept her brunette tresses away from her face in a ponytail, opting for a subtle yet radiant makeup look.

Her estate agent boyfriend, Lorri, also kept it casual in a white t-shirt and a pair of deep blue jeans - adding a light beige shacket on top.

Wow! Ferne, 31, stunned in a pair of skintight leather trousers with a zip detail, whilst showing off her toned torso with a brown ribbed cami top

Wrapping up: The reality star layered with a black blazer and added chunky black and white trainers to the look

Cute! Ferne's four-year-old daughter, Sunny, held her mum's hand at the premiere as she clung onto her stuffed bunny with her other hand

Former co-stars: Amy Childs also attended the daytime event with her daughter Polly as the mums and their daughters posed together for pictures.

Suave: Her boyfriend, Lorri, also kept it casual in a white t-shirt and a pair of deep blue jeans - adding a light beige shacket on top

Ferne's four-year-old daughter, Sunday, held her mum's hand at the premiere as she clung onto her stuffed bunny with her other hand.

Amy Childs also attended the daytime event with her daughter Polly, who looked adorable in a blue butterfly print dress with a matching bow as the mums and their daughters posed together for pictures.

The children went on to get their faces painted inside the event, with Amy posting an adorable snap of the girls with butterflies on their faces, writing 'our girls' as she tagged Ferne.

Michelle Heaton, Saffron Lempriere, Cara De La Hoyde-Massey and AJ Pritchard and Abbie Quinnen all attended the star-studded premiere with young guests.

Natural beauty: Ferne kept her brunette tresses away from her face in a ponytail, opting for a subtle yet radiant makeup look

Family day: She seemed in high spirits at the London event, which celebrated the newest instalment of the Ice Age franchise

Friends: The children went on to get their faces painted inside the event, with Amy posting an adorable snap of the girls with butterflies on their faces, writing 'our girls' as she tagged Ferne

Ferne shares her daughter with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, who went to jail after throwing corrosive acid over a crowd on the dance floor at London club Mangle E8.

She went public with her and Lorri's hot new romance just last month during a holiday to the UAE and it seems things are already heating up.

The First Time Mum star recently revealed she would 'genuinely marry' Lorri after a string of failed romances.

She even said she was hoping to expand her brood with the Dubai-Based hunk, gushing: '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.'

New romance: She went public with her and Lorri's hot new romance just last month during a holiday to the UAE and it seems things are already heating up

Growing family: Ferne told The Sun she was hoping to expand her brood with the Dubai-Based hunk

Couple: 'I can't wait to extend my family and for Sunday to have siblings': Ferne McCann has revealed that she would 'marry' her boyfriend Lorri Haines
Alison Hammond showed off her slimmed-down figure in a gorgeous snap, which she shared to Instagram on Friday.

It comes after the presenter, 47, broke down in tears on This Morning while insisting she 'can't help' having obesity, which has a devastating effect on her confidence.

In a follow-up post on the platform, she revealed she'll soon be releasing a children's book, Black in Time, which will highlight black figures throughout British history.

Wow! Alison Hammond exhibited her slimmed-down figure in a pink blazer and trousers while teasing her children's book in Friday Instagram posts... after crying over her obesity struggle

Looking good: She wrote in her caption: 'Pretty in Pink - Absolutely adore this Pink suit today from @yoursclothing stretch material and just so comfy for the fuller gal like me'

In her first upload, she looked sensational in an eye-popping pink blazer which she teamed up with a coordinating pair of trousers and a black top.

Completing her look with a pair of charcoal sandals, Alison oozed confidence while beaming from ear-to-ear while standing in the studio of the ITV daytime show.

She wrote in her caption: 'Pretty in Pink - Absolutely adore this Pink suit today from @yoursclothing stretch material and just so comfy for the fuller gal like me.

'Vibes - Models own Honestly could live in it . shoes also @yoursclothing . They need to do a lime green and yellow one to please xx.

Tragic: It comes after the presenter, 47, broke down in tears on This Morning while insisting she 'can't help' having obesity, which has a devastating effect on her confidence

'Thanks for glam @davidobrien75 @rachaeleleri87 @hairbymichellesultan @makeupbymikey #alisonhammond.'

Without sharing the cover for her upcoming book, which will be published by Puffin, she teased its description.

It read: 'TV presenter Hammond takes readers on a journey through British history to highlight important Black figures and the impact they have made on our society. Acquired alongside a memoir and adult novel.'

Alongside the screenshot, she emotionally added: 'Black in Time !!! Coming soon - The Childrens book I would have loved as a child [heart emoji].'

Exciting: In a follow-up post on the platform, she revealed she'll soon be releasing a children's book, Black in Time, which will highlight black figures throughout British history

New project: Alongside the screenshot, she emotionally added: 'Black in Time !!! Coming soon - The Childrens book I would have loved as a child [heart emoji]'

Alison recently broke down in uncontrollable tears as she admitted how obesity has had a devastating effect on her confidence, live on This Morning.

The Weight Watchers ambassador insisted she 'can't help' having the disease and feels people 'look down' on her, before being consoled by her co-host Dermot O'Leary.

Alison - who previously confessed she was at her heaviest when weighing over 20st and at dress size 28 - began: 'When you're big, people think you're lazy.

'I've had obesity all my life. What it is is, your regulation system is out of whack. You can't control wanting to eat all the time.

Oh no: Alison recently broke down in uncontrollable tears as she admitted how obesity has had a devastating effect on her confidence, live on This Morning

'A lot of people don't realise - obesity is a disease. You can't help it.

'Sorry. I get... I think people look down on people when they're so big. They can't actually help it.

'It's really difficult. You want all the bad things and you know you don't look great. Sorry. It really touches me. The NHS need to see it more as a disease.'

The heartbreaking confession was brought on by a phone call to the programme's agony aunt Deidre Saunders, who was being asked for advice about their 17-year-old daughter's food problems.

After the break, the former Big Brother contestant apologised to viewers for her teary-eyed admission, before Dermot warned: 'Don't you dare say sorry.'
Troy Kotsur discussed being nominated for an Oscar during an interview with People that was published on Saturday.

During the sit-down, the 53-year-old actor, who starred in the 2021 comedy-drama film CODA, spoke about how being put up for the award and receiving exposure from the acclaimed feature had changed his life.

The performer has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the flick, where he portrayed a struggling fisherman attempting to provide for his family.

Giving his thoughts: Troy Kotsur discussed being nominated for an Oscar during an interview with People that was published on Saturday; he is seen earlier this month

Kotsur said he was grateful for the continued support by his loved ones throughout the length of his career as a performer.

'It's most important for me to really have my family there because I've been through so much as an actor over the last 35 years, and I almost lost my family because of financial reasons and other problems,' he said.

The actor then pointed out that, prior to the release of the movie, he was in dire straits regarding his finances.

'I didn't have any retirement or savings or a way to support my daughter through college, and so I was worried,' he recalled.

In the nick of time: The actor then pointed out that, prior to the release of the movie, he was in dire straits regarding his finances

Kostur remarked that being put up for the Oscar had widened his professional prospects and all but ensured his future success.

'I'm so blessed to have been a nominee. It really has saved my career, and I'm able to go to the next level,' he said.

He noted that, after CODA's release, 'I was able to say, "Finally, hearing people are able to feel and see and experience my silent experience." I've had a lifetime of silence.'

Kostur made a point of stating that 'people out there who are recognizing my work are beautiful people.'

Showing his reality: The performer noted that, after CODA's release, 'I was able to say, "Finally, hearing people are able to feel and see and experience my silent experience." I've had a lifetime of silence'; he is seen earlier this month

He also expressed that his fans 'have a big heart. And they're able to see talent. They're able to look at me not as a deaf person, but as an artist who happens to be deaf.'

The actor noted that he was happy to see deaf and non-hearing performers being portrayed positively in a movie.

'I really appreciate this cultural shift and people willing to change their perspective,' he said.

Doing well: The actor concluded by noting that he was happy to see deaf and non-hearing performers being portrayed positively in a movie; he is seen earlier this month

CODA is an English-language remake of the French feature La Famille Belier, which was released in 2014.

The movie is centered on the only hearing member of a deaf family who attempts to balance her concern for her family's well-being with her personal aspirations.

In addition to Kotsur, the movie stars performers such as Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez and Daniel Durant, among others.

CODA premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and it was later given a wide release on theaters and on the Apple TV+ streaming service.

Basis: CODA is an English-language remake of the French feature La Famille Belier, which was released in 2014

The feature received almost universally positive reviews from critics, and it holds a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie, as well as its cast and crew members, were nominated for and won several awards after its release, including the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture.

CODA has also been nominated for the same award at the upcoming Oscars, and its director, Sian Heder, was put up for the Best Adapted Screenplay distinction.
He made the 1,260-mile trip all the way from the UK to the Poland-Ukraine border last week to aid during the ongoing Russian conflict.

And Homes Under The Hammer Presenter Martin Roberts has opened up about his experience at the border and the refugees he met.

Martin, 58, offered to help organisation Help from Bournemouth to Ukraine in any way he could.

Shell-shocked: Martin Roberts described Ukrainian refugees as 'shell-shocked' as he delivered supplies at the Poland-Ukraine border

Long trip: He made the 1,260-mile trip all the way from the UK to the Poland-Ukraine border last week to aid during the ongoing Russian conflict

The organisation didn't have enough space to take all the supplies they'd gathered to the Poland-Ukraine border, so Martin stepped up and offered to drive his Volkswagen van with the supplies - at only a days notice.

Because Martin had a smaller vehicle than the organisation, the presenter was entrusted with high-value supplies such as defibrillators, child heart-rate monitors, saline drips, surgical equipment and more expensive necessities.

Martin took a ferry from Dover to Calais, before driving through France, Holland, Germany and to Poland.

Sharing: The TV personality has kept fans up to date throughout the whole experience via Instagram videos

Stepping up: Organisation Help from Bournemouth to Ukraine didn't have enough space to take all the supplies they'd gathered to the Poland-Ukraine border, so Martin stepped up and offered to drive his Volkswagen van with the supplies

Responsibility: Martin was entrusted with high-value supplies such as defibrillators, child heart-rate monitors, saline drips, surgical equipment and more expensive necessities

Heartbreaking: He visited a reception centre during his three-day trip, explaining: 'most of the women were just in a state of shell-shock, but what can they do?

Speaking to OK!, he revealed that the trip 'wasn't a walk in the park', saying: It was very tiring. Google says it's 23 hours, but it doesn't take into account stopping, eating, going to the toilet, and stretching your legs. It's 1,260 miles. It's not a walk in the park.'

Martin went on to explain the difficulty of seeing children the same age as his own in that situation, saying: 'I've got a 12 year old and a 14 year old, so to see children the same age as mine with the clothes they were standing up in and maybe a small rucksack and that was it, was difficult. '

He visited a reception centre during his three-day trip, explaining: 'most of the women were just in a state of shell-shock, but what can they do? Waiting for the next step of a very unexpected and totally unjustified and unfair journey.'

Reality: Martin shared a video as he arrived at the border, saying 'it doesn't get more real than this'

Uncomfortable: He said the long trip was 'not a walk in the park'

The TV personality has kept fans up to date throughout the whole experience via Instagram, sharing videos as he packed up his van, as he arrived at the borders and reception centres, unpacking the goods over there and also upon returning home.

In one video, he said he was 'lost for words' as refugees lined up for busses in the freezing cold as he dropped off sleeping bags, after delivering toys to children at one of the reception centres.

He also shared his happiness after receiving a picture of Ukrainian doctors using a heart rate monitor that he took over in his van.

Arrival of supplies: He shared his happiness after receiving a picture of Ukrainian doctors using a heart rate monitor that he took over in his van

While Martin has now returned to the UK, he isn't stopping there and has set up a crowdfunding page so people can donate money to get care homes that are not in use a place for refugees to go.

Members of the public can donate to Martin's fundraiser here.
Steven Bartlett has offered a spare room in his London home for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country amid the Russian invasion.

The Dragons' Den star, 29, has signed up for the government's Homes For Ukraine scheme, joining thousands of Brits who've offered up accommodation for civilians whose lives have been torn apart by Vladimir Putin's actions.

Taking to social media on Friday, Steven wrote: 'I have a spare room at my home here in London so I've signed up to offer it to a Ukrainian family.'

Generous: Steven Bartlett has offered a spare room in his London home for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country amid the Russian invasion.

The businessman went on to add: 'The 350 monthly fee for housing a refugee family will be donated to @decappeal who @DeborahMeaden recommended for their ongoing work in the Ukraine.'

Steven's actions were widely praised by his followers, but when one user asked about providing the refugees with other necessities such as clothing and toiletries, he noted that he had that covered.

He responded: 'They won't have to worry about any expenses while they're staying with me.'

Appeal: The Dragons' Den star, 29, has signed up for the government's Homes For Ukraine scheme, joining thousands of Brits who've offered up accommodation for civilians whose lives have been torn apart by Vladimir Putin's actions

Homes for Ukraine aims to match refugees with individuals, charities and other organisations who can provide accommodation for at least six months, enabling those without family ties in Britain to enter the country.

More than 150,000 people in Britain had registered their interest by Thursday, and refugees who have found a sponsor could apply from Friday.

Steven's generosity comes after Benedict Cumberbatch revealed he hopes to take in Ukrainian refugees as he shared his support for the war-torn country while at the BAFTA 2022 Film Awards on Sunday.

Offer: Taking to social media on Friday, Steven wrote: 'I have a spare room at my home here in London so I've signed up to offer it to a Ukrainian family'

Kind: Steven's actions were widely praised by his followers, but when one user asked about providing the refugees with other necessities such as clothing and toiletries, he noted that he had that covered

The actor, 45, took the opportunity to highlight the plight of his 'brothers and sisters who are suffering' in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to Sky News on the red carpet of the event at London's Royal Albert Hall, Benedict told how the suffering of millions of people can't be ignored as the war is 'something that hangs over us.'

He explained: 'It is a really shocking time to be a European two and a half hours flight away from Ukraine, and it's something that hangs over us' before going on to note the 'civilians who are being shelled and shot at, and killed and made homeless without power, without water, without food'.

Pledge: Steven's generosity comes after Benedict Cumberbatch revealed he hopes to take in Ukrainian refugees as he shared his support for the war-torn country while at the BAFTA 2022 Film Awards on Sunday

And Benedict, who wore a Ukraine pin on his smart black tuxedo to show his support, continued: 'And while tonight is a celebration and this might look like tokenism, we're celebrating the moving image, we're celebrating pictures this is what I'm trying to do.

'To show I'm standing side-by-side with my brothers and sisters who are going through this.

'But we all need, as we know, to do more than wear a badge. We need to donate, we need to pressure our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee safety and haven here for people who are suffering.

'I know that's ongoing, I know that's happening but everyone needs to do as much as they can.'

Support: The actor, 45, took the opportunity to highlight the plight of his 'brothers and sisters who are suffering' in the wake of Vladimir Putin 's invasion of Ukraine (pictured earlier this week)

And the film star, who was in attendance with wife Sophie Hunter, added that he hopes to get involved in the government's humanitarian scheme and take in refugees himself after more than 2.6 million Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes.

He said: 'I think already today the news has broken that there's been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, and I hope to be part of that myself.'

Meanwhile, Amanda Holden has travelled to the Ukraine border where she is interviewing refugees fleeing the conflict.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, is spending time at a refugee camp at Medyka in Poland, a short distance from the Ukraine, with Amanda remarking: 'It's extraordinary to witness how quickly people have got together.'

There, she's been talking to people who's lives have been ripped apart by the conflict for a new podcast called Ukraine's Hidden Voices, which gives a platform to those affected.
Kim Kardashian's SKIMS brand launched its first-ever swim collection on Friday.

And on Saturday, Kim proved to be the perfect model as her solutionwear brand's official Instagram account shared two new images of the mogul, 41, rocking the latest designs.

The mother-of-four showed off her killer curves in the up-close snaps as she sported the Swim Tank Bikini Top and Swim Cheeky Tanga Bottoms in almond.

Best in the biz: Kim proved to be the perfect model as her solutionwear brand's official Instagram account shared two new images of the mogul, 41, rocking the latest designs

The sultry photos were fittingly snapped on the beach as Kim soaked up the sun while prancing along the shoreline before dipping her toes in the water.

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star rocked damp waist-length hair that she let flow down her back.

The blue sea glistened behind her as she put her gorgeous visage front and center and showed off the cleavage-baring piece.

The corresponding image showed Kardashian's lower half, putting her trim waist and toned abs on full display.

Prototype: The mother-of-four showed off her killer curves in the up-close snaps as she sported the Swim Tank Bikini Top and Swim Cheeky Tanga Bottoms in almond

The caption alerted its 3.8 million followers: 'SKIMS signatures, now available in Swim. Shop select styles and shades in the all-new, game-changing SKIMS Swim now via the link in bio.'

Kim showed off a face of dewy makeup with her signature bold brows and long lashes, complete with highlighted cheeks.

Her doe eyes popped with the help of layers of mascara and her plump pout was accentuated with a moisturizing brown hue lip stain.

Promo: On Friday Kim took to her personal account to share a pair of equally sexy beach outtakes as she showed off her brand's latest collection

On Friday, Kim took to her personal account to share a pair of equally sexy beach outtakes as she showed off her brand's latest collection.

The mother-of-four looked incredible as she stretched out in the sand at nighttime, letting her long hair fall behind her.

Her glossy dark locks were styled in beachy waves for the photos, blowing gently in the wind, and waves softly crashed around her as Kim stretched out under a moonlit shoreline.

The fashion icon flaunted her pert cleavage in a triangle string top and matching bottoms.

After dark: Waves softly crashed around her as Kim stretched out under a moonlit shoreline

Kardashian's flawless face was fully made up in the images, with a bronzy blush and lip stain warming her features.

The businesswoman skipped jewelry, keeping the focus entirely on her body-baring swimsuit.

She appeared in the outtakes with her signature short, nude manicure, looking away in one shot and gazing directly at the camera in the other.

The second photo was artistically blurred, but clear enough to show of her one-of-a-kind beauty.

Kim took to Twitter to share the images as well, reiterating the launch as she tweeted, 'Just dropped @skims swim.'

Now available! Kim took to Twitter to share the images as well, reiterating the launch as she tweeted, 'Just dropped @skims swim'; seen in the same suit earlier this week

Earlier this week the multihyphenate took to social media to announce the new pieces were dropping soon.

Sharing a series of sweltering pictures she said, 'Youve asked, weve listened. @SKIMS SWIM launches this Friday, March 18 at 9AM PT.'

The reality TV star modeled multiple designs from the new collection, enticing her 293 million followers.

Kim was the epitome of sex appeal as she basked in the sunshine in the curve-exposing bathing suits.

Personal life: Days ago Kim shocked her fans by revealing her Pete got her name branded onto his chest with a hot iron in a jaw-dropping new interview

Primetime: Ellen DeGeneres asked the media maven about the new marking after fans spotted her name on his chest in a bedroom selfie he sent to her ex husband Kanye West, and later leaked online

The new SKIMS launch comes amid the star's full-on romance with new boyfriend Pete Davidson.

Days ago she shocked her fans by revealing her Pete got her name branded onto his chest with a hot iron in a jaw-dropping new interview.

Ellen DeGeneres asked the media maven about the new marking after fans spotted her name on his chest in a bedroom selfie he sent to her ex husband Kanye West, and later leaked online.

The host appeared horrified when Kim revealed her name was not just in ink, but had been burned into the SNL star's skin 'like a scar.'

New beau: The new SKIMS launch comes amid the star's full-on romance with new boyfriend Pete Davidson

Meanwhile her troubled ex-husband Kanye West was recently suspended from Instagram for 24-hours for violating its rules about harassment after posting messages targeting Pete and The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah.

It followed weeks of the Chicago-bred rapper publicly cyberbullying the SNL comedian and professing his love and hope for reconciliation with his former spouse.

Additionally, West has been outspoken about his and Kardashian's parenting disagreements, namely, allowing their eight-year-old daughter North on TikTok.
Stormzy crashed a wedding at his Manchester hotel on Saturday, and delighted guests in attendance by posing for pictures with the bride and groom.

The rapper, 28, sported a low-key black tracksuit, looking much more casual than the rest of the wedding party.

He hid behind a face covering as he snuck in to the reception before some guests realised who he was, prompting them to scream with excitement.

Surprise! Stormzy, 28, crashed a wedding at his Manchester hotel on Saturday, and delighted guests in attendance by posing for pictures with the bride and groom

The Croydon-born star, real name Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., walked behind the bride as she was having her photo taken with her bridesmaids and stood on the steps behind them before they could turn around.

He was more than happy to pose for pictures as onlookers whipped out their phones.

The encounter occurred just hours before he was due to take to the stage at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday as part of his current Heavy is the Head Tour.

Snap happy: He was more than happy to pose for pictures as onlookers whipped out their phones to snap the surprise guest

Undercover: He hid behind a face covering as he snuck in to the reception before some guests realised who he was, prompting them to scream with excitement

It comes after Stormzy's wealth shot up to 4.2 million despite the previous cancellation of his biggest tour to date.

His firm Stormzy Limited rose 400,000 in value up to 3.4 million and the Hashtag Merky Touring Limited made a 860,000 profit in the 12 months up to the end of April last year.

He paid himself 850,000 after the bumper year in dividend payments from the touring company.

Show: His surprise appearance came after he took to the stage at Manchester Arena on Saturday night

Incredible: He took to the stage as part of his current Heavy is the Head Tour

Stormzy was due to play a massive month-long tour in April 2021 which was shelved because of lockdown restrictions.

The Heavy is the Head Tour was rescheduled to begin in March this year.

It includes three nights at the London O2 Arena as well as two nights in Dublin and other arenas around the UK.

Revenue in Hashtag Merky Touring is believed to include earnings from the tour as the gigs were due to take place during the year covered by the accounts.

The tour is to back up his best selling 2019 album Heavy is the Head, his second best-selling album release.

Unexpected: The Croydon-born star, real name Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., walked behind the bride as she was having her photo taken with her bridesmaids
Norman Reedus gave an update on his well-being after suffering a concussion on the set of the horror-drama series The Walking Dead last week.

The 53-year-old performer shared the news about his health in an Instagram post created on Friday along with an image of a black cat.

The actor wrote a short message of gratitude: 'Thank u for the nice thoughts it's been a week. or two.'

Speaking out: Norman Reedus gave an update on his well-being after suffering a concussion on the set of the horror-drama series The Walking Dead last week; seen in 2019

Reedus confirmed that he had been injured while working on the set of the program, and that he was currently set to rejoin its cast this coming week.

'I was in an accident. but getting better getting cleared and gonna be back at work Tuesday they tell me,' he wrote.

He also apologized for having to cancel an appearance at the Fandemic Tour event as a result of his injury.

Norman wrote: 'Sorry bout Atlanta event I was looking forward to it. Most of all thank you for the eye in the dark messages I really loved that little cat.'

On the mend: Reedus then confirmed that he had been injured while working on the set of the program and that he was currently set to rejoin its cast this coming week; still from The Walking Dead

Missed opportunity: The actor then apologized for having to cancel an appearance at the Fandemic Tour event as a result of his injury; still from The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead's current showrunner, Angela Kang, left a single heart emoji in the comments section of the post.

Reedus' current and former partners, Diane Kruger and Helena Christensen, also expressed their support for him with a set of emojis.

The actor previously suffered a head injury while on the set of his long-running series on March 11 in Georgia, according to Deadline.

Although his injury occurred on set, it's not yet known if he was filming at the time of the incident.

On-set incident: The actor previously suffered a head injury while on the set of his long-running series on March 11 in Georgia, according to Deadline; still from The Walking Dead

'Norman suffered a concussion on set,' his spokesperson Jeffrey Chassen said Wednesday morning. 'He is recovering well and will return to work soon. Thank you to everyone for their concern.'

Reedus and his costars have been filming the eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead, but AMC has reportedly pushed back the wrap date for the series to accommodate his time off to recover.

A Fandemic Tour social post first broke the news of his injury.

'Norman Reedus had to postpone due to an accident while filming,' it read.

On camera? Although Reedus' injury occurred on set, it's not yet known if he was filming at the time of the incident; seen in 2019 in NYC

Deadline notes that Reedus had ben scheduled to make an appearance at the Fandemic Dead touring convention during its stop in Atlanta from March 1820, but the event's website now lists him among its cancellations.

He would have been joined by his Walking Dead costars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Melissa McBride, Seth Gilliam and Cailey Fleming, along with former stars David Morrissey and Sarah Wayne Callies.

Jenna Elfman, of The Walking Dead's spinoff series Fear The Walking Dead will also be in attendance, as will Reedus' former costar Sean Patrick Flannery, who starred opposite him in The Boondock Saints, a bloody action film that served as his breakout role.

Off his schedule: Reedus had ben scheduled to appear at the Fandemic Dead touring convention in Atlanta from March 1820, but the event's website now lists him among its cancellations; with Melissa McBride on The Walking Dead

Moving on: After the end of the extra-large eleventh season, Reedus will star on a spin-off series with McBride (L), who plays Carol Peletier; still from The Walking Dead

Although The Walking Dead is approaching the end, there's still plenty of the show to go, as it's currently only about halfway through the eleventh season, which was given an extra-large order to help send the show off and to set up multiple spin-off shows.

Reedus will be getting one of those spin-offs with his costar Melissa McBride, who has played Carol Peletier since the first season.

The actor has also set himself up for a long-term collaboration with AMC after signing a first-look deal with the network in 2020.

At the time, he launched the production company Bigbaldhead Productions to help get productions off the ground.

Sticking around: The actor has also set himself up for a long-term collaboration with AMC after signing a first-look deal with the network in 2020; still from The Walking Dead

Reedus' injury is unfortunately not the first on the set of The Walking Dead.

In 2017, the stuntman John Bernecker died from 'massive head injuries' after he suffered a serious fall while filming a scene for the horror series.

He was not filming, but instead was rehearsing a fight scene atop a building with one of the show's actors when he slipped and fell 30 feet onto concrete.

Reedus' head injury isn't even his first accident on set, as he cut his arm while filming a scene in a barn for TWD's fifth-season episode Them in 2015.

The injury was captured on camera, though it wasn't ultimately used in the episode, according to Deadline.
Danniella Westbrook has revealed that her boyfriend is in prison as she denied dating the father of former The Only Way Is Essex star Grace Andrews.

The former Eastenders star, 48, denied being involved with Terry Andrews after they were seen enjoying a lunch together earlier this month.

She insisted the outing with the office furniture businessman was a work lunch, as she said her boyfriend, whose identity is not known, is in prison, according to The Sun.

Mystery man: Danniella Westbrook has revealed that her boyfriend, whose identity is not known, is in prison

Revealing more about her mystery man, Danniella wrote on Instagram: 'This is not my boyfriend. It was a working lunch. My boyfriend is in JAIL!!!'

But she had initially insisted that she was single as she addressed the rumours, adding: 'That is not my boyfriend, trust me I don't even have a boyfriend. I don't want a boyfriend, it's just more hassle. It's another person to pay for in life, f**k that.'

Danniella and Terry sparked romance rumours when they were seen grabbing a table at celebrity hotspot Smiths of Ongar.

She had shared a series of snaps from the lunch at the swanky Essex restaurant and wrote 'lunch time love'.

Rumours: The former Eastenders star, 48, denied dating father of TOWIE's Grace Andrews Terry after they were seen enjoying a lunch together earlier this month

Intrigue: She had shared a series of snaps from the lunch at swanky Essex restaurant Smiths of Ongar and wrote 'lunch time love'

She also recently sparked romance rumours between herself and Matthew Postlethwaite after sharing a snap of them together on her Instagram.

The star went on a night out with the Peaky Blinders actor, 30, after attending Cabaret All Stars and documented the evening on her Instagram grid.

The photo showed the pair looking cosy as Matthew, who played a Peaky Blinders henchmen, wrapped an arm around Danniella, who leaned on his shoulder and pointed at his face.

Captioning the snap, Danniella did nothing to squash speculation as she wrote: 'He makes me smile. Had a fabulous night last night.'

Elsewhere, Danielle revealed how she'd love to land a dramatic TV comeback on Coronation Street or Emmerdale.

Romance? She also recently sparked romance rumours between herself and Matthew Postlethwaite after sharing a snap of them together on her Instagram

The star, who recently threatened to sue the BBC over her character being recast, said she now accepts she wouldn't be returning to Albert Square but is looking to the future.

And in a candid new interview the actress, who has battled a high-profile drug addiction, said she now takes her recovery day by day.

The TV personality also admitted she understands why people might think she doesn't deserve any more chances.

Speaking about her ambitions, she told GB News' Mark Dolan: 'I'm looking to the future. Eastenders was great, I grew up in front of the nation. But it's in the past. I am so RIP Sam Mitchell!

'I would love to do Emmerdale or Corrie. I would also love to get back into stage acting where it all started for me. I will be 50 next year and I'd love to one day play Momma in Chicago.'

Return: Danielle, who recently threatened to sue the BBC over her EastEnders character being recast, said how she'd love to land a TV comeback on Coronation Street or Emmerdale

Danniella also addressed the reasons why she became hooked on drugs saying she was introduced to them when she was abused as a child.

Speaking on Mark Dolan Tonight, she said: 'My drug abuse started well before I was famous. I was sexually abused as a child but I've managed to move on a lot with my life.

'And I don't blame my addiction on that. It was where I was introduced to drugs but it wasn't the cause.

'Because I am an addict, I would have a problem with lots of things whether it be coffee or something else. I can't put my issues down to being abused or being famous.'

Iconic: The daughter of Peggy Mitchell, made her first appearance in 1990, originally played by Danniella, 48, (left) but was replaced by Kim in 2002 (right) due to her off screen difficulties

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant is now training to be a therapist and yoga teacher.

She played the fiery daughter of Queen Vic legend Peggy Mitchell in 1990 and last appeared in the role in 2016.

But she recently hit out at EastEnders for reportedly not informing her that her role as Sam Mitchell had been recast. Kim Medcalf has been chosen to reprise the role over her.

Speaking to The Sun, Danniella said she was 'shocked' not to have been told about the casting decision prior to it being made public.

She said: 'I've been known as Sam Mitchell for 32 years. But nobody at EastEnders contacted me to let me know they had recast Kim in the role.

Saddened: Danniella said she was 'shocked' not to have been told about the casting decision prior to it being made public

'There wasn't even an email to my agent. I was shocked because they do have a responsibility to tell me and someone should have.'

Danniella revealed how she is writing a third book and said she wants to use her training as a counsellor to help others with drug and alcohol abuse.

She also recently showed off the results of a year's worth of face surgery, filler and Botox in glamorous snaps as it's revealed she's set to go under the knife to have part of her rib put in her cheek.

The actress opened up on her upcoming operation which she hinted may take its 'toll' on her, with the star having the procedure after her cheek was left damaged by botched dental work.

Candid: Danniella also addressed the reasons why she became hooked on drugs saying she was introduced to them when she was abused as a child

Danniella, who looked amazing in new images, also shared that she's currently going through 'a lot of operations at the moment' as she told of her ongoing treatments to restore her face.

She had previously undergone the rib procedure in 2018, after osteoporosis rotted away her cheekbones and gums.

And speaking to OK! Magazine about her latest bout of facial reconstruction, she explained: 'I'm going through a lot operations at the moment. They're good but they're very hard.'

Danniella continued: 'The first two of my operations haven't taken a toll on me but the next lot will do. I'm seeing a bone surgeon next who is going to be removing a rib.'
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia's recent disclosure about the U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine has sent jitters around the globe.

Besides Ukraine, the United States has been funding secret biolabs in many countries around the world. The truth behind these biolabs and the risks of leakage of some dangerous pathogens have sparked serious concern in the international community.

SECRETIVE BIOLABS

The Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) is part of the U.S. Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program, according to a fact sheet of the defense ministry published on March 11.

Since 2005, when the BTRP has partnered with the government of Ukraine, the United States has invested approximately 200 million U.S. dollars in Ukraine, supporting 46 Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities and diagnostic sites.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that in addition to over 30 biolabs in Ukraine, the United States has created "hundreds of such laboratories" in other countries.

According to publicly available data, 336 laboratories in about 30 countries receive funding from the BTRP.

The research work conducted by these defense ministry-funded biolabs is highly classified.

Although U.S. officials have dismissed the questions about these biolabs as "disinformation" and "conspiracy theories," there have been calls for Washington to comply with the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and make clarifications on related issues.

In face of the documents, pictures and objects discovered by Russia in Ukraine, the United States should make related information public, fully explain its biological research at home and abroad, and accept multilateral verification.

Alastair Hay, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Leeds in Britain, said: "the United States has been supporting various laboratories in the Ukraine through a post-Cold War program. As I understand it, these labs are generally involved in disease surveillance."

"It is unclear why the United States needs to support this work and why, for example, it is not happening under WHO guidance," said the professor.

POTENTIAL DANGERS

The United States claimed that it has funded biolabs in other countries to "contain biological threats." And yet these labs turn out to be have been designed to store and deal with dangerous pathogens and toxins.

Take Ukraine. A 2012 report by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences said that some Ukrainian labs have been upgraded to the level needed to handle some of the more dangerous pathogens such as anthrax.

Some media reports noted that the U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine were set up to create a mechanism for the covert spread of lethal pathogens, which has raised fresh disquietude about potential pathogen leakage.

Why did the United States choose to fund biolabs in Ukraine, which is not a rich country in Europe and does not excel in biomedical research?

While explaining the history of the U.S. biolab program in Ukraine to The American Conservative, Jonathan Askonas, an assistant professor of politics at the Catholic University of America, said the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) increased its activities in peripheral countries of the former Soviet Union. Ukraine was particularly attractive as it has a lot of skilled STEM workers and had a U.S.-friendly government.

The U.S.-linked labs in Ukraine are not bioweapons facilities, Robert Pope, director of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, also known as the updated Nunn-Lugar program, was quoted by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as saying. The current Ukraine-Russia conflict may put at risk a network of the labs that work with dangerous pathogens.

Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has been condemned as a "traitor" for tweeting that more than 25 "U.S.-funded bio labs" in Ukraine which, if breached, would release and spread "deadly pathogens". She called for a ceasefire "now around these labs until they're secured and pathogens destroyed."

On Thursday, the World Health Organization advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens stored in the country's labs to prevent "any potential spills."

HALF-HEARTED U.S. MEDIA

In disregard of the worldwide concern over the U.S.-funded overseas biological laboratories, the U.S. mainstream news outlets, which always flaunt the so-called "freedom of the press," have kept silent and just parroted what the U.S. government has said without any verification.

"What is in those Ukrainian biological labs that make them so worrisome and dangerous?" independent journalist Glenn Greenwald queried in an article published on March 9, one day after U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland admitted that "Ukraine has biological research facilities" when testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

"If these labs are merely designed to find a cure for cancer or create safety measures against pathogens, why, in Nuland's mind, would it have anything to do with a biological and chemical weapons program in Ukraine?" he asked.

The United States has been working with Ukraine to "eliminate biological weapons" left behind by the Soviet Union since 2005, but over the past 17 years, "the Pentagon has not finished removing test tubes from Soviet era freezers," said FOX news anchor Tucker Carlson.

"How does that work exactly? How heavy are these bio weapons? When was the Pentagon planning to finish this important job?" Carlson asked. "Those all seem like very obvious questions, but not a single (U.S.) reporter asked any of those questions."

"Instead of government and media actors leveling with the American people about a complex reality, they engaged in a shameful and self-defeating coverup under the guise of 'fighting misinformation.'" noted Askonas. 
After announcing her split from husband Tom Schwartz earlier this week, Katie Maloney spoke more openly about what lead to the end of their marriage during an episode of her You're Gonna Love Me podcast released on Friday.

The 35-year-old Vanderpump Rules star, who had been with Tom for 12 years, fought through tears as she admitted: 'ultimately, I just wasn't happy.'

They both confirmed the end of their relationship in posts shared on social media earlier in the week, with Tom taking the blame for the separation and 'fully respecting' Katie's decision to end their union.

Getting candid: After announcing her split from husband Tom Schwartz earlier this week, Katie Maloney spoke more openly about it on Friday

Katie showed appreciation to her followers for their support as she noted, 'I know [for] some people [it] may seem like a shock, or it may seem like an abrupt thing, but for us it's not like we just decided this this week or yesterday or the day before.'

She explained that her feelings of unhappiness had been brewing for some time as she added, 'It got to a point where it felt like I was going to burst. For months it was building up.'

Elaborating, she continued: 'I felt disconnected, I felt like I was drifted away further and further, I felt like I was drifting. And I couldn't stop it.'

She said having to tell her longtime partner she wanted to end things was 'the hardest thing to do.'

Splitsville: The 35-year-old Vanderpump Rules star used her You're Gonna Love Me podcast to get candid about what led to the breakup

The podcast host emphasized that the breakup wasn't due to one specific conflict in the relationship.

'There wasn't some kind of crazy incident that happened, there wasn't some crazy fight that resulted in this.

'It was my decision, which was probably the hardest and most painful decision I've ever had to make.'

Looking for a way to describe her thought process she lamented, 'The best and only way I can describe it is just like waking up inside of my life and having this voice that just became louder and louder, and just events in my life and our relationship coming into focus and feeling the weight of them on me.'

The Bravo TV star added that there were more details that she might be wiling to divulge in the future.

'And there's other things that maybe one day I can talk about, but I don't really want to get into all that at the moment,' she stated.

'But I just realized that the choice I had to make was to just open up and tell him how I was feeling.'

Long time coming: Katie explained that her feelings of unhappiness had been brewing for some time as she added, 'It got to a point where it felt like I was going to burst. For months it was building up'

'I love Tom, we built a life together, and he was my person and I wanted to be him with forever. But ultimately, I just wasn't happy,' Kate admitted.

'It just became more clear, and I could just no longer deny it.'

The reality TV star also took time to acknowledge the positive moments in their relationship as she revealed, 'There were so many happy moments, even day to day. I love being with him, but ultimately, I was just not fulfilled.'

Maloney chose to put herself first in the end. 'I had to really just start prioritizing myself and my happiness as well,' she explained. 'It just needed to happen.'

Same home: Despite the breakup, the two are still living under the same roof for now

Despite the breakup, the two are still living under the same roof for now.

'We do still live together in our house, and we're just trying to navigate these steps together and really work on becoming friends in that sense,' she admitted.

'Obviously we have the same friends and trying to hang out in a group together going through this and not making it awkward for anyone and not make anyone choose sides  that's been important to us,' she continued.

For Tom's part, when asked how he was doing after the breakup, the Minnesota native replied, 'Of course I'm sad, but, you know, we still love each other very much.'

Schwartz also revealed he's been busy preparing for the opening of the new bar he will co-run with co-star Tom Sandoval. 'I'm doing OK. I'm staying busy,' he said.

Next steps: 'We do still live together in our house, and we're just trying to navigate these steps together and really work on becoming friends in that sense,' Kate admitted on her podcast

The two previously announced the news on Tuesday in a pair of Instagram posts.

Schwartz's post began with him expressing how much it 'sucks' that he and Maloney will not be continuing their lives as a couple.

'Well this sucks. How am I supposed to capture 12 years of love in a f***in canned Instagram caption. What picture am I supposed to use? Is there a go-to break up font?

He went on to 'clear the air on some rumors floating around' by confirming their separation and stressing he respects Maloney's 'decision' to end the relationship.

'After nine years on a reality TV-show it feels a little tone def to say 'please respect our privacy' (especially while posting this) so instead I'll ask to please be kind.

'I don't fault you for any snap judgement. If I was watching us on VPR for the last 9 years I'd be making them too.'

Announcement: The two previously announced the news on Tuesday in a pair of Instagram posts

'Perception gets skewed [because] of seeing snippets of our lives on the show, but I am telling you we had some of the most blissful, romantic, fun times humanly possible over the course of our relationship.

'I'm talking heaven on earth level joy. She taught me so much about love & being a better partner.'

Schwartz said that although it's 'hard not to be feel like a statistic' for being 'another failed marriage,' he does not look at his relationship with Maloney as a 'failure.'

'As sad as I am, I am happy to say there is no anger or bitterness. Zero. Still so much love for you @musickillskate and your family,' he wrote, tagging Maloney's Instagram.

'I don't think we were ever a model couple. Maybe we are model divorcees. A dubious title I suppose. Also I am aware of tragedies taking place in the world right now. I have perspective here. I'll be fine.'

Positive outlook: Schwartz said that although it's 'hard not to be feel like a statistic' for being 'another failed marriage,' he does not look at his relationship with Maloney as a 'failure'

'So, I will shut up now and say it one last time, love you Bub. Always & forever you'll be in my heart. On my a**? Maybe not so much,' concluded Schwartz.

Along with his length text post, the TomTom Restaurant & Bar owner included a number of his favorite snapshots of Maloney, as well as several shots of the couple together through the years.

For Maloney's statement, the 35-year-old reality star admitted to her 1.1 million followers that she 'never thought I would have to make an announcement like this.

'But I feel it's important that I'm open about my life with you. After 12 years on an adventure through life together, Tom and I are ending our marriage,' she wrote

'This ending is not met with resentment or animosity, no sides to choose. We have deep admiration for one another that will always remain and we cherish our friendship.

'Although we may be on different paths we will continue to love and support one another's happiness. Thank you for all the kind words and support,' she concluded.

The pair were together for 12 years and officially married for the past two. Fans have been able to watch nearly the entirety of their relationship play out on the small screen.
BBC presenter Romesh Ranganathan has moved into a 3 million new home just five miles from the humble terrace house where he grew up.

Despite becoming one of Britain's most sought-after TV stars, the comedian has shunned celebrity enclaves and instead chosen to build a six-bedroom property in his home town of Crawley in West Sussex.

The 43-year-old, his wife Leesa and their three children recently moved in, although workmen are still digging the swimming pool and putting the finishing touches to the red-brick house.

Romesh Ranganathan (pictured) has previously spoken about his impoverished upbringing, including the challenges faced by his family when their home was repossessed

It is a far cry from the small house nearby where he grew up with his Sri Lankan parents, Shanthi and Ranga, and his younger brother Dinesh.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Romesh could have moved somewhere flash but he decided to stay in Crawley, where his roots are. It's where his mum and brother are and it's a town he loves.

'He has managed to find a space there to build his dream home, though it is rather bigger than his childhood home in one of the poorer areas of Crawley. It's a lovely story of rags to riches which Romesh has worked very hard for.'

The comedian, who replaced Anne Robinson as the host of The Weakest Link, has previously spoken about his impoverished upbringing, including the challenges faced by his family when their home was repossessed after his accountant father was jailed for two years for fraud.

The comedian has shunned celebrity enclaves and instead chosen to build a six-bedroom property in his home town of Crawley in West Sussex

Recalling how the family spent a period in bed-and-breakfast accommodation as they waited for the council to rehouse them, he said: 'This all happened very, very quickly. It was a struggle.

'My mum found out my dad had been messing around. He fell into financial difficulty so we ended up getting our house taken away.

'We were supposed to go into a council flat, but they didn't have enough so we were in a bed-and-breakfast for a year and a half. And my dad was in prison. It was insane.'

BBC presenter Romesh Ranganathan has moved into a 3 million new home just five miles from the humble terrace house (pictured) where he grew up

The comic, whose mother appeared regularly in his BBC travel series Asian Provocateur, was previously a maths teacher and head of sixth form at Hazelwick school in Crawley, where he had also been a pupil.

It was there he met his wife, a fellow teacher. Before moving into their new home, the Ranganathans lived in a rather more modest detached property a mile away.

Mr Ranganathan made clear his allegiance to the West Sussex town  whose other notable residents include England manager Gareth Southgate and Crown actress Erin Doherty  by calling his 2018 autobiography Straight Outta Crawley: Memoirs Of A Distinctly Average Human Being.
A fourth season of the anthology crime drama series True Detective is currently in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sources told the media outlet that Issa Lopez and Barry Jenkins had been brought on to executive produce a new run of episodes that would be entitled True Detective: Night Country.

The Hollywood Reporter also pointed out that HBO declined to offer any comments about the project, as deals have not been finalized as of yet.

New project: A fourth season of the anthology crime drama series True Detective is currently in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who starred in the first season of the program, are expected to return as executive producers.

Series creator Nic Pizzolatto will likely also be credited as an executive producer.

The program's former showrunner will not be formally involved with the new run of episodes, as he parted ways with HBO in 2020.

True Detective's first season, which made its debut in 2014, was centered on a pair of detectives who were tasked with investigating the murder of a prostitute.

Back at it: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who starred in the first season of the program, are expected to return as executive producers

The former partners are later brought back together after almost two decades apart in order to finally catch the killer.

The first run of episodes, which was entirely directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, received critical acclaim upon its release, and its cast and crew were nominated for numerous awards for their work.

True Detective's second season premiered the following year and followed interweaving stories from three separate California police departments.

That run also featured an ensemble cast that included the likes of Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn, among others.

Back for more: True Detective's second season premiered the following year and followed interweaving stories from three separate California police departments

Talented cast: That run also featured an ensemble cast that included the likes of Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn, among others

The second season of the show received generally positive reviews, although critics widely favored the program's first season.

True Detective's third run of episodes premiered in 2017, and the episodes, which were centered on officers in the Arkansas State Police, moved between three separate time periods.

The program's cast also changed prior to the premiere of the new season that featured performers such as Mahershala Ali, Carmen Ejogo and Scoot McNairy.

The third set of episodes were lauded as a return to form for the program, and critics praised both the writing and performances of the cast.

New edition: True Detective's third run of episodes premiered in 2017, and the episodes, which were centered on officers in the Arkansas State Police, moved between three separate time periods

Doing well: The third set of episodes were lauded as a return to form for the program, and critics praised both the writing and performances of the cast

The cast and crew of the program were also nominated for numerous awards following the third season's premiere.

HBO and HBO Max's Chief Content Officer, Casey Bloys, previously spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed that network executives were 'developing various ideas' for a new season of the program.

True Detective's forthcoming fourth run of episodes currently does not have a scheduled release date.
They may be stronger than ever as a couple now, but that wasn't always the case for Andy Lee and his girlfriend Rebecca Harding.

The pair spoke candidly about their romance in a column for the Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend, revealing the comedian's fame caused a huge strain on their relationship in the early stages.

They also confirmed it was the reason behind their brief six-month split in 2016.

Troubled journey: Andy Lee, 40, and his girlfriend Rebecca Harding, 31, (both pictured in 2015) have candidly spoken out about their relationship - and their six-month split back in 2016

Rebecca, 31, who met Andy while she was a waitress in 2014, said that being the partner of someone in the public eye left her feeling 'insecure and miserable'.

'I was starting my career and doubting myself and my ability. Did I get this job because of who I'm dating? I'd make friends and wonder, do they actually like me? I struggled,' she said.

Andy, 40, who went public with Rebecca at the 2015 Australian Open, added: 'It was a really sad, tough time  and confronting because I had to accept that what I do for a living created the situation.'

Love story: Andy, 40, who went public with Rebecca at the 2015 Australian Open (pictured), added: 'It was a really sad, tough time  and confronting because I had to accept that what I do for a living created the situation'

After Bec felt 'immense pressure' dating someone in the public eye, the pair called it quits for half a year in 2016.

However, they soon realised they were meant to be during their time apart.

'I thought my sadness would pass and I'd get on with my life, but the feeling didn't go. When I still felt the same after six months, it was clear to me I should see whether she was interested,' Andy said.

Romance: After Bec felt 'immense pressure' dating someone in the public eye, the pair called it quits for half a year in 2016. However, they soon realised they were meant to be during their time apart

Now, the duo are in a better place than ever - and even splashed out $8.5million last November on a house in Hawthorn which they are now renovating.

It comes after Andy gave a rare insight into his personal life amid rumours he had secretly tied the knot with Rebecca.

Last year, he appeared on KIIS FM's Will and Woody and when asked whether there was any truth to the engagement whispers, Andy simply replied, 'Nah,' before joking about tabloids reporting on his relationship.

He specifically referenced headlines about a 'wedding photo' fans spotted in the background of a post Rebecca shared on Instagram recently.

Eagle-eyed fans asked the couple if the photo was from their own nuptials.

Finally debunking the theory, Andy told radio hosts Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw the image was actually his sister and brother-in-law's wedding photo.
LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that Russias invasion of Ukraine was a "turning point for the world," arguing that a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putins forces would herald "a new age of intimidation."

But the British leader was accused by opponents of making a crass comparison by likening Ukraines fight against invasion to the U.K.s exit from the European Union.

Speaking to a Conservative Party conference in Blackpool, northwest England, Johnson claimed Putin was "terrified" that the example of a free Ukraine would spark a pro-democracy revolution in Russia.

"That is why he is trying so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine and thats why it is so vital that he fails," Johnson said.

"A victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine. And the end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova, it will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across Eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea," Johnson said.

Johnson praised Ukrainians defense of their country, and added that it was also "the instinct" of people in the U.K. "to choose freedom." As an example, he said British voters opted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU "because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself."

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the Conservative Party Spring Forum in Blackpool, England, Saturday March 19, 2022. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Johnson helped lead the campaign for the U.K. to leave the bloc it joined in 1973. Britains departure, eventually completed in 2020, remains highly divisive.

Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, called Johnson "a national embarrassment."

"To compare a referendum to women and children fleeing Putins bombs is an insult to every Ukrainian," he said.

Gavin Barwell, who served as chief of staff to former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, said "voting in a free and fair referendum isnt in any way comparable with risking your life to defend your country against invasion."

Barwell also pointed out that Ukraine has asked to join the EU.

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Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) - A Ukrainian police officer in Mariupol has warned that the besieged port city has been "wiped off the face of the earth" and pleaded with the presidents of the United States and France to provide his country with a modern air defense system.

In a video post from a rubble-strewn street, Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin told President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron that they had promised assistance "but what we have received is not quite it," and urged them to save the civilian population.

"Children, elderly people are dying. The city is destroyed and it has been wiped off the face of the earth," he said speaking in Russian in the video filmed Friday that was authenticated by The Associated Press.

In it, flames can be seen coming from several buildings while others were decimated in the city on the Sea of Azov that before the Russian invasion had 440,000 people. Apparent explosions could also be heard.

"You have promised that there will be help, give us that help. Biden, Macron, you are great leaders. Be them to the end," he said.

Vershnin said the city is facing the fate of the Syrian city of Aleppo that was destroyed in 2016 in a Russian-backed siege during Syrias revolution-turned-civil war. Russia helped Syrian President Bashar Assads government with a ruthless strategy by locking sieges around opposition-held areas, bombarding and starving them until the populations ability to hold out collapsed.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Saturday, March 19, 2022 shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theater, Ukraine, and the area around it. (Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies via AP)

Years ago, Mariupol also endured fierce fighting against Russia-backed separatists after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, but managed to beat back repeated assaults.

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Follow all AP stories on the Russian war against Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Friday, March 18, 2022 shows damaged and burned apartment buildings in Mariupol, Ukraine. (Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies via AP)

Local residents carry water from the food warehouse, on the territory which is under the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic control, on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

This image made available by Azov Battalion, shows the drama theater, damaged after shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday March 17, 2022. Rescuers are searching for survivors in the ruins of a theater ripped apart by Russian airstrikes in the besieged city of Mariupol, while ferocious Russian bombardment killed dozens in a northern city over the past day, according to the local governor. (Azov Battalion via AP)

Local residents carry water from the food warehouse, on the territory which is under the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic control, on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

Local residents carry water from the food warehouse, on the territory which is under the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic control, on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)
Aerial photo taken on Feb. 17, 2022 shows the Cambodia-China Friendship Tboung Khmum Hospital in Tboung Khmum province, Cambodia. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Friday, with both sides agreeing to promote Belt and Road cooperation.

The two sides should engage in high-quality joint Belt and Road construction, speed up the construction of major projects such as highways, airports and special economic zones, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as finance and digital economy, Xi said.

Xi noted that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-Cambodia relations have withstood tests and grown even more unbreakable.

Facing major global changes and the pandemic, both unseen in a century, China and Cambodia have firmly promoted the building of a community with a shared future, setting an example of forging a new type of international relations, he said.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the China-Cambodia free trade agreement should be fully tapped to push bilateral trade to a new level, Xi said.

The Chinese side will import more high-quality agricultural products from Cambodia, carry out more cooperation with Cambodia to improve people's welfare, and implement such projects related to roads and education in rural areas, so as to help develop agriculture in Cambodia and lift farmers out of poverty, he noted.

China will continue to support Cambodia in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and explore new models of people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Cambodia against the backdrop of the pandemic.

Aerial photo taken on March 1, 2022 shows the National Road No. 3 in Takeo province, Cambodia. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

Xi stressed that China firmly supports the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the regional cooperation architecture, and supports the bloc in playing a bigger role in regional and international affairs.

China also supports Cambodia in carrying out its duty as the rotating president of ASEAN this year, Xi said, adding that China stands ready to work with Cambodia and other ASEAN countries to push for the continuous development of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership.

Hun Sen sincerely congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the successful convening of the "two sessions."

The prime minister said he believes that under the strong leadership of President Xi, China will make more great achievements.

The rapid growth of Cambodia-China bilateral trade and smooth progress of major projects under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road have demonstrated the achievements of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, Hun Sen said, adding that it shows Cambodia and China are true ironclad brothers.

Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and firmly supports China's position on issues related to Taiwan and Xinjiang, he noted.

The Cambodian side is ready to take the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges and other fields, and advance the Belt and Road cooperation, so as to lift the Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

Hun Sen thanked China for providing material supplies, vaccines and other assistance to Cambodia in its fight against COVID-19, expressing his hope for stronger anti-pandemic cooperation.

As the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, Cambodia will continue to actively promote the development of ASEAN-China relations, he added.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. The two sides agree to uphold a balanced and fair position and make positive efforts to promote peace talks.
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Positive progress has been made in the development of monovalent and multivalent vaccines against the Omicron variants, a senior Chinese health official told a press conference on Saturday.

Pre-clinical studies for some vaccines have been completed, with applications for clinical trials in progress, said Zheng Zhongwei, an official with the National Health Commission.

"Studies show that the Omicron variant has not completely escaped the existing vaccines," Zheng said, noting that complete vaccination is still effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization, severe illness and death caused by Omicron variants.

"Booster vaccination can also effectively reduce the risk of breakthrough infection caused by the Omicron variant," he said.

At present, China has 29 vaccines that have entered clinical trials, with 16 under phase-III clinical trials overseas, Zheng said. He added that seven vaccines have been approved for conditional marketing or emergency use, and two have been included in the World Health Organization emergency use list. 
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While he was in 21-day judicial custody, he committed suicide by hanging in the prison on Thursday. Representational ilmage/DC

ANANTAPUR: Chief whip Srikanth Reddy said that the state government was taking steps to bring the body of K Venkatesh who committed suicide at a prison in Kuwait on Thursday. Venkatesh from Dinnepadu village in Lakkireddipalli mandal was working in Kuwait for two years as a driver for a sheik while his wife was a maid at an advocate's house.

The sheik, his wife and daughter were murdered on February 25. Kuwait police registered a case against Venkatesh and arrested him. While he was in 21-day judicial custody, he committed suicide by hanging in the prison on Thursday.

Soon after her husbands arrest, A. Swathi, who returned to India with the help of her owner, said that Venkatesh was innocent. Her appeals to the embassy did not help, though.

Meanwhile, Srikanth Reddy said getting the body may take time because of continuous holidays in Kuwait.

There were heart-rending scenes in the household with Venkatesh's father Sriramulu, wife, two children and family members breaking down.
According to police sources, "rash driving" is said to be the reason for the mishap. (ANI)

Tumakuru (Karnataka): At least four people have died and over 25 others were injured in an accident involving a private bus near Pavagada here, police sources said on Saturday.

The injured have been shifted to hospitals in Tumakuru and Pavagada.

Among the dead two are students and the bodies have been shifted to Pavagada hospital and procedures are on.

According to police sources, "rash driving" is said to be the reason for the mishap and investigation will reveal the details.

Locals have complained that the bus was overcrowded and mostly students were travelling in it.

Expressing grief over the incident, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu in a tweet said, "Deeply anguished to hear about the loss of lives in a bus accident in Tumkur, Karnataka. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured."
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida called for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine and a return to the path of dialogue between the warring sides, even as the two leaders discussed the role and actions of China in the Indo-Pacific region, given the fact that both nations have different territorial disputes with Beijing.

At the 14th annual India-Japan bilateral summit in New Delhi on Saturday evening, Japan announced an enhanced investment target of Japanese Yen (JPY) 5 trillion (US$ 42 billion, Rs 3.2 lakh crore) of public and private investment and financing from Japan to India in the next five years, to finance appropriate public and private projects of mutual interest that India welcomed. The Japanese Prime Minister slammed Russia for its attack on Ukraine though, obviously in view of Indian sensitivities, there was no mention or criticism of Russia in the joint statement issued after the summit. However, it did emphasise that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. The visit to India was Kishidas first one overseas since taking over as Japanese PM, thereby highlighting the importance of India-Japan ties.

At a late-evening briefing, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the role of China in the region had come up for discussion between the two Prime Ministers and that India had discussed the multiple transgressions by Chinese troops in the Ladakh sector. He added that Indias view was that Sino-Indian ties would not be normal or business as usual unless there was progress on this issue of peace on the borders in talks between New Delhi and Beijing.

The Japanese PM is understood to have discussed his countrys concerns regarding the role of China in the East and South China sea.

In a major boost to Indias position, the two nations also condemned previous terrorist attacks in India, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks and called upon Pakistan to take resolute and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating out of its territory and comply fully with international commitments.

In his remarks, the Japanese Prime Minister slammed Russia, saying that the Russian attack on Ukraine is of serious concern and shakes the foundations of the international order, adding that changing the status quo by the use of force should not be allowed. Kishida said he had expressed his views on the Russian actions to Prime Minister Modi.

The Japanese PM also spoke about the financial humanitarian assistance announced by his country to Ukraine and its western neighbours.

Describing Kishida as an old friend of India, PM Modi pitched for the common values that bound both nations including democracy, freedom and the rule of law. He also said both countries understood the need for stable and secure energy supplies, a comment seen as significant in the wake of India purchasing Russian oil at cheaper rates.

Thanking Japan for its economic assistance to India and pointing out that India was continuing its efforts to continue to provide a conducive atmosphere for Japanese companies to invest in India, PM Modi pitched for India as a global manufacturing hub, describing it as Make in India for the World.

Cooperation in the four-nation Quad (that also includes the US and Australia) was discussed including the Quad vaccine initiatives, with Japan set to host the Quad Summit soon in a few weeks. Inking six pacts including in the fields of cyber-security and water management and supply, both countries also discussed strengthening of their security and economic ties including the formulation of a Roadmap under the the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) to further promote industrial cooperation between the two countries including in the areas of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), manufacturing and supply chains.

PM Modi also welcomed the signing of the exchange of notes concerning seven loan projects in which Japan provides over 300 billion yen (over INR 20400 crores) in total. India and Japan also announced a clean energy partnership covering areas such as Electric Vehicles (EV), storage systems including batteries, electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI). Both leaders also welcomed the launch of the India-Japan Initiative for Sustainable Development of the North Eastern Region of India, which includes "Initiative for Strengthening the Bamboo Value Chain in the North East and cooperation in health care, forest resources management, connectivity and tourism in different states of the North Eastern Region. PM Modi also expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. Both leaders also welcomed Indias approval of imports of Japanese apples and relaxation of procedures of Indian mango exports to Japanand promoting trade of a fish (called) surimi between India and Japan.

The Joint Statement said that both leaders highlighted their commitment to working in tandem towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, based on a rules-based order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, and emphasized the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change status quo. In this regard, they reaffirmed their common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from coercion.

On Ukraine, the Joint Statement said, The Prime Ministers expressed their serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region. They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. They underscored the importance of safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and acknowledged active efforts of the IAEA towards it. They reiterated their call for an immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for resolution of the conflict. The Leaders affirmed that they would undertake appropriate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

On the Indo-Pacific, it said, The Prime Ministers emphasized that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with international law. They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritizing the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas. They emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint.

On economic ties, the Joint Statement said, The Prime Ministers noted with appreciation that since elevation of ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership, there had been significant growth in economic cooperation. They expressed satisfaction that the investment target of JPY 3.5 trillion announced in 2014 has been achieved. Noting steps taken by India to improve the business environment for Japanese investors in India, as well as other measures to boost economic growth and improve ease of doing business, they expressed their shared intention to realize JPY 5 trillion of public and private investment and financing from Japan to India in the next five years, to finance appropriate public and private projects of mutual interest.
HYDERABAD: After two years of gap, the denizens of the twin cities celebrated Holi with much enthusiasm on Friday. As usual, Holi was celebrated by people irrespective of caste and religion in residential colonies, apartments and gated communities across the city. People gathered and splashed colours on each other as part of the celebrations.

Since the day was an official holiday, all the main roads witnessed less traffic, thus providing a smooth ride for revellers who moved from place to place, shouting Happy Holi. NRIs who are here on a visit also enjoyed the fun.

Md Innayat and Md Iddayat, both brothers, celebrated the festival with their local friends with great fervour. Bengali communities at the Gulzar Houz and Kali Khaman who are mostly involved in making ornaments, closed their businesses to take part in the celebrations.

Rajasthani community, with around a hundred families at Hashmat Gunj, Begum Bazar, got together to celebrate the festival with true spirit of friendship and togetherness. Govind Narayan Rathi, president of Rajasthani association, said,

After the Holika Dahan, the festival started. This is an important occasion for us, as friends from our community wish each other good luck. All the families took part in the Holi celebrations.

Reena Jaiswal, resident of Bhagya Nagar Colony, Nampally, a gated colony with more than 200 flats, who celebrated the festival, said, Its been two years since we refrained from playing Holi. Today, most of the families came out and celebrated.

Some families from the city planned the festival at a private venue. One such gathering took place at a farmhouse at Shamshabad, hosted by Sunil Agarwal, a businessman, We invited all close relatives at a farmhouse and the celebrations went on till late evening. We had a lot of time to interact with each other, and the celebrations were great, he said.

At Gachibowli, a group of Maharashtrian families gathered to celebrate Holi, with music and dances. Private event managers organised several programmes, inviting celebrities and arranging DJs.
A Chinese envoy on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community.

China was once a victim of chemical and biological weapons. China believes that any information and lead on biological military activities should trigger heightened concern and attention of the international community to avoid irreparable harm, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"In this regard, relevant parties should take a responsible approach. Russia has further revealed newly discovered relevant documents. The party concerned should respond to questions, and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community," he told a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine.

"We do not consider it too much to ask. And on this issue, no double standards should be applied," he said.

China's position on weapons of mass destruction and biological security is consistent and clear. China stands for the complete prohibition and destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, said Zhang.

China resolutely opposes the development, possession or use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances, and urges countries that have not done so to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles as soon as possible. Complying with the Biological Weapons Convention is the obligation of all state parties. China calls for early negotiations on the establishment of a verification regime under the convention, which will help improve global biosecurity, he said.

Under the current situation, it is the shared desire of the international community to achieve a cease-fire in Ukraine as soon as possible to avoid more civilian casualties and to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis. China shares this wish, said Zhang.

Direct negotiations between the parties concerned are the fundamental way to solve the problem. Russia and Ukraine have held four rounds of negotiations. While the negotiations are kept going, there is hope for a cease-fire and a peaceful future. China will continue to facilitate dialogues for peace. China supports the United Nations and all parties in ramping up mediation efforts, and hopes that all parties can do more to promote peace talks, rather than adding fuel to the fire.

"Behind the Ukraine crisis is the issue of European security. It is our hope that the United States, the European Union and NATO can sit down with Russia for in-depth and comprehensive dialogues and explore ways to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism based on the principle of indivisible security so as to achieve lasting peace and stability in Europe."





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Activists feel that the only way to end the impasse was if the two parties meet and thrash out the differences and misapprehensions. (DC file image)

Hyderabad: The state governments recent confrontation with the local military authority (LMA) over road closures has exposed the fact that the annual civil military liaison conference (CMLC) that is aimed at fostering synergy between the two parties has not been held here since 2008.

Ironically, CMLC is being convened regularly in several states with chief ministers also participating in discussions on issues pertaining to ex-servicemen, land exchange and coordination on various civic issues. The last time Chief Minister K. Chandrashkar Rao officially met local military officers was in 2016 for a review of pension sops for retired army personnel.

Trouble started after municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao warned military authorities of dire consequences if LMA blocked roads in the Cantonment area.

Activists feel that the only way to end the impasse was if the two parties meet and thrash out the differences and misapprehensions.

Unfortunately, there are no signs of a constructive dialogue between the army and the state government towards resolving civic issues in and around cantonment. It is the people who are subject to agony, said S. Ravinder Babu, general secretary, Cantonment Vikas Manch.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has given one final chance to the state government to file a counter affidavit to a 2015 PIL. The PIL challenged GO 59, which allowed occupants of government lands in urban areas to regularize plots that they had occupied.

However, the government has not filed the counter affidavit even after the court sought an explanation about the grounds on which it ordered regularisation of government lands that were occupied.

The TRS government had issued GO 58 and GO 59 in 2015 seeking applications for regularisation of lands against specific areas. The petitioner urged the court to declare the GO 59 as illegal and arbitrary. Their contention was that the GO benefitted land grabbers and was not for the good of the public.

After seven years of silence, the government recently issued another GO asking land grabbers and occupants of government lands to submit their applications for regularization.

The petitioners said that despite the issue being sub-judice, the government has called for fresh applications. Their counsel requested the court to direct the authorities to initiate criminal action against the land grabbers and prosecute them under the Land Grabbing Act.

The court directed the respondents to file counters within six weeks, failing which the principal secretary of revenue (Somesh Kumar holds the additional charge) has to appear before the Court on July 20.
Some of us, you see, have been left with Long Covid, and almost all of us with Long Anxiety, which is not just another fallout of the pandemic, but a pandemic in its own right. (Photo by arrangement)

What do I dream of these days? Cakes, roses, moonlight? I dream of devastating floods and fires, lost children (including my own), wars and death. I dream of loss, defeat, and global catastrophes. They assail me every single night!

Dreams? Nightmares I submit!

It must be obvious, even to those who still dream pleasantly, that these night terrors are born of deep anxiety, born of current events.

Anxiety is defined as feelings of unease, like worry or fear, that can become constant and severe, permeating our daily lives with restlessness and worry. By day and by night.

Before the pandemic, and this new Russo-Ukrainian, potentially global, possibly nuclear, conflict, there were already an estimated 275 million people worldwide suffering from anxiety. Recent studies suggest there has been a massive spike in levels of anxiety, and the global numbers reeling from it, in these last two traumatic years.

Nor is it only those who were directly affected by Covid (which most of us were), or found themselves in the path of the murderous Taliban, or Putins homicidal aggression, whove experienced this overpowering new unease, but anyone registering and responding to the calamitous state of our world. Pandemic Brain and Headline Anxiety are unhappy offshoots of this.

I think everyone's experiencing some degree of anxiety about what's happening in the world, Professor of psychiatry Michael Ziffra confirmed my suspicions about my sustained nocturnal unrest, What were experiencing right now is unprecedented  all this happening at once  prolonged pandemic, political turmoil, war, climate change. Long-term exposure to stressors generally worsens anxiety.

But because theres far too much bad news on every other front, our worsening mental health doesnt get discussed by governments, media, or medical and scientific communities. There was an avalanche of social media posts about isolation and depression in lockdown, but theyve petered out. Were now all valiantly trying to project normality, good cheer, and optimism. Oh me too, but like many others I know, its often a facade, with the bitter truth surfacing in my dreams.

Some of us, you see, have been left with Long Covid, and almost all of us with Long Anxiety, which is not just another fallout of the pandemic, but a pandemic in its own right. With the war in Ukraine, and the threat of nuclear annihilation hanging over us, as if a deadly worldwide virus wasnt enough, not to forget the catastrophic climate disaster on the horizon, anxiety has reached a new zenith. With so much to be anxious about, yet little outlet for it, how do we cope with life?

I know of folks glued to the screens of their smartphones and TVs, incessantly watching the bad news roll in, hating every minute of it but unable to stop. Theres also panic buying which we saw so much of at the start of the pandemic, when people, especially in the west, stashed more canned food, loo roll, and sanitising gel, than they could possibly need. Now this endemic shopping is a desperate attempt at retail therapy, and the reassurance of being equipped to survive Armageddon. People have also turned to cults, religion, and groups with extreme and narrow beliefs, to help save them from the uncertainty of the wider world. Driving around my city this weekend, I noticed big, new churches promulgating obscure faiths that have sprung up in the past two years.

In me, this anxiety has undoubtedly worked its way into my dreams. And because the future looks bleak, whatever I might tell myself in waking, my nightmares converge on our younger generations. My daughter has a habit of reporting her dreams to me, and I used to tell her mine but cant anymore. Exactly how many times can I tell my children that I dreamt we were all swept away by a towering tsunami?

In my subconscious, the climate crisis has clearly melded with parental anxiety, though in the day Im a happy and focused mother. Parental anxieties are as old as time however. Isnt there a meme on how having children is like letting your heart walk around outside of you, tugging at your heartstrings constantly? Perpetually hearing those emotional alarm bells blaring? Parenthood: Just another name for anxiety!

But in a week it is Mother's Day in Britain, and anxiety must be banished as we ooh over the delicious chocolate cake the children have baked, and aah over the beautiful cards theyve drawn lovingly, wreathed in smiles these deservedly elicit. Because dreams are dreams, right? Those hoary somnolent chestnuts of failing our exams, losing ones clothes, arriving too late, or, or being chased by Akshay Kumar (eeeek!); none of them are real, thankfully. The monsters in our nightmares are prompted by nothing more than flatulence and acidity, weve been assured repeatedly.

Yet, the climate crisis, the pandemic, this new war, are REAL, and sos the anxiety! And troubled nights can bleed into our waking lives, draining us of the sense of purpose and energy we need to tackle the triggers of our disquiet; the precarious condition of our planet. Ergo, lets eat that chocolate cake, dream our nerve-wracking dreams, and then, take them seriously.
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) will ensure that small retailers get an equal opportunity to engage with big firms, protect their businesses and serve customers with modern ways of delivery system, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday.

India is leading the world in building digital public infrastructure, he said at an entrepreneurship summit.

As UPI is to the digital payment domain, ONDC is to e-commerce in India. It will enable buyers and sellers to be digitally visible and transact through an open network, no matter what platform/application they use.

The ONDC team "is working to democratise ecommerce so that millions of small mom-and-pop stores all over the country and small retailers do not get extinguished like we have seen in the West, but get an equal opportunity to engage using digital technologies to protect businesses and grow their businesses and serve their customs with modern ways of delivery," he said.

ONDC received its certificate of incorporation as a private sector non-profit company on December 31, 2021.

A number of established companies have integrated with the platform and the government has already set up a nine-member advisory council, including Nandan Nilekani from Infosys and National Health Authority CEO R S Sharma, on steps required to design and accelerate the adoption of ONDC.

The minister suggested action agendas for entrepreneurs to promote innovation and boost the startup ecosystem in the country.

He called for scaling up diversity in startups as the country needs entrepreneurs in sectors such as agriculture and textiles.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Suzuki Motor plans to invest Rs 10,440 crore ($1.37 billion) in its India factory to produce electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries, Maruti Suzuki India, majority-owned by the Japanese carmaker, said on Sunday.

It is the first major EV plan announced by Maruti Suzuki for India in a bid to align itself with a national strategy to reduce oil dependence and cut debilitating air pollution in major cities.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, visiting his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on Saturday announced $42 billion of investment in India over the next five years.

Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private will invest 31 billion rupees by 2025 for increasing production capacity for battery EV manufacturing and 73 billion rupees for construction of plant vehicle batteries, the company said.

Suzuki's future mission is to achieve carbon neutrality with small cars, said Suzuki Motor president Toshihiro Suzuki.

Tata Motors is the largest seller of electric cars in India, with rival Mahindra & Mahindra and motor-bike maker TVS Motor firming up their EV plans.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
With an eye on the upcoming polls, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has walked a tightrope by pleasing all communities, and sectors, including the Kannada film industry, in his recently presented 'all inclusive' budget.

Though the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC)  the umbrella body of Kannada cinema, demanded an increase of 50 films for subsidy, Bommai was benevolent enough to increase the number from the present 125 to 175 for the 2022-23.

The Kannada Film Producers Association (KFPA) has welcomed the governments decision. However, some learned members of the KFCC opine that it is a boon for future of Kannada cinema. That said, it will not help Kannada films which suffered huge losses because of the pandemic. The industry doesnt have 200 films to avail subsidy, as production of films was hit in the last two years, they say.

According to a senior film producer, over 400 films have been produced between 2018 and 2021. Thanks to Covid-19, many theatres closed and several films didnt hit the screens. Had the government announced the increase in the number of films for subsidy with retrospective effect, producers would have heaved a sigh of relief.

The industry is in crisis. So the governments decision wont help as it is applicable only for the films made in 2022-23, says K V Chandrashekar, former president, KFCC.

Interestingly, the government has yet to pay subsidies for films since 2017. Hundreds of filmmakers have been kept waiting for the past five years, says senior filmmaker and writer, N S Shankar.

Subsidies must always help an ailing film industry. But, the link between the intent and the actual results deserves scrutiny.

The subsidy policy, which was envisaged in the state in the 60s for promoting films with good quality, besides having aesthetic, artistically and socially relevant content, has lost its meaning altogether. In recent years, vested interests are defeating its basic purpose, says filmmaker and producer Umesh Banakar.

In 2012, reports said a member of the Karnataka Film Subsidy Committee accepted a bribe of Rs.2.5 lakh from a director to get a subsidy for his film. The then chief minister Sadananda Gowda handed over the issue to the investigative agency.

A producer went to court in 2018, questioning the selection of films for subsidy. The court withheld the subsidy given to the controversial film and asked the government to release the subsidy for other films. But the government is yet to act on this order.

A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report pointed out that the Karnataka government spent Rs.34.90-crore in a span of four years (2013-16) to give subsidies to 349 films but nearly half (130) of these films never saw the light of the day.

Citing this, a renowned Kannada filmmaker, on condition of anonymity, says some middlemen promise approval from the selection panel on commission basis. Guidelines framed for the selection of films are vague as any filmmaker can claim 'his film is different with a good message'.

The Department of Information and Public Relations got a whiff of how filmmakers were earning subsidies through dubious means in 2019. The government issued an order to plug the loopholes. The order was withdrawn because of the pressure from those powerful in the film industry.

Films screened in competitive and non-competitive categories of any International Film Festival get subsidy without entering the selection process. Interestingly, not less than 20 Kannada films were screened in a major International Film Festival and passed the eligibility test of availing Rs.18.75-lakh subsidy. A KFCC office bearer, on condition of anonymity, says, to get films screened in an insignificant International Film Festival and avail subsidy, filmmakers are paying commission.

N S Shankar, who was part of the subsidy committee in 2006, says that it is time for the government to reframe the guidelines for selecting films. It is better to take a leaf out of the neighbouring Maharashtra government, which helps genuine filmmakers. Increasing the number of films for subsidy will not help Kannada cinema. The government was offering subsidies to only 30 films in early 2000. The committee would eventually select only 26 quality films, he recalled.

(The writer is a Bengaluru-based senior film critic).
Shashi Kapoor was a gifted actor, though not in the league of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Sanjeev Kumar. It is a tragedy that his talent was never used to the hilt in Hindi films.

March 18 marks the 84th birth anniversary of the actor. He is remembered for his evergreen performances in English films.

Shashi Kapoor was a handsome, effortless and efficient actor. His toothy smile set countless female hearts fluttering. In English films of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, Shashi Kapoor exhibited his true acting talents. A disciplined and punctual actor, he was never conscious of a star image.

In 1964, Shashi Kapoor first appeared opposite Leela Naidu in Merchant Ivory Productions The Householder. Performing school teacher in a small town, he opted for a plain haircut. He also avoided heavy makeup. In the emotional scenes, he matched the sharp nuances of the inimitable Leela and delivered a sensitive performance. Leela confessed she was simply bowled over by Shashi Kapoors charm.

In the 1965 classic Shakespeare Wallah, Shashi Kapoor was pitted against his wife Jennifer Kendal, who was uncredited in the film. A versatile actress, Jennifer overshadowed her hero with refined under playing. Shashi Kapoor dazzled with his undeniable elan and did not use glycerin to emote. Madhur Jaffrey, another actor in the film, was astonished at Shashi Kapoors natural performance. On Shashis request, Satyajit Ray scored the music for the film.

It was in Pretty Polly in the late 60s that Shashi Kapoor proved how good an actor he was. Romancing, emoting and using three modulations to speak, he excelled in every frame. With his training on stage in Shakespearean plays, he spoke English in the proverbial British accent. Very few know that viewing Pretty Polly, Elizabeth Taylor expressed a keen desire to work with Shashi Kapoor.

By the time Shashi Kapoor acted with Aparna Sen in Bombay Talkies in 1970, he was a mature actor. Aparna Sen still remembers how the handsome actor thoroughly co-operated with her in

every scene. Ace cinematographer Subrata Mitra, who shot majority of the Merchant Ivory Productions, described Shashi Kapoors face as a cameramans delight.

During the shooting of Conrad Rooks Siddhartha (1972), Shashi Kapoor performed some bold scenes with Simi Garewal sans vulgarity. Even today, Simi says Shashi Kapoor was dignified and sober in those scenes. She says the actor was at his best in romantic scenes.

The Deceivers (1988) had Shashi Kapoor as an antihero opposite Pierce Brosnan. Never was the handsome Kapoor in awe of the big Hollywood star. They struck a perfect rapport right from the start to the finishing of the film. Brosnan praised Shashi Kapoors confidence. The latter appreciated Brosnans fluidity. During the climax, Brosnan faltered in giving a take. Shashi Kapoor suggested his co-star to opt for a straight look. Brosnan agreed and both were perfect in the shot canned in three takes. In Heat And Dust (1983), Shashi Kapoor essayed a character with grey shades with finesse.

In Custody (Muhafiz) in 1993, was one of his last performances. As a poet, his portrayal of discomfort after a few bouts of drinking was brilliant. By then, he had put on weight and was losing interest in acting. At the screening of In Custody at IFFI, 1994, in Kolkata, many Bengali actors like Soumitra Chatterjee and Madhabi Mukherjee spoke highly about Shashi Kapoors performance.

(The writer is a Kolkata-based senior journalist).
A chance to watch The Godfather on the big screen? Now, thats an offer film lovers cant refuse.

A landmark of the second golden age of Hollywood, the triple Oscar-winning film turned fifty on March 14. Paramount Pictures is commemorating the occasion with a series of theatrical re-releases: a biographical drama about the making of the film, remastered DVDs, a coffee table book, and a new interview with director Francis Ford Coppola, cementing the films status as an elite cultural artifact.

Thirty years will have to pass before we can know if the films appeal is momentary or lasting  Gavin Lambert, the British-born film writer, had written after its premiere. Five decades later, it has stood the test of time and is widely considered as one of the greatest and most influential American films ever made.

The Godfather heralded a new era in American cinema, through its fixation on violence - both physical and psychological, and its dispassionate, sociological account of the workings of the Cosa Nostra (mafia). It emerged from the fertile creative period between the dying gasps of the censorial Hays Code and Star Wars, which marked the onset of the new era of blockbuster obsession existing to this day.

The film viewed corruption from a corrupt vantage point. It was wistful about its conviction that corruption is an inescapable part of American life in general and the American dream in particular. With its portrayal of all-pervading corruption, an amalgamation of crime, market capitalism and government, and situating the family above society The Godfather proposed a new national narrative in which white ethnic immigrants took America as they found it. The gangster film eventually replaced the Western as the genre to exemplify America.

Revolutionizing the portrayal of organized crime by conflating it with family, the film provided prime national nostalgia for an idealised version of the past, harking back to more courtly forms of criminal behaviour with Marlon Brandos performance as the aging patriarch Don Vito Corleone (described aptly by Pauline Kael as a primitive sacred monster). The Godfather was released to an America convulsed by the ill-fated Vietnam expedition, economic tumult, racial tension, and a sense of political ferment.

Taking the heightened post-Vietnam cynicism after the publishing of the Pentagon papers and the unraveling of Watergate for granted, it compared organized crime with the US government and proposed a thesis of America as a criminal enterprise. By the end of the film, the protagonist Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino), an erstwhile war hero, replaces duty to the country with tribal loyalty and builds a metaphorical wall around himself.

This substitution suits Americas contemporary reality, as the promised chimera of unlimited growth comes into conflict with the experience of limited mobility, or rather mobility for the ruthless or lucky few, with opportunities gated against outsiders.

With The Godfather, Coppola sold the studios on a new profile of a filmmaker- young, with outsized vision, and obsessed with film history. The exquisite wedding ceremony sequence that opens proceedings was indebted to the remarkable, protracted ball in Luchino Viscontis The Leopard (1963).

The operatic finale, crafted by cross-cutting between the calm of the church and the violence of the murders, had nods to Sergei Eisensteins celebrated Odessa steps montage sequence in Battleship Potemkin (1925). Gordon Williss virtuoso cinematography, with Rembrandt lighting, made it acceptable for studio-made colour films to be shadowy and moody.

Mario Puzos lurid pulp book was elevated to high art. It influenced the work of a generation of new filmmakers. Martin Scorsese, John Woo, Spike Lee, in their diverse ways, took inspiration from Coppolas invention of a new rhythm and scene density.

As the apotheosis of the gangster film, with characters torn between fierce family loyalty and anarchic social destruction, it became a catalyst for the production of numerous other gangster sagas, including David Chases acclaimed TV series The Sopranos (1999), and films like Martin Scorseses Goodfellas (1990) and Mani Ratnams Nayakan (1987).

Cultural critic Umberto Eco stated that a film becomes a cult object by providing a completely furnished world for fans to revisit. Watching The Godfather is to embark on a darkly satisfying journey - a descent from youthful possibility to a morbid state of decadence and moral defeatism - into a world of burly men, guns, pasta sauce, loyalty, revenge, and omerta.

(The author is a cybersecurity consultant by day, moonlighting as a cinephile by night)
For nearly half a century, the caped crusader has been entertaining comic book fans and movie lovers on the big screen. The new installment of Gothams masked vigilante is no exception. Its a long movie (three hours) that takes inspiration from various sources, including films. Matt Reeves The Batman, released earlier this month, is exactly what one would get if Christopher Nolan and David Fincher decided to make the DC Universe. The Robert Pattinson-starrer is dark, gritty, broken, and real.

The base of the story remains the same, that of a young Bruce Wayne experiencing a traumatic episode and then becoming Batman. The way its portrayed by Christian Bale (in Nolans trilogy) and Pattinson is quite different. Pattinsons version of Wayne is layered, more than the Lasagnes made by the corrupt Italian origin mobsters in Gotham.

There is no origin story here. Right from the get-go, you know he is Batman. You dont see the backstory about the night where his parents were murdered. The film is focused more on the present.

Batman, in the latest film, is a person who has been grounded, coping, and learning every night as he ventures out instilling fear in the minds of hooligans, thieves, and organized crime. He hides in shadows and beats the pulp out of criminals. He is scared and scarred and thinks twice before trusting anyone. Probably, the only person who he seems to trust apart from Alfred is Jim Gordon, leveraging as one of the law enforcement allies and solving crimes together, which isn't the case in previous iterations of the Batman.

Bales version had more clarity. Even in Batman Begins (2005), nothing seems crude. Whatever Batman does looks like a finished product. Both the Batmen have always wanted to become the symbol of hope. While Pattinson uses brute force and downright fear mongering tactics to convey his message across, Bale had a more sophisticated approach.

Bales Batman was the billionaire playboy in all true sense with gadgets and weapons cleaner and polished. In Reeves' version, everything is raw. The gadgets seemed handmade and not from a vendor in China who shared a mass export. Even the bat symbol is just a piece of scrap metal made into a makeshift beacon.

This comparison applies to the city of Gotham as well. This new instalment is more about Gotham than Batman himself. Because like the great Aristotle says, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Batman exists because of Gotham and the characters in it.

This version of Gotham is dark, and for some weird reason, always rainy and a cesspool of corruption. There is a clear divide in power between the wealthy and the poor. People vandalise the city as though it's a blank canvas to spray paint on.

The noir style definitely compliments this world. Cinematographer Greig Frasers obsession with playing with dark minimal lighting and silhouettes adds a lot of meat to the visuals. As mentioned earlier, the inspiration from Fincher and Star Wars is quite evident.

Nolans Gotham can be any city in the world as the treatment is realistic. You swap Mumbai with New York as the principal location, and youd not know the difference. The corruption resembles every citys problem. This can be seen in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (2008), when Nolan used economic overtones to drive the larger despair in Gotham. Reeves juxtaposes this by referencing the internet subculture spawning political violence. Nolans reminders are more subtle while Reeves makes it uncomfortable with recent and relatable events.

Its not fair to pit one franchise over the other. Its like comparing apples and oranges, which funnily is something that the bats love. Nolans version is complete. The evolution is done. He is the symbol of hope for people aiming to reinvent the franchise. Reeves franchise has just started. The next installment definitely seems exciting with new characters coming in. The franchise is definitely set up well but only time will tell.

(The author is a Bengaluru-based senior graphic designer and a short film maker).
Russia on Saturday admitted using advanced hypersonic missiles for the first time in the Ukraine conflict as Kyiv's embattled leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for urgent peace talks. Moscow also said its troops had broken Ukrainian defences to enter the strategic southern port city of Mariupol and destroyed radio and intelligence sites just outside Odessa. Ukrainian authorities said they had "temporarily" lost access to the Sea of Azov although Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after ringing Mariupol. Stay tuned to DH for more updates.
MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on Saturday "the unacceptable nature of the military-biological activities of the United States in Ukraine" in a phone conversation with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Such activities pose a huge danger to both Russia and the whole Europe, Putin said.

The two leaders discussed Russia's military operation in Ukraine, and Putin noted the missile attacks by the Ukrainian security forces on cities in Donbass, said the statement.

Bettel said that "we must put an end to" the conflict, and "no one stands to gain from these clashes; not Russia, not Europe and certainly not Ukraine," according to a statement on the official website of the Luxembourg government.

Bettel briefed Putin on contacts with leaders of Ukraine and other countries, and Putin outlined his assessments of the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, the statement added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday asked Washington to provide all information on the activities of U.S.-linked biological laboratories in Ukraine.

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." 
Three Russian astronauts launched to the International Space Station early Friday. A few hours later, their Soyuz spacecraft docked at the space station and, when they boarded the orbiting outpost, they were wearing flight suits of striking colors  yellow and blue, similar to the colors of Ukraines flag.

The Russian astronauts did not say anything that would suggest that their clothing was a political statement. Yet it seemed difficult to believe it was happenstance. The outfits worn by astronauts in orbit on a daily basis tend to be subdued. But recent crews from Russia have worn vibrant flight suits of various colors during their arrival, including Yulia Peresild, an actor who arrived on the station in November in a bold red coverall.

Read | Biden warns Xi of 'consequences' for backing Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Eric Berger, a space reporter at the website Ars Technica, said the flight suits are usually prepared and packed months in advance but that substitutes could have been added among the last items to be loaded on the spacecraft.

These colors are just not subtle. pic.twitter.com/CyA12JzTWB  Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) March 18, 2022

Berger wrote on Twitter: "I still haven't found anyone who really knows why the Russian cosmonauts wore yellow flight suits (with Ukraine blue highlights) to board the ISS. However, this is a revealing answer from the mission commander. Just wild if they smuggled these suits on board." Berger was referencing this tweet from Katya Pavlushchenko: "They were asked about the color of the suits, and Oleg answered, there was too much yellow fabric accumulated in the warehouse. Except that, just usual greetings and best wishes."

Jonathan McDowell, a scientist at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics who closely follows space missions, suggested the colors might actually be those of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three of the astronauts  Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov  attended. An official from the university spoke as a guest on the Russian livestream of the launch Friday.

Berger, however, noted that the colors of the flight suit more closely matched those of the Ukrainian flag.

Also Read | It is time for meaningful security talks with Moscow, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Russias space program and some of its partners and customers have been collateral damage of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions that have followed. The European Space Agency on Thursday suspended a mission to Mars that was to launch on a Russian rocket. Earlier this month, OneWeb, a British satellite company partially owned by the British government, canceled launches of its internet satellites that were to travel on Russias Soyuz rockets.

Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russias space agency, Roscosmos, has responded with a series of provocative messages on Twitter, including retweeting a parody video that suggested Russia would leave behind Mark Vande Hei, a NASA astronaut who is scheduled to return to Earth in a Russian Soyuz later this month. Rogozin feuded publicly with Scott Kelly, a retired astronaut who held the record for consecutive days in space by an American until Vande Hei passed it recently.

In public statements, NASA officials have ignored Rogozins statements and insisted that operations are continuing as usual with their Russian counterparts. They said that there had been no change in plans for Vande Heis return.

A pair of crews will fly SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft to the station in the coming month  one a private crew of tourists with the company Axiom, the other a mix of NASA and ESA astronauts.

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Norwegian authorities were searching Friday for a US Marine Corps aircraft that went missing during a training exercise.

Norway's military said in a statement that the Marine Osprey was reported missing Friday night when it did not make a scheduled arrival at the Arctic Circle municipality Bod. The civilian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Northern Norway launched a search and rescue operation.

Late Friday, Norway's military said, discoveries were made from the air south of Bod, adding, Due to the weather conditions, it has not been possible to enter the site from the air.

The Marine Corps said on Twitter, We can confirm an incident has occurred involving a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft. ... The cause of the incident is under investigation, and additional details will be provided as available.

Norway said the aircraft, which has a crew of four, was participating in the military exercise Cold Response, in which NATO members train and operate along with Norwegian forces under harsh winter conditions. It said the exercise was planned and informed about long before the war in Ukraine.

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US Republican Representative Don Young, who was first elected to Congress in 1973 and was its longest-serving current member, died on Friday, his office said in a statement.

The 88-year-old congressman died while traveling home to Alaska, his office said.

"Don Young's legacy as a fighter for the state will live on, as will his fundamental goodness and honor. We will miss him dearly," the statement said.

His office did not give the cause of death. The Anchorage Daily News reported that Young lost consciousness on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle and could not be resuscitated. The newspaper report cited Jack Ferguson, who had served as Young's chief of staff.

Young was Alaska's only member in the House of Representatives. The longest-serving member of the current US Congress, according to his website, he represented Alaska for 25 terms and last year he filed to enter this November's election.

"I'm incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Don Young," US Representative Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, said in a statement.

"He was a passionate champion of his home state of Alaska, but he was also a mentor who, as the Dean of the House, had more institutional knowledge of Congress than anyone I know," Scalise said.

US Representative Dean Phillips, a Democrat from Minnesota, said on Twitter: "His fiercely independent voice for Alaska and one of a kind wit and character will be missed."

Young was born in California in 1933 and moved to Alaska in 1959, shortly after statehood.

In Congress, he was known for directing billions of dollars of federal money to Alaska, the largest state in the country but with one of the smallest populations.

In late 2020, Young was diagnosed with Covid-19 after he had earlier ridiculed the disease as a "beer virus."

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By Anthony Zwi for The Conversation

Reports earlier this week of Russian attacks and siege of a major hospital in the Ukraine city of Mariupol indicate a particularly bleak and dark phase of the war.

Sergei Orlov, the citys deputy mayor, told the BBC how Russian forces had entered the building, preventing doctors and nurses from leaving. About 400 people had been effectively taken as hostages.

Health workers, operating from the basement of the hospital, were apparently trying to provide health services despite the dire situation.

This comes after attacks on a maternity hospital in the same city the previous week.

While these examples made headlines around the world, there have been many more attacks on health facilities and health workers since the start of the war.

The World Health Organization records 44 attacks on health facilities, health supplies, health workers or patients in Ukraine. Of those, 34 attacks have impacted health facilities.

Violence with heavy weapons as well as abduction, arrest or detention of health staff are recorded. The list updates as more reports come in.

The effects of such attacks go far beyond the tragic loss of life.

Destroyed infrastructure, inability to refer to other health facilities, diminished access to technology, equipment and drugs, and lack of power or fuel for generators affect how hospitals function under such circumstances.

Such attacks also undermine the morale of health professionals and community members.

They deter people who need healthcare from accessing remaining services. People may feel unsafe leaving bomb shelters to seek care if hospitals become targets or are insecure.

These attacks are deliberate

Despite the legal protections afforded to health facilities in wartime under international law, we continue to see such attacks in many conflicts including Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Myanmar.

Read | Zelenskyy calls for 'fresh talks' with Moscow

Given the sophistication of modern weaponry and laser-guided munitions, there are few who believe attacks on such facilities are accidental.

Rather, history shows us they are part of a strategy of war and aim to achieve certain objectives.

In his book Killing Civilians: Method, Madness and Morality in War, UK academic and policy advisor Hugo Slim explores why parties to conflict might resort to such tactics.

He says this includes attempts to annihilate certain groups, efforts to demonstrate extreme power and to dominate and subjugate others, and/or to inflict revenge and collective punishment.

In some cases, he says such ruthlessness is strategic or tactical. Terror and atrocity magnify a partys power and control. It also undermines the publics morale, and trust in the reliability and safety of health services.

Australian academic Michael Humphrey, in his book The Politics of Atrocity and Reconciliation: From Terror to Trauma, says those who seek to terrify are willing to go to extremes to achieve their objectives, even if they may be committing war crimes.

This is what health workers face

Health workers in Ukraine are members of families and communities; they experience what the community experiences, but have additional stressors.

They are under pressure to serve their communities under physically and psychologically challenging circumstances. They are driven to provide care to those who need it; this may even include wounded enemy personnel.

This pressure mounts over extended periods of conflict, sieges and deteriorating conditions, exerting a heavy toll.

Read | Civilians survive theatre strike in Ukraine's Mariupol

In situations of ongoing brutality and violence, morale will be undermined given the inability to deliver the quality of care they know is required and in normal circumstances they could deliver.

Exhaustion, lack of materials and back-up support, distress among colleagues and overwhelming needs will take a toll on even the strongest and most positive professionals.

How do we help?

First, these attacks must stop.

We also need to provide health workers with psychological and moral support.

Where available, communication technologies from Zoom to WhatsApp would enable health workers access to skilled advisors and health consultants to help manage difficult conditions or resolve dilemmas.

Appreciating the importance of mental healthcare and self-care ought to be reinforced and supported. Strategies to reduce stress, get rest and debrief with colleagues will play a part.

Covid has shown the importance of supporting healthcare workers this way. These challenges are intensified in periods of conflict.

Health workers need extra supplies of medicines and medical equipment, personal protective equipment, power generators and sterilisation equipment.

Countries of the European Union, and other supportive authorities operating through the United Nations and non-government organisations, can help provide these when there are lulls in the conflict.

Unequivocal demands to end attacks on healthcare facilities are crucial.

These play some part in deterring perpetrators, educating community members, health professionals and armed forces.

We must document health workers stories and challenges.

Efforts by the World Health Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, a range of human rights organisations (such as Physicians for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch), researchers and academics can play a valuable role in documenting in real time the impact of conflict and violence on health, health personnel and healthcare.

Key will be prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity  for which detailed evidence and documentation will be required.

We also need independent, robust and transparent investigations into attacks on hospitals to facilitate such prosecutions.

Trusted health agencies, human rights organisations, and health researchers in and outside Ukraine should assist.

The author is Professor of Global Health and Development, UNSW Sydney

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US President Joe Biden laid out to Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday the "consequences" of any backing for Russia in its war against Ukraine, the White House said, as Beijing showed no sign of joining Western condemnation of the invasion.

The comments came during a nearly two-hour phone call between the leaders of the world's two largest economies, focusing on Ukraine, where China's close ally Russia is in the fourth week of a bloody assault.

The White House said that Biden described to Xi "the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians."

Also Read | Xi tells Biden Ukraine crisis should end, lays no blame on Russia

The White House refused to characterize Xi's response to the warning or say how hard Biden pushed him. "It wasn't about making asks, it wasn't about making assessments. It was about having an ongoing dialogue," Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

But she said that "is something we'll be watching and the world will be watching."

Beijing was ambiguous about Xi's position after the call.

Also Read | Xi Jinping says conflicts like Ukraine crisis in 'no one's interests'

Chinese state television CCTV reported that Xi said the war was "in no one's interest" and that "state-to-state relations cannot go to the stage of military hostilities."

However, there was no mention of direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry laid some responsibility for Russia's invasion of its neighbor to the West.

"The US and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine," the foreign ministry noted.

With the Chinese leader refusing to condemn Putin, Washington fears Beijing could go further, delivering financial and military support to Russia and transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global dispute.

If that were to happen, not only could China help Russia to weather sanctions and continue the war, but Western governments would face the painful decision of how to strike back at the world's second-biggest economy, likely prompting turmoil on international markets.

Washington is racing to ward off that crisis, both by warning of fallout for China and appealing to Xi's ambitions to be a world player.

China should "understand that their future is with the United States, with Europe, with other developed and developing countries around the world. Their future is not to stand with Vladimir Putin," Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told CNN.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier urged China to use its "leverage" on Moscow.

The Biden-Xi call -- the first since November -- came after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party's chief diplomat, held what the White House called a "substantial" seven-hour meeting in Rome this week.

Against a backdrop of already intense US-Chinese tensions over Taiwan and trade disputes, the ability or failure of Biden and Xi to come to an understanding on the unfolding mayhem in Europe will reverberate widely.

Xi and Putin symbolically sealed their close partnership when they met last month at the Winter Olympics in Beijing -- just before Putin launched his onslaught on Ukraine.

Since then, Beijing has stood out by refusing to join the international outcry over the invasion, while taking the Russian line in blaming the United States and NATO. Chinese authorities even refuse to refer to the invasion as a "war," again in keeping with Kremlin talking points.

But China has also tried to remain somewhat ambiguous, declaring support for Ukraine's sovereignty.

Brookings Institution fellow Ryan Hass, a former advisor on China to president Barack Obama, said Beijing has to sort through its clashing priorities.

Despite the coziness with Moscow, China -- the world's biggest exporter -- is tightly bound to the United States and other Western economies. It also wants to play a leadership role in the world.

"China's and Russia's interests are not in alignment. Putin is an arsonist of the international system and President Xi sees himself as an architect for remaking and improving the international system," Hass said.

"President Xi is trying to balance competing priorities. He really places a lot of value in China's partnership with Russia but at the same time he does not want to undermine China's relations in the West."

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A justice of Brazil's Supreme Court on Friday ordered the shutdown of messaging app Telegram nationwide, arguing it has not cooperated with authorities.

The move is a blow to President Jair Bolsonaro, who has more than 1 million followers on the platform and defends it as a key tool for his reelection bid in October.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes said in his ruling that Telegram repeatedly ignored requests from Brazilian authorities, including a police request to block profiles and provide information linked to blogger Allan dos Santos, an ally of Bolsonaro's accused of spreading falsehoods.

The justice added that Telegram has also failed to name a legal representative in Brazil, unlike its competitors.

Many of Bolsonaro's supporters have turned to Telegram since the messaging app's competitor WhatsApp changed its policies on message sharing. The president has often accused de Moraes and Brazil's top court of rulings that go against freedom of speech.

De Moraes, who chairs a probe on misinformation in Brazilian social media, issued a warrant for dos Santos' arrest in October. The activist, a fugitive now based in the United States, has remained active on Telegram, though.

"The Telegram platform, in every possible opportunity, failed to heed judicial orders in a total disregard for the Brazilian judiciary," de Moraes said in his ruling. He added the suggestion to shut down the app came from federal police.

Dos Santos said de Moraes' decisions "are based solely on his will".

"At some point he will have to stop or to be stopped," the blogger told Jovem Pan, a radio and TV channel which broadcasts Bolsonaro's live transmissions every week. I don't believe the Brazilian people will accept these atrocities."

The justice said in his ruling that "the complete and full suspension of the works of Telegram in Brazil will remain until the judicial decisions previously issued are carried out".

De Moraes gave Apple, Google and Brazilian phone carriers five days to block Telegram from their platforms.

Bolsonaro and his allies have encouraged followers to join Telegram since January of 2021  the same month former US President Donald Trump, an inspiration for the Brazilian leader, was permanently suspended from Twitter in the wake of the riot at Capitol Hill.

In January, Bolsonaro was asked by supporters what he thought about investigations into Telegram.

"It is cowardice what they are trying to do to Brazil," he responded.

Telegram has not commented on the justice's decision and calls to their legal representative were not returned. The service remained operational Friday afternoon.

In his ruling, de Moraes also mentions Telegram failing to remove misleading content from the president's page on the country's electronic voting system.

While Bolsonaro's Telegram page has more than 1 million followers, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the frontrunner to October's presidential elections, has 48,000.

Members of Brazil's electoral authority have expressed concern about Telegram's long silence amid Bolsonaro's unfounded claims that the election will be rigged unless printed receipts for votes are instituted.

The latest request from Brazilian authorities seeking Telegram's cooperation came on March 9, when the chairman of the electoral authority wrote to one of the messaging app's founders, Pavel Durov.

His predecessor also tried to reach Telegram leaders on Dec. 16. Brazil's electoral authority said at the time that Durov was not found at the company's headquarters in the United Arab Emirates.

One of Bolsonaro's closest allies, lawmaker Carla Zambelli, called de Moraes a tyrant for the decision.

Alexandre (de Moraes) blocked Telegram, the only tool in which we currently have freedom of speech, she said on Twitter.

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China reported two Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, its first in more than a year, underlining the threat posed by an Omicron outbreak that has triggered the country's highest case count since the pandemic's onset.

The National Health Commission said both deaths occurred in Jilin, the northeastern province which has been hardest hit by a nationwide rise in cases that has prompted lockdowns or tight restrictions in several cities.

The deaths were the first reported in mainland China since January 2021, and bring the country's death toll from the pandemic to 4,638.

China reported 4,051 new infections on Saturday, down from 4,365 the day before, the health commission said, with more than half of the new cases in Jilin.

Beijing's communist leadership has touted the low death rate relative to other countries as evidence of the strength of its one-party governance model.

The two new deaths were buried in the health commission's daily report, and state-controlled media made little mention of them.

Officials in Jilin later said both victims were male, 65 and 87 years old, and both had a range of underlying health problems associated with advanced age.

The coronavirus emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019 but China has largely kept it under control through strict border controls, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns.

But the highly transmissible Omicron variant is posing a challenge to the effectiveness and long-term viability of the government's zero-Covid strategy.

In recent weeks some official sources have suggested China may at some point need to co-exist with Covid-19 as other countries are doing, warning of the economic impact of mass lockdowns.

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China would stick with its zero-Covid strategy but allow for a more "targeted" approach.

While in the past full lockdowns could be expected for any outbreak, authorities around the country have responded with varying measures to the latest viral spread.

Some cities have been closed off, including the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, home to 17.5 million people. But Shenzhen's measures were partially eased following Xi's comments.

Shanghai, meanwhile, has moved schooling online and rolled out mass testing, but has avoided a full lockdown.

Authorities have said people with mild cases can isolate at central quarantine facilities, having previously sent all patients with any symptoms to specialist hospitals.

But tens of millions of people remain under stay-at-home orders across China due to the outbreak, which has sent daily reported new cases soaring from less than 100 just three weeks ago to several thousand per day.

Beijing also has watched nervously as Hong Kong has struggled to contain an Omicron outbreak that has sent deaths in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city soaring into the thousands.

Mainland China officials have moved to create new hospital beds over fears the virus could put the health system under strain.

Jilin has built eight "makeshift hospitals" and two quarantine centres.

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 24 million residents.

Long queues have formed outside mass testing sites across China and controls have been tightened at ports, raising fears of trade disruption.

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After the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered Apple and Google app stores to ban Telegram within the country for failing to comply with its order, its Founder and CEO Pavel Durov said on Saturday that it happened because the company was checking the wrong email address of the Supreme Court.

"It seems that we had an issue with emails going between our telegram.org corporate addresses and the Brazilian Supreme Court," Durov said in a Telegram post.

"As a result of this miscommunication, the Court ruled to ban Telegram for being unresponsive," he added.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes earlier demanded telecommunications agency Anatel to officially suspend Telegram until it complies with local orders and pays fines.

Telegram allegedly failed to prevent users from spreading disinformation as it's become a communications hub for President Jair Bolsonaro.

Durov said he apologises to the Brazilian Supreme Court for the negligence.

"Unfortunately, our response must have been lost, because the Court used the old general-purpose email address in further attempts to reach us. As a result, we missed its decision in early March that contained a follow-up takedown request. Luckily, we have now found and processed it, delivering another report to the Court today," he informed.

He requested the court to consider delaying its ruling for a few days at its discretion "to allow us to remedy the situation by appointing a representative in Brazil and setting up a framework to react to future pressing issues like this in an expedited manner".

"The last THREE weeks have been unprecedented for the world and for Telegram. Our content moderation team was flooded with requests from multiple parties," Durov said, mentioning how people are using the platform using Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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A generation of Ukrainians who knew of war only from history books and the stories of their grandparents has been forced to prepare to fight, and some are choosing to do it with the partners they were building their lives with only weeks ago.

In a training centre in the southern city of Odessa, young urban professionals who might normally be choosing where to meet friends for a coffee learn about handling weapons and applying emergency first aid to battlefield wounds.

"Every person should know how to fight, how to make medicine, aid for your relatives or other people," said 26-year-old graphic designer Olga Moroz, training in civil defence alongside her boyfriend, 32-year-old sales manager Maxim Yavtushenko.

Also Read: Attacks on Ukraines hospitals are deliberate and brutal. The world must respond to these acts of terror

The couple, who had been planning their wedding in the summer, were at the dimly lit facility that provides basic training for 80 to 150 people a day, all seeking to have some kind of preparation for the day that Russian troops pressing closer to the city finally arrive.

Odessa, a picturesque Black Sea port that handles more than half of Ukraine's imports and exports, is seen as a major strategic and symbolic target for Russian forces. Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24 in what the Kremlin describes as a "special military operation".

Three weeks later, the capital Kyiv and key cities like Odessa are still unconquered, with Russian troops facing strong resistance from Ukrainian forces and defiant opposition from the civilian population. But some cities, such as the city of Mariupol east of Odessa, have faced days of bombardment.

The reality of war has come as a shock to residents of Odessa, a vibrant city where design ateliers and coffee outlets specializing in single bean roasts mix with historic architecture and the looming cranes and rail yards of the port.

Also Read: Russia deploys hypersonic Kinzhal missle in western Ukraine

"To be honest it's really hard for us to understand that right now is a war," said 26-year-old internet marketing agency employee, Murager Sharipov. "Now people are dying somewhere, people are dying and these are our people," he said.

Although the civil defence training offered in the centre is basic, Yavtushenko said it had helped prepare mentally for what might come.

"Ukraine is right now alone and people who right now are watching it need to understand the war is here, but it can be in your home, it may be with your friends and in your country."

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Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on Friday to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west, the defence ministry said.

Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.

"The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region", the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.

A defence ministry spokesman declined to comment when reached by AFP.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile "an ideal weapon" that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems.

The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018.

Deliatyn, a village in the foothills of the picturesque Carpathian mountains, is located outside the city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

The region of Ivano-Frankivsk shares a 50-kilometre 930-mile) long border with NATO member Romania.

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BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on Saturday called on countries in the Asia-Pacific to cherish peace, work together in unity and pursue a win-win future for the region.

"The Ukraine crisis keeps the world on edge. It also provides a mirror for us to observe the situation in the Asia-Pacific," Le said at the Fourth International Forum on Security and Strategy.

The Asia-Pacific is an anchor for world peace and stability, an engine for global growth and a new pace-setter in international cooperation, he said. "Such a promising situation has not come easily and should be cherished by all sides."

Le called on all countries in the region to cherish peace and not undermine regional tranquility; respect each other and not wantonly interfere in others' internal affairs; promote unity and cooperation and not create division and confrontation; and pursue independence and self-strength and not let others decide our future.

"China stands ready to work with all countries in the Asia-Pacific under the banner of true multilateralism to promote enduring peace, common development and open regionalism, and jointly open up brighter prospects for the Asia-Pacific community with a shared future," Le said. 
About three dozen would-be asylum seekers from Russia found themselves blocked from entering the US on Friday while a group of Ukrainians flashed passports and were escorted across the border.

The scene reflected a quiet but unmistakable shift in the differing treatment of Russians and Ukrainians who enter Mexico as tourists and fly to Tijuana, hoping to enter the US for a chance at asylum.

The Russians  34 as of Friday  had been camped several days at the busiest US border crossing with Mexico, two days after city of Tijuana officials gently urged them to leave.

Also Read | Xi Jinping says conflicts like Ukraine crisis in 'no one's interests'

They sat on mats and blankets, checking smartphones, chatting and snacking, with sleeping bags and strollers nearby as a stream of pedestrian border crossers filed past them. Five young girls sat and talked in a circle, some with stuffed animals.

Days earlier, some Russians were being admitted to the US at the San Ysidro crossing, while some Ukrainians were blocked. But by Friday, Russians were denied while Ukrainians were admitted after short waits.

It's very hard to understand how they make decisions, said Iirina Zolinka, a 40-year-old Russian woman who camped overnight with her family of seven after arriving in Tijuana on Thursday.

Also Read | Civilians survive Ukraine theatre strike as deadly fighting rages

Erika Pinheiro, litigation and policy director for advocacy group Al Otro Lado, said the US began admitting all Ukrainians on humanitarian parole for one year around Tuesday, while at the same time blocking all Russians. There was no official announcement.

A Homeland Security Department memo dated March 11 but not publicly released until Thursday told border officials that Ukrainians may be exempt from sweeping asylum limits designed to prevent spread of COVID-19. It says decisions are to be made case-by-case for Ukrainians but makes no mention of Russians.

The Department of Homeland Security recognizes that the unjustified Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis, the memo states.

Russian migrants in Tijuana sat off to the side of a line of hundreds of border residents waiting to walk across the border to San Diego on Friday. The line was unimpeded.

A 32-year-old Russian migrant who hadn't left the border crossing since arriving in Tijuana with his wife about five days earlier had no plans to leave, fearing he may miss any sudden opportunity.

Within hours of arriving, the migrant, who identified himself only as Mark because he feared for his family's safety in Russia, saw three Russian migrants admitted to the United States. After six hours, US authorities returned his passport and said only Ukrainians were being admitted.

Ukrainians and Russians are suffering because of one man, Mark said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He fled shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US officials have expelled migrants more than 1.7 million times since March 2020 without a chance to see asylum under sweeping authority aimed at preventing spread of Covid-19. But the public health authority, known as Title 42, is seldom used for migrants of some nationalities who are difficult to expel for financial or diplomatic reasons.

But to claim asylum, migrants must be on US soil and US officials are blocking passage except for those it wants to admit.

Even before Russia's invasion, the United States was seeing an increase in Russian and Ukrainian asylum seekers, most trying to enter at official crossings in San Diego rather than trying to cross illegally in deserts and mountains.

More than 1,500 Ukrainians entered the US on the Mexican border from September through February, according to US Customs and Border Protection, about 35 times the 45 Ukrainians who crossed during the same period a year earlier.

Ukrainians who can reach US soil are virtually guaranteed a shot at asylum. Only four of the 1,553 who entered in the September-February period were barred under the public health order that lets the US expel migrants without a chance at humanitarian protection.

The number of Russian asylum seekers entering at U.S land crossings from Mexico surpassed 8,600 from September through February, about 30 times the 288 the same time a year earlier. All but 23 were processed under laws that allow them to seek asylum.

Mexican officials have been wary of migrants sleeping at the border. Last month they dismantled a large migrant camp in Tijuana with tents and tarps that blocked a walkway to San Diego.

Eager to stop another camp from forming, the city distributed a letter on Wednesday asking migrants to leave their campsites for health and safety reasons and offered free shelter if they couldn't afford a hotel.

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Sri Lanka cancelled exams for millions of school students as the country ran out of printing paper with Colombo short on dollars to finance imports, officials said Saturday.

Education authorities said the term tests, scheduled a week from Monday, were postponed indefinitely due to an acute paper shortage as Sri Lanka contends with its worst financial crisis since independence in 1948.

"School principals cannot hold the tests as printers are unable to secure foreign exchange to import necessary paper and ink," the department of Education of the Western Province said.

Official sources said the move could effectively hold up tests for around two thirds of the country's 4.5 million students.

Term tests are part of a continuous assessment process to decide if students are promoted to the next grade at the end of the year.

A debilitating economic crisis brought on by a shortage of foreign exchange reserves to finance essential imports, has seen the country run low on food, fuel and pharmaceuticals.

The cash-strapped South Asian nation of 22 million announced this week that it will seek an IMF bailout to resolve its worsening foreign debt crisis and shore up external reserves.

The International Monetary Fund on Friday confirmed it was considering President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's surprise Wednesday request to discuss a bailout.

Around $6.9 billion of Colombo's debt needs to be serviced this year but its foreign currency reserves stood at about $2.3 billion at the end of February.

Long queues have formed across the country for groceries and oil with the government instituting rolling electricity blackouts and rationing of milk powder, sugar, lentils and rice.

Sri Lanka earlier this year asked China, one of its main creditors, to help put off debt payments but there has been no official response yet from Beijing.

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Ukraine on Saturday called on China to join the West in condemning "Russian barbarism" after the US warned Beijing of consequences if it backed Moscow's attack on the country.

"China can be the global security system's important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries' coalition and condemn Russian barbarism," presidential aide Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

China has stayed out of the international outcry against Russia's actions in Ukraine, refusing to condemn President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

US President Joe Biden told Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a call Friday that any backing for Russia in its war in Ukraine would be costly.

Also read: Dozens dead after military barracks hit in south Ukraine

The White House said that Biden described to Xi "the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians."

It did not give Xi's response.

Xi and Putin met last month at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, shortly before Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.

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Ukrainian authorities have not noticed any significant shifts over the past 24 hours in front line areas where Ukrainian troops are battling Russian forces, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Saturday.

In an online video address, he said fighting was ongoing and named the southeastern city of Mariupol, the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson, and the eastern town of Izyum as particular hotspots where Russian troops were on the offensive.

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The International Society For Krishna Consciousness on Saturday requested the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh to take measures "to assuage the sense of insecurity among minorities" in the neighbouring country in the aftermath of a case of felling of a wall at ISKCON Radhhakanta temple in Dhaka on the eve of Dol Jatra (Holi) celebrations.

However, the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council which investigated the incident described the wall felling at the ISKCON temple by a mob as the result of a long festering property dispute with locals.

ISKCON Kolkata chapter vice president Radharaman Das told PTI that the Awami League government has posted armed policemen to protect the temple compound.

Also Read: Bangladesh govt has 'completely failed' in protecting Hindus: RSS leader

Condemning the incident, Das said There should be long-term visible steps to ensure that minorities, including Hindus, are not subjected to regular attacks and their places of worship vandalised. The alleged attack which demolished a disputed wall at the ISKCON temple in Wari, Dhaka occurred on Thursday evening.

"This trend has been seen in recent times during important festivals like Durga Puja and the administration in Bangladesh must address the concerns of the members of the community about being systematically targeted by fundamentalists."

Das tweeted "for how long can a temple of minorities of Bangladesh do their Puja under police protection? There is need to address the roots of the problem, which is the poisoning of young minds."

The general secretary of `Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikyo Parishad (Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council) Rana Dasgupta, who visited the spot on March 18, told PTI telephonically that there has been a long-standing boundary wall dispute between the temple authorities and a section of locals.

However, he also said, "It is also true that a mob of 100-150 assembled at the temple area (on March 17 night). The boundary wall caved in but we don't know how. "Now it is for you to conclude whether this was an incident triggered by land dispute or there were communal overtones to it.

There has been a sense of insecurity among minorities for years in Bangladesh though there has been improvement in many areas during the reign of the Awami League government, he said.

However, every positive promise it made has not been translated into demonstrative action, Dasgupta said. The council is a platform of 31 organisations in the neighbouring country.

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), that represents a broad section of Indian Muslims, has stated that it will approach Supreme Court on the hijab issue.

The Board has asked Muslims to be patient, and peacefully register their protest (in the state concerned) if any state government imposes a ban on the scarf, and not to take the law into their own hands.

Boards legal committee and secretaries recently attended an online meeting to have an overview of the Karnataka High Court verdict on hijab. Maulana Sagheer Ahmed Rashadi, Ameer-e-Shariat, Karnataka was also a part of the meeting.

Read | Hijab row verdict: A grave constitutional wrong

In a statement attributed to Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, its general secretary, the Board has stated that the verdict has not taken into account the freedom of the individual; what action is mandatory and whats not in Islam -- the Court has taken a call on this issue. The Board stated that it will take appropriate steps within the purview of the law and approach Supreme Court. The verdict should be challenged in Supreme Court, the Board has observed.

Meanwhile, the Board has appealed to scholars, intellectuals, investors and businessmen to establish more and more girl-schools, and make arrangements for quality education with an Islamic environment. It has urged the Muslims in the social sector to hold meetings with private institutions and encourage them for setting up separate classrooms for girl-students in 8th standard, and above.

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Manipur caretaker Chief Minister N Biren Singh and senior BJP MLA Th Biswajit Singh, who were seen as contenders for the CM's post after the saffron party returned to power for the second time in a row, on Saturday left for Delhi in separate flights to meet the central leaders, sources said.

The two leaders left for the national capital after being summoned by the party top brass and who will be the chief minister this time is likely to be known by Sunday, BJP sources said.

After the election results were announced, Biren Singh, Th Biswajit and BJP state president A Sharda Devi had gone to Delhi on March 15 amid reports of "groupism" within the party and returned to Imphal on March 17.

Also Read: Manipur's 'double engine' could resolve the Naga issue

Social media was abuzz with speculations about which one of the two will become the next chief minister. The decision will be made by the BJP Parliamentary Board.

The BJP returned to power in the insurgency-affected Manipur, picking up 32 seats in a house of 60.

It had managed to form a government in 2017 despite having just 21 seats compared to Congresss 28 by joining hands with two local parties  NPP and NPF.

However, this time around, the BJP contested alone and managed to win a majority on the plank that a vote for the party would bring peace to the troubled state  both in the valley and the hills where tribals hold the ground.

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Talking about the hijab stand-off in Karnataka, Sister Mary Joseph, the newly elected Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, said every child has their dignity, and it must be respected.

Responding to a question on the headscarf controversy in Karnataka, Sister Mary said: To me, a Muslim child, she has her rights, and I must respect that right. I can't change others. I must go with my inspiration that you are a child of God. I must respect you.

The superior general stated: My project is small. I cant change the whole world, it's beyond me. Mother (Teresa) has always been like that there is suffering, take care of that, but to set the whole world I have no time.

"Because she (referring to Muslim girls) is a child of God, she has her right Every child is Gods child and she has dignity and they must respect that dignity," she added.

Also read: Hijab row verdict: A grave constitutional wrong

The Missionaries of Charity was founded by Mother Teresa, and Sister Mary took over from Sister Prema. Besides other parts of the world, the Sister has also served in Eastern Europe Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romaniaas a formator of young novices.

Interacting with journalists at Mothers House in Kolkata on Saturday, Sister Mary said there are five sisters in Kyiv  they arent stuck but are there out of choice because people are suffering.

Our sisters have chosen to remain with the people  they are in Kyiv. There are five of them. They are actually in the basement. We are always in connection (touch) with them, we speak with them. Thirty-three people, they are taking care of. Also, there are people from outside, asking for food, medicine, and our sisters are constantly serving them, Sister Mary said.

We are informed that they are getting help, many people are coming to give them food, the Sister added.

The Missionaries has six houses in Russia, one in Ukraines Kyiv. Besides, Missionaries is serving the destitute in countries in the region, like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted an advisory board comprising three judges of the Delhi High Court to review the cases registered under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) which allows the detention of a person up to a year without any charge.

Such an advisory board is constituted under Section 9 of the 1980 Act.

According to an official notification, Justice Yogesh Khanna will be the chairman of the advisory board while justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Rajnish Bhatnagar will be members of the high-powered body.

The NSA empowers the government to detain a person if it considers the individual a threat to national security or to prevent him or her from disrupting public order.

Under the NSA, a person can be detained for up to 12 months without a charge. The detained person can be held for 10 days without being told the charges against him or her.

The detainee can appeal only before the advisory board for relief but will not be allowed a lawyer during the trial.

In the case of every NSA detainee, the government concerned shall, within three weeks from the date of detention, place before the advisory board the grounds on which the order has been made and the representation, if any, made by the detainee.

The advisory board shall, after considering the materials placed before it and after hearing the detainee, submit its report to the government within seven weeks from the date of detention of the person concerned.

The report of the board shall specify as to whether or not there is sufficient cause for the detention. In cases where the advisory board has reported that there is, in its opinion, sufficient cause for the detention of the person concerned, the government may confirm the detention order and continue the detention for such period as it thinks fit.

In cases where the board has reported that there is no sufficient cause for the detention, the government shall revoke the detention order and the detainee to be released forthwith.

A detained person can continue to be in jail without obtaining the opinion of the advisory board for a period longer than three months, but not exceeding six months where such person had been detained with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the defence of India.

This also applies if the person is detained to prevent from interfering with the government's efforts in coping with the terrorist, the security of India or the maintenance of public order or the maintenance of supplies.

The NSA was enacted in 1980 when the Indira Gandhi government was in power.

According to the data provided by the government in Parliament in 2020, nearly 1,200 people across the country were detained under the NSA in 2017 and 2018.

Madhya Pradesh detained the highest number of people under the NSA among all the states followed by Uttar Pradesh.

In Madhya Pradesh, 795 people were detained under the NSA in 2017 and 2018 while 466 were released by review boards and 329 were under custody.

In Uttar Pradesh, of the 338 people detained under the NSA in 2017 and 2018, 150 were released by review boards and 188 were under detention.

No official data is available about NSA detainees since 2019.

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India on Saturday signalled a subtle change in its stand on Russias military operations in Ukraine, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in assessing broader implications of the conflict, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region  the scene of growing belligerence of China.

India has so far been dismissing any attempt to draw a parallel between Russias aggression against Ukraine and Chinas belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region. It has also been rejecting the argument put forward by the United States that if Russia could get away with its aggression against Ukraine, it would encourage China to ratchet up its belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Modi on Saturday continued to avoid directly calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering military operations in Ukraine. Kishida, however, condemned Putin for aggression against the East European nation. The two prime ministers together called for immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine, noting that dialogue and diplomacy was the only path for resolution of the conflict.

Also Read | Japan announces investment target of Rs 3.2 lakh crore in India in next five years

As Modi hosted Kishida for a summit in New Delhi, the new Japanese Prime Minister announced Tokyos new target for investing JPY 5 trillion ($42 billion or Rs 3.2 lakh crore) in India over the next five years. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also pledged to provide over JPY 300 billion (over Rs 20,400 crore) for seven projects across India, including the third phase of the water supply and sewerage project in Bengaluru.

The two sides inked altogether six documents on the sideline of the summit, setting the stage for stepping up cooperation in cybersecurity and sustainable urban development as well as for stepping up economic partnership.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla later told journalists that the two prime ministers had exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kishidas Press Secretary Hikariko Ono said that Japan and India were on the same page and the two prime ministers agreed that any attempt to change status quo by force anywhere in the world could never be tolerated.

The United States and the other western nations have been drawing a parallel between Russias aggression against Ukraine and Chinas belligerence against India along the disputed border between the two nations as well as against Japan and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region. New Delhi, however, has been rejecting the argument put forward by President Joe Bidens administration, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stating that the two situations have not been analogous.

Also Read | Japan PM Fumio Kishida to stress unity on Ukraine in meet with PM Narendra Modi

Modi, however, joined Kishida on Saturday to express serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region, according to a joint statement issued after the summit in New Delhi.

The two leaders emphasized that the contemporary global order had been built on the United Nations Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

The joint statement, however, had no reference to Russia or criticism for Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering the launch of special military operations in Ukraine on February 24.

Modi and Kishida underscored the importance of the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and acknowledged active efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) towards it. They reiterated their call for an immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for the resolution of the conflict.

The two prime ministers affirmed that they would undertake appropriate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Modi told Kishida about the India-China military stand-off in eastern Ladakh. Kishida also briefed Modi about Chinas belligerence against Japan, particularly in East China Sea and South China Sea.

Modi will also have a virtual summit with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia on Monday. Indias back-to-back engagements with Japan and Australia are happening just days after a virtual summit of the Quad convened by the United States President Joe Biden exposed the differences within the four-nation coalition over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India argued that the Quad should keep its focus on countering China in the Indo-Pacific region and resisted the US bid to get the coalition formally condemn Russias military offensives against Ukraine. Though Australia and Japan supported the US, it was due to objection of India that the joint statement issued after the summit of the Quad had no direct condemnation of Russia for its military operations in Ukraine.

Modi and Kishida on Saturday emphasized that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with international law.
Japan on Saturday announced an investment target of five trillion yen (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India in the next five years following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

The two sides inked six agreements providing for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, besides firming a separate clean energy partnership.

At a joint media briefing, Modi said deepening India-Japan ties will not only benefit the two countries but will also help in encouraging peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Also Read | Japan PM Fumio Kishida to stress unity on Ukraine in meet with PM Narendra Modi

Kishida said the situation in Ukraine following the Russian invasion figured in the talks and described Moscow's actions against the eastern European country as a serious matter that has shaken the basis of international norms.

Unilateral attempts to change the status quo using force should not be allowed, he said.

Modi said India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply and that both sides are determined to expand overall cooperation.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will encourage a unified approach on Ukraine when he meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday, while aiming to strengthen security ties across the Indo-Pacific region.

"Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine coincides with this trip, I'd like to emphasise the importance of international unity and confirm that Japan and India will work together on various issues," Kishida said ahead of his visit.

India and Japan are party to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a security framework that also includes the United States and Australia.

Japan has imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian individuals and organisations since the Ukraine invasion that began on Feb. 24 and has been receiving Ukrainian refugees. India, however, is the only one of the four Quad members that has not condemned the invasion.

Read | Ukraine crisis: Biden warns Xi against backing Russia

Kishida will also aim to reinforce security and economic ties with India, the world's second most populous country and Asia's third-largest economy.

He is expected to announce a plan to invest 5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in India over five years during this visit, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014 announced 3.5 trillion yen in investment and financing over five years during a visit to India.

Japan has been supporting India's urban infrastructure development and a high-speed railway based on its bullet train technology.

Japan and India in 2020 signed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement that allows for reciprocal stocks of food, fuel and other supplies between defence forces.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held "productive" talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on a wide range of issues including ways to further boost bilateral economic and cultural ties.

Kishida, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived here at around 3:40 pm on his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government.

"Advancing friendship with Japan. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @kishida230 held productive talks in New Delhi. Both leaders discussed ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries," Modi's office tweeted.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the agenda of the summit talks between Modi and Kishida included multifaceted bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

"PM @narendramodi welcomed Japan's PM @kishida230 for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. Discussions on our multifaceted bilateral ties, regional & global issues of mutual interest on the agenda," he tweeted.

According to a media advisory issued by the external affairs ministry, the Japanese prime minister is scheduled to depart from India at 8 am on Sunday. Kishida is travelling to Cambodia after concluding his India visit.

Before leaving for India, Kishida said Russia's invasion of Ukraine is unacceptable and such actions should never be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese prime minister said he will exchange views on the situation in Ukraine with leaders of India and Cambodia.

Prime Minister Modi had spoken to PM Kishida on phone in October 2021 soon after he assumed office. Both sides expressed a desire to further strengthen the special strategic and global partnership.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The annual summit between Prime Minister Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe was cancelled in December 2019 in Guwahati in the wake of massive protests rocking the Assam capital over the amended citizenship law.

The summit could not be held in 2020 as well as in 2021 primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The Election Commission will assess the security situation before taking a final call on conduct of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the completion of delimitation of 90 Assembly and five Parliamentary constituencies of the Union Territory (UT).

The Commission, headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, is expected to submit its final report on May 6 after which the revision of electoral rolls will be taken up by the EC, sources said.

The Commission had put its report in public domain on March 14 and sought objections from the public till March 21. The panel will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir on March 28 and 29 for public sittings to decide objections. After taking objections into account, it will submit its report to the Union Law and Justice Ministry on or before May 6, they said.

Sources said after submission of the report, the EC could go for summary revision of electoral rolls which havent been updated for the last three years. The revision is mandatory before initiating the exercise for conduct of Assembly polls.

Read | J&K delimitation: Fraught exercise

In the proposal put in public domain, the Commission had increased the number of Assembly seats in Jammu region from 37 to 43 while in Kashmir, the tally had been increased from 46 to 47.

Political parties in Kashmir in one voice have rejected the Commissions proposal to increase the number of Assembly seats in Jammu region by six against one in the Valley.

The EC will also take security review of the situation later before taking a final call on holding much awaited Assembly polls elections in the UT. J&K is without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP broke its alliance with PDP forcing the chief minister of the PDP-BJP alliance Mehbooba Mufti to resign.

Five months later, on November 28, 2018, then J&K governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the legislative assembly and a month later on December 19, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind issued a proclamation promulgating President's Rule in J&K under Article 356 of the Constitution of India.

Eight months later, the BJP government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated J&K into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The ongoing delimitation exercise has taken centrestage in J&Ks frozen politics as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have several times in the past stated that Assembly polls in the UT will be held only after the completion of delimitation.

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Senior Delhi BJP leaders, along with party MPs, legislators and farmers, will stage a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on Sunday morning to press their demands related to subsidies on agricultural equipment and fertilisers among others.

According to a statement by the Delhi BJP, the protest march will begin from Chandgi Ram Akhara at 11.15 am under the banner of Kisan Morcha, affiliated to the Delhi BJP, and will culminate at the chief ministers residence on Flagstaff Road.

State BJP president Adesh Gupta, Leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, MPs and MLAs, along with thousands of farmers, will participate in the protest march, the statement said.

Delhi BJP's Kisan Morcha president Vinod Sherawat said farmers have been sitting on an indefinite dharna since 40 days but neither Kejriwal nor any of the officials have met them yet.

Despite Delhi being the nation's capital, the farmers are not getting their rightful due. They get no subsidy on tractors, fertilisers or other farm-related items and end up paying commercial rate for power use for irrigation. This is a gross injustice to them and shows Kejriwal's inhuman attitude towards farmers, Sherawat said in the statement.

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Seating arrangements for 75,000 people are being made at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium here for the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected BJP government on March 25, an official said on Saturday.

Chief minister-designate Yogi Adityanath and his cabinet ministers will take the oath of office at the ceremony that will take place at 4 pm on Friday.

Additional Chief Secretary (information) Navneet Sehgal, who on Saturday visited the stadium, said the preparations for the swearing-in ceremony are being done under Chief Secretary D S Mishra.

Also Read: UP poll results show people voted for nationalism, development: Yogi

"Seating arrangements for 75,000 people are being made at the swearing-in ceremony. The programme will be a grand and splendid one, and preparations are already underway," he said.

On Friday, BJP sources had said that senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president J P Nadda and other central ministers will attend the event.

Besides, chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states, RSS leaders and BJP office-bearers are expected to attend the function. Top leaders of opposition parties will also be invited, they had said.

Before the ceremony, Adityanath will be elected as the leader of the legislature party, the sources had said.

This will be the second consecutive term for Adityanath.

The BJP won 255 seats in the 403-member assembly and its allies won 18 seats.

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The Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has offered to join hands with the NCP-Congress and together take on the BJP.

Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress together run the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which has kept BJP out of power.

However, Shiv Sena has rejected the move completely saying that there are three-parties in the MVA and it would remain that way.

Read | Did AIMIM help BJP win UP polls?

The offer came from Imtiaz Jaleel, the Lok Sabha MP from Aurangabad and Maharashtra AIMIM chief when states Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Rajesh Tope met him at his residence.

Some NCP leaders (including Tope) visited my home to offer condolences on my mothers demise..it is always alleged that BJP wins because of us (AIMIM) to prove this allegation wrong I proposed to Tope that we are ready for an alliance, Jaleel said.

However, Jaleel said Tope didnt say anything about my offer - and would convey it to the party high command.

In Maharashtra also, these parties (Congress and NCP) want votes of Muslims but not the AIMIM. They blame us for BJPs victory. I propose that then let us contest the elections together.otherwise we can go alone anyways....we are giving them a chance (for an alliance) as they call us the B team (of BJP)why NCP onlyCongress also can come together, he said, adding that the offer came from him and NCP-Congress would have to respond.

However, Jaleel avoided a reply when questioned about the Shiv Sena, the biggest stakeholder in the MVA dispensation with its President Uddhav Thackeray being the Chief Minister.

Also Read | Derek, Owaisi picked for best parliamentarian award by Lokmat Group

Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut rejected any further alks of an alliance.

The MVA comprises three parties (Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress)you dont get into fourth and fifthit will remain that way.

Raut said that Shiv Sena follows the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. We do not (join hands) with those who bow before Aurangzeb, he said.

Raut accused the BJP and AIMIM of having a hidden alliance. You have seen this earliernow in Uttar Pradesh and before that in West Bengal, he said.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, when asked about the development, said: Whether it is going to be three parties or four partieswe will take onpeople have faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiwe are now watching what Shiv Sena does to the (AIMIM) offer (to NCP-Congress).

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The United States and the United Kingdom are inextricably linked to the Syrian people's misery, a senior Chinese diplomat said at a discussion on Syria held during the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council Friday.

In Syria, air strikes by the United States, the United Kingdom and others have resulted in a substantial number of civilian deaths and displacement, said Jiang Duan, minister of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

The U.S. has launched more than 90,000 air attacks in Syria and other countries over the last two decades, killing up to 48,000 civilians, Jiang said.

The United States, the United Kingdom and other nations have implemented a slew of illegal unilateral coercive measures against Syria, wreaking havoc on the country's human rights and humanitarian situation, Jiang added.

The Chinese diplomat told the Council that the fact that the Syrian issue has lingered until now demonstrated that external interference, provocation of confrontation, pressure, and sanctions will only cause deep suffering to a country.

"It should serve as a powerful lesson for the world community. Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as the Syrian people's right to subsistence and growth, must all be recognized and protected," he said.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Praising the CRPF for playing a key role in the fight against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, naxalism, and extremist forces in the northeast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asked the paramilitary force to prepare a roadmap for meeting future challenges.

Shah was addressing a gathering at the 83rd raising day of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the Maulana Azad Stadium here. This is for the first time that the parade has been held outside the CRPF headquarters in Delhi-NCR.

CRPF is not only a central armed police force but every child of the country loves it for its bravery and courage. Whenever riots happen anywhere in the country, the deployment of the CRPF gives satisfaction to the people," said Shah at the CRPF day parade.

The love and respect earned by the CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, is due to the sacrifices, dedication and devotion of its personnel, Shah said.

"Whether it is naxal-infested regions of central India, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir or extremist forces in the northeast, the CRPF has played a key role in the elimination of such groups and restoring peace in all the three regions, Shah said.

Shah said the CRPF has played an appreciable role across the country and asserted that there will be no need for redeployment of CRPF in the three regions in the next few years.

"I am sure that we will be able to restore peace and if it happens, the credit will go to the CRPF jawans. I am saying it with confidence that ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, the work done by CRPF is self-explanatory," he said.

There was a time in the 1990s when extremism in the northeast and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir was at its peak and everyone in the country was concerned.

Within two decades, the CRPF with its dedication, devotion and determination fought the battle against the anti-national forces who are now on the verge of extinction," he said.

"As home minister, I congratulate the bravery shown by you in the violence-hit areas of the three regions. It is because of your professional handling of the situation that the countrymen are breathing in a peaceful atmosphere, he said.

The prime minister has set a target of making India a USD 5 trillion economy and it will be achievable when the internal security is strong, Shah said, adding We are satisfied of the role of the CRPF.

I ask the Director General of CRPF Kuldiep Singh to prepare a roadmap to meet upcoming challenges by modernising the force and procuring the latest equipment," Shah said, adding that the CRPF has to be made a modernised, capable and effective force.

"We have to work in this direction and I am sure the CRPF under the leadership of Kuldiep Singh will take it forward," he said.

He lauded the CRPF for its contribution in ensuring free and fair elections in the country, saying "Whether it is Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, the force has the biggest role to play. Free and fair elections are the soul of democracy.

The home minister also praised the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and said its handling of riots by using minimum force is a reflection of its training.

If we analyse the riot situation before and after the setting up of the RAF, you will see RAF has emerged as a successful force to deal with the situation. They are now training reserve police battalions in states and they are working together which are providing good results, he said.
Well-known Indian spiritualist and environmentalist Sadhguru launched his Journey to Save Soil in London, as he prepares to embark on a 100-day motorcycle ride through 26 countries to raise awareness around soil degradation that poses a threat to life on the planet.

The founder of Isha Foundation and the Conscious Planet movement will begin his tour from London on Monday and conclude it in the Kaveri Basin in India on June 21 in time for the International Day of Yoga (IDY).

The road trip will see the Yoga guru travel the icy roads of Europe through to battling the Indian Monsoon with a target of reaching an audience of around 3.5 billion people to create a sense of urgency around the Save Soil campaign.

Soil degradation is approaching levels that threaten food production, climate stability and the very life on this planet, said Jaggi Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, at a Rendezvous event at the Taj in London on Friday.

We are not environmentalists or ecologists, we are the environment and ecology. We have forgotten that Soil is the most lively thing on the planet. It is the basis of everything that you know as life, he said, in conversation with British Indian peer Lord Jitesh Gadhia.

The 64-year-old riding enthusiast will be joined by well-known figures along the route of his road tour for public events planned in major cities including Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Geneva and Tel Aviv.

His mission is to get policymakers and influencers to sign up for his Save Soil pledge to prioritise soil regeneration.

Icy roads and two-wheelers are not friends but as if that was not enough, there is a war going on. We are not going through the [Russia-Ukraine] war region but into the refugee influx region, said Sadhguru, of the arduous terrain ahead.

And, as this is the 75th year of Indias Independence, I will also be picking out 75 revolutionaries who participated in the countrys freedom struggle since 1857. We cant build monuments for them, but we can bring them back into peoples memories. I feel as a nation if we are not grateful for what previous generations have done, an ungrateful nation will not go very far, he said.

Save Soil is a global movement to address the soil crisis by getting countries to institute national policies towards increasing the organic content in cultivable soil. The campaign has found the support of the Indian government, with funds allocated towards it.

Our Prime Ministers [Narendra Modi] heart is very much in the soil and soil regeneration. Already there has been money allotted for this project, which is tremendous; its a game-changer, said Sadhguru.

The environmentalists focus is on highlighting the need for better farming practices, such as the use of cover crops, plant litter and animal waste to enhance the organic content of the soil. He believes that farmers know best and should be supported with the right incentives.

Rich soil is rich life. No scientific research is needed to prove that; every organism knows that. So, we need everyone to join this movement; we are not against anybody  the fertiliser or pesticide industry. Everyone has a role to play, he added.

Around 14 countries have signed up to work towards securing soil health globally and Sadhguru hopes many more nations would have joined at the end of his road trip, which includes a catchy anthem played for a sing-along at the Taj in London this week.

The Save Soil movement strongly resonates with Taj and our values, said Mehrnavaz Avari, UK Area Director and General Manager of the Taj at St. James' Court in London.

We are part of the Tata company and these are values that go back to our founder. We have championed several causes related to education, environment, and health. This falls among our larger ethos of what Taj and Tatas believe in, she said.

The Rendezvous series of talks, organised by the recently launched exclusive Chambers members' club, will host similar high-profile speakers and masterclasses on a regular basis for an exchange of thoughts and ideas and celebration of Indian cuisine at the hotel.

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India may need 1,000 pilots per year in the near future and a Parliamentary panel has asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to ensure that our boys and girls need not go abroad for pilot training by facilitating the setting up of an adequate number of flying schools in the country.

Not just pilots and aircraft engineers, the aviation industry can generate a large number of jobs of non-technical nature and the committee also wants MoCA to facilitate the setting up of low-cost institutes to train air hostesses, flight attendants, flight pursers and ground/cargo handling staff.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture made the recommendations in its report on Demands for Grants (2022-23) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation tabled in Parliament last Monday.

Acknowledging that the government has liberalised Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) policy, it said the committee supports the new initiatives. It said with the growing aviation sector, there would be an increased demand for trained pilots and the MoCA should gear up to setting up new FTOs in a time-bound manner.

The Committee recommends that keeping in view of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat, sufficient FTOs may be established in various parts of the country to ensure that our boys and girls are not going to foreign countries to get pilot training, it said.

The MoCA has approached the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and state governments on the reduction of GST on AvGas and funding support to FTOs.

There are 34 FTOs approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at present. Twenty-five are under the state governments while eight are in the private sector and one  Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi in Uttar Pradeshs Amethi  under the Centre.

According to the multi-party panel headed by BJP MP TG Venkatesh, there is an acute shortage of skilled manpower and proper training institutes in the civil aviation sector, which has the potential of employment opportunities for the youth.

Other than the highly specialised jobs like commercial pilots and aircraft engineers, there are non-technical jobs like air hostess, flight attendants, flight pursers, cabin crew, ground/cargo handling staff, administrative/sales staff, where there can be a lot of job creations, it said.

The committee recommended that proper training institutes at low cost may be set up across the country to provide requisite training in these airline services so that the youth may be gainfully employed.

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The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) on Saturday threw open an advanced brain research centre to understand the human brain much deeper by slicing it into thousands of high-resolution digital images and mapping it at the cellular level.

Billed as the first-of-its-kind, the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, funded by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, the Union Government, and IIT-M, located inside the sprawling campus was inaugurated by Prof K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.

The Centres first project titled Computational and Experimental Platform for High-Resolution Terapixel Imaging of ex-vivo Human Brains has brought together 10 professors from the IIT-M, 40 researchers, six professors from the leading institutes, 25 global researchers, and scores of doctors.

Though the Centre was formally thrown open today, it is already studying three human brains and another 10 are waiting for research. The technology will help study several diseases and doctors and researchers have taken Rabies as the prototype. Alzheimers disease and Encephalitis are among other diseases that will be studied.

We dont understand brain like we understand the heart. We need a map of the brain not just to understand it better but also to come out with advanced treatment protocols. Our job here is to map the human brain and get details which will run into 100s of Tera Byte (TB), Prof Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, told DH.

The first step, Prof Sivaprakasam said, is to slice the brain into thousands of high-resolution images. It takes about a month to get the high-resolution images and we have got the images for the first three brains we are currently studying. The next step is to map it which will take some time. The results of the study on the images will be released soon, he said.

Though magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to image the human brain, Prof Sivaprakasam said, the technology reconstructs the brain only at a millimetre level but the new centre aims to get them reconstructed at micrometre level. This will help us get the map of the brain. And we take different types of brain to study, he added.

Dr George M Varghese, Professor and Head, Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, told DH that the Centre will give an advantage of studying normal and abnormal human brain.

First of all, this is an unusual combination of technological development and healthcare or medical advances. We combining it together to develop such a project. You can study the developmental abnormalities in babies who are still born babies. We have started with that, Dr Varghese, who is involved in the project, said.

He added that the Centre can various diseases looking at thin slices of brain, stain it and reconstruct the whole brain to see the abnormalities in different parts of the brain.

All that will give you much deeper understanding of many diseases for which we dont have enough understanding to cure. And then you can make treatment modalities or new treatment strategies based on the findings. New treatment strategies, Dr Varghese said.

In his speech, Kris Gopalakrishnan, also an alumnus of IIT-M, said entrepreneurship and development in science and technology are important for the nations growth.

While there have been great strides in supporting entrepreneurship, there is a need for more support to foster world-class research in India. Scientists and engineers play an important role in feeding the knowledge economy of the country. The country has the right talent, resource and opportunity in leading some areas globally, he added.

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The Twitter account of Andhra Pradesh's main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was hacked on Saturday.

TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh, son of TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, said in a tweet: "Kindly note that our official party account @jaitdp has been hacked by nefarious elements. We are working with Twitter India to restore the account."

The account was apparently hacked in the early hours of Saturday and the hackers posted a tweet from SpaceX.

In response to this, dozens of messages were posted by the TDP's Twitter handle like 'awesome', 'love this', and 'great job'.

The development comes amid the ongoing row over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that the previous TDP government had purchased spyware from Pegasus.

Reacting to the allegation, Nara Lokesh revealed that the TDP government had rejected the offer of Pegasus to sell its spyware to the state.

Lokesh, who was Minister for Information Technology in the TDP cabinet, clarified that the former state government did not purchase any spyware.

'She was misinformed. If we had resorted to such things, Jagan Mohan Reddy would not have come to power in 2019,' he said.

Meanwhile, the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has demanded a probe into the allegation.

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Even as the Maha Vikas Aghadi divested senior minister Nawab Malik of his portfolios, the opposition BJP on Saturday made it clear that the demand of resignation of the NCP leader from the council of ministers would continue.

Malik (62) was arrested on February 23 by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money-laundering case involving property deals with people linked to mafia don and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim -- and he is currently lodged in jail under judicial custody.

Malik was the Minister of Minority Development, Wakf and Skill Development. Besides, he held the charge of Guardian Minister of two districts -- Parbhani and Gondia.

His cabinet portfolios shall be divided among two other NCP ministers, Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde and Minister of State for Urban Development, Energy, Higher and Technical Education Prajakt Tanpure. They would also hold the charge of Guardian Ministers of Parbhani and Gondia, respectively.

Besides, Malik was also the Mumbai NCP President -- a charge that would not be handled by two working presidents. Besides, he was also the NCP chief spokesperson.

This is not properhe cannot continue as a minister, said Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis.

The BJP has been seeking the resignation of Malik from the state cabinet. However, the demand has been rejected by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP President Sharad Pawar. Recently, the BJP also staged a mammoth morcha at the Azad Maidan here demanding the dropping of Malik from the government.

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An eyewitness in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case on Saturday identified alleged shooters Sharad Kalaskar and Sachin Andure in a Pune court that is overseeing the trial, an official said.

Public Prosecutor Prakash Suryavanshi said Kiran Kamble (46), who works as a sweeper in the Pune Municipal Corporation, identified Kalaskar and Andure in court.

"After finishing his work, he (Kamble) was sitting on a divider, when he heard a sound like a firecracker burst. When he saw in the direction from where the sound emanated, he saw two people shooting a person," the PP said.

"These two people started running in the direction where he (Kamble) was sitting. They reached near the police chowky where they had parked their motorcycle, kickstarted it and fled from the spot. Then he (Kamble) reached the spot and saw a person lying in a pool of blood," he added.

Suryavanshi said, during cross examination, Kamble was asked about the delay in police statement. Cross examination will continue on March 23, he added.

Dabholkar, a renowned rationalist and anti-superstition activist, was shot dead on August 20, 2013, in Pune.

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The High Court of Karnataka has delivered a judgement in Resham vs State of Karnataka that is singularly lacking in empathy. The petitioners before the court included the young Muslim women from a government PU college in Udupi who had been arbitrarily shut out of their own college by their own teachers in a video witnessed by people around the world. However, the court delivered a judgement of cold-blooded legalism that, without a word of commiseration for their suffering, went on to snuff out the rights of the young people before it to privacy, dignity, religious expression and, most fundamentally of all, to education.

The judgement has upheld the legality of the notification of the state government that essentially banned the hijab in colleges that have a uniform prescribed by a College Development Committee, ruling that the hijab is not an essential part of Islam. In colleges without uniform, the notification prescribed that clothes should be worn that are in the interests of unity, equality, and public order. The judgement authorises and legitimises the prohibition on the hijab by the government and College Development Committees. Of course, following the judgement, we can anticipate the prohibition on the hijab coming into effect in many more colleges.

Also read | Hijab verdict: Reasonable accommodation lost out to reasonable restriction

This was not a dispute that involved balancing the rights of the individual over the rights of the community, as the court would have us believe. There was no young Muslim woman before the court asserting that she wanted to attend college without the hijab but was prevented from doing so. In the absence of any factual dispute between the individual right to expression against a community norm of wearing the hijab, the Government of Karnataka, in a duplicitous act of benevolent patriarchy, claimed to represent the concerns of Muslim women who dont want to wear the hijab. The court sanctified this claim.

What embodies the heartlessness of the judgement is the dismissal by the court of any via media solution between the interest of the State to prescribe a uniform and the interests of the individual to manifest their faith or to express their identity via their dress. A via media would have been based on the principle of reasonable accommodation and allowed for students to, in addition to the uniform, wear a hijab of the colour of the prescribed dress code. However, the court argued that any such accommodation would establish a sense of social-separateness and would offend the feel of uniformity which the dress code is designed to bring about amongst all the students regardless of their religion & faiths. The Karnataka High Court cites examples of balancing rights, such as the uniform prescribed in Kendriya Vidyalayas which allows for the headscarf and turban in a prescribed colour, only to then dismiss it as militating against the very concept of the school uniform.

After concluding that the hijab is not a part of the essential practice of Islam and the right to wear it is not protected under Article 25, the court concluded that the right to wear a hijab is at best a derivative right which can be circumscribed consistent withdiscipline & decorum in what it calls qualified public places like, like schools, courts, war rooms, defence camps, etc.

The idea of a derivative right has no constitutional sanction, neither does the language of a qualified public place. Both concepts aim to dilute what are core freedoms, namely the freedom of religion, the right to expression, and the right to dignity. The Vienna Declaration states that human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated. There is no concept in human rights law of one right having a lesser status than another right or of a right getting diluted based on the location where it is exercised. Further, the idea that schools, courts, war rooms and defence camps are somehow of a similar nature and rights melt away when one is in these spaces enjoys no constitutional sanction. In its creation of new jurisprudence, the Karnataka High Court seems to have taken a step in the direction of the infamous Supreme Court judgement re-criminalising same-sex relations in Suresh Kumar Koushal, where the court held that LGBT persons were miniscule minorities who had so-called rights.

The court has also blithely diluted the constitutional requirement that the government must show that its action of issuing the notification was a reasonable exercise of its power. While the judgement concedes that the government notification is hastily issued, the manifest arbitrariness writ large in the notification is casually brushed aside as a feeble ground.

When a statute or notification is to be tested on grounds of manifest arbitrariness as per the Supreme Court decision in Shayara Bano, what is required to be shown is that there is a determining principle underlying the regulation, and the regulation is not promulgated either capriciously or excessively. The UK Supreme Court, ironically in a judgement cited by the Karnataka High Court, shows what it means to demonstrate that an action is not capricious or arbitrary. There must be a procedure followed before arriving at a decision by the authority. In the UK case, the dress code which allowed the hijab but prohibited the Jilbab (long coat-like garment worn by Muslim women) was arrived at after extensive consultations with parents and teachers and Muslim parents were taken into confidence before the dress code was promulgated. This, the court concluded, was a thoughtful and proportionate response to reconciling the complexities of the situation. The Karnataka High Courts judgement was neither thoughtful nor proportionate.

This judgement stands alongside other judgements in the history of constitutional jurisprudence in India that have had the effect of depriving women of rights. The fact that the judgement misapplies rights-affirming judgements like Sabarimala and the words of strong supporters of womens rights such as Babasaheb Ambedkar to deprive women of rights only adds insult to injury.

It is up to the Supreme Court to right this grave constitutional wrong.

(The writer is State President, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties)

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The Covid pandemic, global chip shortages, and now the war in Ukraine have laid bare both the urgent need for Indian self-sufficiency in high technology domains and the opportunity to become a global technology hub, as companies and countries seek to diversify their supplier base away from China and Europe.

From smartphones to medical devices to fighter jets, semiconductors are the life-breath of the electronic industry. Presently, only a handful of fabrication plants (or 'fabs') serve most of the world's integrated circuit (or 'chips') needs, making them a potential economic chokepoint for the industry.

As a result, advanced fabs are the tip of the spear in India's fight for technology parity. "Building a fab is very challenging. Its technology keeps evolving. Even a small tweak in the technology or processing can lead to serious investment and financial implications," says Vivek Saxena, a semiconductor-industry veteran and former CEO of Global Accelerator.

At the edge of the impossible

Modern chip fabs use advanced technology that would've been considered science fiction just a few years ago. The building blocks of chips are inconceivably tiny transistors whose sizes are measured in nanometers (nm) - a billionth of a meter. These are etched on the surface of a silicon wafer using extremely precise ultraviolet lasers and then connected to create circuits.

Also read: iPhone maker Foxconn to make chips in India with Vedanta

As transistors get smaller, chips become smaller and more complex, a trend that is more commonly known as Moore's Law. Each reduction in transistor size is called a Technology or Process Node. Transistors can now be etched as small as five nm, about the width of two DNA molecules.

India: The new kid on the block?

Given how advanced fab technology is and how expensive fabs are to set up, run, and upgrade, it is no surprise that a handful of fabs dominate the world chip market  TSMC, Samsung, UMC, GlobalFoundries, and SMIC, are the only chipmakers with a market share over one per cent. India faces an uphill battle in breaking into this club, and government support is essential.

In December 2021, the Union Ministry for Electronics and IT (MeitY) invited applications under the 76,000 crore India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). The MeitY invited proposals for silicon chip fabs, display fabs, and compound semiconductor fabs as part of this mission. In response, the MeitY received five proposals. The ISM also seeks to build a semiconductor ecosystem around these fabs, with programmes incentivising testing, packaging, assembly of chips and boards, chip design, and building the necessary talent base.

Also read: Invest in semiconductor manufacturing in TN: Stalin to Samsung

The level of support on offer is impressive. "Anyone setting up a fab will get a capital investment support, complete support for infrastructure, developing the supply chain, and many other resources that would be required to create an ecosystem around that fab," said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications and MeitY at a recent webinar. "The government is tackling the semiconductor mission on a war footing," he said. This support is in addition to incentives being offered by the state governments.

Chip and display fabs

The centrepiece of the ISM is the scheme to bring chip fabs to India. The MeitY invited bids for silicon CMOS fabs in the 65 nm (or smaller) nodes with a minimum investment of 20,000 crore. The government is offering up to 50 per cent in fiscal support, depending on the technology node being offered. Three proposals were received for chip fabs  a joint venture between Vedanta and Foxconn, Singapore-based IGSS Ventures, and India Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (ISMC) from Abu Dhabi-based NextOrbit Ventures in partnership with Israel's Tower Semiconductor. These bids have proposed chip fabs with investments totalling $13.6 billion, seeking $5.6 billion in fiscal support from the Centre.

The MeitY's proposed chip fab requirements, such as 28, 45, 65 nm nodes, are now 10 to 17-year-old technology. This is not unexpected since no company will be willing to give up its hard-won technological advantage to provide India with the most advanced technology. In addition, due to lower cost and complexity, these older technologies still find use in the large market for lower-end chips used in automotive electronics, consumer gadgets, mobile devices, IoT (smart devices and internet-connected industrial machinery and sensors), and smart wearables (such as fitness trackers and smartwatches).

Also critical for India's consumer market needs are display fabs, which manufacture the LCD and AMOLED displays that go into televisions, computers, smartphones, and screens in other devices. Displays make up a significant portion of the value of such appliances. Korean companies LG and Samsung lead the display market, followed by Taiwan's Innolux Corp, a Foxconn subsidiary, and the Chinese companies AU Optronics and BOE.

In contrast to chip fabs, where transistors are becoming smaller, display fabs follow the 'bigger is better' mantra. The latest Generation-11 fabs can manufacture LCDs on glass substrates that are over 10 ft by 10 ft in size, the size of a small room. Larger glass substrates can result in lower costs, higher profit margins, and higher yield efficiency. The MeitY seeks to fund display fabs for Gen 8+ TFT LCD displays or Gen 6+ AMOLED displays, the latter being increasingly useful for smartphone displays. Bidders will need a minimum capital investment of 10,000 crore, of which the central government will fund up to 50 per cent. Two companies have proposed display fabs  Vedanta and Elest.

"I feel that display fab is the need of the hour. It doesn't need much data investment. Wherever you see any display, whether a touchscreen or a normal display, from 2 to 65 inches (the display fab can serve that need)," Saxena says.

India's share of the global electronics market is 3.6 per cent (as of 2019), but much of this is in final assembly from semi- and completely-knocked-down kits (SKD and CKD), with only 10-30 per cent value addition. A homegrown display fab can provide a low-cost supply for India's burgeoning electronics industry, which is now valued at 4.97 lakh crore and growing at 17 per cent CAGR, according to the MeitY. This will be crucial for Indian electronics companies as they seek to move up the value chain.

The display fab industry is itself at an inflexion point. Korean companies that lead the field are withdrawing from manufacturing LCD displays (used in TVs and computer monitors) to focus on AMOLED displays (which are thinner and currently used in cell phones and tablets), ceding space to Chinese display makers to fill the LCD production void. This provides an opportunity for India.

A new day or more of the same?

Setting up wafer fabs is just the first of many steps. "The semiconductor industry is complex, high value, high demand, and high risk, with a long gestational business model. Creating national champions in this field requires political, commercial, social, and techno-nationalist outlooks to converge, backed by a long-term vision," says Ajay Jalan, Founder and Managing Partner of NextOrbit Ventures Fund. Ashwini Vaishnaw concurred with this assessment, saying, "We gave a 20-year roadmap to the industry; short-term action, medium-term planning, and long-term vision."

While the ISM is ambitious, India's history of failed attempts to set up chip fabs makes for depressing reading. In mid-2005, a major multinational semiconductor company started operations in South India, hired seasoned experts, and set up a class-100 cleanroom to check for impurities in semiconductors. The endeavour faced roadblocks at each step.

Equipment imported from the US was stuck at the port for several months. Leave alone receiving any concessions, they were levied heavy import duties and had to pay huge sums as demurrage. Several trips to South Block did nothing to move the bureaucratic needle. Eventually, the equipment left without touching Indian soil. We lost a good semiconductor facility and 4000 jobs to China, which welcomed the project with generous incentives. Another multinational in the process of setting up their fab here withdrew after seeing the horrific experience of this MNC. As for the cleanroom, it was sold as scrap.

Besides power, water, land and other infrastructure support, another very critical area that needs attention are the consignment handlers at the airport and ports. The semiconductor industry completely depends on the import of highly sensitive equipment and materials, such as gases, chemicals, and wafers, all of which are time-critical requirements. When IIT Mumbai set up a centre of excellence for nanoelectronics in 2007-08, they had to import an electron lithography system worth Rs eight crore. The consignment was mishandled at the Mumbai airport, and the broken pieces reached IIT Mumbai in gunny bags.

There is cautious optimism among industry watchers that this latest attempt to right some of these past wrongs will buck the trend and find success. There is also trepidation that we might yet revisit our old bad habits.

Considering the stakes and the generous support for land acquisition, there are also apprehensions among industry specialists about the integrity of the process, especially the risk of land-grabbing in the guise of development. These fears are not unfounded; indeed, this was the case with Andhra Pradesh's Fab City project.

Ashwini Vaishnaw assured, "It's a transparent process. Unlike tenders, we are dealing with very complex proposals. Our focus now is to quickly assess the proposals, sign agreements, and decide site locations. We have a laser focus on execution."

Expert consensus points to the need for an integrated vision to develop the entire electronics ecosystem and build competency and partnerships at all levels of the electronics manufacturing chain  with researchers, fab equipment manufacturers, and design companies. "Our job is to put together a plan where in the next three to four years, we have an ability to import technology and advanced fab R&D," says a former managing director of a semiconductor MNC.

The stakes could not be higher. "The whole country needs to come together for an initiative like this," says Professor B Ramgopal Rao, former director, IIT Delhi. Raj Kumar, founder and Group CEO of IGSS Ventures (which has submitted a wafer fab proposal), agrees, "For this to be transformational for India, it is a journey that needs to be supported for the next 20 years at least, and if executed well, the eventual pay-off is huge."

(This is the first part of a two-part series.)

(Choodie Shivaram is a senior journalist and researcher)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
Scarcely two months after the omicron variant drove coronavirus case numbers to frightening heights in the United States, scientists and health officials are bracing for another swell in the pandemic and, with it, the first major test of the countrys strategy of living with the virus while limiting its impact.

At local, state and federal levels, the nation has been relaxing restrictions and trying to restore a semblance of normalcy. Encouraging Americans to return to pre-pandemic routines, officials are lifting mask and vaccine mandates and showing no inclination of closing down offices, restaurants or theatres.

But scientists are warning that the US isnt doing enough to prevent a new surge from endangering vulnerable Americans and potentially upending life again.

New pills can treat infections, but federal efforts to buy more of them are in limbo. An aid package in Congress is stalled, even as agencies run out of money for tests and therapeutics. Though less than one-third of the population has the booster shots needed for high levels of protection, the daily vaccination rate has fallen to a low.

Also Read: Flu, Covid and flurona: What we can and cant expect this winter

While some Americans may never be persuaded to roll up their sleeves, experts said that health officials could be doing a lot more, for example, to get booster shots to the doorsteps of older people who have proved willing to take the initial doses.

You use the quiet periods to do the hard work, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a public health researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. You dont use the quiet to forget.

The clearest warnings that the brief period of quiet may soon be over have come, as they often have in the past two years, from Western Europe. In a number of countries, including Britain, France and Germany, case numbers are climbing as an even more contagious subvariant of omicron, known as BA.2, takes hold.

In interviews, 10 public health researchers and infectious disease experts said that many of the ingredients were in place for the same to happen in the US, though it was unclear if or when a wave might hit or how severe it might be.

Case numbers are still dropping nationally, but BA.2 accounts for a growing proportion of those infections, rising to almost one-quarter of new cases last week. The subvariant is estimated to be 30 per cent to 50 per cent more contagious than the previous version of omicron, BA.1.

In New York City, average daily case numbers rose by roughly 40 per cent over the past two weeks, though they remain extremely low compared with recent months. In Connecticut, scientists estimate that the frequency of BA.2 infections is doubling every seven or eight days  half the rate of omicron's growth this winter, but also considerably faster than the delta variants 11-day doubling time before that.

I expect well see a wave in the US sooner than what most people expect, said Kristian Andersen, a virus expert at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. He said that it could come as soon as April, or perhaps later in the spring or the early summer.

Also Read: US, EU, India, South Africa reach consensus on Covid vaccine IP waiver

And given that some cases inevitably turn more serious, Andersen said, yes, such a wave would be accompanied by rising hospitalizations and deaths.

Some experts cautioned, however, that BA.2 had not driven up case numbers in every country where it emerged. In a best-case scenario, they said, even if US case numbers started climbing, leftover immunity from the first omicron wave this winter could help protect against a heavy surge of hospital admissions. And a shift toward outdoor socializing could temper an increase in case numbers.

For now, there are fewer Covid-19 patients in intensive care units than during almost any other point in the pandemic. The vaccines appear to protect as well against BA.2 as they did against the previous version of omicron, according to British data, and BA.2 does not seem to cause any more or less severe disease.

In trying to forecast what lies ahead, US health officials and scientists have debated what mixture of factors has driven up case numbers in Europe and just how serious the wave there could get.

The BA.2 subvariant began its march across Europe around the time that certain countries were lifting restrictions and mask mandates, potentially giving it extra kindling for its spread. Some scientists in Britain have also attributed that countrys surge in part to the fact that immunity tends to weaken over time following vaccinations or earlier infections.

In some parts of Europe, like Denmark and the Netherlands, the peak of the BA.2 wave has already passed. In other countries, where case numbers have climbed since early March, hospital admissions have remained flat or risen only slightly.

But Britain has emerged as a more startling example of the potential for a surge in BA.2 cases to begin filling up hospital beds, too. People 70 and older in England have been infected at record levels, health officials said, with estimates that roughly 1 in every 30 people in that age group had Covid-19 in the week before March 12.

As a result, the number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients there has climbed by around 35 per cent in recent weeks, though about half of those had tested positive incidentally after admission. To bolster protection, Britain plans to start administering fourth doses to older people later this month.

In the US, too, scientists are concerned that so many people have gone more than six months since their last doses of vaccine, reducing levels of immunity. Pfizer and BioNTech have asked US regulators to authorize fourth doses in older people, and Moderna is seeking clearance for the additional shots for all adults.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh government withdraws Covid-19 restrictions; swimming pool, anganwadi centres to reopen

It is less clear whether relaxing Covid-19 rules in the US will help fuel transmission to the same degree that it may have in some European nations. Parts of the US have effectively been without restrictions for months.

There are lots of moving parts, said David Dowdy, a public health researcher at Johns Hopkins University. Its really difficult to disentangle which of these is driving any given wave.

Fewer than half of Americans who have received primary vaccine doses have taken booster shots, putting the US in a more precarious position. Even though case numbers are so low, nearly 1,200 Americans on average are dying each day from Covid-19  a rate far higher than in Western Europe, where older people tend to have received vaccines and boosters in higher numbers.

As time passes, two doses become less effective at preventing omicron-related hospitalizations, British estimates suggest, whereas a booster dose restores protection to considerably higher levels.

Adding to the alarm in the US, this past week a number of wastewater testing sites had showed drastic increases in viral levels on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map.

But scientists said that it was difficult to measure changes while viral levels were so low and that the true picture was more muddled: Some wastewater sites in states like Massachusetts, Connecticut and Ohio had observed growing viral levels, while many others had not.

Whatever lies ahead, scientists said that now was the time to get more people vaccinated, while the country still had a say in the shape of any coming wave.

We should be reading about how the federal government is using its resources to go nursing home to nursing home, and church to church, to get booster numbers up, said Sam Scarpino, the managing director of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation.

But the federal government is warning that pandemic funds are drying up. Senate Republicans have said that they will not approve $15 billion in new coronavirus aid without offsetting it by cutting spending elsewhere. House Democrats have balked at a proposal to repurpose money intended for state governments to spend on their pandemic responses.

With the aid package stymied for now, federal officials said that they would need to start cutting shipments of monoclonal antibody treatments to states next week by more than 30 per cent. The government has secured 20 million antiviral pills, but orders for more are on hold. And by June, officials said, the federal governments efforts to ensure that companies keep producing enough tests will run out of money, imperiling capacity for later this year.

There is not enough money to guarantee sufficient purchases of variant-specific booster shots if they are needed, federal officials said. And while those shortages would affect all Americans, uninsured people would face particular risks because a federal program to reimburse providers for testing, treating and vaccinating those without insurance could end in early April.

There are so many things we could be doing, yet the United States has time and time again chosen to be reactive, rather than proactive, and that has cost us dearly, said Anne Rimoin, a public health researcher at UCLA. Weve been wearing rose-colored glasses instead of correcting our vision.

A key question remains how much protection people who got sick with the previous version of omicron can count on  and for how long. A lab study published this past week found that vaccinated people who were infected with omicron had high levels of antibodies that would probably protect against BA.2. If that protection lasts, it could reduce the impact of any wave, given the countrys high levels of infection this winter.

I think its reassuring, said Dr. Dan Barouch, a virus expert at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a co-author of the study.

But some scientists said they worried that the immune defenses people built up during the first omicron surge would wane, leaving them more susceptible to BA.2.

The timing of BA.2s emergence, and the potential waning in immunity from the BA.1 wave with masks coming off, isnt great, said Nathan Grubaugh, a public health researcher at the Yale School of Public Health.

Even health experts who said they had become accustomed to the boom-bust cycle of pandemic funding said they were shocked that the money was drying up so soon after the country had outlined plans for adjusting to a new normal.

That money, they said, was essential for avoiding full-scale shutdowns, and instead detecting surges early enough that health officials could recommend masks or increased testing in particular areas and help hospitals prepare.

People naturally, sensibly want to get back to their lives, said Jeffrey Shaman, a public health researcher at Columbia University. The question, then, is how quickly would we be able to stand up a response?

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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, 33, is a Chinese language assistant teacher at Legae English Medium School in Gaborone, Botswana, teaching around 350 students consisting of 14 classes per week from Standard 3 to Standard 6. The woman teacher encourages her countryfolk to consider a career in the Chinese language.



GABORONE, March 19 (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.

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)

"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.

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)

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 mainly does work 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 day-to-day Chinese language.

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)

"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. 
"Did you hear that? said forest guard Panduranga Karwarkar (53) as he rushed to switch off the solar-powered lights outside the Quashi Anti-Poaching Camp (APC) at Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) in Uttara Kannada district.

Its a sloth bear... artificial lights can disturb their movement, he explained as we strained our ears over the next 15 to 20 minutes to hear the huffing or sniffing of the bear. An eerie silence followed. Torch lights were flashed frenetically but the pitch darkness made it difficult for us to spot the bear.

Sleep was hard to come by that night. The forest watchers had prepared a makeshift bed (an iron cot with my backpack serving as the pillow) for me inside one of the 45 APCs in KTR. Also, every sound, even a dog barking, reverberated in my ear as the jungles were quiet and still. Above all, my excitement was keeping me up.



KTR was originally notified as Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve in 2007.



As the first ray of sunlight hit the forest floor, two forest guards, a deputy range forest officer and I set out of the camp. First, to check on any sign of the bear, and next to experience a survey that no other country in the world undertakes on such a massive scale: The tiger census.

To our surprise, we found pugmarks of not just one sloth bear but also its cub. Some seven hours ago, they had drunk water from a stream just 200 metres from the camp. A chill went down my spine... Not sure if it was the bear-effect or the cool breeze and thick fog that had taken over the entire area.

Also Read | In search of Kali

I wanted to follow the bear trail but I was told we had to walk two kilometres in the opposite direction, into the core area of the Castle Rock range in KTR, for the tiger census. Panduranga assured me they will track the pugmarks on return.

Half an hour into our walk, around 7 am, the three forest personnel stood in a line and posed for a selfie on the M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tiger-Intensive Protection and Ecology Status) app on a mobile phone provided by the forest department.

The selfie means we have officially logged into our duty (sic), said Panduranga. The selfie becomes a record of the number of guards conducting the survey, login date and time, path and more.

The sun started to clear thick fog as the four of us began the 2-km walk armed with nothing but a machete, a tool so sharp that even jungle tubers refused to break, I chuckled in my head.

As I started scanning my surroundings to locate a tiger, Dondiba Bammu Kolapte (42) said, The counting of tigers today is quite advanced compared to when it started. He has been part of the last three tiger census assessments.

Three surveys, one goal

The tiger census is a combination of a line survey, sign survey and camera trap survey, which the forest personnel are trained for, and which they carry out on predetermined dates.

While the line survey is done on the first three days of the survey, the sign survey is performed on three alternate days in a week. Camera trapping is done over 25 days.

In the line survey, Dondiba explained, they are given a predetermined path of two km in every beat, which is randomly distributed. The path is a straight line that can cut through hills, water bodies, or grasslands. And these foot soldiers have to record the presence of animals, mainly herbivores along this line, without deviating much.

We have not sighted any carnivores during the line survey at KTR this time. But herbivores like chital (spotted deer), sambar deer, Indian gaur, barking deer, birds and snakes are common, said Dondiba.

They also note down details like how far or close the animal was spotted from the path and at what point, in which direction, and the GPS coordinates. The data is fed into the same M-STrIPES app.

The forest team walks on the same path for three straight days, after which they start the more detailed sign survey. It requires them to walk five kilometres every day.

Here, the task is to collect signs of the carnivores, like the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, and mega herbivores like the elephant and Indian Gaur. They intensively search for scats, footmarks, scratch marks on trees and other signs. A majority of the guards are indigenous tribal people, born and brought up in the jungle. So, they can smell the presence of animals, and they know the animal corridor and also mating seasons.

They also need to record the number of water bodies in the area and their quality, and the type of vegetation available to the herbivores among other details.

All this gives them an understanding of the habitat that is supporting the tiger, considered an umbrella species.

However, it is the camera trapping that is more accurate and helps the foresters to arrive at the exact number of tigers.

Before we proceed, it is important to know that KTR is divided into three blocks for ease of monitoring. The first block includes the Kulgi, Phansoli and Gund ranges, the second block has the Kadra Wildlife and Anshi ranges, and the third block includes the Kumbharwada and Castle rock ranges. The forest is spread across 10,000 sq km approximately and hosts diverse vegetation including deciduous, evergreen, grassland and backwaters (of the Supa dam).

In each range, around 150 camera trap sites have been set up based on the earlier sightings and prospective sightings, typically close to water bodies and caves. At each site, two sensor-based cameras are fitted to capture clear images of the animal moving past it.

Once in five days, the images from these camera traps are collected and segregated using CaTRAT (Camera Trap data Repository and Analysis Tool). The software is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and segregates the pictures of each animal in separate folders along with information such as latitude/longitude of the animal spotting, time of the recording, name of the range and so on.

The data collected from the camera traps are then sent to Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun for numbering, informed Imran Patel, head of the research centre at KTR and who accompanied me to the Kulgi range. Each tiger is identified by its distinct stripe pattern and assigned a unique identification number, such as KTR T-1. This number helps in tracking a migrating tiger or when it becomes a man-eater or a cattle thief.

Men and the wild

On the day of my visit, we did not find any carnivores but only a few jungle babblers, doves, minivets and a pair of grey Indian hornbills.

But all through the two-km walk, the forest guards kept me on tenterhooks, narrating the tales of tigers and leopards. Each one of them had seen at least three black panthers and leopards while only a few, the likes of Panduranaga, had a face-to-face encounter with a hulk-size male tiger in Quashi range.

Ningayya Killedar, deputy range forest officer of the Diggi range, recalled a threatening story from this years tiger census. It was around 6.30 or 7 pm. We were returning from the sign survey. Daylight had almost faded. Our forest guard alerted us of a bear  they can smell the presence of animals. We saw the bear at a distance and flashed light on it. We made a loud noise, drove it away, and began moving towards our camp. But all of a sudden, the bear reappeared and started chasing us. The guards climbed the trees while I ran for my life. After a short distance, the bear gave up and returned to the jungle.

Another time, Murgesh Kattappa, a forest guard at the Quashi range, had to spend almost two hours on a tree because of an Indian gaur. I was out on a survey looking for signs of the tiger. A gaur that was happily grazing on the path began running towards me furiously. I jumped onto a tree while it sat under the tree, huffing angrily at me. I made loud noises and threw branches to chase it away. But it turned counter-productive as it grew angrier.

Mobile network is limited in the jungles but Murgesh got lucky that day. He called the fellow ranger and other guards. But before help could arrive, the gaur walked away and Murgesh ran to his camp.

The tiger might be the king of KTR but it is the sloth bear and elephant that have given these guards many scary moments. They said several villagers living in the 150 hamlets inside KTR have been attacked, injured, and even killed by freaky bears. The prey base for these carnivores is small, which has led to repeated incidents of cattle being killed in these hamlets, Imran informed.

After almost three hours, at 10.20 am, we returned to the camp, exhausted, dehydrated, and blackened by the blazing sun.

For my sake, the foresters decided to have breakfast before we ventured out for the second session of patrolling the forest, their routine job. On other days, they have the first meal of the day past noon.

Due to the Covid-19 crisis and shortage of funds, the department has terminated services of several forest guards. So, there is nobody at the camp to cook food. Most of the time, we log in to the second part of our job without having breakfast. We eat jungle tubers and fruits on the way, the forest guards told me.

After having the delicious poha (flattened rice), Panduranga teased me if I was still interested in tracking last nights sloth bear.

Big cats at KTR

KTR is an important ecosystem. From four tigers recorded during the 2018-19 survey, the numbers have jumped to 22 now  eight males, 12 females, of which, two have three and four cubs each, and two tigers whose sex is yet to be confirmed.

Most tigers have migrated from the jungles of Goa and Maharashtra. They are in the 4-7 age group, and healthy. It is a good sign for reproduction and gene-pooling, informs Imran Patel, head of the research centre at KTR, adding that KTR can hold five times more than the current tiger population.

Moreover, as per the last years survey, KTR is home to the highest number of leopards in all of the tiger reserves in India  over 200.

What has astonished the forest officers is the sighting of a good number of black panthers, a highly elusive melanistic leopard, in KTR. However, I was not lucky despite wandering into the heart of the jungle for two days. My taxi driver got a darshan of the black panther right in front of his car parked outside the camp.

Tiger census, a timeline

India started counting its tiger population beginning in 2006. The earlier census was based either on the direct sighting of tigers or their pugmarks. This led to discrepancies as many tiger reserves started exaggerating their tiger numbers.

According to Vikaspedia, this prompted the Union government to appoint a Tiger Task Force (TTF), which along with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), suggested countrywide monitoring of tigers and their ecosystems. Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, defined the scientific protocols for it. NTCA, in coordination with state forest departments, NGOs and WII, has been conducting the survey  Status of Tigers, Co-predators, prey and the habit  has been counting tigers once every four years since 2006. However, it was during the 2018-19 survey that WII came up with a robust method of counting the tigers, also making use of camera trapping. The new method also studies its habitat and co-dwellers, especially the leopards, elephants, and other large herbivores.

Different states begin the census on different dates but the line and sign surveys are carried out between December and February.

In Karnataka, the tiger census ran from January 15 to the end of February this year.

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Minister of tourism, ecology and environment Anand Singh said that Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) restrictions have been posing hindrance to the development of beaches in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada.

Owing to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications, we are not able to take up development within 500 meters of the seashore. We held discussions with officials on getting relaxation for CRZ rules to implement various development projects related to tourism. Officials have informed that a map of the CRZs of the district has been sent to the environment department. The same map will be sent to the nodal agency located in Chennai for approval. After getting approval from the nodal agency, it will be sent to the central government for approval, the minister told mediapersons after chairing a review meeting in Mangaluru on Saturday.

We have taken it as a challenge to get relaxation to the CRZ rules as per the CRZ notification of 2019. I will personally follow it up to ensure that we get approval within two months. Once we get approval for the relaxation from CRZ rules, then tourism in the district will grow automatically, he felt.

To promote beach tourism, he said a coastal beaches investors meet will be held in Mangaluru to attract investors after getting approval for the relaxation for CRZ rules.

A preliminary discussion has already been held to discuss coastal beaches investors meet in Mangaluru. To take up new projects on eco- tourism including construction of hotels, resorts, an approval from a nodal agency in Chennai is mandatory before it is being approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The state government will submit a proposal urging the central government to hand over the responsibility of approving eco tourism projects through NITK Surathkal, instead of the agency in Chennai, Singh said.

He said beaches in Mangaluru could not be developed due to the CRZ norms. Bengre beach with 155 acres, an island of 32 acres, beaches at Tannirbavi, Panambur, Surathkal and Sasihitlu could not be developed. The government has already sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the development of Sasihithlu beach. However, we need CRZ clearance to implement projects," he said.

Development works worth Rs eight crore is being taken up on Tannirbhavi beach as a part of Blue Flag notification.

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Railway Police, on Saturday, rescued a passenger who slipped and fell on the platform when he was boarding the moving train and the video has gone viral on social media networking sites.

Hubballi-Bengaluru Inter-City -Siddaganga Express arrived at Davangere and it started departing the railway station after two to three minutes. A family rushed towards the train with the baggage. A woman and children boarded the moving train and the man lost his balance and fell while he was boarding the train with baggage.

Railway police Nagaraj B R who was there at the station pulled him towards the platform and rescued him. Later, the train was stopped and he boarded the train.

The video footage of the incident was recorded in surveillance cameras in the railway station and it has done viral on social media now.

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Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that he does not have any objections to teaching the Bhagvad Gita in schools.

I do not have any objections for teaching Bhagavad Gita. Whether they teach Bhagavad Gita, Quran or Bible, we don't have any objection. We want students to get quality education to meet the demand in this competitive world. Students should not be denied of quality education. Children are taught Bhagavd Gita, Ramayana and Mahabharatha at home as well. Moral education should be taught to children, he told mediapersons on his arrival at Mangaluru International Airport.

We believe in the Constitution and the secularism. No one should act against the Constitution. The country believes in pluralistic society and we believe in harmony and tolerance, he said.

Read | What's wrong in it? Bommai on teaching Gita in schools

Further, he said Congress is not for soft and hard Hindutva. We too believe in Hindu religion and give respect for all the religions in the country.

On a bandh observed opposing the High Court verdict on hijab, he said those who were dissatisfied with the verdict had observed bandh. We need to follow order of the high court and Supreme Court."

On restrictions posed on non-Hindus carrying out business during temple fairs, the former CM said "people from any religion should not become communal. We need to respect all the religions in the country.

On The Kashmir Files movie, former Chief Minister said that he will not watch it. I do not visit theatres to watch movies. I have not watched many movies. Similarly, I will not watch The Kashmir Files. There is a need to bring out truth on how other communities along with Kashmir Pandits were affected during militant insurgency there," he said.

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Derry Feis is celebrating its 100th birthday this Easter. To mark this special occasion, Derry News, is publishing a series of articles titled: Mo thuras go Fheis Dhoire Cholmcille 2022.

Today, Gaeilgeoir, author, former Feis adjudicator and retired teacher, Liam Mac Lochlainn, describes his personal journey to Derry Feis 2022.

Glengad native, Liam Mac Lochlainn, poignantly described how Irish disappeared from the North Inishowen fishing village as a living language in just two generations.

There was not much Irish in our house, said Liam, but my grandfather used to say his night prayers in Irish.

My father's nickname shows how Irish died out in Glengad. He was called, John William Owen. Owen or Eoghan was purely Irish; William or Uilliam was Irish and English; and John was completely English. Irish had disappeared as a living language in two generations.

I went to school in Scotland. There was no Irish taught in the schools there, instead I attended Conradh na Gaeilge classes in Glasgow. I was greatly helped by the late Padraig O Gallchoir (Padraig Hannah Moire) from Rannafast.

I, eventually, became a tutor with Conradh. I taught Irish to adults in my own school in Glasgow, and some students passed their GCSE, said Liam.

Liam's family emigrated from Inishowen to Scotland when he was four years old and his sister, Annie, was two.

He vividly recalled the experience in the book 'Tar isteach  A walk down memory lane' which detailed the history and families of Glengad and Inishtrahull, the most northerly island of Ireland, 10 kilometres northeast of Malin Head. Liam edited the book and the proceeds went to the Alzheimers Society (Donegal Branch Home Care) and Glengad Community Centre.

Describing the move as 'traumatic, 'Liam said: I asked the Brian's across the road to hide me in the churn before we went away.

Anne never stopped crying. Take me across the road to papa (granddad) was what she kept saying when we landed in Glasgow. She did not eat for a week. My mother took her to the doctor and he said, Give her three more days. If she does not eat within three days, you will have to send her back to Ireland. And the end of a week she took some of my fathers egg and she settled down after that.

We stayed in the house of my aunt Anne, my mother's sister. Apparently, when I went into the living room in the flat, I began looking behind the radio. 'What are you looking for?' my aunt asked me. 'The little man playing the melodeon,' I answered. That was the first time I had seen a radio.

Everything was new: electric light, running water, a toilet, a gas stove in the house. Outside there were buses, cars, trams, big shops, factories. It was a completely different world, said Liam.

Liam's father worked first of all as a labourer on a building site and then in a foundry in Paisley.

Liam added: Both jobs were tough and poorly paid. Three other children were born over there: James, John and Gerald.

My father was not able to return home every year, but he kept in touch with Glengad through letters and through other people who came to Scotland from Glengad.

My mother was Scottish, of Irish descent. She knew a little French and I think that aroused my interest in languages. She liked Irish songs: I think she was more Irish than many people who were born and reared in Ireland. She was a housewife for most of her life.

Life in Scotland was not easy, but we were able to get a good education. We were able to benefit from the health service and living standards were higher than back in Ireland. Although we were brought up in Scotland, the whole family was aware of where we came from, said Liam.

When he came home to Ireland, Liam was employed as a teacher in St Columb's College in Derry.

He took up the story: Father (now Archbishop) Martin asked me to contribute a poem in Irish to the Feis Dhoire Cholmcille brochure. I was also asked to select the poems for An Teanga, which I did for a number of years.

I also entered students from St Columb's for some of the competitions. These included action poetry and an audio-visual presentation on the life of St. Colm Cille.

I also adjudicated at the Feis and I enjoyed this thoroughly. The standard of Irish was extremely high and the enthusiasm of the young people was impressive.

I have adjudicated at Feis Ghlaschu, the Glasgow Feis, and again the standard of Irish was amazing. Both adults and children showed a level of fluency which is difficult to achieve outside of Ireland with few opporunities to practice, said Liam.

Liam said he passionately believes Derry Feis plays a central role in the cultural life of the city, promoting Irish culture in Derry and beyond.

He added: The Teanga section is particularly important since it showcases the language in poetry, prose and song. It gives people the opportunity to use and enjoy the language outside of the classroom.

Liam's weekly Irish column in the Journal, a short article and a translation, is greatly appreciated among Irish speakers, learners and those who are fluent in the language, in Derry and further afield.

I often write about current affairs, he said, which shows that Irish is a modern language that can deal with modern themes. I also write historical articles, which I hope make people proud of their country's past. This is perhaps the only opportunity some people have to read Irish in the course of the week.

I suppose I am basically optimistic about the future of the language. Through Irish medium schools (Gaelscoileanna) the number of fluent speakers is increasing every year.

But governments and local authorities could do much more to promote the language. Irish education is not sufficiently funded. School buildings are often in a state of disrepair. There should be more courses for teachers.

I must say in passing that we should be proud of the Irish nurseries, the three Irish primary schools and the Irish language stream in St Brigid's College in Derry City whose teachers do a first rate job, said Liam.

Although Liam was of the opinion Irish language newspapers and magazines had died through a lack of support, he encouraged Irish speakers to support the remaining publications.

Books in Irish are now readily available in the town, so there are no excuses, he smiled, while congratulating Feis Dhoire Cholmcille on successfully reaching its 100th birthday.

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Saturday, 19 March 2022, saw the first day of the symposium Settler Colonialism, Indigeneity and the Palestinian Struggle against Zionism, organized by the Omran Journal for Social Sciences published by the ACRPS and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in collaboration with the DI School of Social Sciences and Humanities. The proceedings of the symposium are being held in attendance at the Doha Institute and livestreamed across social media platforms.

Welcoming the audience, Amal Ghazal, Professor of History and Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, indicated that this symposium is a continuation of the series Issues of Our Time, an annual forum launched by the School in October 2019 to provide a platform for academic dialogue on pressing issues for public opinion and the academic community. Each year the series invites a distinguished personality with extensive expertise in the field to open the event and range of specialised researchers to contribute their research on the chosen topic.

Mouldi Lahmar, editor-in-chief of Omran, followed with his own welcome note, noting that the symposium was partially a result of the autumn 2021 and winter 2022 issues of Omran, which were dedicated to settler colonialism and the Palestinian struggle against Zionism. He added that this symposium seeks to answer a set of questions related to the theoretical framework of settler colonialism and the problems it poses as a framework to understand the state of Israel and the Zionist project, cross-referencing Settler colonialism in Palestine with other colonial experiences to clarify new theoretical horizons. The symposium addresses a group of themes, including historical sociology and the formation of the settler colonial state, comparative colonial studies and the relationship of nationalism to colonialism, the settler-colonial imaginary and its relationship to racism, violence and xenophobia, and issues of legitimacy and sovereignty and how this relates to the colonial origins of international law.

In his lecture, Mamdani touched on four issues. First, he examined the United States as a foundational moment in the history of settler colonialism, contrasting the colonial conquest of the Native Americans with the racist system of domination over Africans, in order to distinguish colonial conquest and racial hierarchy as two different types of subjugation, each with a distinct root consequence. Second, he reflected on the difference between an immigrant and a settler. Through the South African experience, he addressed two other issues: first, how can political identity be perceived? Is it historical and changing or organic and permanent? Historicizing identity means seeing it as born of a particular form of state, and therefore subject to change. But looking at identity as organic, that is, an eternal expression of an innate and trans-historical cultural subject, means looking at it as a constant. Mamdani then tackled what the simplest matter of South Africa's transition away from the legacy of apartheid: the necessity of separating nation and state, if we are to search for an alternative to the nation-state.

Finally, to address what can be extrapolated from the South African experience, Mamdani noted that BDS can contribute to Israel's international isolation, but more needs to be done for the non-Zionist alternative to flourish in Israel domestically. As was the case in South Africa, there is a need for a knowledge revolution that opens the way to a political revolution. The defining Palestinian moment will come when the same dynamic that led to the unity of the oppressed leads to the isolation of the oppressors; when it is not only the oppressed who seek political change, but also the many who currently support the Zionist regime. Reaching this stage requires a new kind of political awareness within Israel, based on the recognition that the prosperity of Jews and Jewish life does not require a Zionist state. The South African lesson that must be conveyed to the Israelis is that the Jews do not need a Jewish state to have a safe place in Palestine/Israel. The lesson that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement must learn from Israel is that it needs to build on the gains made by the Balad party, not to consider themselves as an alternative to it. Doing so would be to provide a political framework for anti-Zionist and even non-Zionist Israeli Jews.

The symposium, which is divided into three public lectures and four sessions, will run until Monday, 21 March 2022, in line with the agenda attached.




The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has scrapped the US$1 per 30 minutes parking fee in the city centre to US$1 per hour for the whole city as from Monday, an amount residents say is still high.

When the parking system came into effect last month, most motorists abandoned parking bays in the city centre where the parking fee was US$1 for 30 minutes.

Parking in Zone one, a prime parking area covering Leopold Takawira Avenue to 11th Avenue and Fife Street to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street costs US$1 for 30 minutes or the equivalent at the prevailing official rate.

The BCC in partnership with a private company, Tendy Three International (TTI) introduced the new parking system last month.

Under the arrangement council receives 30 percent of the collected parking fees while the company gets 70 percent.

In a statement yesterday evening Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said: The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public and the motoring public that with effect from Monday, 21 March 2022, the Central Business District has been designated into a single Zone of 1 hour/US$1 or at equivalent bank rate through Ecocash, POS or ZWL Cash. This notification cancels the 30 mins US$1 Zone that was in place at the core of the city.

Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) chairman Mr Winos Dube said although the decision to reduce the parking fees is commendable, the parking charge must be reduced further to make it affordable for residents.

If that US$1 could have been pegged for lets say for three hours or a two-hour zone, it could have been something better. Not this one-hour zone. It is still very expensive for our people. Fair and fine they have given a listening ear, but we still make an appeal that could they consider this more seriously with a reflection of extending the times of this zone, said Mr Dube.

A person who works around that area; per working day they will have to part with US$8, over a week of five days thats US$40 and a month that will cost them US$160. Look at a civil servant, how much are they earning in US dollars, they cant even afford. They should look at the income people are getting and look at the service that is being provided. Is the service going to be afforded by the people, looking at their income and the answer is still no.

Mr Dube said council must do a case study and find out how much people doing business around the city centre afford.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BUPRA) secretary for administration Mr Thembelani Dube said this climbdown by council shows that they did not consult residents fully.

In Zimbabwe, there are a few people who earn US dollars and they must consider in terms of how much people are earning and are people going to afford that. Whenever they hold consultation meetings they must go deeper and tell people everything and not scratch the surface.

This is what has led to the reduction of the charges; had they said at the beginning during the stakeholders consultative meetings that the charges were going to be US$1 per 30 minutes, people were going to reject that and they would have come up with a better and more affordable charge. Thats what they do during budget consultative meetings, they dont go deeper and later we find out that the mayors house will be built, said Mr Dube.

He said the parking system works in developed countries where there are alternative transport systems.

As residents, if they want to reduce the number of cars in the CBD, it can be done in areas or countries where there is an efficient transport system, like in developed countries. At least in those countries there is a reliable transport system and there are other alternatives, such as trains and they know they can leave their cars at home, said Mr Dube.

Earlier this month Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, during a rally in Bulawayo, castigated BCC for awarding the tender to TTI, a foreign company, instead of contracting a local one.

VP Chiwenga said there is a need to empower citizens and entrust them with such ventures for the common good.

Clearly there is no guarantee that the revenue collected is ploughed back to improve the lives of our people. Our position is that such tenders should be awarded to local people in order to empower them and develop a collective sense of ownership and responsibility to run such businesses, he said.

At least these poor developments only go to show the extent to which this council (BCC) is not people-centric. It is high time that we said enough is enough through the thundering voice of the ballot.

VP Chiwenga urged Bulawayo residents to vote the opposition out of council in the coming by-elections.

He said BCC and other urban councils run by the opposition have dismally failed the electorate. Chronicle
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SuperValu, Irelands leading retailer, is calling on Louths budding food and drink producers to join this years Food Academy Programme. This is seen as a huge opportunity for those who have a fantastic idea for a food or beverage product but need support from experts in the industry to launch their business.

Currently the Food Academy Programme supports six local food and drink producers in Louth including; Coole Farm and Jack Codys Brewery. Their products are available 52 weeks of the year in their local SuperValu stores. Louth-based Food Academy producers sold a combined 249,456 in retail sales in SuperValu last year.

Food Academy, which is run by SuperValu in conjunction with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices, gives start up food and drink producers an opportunity to get their products on SuperValu shelves. The programme, which has been an established part of the Irish food industry for nine years now, supports 1,500 jobs nationwide.

In 2021, there was a 6 per cent growth in Food Academy sales. Food Academy producers have sold a combined 200 million of produce in SuperValu since 2013. Ian Allen, Managing Director, SuperValu said: Food Academy, run by SuperValu in collaboration with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices, helps new businesses to grow and get the support they need.

With Food Academy, producers are on shelves 52 weeks of the year. By having this guarantee of shelf space, food producers can generate regular income and ensure their businesses thrive. We have so many examples of former Food Academy producers that have gone on to fantastic success, including The Happy Pear, Pizza Sorrento and SynerChi Kombucha. If you have a great idea for a food or beverage business, then this is your opportunity to sign up for Food Academy and make your dream a reality. At SuperValu, we are committed to supporting local Irish producers and we are ready and waiting to nurture new talent this year.

Food and drinks producers, who are in the early stages of developing their business and would like to see their products on shelves in SuperValu are strongly encouraged to apply for the programme.

The deadline for application for this years intake is Friday, April 8th 2022, with the programme commencing in September 2022. Those interested in applying can contact their Local Enterprise Office for application details. Participants in Food Academy receive training in food safety, market research and branding, marketing, finance, sustainability, and business development.

Padraic McElwee, chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices added: At the Local Enterprise Offices, the Food Academy Programme is a vital part of our supports to drive entrepreneurship in the food sector. It is the final element of our food pathway that brings entrepreneurs from idea right through to shelf, from the Digital School of Food, on to Food Starter and finally Food Academy. "We have a fantastic history of food entrepreneurs and businesses in Ireland and we must continue to support this sector so if you are a new entrepreneur in the food or drinks sector we would urge you to get involved.

Gillian Willis, Small Business Development Manager, Bord Bia said: At Bord Bia, we focus on promoting Irish food, drink and horticulture that is produced to the highest quality standards.

Food Academy provides invaluable support to participants to get their small businesses off the ground, and to reach consumers nationwide on SuperValu shelves. This commitment as well as the support provided by Food Academy gives food producers a huge advantage when starting out. We in Bord Bia will continue to provide comprehensive market knowledge, consumer insight and branding expertise to Food Academy participants nationwide.

For more information on Food Academy, please visit: https://supervalu.ie/real-people/food-academy-programme.
Dundalk Credit Union have teamed up with the Irish Red Cross to help raise funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The group said:

"As the humanitarian crisis worsens across Ukraine, we watch in disbelief, a country torn apart by conflict.

"As a credit union, we are rooted in community and we felt compelled to support Ukraine and its people, a community uprooted by war, displacement, separation, and trauma.

"Current estimates and scenarios indicate that as many as five million people may be displaced as the situation evolves, with many more impacted, including those already in need and displaced in Eastern Ukraine at the onset of the ongoing escalation.

"Figures provided by authorities and National Societies point toward a total number of people potentially affected by the conflict at 18 million.

"In association with the Irish Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal, Dundalk Credit Union is asking you to donate any amount you can, from as little as 2, to help the team at the Irish Red Cross do what they do best.

"100% of your donation will go directly to ensure that aid can be delivered to those most in need as the crisis deepens.

You can donate in any one of the following ways:

In person at any of our branches  a member of our team will assist you

Over the phone using a debit card  call 042-93 35489 & select option 2

By Electronic Funds Transfer to the following account

Dundalk CU IRC Ukraine Appeal

BIC: DUCIIE21XXX

IBAN: IE93DUCI99104416009019

Please show your solidarity as part of our community, stronger together.

Thank you.

Dundalk Credit Union
Judge Eirinn McKiernan expressed her frustration when a further adjournment was sought at Dundalk District Court last week.

The adjournment was sought to prepare a book of evidence in the case of a 60 year old man who is accused of 21 counts of alleged deception, including charges relating to people who said they believed he would secure a mortgage for them.

The barrister representing Jimmy Cumiskey of Sliabh Na Glough, Jenkinstown also told the court that proposals had been made to the State Solicitor for County Louth, which might see the matter being dealt with by way of a signed plea.

The Defence barrister asked last Wednesday for a two week adjournment for disclosure to be made, as he explained there were a number of complainants and they were coming in 'in a piecemeal fashion'.

Judge McKiernan said it was absolutely ridiculous that four months after the DPP directions were received for trial on indictment, the book of evidence was not yet ready.

The case was put back to March 23rd.
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U.S. Air Force veteran Arianny Martinez-Beltrans inspiration for a medical career came at the bedside of an injured Iraqi boy.

I remember a kid had fallen and broken his leg, and I helped treat him, she recalled of the small patient with a huge impact on her future. It was very challenging, we needed an interpreter, and the child was scared and in pain. And something pulled my heartstrings about working with children.

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More than a decade after the random meeting at a combat hospital outside Baghdad, the 36-year-old graduated last Friday in the first class from the NYU Long Island School of Medicine, the nations only independent three-year medical school.

Martinez-Beltran, who moved to Manhattan in 2015, plans to stay local: Her pediatric residency is set for NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in the borough.

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This is home, she said.

U.S. Air Force veteran Arianny Martinez-Beltran, now a graduate of the NYU Long Island School of Medicine. (Courtesy of Arianny Martinez-Beltran)

The daughter of a Venezuelan immigrant mom said her enrollment in the fledgling med school came after reading an email about the new program. There was one particularly enticing line: Free tuition for the aspiring physicians.

Martinez-Beltran, then a nurse like her mother, sent her application along the very same day.

How amazing is that? she said shortly before her dream residency was announced. I couldnt believe it, they had everything I wanted. Pediatrics. Free tuition. I couldnt believe how the stars aligned.

The shorter time frame, while intense, offered another benefit. Martinez-Beltran would start her medical career a year earlier that the average aspirant in a four-year program.

U.S. Air Force veteran Arianny Martinez-Beltran (second from left) is now a graduate of the NYU Long Island School of Medicine. (Courtesy of Arianny Martinez-Beltran)

Martinez-Beltran, granddaughter of a Korean War veteran, made quite an impression during her time at the medical school.

You know, shes a very family-oriented person, said Dr. Steven Shelov, the schools dean and chief academic officer. She loves taking care of children. And she believes in the power of children as the future of our world. Its sort of in her DNA.

The new Manhattan doctors pursuit of a medical career began after her service in Iraq, where Martinez-Beltrans duties included mass casualty events  at times treating more than two dozen wounded U.S. fighters arriving at once.

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U.S. Air Force veteran Arianny Martinez-Beltran in Iraq. (Courtesy of Arianny Martinez-Beltran)

Once back in the states, Martinez-Beltran enrolled in nursing school and quickly discovered an affinity for the work, particularly her bedside time speaking with patients. She soon set her sights on becoming a doctor.

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I knew I was in the right place, health care, she said. Health care was always in my family. After I got back from Iraq, I thought, Lets give medicine a shot.

Shelov said it was rare to find a U.S. veteran seeking a medical career after their service, but quickly discovered Martinez-Beltran was a perfect fit for their program.

Shes certainly not an in-your-face person, and all the great qualities of a nursing career transferred into her field as a doctor, he said. Just a lovely person and pediatrician.

Martinez-Beltran recounted how she was working as a nurse in Texas when she began thinking about a career prescribing medicine instead of simply dispensing it.

I really wanted to know what was going on, she said. Why this medicine instead of another one? I wanted to get some knowledge, take a deeper dive. And studying medicine would get me to know the answers.

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Mission accomplished, as they said in her old job. She and her husband plan to take a nice break this summer before starting her residency.

Im very excited, she said. When I was deployed to Iraq, working alongside some of the finest doctors and nurses, it was so inspiring. And I am definitely inspired.
Gov. Chris Sununu  flanked members of the New Hampshire House and Senate, state agency heads and New Hampshire Supreme Court justices  delivers the State of the State address Thursday at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester.
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A 14-year-old boy was in critical condition after he was struck by a car in the Bronx, police said. (Rose Abuin/New York Daily News)

A 14-year-old was critically injured after he was struck by a livery cab on a Bronx street, police said Saturday.

The teen was crossing Longwood Ave. in the middle of the block near Hewitt Place in Foxhurst about 5 p.m. Friday when the Toyota Corolla rammed into him, cops said.

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He suffered serious head and body injuries and was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The teens name was not immediately disclosed.

The livery cab driver remained at the scene. No arrests were immediately filed.
Zhang Jun (C, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 18, 2022. Zhang on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community.

China was once a victim of chemical and biological weapons. China believes that any information and lead on biological military activities should trigger heightened concern and attention of the international community to avoid irreparable harm, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"In this regard, relevant parties should take a responsible approach. Russia has further revealed newly discovered relevant documents. The party concerned should respond to questions, and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community," he told a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine.

"We do not consider it too much to ask. And on this issue, no double standards should be applied," he said.

China's position on weapons of mass destruction and biological security is consistent and clear. China stands for the complete prohibition and destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, said Zhang.

China resolutely opposes the development, possession or use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances, and urges countries that have not done so to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles as soon as possible. Complying with the Biological Weapons Convention is the obligation of all state parties. China calls for early negotiations on the establishment of a verification regime under the convention, which will help improve global biosecurity, he said.

Under the current situation, it is the shared desire of the international community to achieve a cease-fire in Ukraine as soon as possible to avoid more civilian casualties and to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis. China shares this wish, said Zhang.

Direct negotiations between the parties concerned are the fundamental way to solve the problem. Russia and Ukraine have held four rounds of negotiations. While the negotiations are kept going, there is hope for a cease-fire and a peaceful future. China will continue to facilitate dialogues for peace. China supports the United Nations and all parties in ramping up mediation efforts, and hopes that all parties can do more to promote peace talks, rather than adding fuel to the fire.

"Behind the Ukraine crisis is the issue of European security. It is our hope that the United States, the European Union and NATO can sit down with Russia for in-depth and comprehensive dialogues and explore ways to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism based on the principle of indivisible security so as to achieve lasting peace and stability in Europe."

Photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community. (Xinhua/Xie E)
Three municipal workers  including an MTA conductor who was driving around the five boroughs pretending to be a city EMT  were arrested within a 12-hour span this weekend, police said Saturday.

Cops responding to a 311 call about a man parked illegally with an EMT placard on his dashboard outside 100 Church St. found MTA employee Harry Gomez sitting in the car about 2:30 p.m. Friday.

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When questioned, Gomez, a train conductor, claimed that the placard was his.

Cops charged him with criminal impersonation of a public servant. He was also given a violation.

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About 11 hours later, at 3:15 a.m. NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent Joseph Filippo was charged with drunk driving and refusing to take a breath test after he was caught speeding in a red car on the West Shore Expressway, cops said.

Thirty minutes later, FDNY EMT Riyad Baksh, 26, was put in cuffs when he was caught drunk driving along Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, cops said.

Baksh was pulled over for driving erratically, cops said. When the officers approached to question him, he reeked of alcohol.

Cops charged him with DWI and veering out of his lane.

No injuries were reported in any of the arrests, cops said.
Country Nomads, from left, Joel Bartlett, Gabriel Dubois and Kacee Crandall own Country Nomads dance studio in Mesa but also travel around the country teaching people country swing. (Josh Ortega/Tribune Staff)
CORK broadcaster Donncha O Dulaing spent more than 50 years travelling the country  talking to the real people of Ireland about everything from internment to contraception, from poitin brewing to turf cutting.

The last episode of Cloch Le Carn on RTE1 at 7pm on Tuesday charts the life and career of one of Irelands most prolific and beloved broadcasters, who died in September aged 88.

Born in Doneraile, Donncha started his career in RTE Cork in 1964 and worked on a broad range of radio and TV programmes like The Munster Journal, A Womans World, Highways and Byways, Donnchas Travelling Roadshow, Siamsa Cois Laoi and Failte Isteach.

He interviewed thousands of people, including celebrities like Pope John Paul II, American country star Glen Campbell, hurling legend Christy Ring and president Eamon de Valera  but his true passion was always talking to the real people all across Ireland.

In this moving and entertaining programme, packed with hilarious archive footage, broadcast historian Dr Finola Doyle ONeill assesses O Dulaings legacy as a broadcaster from the early 1960s on. She also reveals the personal story behind his 1968 interview with her own mother about the Catholic Churchs contraception ban.

Former senator and director of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Labhras O Murchu, remembers how challenging it was for Donncha to deal with Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, at a time when even traditional rebel songs were banned from the airwaves.

Donncha also featured many Irish musicians, suhc as The Furey Brothers, The Wolf Tones and Foster & Allen in his programmes, and was one of the first presenters to travell widely across rural Ireland at a time when most programmes were Dublin- or studio-based.

Broadcaster Peter Browne describes how Donncha created a really informal interviewing style that made people trust him, and that he garnered huge public support on his many charity walks across the country.

But for O Dulaings son Ruairi, it was not always easy growing up as a teenager with a famous father who sported a bright red Adidas tack suit or a trilby hat on television.

Ruairi also talks movingly about the death of his sister Sinead from cancer, and how the loss devastated his father.

But despite the many challenges and losses Donncha faced through his life and career, he continued broadcasting to his loyal listeners until he was over 80 years old.
Gardai in Cork have said they are experiencing a busy night as people gather in the city centre to socialise.

A garda spokesperson said that while they are receiving a significant volume of calls, that there is nothing of major significance.

We are busy. The usual as you can expect at large by the numbers around town so there are calls, nothing of major significance but significant call volumes just due to the quantity of people more than anything else. People are socialising and the usual that comes with it.

Over 2,500 participants brought colour and celebration back to the streets of the city at The Cork St Patrick's Day Parade on Thursday 17th March 2022. Pic: Larry Cummins.

Its like a Saturday night only a bit earlier on a Thursday evening, the spokesperson said.

It comes as thousands donning their green garments descended on the city centre earlier today to enjoy a St Patricks Day parade full of culture, dance and music.

Performers from Mexico in traditional dress - Over 2,500 participants brought colour and celebration back to the streets of the city at The Cork St Patrick's Day Parade on Thursday 17th March 2022. Pic: Larry Cummins.

Thousands lined the streets to take in the show that was put on by various groups, led by Grand Marshall Blood Bikes South and the Lord Mayor of Cork City, Colm Kelleher.

The citys pubs are bustling this evening with people gathering to socialise and celebrate, two years on since the day they were forced to close due to the pandemic.
THE Lord Mayor of Cork, Fianna Fail councillor Colm Kelleher led a round of applause for the people of Ukraine at the end of a meeting of Cork City Council on Monday.

Mr Kelleher lauded the unity of elected members in the chamber following cross-party support for a motion proposed by Green Party councillor Oliver Moran and cosigned by numerous councillors.

The motion proposed that Cork City Council condemns the invasion of Ukraine and stands with the people of Ukraine in their efforts to repel the invasion; as a City of Sanctuary, supports the non-violent and humanitarian efforts of the residents of Cork to assist the people of Ukraine in every way during this war; as a Nuclear Free Zone, condemns the threat of use of nuclear weapons by the Russian Federation in unequivocal terms; and shall forward this message to the Embassy of Ukraine in Ireland and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ireland.

Green councillor Oliver Moran was applauded for his contribution on Monday evening, during which he strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We have war in Europe, we have the threat of nuclear war, we have the threat of biological war and its because of an unprovoked invasion of a peaceful country by a dangerous autocrat, he said.

Our response has to be more than just thoughts and prayers for the people of Ukraine, it has to be practical, he continued, saying solutions in terms of accommodation, provisions, and ways to help Ukrainian people integrate into life in Cork must be established quickly as thousands of refugees are entering Ireland.

Fine Gael councillor Deirdre Forde lauded the bravery of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine amidst what she described as an unjust, uncivil, depraved war and an egotistical war on behalf of an aggressor.

I want to say to the Ukrainian people, keep going, because their spirit is unbreakable, she added.

Sinn Fein councillor Mick Nugent was also among the councillors to express solidarity with the Ukrainian people. In his contribution he also lauded the head of Cork Penny Dinners, Caitriona Twomey, and the volunteers who travelled to the Polish-Ukrainian border to deliver vital aid.
By Cate McCurry, PA

The leader of the DUP has accused Sinn Fein of pushing a radical all-Ireland agenda during a speech to the party executive.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said Mary-Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill should stop obsessing about a border poll.

He made the comments to the party executive and Assembly candidates on Saturday.

The DUP held a meeting to ratify their Assembly candidates for the election in May.

This election is about who sets the agenda. SF have this week been obsessing over a border poll.



We're focused on what matters: our NHS, our schools, growing our economy, helping working families with the cost of living & removing the shadow of the Protocol from our politics. pic.twitter.com/FMM21BQS97  DUP (@duponline) March 19, 2022

There are those who like to tell us it doesnt matter who wins this election. But they are wrong, Sir Jeffrey said.

Current polls suggest there could be a Sinn Fein Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland and a Sinn Fein First Minister of Northern Ireland after the next round of elections.

Anyone who thinks the prospect of Michelle ONeill and Mary-Lou McDonald touring around London, Brussels and Washington pushing a radical all-Ireland agenda will be good for the Union, or help bring stability in Northern Ireland, is living in a fools paradise.

Just look at this week. Whilst all of Washington and New York were hailing their Irish ancestry and focused on Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein were not promoting Londonderry as a place to invest, they were taking out half-page adverts in the New York Times and Washington Post claiming now was the time for a border poll.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a message for Mary-Lou and Michelle ONeill and Nicola Sturgeon. Stop obsessing about a border poll and focus on what matters to people.

Focus on fixing our NHS, keeping our schools world-class, growing our economy, helping working families with cost of living and removing the shadow of the protocol from our politics.

That is why this election is so important.

That is why the DUP is focused on winning the election. That is why Unionism must stand behind the DUP on May 5.

Mr Donaldson also revealed the partys slogan for the upcoming Assembly election as Moving Forward Together.

This is not about posts or titles, he added.

Its about determining where Northern Ireland is focused. Its about who sets the agenda.

Its about ensuring Northern Ireland moves forward, not backwards, and in the right direction, not the wrong one.

Northern Ireland will only move forward when we move forward together. Unionists and nationalists.

Unionism will only move forward when we move forward together and remember who we are really competing against.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said Northern Ireland has to move forward (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr Donaldson said that each voter will be faced with a stark choice.

Between a positive vision for Northern Ireland  focused on the issues that really matter  or one centred on the chaos and division of Sinn Feins border poll plans, he added.

History has proven that this partys success is Northern Irelands success.

When this party is strong, Unionism is strong.

So, in the days to come, let us collectively rise to the challenge.

Lets not be afraid to make our case on the doorsteps and lets seize the opportunity at this election to move forward together and ensure Northern Ireland moves in the right direction.

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.
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A Bronx mother of two, her throat slit and a knife left resting on her chest, was found dead inside her Mott Haven apartment Saturday as cops launched a manhunt for her fugitive killer, police said.

Officers responding to a 911 call at the Betances Houses found Bjana James, 37, sprawled lifelessly on the couch of her E. 147th St. home around 2:30 a.m., cops said. The knife was wiped clean of any evidence before it was placed atop the murder victim, police said.

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I can still hear my daughter talking, devastated mom Stacey James, 61, told the Daily News. My daughter was loved ... People really loved my daughter. What could have gotten out of hand in an argument that could not be handled?

The mom said Bjana, one of her eight kids, was living with an ex-con who was a friend since the two attended elementary school together.

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Bjana James, a Bronx mother of two, was found dead in her Mott Haven apartment on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Im trying to hold my composure, said Stacey James. But I know in some time, I am going to break down.

Friends stopped by hours later Saturday to light candles at a small memorial to the victim.

She was such a beautiful person said friend Domnisea Middleton, 52. Im devastated. Just a good soul. We played cards for years. Nobody believes it. We definitely lost a good one.

James younger sister recalled how her panicked sibling texted a friend on Wednesday because her boyfriend was acting strangely and screaming about someone lacing his marijuana.

She said Im scared. Hes going to kill me!' said her sister, who asked to remain anonymous.

The body of Bjana James is removed from her Bronx apartment building on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

The boyfriend stormed out of the apartment but later returned about 8:30 p.m., said a cousin of the victim who would only identify herself as Shelly.

(She texted me) Hes here! Hes back! and ever since she wrote that we didnt hear from her again, she said. Something wasnt right, she always replies.

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Relatives tried to contact James on Thursday, but never received a reply. Early Saturday, they found her.

Her brother came first, turned her knob, it was open, said Shelly. Thank God her mother didnt get in. Something just wasnt right.

Bjana James was found dead in her Bronx home on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

James two children  Maya, age 8, and Junior, age 12  were staying at their grandmothers home when the killing occurred, family said.

She was a loving person, James cousin told the News. She left her two kids behind. We have to go break the news to her kids. We didnt think this would happen.

Bjana James' family and friends grieve outside her Mott Haven apartment building on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

Her neighbors fondly recalled James, who worked at Empire City Casino in Yonkers, as a friendly woman who went out of her way to greet people.

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She always said hi to everybody, said building super Vishanand Persaud. She was a nice person, very humble.
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
A second Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York will vote on whether to form a union, reported CNBC. The outcome of the vote, scheduled to begin on April 25th and last until May 2nd, will decide whether employees at the LDJ5 facility join the Amazon Labor Union, an independent, worker-led movement formed last year in Staten Island. Roughly a mile away, another Staten Island Amazon warehouse (known as JFK8) is set to hold its own union election next week.

Both elections are the latest development in a battle with Amazon on one side, unions and Amazon warehouse workers on the other side, and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) serving as the referee. NLRB ordered a re-run of a union election held at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama after determining that the tech giant illegally interfered in the vote. Votes for that election are scheduled to be counted on March 28th.

Earlier this week, NLRB sued Amazon over the termination of Gerald Bryson, an employee of the JFK8 facility, who the agency believes was fired in retaliation for his activism. According to a tweet by ALU, Brysons employment at Amazon appears to have been reinstated after a federal judge complied with NLRBs request to issue an injunction.

Staten Island workers have accused Amazon of union-busting and actively targeting workers involved in the union. Last month the NYPD arrested three labor organizers at the JFK8 facility  including ALU president Chris Smalls  after an Amazon manager complained that they were trespassing, reported The Daily Beast.
French authorities have charged seven individuals allegedly involved in last months Lupin robbery , according to the BBC . On February 25th, some 20 masked thieves broke onto the set of the popular Netflix production while it was filming in a Parisian suburb and stole approximately $330,000 worth of equipment. The perpetrators set off mortar-style fireworks to carry out the heist, but thankfully none of the cast and crew on set at the time, including star Omar Sy, were injured.

Police charged the seven individuals with armed robbery as part of an organized gang. French authorities are holding three of the accused in custody and the other four under judicial supervision. The youngest of the group is 13 years old. Police said they recovered some of the equipment stolen during the heist and are still searching for everyone involved in the incident. Lupin isnt the only Netflix project to fall victim to a robbery this year. Just one day before, thieves made off with more than $200,000 worth of antique props after breaking into vehicles used for the production of The Crown.
A new lawsuit against Google accuses the company of fostering a "racially biased corporate culture" that offers Black employees lower pay and fewer opportunities to advance than their white counterparts, reports Reuters. Filed on Friday with a federal court in San Jose, California, the complaint alleges the company subjected former diversity recruiter April Curley and other current and former Black employees to a hostile work environment.

In 2014, Google hired Curley to design a program to connect the company with Black colleges. Shortly afterward, she claims she was subjected to denigrating comments from her managers, who allegedly stereotyped her as an "angry" black woman while passing her over for promotions.

"While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their Black employees," Curley's lawyer told Reuters. The complaint notes Black people make up only 4.4 percent of employees at Google and approximately 3 percent of its leadership.

We've reached out to Google for comment.

Curley is not the first person to accuse Google of fostering a work environment hostile to Black employees and other people of color. In the aftermath of Timnit Gebru's controversial exit from the company, Alex Hanna, a former employee with the tech giant's Ethical AI research group, said she decided to leave Google after becoming tired of its structural deficiencies. "In a word, tech has a whiteness problem," Hanna wrote on Medium at the time. "Google is not just a tech organization. Google is a white tech organization."
On Friday, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia threw out a complaint that Attorney General Karl Racine had filed against Amazon accusing the retailer of anticompetitive behavior, according to The Wall Street Journal . Last June , Racines office alleged that Amazon had used a variety of contract provisions to prevent third-party sellers from offering their wares for less elsewhere.

We believe that the Superior Court got this wrong, and its oral ruling did not seem to consider the detailed allegations in the complaint, the full scope of the anticompetitive agreements, the extensive briefing and a recent decision of a federal court to allow a nearly identical lawsuit to move forward, a spokesperson for the attorney general told the outlet.

At the center of Racines suit was Amazons Fair Pricing Policy . In 2019, amid antitrust scrutiny, the company stopped telling third-party sellers they couldnt offer their wares at lower prices on competing marketplaces. The complaint alleged that Amazon added a near-identical clause under its Fair Pricing Policy. The suit said that those guidelines allow the company to impose sanctions on merchants that sell their products for less money elsewhere.

When Racine's office first filed its complaint, Amazon argued that many retailers employ pricing restrictions in their contracts. The DC Attorney General has it exactly backwards  sellers set their own prices for the products they offer in our store," a spokesperson for the company told Engadget at the time. Amazon takes pride in the fact that we offer low prices across the broadest selection, and like any store we reserve the right not to highlight offers to customers that are not priced competitively. The relief the AG seeks would force Amazon to feature higher prices to customers, oddly going against core objectives of antitrust law.

Racines office said it was weighing whether to appeal the ruling. We are considering our legal options and well continue fighting to develop reasoned antitrust jurisprudence in our local courts and to hold Amazon accountable for using its concentrated power to unfairly tilt the playing field in its favor, it told The Journal.
Enid, OK (73701)

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The woman who was murdered and then dismembered by an 83-year-old Brooklyn serial killer was beaten and died from a blow to the head, the citys Medical Examiners office said Saturday.

An autopsy of Susan Leydens scattered remains showed that she died of homicidal violence including blunt force trauma to the head, a spokeswoman for the Medical Examiners office said.

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Her death has been ruled a homicide.

Murder victim Susan Leyden is pictured in an undated photo.

Leyden, 68, was reported missing March 2. The next day, her headless, limbless torso was discovered stuffed in a shopping cart on Pennsylvania and Atlantic Aves. in East New York.

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On March 10, police released video of Leydens accused killer, Harvey Marcelin, shopping in a 99 cent store in Brooklyn with Leydens severed leg, cut from the knee down, wrapped in a garbage bag.

On March 10, police released video of Leydens accused killer, Harvey Marcelin, shopping in a 99 cent store in Brooklyn with Leydens severed leg (not pictured), cut from the knee down, wrapped in a garbage bag. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

Marcelin, 83, served two stints in prison for killing two girlfriends in Manhattan and now identifies as a transgender woman, police said.

Leydens severed head was found in a black garbage back in Marcelins apartment when cops executed a search warrant, police sources said. Marcelin was arrested for concealment of a human corpse on March 4 and ordered held without bail. On March 10, she was indicted on second-degree murder and other charges in Leydens death.

Leydens accused killer, Harvey Marcelin, is pictured in custody in Brooklyn on Monday, March 14. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

During an emotional funeral on March 13, Leyden was described as a devoted single mother who suffered from an untreated mental illness in the last years of her life.

The last 12 years were a struggle for her. She had untreated mental illness that presented strongly in her 50s and it contributed to so much pain and suffering, the daughter, Nicole Haymo, recounted during her eulogy at Leydens New Jersey funeral. I want to be open about it because maybe if there was less shame around it people would get the help they need. And if there was more education around it we could be better equipped to help those who need it.

Marcelin was convicted of murder in Manhattan for the 1963 shooting of girlfriend Jacqueline Bonds. A year after release, Marcelin fatally stabbed another girlfriend, Anna Laura Serrera Miranda, dumping her body near Central Park in 1985.

An email to Brooklyn Defender Services, Marcelins legal representation, seeking comment was not immediately returned.
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The evacuation of children in urgent need of care from Ukraine will be prioritized by the European Union, EU health ministers agreed on Tuesday (15 March)following talks of a coordinated EU approach to the health crisis in the country. As the war in Ukraine continues to intensify by the day, EU health ministers said they wanted the most effective health cooperation possible, particularly in caring for sick children.We are in the process of formulating an initial proposal to facilitate evacuations, particularly of children with cancer, we are in discussion with Kyiv and Poland, said French Health Minister Olivier Veran,adding that the first transfers could take place by the end of the week.The war affects their mental and physical health. We must give great importance to psychological care and do our best so that they can stay with their loved ones, he said.For millions of Ukrainians fleeing from the war, EU countries have lifted Covid-19 travel restrictions, though the ECDC and WHO Europe have highlighted the importance of ensuring vaccination coverage among refugees in host countries.

In less than a month, almost three million people have now fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations. The immediate focus in countries like Poland, where refugees are arriving exhausted and scared, has been to provide kindness, food and emergency shelter. European countrieshave also already started thinking about how to help them settle in for the longer term, including by being allowed to find work. To that end, while sympathizing with the plight of Ukrainians, refugees from Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Yemen and other conflict-torn regions are now questioning double standards in the international response.In contrast to the experiences of refugees from countries in Asia, Middle East and Africa who have been met with militarized borders, deportation and squalid camps  Europe has pledged to give safe haven to millions of refugees from Ukraine. Also media outlets have been criticized for comparing the conflict in Ukraine with those in less civilized non-European countries, while African and Arab refugees fleeing Ukraine have reported widespread instances of racism and mistreatment.

Drawing on their own experience, some Afghans have warned that todays support can quickly change into tomorrows abandonment. Referring to the parallels between the Ukrainian to the Afghani experience, Arash Azizzada, a co-founder of the progressive diaspora group Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, warned that Theres this outpouring of solidarity, and western powers likewise made a lot of lofty promises to us. But over the last few decades, the experience has been one of abandonment. They washed their hands of us once it became convenient. Also Zeena Saifi, a CNN editor, adds to the choir of voices criticizing the perceived Western double standards. Amid this outpouring of empathy, however, stark contrasts have arisen in the way Europe has dealt with Ukrainian refugees over those coming from conflicts in the global south, she writes. The two wars occurred at different times and on different continents, but unlike the Syrians fleeing conflict, Ukrainians are finding a much warmer welcome in Europe. The far-right French presidential contender Eric Zemmour summed it up succinctly: Everyone knows that Arab or Muslim immigration is too distant from us and its more difficult to acculturate and assimilate them. So effectively, we are closer to European Christians.
Britain said it would ban exports of luxury goods to Russia, as well as imposing a new 35% tariff on Russian imports worth about $1.2 billion.
The city will shut down its drive-thru mass vaccination site next week after 15 months of operating continuously and administering more than 226,700 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the public.

The last day to get a vaccine at the Alamodome will be March 25.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a press release Friday that organizing and operating one of the largest continually functioning vaccination sites in the state has been a huge logistical undertaking.

I am grateful for all those who rose to the occasion each day to meet the challenges of running this drive-thru clinic from the day we opened, he said. The effective operation at the Alamodome is proof that we will be able to respond to future surges or similar situations if necessary.

On ExpressNews.com: University Health to close Wonderland vaccination center amid decline in demand

Throughout the pandemic, the Alamodome has housed many COVID-19 recovery and response efforts, including food drives, distribution of personal protective equipment, contact tracing, testing and vaccinations.

City Manager Manager Erik Walsh thanked the San Antonio Fire Department for its work setting up and overseeing these operations at the Alamodome clinic.

City officials said they will cease operations at the Alamodome site because of a decrease in people seeking to get vaccinated there. The San Antonio Metropolitan Heath District will continue offering free COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinics each week in neighborhoods throughout the city.

We would like to thank everyone who visited the Alamodome drive-thru clinic to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and our community from this virus, Metro Health Director Claude Jacob said.

On ExpressNews.com: Small town vaccination outreach  including the hard part  is daily challenge for S.A. students

So far, 76.4 percent of people 5 and older in Bexar County are fully vaccinated against the virus.

For a list of COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinics and testing locations, visit covid19.sanantonio.gov or call 311 and select option 8.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
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DEL RIO  Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez drove past a 12-foot black metal fence built along the Rio Grande when George W. Bush was president, then past a much taller, rust-colored structure that went up during the Trump administration.

Plugged here and there with stretches of nondescript hurricane fence, the mismatched barriers led to a clearing where several trucks were parked near a portable toilet. A fluttering red flag with the symbol of a castle identified the unit as Army engineers.

They were Texas National Guard soldiers working on the latest addition, ordered up by Gov. Greg Abbott. Its a shiny hurricane fence topped with menacing razor wire. Abbott has called it a border wall to protect Texas from a surge of migrants.

Its not a wall, its a fence, Martinez said.

Its more like a prison fence, he said, but with a difference: Its intended to keep people out.

Other walls have been built with the same goal in mind. They have slowed but never stopped the illegal immigration that has been the governors focus in recent weeks. The Bush fence, as Martinez calls it, is bent at the top and bottom where migrants climbed over or crawled under it.

Abbotts barrier is different, designed as a legal trip wire. Built on private land, it gives Department of Public Safety troopers a basis to arrest and jail migrants for trespassing. Martinez said migrants already are avoiding it, knowing they can surrender at the Bush fence on federal land and get in line for an asylum hearing that might allow them to remain in the U.S.  or at least give them a chance to skip the hearing and disappear.

The ones arrested at Abbotts fence are taken to a tent processing center at the Val Verde County Jail and held in a once-vacant state prison in Dilley, the Dolph Briscoe Unit, about 2 hours southeast of Del Rio. Martinez said 70 immigrants from Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Honduras and El Salvador had been sent there as of the end of the day Friday.

Now Playing: A look at Gov. Greg Abbotts border fence Video: San Antonio Express-News

Abbotts office didnt respond to questions about his border policy, including how many miles of fencing have been erected since he announced the project and how many states have sent law enforcement officers and National Guard troops to help at the Texas border.

Abbotts spokeswoman, Renae Eze, reiterated the governors assertion that President Joe Biden is to blame for the latest influx of migrants.

Until the Biden administration starts doing their job, Texas is stepping up to secure our southern border and protect Texans and Americans alike, she said by email.

Last week, Abbotts rhetoric was matched by an escalation in tactics. He authorized the guard to arrest migrants, breaking with longtime practice of having the troops on the border support DPS in other ways.

Abbott also directed state troopers to target for arrest anyone they suspect of transporting migrants.

Martinez said he expected that will increase the profiling of Hispanic motorists. Others see the measure as aimed at nonprofit groups that assist migrant families after they have been processed and released by federal authorities. The Justice Department sued Texas on Friday, calling Abbotts order unconstitutional.

Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens Jr. said an organization working with migrants in Del Rio shut down Wednesday in response to the governors directive but reopened a day later.

The clash was typical of the endless political brinksmanship over the border and a reminder that much of the fighting is done on Twitter and cable television. But Martinez and Owens, who is in his first term as the countys chief executive, say the problem, stripped of its political drama, has no real solution in sight.

On ExpressNews.com: Abbott orders Texas Guard to begin arresting migrants

Countless migrants dream of living in the U.S., and efforts to keep them out are a drain on border communities whose resources already are stretched thin, they said.

Martinez, who is in his 13th year as sheriff, would like to see a barrier that would drive migrants away from populated areas of his county. But he dismissed former President Donald Trumps wall as a fraud, more political messaging than a legitimate effort to control migration. He said Trump merely replaced parts of existing barriers without extending them.

I mean, to me, its a waste of money. I would have been happy if they would have continued extending the wall a little further to continue to protect our community, he said.

As he spoke, migrants on the other side of the older barrier waited in the shade of trees on a scorching day. An air-conditioned bus carrying other migrants passed the sheriff. The driver waved, and Martinez waved back.

At ground zero

Billy Calzada /Staff photographer

The border clash strikes Owens as a social media diversion and an arena for posturing by cynical politicians.

I call it a pissing contest, said Owens, 58, a real estate developer who has served on the Val Verde County Commissioners Court since 2011. Were all getting wet.

He and Martinez are Democrats who dont adhere to their partys line on immigration. Both support the Trump-era policy of making every asylum-seeker wait in Mexico for their hearings. Owens signed Abbotts border crisis disaster declaration in late June.

Something has to be done because this cannot be sustained forever, Martinez said.

That things have gotten out of hand is Bidens fault, Owens said.

I will tell you that the policy that were under right now, with what Im dealing with as county judge, does not work, Owens said. Over the last, I guess, seven, eight years, its gotten worse and worse to where they want to divide a line and you are either an R or a D, a Republican and Democrat. At the end of the day, youve got to get (things) done.

Weve never seen the numbers like this, he said of the spike in migrants under Biden. In 2019, we had high numbers, but never like this. In 2019, we had people wanting to help these individuals. They werent scared.

But these days, residents are plenty nervous, he said. People living in areas where migrants cross report burglaries, torn-up fences and other property crimes.

Martinez said its cost the county $180,000 and counting to hold 40 human smuggling suspects at the jail. They have been arrested since mid-March in a DPS crackdown called Operation Lone Star. Most of the suspects cant make bail. Its costing the county $90 a day each to incarcerate them.

Martinez hopes the state will cover the cost.

Theres no telling if the state will. But Abbotts border enforcement effort, including his invitation for other states to help, is paying in other ways, through spending on local lodging, meals, supplies and services.

A long line of police vehicles parked at the La Quinta by Wyndham, including a few from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, might explain why the hotel has had few rooms available since June.

The DPS Susan Gurley McBee Building is across from La Quinta on the towns main drag, Veterans Boulevard.

Down the road, DPS vehicles ringed the Best Western.

Six Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission SUVs were parked outside the Hampton Inn.

National guardsmen armed with government-issued credit cards are staying in hotels as well.

On ExpressNews.com: South Dakota guardsmen are coming to Texas - and neither state will talk about it

I can tell you that all our restaurants are full: breakfast, lunch and dinner, Owens said. Our motels are full.  All our troops, DPS, the guard, everybody, theyre buying fuel here in town, theyre going to our Walmart, theyre going to our H-E-B.

You bring in this many people here and spending money the way theyre spending  even the tents they put up to house the staff, theyve had to go buy stuff at Home Depot.

Sig Blanca Larson, executive director of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce and Conventions & Visitors Bureau, calls it a bit of a boom.

Even before Abbotts latest escalation of the police presence, hotel occupancy tax receipts for April were up 37 percent over the previous year, and the numbers would be higher except that one hotel hasnt turned in its taxes for March and April, she said.

Hotels are typically booked at 80 to 90 percent of capacity, she said. DPS officers rotate in and out of town every two weeks, filling the citys 15 hotels and bed-and-breakfasts.

A tent facility established on the county fairgrounds to support those on the mission can handle the overflow if the hotels are full, officials said.

Weve always had a large presence of Border Patrol and federal government, weve always had that. But now its kind of trebled, Larson said.

City sales tax revenue through July is up $1.3 million compared with the same period last year, reflecting a rebound from the pandemic. Things could be even better if not for continued restrictions on nonessential travel at the border, which has limited shopping and travel by Mexican nationals since the start of the pandemic.

The main issue here is we dont have Mexico coming, Larson said. On a normal day, the Mexican consumer contributes 65 percent of our sales. On a normal day. This is before COVID.

What we signed up for

Billy Calzada /Staff photographer

It was a quiet day on the river. A family could be seen fishing on the Mexican side. Martinez slowed his SUV to avoid a turtle crawling across the washboard surface of the road. Then he stopped at the clearing.

Only a couple of soldiers were working, not far from one end of the Abbott fence. Both wore civilian clothes, yellow and orange construction helmets and bright orange reflective vests. No weapons were visible.

One, a staff sergeant with 10 years in the Army who wouldnt give his name, pounded away with a hammer at a concrete footing, trying to salvage a tall aluminum pole.

His buddy, a sergeant with plans to retire, said they were trying to reuse the pipe, but wouldnt say much else. Both were from the Houston area and serve in an engineering unit. Theyd been on the border a couple of months and were happy to be there.

Oh, I feel pretty good, the staff sergeant said. Whatever the governor needs, whatever is best for Texas, thats what were going to do. Hey, its what weve got to do. Its what we signed up for.

The next day, four soldiers with M-4 rifles slung over their shoulders stood watch near a pair of Humvees in front of a gate along the Bush fence, a scene that could have come straight out of Iraq 10 or 15 years ago, but with a few differences.

They wore wide-brimmed boonie caps, not helmets; their Humvees had a green-and brown camouflage pattern, not desert tan; and ammunition magazines were tucked in their webbing, not in the rifles.

On ExpressNews.com: On the border, a 'training day' unlike any other for GIs

Like the engineers, the GIs gave their ranks but no names. One said they had been told not to talk to news media. They had no complaints. For one thing, they each had their own hotel room as a COVID precaution, with Wifi.

Its all we really need, one soldier said.

He said the Texas Guard helps free up the Border Patrol to do its job, adding, I think its purposeful.

The soldier said he wasnt aware that the governor had just ordered the guard to help DPS troopers make arrests, but he added that he was an infantryman and thats not my job.

Typically, state guard commanders choose troops trained as military police or in security to support civilian law enforcement. But other troops can do those jobs too, said Air National Guard Maj. Matt Murphy, a National Guard Bureau spokesman.

Those who assist in making arrests will receive 35 to 40 hours of training from DPS or another state law enforcement agency, Murphy said. Theyll be briefed on state law, rules governing use of force and the limits of their authority, he said.

They must meet the training requirements and qualifications before they receive authority  i.e., become deputized  under that specific states laws and statutes, Murphy said in an email. He noted they would be paired with a law enforcement officer. To be clear, only trained, qualified and authorized troops can carry out the rules of force.

Political football

Billy Calzada /Staff photographer

The new fence has grown well beyond the 1.5 miles it covered a couple of weeks ago, Martinez said.

Abbotts office isnt saying when the project will end. Owens has heard nothing from the governor about that.

Although they want an effective border policy, Martinez and Owens say its important that it be humane and take into account that many migrants are running away from repressive governments, gangs and drug cartels.

Martinez, 65, a Del Rio native, cant forget the story of one woman who said she preferred death to going back home  and it wasnt just her own life she was prepared to sacrifice

She was from Venezuela, Martinez recalled. She told him she had started her journey to the U.S. four years earlier, with a 1-year-old child. By the time of her encounter with the sheriff, the child was 5.

And her response to me was she preferred to drown her and her 5-year-old  preferred to drown in the river here than die in her home country, Martinez said.

Theres got to be an easier way for these people to come into this country legally, without having to risk or lose their lives. Its never going to happen. Its a political football, and nobodys ever going to score.

sigc@express-news.net
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Gov. Greg Abbotts abrupt replacement of the Texas National Guards first female commander, Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, in the wake of intense criticism over his border mission got a thumbs-down from two men who once had her job.

As turnover in the guards top leadership ranks widened last week, retired Maj. Gens. Charles Rodriguez and Jose Mayorga said in interviews that Norris, who had served under them and whom they described as a superb officer, got a raw deal from Abbott.

They and two other Texas Guard commanders, retired Maj. Gens. Sam Turk and Wayne Marty, also said the governors troubled border mission, Operation Lone Star, should have been financed by the federal government. But they differed on how necessary Abbotts decision to go it alone was.

The departures of two other high-level officials in the guard were announced late last week. Maj. Gen. Charles Aris, after less than five months leading the 36th Infantry Division, will be succeeded by Brig. Gen. Ronald Win Burkett II. The civilian chief of staff for Norris, retired Maj. Gen. James Red Brown, resigned after Abbott announced her exit. His last day was Tuesday.

The apparent purge of guard commanders unfolded after a heated Republican primary in which Abbotts unsuccessful challengers blamed him for the border missions operational problems, saying he too hurriedly ordered the large-scale, open-ended deployment. Democrats have panned the mission itself as a misuse of state resources for political posturing.

Abbott announced Feb. 14 that Norris was being immediately replaced by Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer. The Texas Guard didnt respond when asked if Norris left on her own accord.

Stephen Spillman /

While Norris was obligated to follow Abbotts orders, she should not be blamed for the border operations problems, said Mayorga, 67, of San Antonio.

It really comes down to this being a state mission and the resources that are required to conduct such a mission, he said.

I dont want to call it a criticism (of Abbott), Mayorga said. But when you have those resource issues, youre going to have other problems that come along with them.  And changing the adjutant general is not going to make those problems go away.

Marty agreed the border effort should have been a federal mission but said Abbott had to make a decision, adding, If the federal government is not going to do it, you take the initiative. He said he wasnt in a position to judge Norris performance.

Rodriguez said, Was it a raw deal for her? For sure, but  ultimately (that) just has to be the governors call.

Theres a lot of politics at the level of the governor, and in an election year that has got to be a factor, a pretty big factor, said Rodriguez, who became the states first Hispanic adjutant general in 2005 and at 68 is now retired in San Antonio.

John W. Gonzalez /Houston Chronicle

Norris, as the states 52nd adjutant general, was the first woman to lead the Texas Military Department, which has 24,000 Texans in its Army and Air National Guard components. Her term ended in February, but its not unusual for guard leaders to stay past that period. Their departures are usually arranged well in advance.

The Texas Guard suggested Norris would not be included in a command-change salute traditionally held for outgoing and incoming guard leaders at Camp Mabry, its headquarters in Austin, saying, An appropriate ceremony recognizing Maj. Gen. Suelzers new role as leader of the Texas Military Department is in the planning stages.

On ExpressNews.com: First woman to head Texas National Guard had a hero  her mom

Mayorga said cutting Norris out of a change-of-command ceremony would be unfortunate, adding, I am sad for her.

Abbotts short statement Feb. 14 thanked Norris for decades of faithful, dignified and exceptional service, including as adjutant general since January 2019. The guard released a statement from Norris declaring herself very proud and honored to have served as the adjutant general for the great state of Texas, particularly during a time of great transition and historic ops tempo for the Texas National Guard.

I look forward to my retirement and transition into a new season of life out of uniform, the statement said.

The problems plaguing Operation Lone Star have ranged from missed paychecks to cramped living quarters that have prompted some soldiers to sleep in their vehicles. Texas GIs have spent long hours at observation posts overlooking the Rio Grande without portable toilets. The guard has said its worked to improve conditions and correct pay problems, but some soldiers interviewed in January called their deployment a political exercise, and some said Norris should be fired.

On ExpressNews.com: On the border, chasing delays in pay and fewer migrants, some Texas guardsmen are losing faith

Abbott launched the sprawling operation as a response to a surge of migrants in spring 2021, saying the Biden administration had failed to protect the states long border with Mexico. Guardsmen build and patrol stretches of fence on private land, which when breached give Texas Department of Public Safety troopers a basis to arrest and jail migrants on trespassing charges. In a highly unusual departure from past practice, Abbott authorized guardsmen to arrest migrants.

LM Otero /Associated Press

In combination, the troops and officers have numbered about 10,000. Much smaller border missions for the guard date to the 1990s, when George W. Bush was governor, and generally were voluntary for soldiers and airmen. The current operation has assigned to the border almost half of the Texas National Guards personnel, who have not been told when theyll go home.

Some officers, who can leave the guard whenever they wish, have said they would quit rather than go if ordered, and theyve warned that spreading resentment within the ranks will hurt retention and recruiting.

On ExpressNews.com: Abbott dismisses criticism of National Guard pay issues and suicides, accusing opponents of playing politics

Rodriguez and Mayorga said state government did not have the resources to manage an operation of the size and complexity of Lone Star and that the responsibility for making that commitment rests with Abbott.

Mayorga, adjutant general from 2009 to 2011, said hes followed news accounts of Operation Lone Stars problems and heard from guardsmen about it. He said the slow-pay issues are likely the product of the mission being run by the state, rather than Washington  which usually pays troops on time.

The easiest thing to do is to blame the top person in the chain, Mayorga said. Ive worked with Tracy Norris a number of years. Shes been with me since I was a brigade commander.  Shes a fine officer, and I would go into combat with her anytime.

When troops leave their civilian jobs to go on state or federal duty, a host of logistical issues, including pay, require time to work out, said Marty, 81, who also lives in San Antonio and who led the Texas Guard from 2002 to 2005. He was the assistant adjutant general for the Army when troops were on the border as part of a counterdrug operation with law enforcement in the 1990s.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

While saying he wasnt familiar with the details of the current border operation, Marty noted that Norris served in an at-will job and could be let go at any time.

The soldiers, youve got to take care of the soldiers. Youve got to listen to what theyre saying, youve got to take that into consideration, he said. You dont have to be a hard-ass about it, youve just got to figure out how can you best accommodate the mission with the people you have.

I would just say that first of all weve always been taught the mission comes first and then people, and those two things you concern yourself about, he said. Thats just old general talk  and thats not even general talk, its leadership.

On ExpressNews.com: Abbotts border wall is a chain-link fence, built by soldiers in a community tired of political games

Turk, 86, of Gonzales, was a Texas adjutant general during the 1990s. He said he agreed with Abbotts argument that the federal government is obligated to secure the border but had failed in that job.

The problem with the state assuming that responsibility is in funding it, he said.

Its very costly, and we the taxpayers are paying for it, Turk said. And its just the fact the federal government ought to stand up and do what is right.

Rodriguez credited Turk with bringing him into the Texas Guard as a major even as he warned Rodriguez that it had problems with racism. Marty said that was certainly the case in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Turk made changes in guard leadership and qualifications for troops holding certain jobs, and he developed a mentorship program that has seen an influx of minorities and woman across the guard.

Look at where we are, Marty said. We have females in command positions and positions of importance, and in senior leadership positions. I would say it has worked and is still working.

He added: Look at Tracy Norris. She was groomed and brought up.

Rodriguez worried about how Abbotts decision to cut Norris loose from the guard will affect women, who make up roughly 1 in every 5 or 6 service members.

The big thing is, I respect Tracy, he said. I think its unfortunate, and I dont think she was treated well when they brought up this announcement.

The policy context was very different when Rodriguez led the guard, but a massive deployment on the border was not exactly unthinkable. He recounted a conversation with then-state Sen. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican who is now the lieutenant governor, who visited him at Camp Mabry midway through Operation Jump Start, a limited border mission ordered by then-President George W. Bush.

Patrick, he said, wanted every member of the Texas Guard shoulder to shoulder on the border  close to 22,500 soldiers and airmen at the time.

And likely I tried to tell him that our job is to support the governor and the missions that he assigns, and right now thats not a mission, and to support the president when he or she calls us up. He says, No, your job is to get shoulder to shoulder with your bayonets south.

Patrick said he would take up the matter with Rodriguezs boss, Gov. Rick Perry.

I didnt take it as a threat, I took it as bluster because I know my governor, Rodriguez added. Thats not the kind of thing my governor would ask me to do.

A spokesman for Patrick didnt dispute the story.

While the lieutenant governor vaguely recalls visiting Camp Mabry about 15 years ago, he has no specific recollection of who he met or what was said, said the spokesman, Steven Aranyi. He has met tens of thousands of people since that time. The lieutenant governor has always supported using all resources at the states disposal to secure our border.

sigc@express-news.net
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Nearly seven months ago, state Rep. Lyle Larson penned an op-ed for the San Antonio Report that touted his old friend Joe Straus as the leader our state needs.

Larson was trying to draft Straus, the San Antonio-based former speaker of the Texas House, as a candidate for governor or lieutenant governor. By that point, Straus was hearing similar words of encouragement from other friends across the state.

Straus was flattered at the suggestion and gave it some thought.

But the very elements that make Straus so appealing to political observers across the ideological spectrum  his unflappable demeanor; his refusal to sling mud; his distaste for culture-war grandstanding; and his innate tendency to search for bipartisan solutions to policy challenges  also put him at odds with the way Texas currently elects its leaders.

Although he is a lifelong Republican who served two GOP presidents (Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush) and whose mother, Joci, played a huge role in building the Texas GOP, its hard to imagine Straus participating in a statewide Republican primary, where candidates are measured by the megatonnage of the verbal bombs they drop on Democrats.

Of course, he could run as an independent. Voters always say theyre frustrated with the two-party system and love the idea of strong independent candidates. But as they get close to Election Day, many of those voters will conclude that a vote for an independent candidate is a wasted ballot.

Straus is a realist about these things.

Hes also not the type of politician who is addicted to the limelight. He didnt run for elective office until he was 45, and he gave up his House seat three years ago despite the fact that his constituents in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park and North San Antonio would have re-elected him to as many terms as he wanted.

I havent sworn off politics or entering public service again in some way, Straus told me last week in an interview for Texas Talk, a new KLRN talk show produced in partnership with the San Antonio Express-News. But it wasnt the right time for me right now.

My approach to politics and to governing is not very much in fashion at the moment. I believe that bipartisanship is not a dirty word. I believe that pragmatism is not a dirty word. And I think empathy in politics is missing today. But its not very fashionable, its not very popular.

Its been so long since weve heard rational thought and common sense from our statewide leaders that it was vaguely jarring to hear Straus dissect our states problems in a nuanced way that was not loaded with phony machismo or desperate culture-war virtue signaling.

He made a simple, logical case for this state to stop leaving federal dollars on the table and accept a Medicaid expansion that would bring health coverage to more than 1 million uninsured Texans.

The business case for accessing more federal dollars is clear, he said. Whether you call it Medicaid expansion or you negotiate something else with the federal government that avoids the term Medicaid, it doesnt matter to me.

He talked about the need to fully fund public education and make sure our long-term water supply meets the needs of a rapidly growing state. Unlike many Republicans, he acknowledged the reality of climate change and the environmental challenges that come with it.

When I suggested that Republican lawmakers appear to be fixated on targeting transgender children, he didnt hesitate to call out the GOP.

Theres no other way to describe it. It is a fixation, he said.

In my view, its going after a very vulnerable population, a population of people who have a much higher risk of suicidal thoughts, if not action. I thought it was mean-spirited, I thought all of these (bills) are examples of legislatures trying to pass laws to address problems that dont exist.

Straus spoke wistfully about his experience as a 17-year-old Capitol Hill intern for legendary Republican Sen. John Tower in the summer of 1977. One of his fondest memories of that period was the way the staffs of Tower and Lloyd Bentsen, the states Democratic junior senator at the time, set aside partisanship.

(They) worked together very cooperatively on issues that mattered to Texas, Straus said.

They always put the political differences aside when it was something that mattered to the state that they both represented. And thats something thats sadly missing today, but an example that I learned a lot from.

Federal and state governments had their share of problems at the time, but they functioned. Straus remembers what functional governance feels like.

If Texas voters get to a point where theyre ready to give it a whirl, hell be around.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
This is National Womens History Month and a time to celebrate the achievements of women everywhere.

Its also a time to take stock and recognize there is work ahead to smash those stubborn glass ceilings in the workplace.

The commercial real estate industry certainly covers both of those bases. Consider some data points from the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers, or NAREIM. The organization found that women increased their representation in C-suite real estate investment management jobs by 25 percent from 2017 to 2021.

Not bad. But women still occupy only 15 percent of such jobs, NAREIM found. On the other hand, NAREIM also found that 44 percent of new executive management hires were women in 2019, a very promising indicator.

The CCIM Institute, which manages the respected Certified Commercial Investment Member credential, recently published a piece by Patricia K. Lemmons in its magazine: Over the past two decades, women have achieved tremendous inroads in commercial real estate. For example, in 1984, only about 100 CCIMs were women. Among today's CCIMs, more than 550, or about 13 percent, are women. And women are stepping into leadership positions in a number of industry organizations, including the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), where Rebecca Maccardini is immediate past president; the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), with Joan Woodard at the helm as president; the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), headed up this year by President Beverly A. Roachell, CPM; and the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, where B.K. Allen, CCIM, is first vice president.

Clearly, commercial real estate is providing a powerful pathway for ambitious women. We see this across San Antonio, with women taking on more and more roles of influence and authority in commercial real estate  engineers, bankers, general contractors, attorneys, brokers and many other critical positions within the real estate ecosystem.

On Monday, our organization, the Real Estate Council of San Antonio, will host a panel of three such female trailblazers  Jane Feigenbaum, CEO of Metropolitan Contracting Co.; Bethany Babcock, founder and principal of Foresite Commercial Real Estate; and Jordan Worth Arriaga, president of operations and property management at Worth & Associates. Another powerful leader is Mesha Millsap, CEO of Pearl Real Estate, which is recognized worldwide as a premier real estate development and a major destination for visitors to San Antonio. The list is long and growing.

At any local gathering of real estate professionals, it is impossible to ignore the substantial contingent of women in the crowd. They are breaking stereotypes and taking their place in the commercial real estate industry.

Many of us in the real estate industry are committed to ensuring the progress women are making in San Antonio continues, because the truth is that men still hold most positions of leadership in the industry.

The organizations that are moving the needle to advance women professionally in the real estate industry and in other sectors are simply challenging themselves to think and work differently. They recognize the value of creating a culture that leverages the benefits of diversity  one in which women, and all employees, feel comfortable bringing their ideas, perspectives and experiences to the table. Diversity is good for business.

Yes, progress has been made and it should be celebrated. San Antonio is absolutely abound with opportunities for women to achieve as much as they want to achieve in real estate and in many other fields. But it will be truly amazing in 20, 30 and 50 years to celebrate the ever-growing leadership roles women have in the real estate industry of our wonderful city.

Stephanie Reyes is chief executive officer of the Real Estate Council of San Antonio, or RECSA, the advocate for owners and professionals in the real estate industry.
Every war brings surprises, but what is most striking about Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine  and indirectly against the whole democratic West  is how many of the bad surprises, so far, have been for Putin and how many of the good surprises have been for Ukraine and its allies around the world.

How so? Well, I am pretty sure that when Putin was plotting this war, he was assuming that by three weeks into it, hed be giving a victory speech at the Ukrainian Parliament, welcoming it back into the bosom of Mother Russia. He probably also assumed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be in exile in a Polish Airbnb, Russian troops would still be removing all the flowers from their tanks thrown by welcoming Ukrainians, and Putin and Chinas President Xi Jinping would be high-fiving each other for having shown NATO and Sleepy Joe whos going to set the rules of the international system going forward.

Instead, Ukrainians have given Russians a tutorial on fighting and dying for freedom and self-determination. Putin appears locked into his own germ-free isolation chamber, probably worrying that any Russian military officer who comes near may pull a gun on him. Zelenskyy will be addressing the U.S. Congress virtually. And rather than globalization being over, individuals all over the world are using global networks to monitor and influence the war in totally unexpected ways. With a few clicks theyre sending money to support Ukrainians and with a few more keystrokes telling everyone from McDonalds to Goldman Sachs that they must withdraw from Russia until Russian soldiers withdraw from Ukraine.

Heres another surprise few saw coming  especially China and Russia. China relied on its own vaccines to fight COVID-19, along with a policy of zero tolerance and immediate quarantine to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Alas, the Chinese vaccines seem to be less effective than other COVID vaccines. And because Chinas quarantine strategy has left it with little immunity from prior infections, the virus is now spreading like wildfire there. As The New York Times reported Tuesday, Tens of millions of residents in Chinese provinces and cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are under lockdown amid an outbreak of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Travel has been cut off between cities, production lines have stopped, and malls have been closed.

What is that doing? Its killing demand for and tanking the price of crude oil  which, after approaching $130 a barrel because of the war in Ukraine, fell below $100 on Tuesday. And what country desperately needs high oil prices because it has so little else to sell to the world to fund its war? Putins Russia. So Chinas COVID strategy is hampering Putins oil price strategy  probably hurting him as much as anything the U.S. is doing. Were all still a lot more connected than we might think.

Now that weve passed the opening phase of this war, the surprises just keep on coming. For me, the three biggest are the extraordinary acts of cruelty, courage and kindness that this war is revealing and inspiring.

I never had any illusions that once Putin launched this war, hed stop short of doing anything to make sure that he could claim to be the winner. Nevertheless, it is stunning to watch how quickly he has tied himself into knots. In the space of three weeks, Putin has gone from saying that he came to liberate Ukraine from its Nazi leadership and bring Kyiv back to its natural home with Russia to crushing its cities and indiscriminately shelling its civilians to break their resistance to his will.

How does a leader go from one day saying Ukraine and its people are integral parts of the soul and fabric of Russia  with shared languages, culture and religion  to, when rebuffed, immediately pivoting toward turning the place to rubble without any explanation to Ukrainians, the world or his own people?

Its the kind of vicious madness that you see from a spurned lover or in an honor killing. And its shocking and petrifying to see it manifested by the leader of a superpower with some 6,000 nuclear warheads. There is something about this guy that portends more ominous surprises.

I am always amazed by the courage that seemingly average people manifest in war  in this case, not only by Ukrainians but also by Russians who refuse to buy Putins lies, knowing that he is turning them into a pariah nation. So I marvel at the breathtaking courage demonstrated Monday evening by Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee at Russias Channel 1, a state-run television channel, who burst into a live broadcast of Russias most-watched news show, yelling, Stop the war! and holding up a sign behind the anchorwoman saying, Theyre lying to you here. She was interrogated and, for the moment, released  probably because Putin feared making her into a martyr.

Marina Ovsyannikova  remember her name. She dared to tell the czar that he had no clothes. What courage.

And finally, wars also reveal extraordinary acts of kindness. In this war, some came spontaneously and by leveraging a platform in ways that no one expected  room-sharing site Airbnb. Executives at Airbnb say they basically woke up in early March to discover that members of their community were spontaneously using their platform in a novel new way  transforming its booking technology into a homemade, people-to-people, foreign aid system.

In about the last two weeks, according to the company, people from 165 countries have booked more than 430,000 nights at Ukrainian homes on Airbnb with no intention of using the rooms  but simply in order to donate money to these Ukrainian hosts, most of whom they had never even heard of. Airbnb has temporarily waived all guest and host fees for bookings in Ukraine, so those reservations translated into $17 million going directly to the hosts. Guests from the U.S., Britain and Canada are the biggest bookers. Australia, Germany and several other European countries round out the top 10.

In addition, as of Sunday, about 36,000 people from 160 countries signed up through Airbnbs nonprofit affiliate, Airbnb.org, to welcome refugees fleeing Ukraine to their homes.

There is no way that Americas giant Agency for International Development, USAID, could have such an impact so fast.

Many of the Ukrainian hosts who have received these booking donations have written back to the donors, forging new friendships and enabling foreigners to understand the impact of this war much more deeply. There is nothing like personally communicating with someone in Ukraine who is hiding in the basement while you are explaining why you are happy to rent that basement but never use it. It creates a community of kindness that alone cannot defeat Putins tanks, but it can help buttress those determined to resist them by reminding them that they are not alone  Putin is.

I do not find any of this surprising. I have always argued that globalization is not just about trade. It is about the ability for countries, companies and now, increasingly, individuals to connect and act globally. Humans are hardwired to want to connect, and the hardwiring of todays world is making it easier and cheaper for them to do so every day.

All that said, what makes the pleasant surprises in this war so surprising is that they were surprises to the people who were responsible for them. Just one caution, though. There will be more surprises  and they wont all be pleasant.
An Arkansas police officer was convicted Friday of negligent homicide and sentenced to one year in prison for fatally shooting a teenager in June 2021.

Michael Davis walked out of the courtroom Friday; he was released on bond pending an appeal.

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Davis worked as a police officer in the city of Cabot until he fatally shot Hunter Brittain, a 17-year-old white youth, on June 23, 2021, outside an auto repair shop during a traffic stop.

Arkansas State Troopers escort former Lonoke County sheriff's deputy Michael Davis, left center, after being convicted of negligent homicide Friday in Cabot, Ark. (Thomas Metthe/AP)

Brittain was reaching into the bed of his pickup truck for an antifreeze jug when Davis shot a single bullet into his neck. No guns were found near the truck.

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Davis claimed that he told Brittain to show his hands. Two witnesses at the scene, including Brittains friend in the truck, said they never heard any warning.

Davis was fired for not turning on his body-camera before the shooting. He turned the camera on after opening fire, in violation of police department policy in the town of 25,000 about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock.

In September 2021, Davis was charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide. National civil rights leaders, including Ben Crump, took up Brittains case. Crump also represented George Floyds family.

While acquitting Davis on the manslaughter charge, the jury imposed the maximum penalty on the negligent homicide count: one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Negligent homicide is a misdemeanor in Arkansas. The jury debated for about three hours.

The jury spoke clearly today when it found former Lonoke Deputy Sheriff Michael Davis guilty of negligent homicide and gave him the maximum sentence that could be provided under the law, Crump and fellow attorney Devon Jacob said in a statement.

With News Wire Services
The Scottish government has launched a taskforce to respond to any potential disruption to food security and supply resulting from the impact of the war in Ukraine.

The Food Security and Supply Taskforce will jointly work with the food and farming industry, the Scottish government announced.

The taskforce will include Scottish farm leaders and will meet frequently over the coming weeks, it added.

Over the last two years, the industry has experienced a series of shocks in terms of disrupted supply chains and new barriers to trade through Covid and Brexit.

The war in Ukraine will have further impacts, the Scottish government warned, not least through massive increases in energy bills.

Ukraine and the surrounding region is also a major player in terms of global food supply and agricultural production, such as wheat, barley and sunflower oil.

The taskforce will be co-chaired by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon and Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink, James Withers.

Ms Gougeon said: We need to take action now to better understand the potential impact of disruption to the food supply chain, how industry and government might work together to manage those, and be alert to the resulting impact on the cost of food products.

That is why the Scottish government has convened a taskforce jointly with industry to monitor, identify and respond to these issues."

She added: "Crucially, the taskforce will also consider how we can continue to get products and food supplies to Ukraine we must not forget that there is a population still there that will desperately need our help and support in the weeks ahead.

I welcome the involvement of food and drink industry leaders across Scotland and look forward to working together to strengthen food security and supply.

James Withers said it was 'critical' to assess the potential impact of the conflict on national food security and supply.

Immediate supplies of food and animal feed are secure, even if prices are rising sharply," he said.

"However, whilst much still remains unknown in terms of the impact of the war on global supply chains, there is clearly a shock to the system coming.

"We must understand its implications for Scotlands farmers, food manufacturers and consumers and consider any short or medium-term action we can take to mitigate their impact.
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.
David Pilgrim, of Rockford, is Ferris State Universitys Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives. Pilgrim, in December 2021, was appointed to The Ferris Foundation Board of Directors. David Pilgrim, of Rockford, is Ferris State Universitys Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives. Pilgrim, in December 2021, was appointed to The Ferris Foundation Board of Directors.

Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives David Pilgrim joins six Ferris State University alumni as the newest members of the Ferris Foundation Board of Directors.

The new directors had a recent informational session. Pilgrim, a member of the Ferris community since 1990, brought a unique perspective related to The Ferris Foundations impact on the university community and its programs.

Serving as a member of The Ferris Foundation affords me the opportunity to make sure that the work of this group is guided, in ways big and small, by a commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity, Pilgrim said.

The board of directors oversees faculty and staff merit grants, The Ferris Foundation Opportunity Endowed Scholarships and other perpetual gifts intended to support the university and its mission. Pilgrim said he looks forward to adding responsibilities as a director with his duties related to university goals, institutional strategy and development of the Jim Crow Museum, Archive and Research Center.

If my memory is accurate, The Ferris Foundation awarded a merit grant to help build the first Jim Crow Museum traveling exhibit, which allowed us to share the lessons of the museum with a national audience, Pilgrim said. That was before the explosion of social media.

The Ferris Board of Trustees appointed alumnae Jenifer Cutter, of Grand Rapids; Denise Graves, of Brighton; Dana King, of Oakland, California; and Chris Visner, of Grand Rapids; and alumni Matt Bissett, of South Lyon, and Russ Visner, of Grand Rapids, at its Friday, Dec. 17 meeting.

The Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit is the organizations signature event. This year, the annual gala takes place on Friday, Nov. 4, in Grand Rapids.
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Kareena Kapoor Khan took off for Maldives for the weekend and fans are already in awe of the beautiful snaps shes been sharing on her official social media handle. Surrounded by the calm blue sea waters and soaking in the sun, the diva is seen having a great time with her kids, sister Karisma Kapoor and pal Natasha Poonawalla.

Work hard and party harder they say.took off for Maldives for the weekend and fans are already in awe of the beautiful snaps shes been sharing on her official social media handle. Surrounded by the calm blue sea waters and soaking in the sun, the diva is seen having a great time with her kids, sisterand pal Natasha Poonawalla.

Wishing her Instagram fans a good morning, she shared a snap of hers in her stories where she is seen lounging by the beach. Dressed in a hot pink swimsuit and pairing it with bright yellow sunnies, she looked in style to enjoy her beach vacay furthermore.
Back in 2021, the world faced a triumphant furor as Harnaaz Sandhu brought back the crown of Miss Universe to the country.

On the occasion of Holi yesterday, she shared some snippets on social media where she is seen celebrating the Festival of Colours with beaming joy. She also shared a few close-up shots where spots of gulaal on her face enhanced her beauty in the most colourful manner.





She went on to share another video where she is seen narrating the significance of Holi in India and it is truly endearing to see how smoothly she is taking India and its culture all across the globe.

Fans started flooding the comments section in no time with reactions like, ''gorgeous.'' While another user commented, "Happy holi Sherni." A confession also made its way to the comments section which read, "I love you." Another user expressed, "She looks so golu moluuu." Another fan said, "You are beautiful, you deserve to be happy like in this video no matter what."





Back in time when she had won the title of Miss Universe, she had been asked to share her perspective on her supporters as well as people who don't share the same opinion, to which she was quoted in an exclusive interaction, " I think everyone who either uplifts you or suppresses you through their comments or anything, they all are supporters according to me, because all are taking out their valuable time, and showcasing their advice or just commenting about something they believe in. And everybody has the right to say what they believe in. And it is just upon me how I want to take those comments and I have the ability to have a positive outlook towards difficult circumstances or maybe comments. And I know what to ignore and what to focus on. My family, my friends and the whole Miss Diva organisation has been so kind, so respectful, and always made me feel stronger and I think that is what really means to me at the end of the day."

Harnaaz Sandhu returned to India recently and glimpses of her Holi celebrations on social media were an instant hit.





View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miss Universe (@missuniverse)














Disney expressed its regret over a high school drill team performance, which has been widely condemned online for its invocation of racist stereotypes against Native Americans.

The drill team from Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Texas  known as the Indianettes are facing widespread backlash, triggered by a clip of their performance on Main Street earlier this month. It shows the all-girl squad in purple uniforms lined with white fringe, breaking into dance moves that seemingly borrow from Native culture as they repeatedly chant: Scalp em, Indians, scalp em.

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Tara Houska, a Native American and founder of Not Your Mascots, an organization that fights stereotypical native representations in sports, slammed the performance in a tweet on Thursday. She also shared the video, filmed March 15, which has since been viewed more than 1.2 million times.

Cuz a bunch of kids in fringe chanting scalp em Indians, scalp em is honor, right? she wrote.

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And any Natives who attend @pngisd should prolly just accept their classmates dehumanizing them cuz tradition, right? Shame on @DisneyParks hosting this. Nostalgic racism is RACISM.

Cuz a bunch of kids in fringe chanting scalp em Indians, scalp em is honor, right?



And any Natives who attend @pngisd should prolly just accept their classmates dehumanizing them cuz tradition, right?



Shame on @DisneyParks hosting this. Nostalgic racism is RACISM. pic.twitter.com/ELsJHRgJlw  tara houska  (@zhaabowekwe) March 18, 2022

Kelly Lynne DAngelo, a writer on TNTs Miracle Workers, retweeted Houskas post and called on others to speak out against the performance.

99% percent of the people sharing their outrage about this are Native people. Cant you see thats the problem too? she wrote.

Why must WE be the ones to speak up of all the blatant racism against us? Of our constant mistreatment? Why must we fight, tooth and nail, for you to understand we are human and alive and thriving too?

In wake of the backlash, Disney in a statement to Deadline said it was not aware the stereotypes would be featured in the performance and vowed such a thing would not happen again.

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The live performance in our park did not reflect our core values, and we regret it took place, Disney spokesperson Jacquee Wahler said. It was not consistent with the audition tape the school provided and we have immediately put measures in place so this is not repeated.

Walt Disney World said it didn't know the racist chants would be part of the performance. (John Raoux/AP)

Others online noted the PNG drill team performance was also missing an element usually worn during their performances: their headdresses. Native Americans have said that wearing a headdress, even an imitation, is equivalent to cultural appropriation and demeans the status of those who have earned the right to wear them

The controversy comes as Disney continues to navigate the backlash sparked by its response to Floridas Parental Rights in Education Act. The legislation, widely referred to as the Dont Say Gay bill, bars teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with young students in kindergarten all the way through grade three.

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The tourism giant faced widespread outrage  including from its own employees  over its failure to denounce the bill. It prompted an apology from CEO Bob Chapek, who also suspended political donations in Florida for the near future.

The Indianettes scandal also comes amid efforts by Disney to be more inclusive.

Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland recently updated their Jungle Cruise attractions to remove negative depictions of native people. Disney also has plans to update its Splash Mountain rides based on Song of the South. The film has been pulled from distribution for its romanticized portrayal of race relations in the South following in wake of the Civil War.

In a statement to Forbes, Houska slammed Disneys response as paltry, adding that if the company is actually committed to inclusivity and diversity, this behavior should be unequivocally condemned and an apology issued.
New Chief Executive Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, and Board Member Appointments to DGTL Holdings Inc. and New Managing Director Appointed to Hashoff LLC to Lead Corporate Integration and Long-Term Organizational Development Plans

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 18, 2022) - DGTL Holdings Inc. (TSXV: DGTL) (OTCQB: DGTHF) (WKN: A2QB0L) ("DGTL Holdings") reports that it has appointed new senior executive and board of director post the successful completion of a Plan of Arrangement (the "Arrangement") merger with Engagement Labs. The company also reports on near-term corporate integration projects and long-term organizational development plans.

New Chief Executive Officer

Firstly, DGTL Holdings Inc. reports that founder and director, Mr. John Belfontaine has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of DGTL Holdings Inc. as well as sole director of Engagement Labs.

Engagement Labs reports that the former Chief Executive Officer Ed Keller and former Chief Technology Officer Mr. Cedric de Saint Leger have both departed from Engagement Labs and its subsidiaries. Both Mr. Keller and Mr. de Saint Leger departed as per the closing terms and conditions terms of the aforementioned "Plan of Arrangement". Mr. Steven M. Brown will continue as the President and Chief Revenue Officer of Engagement Labs. DGTL Holdings Inc. reports that Mr. Steven Goldberg and Mr. Michael Racic have resigned also as officers and directors of the Company.

All other executives, directors and operational personnel of both subsidiaries remain active and engaged in the immediate integration and long-term organizational development plans.

New DGTL Chief Commercial Officer

Secondly, DGTL Holdings Inc. reports the appointment of Mr. Steven M. Brown to the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). As the new CCO of DGTL Holdings Inc., Mr. Brown will oversee all business development initiatives for Engagement Labs, Hashoff LLC and future potential subsidiaries of DGTL Holdings Inc.

With over 30 years of experience in the sector, Mr. Brown joins DGTL Holdings Inc. with a track record of success in the digital media and marketing industry. Throughout his highly successful career, Brown has guided several high-performance business development teams for global industry powerhouse companies, such as United Online, IGN/News Corp, and Viacom/CBS Radio. Previously, Mr. Brown served as Chief Revenue Officer of ViewLift (a global streaming technologies company) and Senior Vice President of Platform Sales and Advertising Solutions for NeuLion (a leading OTT technology company). Under his leadership, NeuLion experienced unprecedented customer growth and was sold to Endeavor in 2018 in an all-cash transaction valued in excess of $300 million.

New DGTL Board Member

Thirdly, DGTL Holdings Inc. reports the appointment of Mr. Bruce Lev to the board of directors. Mr. Lev is the Managing Director of Loeb Holding Corporation with over 30 years of experience in the capital markets. Mr. Lev is the former Vice Chairman and Director of USCO Logistics (which was sold to global freight forwarder Kuhne & Nagel in 2001) and former Executive Vice President of Corporate and Legal Affairs of Micro Warehouse Inc.

Mr. Lev also served as a former director of the Roper Organization. Mr. Lev is also a former Vice Chairman of AirDat, LLC, and a former board member of Integral Systems Inc. Mr. Lev also served as a former board member and Audit Committee Chairman of VirtualScopics, Inc. Mr. Lev is on the board and member of multiple committees of Intersections Inc. Mr. Lev is a Graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, and University of Virginia School of Law.

New Managing Director, Hashoff LLC

Finally, DGTL Holdings Inc. also reports that it has appointed Mr. Phil Frank as the new Managing Director of Hashoff LLC. With 25 years of experience in digital media and adtech, Mr. Frank's career has been focused on building global enterprise level advertising and data-driven marketing platforms. Mr. Frank is a first-generation digital marketer, joining Infoseek in early 1995. Mr. Frank's proven leadership experience includes Vice President of Sales at AOL, as well as Head of Advertiser Relations at Collective, and senior advisor to leading digital marketing firms. Mr. Frank was the former Chief Revenue Officer Batanga which was acquired by Univision to become the largest multicultural digital platform in the world.

Integration and Organizational Development

The newly enhanced senior management is now focused on phase one integration of the administration, accounting and organizational structure and reporting requirements of its combined entities. The goal is to develop a seamless transition of Engagement Labs and to maximize efficiency of the executive administration with significant cost saving measures to reduce operating expenses and achieve consistent cashflow positivity, in the near term. Cost saving measures include the significant reduction of management wages, office closures and the delisting of Engagement Labs from the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange. DGTL Holdings Inc. will maintain its current listing on the TSXV, OTC Markets and FSE Markets.

Phase two will focus on building an amalgamated business development department supervised by DGTL's new Chief Commercial Officer. This process will begin with actively training the collective sales, marketing account management teams on all of the products and services under management to nurture and harvest cross and up sales opportunities. The goal is organic revenue growth within the portfolio by onboarding existing clients on both the Hashoff and Total Social platforms. This process will be extended to identifying new reseller and channel partners in underserved markets to assist in continuing to diversify the collective client mix.

Closing Remarks

DGTL Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer, John Belfontaine, reports, "We are pleased to welcome the newly appointed officers and directors to the newly enhanced DGTL leadership team. These executives come to DGTL with a track record of success and extensive experience in both the operations of growth stage digital media conglomerates and the effective governance of publicly traded companies in the small capital technology market. Management is focused on achieving long term shareholder value by dedicating collective efforts and resources to thriving in the global digital media sector by streamlining operations, growing revenues and profitability continuing to acquire and accelerate commercialized enterprise software assets."

-----

DGTL Holdings Inc.

DGTL Holdings Inc. acquires and accelerates transformative digital media, marketing and advertising software companies, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). DGTL (i.e. Digital Growth Technologies and Licensing) specializes in accelerating fully commercialized enterprise level SaaS (software-as-a service) companies entering a rapid growth stage with in the sectors of content, analytics and distribution, via a blend of unique capitalization structures. DGTL Holdings Inc. is traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange as "DGTL", the OTCQB exchange as "DGTHF", and the FSE as "A2QB0L". For more information, visit: www.dgtlinc.com.

Hashoff LLC

As a wholly owned subsidiary of DGTL Holdings Inc., Hashoff is an enterprise level self-service CaaS (content-as-a-service) built on proprietary Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) technology. Hashoff's AI-ML platform functions as a full-service content management system, designed to empower global brands by identifying, optimizing, engaging, managing, and tracking top-ranked digital content publishers for localized brand marketing campaigns. Hashoff is fully commercialized and currently serves numerous global brands by providing direct access to the global gig-economy of over 500 million freelance content creators. Hashoff's customer portfolio includes global brands in a range of key growth categories, including Draft Kings, Anheuser Busch-InBev, PepsiCo, Currency.com, Syneos Health, etc. To learn more visit https://dgtlinc.com/technology.

Engagement Labs

As a wholly owned subsidiary of DGTL Holdings Inc., Engagement Labs is an industry-leading data and analytics firm that provides social intelligence for Fortune 500 brands and companies. Engagement Labs' TotalSocial platform focuses on the entire social ecosystem by combining powerful online (social media) and offline (word of mouth) data with predictive analytics. Engagement Labs has a proprietary ten-year database of unique brand, industry and competitive intelligence, matched with its cutting-edge predictive analytics that use machine learning and artificial intelligence to reveal the social metrics that increase marketing ROI and top line revenue for its diverse group of Fortune 100 level clients.

To learn more visit www.engagementlabs.com.

Investor Relations

Email: IR@dgtlinc.com

Phone: +1 (877) 879-3485

* Past and present customers. All currencies in Canadian dollars

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/117383
Turkey-based technology company will introduce OxsTribe at AIBC Summit to be held in Dubai.

Coinoxs, a Turkey-based technology company offering blockchain-driven solutions, will introduce the world's first next-generation community NFT, OxsTribe, at the AIBC Summit to be held in Dubai between March 20 and March 23. The summit will welcome 15,000 people from around the world, including companies, investors, blockchain and web3 enthusiasts. Coinoxs CEO and founder, Can Azizoglu, said: "With OxsTribe, the NFT collection of the world's first digital and yet physical social club, we are opening up to the world via blockchain."

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220318005301/en/

Coinoxs to introduce the world's first next-generation community NFT (Graphic: Business Wire)

A next-gen community NFT

The VIP launch of OxsTribe NFTs will take place at the AIBC Summit on March 21 and registration for the waiting list will start on the same day. Once the Whitelist criteria are set out, OxsTribe NFTs owners will be utilizing its opportunities worldwide. Explaining that the OxsTribe collection, consisting of a total of 10,000 NFTs, will bring new VIP members to Coinoxs ecosystem, Azizoglu said: "OxsTribe, world's first digital and physical social club, will create its own ecosystem. As VIP members of Coinoxs ecosystem, users can take advantage of OxsConnect centers which will open in big cities such as Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul, Miami."

"OxsTribe will bring together those who want to develop new projects when socializing, while OxsConnect centers will host offices, meeting rooms, NFT galleries, event halls, and cafes," added Azizoglu. An OxsConnect center was opened on Decentraland in February. "Users will participate in our airdrop events, enjoy play-to-earn games, and utilize more Coinoxs products and services. They will also be included up-front in the OxsToken airdrop following the OxsDao launch in June," he explained.

OxsTribe NFT Advantages

Emphasizing that OxsTribe is an important part of the giant ecosystem Coinoxs has created, Azizoglu said: "The golden key to Coinoxs products and services is the OxsTribe NFT. Advantages start with free use of the OxsConnect Hub and a ticket to virtual events in OxsConnect on Decentraland. OxsConnect App is an application where community members can socialize, build event and business networks. In addition to free VIP access to services, OxsTribe NFT owners will have an elite membership to OxsDao and benefit from OxsToken Airdrop. OxsDao aims to bring together all investors, users or developers who, in some way, contribute to blockchain."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220318005301/en/

Contacts:

Mehmet Fatih Kurt

Fatih.k@coinoxs.com
HonestDoor, an Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based online resource for property valuations, raised CAD$2.2m in seed funding.

The round was led by Luge Capital, with participation from Bluesky Equities, Conconi Growth Partners, Panache Ventures, REACH Canada, SAF Group, Startup TNT, and Wheaton Group along with Inspiring entrepreneurs Sanders Lee, Ashif Mawji, and Blaine LaBonte.

The company intends to use the funds to scale its real estate platform to facilitate the on-demand delivery of automated valuation models (AVMs) on any property in Canada at a high level of accuracy and to test its model in select U.S. markets.

Founded in 2018 by Daniel Belostotsky, founder and CEO, HonestDoor leverages real estate data, machine learning, data science, and a team of data analysts to provide estimated property valuations on houses and condos. The company also aggregates property taxes, transaction data, permit data, and neighbourhood growth rates, among other insights, to provide a comprehensive resource for real estate information in Canada. Using it, realtors and existing/potential homeowners can make more informed decisions based on trends, predictive metrics related to the rental market or resale shifts in neighbourhood valuations, permits requested for a property they are considering buying, home assessments, and more.

HonestDoor is currently the go-to real estate resource for those living in British Columbia, Alberta (where it also provides insights on commercial properties), and Manitoba.

FinSMEs

18/03/2022
A newspaper reporter was among two people killed early Saturday in a shooting at a Norfolk, Va. restaurant and bar in which three other people were wounded.

Bartenders had announced last call and dimmed the lights at about 1:30 a.m., and customers were clearing out of Chichos Pizza Backstage in downtown Norfolk when an argument broke out, bar manager Rory Schindel told The Virginian-Pilot.

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Gunfire erupted and police were called. When cops arrived, they found one person dead and four wounded.

Among the wounded was Sierra Jenkins, 25, a reporter for The Virginian-Pilot. Jenkins died from her wounds at a hospital a short time later.

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A second victim, Devon Harris, 25, of nearby Portsmouth, Va., was dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.

A woman suffered life-threatening injuries and two men suffered non-life-threatening wounds, said police.

Virginian-Pilot reporter Sierra Jenkins was among those killed in the incident outside Chicho's Pizza Backstage that also left one man dead and three others injured. Jenkins had just turned 25 last Saturday. (Maurice Jenkins)

Jenkins, a Norfolk native, graduated from Granby High School and earned a degree in journalism from Georgia State University in December 2019.

She joined The Virginian-Pilot as a breaking news reporter in December 2020, after serving as an intern at both Atlanta Magazine and CNN.

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Jenkins most recently covered education for the Norfolk-based newspaper and was scheduled to work a shift the day she died. She had just moved into her first apartment in Virginia Beach, the newspaper said.

Her father, Maurice Jenkins, said his daughter didnt typically spend her nights at bars.

She wasnt much of a going-out kind of person at all, Maurice Jenkins told the Virginian-Pilot. But she had a friend visiting from out of town who wanted to go out.

The pair went to middle school together, he added, and Jenkins was the godmother to her young daughter.

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Kris Worrell, editor-in-chief of Virginia Media, described Jenkins as funny and energetic and full of enthusiasm. The reporter celebrated her 25th birthday last Sunday, she noted.

Sierra was a bright and talented woman with so much going for her. Her passion for journalism was undeniable and our community is better because of her reporting, she said. We are absolutely heartbroken.

As of Saturday afternoon, no arrests had been made in the shooting.
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Pope Francis released his long-awaited reform program of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse.

The 54-page text, titled Praedicate Evanglium, or Proclaiming the Gospel, replaces the founding constitution Pastor Bonus that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988.

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Francis was elected pope in 2013 in large part on his promise to reform the bulky and inefficient Vatican bureaucracy, which acts as the organ of central governance for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church. He named a Cabinet of cardinal advisers who have met periodically since his election to help him draft the changes.

Pope Francis waves as he arrives for an audience with members of the members of the Antoniano children choir at the Vatican on Saturday. (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Much of the reform work has been rolled out piecemeal over the years, with offices consolidated and financial reforms issued. But the publication of the new document, for now only in Italian, finalizes the process and puts it into effect in June.

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The document was released Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure to Francis ministry.

The new reform emphasizes the missionary and charitable focus of the church as well as the need for the Vatican to be at service both to the pope and local dioceses. It envisages greater roles for laity, making explicitly clear that lay people  not just priests, bishops or cardinals  can head a major Vatican office, and that all staff should reflect the geographic universality of the church.

In one of the major changes, it brings the popes advisory commission on preventing sexual abuse into the Vaticans powerful doctrine office which oversees the canonical investigations of abuse cases.

Previously, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors existed as an ad hoc commission that reported to the pope but had no real institutional weight or power. It often found itself at odds with the more powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviews all cases of abuse.

Pope Francis arrives to meet with members of the La Zolla school visiting group at The Vatican, on Wednesday. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Now the advisory commission is part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, where presumably its members who include abuse survivors can exert influence on the decisions taken by the prelates who weigh whether predator priests are sanctioned and how.

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Cardinal Sean OMalley, who heads the pontifical commission, welcomed the change and said it was evidence of Francis effort to promote a stronger culture of safeguarding within the Vatican and wider church.

For the first time, Pope Francis has made safeguarding and the protection of minors a fundamental part of the structure of the churchs central government: the Roman Curia, OMalley said in a statement. Maintaining its status as a separate body within the dicastery that enjoys direct access to the Holy Father and with its own leadership and staffing, the renewed and re-affirmed Pontifical Commission will play an increasingly incisive role in ensuring the church is a safe place for children and vulnerable persons.

Other changes involve making the popes personal envoy for charity and alms into the head of a dicastery in its own right, making clear the importance that this service-oriented job has for Francis. The position is currently headed by Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who recently headed a humanitarian mission to Ukraine on behalf of the pope.
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Ukraines president said Russia is trying to starve his countrys cities into submission but warned Saturday that continuing the invasion would exact a toll on Russia for generations.

The remarks came after Moscow held a mass rally in support of its bogged-down forces.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin in an overnight video address of deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe " and appealed again for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him to prevent more bloodshed.

In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv on Saturday. (AP)

Noting that the 200,000 people reported to have attended the rally was similar to the number of Russian forces deployed to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Fridays event in Moscow illustrated the stakes of the largest ground conflict in Europe since World War II.

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Picture for yourself that in that stadium in Moscow there are 14,000 dead bodies and tens of thousands more injured and maimed, the Ukrainian leader said, standing outside the presidential office in the capital, Kyiv. Those are the Russian costs throughout the invasion.

Putin lavished praise on his countrys military forces during Fridays flag-waving rally, which took place on the anniversary of Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The event included patriotic songs such as Made in the U.S.S.R., with the opening lines Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, its all my country.

We have not had unity like this for a long time, Putin told the cheering crowd.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his speech at the concert marking the eighth anniversary of the referendum on the state status of Crimea and Sevastopol and its reunification with Russia, in Moscow on Friday. (Ramil Sitdikov/AP)

Taking to the stage where a sign read For a world without Nazism, he railed against his foes in Ukraine with a baseless claim that they are neo-Nazis and insisted his actions were necessary to prevent genocide  an idea flatly rejected by leaders around the globe.

The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home. Russian police have detained thousands of antiwar protesters.

Fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine more than three weeks after Russias Feb. 24 invasion. United Nations groups have confirmed more than 800 civilian deaths since the war began but say the real toll is considerably higher. The UN says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees.

The northwest Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin and Moshchun were under fire on Saturday, the Kyiv regional administration reported. The city of Slavutich, located 103 miles north of the capital was completely isolated, the administration said.

Rescuers carry a Ukrainian soldier saved after 30 hours from debris of the military school hit by Russian rockets, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Saturday. (BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

In the besieged port city of Mariupol, the site of some of the wars greatest suffering, Ukrainian and Russian forces battled over the Azovstal steel plant, one of the biggest in Europe, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraines interior minister, said Saturday.

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One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed, Denysenko said in televised remarks.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said the nearest forces that could assist Mariupols defenders were already engaged in battle against the overwhelming force of the enemy or at least 60 miles away  or both.

There is currently no military solution to Mariupol, he said late Friday. That is not only my opinion, that is the opinion of the military.

A man helps Ukrainian soldiers searching for bodies in the debris at the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 19, 2022. (BULENT KILIC / AFP via Getty Images)

The Russian military said Saturday that it has used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.

Russia has said the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to about 1,250 miles and flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

A Ukrainian military official confirmed a Friday missile strike on a military warehouse in the region but told a newspaper that authorities have not yet verified the type of missile used.

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Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish 10 humanitarian corridors for bringing aid in and residents out  one from Mariupol and several around Kyiv and in the eastern Luhansk region, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Saturday.

She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of Kherson, which was seized by Russian forces.

Ukranian soldiers and rescue officers search for bodies in the debris at the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 19, 2022. (BULENT KILIC / AFP via Getty Images)

In a separate development, Norway said four U.S. service members died in a plane crash during NATO drills in that countrys north. The annual exercise is unrelated to the war in Ukraine.

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In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Russian forces were blockading the largest cities with the goal of creating such miserable conditions that Ukrainians will surrender. But he warned that Russia would pay the ultimate price.

The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russias costs will be so high that you will not be able to rise again for several generations, he said.

The two sides have held several rounds of negotiations but remain divided over Ukraines future status, with Russia pressing for its neighbors demilitarization and Kyiv demanding security guarantees.

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In a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Putin said Ukraine was trying to drag the negotiations by making a series of new, unrealistic proposals, according to the Kremlin.

A refugee girl hugs her toy giraffe after fleeing the war from neighbouring Ukraine, at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova, on Saturday. (Sergei Grits/AP)

Britains foreign minister, meanwhile, accused Putin of using the talks as a smokescreen while his forces regroup. We dont see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told the Times of London newspaper.

The British Department of Defense said in its latest intelligence assessment that the Kremlin has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition that is likely to involve indiscriminate attacks.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during a Saturday visit to NATO ally Bulgaria, said the Russian invasion had stalled on a number of fronts but the U.S. had not yet seen signs that Putin was deploying additional forces.
Sunday worship: Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 2650 NW Highland Drive in Corvallis, will share Gods Word and Holy Communion at 9 a.m. Sunday, March 20, both in the sanctuary and via livestream worship, accessible at www.svlccorvallis.org and facebook.com/shepherdcorvallis.

Pastor Eric Bohlmanns sermon will be Repentance, Not Judgment, Makes the Better Person. The congregation no longer requires indoor masking, and respects an individuals decision to wear a mask or not. General seating during worship will have masked and unmasked individuals. For an undetermined period, a mask-required seating area also will be available.

Multi-Gen Bible Study time follows worship at 10:30, both in the church and via Zoom. This weeks study will be about the Promised Land. For access to the Zoom meeting, call the church office at 541-753-2816.

Lent observed: First United Methodist Church, 1165 NW Monroe Ave. in Corvallis, will hold services at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, March 20, in person and at https://www.facebook.com/CorvallisFUMC/live.

The congregation will continue the series Living Lent 2022: Creativity  A Spiritual Discipline. This Sundays theme will be Creative Obstacle: Questions. Creativity is not about answer. What temptations keep you from asking questions? Based on Luke 13:1-9.

Bahai devotions and discussion: Qualities of the Learned is set for 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 20, via Zoom.

What qualities does a person most need to create vibrant communities and serve the general welfare? Abdul-Baha, the son of the Bahai Faiths founder, Bahaullah, wrote these words in 1875 to Persia, his homeland: Sincerity is the foundation-stone of faith. That is, a religious individual must disregard his personal desires and seek in whatever way he can wholeheartedly to serve the public interest.

All are welcome to join in exploring Bahai teachings on the qualities to which we all aspire.

For the Zoom link, visit https://tinyurl.com/2ejv7cth, where you will find the readings and a link for the meeting.

Lenten service: Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 2650 NW Highland Drive in Corvallis, will hold a midweek Lenten service on Wednesday, March 23.

At 6 p.m., a soup supper will take place. The third in the series The Life-Giving Habits of a Disciple will follow at 7 p.m., both in person and streaming. Livestream worship is accessible at www.svlccorvallis.org and facebook.com/shepherdcorvallis.

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They might be right-wingers, but they met in the middle of this stage.

Two Republican candidates to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate nearly came to blows at a debate Friday night.

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Career politician Josh Mandel called investment banker Mike Gibbons a p---y under his breath at the end of the heated exchange.

Mandel attacked Gibbons for making billions of dollars by shipping Ohio businesses to China. Gibbons shot back that Mandel didnt understand business because hed never been in the private sector in your life.

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That brought Mandel, an ex-Marine, out of his seat, as he shouted back Two tours in Iraq! Dont tell me I havent worked!

The moderator attempted to break it up, but the two continued yelling over each other, with Gibbons telling Mandel to Back off, buddy and Mandel countering with You back off!

As he turned away, Mandel muttered Watch what happens. P---y.

Career politician Josh Mandel called investment banker Mike Gibbons a py under his breath at the end of the heated exchange. (Obtained by Daily News)

Conservative group FreedomWorks hosted the debate in the Columbus suburb of Gahanna. Both candidates campaigns released statements trashing the other man in response to the standoff.

Mandel and Gibbons are leading the polls in Ohios Republican primary for Sen. Rob Portmans seat. Portman is retiring at the end of his current term. The primary is scheduled for May 3, and all five candidates are still vying for the coveted endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Gettysburg, PA (17325)

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Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. High 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Cloudy with occasional rain after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Sydney, March 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Latin-America-Fixed-Broadband-Market-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





For the government, higher take-up of services provides an opportunity to improve economic productivity and generate growth in GPD. The varied social benefits of broadband adoption are well known, and thus social inclusion, as well as reducing the digital divide between urban and rural communities, forms the cornerstone of government-sponsored national broadband strategies.



For national regulators, the focus has been on implementing policies which encourage investment among private operators. In some of the more rural areas of the country, which are considered commercially unviable, the national regulator is generally the authority charged with disbursing public funds to ensure that internet services are available across the country. The mechanism for doing this lies with the numerous universal service schemes operating across the region, to which the telcos contribute via levies based on their revenue, as also from licence fees and other related sources.

There remain many areas where poor fixed-line infrastructure has been the result of historic under-investment, than of topographical challenges. In these areas the emphasis has been on improving the availability of mobile internet and satellite internet services.



The convergence of mobile and fixed-line services, and the growing popularity of OTT delivered content, has encouraged operators themselves to invest in infrastructure in a bid to develop their bundled service offerings, and so attract new customers and reduce churn. The creation of integrated mobile and fixed networks enables providers to offer a full portfolio of services to customers while reducing operating costs.

There remain wide differences in broadband penetration among the countries of the region. Some such as Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil have the highest fixed-line broadband penetration rates in the region. By contrast, countries including Paraguay, Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have penetration rates which are particularly low.

Improved international connectivity has played an important part in the overall picture, with higher bandwidth leading to dramatically lower access costs for consumers, which in turn has encouraged broadband adoption among the lower socio-economic demographic.

Important new developments in the submarine cable sector include the 2,500km Malbec link between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, providing onward connectivity to the US. This was completed by GlobeNet and Facebook in June 2021, and is now tied into GlobeNets wider network which also reaches to Venezuela, Colombia, and Bermuda. The new cable doubled the capacity available to Argentina.

Google in mid-2021 began building the Firmina cable running between the US and Argentina, with landings in Brazil and Uruguay.

Much progress has also been made with domestic cable infrastructure. In December 2021, the government of Chile combined with Gtd Teleductos to open the 3,500km Prat submarine cable, offering numerous landing stations between Prat system on the far north coast to the main town of Puerto Montt to the south. Chile in early 2022 also completed the 4,500km Fibra Optica Austral cable system, running from the Los Lagos region to the Magellan region, and to Chilean Antarctica. The system benefits some 530,000 people in the south of the country and relied on government subsidies to compensate for the low return of investment for private firms.

These and other international cables are tied to expanding national cable networks across the region. By vastly increasing international bandwidth, the several efforts have helped reduce wholesale charges and thus the retail costs for end-users. In turn, this has encouraged the wider take-up of fixed-broadband services as well as provided backhaul for mobile data services. The improved fixed-line connectivity can be seen in the sharp increase in the number of fibre broadband subscriptions in numerous markets in the region.

Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Latin-America-Fixed-Broadband-Market-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
HUNENBERG, SWITZERLAND, March 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Subscriptions are an integral part of modern life. Digital subscriptions are increasingly common as more people get content from various subscription channels, unlike the past few decades where cable TV was the default source. Accordingly, the need to support crypto payment for Netflix and other subscription services is on the rise, even timely.





Revuto is a subscription management platform on Cardano that aims to add efficiency and control to the payment of subscriptions. They are now joining hands with Genius Yield, an equally innovative order-book DEX launching on Cardano to fast-track the adoption of DeFi services. While both protocols would support each others ecosystem, a standout benefit would be paying for Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon, DSTV, and other subscription services using Genius Yields GENS and other Cardano tokens. It is a vital support allowing users to take control of their spending, save money, while also earning cashback in Revutos REVU tokens. Meanwhile, it will be possible for users to earn GENS by staking REVU via the ISPO in the Revuto Staking Center.

Streaming services can be annoying with their subscription models for all their quality content. You have probably heard a friend or relative furious over the billing policies of one of their subscriptions. The problems range from difficulties in cancellation, automatic renewal, and other communication-related issues.

A Blockchain-Based Subscription Service

The fundamental issue with most subscriptions is that they rely on credit cards or bank payments. Once you sign up and agree to terms that most people never read, the subscription service can automatically deduct from your bank account.

Revuto introduces the concept of a virtual debit card to grant users more control over subscription payments, allowing users to pay with Cardano and its tokens. The idea is to have a decentralized application that users can utilize to manage their subscriptions. This virtual debit card is operationalized as a decentralized application (dApp) that runs on the Cardano blockchain.

Here is a summary of how the subscription management app will work:

Download the Revuto app and set up an account, a straightforward process;

Add subscriptions you intend to manage. They could range from music streaming services like Netflix, software packages, and more.

Once the subscriptions are linked, you can begin paying using GENS and other supported tokens.

The real prize is your ability to block, snooze, and generally control payments to your subscription service. This versatility allows the account holder to prevent unwanted subscription charges that make subscriptions more expensive than what you signed up for. Besides, you dont have to cancel the subscription when you want to snooze payments for a while before resuming.

The Cardano Blockchain Provides Base Support

Revuto achieves its high performance because it launches from a robust layer, built from the ground up with the intention of being inherently scalable. The Cardano crypto blockchain is the handiwork of Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson and a team of developers who sought to create a high-functionality and research-based network.

Accordingly, Cardano is an excellent host for decentralized systems and applications. The rise of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) bodes well for this bespoke blockchain and its native coin, ADA. The protocol has significantly higher throughput than Ethereum, implementing a unique architecture with different settlement and computation layers. Accordingly, smart contract execution does not clash with transactions, as is the case for Ethereum.

Using Cardano blockchain, this utility has allowed an integrated decentralized hub like Genius Yield, SundaeSwap, and others to thrive. Its efficiency and increasing stature in the DeFi sector fit well with services that offer a secure and fast settlement.

More Than Just Subscriptions Management

Meanwhile, with Revuto in the picture, users can make payments efficiently and leverage recurring payments with REVU and get extra services for money management. Revuto received three million early sign-ups for dApp, with hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. These numbers bode well for an upcoming Fintech startup earning Revuto accolades like the award for the fastest-growing consumer product at the recent World Blockchain Summit in Dubai.

The ability to pay for your subscriptions in Cardano tokens is revolutionary. Bitcoin has struggled to gain traction as a medium of exchange for all its popularity. This utility application provides a real-world use for cryptocurrency.

Revuto is looking to make its app a wholesome product. Soon, users will be able to exchange fiat and crypto in real-time and other decentralized finance services like lending and borrowing. Overall, the subscriptions management platform will provide a mobile-friendly and excellent decentralized finance management tool. The decision to launch on the Cardano blockchain is a testament to this vision. Revuto has a native Cardano mobile and non-custodial wallets with plans to add their custodial wallet to augment user experience.

Forecasting Growth in The Subscriptions Sector

The world is trending online by the year. This trend is likely to manifest in the subscriptions and billing management sector, with the global market estimated to grow from about $3.9 billion today to $7.4 billion in 2027. The accelerated growth of digital streaming services is the biggest growth driver. it is the golden age for streaming with more potential in developing markets

There is excellent potential for a subscriptions management tool with such a market size. There will be tens, even hundreds of millions more people joining this demographic in the next few years. Accordingly, Revuto is entering the scene strategically for all stakeholders.

Looking Forward

Cryptocurrency and the blockchain launched on the fundamental premise that consumers need more control of their finances. This idea is relevant in countless fields. Subscriptions fall in this category because some services are downright abusive in their billing policies. Genius Yield and Revuto take the tenets of decentralization and user empowerment in these industries and seek to transform how consumers relate to subscription services. There is a great need for such services. By forming a fitting coalition, Genius Yield and Revuto will likely reap from the appreciation users will have for such convenience.
A young man who stormed into a mosque discharging bear spray and carrying a hatchet Saturday morning near Toronto was subdued by worshipers.

Mohammad Moiz Omar, 24, was arrested around 7 a.m. at Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, police said. The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

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Cops had an easy job arresting an attacker at a mosque outside Toronto because people inside the mosque had already captured the man. (Shutterstock)

Omar entered the building during morning prayers and immediately started spraying the bear spray, according to police. He was holding a hatchet and other sharp edged weapons, the mosque said in a Facebook post.

Before he could inflict harm on any worshipers, several congregants bravely were able to stop him in his tracks, according to the post. They held Omar until the cops arrived.

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The only injuries were from the bear spray. Police said they are considering all possible motivations, including hate motivation for the attack. They said it was an isolated incident.
Frankfurt, Germany, March 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Global cryptocurrency markets are expected to more than triple in value by 2030, reaching a worth of about $5 billion, according to industry analysts. Investors, companies, and brands will be unable to ignore the growing wave of cryptocurrency for long, regardless of whether they choose to invest in it. Gaining a substantial return on cryptocurrency investment is the ultimate goal, and it is here that the UNP, a new and promising crypto currency, will come into play.

Get to know more about this new member of the crypto-community who will be joining us shortly.

About PlayPearls:

PlayPearls is an igaming software company that specialises in the development of innovative HTML5 online social games and live competitive games. The firm has been in operation since 2012 and is regulated by the Curacao Gaming Commission, which specialises in the development of exciting games and turnkey solutions for online social gaming.

They are a firm with lofty ambitions, and they possess the resources necessary to realise those ambitions. The combination of a user-friendly interface and an excellent collection of high-quality games allows this software company to compete successfully in a highly competitive field. Playpearls is a social gaming and online enterprise that ranks among the top ten in the world.

What is UniPlay(UNP)?

A one-of-a-kind igaming project that provides a concrete product with the potential to be the most popular among all igaming by enabling individuals all over the globe with the option to make money while playing wherever and whenever they want.

UniPlay Coin is a digital currency for gaming that will be the driving force behind the future of decentralised social games. A more efficient method for players to play online games while also earning money for their efforts. To give this crypto money for use in online games as well as a token for other normal activities, the UNP coin was established by the PlayPearls firm. Using the Social iGaming Platform, this ground-breaking solution starts its incredible adventure by allowing players to access 140 different games.

UniPlayCoin is an ERC-20 token that is poised to take online gaming to a whole new level. A cryptocurrency that has its roots in social gaming platforms. With the use of Blockchain technology, the firm is developing a platform where Play to Earn, NFTs, and Metaverse can all work together to create an exciting new paradigm in the iGaming industry. while having a good time at their online social games.

The first thing that would spring to mind for any crypto investors out there would be, "Why should I invest in UNP?" The answer to this question is that this one-of-a-kind coin is the brightest star among them all. UNP differs from the other cryptocurrencies available on the market due to the availability of its site as well as a website that could be utilised before the formation of UNP.

It is a less risky currency since the value of other coins will decrease if they are not used as they are not backed by anything but it is not the case with UNP. It is also a less expensive coin, which means that it may be held by anybody with a little initial investment. By participating in and winning games, players could earn UniPlayCoins. It could then be used to purchase NFT on the open market or sold for FIAT.

In Q2, UNP plans to list cryptocurrency listings in CMC and UNISWAP to enable those who hold their coins to trade as well as sell them. However, before the listing, they will launch UNP on their gaming sites to drive up the price of the cryptocurrency. The pre-sale will finish on the 31th of March at 11:59 PM.

The Pre-Sale:

It is estimated that the pre-sale supply contains around 15,000,000,000 UNPs, with a value at the exchange of approximately one ETH equaling one 1,000,000 UNPs. The bare minimum buy is around 0.1 ETH / 100,000 UNP. The cryptocurrency exchange platform supports the following currencies: ETH, BTC, USD, and EUR.

The presale minimum for UNP is high since the project is now geared at large investors; on the other hand, they open small so that small-cap investors may participate. Pre-sale for large investors and a high buying budget for the general public.

Pre-Sale Promotion:An incredible pre-sale offer is available until March 31st.Playpearls UNP is now providing a great UNP bundle with distinct pricing ranges. For example, 250,000 UNP = 500 USD, 550,000 UNP = 1000 USD, and 1,200,000 UNP = 2000 USD.

To acquire the UNP, go to Uniplaycointh.com . Interest audience could also communicate with the support team to purchase.

Conclusion:

UniPlay (UNP) is an incredible addition to the crypto world that will outperform all prior market offerings by providing a safe and transparent environment for online gaming enthusiasts. The project also has uniqueness because of its connection with NFTs and the Metaverse. The most essential aspect of the idea is that they are focused on both large and small investors, making it a place for everyone. Since the organisation is focusing on the backend, the UNP's social media is gaining traction. Go to the website and take advantage of their pre-sale offers as well as when the project begins to be listed. Experience a new world where you can make a lot of money playing live social games and other online games.

Website: https://www.uniplaycointh.com/
Gloucester, MA (01930)

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Sun and a few passing clouds. High 59F. N winds shifting to SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies in the evening, then becoming cloudy overnight. Low 46F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Goshen, IN (46526)

Today

Cloudy early with showers for the afternoon hours. High 61F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

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Cloudy with periods of rain. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Three Russian cosmonauts safely arrived at the International Space Station on Friday  and their fashion choices have made headlines across the globe.

Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov arrived at the ISS, after blasting off from a Russian facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft.

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A video of the men entering the station to greet their fellow crewmates drew immediate attention. It showed the new arrivals wearing bright yellow flight suits with blue accents  colors that appear to match those of the Ukrainian flag.

Back on Earth, yellow and blue have been used in accessories, social media avatars and even at the top of the Empire State Building to show support for the people of Ukraine during the bloody invasion by Russian forces.

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Three Russian cosmonauts who just docked with the ISS arrive in Ukrainian yellow! pic.twitter.com/mJGRKuzV5v  Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 18, 2022

Even though the cosmonauts didnt publicly say the meaning behind their fashion, several social media users applauded their overall look and the not subtle choice of colors.

Three Russian cosmonauts who just docked with the ISS arrive in Ukrainian yellow! former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly wrote on Twitter in English and Russian.

Wow. Just wow. Well done, tweeted Terry Virts, also a former NASA astronaut.

Wow. Just wow. Well done.  ! https://t.co/qwlZLRR3H0  Terry Virts (@AstroTerry) March 18, 2022

In a video conference from the station, Artemyev, the mission commander, explained that we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So thats why we had to wear yellow.

Russia was quick to dismiss the idea that their colors showed solidarity with Ukrainians.

Sometimes yellow is just yellow, the press service for Russias space agency said on its Telegram channel, according to Reuters.

The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colors of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from ... To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy, the agency added.
Mercedes, according to Toto Wolff, is hampered by 'five or six problems' that are preventing the team from performing better. He reiterated that Red Bull Racing are currently 'in a class of its own' and he fears his team will not be able to compete for victory in Bahrain.

Mercedes can never be flattened, of course, but the team will need to come up with something quickly if they are to look good in the opening weekend. Both over a lap and in the long runs, the team had to lose out to competitors at Red Bull Racing and Ferrari on Friday.

Wolff: 'Red Bull is in a league of its own'

On Friday, the Mercedes team boss already acknowledged that Max Verstappen was in "a league of his own" and he reiterated this again during Saturday's press conference. "Red Bull is in a league of its own," he admitted to the likes of The Race. The Austrian therefore fears that his team is currently unable to fight at the top.

But that doesn't mean the gap is permanent. Wolff said he is optimistic about some 'simple solutions' to the team's problems. Those problems aren't limited to porpoising. "That's just one of five or six issues where we believe there is big performance to gain," he stated.

Some problems are simple; others are more complicated, according to Wolff. He argued that the team needs to look at every area of the car to solve all the problems over time. At the same time, he does not flatten his own team for the battle for the world title. "Even if you lose a race or two or you end up outside of the podium, nobodys protected against DNFs or crashes. Weve seen last year, they played a big role," the Mercedes boss noted.
Grand Haven, MI (49417)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 61F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Cloudy skies early with showers later at night. Low 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Russias relentless barrage on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has left its residents battered  and begging for help.

Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin made a video plea to President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron urging the West to do more for the city under siege.

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Children, elderly people are dying, Vershnin said in Russian. The city is destroyed and it has been wiped off the face of the earth.

As he spoke in the video, buildings burned, others lay in a heap of rubble and explosions were heard.

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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Saturday shows the aftermath of the airstrike on the Mariupol Drama theater, Ukraine, and the area around it. (Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies via AP) (AP)

You have promised that there will be help, Vershnin added. Give us that help. Biden, Macron, you are great leaders. Be them to the end.

Russian forces continue to pound Mariupol, which holds strategic importance because of its location on the Sea of Azov. The city of about 430,000 has taken a pounding since Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked war on his neighboring nation more than three weeks ago.

Mariupol has held firm before: It beat back repeated assaults by Russia-backed separatists after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But this time Russian forces have cut off Mariupol from the Sea of Azov. Complete control for Russia would link Crimea to Moscow-backed separatist territories in the east.

Areas throughout Ukraine continued to come under heavy fire. In Mykolaiv, as many as 40 Ukrainian Marines were killed in a rocket attack on their barracks.

In a video made from the capital of Kyiv on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again asked to meet with Putin to broker an end to the fighting. He also warned Moscow of a steep price if theres no peace.

The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. Otherwise, Russias costs will be so high that you will not be able to rise again for several generations.

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze at a warehouse after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

Zelenskyys people  military and civilians  are inflicting heavy damage on the invaders, but Putin keeps pounding.

His instinct will be always to double down because hes got himself into a dreadful mess, a huge strategic blunder, Michael Clarke, former head of the British-based Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank, told the Associated Press. And I dont think its in his character to try to retrieve that, except by carrying on, going forward.

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Upping the ante, the Russian military said Saturday it used its newest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. Kinzhal missiles took out an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Moscow claims the new missile, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, flies at 10 times the speed of sound and has a range of up 1,250 miles.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Saturday the U.S. couldnt confirm that the Russians had used any Kinzhal missiles.

Ukrainians take part in an action in support of the residents and defenders of Mariupol on Saturday in Lviv, Ukraine. (Photo by Alexey Furman/Getty Images) (Alexey Furman/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. >

According to the United Nations, at least 847 civilians have been killed since the war began on Feb. 24, but the total is thought to be substantially higher. More than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees, the UN said. More than 2 million of them have gone to Poland.

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers visited Poland and spoke of the need to assist Ukraine. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) led the group.

We are here to reassure and support the people of Ukraine. We are here to thank the people of Poland for the unbelievable generosity they have shown to the refugees, Lynch said.

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According to the Kremlin, Putin spoke Saturday with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and outlined fundamental assessments of the course of the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

But British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the talks are a ruse designed to let Russian troops regroup.

We dont see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table, Truss told the Times of London.

With News Wire Services
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.
Greene County historian Tim Massey is an award-winning writer for Civil War News with more than 40 photos featured on various magazine covers. He has served on various boards and held positions in several historic organizations. He can be reached at horses319@comcast.net.
The writer served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticuts 5th District. Copyright 2022 Gary Franks. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Pause for a moment of silence for Domenico DeMarco, the man from southern Italy who turned Midwoods Di Fara Pizza into a mecca for people who love the stuff (and hipsters who felt they had to go to say they went). Preferably, observe this moment of silence while youre chewing on a hot slice from your favorite neighborhood joint.

Pizza, it turns out, is perhaps the perfect lens through which to appreciate New Yorks creative brilliance  one that should give hope as naysayers ask whether we can rebound from the ravages of a COVID pandemic and changing economy thats flinging humanity to suburbs, exurbs and towns across America.

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Maestro of mozzarella. (Aaron Showalter/New York Daily News)

Sorry, Rome and not sorry, Chicago: New York is the worlds unrivaled capital of bready, cheesy, saucy circles, and the indispensable first ingredient in that success is immigration, just as it with the rest of the food that fills up the five boroughs. Millions of newcomers over centuries have settled here, adapting specialties from the old country. The second ingredient is cultural cross-pollination, which delivers everything from imaginative variations on classics to buffalo chicken to Hawaiian to Indian to kosher pies. A third is ambition, as people who settle here and driven, on the biggest stage, to produce the very best version of whatever it is they love. And competition, as a critical mass of very good places yields a subset of astonishingly great ones.

Even before the virus upended our economy, there was talk about the citys character slipping away. Now theres a drumbeat of worry that as people increasingly work from home, the biggest of big cities will lose its electromagnetism.

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But the persistence of pizza  and how the superior, sui generis stuff New Yorkers make with their own hands endlessly outshines and outsells the tripe produced by national chains  tells us how New York City can not only endure but excel: by welcoming strivers of every stripe, enabling them to do what they do best, then letting their fellow New Yorkers and visitors taste the fruits of their labor.
GREENWICH  Shining a Light, a three-part virtual lecture series, will return this month at the Greenwich Historical Society as it focuses on elevating and amplifying underrepresented voices of history.

The first presentation on March 24 will put a spotlight on slavery in Greenwich and throughout New England.

The series promises to offer riveting stories ... on topics that have shaped the history of Greenwich and New England, the historical society said. The lectures will address many of the themes that are shaping the nations narrative, including race, oppression, identity and equality.

In his talk, educator Dennis Culliton will explore the economic and legal framework that supported slavery in Connecticut. Culliton created the Witness Stones Project in 2017 to highlight the lives of enslaved laborers in the state. The project has enlisted local students in research activities.

In the virtual talk from 6:15 to 7 p.m., Culliton, a Guilford resident, will be joined by the manager of youth and family programs at the Greenwich Historical Society, Heather Lodge. They will discuss the history of enslavement at the Bush-Holley House, the site of the Historical Society in Cos Cob, and illuminate the lives of the men and women who lived and worked there.

We are proud to shine a light on activists and humanitarians who are actively involved in ensuring these stories and events are recognized as part of our local history so that current and future generations can learn from them, said Greenwich Historical Societys public programs manager, Stephanie Barnett.

From 6 to 7:15 p.m. April 7, Maisa Tisdale will discuss Bridgeports Little Liberia: The Importance of African American Historic Preservation. Tisdale, president and CEO of the Mary and Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community, will speak about efforts to restore Little Liberia, a prosperous seafaring community of people of color in Bridgeport.

In the final lecture April 21, Meadow Dibble, a Brown University visiting scholar, will discuss The Diseased Ship: A Cautionary Tale of New Englands Twin Plagues. Dibble will recount New Englands role in the slave trade and the story of a ship journey in 1819 from Boston to West Africa to the West Indies that few survived.

For more information and to register for the talks, visit www.greenwichhistory.org.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.com
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Scene... Actors Scott Foley and Marika Dominczyk, who are married and live in Westport, were seen dining at Gabrieles of Westport last week. Both Foley and Dominczyk starred in Greys Anatomy, although not at the same time. Foley is also known for his roles in Scandal and Felicity, while Dominczyk recently appeared in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna.

Scene... ESPN Analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky was also spotted dining at Gabrieles of Westport on a separate occasion.

Out there... To celebrate Greenwich Emergency Medical Services 35th anniversary, GEMS is hosting a Back to the Eighties bash on April 1 at Greenwich Country Club from 6 to 11 p.m. at Greenwich Country Club. To purchase tickets, go to https://e.givesmart.com/events/k17/.

Scene... Lisa Wexler, a Connecticut probate judge and award-winning talk radio host on WICC 600, was seen hanging with Al Jardine of the Beach Boys after a performance at the Wall Street Theater on March 6. With them was Carnie and Wendy Wilson, who make up two-thirds of the pop group Wilson Phillips. The Wilsons, the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, also performed at the Norwalk venue.

Out there... Emmy Award-winning actress Susan Lucci, of All My Children fame, and her husband, chef Helmut Huber, are involved in the new ownership of Homestead Inn in Greenwich. Not surprising since the popular restaurant previously owned by chef Thomas Henkelmann and Theresa Carroll was one of Luccis favorites. The Inn is going through a complete renovation before re-opening.

Out there... Christ Church Greenwich is holding an Emergency Packathon for Ukraine Refugees on March 26 at 10 a.m. in the Parish Hall. The food-packing event will provide 36,000+ packages of nutritional meals for Ukrainian refugees on the border of Poland. Volunteers will pack four complete nutritious ingredients  a carbohydrate, dehydrated vegetables, vitamin powder and a bean protein then weigh the packages, seal them and box them for distribution to children and families who have fled their homes. In coordination with the Ukrainian Cultural Center in New Jersey, these meals will be transported to the docks loaded onto a ship headed to Gdansk, Poland. The total cost for the supplies and food for this packathon is $12,600. Christ Church Greenwich is asking the community to donate whatever they can to help underwrite these expenses. To donate and to volunteer, go to christchurchgreenwich.org or Text To Give 73256 and enter CCGCTGIVE.

Scene... Greenwichs David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media and publisher of National Enquirer, was seen having lunch at Carens Cos Cobber in Greenwich last week.

Out there... 70s rock band America, celebrating their 50th anniversary, are performing live in concert at The Palace Theatre in Stamford on March 26. For tickets ($50-$85) and more info, go to palacestamford.org.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others And if you cant help them at least dont hurt them.

Dalai Lama

And thats all for now.

Later

Got a tip? Seen a celebrity? Email Susie Costaregni at thedish2@yahoo.com.
OnePlus launched the Nord CE 2 5G back in January and also debuted the TV Y1S and TV Y1S Edge alongside it in India. We already know that the OnePlus 10 Pro, also announced in January for the Chinese market should be coming to global markets, including India by the end of March. Rumors are mounting that the TV Y1s Pro will be unveiled at the same event, as well as potentially a new pair of Bullets Wireless Z2 earbuds.

OnePlus has even started teasing the upcoming event on its socials, but we don't have an exact date quite yet. 91mobile recently published an exclusive leak on the OnePlus TV Y1S Pro, including most of its specs. As the name suggests, it will be a more premium TV set compared to the TV Y1S and TV Y1S Edge. Its spotlight attribute being a 4K (3840 x 2160 pixel) panel - an upgrade from the HD and FullHD panels of its siblings. The source claims that, at least initially, the Y1S Pro will only be offered in a single 43-inch size.

The leak includes a product image showing a familiar design, with pretty narrow side and top bezels and a chunky bottom bezel with a OnePlus logo. The remote control appears to have shortcut buttons for Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Prime Video, Google Assistant and a OnePlus button. The rest of its controls are pretty standard - a d-dab with a central button, back button, home button, volume up and down and what looks like a menu button or perhaps an input select button in the top right.

Clearly, the OnePlus TV Y1S Pro is a smart tv. Oddly, according to the source, it will run Android TV 10 instead of the Android TV 11 that the TV Y1S and Y1S Edge have. Even so, it should have support for Google Chromecast, Miracast and OnePlus Connect 2.0. Also, the Google Assistant and Alexa. There might be a mic inside the remote for those. Alleged specs also include 2GB of Ram and 8GB of internal storage. A stereo 24W speaker setup, with Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos to external soundbar and speakers. Connectivity includes three HDMI inputs (likely 1.4), two USB ports and dual-band Wi-Fi.

No details on pricing or availability are available yet.

Source 1 | Source 2
If youre looking for another way to help you and your kids learn CHamoru, the University of Guam Sea Grant has a cool coloring book that you can download for free or purchase and pick up.

Haggan Tasi Siha/Sea Turtles: A Coloring Book in English and Chamorro features 28 pages, including 12 line illustrations that are finely detailed and will require some fine motor skills if you want to color inside the lines.

Its also packed with information including the types of sea turtles, nesting and hatching behavior and why their numbers are diminishing. The English content appears to be targeted to older elementary school students, and the CHamoru translation is provided on the left.

Printed in 2017, the coloring book was written by conservationist Francine Jacobs, author of numerous books for young readers on nature and science, according to the credits at the end. The CHamoru translation was provided by Gabriel T. Cruz.

The illustrations were created by Mary Beath, an artist who illustrated other books for the Ocean Conservancy. Additional illustrations were provided by Neill Catangay, a Filipino artist born and raised on Guam.

Over the years, UOG Sea Grant has distributed the coloring books at schools and outreach events around the island, according to Kyle Mandapat, assistant director of communications at the Center for Island Sustainability.

A 2018 news announcement on the UOG website, for instance, noted that more than 1,000 of the coloring books were distributed during more than 37 classroom presentations.

The UOG Sea Grant outreach team is always looking for great opportunities to educate and engage with our community, Mandapat said, adding that more coloring books may be on the way.
CHamoru fast food in the freezer saves time and money while reducing stress. With food prices on overdrive and the food supply falling short, maintaining a selection of cooked CHamoru food in the freezer is a lifesaver. Theres nothing like shopping in my freezers for red rice, barbecue meat, gollai hagon, and ahu to thaw overnight for lunch the next day. No nadda cooking - just thaw, reheat, and eat.

If power outages are frequent and you dont have a generator to protect your food, freeze several water bottles to keep things at temperature. Also, there is a product available on Amazon called KoolerGel. This is a powder that you mix with water to form a gel. The gel keeps frozen things frozen for a long period of time. KoolerGel works wonders not only in the freezer, but in your coolers too.

I was a softball mom for eleven years, and travel ball life challenged me to be more efficient in the kitchen. Its one of those I-wish-I-did-this-when-my-kids-were-babies kind of things. I cook CHamoru food, most foods really, as if to feed an army. However, instead of feeding an army, I feed my freezer with small portions of ready-made CHamoru goodies.

There are no recipes today, gachongs yan familia, just a list of CHamoru foods that freeze, thaw, and reheat favorably  dishes Ive tested in the freezer using my recipes. Short of a CHamoru party, restaurant, or food truck the moment youre ready to eat, being able to thaw out CHamoru barbecue or estufao or kaddon mannok, and bonelos for dessert, oh hold me back! Wait fan, let me check if I have all that in my freezers for tomorrow. Sweet, its gonna be a great lunch  red rice, barbecue chicken, SPAM kelaguen, gollai hagon spinach, gollai appan mendioka, and carrot cake.

The caveat to this list of freezables is that I used my recipes on Paulaq.com. In general, recipes that are similar should work. If you adapt a CHamoru recipe to be low-fat, no-fat, vegan, or gluten-free, youll have to freeze a small portion then see how it thaws and reheats. If you have questions about any dish, all the recipes and pictures are on my website, PaulaQ.com, under the More Recipes tab.

Freezer containers

To keep things organized and stackable in my freezers, I use mostly 2-cup restaurant to-go containers. They are available on Amazon, and are the perfect portion sizes for most dishes, for one person. I also freeze a variety of cooked meats that dont have much juice in vacuum freezer bags.

Restaurant to-go containers  1, 2 and 4-cup sizes

Ziploc freezer bags  quart and gallon sizes

Disposable aluminum pans with cover  8 inch x 6 inch size

Food Saver vacuum bags  quart and gallon sizes

Bonelos

I love having ready-fried donuts in my freezer. They reheat in the microwave just fine, but in the air fryer, its even better because the crust gets crispy. Some folks do freeze their bonelos dagu batter, but I havent tried that with my recipe yet.

Bonelos aga

Bonelos dagu

Bonelos kalamasa

Bonelos uhang

Cookies

For many cookie recipes, I make a big batch of cookie dough and freeze. Divide the dough into about 2-cup portions, flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap then store in freezer bags. Thaw in the fridge the night before you need it. An hour or two before you are ready to bake, set on the counter to come to room temperature, about 70 degrees. And yes, my guyuria dough freezes, thaws, rolls, and fries very well.

CHamoru cookies

Guyuria

Roskette

Estufao/Adobo

I make sure to cook lots of sauce as it helps the estufao keep better in the freezer. I use the quart Ziploc bags to freeze because I can squeeze a lot of the air out. Once all the bags are prepped, I arrange them in a plastic shoebox so they are easy to find in the freezer.

Chicken

Ribs

Gollai/Vegetables

Vegetables cooked in coconut milk freeze and thaw to perfection. Its the fat in the coconut milk that does it.

Dinanche made with vegetables and coconut milk

Finadennen birenghenas

Gollai appan aga, chotda, mendioka, suni, kamuti, lemmai

Gollai hagon spinach

Hineksa/Rice

Dishes made with short to medium-grain rice work best when freezing and reheating. It also helps when its made with a good amount of fat whether its from lard, oil, butter, or coconut milk.

Alaguan with raisins

Chalakiles

Champuladu

Red rice

Short and medium-grain steamed white rice  vacuum sealed and best for making soup or alaguan.

Kado/Soup

Whether the kado has coconut milk or not, its still delish as a freezer food. These may need additional salt.

Atulen elotes

Kaddon mannok

Kaddon katne

Kaddon uhang

Tinaktak

Kek/Cake

Many cakes freeze and thaw well  and fyi, they dont need reheating unless you like warm cake. If you happen to buy cakes or cupcakes at the store or bring home leftovers from a party, wrap in plastic or freezable containers and freeze. They keep nicely  dessert in two months ombre.

Carrot cake

Cassava cake

CHamoru cake with raisins

Velvet cake

Kelaguen

For kelaguen, once thawed, taste again. It may need a little more salt and lemon powder. Dont store or mix in metal containers.

Beef

Canned Salmon

Canned Sardines

Chicken

Deer

Shrimp

Spam

Tamales

Tamales is a great freezer food because you can prepare the tamales and store in the freezer without cooking. Additionally, after cooking the tamales, if you have leftovers, you can refreeze and save for later. I make tamales in banana leaves, foil, and corn husk  and they all freeze and thaw well.

Tamales gisu

Tamales mendioka

Tamales suni

Titiyas/Tortillas

I separate each titiyas round with a piece of wax paper then stack according to family-serving size, in our case, its four rounds. I wrap the stack in plastic wrap then freeze in Ziploc freezer bags.

Corn titiyas

Flour titiyas

Manha titiyas

Miscellaneous

Foods that I dont have a category for.

Ahu

Apigige

Avocado ice cream

Barbecue ribs, steak, chicken

CHamoru pot roast

CHamoru sausage

CHamoru sweet bread

Chicken ala king filling

Chicken ala king cups

Coconut candy

Motsiyas

Poto

Riyenu

Heres a link to a video on a CHamoru freezer food meal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfuHpWyBO6o&t=123s.
Clay Aiken, who starred on American Idol almost 20 years ago, saw how generous Americans can be  especially women who threw their underwear at him.

Aiken, who is gay, is running for Congress in his home state of North Carolina. He told supporters at an event in Manhattan about those acts of charity.

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Clay Aiken put the checks he received to good use. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Every night Id sing my song on Idol and people would throw panties on the stage. There would be womens underwear thrown on the stage, and there would be checks attached to the underwear, he recounted.

By seasons end, Aiken had $50,000 worth of checks, so he started a foundation, now known as The National Inclusion Project, which helps autistic children.

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If Aiken is elected, hed be the first openly gay elected official in the South, he said in his campaign video.

There are lots of folks whose voices are not being heard, he said.

****

Leonardo DiCaprio may have been motivated by regret when he donatedmoney to help Ukrainians in their fight against Russian invaders.

DiCaprio once mingled with Russian President Vladimir Putin over their efforts to save the Siberian Tigers. The Hollywood star braved two bad flights to make it to a 2010 event in St. Petersburg, where Putin is originally from, to hear the strongman call him a real man.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (left) speaks with actor Leonardo DiCaprio in November 2010 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin enjoys friendships with various celebrities including Steven Seagal and Gerard Depardieu, who both have Russian passports.

Theres also Putins friendship with Pamela Anderson which developed after she lobbied against the clubbing of baby seals. Putin banned the bloody hunt in 2009.

DiCaprio, who might regret his association with Putin, is paying to turn the page.

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****

Former Russian intelligence agent Alia Roza is writing a book, How to Seduce Like a Spy.

The buxom beauty went to the same spy school as Putin did, although 30 years later, where she learned sexpionage.

I did the training. I used it in the field. I still use it when I need to get something done, she said. It was a really small group. Not everyone stays until the end.

Roza said Putin, who posed shirtless like hes James Bond, seduces his subjects so they follow him.

Putin inspires the book because he knows all these techniques, she said.

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****

Laurence Fishburne, now on Broadway in American Buffalo, dined at Cucina 8 the other night.

Laurence Fishburne attends the "MacGruber" screening and premiere on Dec. 8, 2021 in Los Angeles. (MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Matrix Reloaded actor toasted owner August Ceradini, former owner of World Yacht and Circle Line, who says he named the eatery as an homage to Federico Fellinis 1963 film.

Not to quibble, but the eatery in the Solow Building is at 8 W. 57th St.

****

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

CJ and Tyanna Wallace threw a Biggie bash for the 25th anniversary of their dads passing at Jue Lan Club, the former Limelight, the other night.

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The VIP crowd quaffed cocktails from DeLeon aptly named Mo-Money Mo-Blanco and The T-Dub. Graffiti artist Will Power created a Hypnotizing mural for the event.

The party closed with Lil Cease, Jadakiss, Maino, Zeke Thomas and DeRay Mckesson swaying to old school hip hop while snacking on buttercrunch cookies, Notorious B.I.G.s favorite sweet treat.

****

Black gaming entrepreneur Jaye Watts, who founded the Coexist Gaming house in Brooklyn, will expand into a three-story flagship location in Times Square in June.

The new outpost, featuring over 3,000 games from Xbox to PlayStation, will offer memberships with special amenities including cocktails and dining.

The space will also boast original murals by Marvel Comic artists. Insiders are already calling the hotspot a Soho House for gamers.
PDN Lifestyle reporter Madison Scott takes us behind the scenes of Breaking Wave Theatre Company's "Much Ado About Nothing," which she also co-directed, at the University of Guam on May 3. The play runs May 5-8.
A man being questioned in the March 3 riot at the Dededo Skate Park has been charged with aggravated assault in an earlier attack at the park.

Mark Anthony Jundarino Nalicat, 28, also known as Cheesebread, was accused of punching, kicking, stomping and hitting another man in the head with a skateboard at the park on Feb. 10, according to a magistrates report filed in Superior Court.

Police located Nalicat on Thursday in connection with this case and because he was identified as being involved in the recent riot at Dededo Skate Park, the complaint stated. As of Saturday, Nalicat had not been charged in connection with the riot.

On Feb. 10, Guam Police Department officers briefly interviewed a man with multiple injuries at the skate park. Before he left for Guam Memorial Hospital, he told officers that Nalicat, whom he knew from high school, attacked him.

The man said he recognized Nalicat and greeted him. Nalicat struck the mans face, head and legs, the complaint stated.

The assault left the man with injures to his back, arms, neck and forehead, the complaint stated.

After being treated, the man spoke with officers and told them Nalicat assaulted him, the complaint stated.

A month later

When interviewed by officers, Nalicat said he couldnt remember the incident involving the man. Officers confirmed that Nalicat is skilled in Muy Thai, the complaint stated.

Nalicat was charged with aggravated assault as a third-degree felony with a special allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

March 3 riot

The fight at the park occurred several weeks before the March 3 riot at the same location that involved multiple arrests and left a man permanently blind in one eye.

Seven men have been charged in the riot, including Mali Ios, 19; Kayson Nick, 19; Darwin Fortes, 22; John Jashua, 18; Jame Repwak, 23; Vince Phillip Phillip, 22 and Chesrick Tom, 19, also known as Jesrick Honest Tom, according to his booking photo.
While the Guam Department of Education supports the Period Poverty Act, education officials said theres not enough money to sufficiently supply schools with menstrual products.

Its something that is not funded and since its required of the department to do this, then it would be appreciated if we were able to get that funding to provide as much feminine hygiene products as possible to our female students, said Deputy Superintendent Erika Cruz.

The law requires all public school nursing or counselor offices to have menstrual products, such as tampons and sanitary pads, available for students free of charge.

School nurses have been providing those products for free, but have been buying them with their own money, Cruz said.

They try to provide free, feminine hygiene products to our students. Its something thats of great importance to our nurses. ... They go out of their way, said Cruz.

Since the bill became public law, the education agency must include menstrual products as part of its needed expenses in its budget for fiscal 2023.

Donations sought

Bureau of Womens Affairs Director Jayne Flores said she recently met with the Council of Womens Clubs and asked them to donate to schools until funding for menstrual products is budgeted for next fiscal year.

I asked clubs that have been supplying these products to the schools to please just do this for just one more time, so that we can get these girls through the school year, she said. We were doing that before the pandemic. We had not been doing that during the pandemic.

Some of the clubs that have donated include the Guam Womens Club, Soroptimist International of Guam, the Guam Womens Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Women In Construction and Daughters of the American Revolution Guam Chapter.

This is really an important piece of legislation and I just hope the Department of Education can set aside some (funds) for the nurses offices to provide menstrual products, said Flores. It is really important for girls to know if they start their period and they dont have anything at home, they can go to school and be safe.

The law also applies to Guam Community College and the University of Guam.

Like Guam public schools, the university was providing free menstrual products before the law was signed.

The supplies are provided through the Student Health Offices budget and through donations, according to UOG spokesman Jonas Macapinlac.
The Most Reverend Michael J. Byrnes is the archbishop of Agana.
Stephen King knows a strong narrative when he sees one.

The prolific author got on a roll Thursday night, writing that he sees the war in Ukraine as being fueled in part, by a desperate, aging autocrats jealousy over a younger, more charismatic leader representing good in the world.

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In these frames from Feb. 24, 2022, videos, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv. (AP)

Kings version of events paints Russias Vladimir Putin, 69, as an evil character at war with himself as much as he is with 44-year-old Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Thousands of people are dying in Ukraine in large part because Putin cant bear to let Zelenskyy win, The Stand writer began his story. The Z-man is everything Putin is not: Younger, more charismatic, heroic in the eyes of the world.

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Thousands of people are dying in Ukraine in large part because Putin can't bear to let Zelenskyy win. The Z-man is everything Putin is not: Younger, more charismatic, heroic in the eyes of the world.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 18, 2022

The Russian army scrawled a symbol resembling the letter Z on its armored vehicles before invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, presumably to tell them apart from Ukraines tanks and transports.

Zelenskyy even still has a full head of hair, King continued. For a man as self-centered as Putin, he finds Zelenskyy loathsome.

He calls the conflict a personality clash, but says one of those people is a sociopath with nuclear weapons at his disposal. Ukraine was reportedly the third-largest nuclear power in the world in the 1990s. It entered into an agreement to denuclearize in 1994, with Russia, the U.S. and Great Britain agreeing to guarantee the independent nations safety.

Zelenskyy even still has a full head of hair. For a man as self-centered as Putin, he finds Zelenskyy loathsome. This is a personality clash in which one of the personalities in a sociopath with nuclear weapons to hand.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 18, 2022

With every communication from Zelenskyy, with every photo op of Zelenskyy visiting the wounded and dispossessed, Putins hatred grows, King continued.

With every communication from Zelenskyy, with every photo op of Zelenskyy visiting the wounded and dispossessed, Putin's hatred grows.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 18, 2022

According to Kings take on things, soldiers and civilians from Russia and Ukraine are being slaughtered as Putin vies for more screen time.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Thousands are dying because Putin is  Im sure of it  screaming to the world, STOP LOOKING AT HIM! LOOK AT ME! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT ME! he wrote.

Thousands are dying because Putin is--I'm sure of it--screaming to the world, "STOP LOOKING AT HIM! LOOK AT ME! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT ME!"  Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 18, 2022

Replies by Kings fans and critics  and in some cases both  ran the gamut from agreement, to disagreement, to thinking maybe his take was an oversimplification of a saga rooted in history. Not surprisingly, some followers of The Shining writer looked at the situation from the viewpoint of storytellers.

I hate the plot of 2022 so far, wrote one commenter. The small Russian dude is such a stereotypical, bland antagonist. And the threats to the protagonists are so mundane and repetitive. The 2021 pandemic was way better at creating a constant atmosphere of suspense and unseen, everpresent danger.

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Another believed the script is still being written and theres plenty of room for keeping things pretty intensely danger filled.

[ Putin's poodle: Trump sells out U.S. intelligence agencies with the world watching ]

The war in Eastern Europe has begun its fourth week, with Russian forces making advances, but struggling with a dogged Ukrainian resistance. U.S. intelligence estimates more than 7,000 Russian troops have been killed fighting.

Putin held a rally Friday meant to inspire his citizens. Russian state-run media has reportedly pushed their presidents claims that he is somehow liberating a sovereign country  run by a Jewish president  from Nazification.

Zelenskyy, via satellite, has gotten standing ovations after addressing the United States Congress and British parliament from his war-town nation. There is a groundswell of support to award the former actor with the Nobel Peace Prize.




Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #729





GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022:

Epidemiological situation:



Saturday March 19, 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 468,486,722 cases (+1,848.71 in 24h), the day before (+2,098,587)



Number of infected countries: 224



*Healings: 399,572,926 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+1,249,376 in 24 hours), the day before (+1,458,694)

*Deaths: 6,094,457 people died of Covid-19 worldwide (+5,608 in 24 hours), the day before (+6,733)

*Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries) in the world is currently 62,819,339 cases (+593,726 in 24 hours), the day before (+633,160)



Average cure rate in the world: 85.29% (-)



Average mortality rate in the world: 1.30% (=)



World: Number of daily confirmed cases:





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 11.11 billion doses of vaccine injected (+10 million doses injected in 24 hours. Updated March 18, 2022 (latest data available).



HAITI:

Epidemiological situation:

Warning: The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) did not make available after March 13, 2022 daily data on the Covid-19 situation in Haiti. Accordingly, the data below on the situation in Haiti is the latest available.



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 informations 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): 81,388,590 cases (+37,707 in 24 hours), the day before (+61,281)

*Healings: 56,975,477 healings (+152,897 in 24 hours), the day before (+191,463)

National Cure Rate: 70.0% (+)

*Deaths: 997.136 deaths (+1.064), the day before (+1.333)

National death rate: 1.22% (=)

*Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 23,415,977 (-116,254 in 24 hours), the day before (-131,515)



USA: Number of daily confirmed cases





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 558.21 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection in the United States (+250,000 doses in 24 hours). Updated March 17, 2022 (latest data available).



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 577,070 cases (+166 in 24 hours) the day before (+116 in 24 hours). First case (March 1, 2020)

Healings: 572,179 healings (+87 in 24h), the day before (+64)

National Cure Rate: 99.15% (-)

Deaths: 4,375 deaths (+0), previous (+1)

Death rate: 0.75% (=)

Positive rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 1.34% (-)

Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 516 cases (+79 in 24 hours) the day before (+51)



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: +98 new cases in 24 hours (+)

Azua: +16 new cases ()

La Vega: + 7 new cases ()

Puerto Plata: +7 new cases (-)

Santo Domingo: +5 new cases in 24 hours (-)



Vaccination: 15.40 million doses of vaccine injected since February 16, 2021, date of the first injection in the Dominican Republic (+20,000 doses injected in 24 hours). Updated March 18, 2022 (latest data available).



QUEBEC:

Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 942,282 (+1,170 in 24 hours), previous (+1,462)

Healings: 914,755 people (+1,113) previous (+909)

Cure rate: 97.07% (-)

Death: 14,245 (+13) previous (+19)

Death rate: 1.51% (=)

Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 13,282 cases (+44 in 24 hours), previous (+534)



Quebec: Trend of daily confirmed cases:



>

(average weekly trend)



Vaccination: 18,549,998 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+6,623 doses in 24 hours), latest available data - MSSS dated March 18, 2022)



FRANCE:

*Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 23,957,773 cases (+97,579 cases in 24 hours), previous (+101,747)

*Healings: 22,505,891 healings (+53,511), previous (+58,022)

National Cure Rate: 93.93% (-)

Deaths: 140,841 (+112 in 24h), previous (+116)

Death rate: 0.58% (=)

Active Cases: 1,311,041 (+43,956), previous ()



France: Number of daily confirmed cases:





(day-1)



Vaccination: 141.43 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+50,000 doses injected in 24 hours. Update March 18, 2022 (latest data available)



Previous bulletin: https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36209-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-728.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


















Joe Balla, a building janitor on Chicagos North Side, was upset when he came to work on Aug. 21, 1984. The garbage cans he carefully tended in the alley were overloaded, crammed with six stuffed heavy-duty plastic bags.

Balla ripped one open.

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I knew right away it wasnt a ham, hed recall later.

The bag contained a human leg.

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The body, cut into eight pieces and stuffed into the bags, was all that was left of Daniel Bridges, 16, a troubled youth from a poor family who had turned to prostitution to survive.

Stab wounds that punctured his lungs and heart were found to be the cause of death. There was also evidence the victim had been handcuffed and tied up and that the slicing had been done with a hacksaw.

Another janitor offered a clue to the killers identity.

Larry Eyler (AP)

Balla mentioned the grisly find to a colleague, Nicholas Fritz, who worked in a nearby building. Nick, Balla said, I found a human leg in the trash.

Fritz recalled seeing a young guy from another building carrying bulging garbage bags toward the alley.

The man fingered by the janitor was, a 31-year-old house painter. A hacksaw found in Eylers apartment matched marks on Bridges body parts.

For some time, police had suspected that Eyler was the Interstate Killer, a murderous phantom who had been scattering the hacked-up corpses of young men along roads in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio for two years. A reporter, Gera-Lind Kolarik, also noticed similarities in the clusters of corpses in the states and started covering the search. Kolarik later wrote a book on the case, Freed to Kill.

"Freed to Kill," by Gera-Lind Kolarik (Avon Books)

It started in October 1982, when the mutilated body of 19-year-old Steven Crockett, 19, of Kankakee, Ill., was found in a cornfield near the Indiana border. In April 1983, construction workers discovered what was left of Gustavo Herrera, 28, under a pile of brush along Highway 94. Later, the body of Ervin Gibson, 16, was found on a trash heap, draped over a dead dog. Other victims, some missing heads and hands, kept popping up along the roads.

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In September 1983, the Lake County, Indiana, sheriff stopped Eyler while he was traveling along I-65 with a hitchhiker. They brought both men in for questioning and impounded Eylers pickup truck. Investigators searched the vehicle without Eylers permission and found a knife, handcuffs, boots, and lengths of clothesline.

The blood on Eylers boots matched that of a mutilated corpse dumped in August  Ralph Calise, 28, an electrical worker.

There was evidence enough to charge Eyler with Calises slaying. But in February 1984, police were forced to set him free when a judge ruled that the search was illegal and violated Eylers constitutional rights.

No one heard from him again until August 1984, when Bridges dismembered body turned up in the trash.

Police photos of the site where remains of unidentified victims of serial killer Larry Eyler were discovered in Morocco, Ind. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

In his 1986 trial, Eyler was convicted of Bridges murder and sentenced to die by lethal injection.

Four years later, he sent a handwritten letter to the Illinois Governor James Thompson, offering to share a list of his victims, plus the name of an accomplice, in exchange for a life sentence. I am asking you to spare my life, he wrote. I can never undo what I have done, but I do believe that I have good qualities. I love my family, and I know I have positive things to add to their lives.

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At that time, he pleaded guilty to another murder  of Steven Agan, 23. But he said that he had an accomplice, Robert David Little, of the Indiana State University library studies department. For seven years, Eyler said that Littles hand had dealt the death blows during many of the bondage rituals with kidnapped men. Little was tried and acquitted.

Serial killer Larry Eyler at the Vermillion County Courthouse in Newport, Ind. on April 11, 1991. (John Irvine/Chicago Tribune)

Eylers attempts to beat the death penalty failed, but there was no execution. He died of AIDS-related complications on March 6, 1994.

Days later, his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, called a press conference.

I make no excuses for him, Zellner said in her opening remarks. She noted that Eyler had been compiling this victims list in a bid to get off death row.

In his last days, Eyler gave his lawyer permission to release the names  21 in all  and details of how they died.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

But the murder that landed him on death row  Daniel Bridges  was missing from the list. Bridges slaying, he said, was Littles handiwork. Eyler admitted only to disposing of the body.

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Zellner said that rage, sparked by frequent spats with a married lover was his excuse, a way to blow off steam. Hed go out in his truck, drunk, snatch a hitchhiker or pick up someone in a gay bar. The victim was drugged, blindfolded, gagged, handcuffed, and stabbed. Eyler kept their shirts as souvenirs.

In his confession, Eyler took credit for the murders of four men who were found buried on a farm in Newton County, Indiana. Dental records quickly revealed the identities of two of the dead men, but the names of the others was a long-standing mystery.

Scott McCord, coroner of Newton County with boxes containing remains of unidentified victims of serial killer Larry Eyler in Morocco, Ind., on Friday, Sept. 10, 2010. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

Scott McCord, who became Newton County coroner in 2006, inherited two bankers boxes of evidence from his predecessor. They contained bones and were labeled Victim three and Victim Four. Dubbed Adam Doe and Brad Doe, both remained unidentified until more sophisticated techniques for solving crimes  such as facial reconstruction and DNA databases  became available.

In 2021, the Newton County Coroners office, working with the DNA Doe Project, discovered that Brad Doe was John Ingram Brandenburg, Jr., who disappeared when he was 19.

More than 40 years later, Adam Does identity is still a mystery.

JUSTICE STORY has been the Daily News exclusive take on true crime tales of murder, mystery and mayhem for more than 100 years. Click here to read more.
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A draft opinion circulated among Supreme Court justices suggests that earlier this year a majority of them had thrown support behind overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide. That's according to a report published Monday night in Politico. Its unclear if the draft represents the courts final word on the matter. The news outlet published what was labeled as a 1st Draft of the Opinion of the Court in a case challenging Mississippis ban on abortion after 15 weeks,. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the draft, which if verified marks a shocking revelation of the high courts secretive deliberation process.
The development of vaccines and other medical treatments, and the ability of peopl
Julie Erfle: Ducey stacked the Supreme Court. In return, it diminished the power of the people while expanding the power of his allies.
Disney World is coming under fire for hosting what activists called a racist depiction of Native American culture during a performance by Texas high school students at the Magic Kingdom this week.

The criticism comes as Disney continues to deal with backlash over its early silence on Floridas so-called dont say gay bill approved by the Legislature.

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Performing in a marching band showcase Tuesday, members of the Indianettes drill team from Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Texas, wore fringed outfits and yelled scalp em, Indians, scalp em near the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, a moment captured on video. The phrase is part of the schools Cherokee fight song.

Tara Houska, an Ojibwe tribal attorney and founder of the Giniw Collective, a Native American advocacy group, posted the footage to Twitter on Thursday night, calling out the school and Disney.

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Any Natives who attend [Port Neches-Groves High School] should prolly just accept their classmates dehumanizing them cuz tradition, right? She wrote. Shame on [Disney] hosting this. Nostalgic racism is RACISM.

Photos and videos of the performance were publicly posted on social media accounts affiliated with Port Neches-Groves High School, and video of another part of the parade was streamed live by its journalism club Tuesday.

By Friday afternoon, the clubs social media pages had been deleted or made private. Representatives for Port Neches-Groves High School did not respond to requests for comment.

Houska said others who have emailed the school have received a response that it was terribly disheartened by the disrespect with which they were treated at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler released a statement saying that Disney regretted the performance.

The live performance in our park did not reflect our core values, and we regret it took place, it read. It was not consistent with the audition tape the school provided and we have immediately put measures in place so this is not repeated.

Cuz a bunch of kids in fringe chanting scalp em Indians, scalp em is honor, right?



And any Natives who attend @pngisd should prolly just accept their classmates dehumanizing them cuz tradition, right?



Shame on @DisneyParks hosting this. Nostalgic racism is RACISM. pic.twitter.com/ELsJHRgJlw  tara houska  (@zhaabowekwe) March 18, 2022

Though specific measures were not mentioned, Disney is reviewing its processes and the other groups scheduled to perform to ensure a similar incident does not happen again, Wahler said.

A Disney employee asked the group to remove headdresses prior to their performance, and the chants heard in the parade were not part of the schools rehearsal either, she said. Photos and videos of the Port Neches-Groves High School drill team show them wearing headdresses in past performances.

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In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Houska said Tuesdays performance included dancers performing gestures used to stereotype Native American communities and that nobody stepped in.

You see not only this really obviously racist chant being said and a bunch of presumably non-Native people wearing fringe and putting their hands over their mouths and doing war whoops or whatever. Theres that, and then theres all the people that are cheering them on ... who are tacitly saying, This is okay, she said.

In recent years, Disney has increasingly denounced insensitive and inaccurate depictions of other cultures in its content and launched a new diversity and inclusion initiative.

Just 0.3% of Disneys total workforce are Native American or Alaskan Native, and these workers make up 0.2% of Disneys executive team, data from the company show.

Some older movies on its streaming service, Disney+, now include disclaimers that the films feature negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.

For example, the company warns that 1953s Peter Pan shows Indigenous people in a stereotypical manner and refers to them using a racial slur.

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In 2021, the Jungle Cruise ride at the Magic Kingdom was updated to remove colonialist misrepresentations of African cultures and include more diverse characters. Construction on the anticipated re-theme of Splash Mountain, inspired by the 1946 movie Song of the South, has not started in the park since it was announced in June 2020, but officials have said it is still going forward.

Houska said she believes the company gave overt racism a platform in allowing the performance to happen and did not explicitly denounce it in their statement afterward.

[It] doesnt actually get at the root of the issue, which is you have a team called the Indianettes, who you knew normally wear headdresses and who were not allowed to wear their fake headdresses but were allowed to use their chant, she said. So that seems really disingenuous on Disneys part.

Houska, who co-founded Not Your Mascots, an organization fighting against the use of stereotypical Native American mascots in sports, wants Disney to take further action.

It would be a lot more believable that they are willing to carry out these values if they unequivocally condemn this behavior, acknowledge their mistake and continue to try to not only increase representation, but prevent something like this from happening again, she said.

The National Congress of American Indians, a nonprofit representing tribal governments and communities, recently counted 1,929 K-12 schools that use Native themed school mascots across the United States. A representative for the nonprofit was not available for an interview Friday.

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Such stereotypes and depictions are harmful to Native American people, especially children, and they further dishonor communities that have been historically marginalized, Houska said.

People just have no understanding of living Native people, she said. They think that were still these kind of savage characters from the past or the remnants of those people, like that were not living and breathing communities that exist today.

And to call Native people overly sensitive, given our resilience and survival of multiple attempts at genocidal acts to wipe us out, thats simply not the case, she added. Were saying we deserve to be at least treated like humans. Were not mascots.

krice@orlandosentinel.com and @katievrice on Twitter
LZ Granderson: Our divided U.S. should be able to unite for Ukraine
Damascus government forces targeted, with artillery and other rockets, areas in Benen and the vicinity of Al-Baraa and Flayfel within Jabal al-Zawiya in southern countryside of Idlib, and fronlines with Turkish occupation mercenaries in Al-Ghab Plain in northwestern Hama countryside, without information about casualties.

Meanwhile, Russian drone flew over the area, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Yesterday, SOHR reported that artillery shells were fired by Damascus government forces after midnight Thursday - Friday, targeting areas in Benen, Flayfel and the vicinity of Al-Fatera in Jabal al-Zawiya in southern Idlib countryside, which led to material damage, without information about casualties.

Sh-S

ANHA
The Kurdish community in Lebanon issued a statement to the public opinion, read by Khaled Khaled amid a gathering of dozens of the Kurdish people in Lebanon, in which he said:

"In the name of the Kurdish community in Lebanon, we announce our support for the call of the International Justice Initiative for the Kurds, in the belief that meeting this humanitarian and sentimental demand will contribute to strengthening democracy and establishing security and safety and will help to establish human rights in general and to achieve a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in particular. Just as we are the sons and daughters of the Kurdish community In Lebanon, we believe that listening to this humanitarian and sentimental demand is in the spirit of launching peaceful negotiations aimed at resolving outstanding problems between all concerned parties, which leads to the consolidation of stability throughout the Middle East, given that the Kurdish issue is as much a global and regional issue as it is a national and national issue.

A

ANHA
Syria Democratic Council organized a panel yesterday, Friday, at SDC' center in Vienna.

It was attended by co-chair of Syria Democratic Council, Riad Drar, the head of public relations office in the council, Hassan Muhammad Ali, and groups from Syrian opposition, in addition to representatives of a number of Syrian and Kurdish political parties and organizations and some independent figures.

They discussed the importance of dialogue and awareness in finding a common vision and strategy that brings together the Syrian components, to build common positions for the democratization of Syria and to reach the prospects for resolving the Syrian crisis.

The attendees also touched on the need to get rid of prejudices that were created by the Syrians over a decade (during the Syrian crisis), in addition to creating solutions that bring the Syrians together.

Sh-S

ANHA
Cawthorn a fighter 'full of words' facing fighter with a record, Edwards says

State Sen. Chuck Edwards is challenging U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the May 17 primary.

Of the seven Republican candidates hoping to defeat U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, state Sen. Chuck Edwards alone stood up on Saturday morning to make his case for replacing the first-term incumbent.

Before the bright red torrent of campaign rhetoric that is a Madison Cawthorn performance, Edwards took a not very veiled shot at the 26-year-old freshman, declaring himself a fighter with a proven record taking on a self-styled fighter who is merely full of words.

Lets talk about what a fighter is, Edwards told an audiece of 65 at a Republican Mens Club breakfast at the Cascades Resort. I think theres two different types. There are those that are full of words, that are seeking to gain a political career and increase that Instagram following, and there are fighters like me that have actually gotten things done in government.

I invite you to please look at my record," he said. "Look at what I have been able to do to represent this district in Raleigh. Im the only person that can say that theyve lowered income taxes for all North Carolinians. Income taxes are going to be about half of what they were in 2011 largely because of the contribution that I made. I am the only person in this race that can say that theyve taken any action to defund cities that defund police like happened right over here in Asheville. Im the only person in this race that can say I have passed legislation to outlaw sanctuary cities that we have because of these liberals that we have just north of us. Im the only person in this room that can say I have actually balanced a government budget.

Cawthorns only mention of Edwards was when he listed him among the elected officials who appeared at the breakfast. Instead, the conservative firebrand plunged into a 14-minute slab of red meat that covered the rise of wealthy, free nations  Where the word of God went so too did go freedom  to the $30 trillion national debt, Americas decline under President Biden and the mental health of the youngest generation.

We have the most oppressed, medicated, alcohol addicted, suicidal and sad and anxious generation the world has ever known growing up in our country right now, he said. And the reason for that is because our ideologies are being challenged, our founding values that have brought greatness to this nation are not being taught to our children.

Although Cawthorn has come under fire for his tepid support for Ukraine when the Russian invasion began and for being caught on video calling Ukraines president a thug, he told Republicans on Saturday that Biden is incapable of leading the U.S. response.

The president of France, Macron, is not meeting Biden to see how should we handle this, he said. Hes meeting with Vladimir Putin on his own because he doesnt believe that the United States will be able to handle whats going on in Ukraine today.

Vladimir Putin illegally and immorally invaded Ukraine, he said. We granted $14 billion to go to Ukraine to be able to assist and Im all for sending Ukrainian assistance. Lets give them as much Stinger missiles as we can so they can shoot down all the warplanes from the Russians  theyll be able to defend themselves. I dont believe that we need to enforce a no fly zone. I dont believe we need to put boots on the ground. But I generally do believe that we can send them the weapon systems they need. We should have already been doing it. To stop this war it needed to happen 10 months ago. We could have held Vladimir Putin in check. But instead we have a geriatric despot in the White House because of the stolen election.

Edwards wrapped his action v. words theme with one last shot at the incumbent.

Its time to take folks of action to Washington, D.C., he said. I am not full of words, I am full of action.  These are troublesome times, it is not a time to use the U.S. House floor as a training camp. We need folks that are tried and true, that have a strong resume of conservative principles.
Dr. Raul Pino, the state health officer in Orange County, served as the voice of Central Floridas fight against COVID-19, providing advice and information in both English and Spanish in over 150 public briefings. Image by Frank Weber.

Raul Pino, state health director in Orange County, must communicate at least weekly with a mentor and allow an assistant director to review any staff-wide emails he writes before sending them, according to a six-month corrective action plan imposed as a condition of his return to work.

The plan, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel through a public-records request, is intended as a tool to improve performance, according to the document sent to Pino by Mark Lander, interim deputy secretary of county health systems for the Florida Department of Health.

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Pino declined to discuss the plan, though the document bears his signature acknowledging it was discussed with him.

Pino, 58, returned to work Tuesday, following a two-month paid absence imposed in the wake of a staff-wide email he sent Jan. 4 expressing his frustration with the low vaccination rate among employees. I have a hard time understanding how can we be in public health and not practice it, he wrote.

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His email revealed fewer than 14% of the 568 employees had been fully vaccinated with a complete series and booster shot.

When questioned about Pinos status in January, state spokesperson Weesam Khoury explained, As the decision to get vaccinated is a personal medical choice that should be made free from coercion and mandates from employers, the employee in question has been placed on administrative leave, and the Florida Department of Health is conducting an inquiry to determine if any laws were broken in this case.

The corrective plan, which refers to the state agencys inquiry as a management review, requires Pino to work with his executive managers to eliminate access to employee health data by managers without a business need including aggregate and de-identifiable data.

Requests for the inquirys investigative summary and findings were routed through a public-records portal.

Pino, hired in May 2019, has served as the voice of Central Floridas fight against COVID-19, providing advice and information in both English and Spanish in over 150 public briefings. He often shared the microphone with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, a critic of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. >

A county health department works to prevent epidemics, encourage healthy behavior and respond to disasters.

In Orange County, the agencys health responsibilities include overseeing programs intended to provide prenatal care to pregnant women, immunizing children, testing and providing treatment of sexually transmitted disease and offering family-planning counseling.

His mentor was identified in the document as Dr. Ulyee Choe, state health officer in Pinellas County since 2015; board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases; and an associate professor of Medicine with the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa.

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According to the document, state health officials expect the mentorship of Pino to continue beyond the six-month plan.

The Cuban-born Pino also must participate in unspecified cultural sensitivity training and communication training for senior leaders. No explanation for the training sessions was provided in the document, which calls for weekly status meetings with Pino to discuss your progress.

It warns, Failure to correct the deficiencies noted above may result in disciplinary action.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com
Other groups of people in America, apart from white people, have to deal with the truths regardless of how these truths make them feel. White peoples feelings in America are protected by the government.

For instance, a majority-white Florida Legislature passed a bill to stop open discussions in K-12 education and ban reading materials that describe how American society and institutions have historically treated people of color compared to white people. This action was taken, perhaps, because a significant number of white people felt guilty when learning about how Americas institutions have been designed to derail black progress and destroyed communities of color, while simultaneously creating opportunities for white people to excel and achieve greatness.

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Andre Davis, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Jamaica, lives in Orlando and works as a shipping coordinator for a pharmaceutical company. - Original Credit: Courtesy photo (Courtesy photo)

Some critical race theory reading materials describe how white Americans are given a presumption of innocence and competence  while Black Americans are given a presumption of guilt, wrong, and incompetence. Strangely, large numbers of white people play their precise role in the script designed by American society, which could be:

They might entertain reservations about people of colors innocence and intelligence, while assuming their white counterparts have the best intentions and are capable. (this includes members of institutions such as judges, police officers, principals, college professors, news media groups, etc.)

They might worry about their safety when passing a Black person on the street, while feeling entirely different when passing a white person.

They might have an inclination to seek out white doctors and professionals to do business with compared to professionals of color.

They might have a readiness to associate themselves with and hire white people compared to people of color.

So as large numbers of white people play these roles that exacerbate conditions in America for Black people  while creating safety and opportunities for white people  some white people dispute these historical facts and conditions.

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Similarly, should men downplay societys historical effects of sexism because open discussions of such would evoke feelings of guilt? Should men encourage state Legislatures across the country  most of which have male majorities  to pass laws that ban discussions of how women have been restricted historically by Americas institutions?

Perhaps, in some scenarios, the oppressed helps to protect the oppressors because they benefit indirectly from the status quo. Meaning, some women may avoid such conversations about sexism in order to protect the unfair advantage and feelings of their husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and uncles.

However, people of color in America have nothing to gain when white America rewrites history and denies current conditions to protect its feelings. This is an example of the ultimate white privilege and the ultimate snowflakes.

Andre Davis, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Jamaica, lives in Orlando and works as a shipping coordinator for a pharmaceutical company.
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Rain likely. Low 56F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
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TALLAHASSEE  Florida lawmakers and then-Gov. Rick Scott rushed to take action in 2018 after former student Nikolas Cruz fatally shot 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

And in an unusual move in a Capitol dominated by Republicans who tout the Second Amendment, they passed a law that prevented people under age 21 from buying rifles and other long guns.

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But more than four years later, a federal appeals court is poised to hear arguments about whether the law is constitutional.

The National Rifle Association went to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker last year upheld the law. A panel of the Atlanta-based appeals court will hear arguments Thursday in Miami.

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The law effectively banned gun sales to people under 21 in Florida, as federal law already prevented sales of handguns to members of that age group.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

The NRA contends the state law violates Second Amendment and equal-protection rights and has contrasted it with other laws related to people under 21.

Florida law allows young adults those it categorically deems unlawful and irresponsible (in the gun law)  to serve in the military and in law enforcement, NRA attorneys wrote in a brief last year. It also allows young adults to serve on a jury, enter into contracts, sue and be sued, get married, and own property. Florida at once deems young adults to be law-abiding and responsible enough to enforce the law but not law-abiding and responsible enough to be trusted to follow it.

But in a document filed in district court, attorneys for the state wrote that people ages 18 to 20 are a particularly high-risk group and pointed to scientific evidence about impulsive and risky behavior.

Empirical evidence bears out that because 18-to-20-year-olds are uniquely likely to engage in impulsive, emotional, and risky behaviors that offer immediate or short-term rewards, drawing the line for legal purchase of firearms at 21 is a reasonable method of addressing the Legislatures public safety concerns, the document said.

In his ruling upholding the law, Walker, in part, focused on a landmark 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case known as District of Columbia v. Heller. While the Heller case is broadly considered a major victory for gun-rights supporters, it also said certain longstanding prohibitions about guns do not violate the Second Amendment, according to Walkers ruling.

The Heller case cited prohibitions on such things as felons and mentally ill people possessing guns, Walker concluded that restrictions on 18-to-20-year-old people buying guns were analogous to the restrictions cited in the Heller case.

In short, Hellers listed regulations are similar to restrictions on the purchase of firearms by 18-to-20-year-olds; all target specific groups that are thought to be especially dangerous with firearms, he wrote.
Seven Rohingya refugees including six women, who had illegally crossed into India from Coxs Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh, were arrested by Railway Protection Force personnel at New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Wednesday.

Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) based in Guwahati, Sabyasachi De said the seven were detained after they were found moving suspiciously in the station compound.

On preliminary enquiry, they revealed that they were residing at Camp No. 5 near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. They illegally crossed the Bangladesh  India Border and came to Kumarghat Railway Station in Tripura and boarded train No. 13174, Kanchanjunga Express on 15th March 15 to Sealdah,\ De said in a statement on Thursday.

He said that they were waiting to board Purvottar Samprak Kranti Express train bound for New Delhi when they were arrested. They were handed over to Government Railway Police for action as per law.

The arrest comes amid an investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA) to unearth a racket allegedly settling Rohingya refugees into India with forged documents and women being sexually exploited.

The NIA on March 11 arrested six persons from Assam, who are allegedly involved in the racket active in border areas in Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. The agency said that \mastermind\ of the racket, Kumkum Ahmed Chaudhury alias Asiqul Ahmed, a resident of South Assams Cachar district was arrested from Bengaluru on March 11. Choudhury was allegedly operating the network from Bengaluru, with some more members spread in various parts of the country.

Police officials in Assam, who had arrested several Rohingya refugees in the past said that Rohingya refugees illegally cross the India-Bangladesh borders in Tripura and then board trains from South Assam (Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts). They are taken out by trains to cities like Bengaluru and New Delhi and are engaged in various works. Some Rohingya women are also engaged in flesh trade, they said.

Thousands of Rohingyas fled Rakhaine state of Myanmar and took shelter in Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh following ethnic clashes between the ethnic Buddhists and Islamic Rohingyas since 1997. Some even entered India through Indo-Myanmar borders in Mizoram and Manipur.

Source : Deccan Herald
New York, US (PANA) - Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life across all societies, the UN chief said on Friday at a dedicated meeting against what he referred to as a catalyst that normalises hate, denies dignity, and spurs violence
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Virginia-based LNG company Venture Global said it is moving quickly to get more liquefied natural gas to the market with two more pending projects in Louisiana.

It said it will close project financing soon on Plaquemines LNG, a facility under construction outside New Orleans with a liquefaction capacity of 20 million metric tons per year. At the same time, it said in a news release that it agreed to its first sales contract for another 20 million metric tons per year facility, CP2, it aims to build next to its existing facility at Calcasieu Pass starting next year.

The new projects advance at a time when demand for LNG soars. Demand was already high as more of the world moves from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas, which grew even more coveted after Russia  previously Europes primary supplier of natural gas  invaded Ukraine and disrupted global energy supplies.

American LNG companies jumped into the void, surpassing Russia as Europes largest supplier of natural gas. Still, there isnt enough supply to meet demand and existing LNG facilities are operating at maximum capacity.

OUT INTO THE WORLD: Venture Global brings Calcasieu Pass LNG plant online with first cargo

In todays global market, execution and speed matter, and Venture Global is uniquely positioned to quickly deliver US LNG capacity to meet the worlds growing demand for energy, Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel said in a statement, noting his company constructed Calcasieu Pass in a record 29 months.

Similarly, he said, his company is moving forward with an expedited schedule for Plaquemines, although the companys expansion wont help the existing demand crunch.

Venture Global began construction at Plaquemines in August, ahead of schedule and before closing financing, citing historic market demand, and expects to bring the project online in 2024. It said it has sold 14 million metric tons of the projects 20 million metric tons per year capacity and plans to announce more contracts in the coming weeks.

Last week, Venture Global announced a new agreement with Shell for 2 million metric tons per year of LNG from Plaquemines. This week, it announced two agreements with New Fortress Energy: one for 1 million metric tons per year from Plaquemines and another for 1 million metric tons per year from CP2. The latter is the first sales agreement for the CP2 project.

The Biden administration has been looking to ease the path forward for American LNG as the need for more supplies grows. On Wednesday it issued an order allowing every existing LNG export terminal to export its full capacity to any country with open U.S. trade.

U.S. LNG remains an important component to global energy security, the Department of Energy said in a statement. DOE remains committed to finding ways to help our allies and trading partners with the energy supplies they need while continuing to work to mitigate the impact of climate change.

amanda.drane@chron.com
The world's two largest oil field services companies said they have stopped new investments and technology deployments to Russia, joining a growing list of companies that are backing away from the country as its war with Ukraine escalates.

Houston- and Paris-based Schlumberger said Friday it will "immediately suspend" new investments and technology deployments to Russia. Houston-based Baker Hughes said Saturday it had also suspended new investments for its operations in Russia.

"The crisis in Ukraine is of grave concern and we strongly support a diplomatic solution," Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said Saturday in a statement, noting his company reached the decision to stop investing in its Russian operations "earlier this week."

RELATED: While other oil majors pull out of Russia, Chevron says Caspian pipeline is key

Pressure has been mounting on American energy companies to stop business with Russia, the world's second largest oil producer after the United States, as America and its allies look to stifle money the country can use against Ukraine.

Some of the world's biggest oil companies have already committed to pulling out  Exxon Mobil said it would cease oil production in Russia. BP and Shell announced plans to withdraw from oil and gas partnerships in the country. Major companies such as Apple, Nike and Ikea have also pulled out.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian-American protesters stood in front of Schlumberger's Houston office and called on the world's largest oil field services company to stop its business with Russian-owned energy companies.

Schlumberger and Baker Hughes said they would continue to meet their existing obligations in Russia.

We continue to actively monitor this dynamic situation and will fulfill any existing activity in full compliance with applicable international laws and sanctions," Schlumberger said in a statement.

Safety and security are at the core of who we are as a company, and we urge a cessation of the conflict and a restoration of safety and security in the region.

amanda.drane@chron.com
The percentage of Texas schoolchildren receiving special education services has increased, but the state remains below the national average five years after lifting an arbitrary cap that prevented thousands of qualified kids from receiving services.

Since Texas lifted the cap on the percentage of students who can be identified to receive such services, the special education participation rate in the state increased from 8.8 percent in the 2011-12 school year to 11.3 percent in 2020-21, according to numbers the Texas Education Agency presented Thursday to a state commission on special education funding. The national average was 14 percent in the 2019-20 school year, the most recent available figures show.

A 2016 Houston Chronicle investigation found TEA for years had penalized districts for providing special education to more than 8.5 percent of their students, an arbitrarily devised number that resulted in hundreds of thousands of kids being denied services to which they were entitled. TEA scrapped the cap in 2017.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Feds say TEA has failed to fix its special education problems as it had promised

There were approximately 604,973 students receiving special education services in the 2020-21 school year, compared to 498,320 in 2017-18, TEA officials said in this weeks presentation.

"That is undoubtedly higher today as we speak," Education Commissioner Mike Morath told the group of legislators Thursday. "There's been a massive increase in the identification of students."

The state performed the most initial special education evaluations in the nation during the 2019-20 school year, TEA numbers show.

The state education agency enacted the now-eradicated limit in 2004 when faced with a $1.1 billion state budget cut. Lawmakers filed 16 bills, including one to prohibit the state from capping special education enrollment and another to increase funding for services for children with autism and kids with dyslexia, following the Chronicle's reporting.

On Thursday, Morath credited the legislature's changes for driving improvements in recent years.

When he started in 2016, he said, TEA had 20 employees focused on special education support and oversight. There now are 82 such employees.

Last August, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to TEA saying the agency had failed to implement the majority of the corrective actions it had pledged to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The letter also told the agency that if it did not comply with the law, it risked losing grant funds for special education.

On HoustonChronicle.com: DENIED: In 2004, Texas arbitrarily decided what percentage of students should get special education services.

In September, TEA met with the Education Departments Office of Special Education Programs to clarify its expectations, according to Morath. OSEP told the state agency in October that its documentation again was insufficient and imposed new conditions. OSEP provided TEA with technical assistance in November to reach the goals set for the state.

In Thursdays weeks presentation, Morath outlined the steps TEA is taking to meet federal compliance, adding the state has a lot more work to do to "honor our moral commitment to children."

Parent advocates agree Texas still has a long way to go, especially when it comes to serving children with dyslexia.

Until they wholeheartedly make changes and loopholes are eliminated its still a broken system, said Robbi Cooper, an advocate for Decoding Dyslexia Texas.

OSEP said in August that Texas school districts were not promptly referring children for dyslexia evaluations and that it was concerned with TEAs lack of monitoring and supervision of districts that were failing to properly evaluate those students.

OSEP also said state officials have an apparent misunderstanding that kids with dyslexia could not be evaluated under IDEA. Parents reported to the federal agency instances of their children with dyslexia only being evaluated under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Cooper said though great gains were made when TEA revised its Dyslexia Handbook in 2021, some critical gray areas remain, including not evaluating students who may have the disability under IDEA. Without evaluations under that designation, students with dyslexia do not receive Individualized Education Programs, which hold teachers and schools accountable for following specific learning plans for each child.

We hear constantly of parents being dismayed because they are told their child is not eligible, she said. Until that changes, there is still a big hole in the system. You cant go halfway and say that its fixed.

Morath said more dedicated support was needed for dyslexia evaluations and highlighted some efforts already underway, including $50 million in state funding for training and licensing diagnosticians and a $50 million grant to reimburse districts for evaluation costs.

Daphne Corder, an advocate and a mother of a student with dyslexia, said even with recent changes, children and families, especially those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, still are being negatively impacted by the states policies on educating kids with dyslexia.

As a parent advocate, I have a unique perspective, she said. I can see the patterns and I can see that (some) schools are still not compliant.

hannah.dellinger@chron.com, alejandro.serrano@chron.com
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Search warrants used to seize computer equipment from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos office outline communications between several of her employees and a communications firm  which ultimately won a nearly $11 million contract for a COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign  weeks before the bidding process opened.

The Texas Rangers investigation of possible misuse of information, providing false statements and tampering took aim at several county workers under Hidalgo  including chief of staff Alex Triantaphyllis, policy director Wallis Nader and former senior adviser Aaron Dunn  for exchanging text messages with Elevate Strategies founder Felicity Pereyra as early as January 2021 about the proposed vaccine campaign, court records show.

No criminal charges have been filed in the investigation.

State and local law enforcement are investigating accusations that Hidalgos office steered a contract to a prospective vendor by providing early access ahead of other contractors. The contract with the firm, whose founder has ties to top Democrats, was later canceled.

Documents note that the code of ethics for the countys purchasing policy states, In the event an outside consultant or contractor submits a bid or proposal on a project, of which the consultant or contractor was a previous contributor, other than an open forum, then the bids or proposals from that consultant or contractor shall be disqualified on the basis of conflict of interest.

In the search warrant, Texas Rangers investigator Daron Parker detailed employee conversations with the vendor ahead of opening the bids and how it appeared to be a misuse of information and a violation of county ethics rules.

The employees later signed documents stating they followed county ethics guidelines.

All three made and presented false statements in a governmental record and committed tampering with governmental record, Parker wrote.

Hidalgo, a Democrat seeking a second term this fall, has accused the contracts critics of mounting a partisan smear campaign. She has insisted her office did nothing improper related to the contract and that the procurement committee selected the vendor that it determined would do the best job.

The misleading story line of todays release is the latest act of political theater from a politically motivated investigation, said Eric Gerard, one of Hidalgos lawyers.

Ultimately, this was about dedicated public servants trying to get the best team to fight COVID-19 in Harris County, he continued in a statement. Since she came into office, Judge Hidalgo has held herself and her staff to the highest ethical standards and is the only official to refuse donations from all county vendors.

Reached by phone, Dunn declined comment. Triantaphyllis and Nader could not be reached for comment late Friday.

The bidding process started in March 2021 and the contract was terminated months later. Nader and Triantaphyllis still work for the county judges office, while Dunn has since left.

One email from Nader and Triantaphyllis on Jan. 13 outlined the proposed campaign to Pereyra: Let us know your thoughts and proposed budget after youve had a chance to review. The email went on to say that county officials wanted a proposal on how to develop a data-driven outreach campaign to equitably distribute vaccines. Pereyra responded and made plans for a phone call.

Hidalgo joined the communications with Triantaphyllis and her chief of staff, Joe Madden, about the project.

What I dont know is  whether these folks will be in charge of the data or whether (Pereyra) can do the disparities data too, the judge wrote.

Investigators also reviewed Elevate Strategies business records and found a Jan. 14 email that stated Hidalgos office reached out to the company about managing a community outreach campaign to push us close to herd immunity.

Investigators filed more than 60 pages in three warrants stemming from last weeks search at the county administration building at 1001 Preston St. The seized electronics included several phones and computers.

Search warrants were recently executed by the Texas Rangers in coordination with the Harris County District Attorneys Office. Such warrants are permission from a judge to search out and seize possible evidence of a crime and those warrants have now been filed into the public record maintained by the district clerk, said Dane Schiller, spokesman for District Attorney Kim Oggs office. Out of fairness to all involved, we will not have any additional comment at this time.

According to the warrants, Pereyras company was picked to oversee the media campaign  even though the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houstons proposal received a higher score from a committee of five employees. Triantaphyllis, Nader and Dunn were on that committee. Two other vendors, Texas Tool Belt and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund (NALEO), also applied.

Although Elevate Strategies LLC received the second highest score, they were considered the best proposal due to their firm understanding of the requirements and the provision of a strong submission overall, according to a staff report.

The committee disqualified NALEO for lacking broader focus and the University of Texas for a history of unsuccessful projects  all while noting that the school had the data analysis desired for the project. The third vendor, Texas Tool Belt, was denied for lacking an emphasis on data analysis.

County commissioners voted in June to approve the contract, with only Republican Jack Cagle voting against it. He and others ihad criticized the contract, saying the $11 million deal was going to a firm that had only one employee, Pereyra, who had no experience in a health-related endeavor. The contract called for her to hire 50 canvassers.

The Houston-based firm has ties to Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia and other Democrats. Pereyra worked on Garcias 2015 mayoral campaign and Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential bid.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
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Berkshire Communities To Receive ARPA Funds for Wastewater Improvements

BOSTON  Adams and Great Barrington will receive American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to go towards wastewater treatment plant improvement projects.

State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (the Trust), announced that $66.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will be provided as grants to 52 projects in communities across the Commonwealth.

In Berkshire County:

Adams will receive $378,713 in ARPA loan forgiveness and $499,901 in disadvantaged community loan forgiveness towards wastewater treatment facility capital improvements.

Great Barrington will receive $300,300 in ARPA loan forgiveness and $132,132 in disadvantaged community loan forgiveness towards their wastewater pump station upgrades Project.

The grants are one portion of a $661.7 million subsidy providing water infrastructure projects. Most projects will take place in disadvantaged communities rendering over $535 million of project costs eligible for additional loan forgiveness.

"The grants we are receiving from the federal ARPA legislation support vital water infrastructure projects throughout the state," said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. "This investment furthers our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all Massachusetts residents by providing access to clean drinking water in even more communities this year."

In December 2021, the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts Legislature approved $100 million in ARPA funding to the Trust as grants for water infrastructure projects.

"The Baker-Polito Administration is pleased to partner with the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to ensure that the financial investments being made by the federal government and the Commonwealth result in cost-effective projects that improve water quality, public health and the environment in communities across Massachusetts," said Commissioner Martin Suuberg of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

The ARPA funds are expected to be spent quickly with funded projects moving towards construction in the spring or summer of 2022. The remaining ARPA funds will be spent similarly for projects targeting construction in 2023.

Chaired by Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg, the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust is a state agency that improves water quality throughout the Commonwealth by providing low-interest loans to municipalities and other eligible entities.

Communities receiving these grants experience a total reduction in project costs which frees up capital for other local needs. The loans pay for water projects such as upgrades to water treatment facilities, stormwater and nutrient mitigation, and sewer improvement projects. Since its establishment in 1989, the Trust has partnered with MassDEP to help develop and finance approximately $8.1 billion of water infrastructure projects serving an estimate 97 percent of the Commonwealth's population.
MCLA Computer Science Department Receives Skills Capital Grant

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has received a $100,000 Skills Capital Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education to support the update of the College's Hardware and Robotics Lab, operated by the MCLA Computer Science department.

These updates will provide opportunities for students to gain hands-on learning experience in network security, network administration, and software development.

MCLA's Computer Science program has a 95 percent job placement rate, with many students receiving offers of employment prior to the conferral of their degree. Students can earn a bachelor of science degree in computer science with concentrations in electrical engineering, software development, information technology, business information systems, and bioinformatics.

Skills Capital grants are awarded to education programs that leverage local partnerships and curricular opportunities to create employment opportunities in critical employment sectors across the state. The Computer Science department has created proactive partnerships with the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) and General Dynamics to ensure that MCLA's Computer Science curriculum reflects industry needs. The proposal to update the MCLA Hardware and Robotics Lab was developed through a partnership between MCLA, Berkshire Community College, and General Dynamics.

The Hardware Lab will replicate physical servers, allowing students the experience of working directly with software running on classroom-based hardware. These skills are directly applicable to students interested in advanced manufacturing jobs. The grant will also support the Robotics Lab's acquisition of electrical engineering equipment including programmable logic controllers, circuit breakers, and sensors that companies such as General Dynamics use regularly in manufacturing work.

Preparing students for the workforce is an essential piece of MCLA's curriculum, so these labs have been developed to align with the professional work students will do in internships and after graduation. Many computer science students use the materials in these campus labs to prepare for advanced internships at local and regional organizations. The labs are also open for students to complete on-campus internships using lab equipment. This option enables accessibility to job training for students unable to complete a traditional internship because of transportation limitation or other financial barriers.
Virtual Lecture: 'The Ritchie Boys'

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  On Monday, March 21 at 6:45 p.m., the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and Berkshire Hills Hadassah welcome Dr. Al Miller, who will speak about his experiences as a "Ritchie Boy" during World War II.

"The Ritchie Boys" were young German Jews whose families sent them out of Nazi Germany to safety in America, and who returned as soldiers to Europe. These young men served as members of an elite U.S. Army unit trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, and played a key role in the Allied victory.

Dr. Al Miller, now in his mid-90s, witnessed the rise of Nazism in Germany and attended the 1936 Olympic Games. He and his family settled in the United States in 1940. A few years later, Al became a sergeant in the Army and was shipped to Camp Ritchie for training.




iciHaiti - USA : 7 members of Congress ask Biden to withdraw support to PM Henry





7 Democratic members of Congress led by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Haitian-American who won a congressional seat in Florida last January, called in a letter this week on President Joe Biden to withdraw his support to Prime Minister Ariel Henry.



These congressmen claim that Prime Minister Ariel Henry lacks the legitimacy to organize the elections necessary to resolve the political crisis in Haiti "[...] We humbly request that your administration allow the people of Haiti to determine their own political destiny and withdraw support from the de facto government," one can read in the letter...



IH/ iciHaiti






















iciHaiti - Security : Positive results for the PNH





Thursday, Divisional Inspector Garry Desrosiers, Spokesperson for the National Police of Haiti (PNH) presented the General Directorate of the PNH a partial report for the period from February 1st to March 17, 2022.



"233 arrests were made for various reasons: illegal possession and illicit trafficking of firearms, illicit trafficking of marijuana, homicide, rape of a minor, kidnapping and forcible confinement... In addition, 8 vehicles, 28 firearms, 255 ammunition of various calibers and 5 kilograms of marijuana were seized



6 other alleged bandits were lynched by the population. Several other bandits were killed in exchanges of fire with law enforcement officers," the spokesperson said.



He also indicated that in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets several operations led to the arrest of 40 individual members of the "400 Mawozo" gang as well as the seizure of 3 firearms including 2 assault rifle M- 14 and T-65, a 9mm caliber gun and 3 vehicles.



Divisional Inspector Garry Desrosiers also pointed out that 14 bandits were injured during the exchange of fire with the police who unfortunately recorded 2 dead and 2 wounded in their ranks.



In addition, the institution's spokesperson confirmed the thwarted kidnapping attempt at Rue des Casernes, in downtown Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, March 16, thanks to the vigilance of the forces of the order which intervened at the time of the kidnapping. Taken to task by the armed bandits, they replied and three bandits were killed. Unfortunately, a white Toyota Land Cruiser police pick-up truck registered as 1-01189 was hijacked by the bandits.



IH/ iciHaiti


















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Its time for a new batch of pre-orders, and its got a lot of firsts for Diamond Select Toys and Gentle Giant Ltd.! Their first-ever items for Gargoyles and Jean-Claude Van Damme are here, as well as DSTs first Transformers statue in years! Plus, the first Mace Windu statue, Cad Bane Bust and Darth Maul Jumbo figure from Gentle Giant Ltd.! Its the best of all worlds, and its all coming this fall! Pre-order through your local comic shop or at diamondselecttoys.com and gentlegiantltd.com!A Diamond Select Toys release! Soaring out of your childhood Saturday mornings, the Gargoyles have landed at Diamond Select Toys, with a new line of 1/7 scale mini-busts! Measuring approximately 7.5 inches tall and 9.75 inches wide, this bust of team leader Goliath is based on his cartoon appearance, and is limited to only 3,000 pieces. It comes packaged in a full-color box with a numbered certificate of authenticity. Designed by Barry Bradfield, sculpted by Varner Studios!SRP: $120.00A Diamond Select Toys release! The Legend begins! Diamond Select Toys kicks off a new line of Jean-Claude Van Damme collectibles with this Gallery Diorama of the Muscles from Brussels in one of his iconic, superhumanly balanced poses! Demonstrating one of his famous high kicks in front of a gong, the young JCVD stands approximately 10.5 inches tall and is made of high quality PVC. It comes packaged in a full color window box. Designed by Eamon ODonoghue, sculpted by Rocco Tartamella!Diorama SRP: $49.99A Gentle Giant Ltd. release! The Trickster God has been de-aged in comics before, but not like this! Captured in the Young Marvel style by artist Skottie Young, this approximately 4-inch resin statue of the smooth-talking Asgardian, Loki, features comic-accurate paint applications and is limited to only 3,000 pieces. It comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a full-color box. Sculpted by Casen Barnard!Statue SRP: $49.99A Diamond Select Toys release! He cannot be stopped! The Immortal Hulk is now the newest Gallery Diorama from Diamond Select Toys! Depicting the horrifically powerful hero in full charge, based on his most recent comic book appearances, this approximately 11.5-inch PVC diorama comes packaged in a full-color window box. Designed by Caesar, sculpted by Alterton!Diorama SRP: $125.00A Diamond Select Toys release! Time to return to Planet Hulk! One of our most popular Marvel Select action figures makes its triumphant return in an all-new run! Based on the popular storyline set on the planet Sakaar, the Hulk wears his gladiator armor in this approximately 10-inch action figure. Featuring approximately 16 points of articulation, it includes a shield and axe, and comes packaged in the famous Select-style packaging, with side-panel artwork. Sculpted by Jean St. Jean!Action Figure SRP: $29.99A Diamond Select Toys release! What happens when mutants get deformed? You get a new assortment of D-Formz PVC figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The green team clock in at 3 inches tall, each with their signature weapons, and theyre joined by their sensei Splinter and their mortal enemy Shredder! There are two of every character in the assortment, with two different versions of Shredder! Each figure comes packaged in a full-color blind box, in 12-box counter display. Designed by Barry Bradfield, sculpted by Juan Pitluk!Counter Display SRP: $8.99/ea.A Diamond Select Toys release! Behold, Galvatron! Megatrons upgraded form gets an upgrade, in this all-new resin statue based on the 1980s classic Transformers: The Movie! The laser-wielding villain stands approximately 16 inches tall atop a Cybertronian-landscape base, and is limited to only 1000 pieces. It comes packaged in a full-color box with a numbered certificate of authenticity. Designed by Mark Wong, sculpted by Casen Barnard!Statue SRP: $300.00A Diamond Select Toys release! Youve got the touch! The Transformers Minimates line continues, with a new, third set of 2-inch poseable figures! Autobots Jazz and Arcee face off against Decepticons Galvatron and Coronation Starscream, each with 12-14 points of articulation, and each featuring fully interchangeable parts! All four come packaged on a full-color blister card. Designed by Barry Bradfield!4-Pack $29.99A Gentle Giant Ltd. release! Let the hate flow through you! Emperor Palpatine unleashes the Dark Side of the Force in this all-new Milestones statue! Standing approximately 12 inches tall atop a throne room base, this 1/6 Scale Statue features interchangeable hands, with and without force lightning. Limited to only 2000 pieces, it comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a full-color box.Statue SRP: $300.00A Gentle Giant Ltd. release! The cowboy of the Star Wars Universe is ready for his close-up! This 1/6 scale resin mini-bust takes a realistic take on the Clone Wars character, showing him wielding both of his pistols as he peers out from under the wide brim of his hat. This 6-inch bust comes packaged in a full-color box, and is limited to an edition of 3000. It comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity. And dont miss the Premier-Guild exclusive Cad Bane with Todo 360 droid mini-statue!Bust SRP: $120.00A Gentle Giant Ltd. release! The only Jedi with a purple lightsaber, Mace Windu, is now the newest 1/7 scale statue in the Premier Collection! Standing approximately 11 inches tall, this sculpture captures the Jedi during the battle of Geonosis, following his short duel with Jango Fett, with the latters helmet resting on the ground. Limited to only 3000 pieces, it comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a full-color box.Statue SRP; $175.00A Gentle Giant Ltd. release! At last, he will have his revenge! Evil Sith warrior Darth Maul returns, top and bottom, as the latest 12 Jumbo figure in the Star Wars line! Sculpted in a vintage style with five points of articulation, this 1/6 scale figure includes a double-bladed lightsaber and a removable cape, and comes packaged on a full-color blister card  resealable so you can play and then display!Figure SRP: $80.00
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1. 'You Made Them Desi', Say Fans as Priyanka Chopra Celebrates Holi With Nick Jonas At LA Home

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Priyanka and Nick Jonas hosted a Holi bash at their home in Los Angeles and the pictures give off major desi vibes. Netizens are in awe of the pictures and are hailing the Desi Girl for keeping the culture alive in a foreign country.



2. Katrina's First Holi With Vicky To Kareena In Maldives, Here's How Bollywood Celebrated Holi

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Bollywood celebrities also celebrated Holi with a lot of enthusiasm. While some jetted off to a vacay destination, others were seen enjoying the festival with their family. Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal chose to celebrate Holi in presence of their family. Both actors shared pictures from the celebrations on Instagram.



3. 'Holland And I Have A Date With Destiny,' Jared Leto On Possibility Of Morbius Fighting Spider-Man

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While it is still unclear how Morbius will connect to the MCU, Jared Leto seems pretty interested and confident about the idea of a cross-over. In conversation with Screenrant, he said how he and Tom Holland have a 'date with destiny' and how he would like Morbius to fight Spider-Man head on. He said, "Well, I think Tom Holland and I have a date with destiny. By the way, just a phenomenal actor, and what a great Spider-Man. I really think he's just a terrific talent. But it would be great to get in the ring with him and go head to head."

4. 'Woh Waqt Ab Kahaan', Say Fans As Neetu Kapoor Shares Throwback Video Of Raj Kapoor's Holi Party

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Neetu Kapoor had an emotional treat for all fans this Holi. She shared a throwback video from a Holi party organised by Raj Kapoor. Neetu's husband, late actor Rishi Kapoor could also be seen in the video along with a young Ranbir Kapoor. Sharing the video, Neetu wrote, "When we were complete when there was love warmth. Happy Holi."

5. 'You'd Ask Him To Wear Cufflinks', Mira Slams Tweet Criticising Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's Outfit

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Shahid Kapoor's wife, Mira Rajput took to Instagram to criticise Peter's tweet on Ukrainian President's outfit. She shared a screenshot of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy along with Peter's tweet and wrote, "You'd ask him to wear cufflinks if you could... Seriously!" Mira wrote. She added, "Are we getting so influenced by 'looks' and looking the part, that we forget reality? Expecting a Head of State to have his suit steamed in the middle of a crisis?"




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Adolf Hitler (c) and the Nazi High Command walking near the Eiffel Tower in Paris only days after German forces routed the French in May of 1940
The collaboration of three life-saving Limerick organisations could help sway the battle against the citys suicide rates  the highest in Ireland  one of the groups' founders has said.

The comments follow a meeting of Haven Hub, Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention (LTSP), and Limerick Land Search and Rescue with the local council as the three groups agree to look for a joint base.

Leona O'Callaghan, founder of Haven Hub, said Tuesdays meeting with Limerick City and County Council could be a turning point.

If this is successful, it will almost certainly save lives. It could turn us from the point where we are leading in suicide numbers, to leading the way when it comes to suicide prevention, Ms OCallaghan said.

Four walls

She said that for the groups to be able to actually deliver their services, which range from suicide prevention right up to search and rescue, they need to have the four walls. According to Ms OCallaghan, the fact they are willing to work together makes that possibility much more likely.

The council were delighted that we were willing to come together. They wouldn't be able to facilitate different buildings for each one of us.

The Haven Hub founder said one thing the three groups agree on is that the suicide rate at the moment is still significantly higher than any of them would like it to be.

The latest available figures released by the CSO show that in 2019, Limerick had the highest suicide rate in the country per 100,000 people.

Matt Collins, chair of LTSP, said the meeting was positive, in that it got the three groups to sit down at one table.

However, following this council meeting and two trips to the Dail, Mr Collins admitted he was frustrated with the lack of action.

This is a chance to actually keep people alive, they need to see the importance of that. While we are busy talking, people are dying, he said.

We cant keep banging the drum because we are losing good people. Families are losing their children, children are losing mothers and fathers, were losing friends. This cant keep going on, Mr Collins added.

Mr Collins said one TD, who is from the Mid-West, asked him whether people are actually jumping the barriers..

I said to them, lord have mercy on me. If you are up there for that long, and you still dont know that this is happening, what hope do we have?

Calvin Prendergast, who chairs Limerick Land Search and Rescue, stressed their need for a new base.

We have been operating since 2013, and have only ever had one storage space, a small room. But the room wasnt suitable. It was damp, and as a result, life-saving equipment was damaged and had to be thrown out, Mr Prendergast explained.

With a new base, it would be a place our volunteers can go during search and rescue operations. At the minute, we are working out of our jeep. It will mean we would be able to expand our operations tenfold, he added.
The State is attempting to block-book entire hotels for up to a year as it scrambles to find accommodation for people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As the war widens and the numbers seeking shelter on arrival here increase, talks are at an advanced stage about the long-term booking of a 100-bedroom hotel in Cork City specifically as an accommodation centre.

It is understood that a similar approach is being considered in other cities where suitable hotels are available.

However, with more than 5,000 PPS numbers already issued to Ukrainian refugees since the start of the war and with numbers arriving here increasing  up to 450 per day in recent days  there are concerns about the States ability to house all arrivals in the short term.

In Cork alone, an estimated 1,700 Ukrainian refugees are staying in hotels and guesthouses but sources say authorities are frantically planning for up to 10,000 in the coming weeks.

About 240, mostly women and children, have landed at Cork Airport on flights from Poland in the last two weeks. Extra immigration officers have been deployed there, alongside interpreters and Irish Red Cross volunteers who distribute food, personal hygiene items, and goodie bags for children.

About a third have sought asylum, necessitating processing in Dublin, with arrangements in place for taxi and bus transports.

Wojciech Bialek, the CEO of Together Razem, a Polish community organisation in Cork, is one of the community leaders helping to facilitate safe arrival of refugees from Ukraine. Picture: Jim Coughlan

There have been some delays due to issues with securing accommodation in hotels in Cork City, Clare, and Kerry.

In the early stages, around 10 to 20 Ukrainians were on each flight, most with contacts in Ireland who were able to provide them with accommodation.

The numbers are now at between 30 and 40 per flight, including the first to arrive here with injuries.

Those arriving now have little or no English and need accommodation. The citys Covid Community Response teams, set up during the pandemic, have been reactivated and repurposed to support refugees.

One of the three support centres announced by Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys on Thursday has opened in Corks social welfare offices on Hanover St to help Ukrainian refugees obtain PPS numbers, social welfare support, and give them access to other State services.

Representatives of the Citizens Information service and community welfare officers are on site to provide advice and support. Interpretation services are available at the centres.

Wojciech Bialek, CEO of Together-Razem, a charity which helps integrate Polish and Eastern European migrants here and which has played a key role in supporting Ukrainian refugees, said the Church could play a role in providing accommodation.

With the bombing spreading to western Ukraine now, I believe we will see even more people fleeing now, he said.

"I know Minister Simon Coveney is visiting Poland so I would encourage him to look at how they are coping and to find that international best practice and implement it here.

I think the charity sector and housing associations could help too. The Church, with its many property assets, could also help.

We all have the same interests  we dont want the Government to be under too much pressure, we just want to help them, and help Ukraine.

Its about putting all hands on deck to help each other deal with this situation.

Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden and Chinas Xi Jinping spoke for nearly two hours yesterday as the White House sought to deter Beijing from providing military or economic assistance for Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Biden warned Mr Xi there would be consequences if China gave material support to Russia. Chinas foreign ministry said Mr Xi told Mr Biden the war in Ukraine must end as soon as possible and called on Nato nations to hold dialogue with Moscow.

The Ukraine crisis is something we dont want to see, Chinese state media quoted Mr Xi as saying.
Janet Quin has been involved in her Bed & Breakfast business in Innishannon, Co Cork since she was 10. Like many traditional operators across the island, she learned the trade from her parents who opened their home to foreign travellers giving them an authentic cead mile failte.

Now aged 60, Janet is one of just 700 registered B&B owners in Ireland  a figure that has been rapidly decreasing since the late 1990s when there were 4,000 registered B&Bs operating in Ireland.

I think the B&B market is disappearing very quickly, said Mrs Quin.

In the 1990s, roughly 17% of all tourist nights were spent in B&Bs or guesthouses (a larger accommodation type with more facilities). The figure for hotels was just 12%.

The indigenous B&B industry was largely built, and is still run, by women  and it has been the backbone to the countrys tourism industry for half a century.

Some operators wanted independent income from their husbands and others wanted to re-enter the workforce after their children were raised.

'I think the B&B market is disappearing very quickly,' says Janet Quin who runs Grey Gables Farmhouse B&B near Innishannon, Co Cork. The number of registered B&Bs fell from about 4,000 in the 1990s to 700 today. Picture: Dan Linehan

Bridie Fitzgerald wanted to bring something to the kitchen table separately from her husband. The couple opened their home to guests in the late 1960s, around the time a movie crew arrived in Kerry to shoot Ryans Daughter.

Bridie hosted those working on the movie in her home and soon realised she had a knack for hospitality and officially opened her own B&B in the 1980s.

It gave her independence and it gave her an income independently from my dad which is fierce important to her, said Bridies son Breandan who helps his mother run the business today.

In West Cork, Catherine OSullivan also discovered decades ago that her talent is in the hospitality business and she opened her B&B in Rosscarbery in 1993 with her husband while they run a small farm as well. Prior to this, she worked in housekeeping for Cork University Hospital.

In Dublin, Anna Walsh decided to open her B&B with her husband Mike 27 years ago as she wanted to return to work after leaving her job to raise a family.

I worked in the civil service years ago and, like every woman, we had to give up our jobs and all the rest of it. It was even hinted that one job in any household was enough back then, said Anna.

These are just some of the women who grew an industry that was once at the heart of Irish tourism. Now they face several challenges to keep their businesses going. Covid-19, was just the latest blow.

Like every facet of the global tourism industry, the pandemic had a severe impact on the B&B industry with restrictions on travel resulting in a collapse in visitors.

It was so sad. Youd get up every morning and youd look at the book and instead of bookings coming in, you were tearing out bookings, said Janet Quin. In the first year of the pandemic, her B&B had just over two weeks of business due to lockdown restrictions. Other B&B operators felt the same pressure.

Catherine OSullivan took the opportunity to take a step back and work on her home to make sure it was ready to welcome visitors post-pandemic. Catherine O'Sullivan has been running her B&B, An Rosalithir, in Rosscarbery, West Cork, since 1993 while also raising her children. Picture: Dan Linehan We had never taken time out because it was either very busy in the summertime or busy in the wintertime with our children. But when the pandemic came it was like putting the brakes on. She got some construction done on her home which she said had been put off long enough. But, due to Covid-19 measures, the construction industry faced several work stoppages. This left people like Catherine in the lurch as, when restrictions were lifted for B&Bs last year, parts of her home were still under construction and she could not host as many guests as she could have otherwise.

Even in Dublin, in a B&B close to the airport and the city, Anna Walsh said she had lost almost all business over the past two years.

Although Anna has a lot of bookings lined up for the upcoming year, she is not taking in as many guests as she could as she is still cautious about the spread of Covid-19.

When she could open during the pandemic, she decided to take in only 50% of capacity. Yet she didnt even get this amount of guests.

She also argued that urban areas like Dublin were hit even worse than B&Bs in the country during the pandemic as they didnt benefit from staycations. But she added that B&Bs in the city did usually have better business in general pre-pandemic in comparison to most rural spots around Ireland.

'I presume Ill keep going. I cant see that I wouldnt,' said Janet Quinn at her Grey Gables Farmhouse B&B at Bawngoula, Innishannon, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

Yet, Janet said that traditional B&Bs, where a guest stays in a family home where the host is present, did not get a windfall from staycationers:

For me, as a B&B, I do not think that the Irish want to stay in a B&B. If they do stay in the country I think they will probably go to hotels or rent houses with Airbnb.

The B&B operators said they were able to get some money during Covid-19 from repeat business with guests they had previously built up relationships with.

The repeat business kept us going in the recession of 2008 and now, said Catherine.

Long-term challenges facing the sector Problems in the traditional B&Bs sector have been around long before Covid-19 and did not creep up on the market all of a sudden. Shortly before the financial crash, it was estimated that some 1,700 ceased trading as registered operations. By 2006, there were approximately 2,850 B&Bs in Ireland, a drop of 30% on figures from the 1990s, according to a study commissioned by Failte Ireland. This decrease is down to a few things. Firstly, B&B tariffs rose by roughly 20% between 2001 and 2004 while their main competitors at the time, three star hotels, dropped their price by 7% according to the Failte Ireland study conducted by audit firm BDO. Fast forward to a few years before the pandemic and the difficulties in the B&B sector were becoming more pronounced. Overseas visitors accounted for most of the demand for B&B accommodation with an estimated 4m bednights in 2013. While this reflected a small recovery in demand, the volume was still one third less than it was in 2006. Then, from 2008 to 2014, Failte Ireland-approved B&B premises declined by almost half as 1,200 premises and 5,000 rooms exited the regulated market over the period. B&B Ireland CEO Helena Healy, Mary Spillane, owner, Greenacres B&B, Paul Kelly, CEO, Failte Ireland, and Maurice Pratt, B&B Ireland chairman celebrating B&B Ireland's 50 years of welcoming guests to Ireland. Picture: Shane O'Neill/Coalesce The contraction of approved supply during this time is significantly larger than declines in other sectors such as hostels, self-catering, and camping and caravan parks. The aging profile of many of the operators is especially problematic in recent times. Anecdotally, Janet said most of the B&B owners she knows are in their 50s and 60s, leading to a shorter operational lifespan compared to hotels. Traditional B&Bs are usually part of a family home so when the owner decides to stop operating, the business isnt sold, it simply stops trading. B&B owners I know, there are very few under 60, said Anna. So they were in the high-risk category so they are were not going to open. And if they did open, they were going to be very careful. Which is what I did. In addition to the growing age profile of operators, traditional B&B owners have also had to battle the rise in popularity of Airbnb. Janet said the company has become a thorn in the flesh for her and her business. In 2013, Airbnb chose Ireland as its base for its European headquarters and it quickly became a leading choice for holidaymakers in Ireland and abroad, putting even more strain on Irelands B&Bs. Catherine says: B&Bs are not to be confused with Airbnbs, which are mostly self-catering. B&Bs are a totally different entity and Im afraid that our identity will get lost. Where else can you come into a family home and be treated like youre coming for a visit? CEO of B&B Ireland Helena Healy does not see Airbnb as a threat to the traditional B&B market though and said there is room for everyone. Airbnb has been there for many many years and hasnt destroyed the traditional B&B product. There is room for the quirky Airbnb product and there is room for the traditional B&B product. I dont see for one minute that its going to wipe them out, she said. However, because of the link to Failte Ireland, traditional B&Bs were even further restricted during the pandemic, unlike some Airbnbs. Although foreign travel is back on the books, one good year will not be enough to revive the traditional B&B business in Ireland. The overall sentiment is 2022 is going to be the start of the recovery, said Ms Healy. "Theres no doubt about that." Irish tourism recovery, from an international perspective will take more than one year. Its going to take two to three years. She said that 800 B&Bs are registered with B&B Ireland, but the organisations website has a lower figure of 700 on it. In addition, she said that over the course of the pandemic, between 100 and 150 B&Bs stopped trading under B&B Ireland. Its unclear if the operators permanently stopped trading or if they decided to cut ties with B&B Ireland. Unapproved B&Bs are openly trading through Booking.com and Airbnb, a pre-pandemic report by B&B Ireland stated. For an unapproved B&B, the advent of the big web booking merchants is a godsend as it provides a route to market where it can compete openly with the approved B&Bs, with no membership fee and payment by commission on results, it continued. The capital cost to meet minimum requirements coupled with the annual renewal fee were outweighing the benefits of Failte Ireland approval for traditional B&Bs. In addition, there are no effective barriers to enter the trade as there would not appear to be any restrictions or penalties for trading as a B&B outside of the Failte Ireland approved scheme. However, being a Failte Ireland-approved B&B gives an extra layer of security for both operator and visitor. They receive symbols from the Irish Tourism Standards Board or from B&B Irelands Quality Framework which is based on international best practice, and designed to meet the criteria of Failte Irelands approval scheme. Although a lack of regulation in the B&B market is a big issue for operators, they have said B&B Ireland have been supportive post- and pre-pandemic.

Despite the challenges the B&B operators face, they are optimistic about the year ahead and look forward to once more welcoming people into their homes.

I presume Ill keep going. I cant see that I wouldnt, said Janet Quin.

B&B Ireland celebrated over 50 years in business recently and, to mark the occasion, they conducted a survey of Irish B&B operators to get their views on the upcoming year.

The survey showed 74% of hosts said they are anticipating more bookings this year, while 77% of hosts are feeling either confident or very confident about business for the year ahead. One third of B&B owners are also opting to extend their season and open for longer as a result.

The B&B industry, as far as I can see, is a very important part of Ireland, said Catherine OSullivan.

I love that buzz of chatting to people and making them breakfast and making sure theyre comfortable. I just love doing it, she added.
Ukraines interior minister has said it will take years to defuse the unexploded ordnance once the Russian invasion is over.

Denys Monastyrsky told the Associated Press the country will need Western assistance to carry out the massive undertaking after the war.

A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at Ukraine, and a large part havent exploded. They remain under the rubble and pose a real threat, Mr Monastyrsky said in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. It will take years, not months, to defuse them.

In addition to the unexploded Russian ordnance, Ukrainian troops have planted land mines at bridges, airports and other key locations to prevent the Russians from using them.

A woman looks at residential buildings damaged by a bomb in Kyiv (Rodrigo Abd/AP)

We wont be able to remove the mines from all that territory, so I asked our international partners and colleagues from the European Union and the United States to prepare groups of experts to de-mine the areas of combat and facilities that came under shelling, Mr Monastyrsky said.

He noted that his ministrys de-mining equipment was left in Mariupol, a besieged port city of 430,000 people that has been subjected to relentless shelling for much of the war.

We lost 200 pieces of equipment there, Mr Monastyrsky said.

One of the biggest challenges the Interior Ministry faces is fighting the fires caused by the relentless Russian shelling and airstrikes, he added. The countrys emergency service, which the ministry oversees, is facing desperate shortages of personnel and equipment, he said.

A firefighter was killed on Thursday during the Russian shelling of Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, while working to extinguish a blaze at a market that was caused by a previous attack.

Mr Monastyrsky added that the emergency services facilities in Kharkiv and Mariupol were completely destroyed in the Russian barrage.

Rescuers work at the site of the National Academy of State Administration building damaged by shelling in Kharkiv (Andrew Marienko/AP)

He stressed that Ukrainian emergency responders urgently need more specialised vehicles and protective equipment.

The coming days will exacerbate a humanitarian catastrophe in critical areas, he said. I must say that casualties among civilians exceed our military losses by several times.

The ministry has been busy trying to counter groups of Russian saboteurs that inundated the country to target bridges, gas pipelines and other infrastructure facilities, Mr Monastyrsky said, adding that dozens of such groups have operated in Ukraine.

We realise that sabotage is a key tool in the war, he said, adding that Ukrainian forces have managed to spot Russian saboteurs by tracking their Russian mobile phones. We reacted immediately  by searching locations where these phones were detected and acted against those groups.

Denys Monastyrsky said he has asked for Western help (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

In occupied areas, Russian forces tried to scare Ukrainian police who remained there by visiting their homes and sometimes even planting explosives at their doors, Mr Monastyrsky said.

They are trying to pressure people in the occupied territories, he said.

Massive protests that broke out in Berdyansk, Melitopol, Kherson and other occupied Ukrainian cities came as a surprise to the Russians, who expected to be welcomed by local native-Russian speakers, Mr Monastyrsky said.

They have faced civilians who speak Russian but stand for Ukraine, he said. They realise now that they made a major mistake.
Burma Myanmar Junta Approves Sale of Telenor Subsidiary to Lebanon's M1

A Telenor outlet in Yangon. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars junta has approved the sale of Norwegian telecoms giant Telenors Myanmar subsidiary to Lebanese conglomerate M1 Group, both companies said on Friday, in a move activist groups warn could put sensitive customer data in the hands of the military.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in chaos since a coup last year sparked huge protests and a bloody military crackdown on dissent, sending the economy into freefall.

In July, Telenor announced that it planned to divest its lucrative subsidiary Telenor Myanmar, whose value it had written down to zero, and later cited junta demands that it install monitoring equipment on the network as a reason for leaving the country.

We could not endure the situation in Myanmar any longer as local laws conflicted with international laws in addition to our own values, Telenor CEO Sigve Brekke told AFP.

The day the military took over, the battle for customer security was lost. The reality is that the military is responsible for issues we have been experiencing, concerning customer data and human rights, Brekke added.

After months of waiting, on Friday Telenor and M1  which is helmed by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati  both said the sale had been approved by the Myanmar junta.

M1 Group has been informed that the Myanmar Investment Commission has approved Telenor Groups application for the sale of Telenor Myanmar to Investcom PTE Ltd, an M1 Group affiliate, M1 said in a statement.

A separate statement from Telenor said the sale had been given final regulatory approval.

In order to satisfy a junta demand, M1 will partner with local consortium Shwe Byain Phyu that will eventually control 80 percent of the entity, Telenor said.

Founded in 1996, Shwe Byain Phyu started out distributing petroleum products for the then-military government, and employs more than 2,000 people in Myanmar.

It has interests in petroleum trading, manufacturing, commodities trading and marine products, according to its website, which lists no previous telecoms experience.

Commercially active in Myanmar since 2014, Telenor has 18 million subscribers there through its subsidiary.

Sanctions screening from external consultants has assured Telenor that Shwe Byain Phyu and its owners are not subject to any current international sanctions, the Norwegian firm said in its statement.

Mitigate harm

Last year, 474 civil society groups in Myanmar called Telenors decision to pull out irresponsible, saying it had not sufficiently considered the impact on human rights.

The divestment risks putting the data of millions of customers in the hands of the ruling military junta, according to a complaint filed last month in Norway.

In September, Telenor itself said the military junta was demanding the installation of telecommunications spying equipment, a demand the group at the time said it had refused.

A key reason for selling Telenor Myanmar is that we do not want to activate intercept equipment, which all operators are required to, Brekke reiterated on Friday.

Activation of such equipment is subject to Norwegian and EU sanctions. As of today, Telenor has not activated intercept equipment, he added.

How this will be in the future, we dont know.

Activist groups say any new owner could comply with future requests from the junta to provide cellphone data of dissidents protesting against the putsch that ousted Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government last year.

M1 would only hand customer data over to authorities in junta-run Myanmar if the request is made in the correct judicial and legal manner, its CEO Azmi Mikati told AFP in an interview Friday.

There are still many things Telenor can do to mitigate harm, said Joseph Wilde-Ramsing, senior researcher at SOMO, a Netherlands-based non-profit that conducts research and advocacy on corporations.

If they wont take any steps to minimize the data transfer, they can still do things like set up a fund to help victims, remediate some of the harms they are going to be contributing to with the sale.

More than 1,600 people have been killed by security forces and over 11,000 arrested since the coup, according to a local monitoring group.

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A fuel-air bomb unearthed by the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force / Supplied

Food security scheme a cruel joke for Myanmar people

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said his regime will provide Myanmar people with food security during its emergency rule, during a meeting of the National Planning Commission on Tuesday.

Since seizing power in a coup last year, Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly talked about household food security. But now, many people are even struggling to get one meal per day because of a surge in the cost of living, including soaring food prices, amid high unemployment and reduced incomes resulting from the post-coup economic downturn. Meanwhile, rising fuel prices, daily blackouts and water shortages are taking a heavy toll on Myanmar people, while cities are reporting high crime rates.

At the same time, people in some parts of the country continue to be subject to junta atrocities as the regime continues to conduct air and artillery strikes on villages, torch houses and steal possessions, and kill and rape civilians.

According to a United Nations Development Program report on Myanmar released in October last year, the Peoples Pulse Survey, more than 25 million peoplenearly half the countrys populationare in danger of falling into poverty in the early months of 2022 due to the combined impact of the coup and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite his lip service, Min Aung Hlaing is doing nothing to prevent Myanmar people from going hungry. Rather, he has been busy arresting and killing democracy activists, and seeking divine merit by consecrating pagodas and offering meals to monks in the hope of maintaining his grip on power.

UN rights chief cites deliberate targeting of civilians

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday called on the international community to take immediate measures to stop the Myanmar militarys widespread human rights violations and abuses.

The military has engaged in systematic and widespread human rights violations and abusessome of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the commissioner said in a new report.

Bachelet released the report for the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council, at which she said Myanmars military and security forces have shown a flagrant disregard for human life, bombarding populated areas with airstrikes and heavy weapons.

They have deliberately targeted civilians, many of whom have been shot in the head, burned to death, arbitrarily arrested, tortured, or used as human shields, she said in a statement on the report.

Security forces and their affiliates have killed at least 1,600 people, and more than 12,500 people have been detained since the coup.

At least 440,000 others have been displaced and 14 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance, the delivery of which has largely been blocked by the military in new and pre-existing areas of need.

Following the UNDPs report, Myanmars parallel National Unity Government urged the international community to take action against the regime, which has not yet officially responded to the UNDP statement.

No end in sight to regimes brutality

The Myanmar juntas growing brutality against its own people became even clearer this week when it dropped high-explosive aerial bombs in conflict-torn Kayah State. An unexploded bomb unearthed by local resistance group the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force in Demoso on March 15 turned out to be a highly destructive fuel-air bomb (FAB), according to some striking air force officers.

An FAB is defined as an explosive strong enough to destroy any and all personnel, vehicles and unhardened structures in its large blast radius, via a massive and long-duration blast wave caused by a thermobaric reaction.

Kayah State is one the strongest anti-regime resistance areas in Myanmar. Local fighters there have inflicted serious casualties on regime forces since late last year. In response, the junta has conducted a series of indiscriminate airstrikes in the state, causing thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

ASEAN special envoy cancels meeting with EAOs

The planned meeting between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)s special envoy to Myanmar and the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), a group of 10 ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, has been canceled.

The secretary of the military regimes National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee, Lieutenant General Min Naung, informed the PPST on Monday about the cancellation of the meeting, citing the envoys tight schedule.

ASEANs special envoy to Myanmar, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar on Sunday and meet junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and political parties during his four-day visit.

The PPST has proposed a meeting with the special envoy either in Thailand or Cambodia to discuss the protection and provision of relief aid to civilians displaced by the fighting in Myanmar.

On March 10, PPST leaders had a meeting with Yohei Sasakawa, Japans special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. At the meeting, the Japanese government announced a plan to provide 50,000 sacks of rice to displaced people in Myanmar. Sasakawas intervention followed the regimes failure to convince EAOs to join its peace talks.
Well-known American civil rights lawyer Ben Crump has announced that a suit has been filed against Google on Friday on behalf of a number of former and current black employees at Google, claiming a pattern and practice of racial discrimination.

Crump said in a statement, posted on his Twitter account, that the suit had been filed by his company, Ben Crump Law, along with Stowell & Friedman, and one of the employees was April Curley, a woman who was a diversity recruiter at Google before she was sacked in September 2020.

Google has not issued any public statement about the lawsuit. iTWire has contacted Google's press office for comment.

The suit claims Curley was hired for an entry-level position though she held a master's degree and had five years of experience. It said she alleged that her recruitment was actually a public relations move and she experienced discrimination and hostility because of her colour.

MEDIA ALERT: @AttorneyCrump & Stowell & Friedman are filing a lawsuit on behalf of April Curley & other former & current Black employees at Google. A news conference will be held Monday (3/21) at 11 AM PT, where Google employees will share their stories of racial discrimination. pic.twitter.com/NGpR2bOAU7  Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) March 18, 2022

"April Curley was an exceptional employee at Google. She was hired to a position well below her qualifications and was consistently wrongfully passed over for promotions," Crump said in the statement.

"While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their black employees, leading to high turnover.

"We will not stop until we get justice for Curley and other black employees at Google, and until we see real change in this company's culture."

The complaint alleges that Curley's termination was illegal and came after she had informed managers she was compiling a report on Google's alleged discriminatory practices.

The case comes at a time when California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing is investigating similar practices at Google, while the California Assembly is conducting a separate probe into the alleged discrimination against black women at Google.

The statement said though Google took in more than US$150 billion each year, black employees were allegedly placed in lower-level roles which paid less and offered little chance of advancement.

The complaint cited the allegations made below:
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

Today

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 81F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 51F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
A specialized nephrology hospital in Sri Lanka, built with the assistance of the Chinese government, has successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery from a living donor recently, the first of its kind since the operation of the hospital.

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital said the recipient of the transplant is a 28-year-old woman who had been suffering from kidney disease for 10 years and the kidney donator is her mother.

A medical worker attends to the recipient of a kidney transplant in an ICU of the China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, March 17, 2022. The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital, a specialized nephrology hospital in Sri Lanka built with the assistance of the Chinese government, has successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery from a living donor recently, the first of its kind since the operation of the hospital. (Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua)

The mother and daughter are in stable condition after the surgery, and both the medical staff and patient are very satisfied with the results of the operation, according to the hospital.

Buddima Jayawickrama, a well-known transplant surgeon in Sri Lanka, who was in charge of the surgery, attributed the success of the operation to adequate preparation and close collaboration among all parties, as well as to the advanced and complete medical facilities of the hospital, especially giving credit to the technical team of the Chinese company that built the hospital for providing the hardware guarantee for the operation.

The success of this transplant surgery is a good start, which makes the hospital more confident to become an important platform for kidney transplant in Sri Lanka and South Asia, said Sampath Indika Kumara, director of the hospital.

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital, located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and officially opened in June 2021, has an area of 25,000 square meters, featuring 200 general inpatient beds, 100 hemodialysis beds. [ Xinhua]
Weather Alert

The National Weather Service in Springfield has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Cherokee County in southeastern Kansas... Barton County in southwestern Missouri... Jasper County in southwestern Missouri... Newton County in southwestern Missouri... * Until 345 AM CDT Thursday. * At 939 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Up to 3 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Joplin, Carthage, Neosho, Lamar, Baxter Springs, Columbus, Webb City and Carl Junction. This includes the following low water crossings... Center Creek at Azalea Drive, North Indian Creek at Orchid Drive, East Fork Dry Wood Creek at NW 110th Lane, Dry Fork at Pine Road and Fidelity Branch at County Road 130. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Many flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. && FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
RTHK: Ukraine in focus at Japan-India talks

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has told his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that Russia's attack on Ukraine had shaken the "foundation of international order" and required a clear response, he said on Saturday.

India and Japan are party to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a security framework that also includes the United States and Australia, but India is the only Quad member not to have condemned the invasion.

Japan has imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian individuals and organisations since the start of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine and has accepted Ukrainian refugees.

"We (Kishida and Modi) confirmed any unilateral change to the status quo by force cannot be forgiven in any region, and it is necessary to seek peaceful resolutions of disputes based on international law," Kishida told reporters after meeting Modi in New Delhi.

Kishida also announced plans to invest US$42 billion) in India over five years. India signed agreements with units of Japan's Suzuki Motor for an investment of around $1.4 billion to produce electric vehicles and batteries in Modi's home state Gujarat  also involving a vehicle scrappage scheme  but it was not clear if this was part of the 5 trillion yen total.

The leaders expressed their seriousness about the conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis there. Modi refrained from commenting directly on Ukraine but noted that geopolitical incidents were "presenting new challenges".

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India's foreign secretary, told reporters that the two leaders had "assessed broader implications particularly for the Indo Pacific region. They underscored the importance of safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine." (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-03-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Israeli media, cited by Al-Mayadeen news network, are reporting that an Iranian hacker group has published films in English, Arabic and Persian on various subjects they have collected on the head of the Mossad and his family.

The revelation came shortly after Israeli newspaper Haaretz also reported that the cellphone of the wife of Mossad chief David Barnea was hacked and the contents distributed on an anonymous Telegram channel.

According to Al-Mayadeen, various Israeli media have reported a serious suspicion pertaining to the hacking of the personal computer of the head of the Mossad, accusing  meaning Israeli media  Iran of being behind the hacking operation.

The military analyst for Israels Channel 12 was quoted as saying that These are unprecedented photos, containing personal information and films about the head of the Mossad, as being claimed by the hacker group, which has recently revealed the information.

The analyst was referring to a short film that was published online. In the film, personal photos of Barneas family album were revealed, including travel tickets to Copenhagen belonging to Barnea and his family during the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014. There is also short footage of Barnea sitting in front of his personal computer in what appears to be his house.

The information revealed about the head of the Mossad by the hacker group was so personal to the extent that it contained a warning letter from the Israeli tax authorities addressed to Barneas wife.

Haaretz, however, referred to the hacking of Barneas wifes cellphone, claiming that the contents, including photos and documents, were published by hackers who targeted an old cellphone of hers.

Haaretz also claimed that As far as is known, Barneas phone and personal devices, which are encrypted and secured, were not hacked.

Israel estimates that this hack was revenge for an aerial attack in Iran last month, which caused heavy damage to the countrys drone network. Hundreds of drones were destroyed in the strike, according to several estimates, Haaretz reported.

The hacking which targeted Barnea and his family seems to be linked to a massive cyberattack that almost entirely disabled the Israeli governments online presence.

Analysts say that Iran and Israel are already in a state of war in terms of espionage and mutual cyberattacks.

(The Palestine Chronicle)
The Public deserves better than the nasty name-calling in the Mooney-McKinley Congressional battle
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called again for talks with Moscow on Saturday, saying they were the only chance for Russia to minimise the damage done with their own mistakes after invading.

The two sides are currently holding negotiations remotely but so far, like previous rounds, they have yielded little progress. None have been at the presidential level.

This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine, Zelensky said in a video posted to Facebook.

Otherwise, Russias losses will be such, that several generations will not recover.

Zelensky also said that Ukrainian authorities had been able to rescue more than 9,000 people from the port city of Mariupol, which is under siege by Russian forces.

There was still no information about the number of people who had died when a theatre in the city sheltering civilians was bombed, he said.

Over 180,000 Ukrainian citizens had been rescued through humanitarian corridors across the country, Zelensky said.

He accused Russian forces of blocking aid around hotspot areas, saying they have a strict order to do everything, so the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities turned into reason for Ukrainians to work together with the occupiers.

This is a war crime! he added.

Several rounds of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow have taken place both in person and virtually since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

The latest set of talks, the fourth, opened on Monday.

Russias top negotiator said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions as close as possible on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

But Mikhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky taking part in the negotiations, said his countrys position had not budged.

Negotiation status. The statements of the Russian side are only their requesting positions, he wrote on Twitter.

All statements are intended, inter alia, to provoke tension in the media. Our positions are unchanged. Ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas.

Russia, which has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine since February 24, has requested that its neighbour never join the Western NATO military alliance, as well as demanding its demilitarisation and denazification.
Russia said Saturday that it had unleashed hypersonic missiles against an arms depot in Ukraine, the first use of the next-generation weapons in combat, after Kyivs embattled leader pressed for meaningful talks to end a conflict now in its fourth week.

Moscow also said its troops had broken Ukrainian defences to enter the strategic southern port city of Mariupol, and destroyed radio and intelligence sites just outside Odessa.

If confirmed, the use of Russias new Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles, which can elude most defence systems, would mark a new escalation in Russias campaign to force Ukraine to abandon hopes of closer ties with the West.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP that the weapons depot in Deliatyn, a village near the border with Romania, had indeed been hit but we have no information of the type of missile.

There has been damage, destruction and the detonation of munitions, he said. They are using all the missiles in their arsenal against us.

Ukraine officials also admitted they had temporarily lost access to the Sea of Azov, though Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after surrounding Mariupol.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who unveiled the Kinzhal missile in 2018, has termed it an ideal weapon that flies at 10 times the speed of sound  analysts say Russia is leading the hypersonics race, followed by China and the US.

 Time to meet 

Moscows announcement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again appealed for peace, urging Russia to accept meaningful talks in his latest Facebook video.

This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine, he said.

Otherwise, Russias losses will be such that several generations will not recover.

Ukraine claimed Saturday that a Russian general had been killed by strikes on an airfield outside Kherson, just north of Crimea, saying he was the fifth top-ranking officer killed since the invasion began on February 24.

Fierce resistance has managed to stall Russian forces outside Kviv and several other cities in the east, making them vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks against supply lines.

Britains defence ministry said Saturday that Russia has been forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition.

This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, it warned.

But as in previous negotiations there appeared to be little progress in reaching a ceasefire, with Putin accusing Ukraine of numerous war crimes during a call late Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss accused Moscow of using the talks as a smokescreen as it carried out appalling atrocities, saying she was very sceptical they would produce a breakthrough.

 Fighting rages 

Fridays attack on the arms depot was the latest strike in western Ukraine, which until a few days ago had remained relatively unscathed by Russias push toward key cities from the north and east.

On Friday, Russian forces destroyed an aircraft repair plant near the airport of Lviv, where millions of people have fled as rockets and shelling continue to rain down on Kyiv.

In Mariupol, rescuers were still searching for hundreds of people trapped under the wreckage of a bombed theatre where over 1,000 people had been seeking shelter when it was struck on Wednesday.

There was still no information about potential fatalities, Zelensky said, but 130 people had been saved so far  some heavily injured.

This is no longer Mariupol, its hell, said resident Tamara Kavunenko, 58. The streets are full with the bodies of civilians.

Russian forces also carried out a large-scale air strike on Mykolaiv in the south on Friday, killing dozens of young Ukrainian ensigns at their brigade headquarters.

No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks at the time of the attack, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP.

At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble, he said.

 Trapped 

More than 3.25 million refugees have fled Ukraine and countless others have sought havens in the countrys west, though Putin said his forces were doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties during his latest call with Macron, according to the Kremlin.

But Zelensky accused Russian forces of blocking aid around hotspot areas.

I escaped war to reach stability, only to find myself trapped in another war, said Mazen Dammag, a Yemeni who fled his war-torn homeland nearly six years ago for Ukraine.

He and several friends hired taxis to take them from Odessa to Poland, some 1,000 kilometres north, and eventually Bremen in Germany, where he spoke with AFP by video.

Russias ally China told US President Joe Biden on Friday that the war in no ones interest, but showed no sign of giving in to US pressure to join Western condemnation of Russia.

Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of consequences for any financial or military aid for Russia, a move that could turn the standoff into a global confrontation.

Putin appears undeterred by further threats or sanctions, holding a triumphalist rally in Moscow on Friday to mark eight years since Russias seizure of Crimea, saying his goal in Ukraine was to rid these people from their suffering and genocide.

 Talks stall 

In a call to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin accused Ukrainian authorities of stalling talks by putting forward more and more unrealistic proposals.

Russia wants Ukraine to disarm and disavow all Western alliances, in particular by joining NATO or seeking closer integration with the European Union  steps that Kyiv says would turn it into a vassal state of Moscow.

Russias top negotiator said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions as close as possible on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

But Mikhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky taking part in the negotiations, said his countrys position had not budged.

Switzerland said Saturday that despite its longstanding neutrality, it would impose the same sanctions against Russia as the EU.

President Ignazio Cassis said his country would not stand by in the confrontation between democracy and barbarism, saying the war was being driven by a devastating madness which shatters all the principles and values of our civilisation.

burs-js/yad

Meta
ARISS contact is scheduled with students at Toyonaka High School, Toyonaka, Japan

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between astronauts on-board the International Space Station (ISS) and Japanese students at the Toyonaka High School in Toyonaka, Japan. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on-board the ISS.

Toyonaka High School, founded in 1921, is one of Osakas prefectural high schools, located in Toyonaka, Osaka. The school is designated as one of the Global Leaders High Schools, and also designated as one of the Super Science High Schools.Members (about 30 students) of the Toyonaka High School Science Club,as part of their science activities,hold scientific labs for elementary school children a few times a year. This years science club activity involves20 elementary school childrenthat are participating in this ARISS contact.Science club members helped the children think about questions to ask astronauts on board the ISS and translate the questions into English. After the contact, Toyonaka High School students will also participate in space science activities with the elementary school students. The Kansai ARISS project team is assisting the school with this contact.

This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio and students will take turns asking their questions of Astronaut Kayla Barron, amateur radio call sign KI5LAL. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the ground station.

Amateur radio operators in Toyonaka, Japan will use call sign 8J3THS to serve as the amateur radio ground station.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for March 21, 2022 at5:46pmJST (JPN)(8:46:32 UTC, 4 :46 am EDT, 3:46am CDT, 2:46am MDT, 1:46 am PDT).

As time allows, students will ask these questions:

1. What is your favorite space food?

2. How do you go to the bathroom in space?

3. How do you take a bath in space?

4. How are injuries and illness treated in space?

5. Because of COVID-19, people all over the world have to wear masks. Do you wear a mask on the ISS, too?

6. What kind of training do you do in space?

7. What happens if you throw something on the ISS?

8. Can you see lightning from the ISS?

9. How can you see stars and constellations from space?

10. What are the hardest things on the ISS?

11. What are fun things to do on the ISS?

12. What do you want to eat after coming back to the earth?

13. What were you interested in when you were 11 years old?

14. What made you want to become an astronaut?

15. What kind of effort did you make to become an astronaut?

16. What is your dream for the future as an astronaut?

17. What do you do on the ISS?

18. What is the biggest problem of weightlessness?

19. Can you distinguish a heavy object and a light object in zero gravity?

20. How can you get along with other crew members from different countries?

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and NASAs Space communications and Navigation program.

The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org .

Media Contact:

Dave Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.
Russia said Saturday that it had unleashed hypersonic missiles against an arms depot in Ukraine, the first use of the next-generation weapons in combat, after Kyivs embattled leader pressed for meaningful talks to halt an invasion now in its fourth week.

Moscow also said its troops had broken through Ukrainian defences to enter the strategic southern port city of Mariupol, prompting more people to join the millions fleeing their homes.

If confirmed, the use of Russias new Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile, which can elude most defence systems, would mark a new escalation in Russias campaign to force Ukraine to abandon hopes of closer ties with the West.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP that the depot in Deliatyn, a village near the border with Romania, had indeed been hit but we have no information of the type of missile.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who unveiled the Kinzhal missile in 2018, has termed it an ideal weapon that flies at 10 times the speed of sound  analysts say Russia is leading the hypersonics race, followed by China and the US.

Ukraine officials also admitted they had temporarily lost access to the Sea of Azov, though Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after surrounding Mariupol.

 Time to meet 

Moscows announcement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again appealed for peace, urging Russia to accept meaningful talks in his latest video posted on social media.

This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine, he said.

Otherwise, Russias losses will be such that several generations will not recover.

Ukraine claimed Saturday that a Russian general had been killed by strikes on an airfield outside Kherson, just north of Crimea, saying he was the fifth top-ranking officer killed since the invasion began on February 24.

Fierce resistance has managed to stall Russian forces outside Kyiv and several other cities in the east, making them vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks against supply lines.

Britains defence ministry said Saturday that Russia has been forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition.

This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, it warned.

But as in previous negotiations there appeared to be little progress in reaching a ceasefire, with Putin accusing Ukraine of numerous war crimes during a call late Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss countered Saturday that Moscow was using the talks as a smokescreen as it carried out appalling atrocities, saying she was very sceptical they would produce a breakthrough.

 Fighting rages 

Fridays attack on the arms depot was the latest strike in western Ukraine, which until a few days ago had remained relatively unscathed by Russias push toward key cities from the north and east.

On Friday, Russian forces destroyed an aircraft repair plant near the airport of Lviv, where millions of people have fled as rockets and shelling continue to rain down on Kyiv.

In Mariupol, rescuers were still searching for hundreds of people trapped under the wreckage of a bombed theatre where over 1,000 people had been seeking shelter when it was struck on Wednesday.

There was still no information about potential fatalities, Zelensky said, but 130 people had been saved so far, some heavily injured.

This is no longer Mariupol, its hell, said resident Tamara Kavunenko, 58. The streets are full with the bodies of civilians.

Russian rockets also struck Mykolaiv in the south on Friday, killing dozens of young Ukrainian ensigns at their brigade headquarters.

No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks at the time of the attack, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP.

At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble, he said.

 Appeals to China 

Over 3.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine and countless others have sought havens in the countrys west, though Putin said his forces were doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties during his latest call with Macron, according to the Kremlin.

Russias ally China told US President Joe Biden on Friday that the war was in no ones interest, but showed no sign of giving in to US pressure to join Western condemnation of Russia.

Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of consequences for any financial or military aid for Russia, a move that could turn the standoff into a global confrontation.

Zelenskys aide Mikhailo Podolyak called on Beijing to denounce Russian barbarism, tweeting that China can be the global security systems important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries coalition.

Putin appears undeterred by further threats or sanctions, holding a triumphalist rally in Moscow on Friday to mark eight years since Russias seizure of Crimea, saying his goal in Ukraine was to rid these people from their suffering and genocide.

Russia wants Ukraine to disarm and disavow all Western alliances, in particular to renounce joining NATO or to seek closer integration with the European Union  steps that Kyiv says would turn it into a vassal state of Moscow.

Russias top negotiator said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions as close as possible on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

But Mikhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky taking part in the negotiations, said his countrys position had not budged.

burs-js/yad
Ukraine called on China on Saturday to join the West in condemning Russian barbarism, as Moscow claimed it had struck a Ukrainian arms depot with hypersonic missiles in what would be the first use in combat of the next-generation weapons.

That attack, not far from the Romanian border in the west, came as Russia said its troops had broken through Ukrainian defences to enter the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, a scene of mounting desperation.

With the invasion in its fourth week, Kyivs embattled leader Volodymyr Zelensky pressed for meaningful talks to halt fighting that has forced at least 3.3 million Ukrainians to flee their country.

The plea for China to condemn the invasion came from a top Zelensky advisor, Mikhailo Podolyak.

China could play an important role in global security, he said on Twitter, if it makes a right decision to support the civilised countries coalition and condemn Russian barbarism.

While Western countries have shown unity in the face of an invasion whose brutality has been clearly documented on social media, China has so far refused to condemn it.

Russias claim Saturday to have unleashed its new hypersonic Kinzhal missile would mark a dramatic new escalation of its campaign to force Ukraine to abandon hopes of closer ties with the West.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP that the arms depot in the western village of Deliatyn had indeed been hit but we have no information of the type of missile.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who unveiled the Kinzhal missile in 2018, has termed it an ideal weapon that flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it extremely difficult for missile defenses to intercept.

In another setback, Ukraine officials admitted they had temporarily lost access to the Sea of Azov, though Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after surrounding Mariupol.

 Time to meet 

Zelensky on Saturday again appealed for peace, urging Russia to accept meaningful talks in his latest video posted on social media.

This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine, he said.

Otherwise, Russias losses will be such that several generations will not recover.

But as in previous negotiations there appeared to be little progress in reaching a ceasefire, with Putin accusing Ukraine of numerous war crimes during a call late Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Saturday that Moscow was using the talks as a smokescreen as it carried out appalling atrocities.

Fierce resistance has managed to stall Russian forces outside Kyiv and several other cities in the east, making them vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks against supply lines.

Ukraine claimed Saturday that a Russian general had been killed by strikes on an airfield outside Kherson, just north of Crimea, saying he was the fifth top-ranking officer killed since the invasion began on February 24.

Britains defence ministry said Saturday that Russia has been forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition.

This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, it warned.

 Fighting rages 

Fridays attack on the arms depot was the latest strike in western Ukraine, which until a few days ago had remained relatively unscathed by Russias push toward key cities from the north and east.

Also on Friday, Russian forces destroyed an aircraft repair plant near the airport of Lviv, the city where millions of people have fled as rockets and shelling continue to rain down on Kyiv.

Russian rockets also struck Mykolaiv in the south on Friday, killing dozens of young Ukrainian ensigns at their brigade headquarters.

No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks at the time, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP.

At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble, he said.

In Mariupol, rescuers were still searching for hundreds of people trapped under the wreckage of a bombed theatre where over 1,000 people had been seeking shelter when it was struck on Wednesday.

There was still no information about potential fatalities, Zelensky said, but 130 people had been saved so far, some heavily injured.

This is no longer Mariupol, its hell, said resident Tamara Kavunenko, 58. The streets are full with the bodies of civilians.

After weeks cut off from food, water and electricity, the situation in Mariupol has become extremely dire, the UN refugee agency said Friday.

 Appeals to China 

Russias ally China told US President Joe Biden on Friday that the war was in no ones interest, but showed no sign of giving in to the pressure to join Western condemnation of Russia.

Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of consequences for any financial or military aid for Russia, a move that could turn the standoff into a global confrontation.

Putin appears undeterred by further threats or sanctions, holding a triumphalist rally in Moscow on Friday to mark eight years since Russias seizure of Crimea, saying his goal in Ukraine was to rid these people from their suffering and genocide.

Russia wants Ukraine to disarm and disavow all Western alliances, in particular to renounce joining NATO or to seek closer integration with the European Union  steps that Kyiv says would turn it into a vassal state of Moscow.

Russias top negotiator said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions as close as possible on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

But Podolyak, the Zelensky advisor, said his countrys position had not budged.

burs-js/yad/bbk/bfm
The worlds governments have done only a fraction of what is needed to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C, or even 2C, above pre-industrial levels. Why is this, when the science of climate change is so clear?

First, all governments are driven mainly by politics at home

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions means acting across the whole economy: electricity generation, heating, transport and so on. The policies to do so will often incur short-term costs, or influential groups who fear they will lose out, such as coal and oil producers, or farmers wanting to cut down trees for agriculture. These perceived losers are todays domestic voters.

A positive development is that affordable low-carbon solutions are emerging. Electricity from renewable energy, such as wind and solar, is now cheaper in much of the world than coal. Similarly, electric vehicles are forecast to be cheaper than petrol-powered cars in the next few years. But the transition is complex: for instance, countries worry that reliance on renewables will leave them without energy when there is no sun or wind.

Countries argue about how to share the burden of reducing emissions

Emerging economies are now responsible for the bulk of global emissions (China alone is a bigger emitter than the US, the EU and Japan combined), and some of them have very high emissions per head, even on a historical basis. But, under pressure From the developed world to cut their emissions, these countries argue that rich countries have a long history of burning fossil fuels and have emitted more per head over the past century.

Big emerging economies, such as China, India and Brazil, face other immediate priorities  driving economic growth and tackling poverty, for example  and say developed countries should provide them with financing to support their carbon cutting. They point out that developed countries, including the US, Japan and Canada, have missed their own targets in the past.

Many of the poorest and most vulnerable countries require support to help them adapt to the effects of climate change, which are already being felt. Some are pressing for action on loss and damage  problems that they cannot adapt to, including loss of territory .

The consensus is that the developed world should lead in cutting its emissions and provide finance. But precisely what that means remains highly contested.

COP26 made some progress

Governments last met to discuss climate change at COP26the UN conference, in Glasgow in November. About 90 per cent of the worlds emissions are now covered by net zero emissions targets by 2050-2070. But such goals can merely be statements of broad intent.

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With the exception of Australia, big, developed countries made stronger commitments to cut emissions by 2030: the US, a 50 per cent reduction; the EU, 55 per cent; Japan, 46-50 per cent; Canada, 40-45 per cent ; the UK, 68 per cent. Yet none of these countries has the policies in place, so far, to deliver these targets. So they will need to be held to account.

Big emerging economies, apart from South Africa, made only very modest changes to their targets  China included. Some did not change targets at all (Indonesia); or even weakened them (Brazil and Mexico).

What do these changes mean in aggregate? The Climate Action Tracker study estimates that the new 2030 targets could mean the world is on course for a temperature rise of nearer 2.4C. If you assume long-term goals will be met, then it might be more like 2.1C  which is much better than if there had been no action, but not nearly enough to put us on track for 1.5C.

At COP26 in Glasgow, parties agreed that all countries should revisit and strengthen their 2030 targets by the end of 2022. Another important goal was finance, but developed countries failed to meet their goal of mobilising $100bn a year to developing countries by 2020. Only a quarter of the money that did come was for adaptation; developed countries committed in Glasgow to doubling adaptation funding by 2025.

What will the next COP at Sharm el-Sheikh in November achieve?

There is little evidence to suggest that countries will raise the ambition of their 2030 targets. In Egypt, the focus may turn to finance and adaptation, with pressure on developed countries to demonstrate a plan for achieving their targets.

The war in Ukraine is already leading to surging prices for oil, gas and metals, and also for food. This will affect the developing world most severely. But the conflict is likely to affect all countries broader energy strategies. Senior politicians in Europe have emphasised the need to end dependence on fossil fuel imports from Russia through a dramatic expansion of renewables. Some in the US argue for an increase in domestic oil and gas production and, in China, there are signs of an increased reliance on home-produced coal .

All have a shared interest in tackling climate change. However, global ambition is heavily influenced by the politics in each major economy. International co-operation is vital and current geopolitics will not help. There is reason to be optimistic, though: the costs of acting continue to fall, and governments, businesses, investors and individuals are seeing more opportunities for doing so.

Teacher questions Which two factors make co-ordination over action on climate change so challenging? To what extent were the Paris and Glasgow climate change conferences a positive step? How useful is the tragedy of the commons as a concept to explain why co-ordinating international action is so tough? Jal Patel, editor of alevelpolitics.com More at ft.com/politicsclass

The writer is a visiting professor in practice at the Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics
St. Martinsville, LA- Not only will Acadian Memorial be holding its grand reopening, but it will also be inducting America's first Cajun astronaut Hayley Arceneaux. the museum chose her as the new inductee to honor those individuals who helped inspire and shape the culture.

After three years, Acadian Memorial and Museum kicked off St. Martinsville festival week with a grand reopening.

President of the Acadian Memorial Foundation John Broussard says this reopening is important as they got ready to induct the first Cajun astronaut Hayley Arceneaux. "We look at someone that has done something for the Acadian family. Being a woman and an astronaut and an Acadian. What a great... better way to honor someone that of Acadian descant."

Being a cancer survivor and the only person with a prosthesis to travel to space, Hayley Arceneaux says the experience taught her many things. "I learned that I was braver than I think I am, and I can do more than I ever imagined. It gave me such a reference for the earth and feeling so united with everyone on our planet.

But would she go back in space ... the answer is no because she would love for everyone to have the chance to experience what she did, especially women. "Less than seventy women in all human existence have been to space less than six hundred people have ever, and I think those numbers really need to change."

Arceneaux wants to remind everyone-anything is possible and things do get better. "When I was a scared ten-year-old and that hospital bed, I never would have imagined that I would have a spacesuit one day. But I think that's the beauty of life, we don't know what's around the corner. That's why you should hold on to hope that there will be better days."

The festival continues tomorrow with the Wooden Boat Congres that begins at 9:45 am, so come out for a peaceful time on the river. in St. Martinsville.

Arceneaux works at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and was able to chat with some of the kids back at the hospital while she was in space. You can find the video on YouTube if you would like to check it out. Click here.

Also to learn more about St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and their mission to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Click here.
One of the most talked-about K-drama team-ups in 2021 is the powerful duo Jun Ji Hyun and Ju Ji Hoon as lead stars of "Jirisan."

The suspense thriller mystery series generated major buzz for its roster of top tier stars, including veteran actor Sung Dong Il, Baeksang Arts Award winner Oh Jung Se, Jo Han Chul, Go Min Si, nation's halmeoni Kim Young Ok and more.

Not only did "Jirisan" boast a star-studded cast, but it also had a production budget of a whopping 32 billion won for 16 episodes, as cited by SBS Star.

Interestingly, the visuals are worth the billion won budget since the tvN series managed to pull off a cinematic feel in every episode.

Helmed by "The Descendants of the Sun," "Goblin," and "Sweet Home" director Lee Eung Bok, he teamed up with the renowned screenwriter Kim Eun Hee to produce such a masterpiece K-drama.

"Jirisan" follows the journey of park rangers Seo Yi Kang and Kang Hyun Jo as they uncover the mystery behind Korea's largest national park.

After the K-drama bid goodbye in December 2021, no statement from tvN if the suspense thriller series would get renewed.

As fans wait for the update regarding its possible installment, here are the current and upcoming projects of the "Jirisan" cast.

Jun Ji Hyun (Seo Yi Kang)

The Hallyu queen portrayed the badass lead park ranger Seo Yi Kang in tvN's "Jirisan."

Aside from her kickass scenes, Jun Ji Hyun also showed her comedic side with Park Ji Hoo.

After headlining "Jirisan," the 40-year-old beauty reportedly bought an entire mall in Deungchon-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul for a staggering 50.5 billion KRW or around 42,000,000 USD.

Jun Ji Hyun's new building houses LG Best Shop and has reportedly signed a 10-year lease.

Ju Ji Hoon (Kang Jun Ho)

The "Kingdom" star will make a cameo in the upcoming movie "Hunt," which is also a directorial film debut of "Squid Game" star Lee Jung Jae.

The action drama will star Lee Jung Jae and the equally talented Jung Woo Sung.

Sung Dong Il

After landing the role of head park ranger Jo Dae In, veteran actor Sung Dong Il recently starred in Kim Bum and Rain's medical fantasy K-drama "Ghost Doctor."

However, 2022 will be a busy year for this award-winning star as he is set to headline "Trees Die on Their Feet" with Oscar-winning Youh Yun Jung, Son ye Jin and Kang Ha Neul, as well as the upcoming comedy series "Critical X" with Kwon Sang Woo.

Oh Jung Se

From one award winner to another, Oh Jung Se took on the role of "Jirisan's" lover boy Jung Goo Young.

The versatile actor starred in Tv Chosun's "Uncle," where he transformed into a struggling musician.

For his upcoming project this 2022, he is rumored to join the "Sweet Home 2" cast with Lee Jin Wook, Lee Si Young, and more.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Firefighters rescue people from a building shelled by Russia in Ukraine. Okanagan firefighters marvel at the bravery of their Ukrainian counterparts but fear conditions will only get worse if block-by-block fighting breaks out in Kyiv and other cities.
Russia Today: News channel RT's UK licence revoked by Ofcom BBC News report that Russian state-backed news channel RT has had its licence to broadcast in the UK revoked 'with immediate effect' by media regulator Ofcom. The watchdog said RT's parent body ANO TV Novosti was not "fit and proper to hold a UK broadcast licence". RT's coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been under investigation by Ofcom, and the channel had already disappeared from UK screens. RT, formerly named Russia Today, called Ofcom "a tool of the government". The channel became unavailable on all UK broadcast platforms earlier this month as a result of a ban imposed by the European Union. Although the UK is no longer in the EU, the bloc applied sanctions to satellite companies in Luxembourg and France, which provided the RT feed to Sky, Freesat and Freeview.RT has also been blocked on YouTube but its website is still available in the UK. UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who has described the channel as "Putin's polluting propaganda machine", said: "I welcome Ofcom's decision and it's right that our independent regulator has taken action against RT. "The outlets' lies and propaganda, where victims are cast as the aggressors and the brutality of Russia's actions are concealed, have absolutely no place on our screens." Read the full BBC News article at

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60791734
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly responds to questions in the Foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Joly says the Russian invasion of Ukraine has unified western nations like never before and strengthened NATOs alliance. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Nadia Hasan, Chief Operating Officer of National Council of Canadian Muslims attends a press briefing outside the Queens Park Legislature, in Toronto, on Monday November 8, 2021. Worshippers at a mosque in Mississauga, Ont., were hailed as heroes on Saturday after they tackled and subdued a 24-year-old man who allegedly entered the mosque and attacked people with bear spray. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
The Civil War Museum, 5400 First Ave., is hosting its Civil War Medical Weekend, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today (March 19) and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The public is invited to join the 17th Corps Field Hospital  the largest Civil War Medical unit in the Midwest  for activities and demonstrations throughout the weekend.

The free event will feature interactive displays including touch the artifacts; hundreds of original surgical instruments; making pills with Doctor Milam using an 1800s pill roller; talking to an undertaker about how soldiers were embalmed; and learning how women nursed the wounded and sick.

A highlight each day are Civil War surgical demonstrations at 1 p.m.

The 17th Corps Field Hospital is a nonprofit group based in Illinois that is dedicated to educating the public about Civil War medicine.

The group is made up of educators, nurses, accountants, first responders, retired police officers and college students who perform medical demonstrations and displays throughout the Midwest.

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In-person Absentee Voting, during which residents can cast early Spring Election ballots, will begin Tuesday, March 22, said Kenosha County Clerk Regi Bachochin.

Any qualified elector may choose to cast an in-person absentee ballot. A qualified elector is any U.S. citizen, who will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day, who has resided in the ward or municipality where they wish to vote for at least 28 consecutive days before the election.

The elector must also be registered in order to receive an absentee ballot. Proof of identification must be provided before an absentee ballot may be issued.

Bachochin said residents may request and vote an absentee ballot at their respective municipal clerks office during the days and hours specified by each local clerk. In-person absentee voting dates and times vary by municipality. No in-person absentee voting may occur on the day before the election.

The following are the locations, times and dates for in-person absentee voting throughout Kenosha County.

CITY OF KENOSHA625-52nd St.

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 22-25 and March 2831

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1

For more information, contact Debra Gimler at 262-653-4020

BRIGHTON25000 Burlington Road

1-4 p.m., March 23-25 and March 28-April 1

For more information, contact Linda Perona at 262-878-2218

BRISTOL  19801 83rd St.

8 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28-31

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1

For more information, contact Amy Klemko at 262-857-2368

PARIS  16607 Burlington Rd.

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 23, 25, 28, and 30 and April 1

For more information, contact Diana Coughlin at 262-859-3006

PADDOCK LAKE6969 236th Ave.

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28-April 1

For more information, contact Michelle Shramek at 262-843-2713.

PLEASANT PRAIRIE  9915 39th Ave., north entrance

7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28-31

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1

For more information, call Jane Snell at 262-694-1400

RANDALL  34530 Bassett Rd.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 22-24 and March 28-31

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 25 and April 1 (Fridays)

For more information, contact Callie Rucker at 262-877-2165

SALEM LAKES  9814 Antioch Rd.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28-31

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1

For more information, contact Shannon Hahn at 262-843-2313.

SOMERS  7511 12th St.

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28-31

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1

For more information, call 262-859-2822.

TWIN LAKES  105 East Main St. (New Village Hall)

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28-31.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1

For more information, contact Sabrina Waswo at 262-877-2858

WHEATLAND  34315 Geneva Rd.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 22-25 and March 28 through April 1

For more information, contact Sheila Siegler at 262-537-4340.

Voter registration

Electors can register to vote in person in their respective municipal clerks office through April 1 or at their polling location April 5.

If you have moved, but live in the same municipality, you will need to re-register with your new address with the municipal clerk.

Identification required

Photo identification is required to vote. Those who do not have a Wisconsin drivers license or state ID, can obtain a free ID for voting purposes from the Division of Motor Vehicles. Check bringit.wi.gov for samples of acceptable photo IDs or additional information.

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Nicole Oberlin Nicole Oberlin was named Gateway Technical Colleges newest district ambassador

Nicole Oberlin was named Gateway Technical Colleges newest district ambassador and will now be the student voice of the college to communities in Kenosha County, Racine County and Walworth County.

She will also represent the college at speaking engagements during public events held by Gateway each year.

Oberlin was initially selected as the Elkhorn campus ambassador. Other campus ambassadors selected include Taylor DeVincentis for the Kenosha campus, and Lizbeth Ruvalcaba for the Racine campus. District ambassadors are chosen from the field of three campus ambassadors.

The campus ambassador program is very important to the college, to our academic programs and to our students, said Gateway Technical College Executive Vice President and Provost Zina Haywood.

It is important to recognize student academic achievement and outstanding character. Recognizing the student stars promotes the colleges values and highlights teaching excellence and student success. The students nominated for the campus ambassador program are role models for current and future students.

Oberlin, a dual admission General Studies program student, will represent Gateway at a statewide leadership conference of Ddstrict ambassadors from each college of the Wisconsin Technical College System and will also receive a Gateway Technical College Foundation tuition voucher.

DeVincentis is enrolled in the colleges Greenhouse Operations program and Ruvalcaba in the Business Management program. They will also receive Foundation tuition vouchers and serve as the student voice to communities and the college from their respective campuses.

Nominees are selected based on their outstanding character, positive attitude, leadership, personal goals, communication skills, enthusiasm and self-confidence.

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PADDOCK LAKE  The Village of Paddock Lake has won a 2021 Outstanding Performance Award from the state Department of Natural Resources for reducing the use of road salt and the discharge of phosphorus and chloride into the environment.

The village was successful in reducing the quantity of road salt used in the 2020-21 season by 24%, and through efforts from our residents and business owners the sanitary sewer plant saw a 17% reduction in chloride from softeners reaching the sewer treatment plant, said Village Administrator Tim Popanda. The 17% reduction equates to 91,000 pounds of chloride not reaching the treatment plant and the waters of the state.

DNR licensing agent Nick Lent said the Paddock Lake wastewater treatment facility is often used as a model, which it was further recognized as a Facility of the Year. A delegation from Costa Rica toured the facility in 2019.

The villages current chloride source reduction plan is used by the DNR as a good example for other sewer utilities across the state, Lent said. The plan has also been shared with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and US EPA for the same reason.

Commitment to reduce chloride

Popanda said the Village Board has made a commitment to reduce the amount of chloride that enters the environment.

The Paddock Lake Sewer Utility provides treatment for wastewater collected from 1,476 residential, commercial and public users. Of those, 325 are served by both sanitary sewer and municipal water and 1,151 users have private water wells.

This scenario presents a challenge for the utilitys control of chlorides entering the districts collection system, Popanda said.

In addition to improving its facility, the village created a chloride reduction plan and has worked to educate users about the negative results of overuse of chloride and water softeners.

For example, the village met with Westosha-Central High School to help them develop a snow and ice plan and with local business owners to provide education on lot maintenance.

The adopted chloride reduction plan and strategy, developed in 2019-20, utilized incentives, partnerships and public education to encourage reduction of chloride entering the districts sanitary sewer collection system and the water of the state of Wisconsin, Popanda said.

Ordinance planned

In 2022, the village plans to adopt a local ordinance requiring all new softeners to be Demand Initiated Regeneration type softeners and an ordinance restricting the softening of exterior process and irrigation water.

It will also work with owners of 283 homes in a zone known to have extremely hard water to optimize or tune-up their existing softeners and provide incentives to replace old, inefficient softeners.

Based on sampling data, these two zones contribute as much as 22%, or 79,000 pounds, of chloride to the system annually, Popanda said, adding the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the optimization portion of the reduction plan. In 2021, the district implemented what it could, considering the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions for in-person contacts.

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Hours after the catastrophic partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, stunned members of condo communities along the South Florida coast predicted the disaster would trigger a massive ripple effect of residents scrambling for ways to ensure that tragedy would not strike their homes.

But the seriousness of the episode was not compelling enough for a majority of lawmakers in Tallahassee to act. The 2022 state Legislature failed to agree on a package of safety reforms that would have required inspections of older buildings, mandated financial reserves for condo associations and provided more public transparency for maintenance and inspection reports.

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Before Surfside, Broward and Miami-Dade counties were the only counties statewide to require condo associations in buildings 40 years or older to conduct inspections of their buildings. And Florida law makes it easy for condo owners to take a pass on funding reserves for future repairs on their buildings.

After Surfside, Boca Raton installed one of the strongest inspection laws in the state, requiring safety and structural inspections for every building older than 30 years and taller than three stories or 50 feet. And a Broward task force, among other things, urged the Legislature last fall to require that condo buildings be inspected more often, including a proviso that they a keep special fund for repairs.

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But state lawmakers fell short of converting any recommendations into law.

They were real numbskulls this time, said Frank Simone, general counsel and partner at KW Property Management and Consultants in Sunrise, which advises hundreds of homeowner associations and condominium boards around Florida. Its amazing, he said, that lawmakers could approve a slate of bills covering a variety of social wedge issues, but not critical safety reforms for high-rise residential buildings.

[ RELATED: Lawmakers seek inspections after Surfside condo collapse ]

For legal, management and real estate professionals in the condo industry, the ramifications are clear: the private sector is creating its own agenda for gathering more safety and inspection information from associations before approving financing for condo purchases. Banks, insurance companies, mortgage underwriters and investors are pushing rules that compel governing associations to disclose more detailed technical information about the structural integrity and histories of buildings, as well as what is being done to correct problems.

The cleared lot was where the collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building once stood in Surfside. A total of 98 people died when the building partially crumbled on June 24, 2021. Despite the disaster, a series of proposed statewide safety measures failed to pass the state Legislature this month. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The private sector is already taking over, Simone said.

Insurance companies are demanding and wanting more and more information to underwrite and insure, he said. Mortgage companies want more and more information in connection with questions of structural soundness and whether there are code violations or other violations at the condo property. They have not waited on the Florida Legislature because they have fiduciary obligations to their investors.

Tougher loan underwriting measures

Earlier this year, buying a condo in an older building got a little tougher for people seeking to finance their deals. Loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, two private companies created by Congress, started to scrutinize maintenance issues more closely before approving buildings for loans generated by banks and other lenders.

Generally, they will not back loans for condo and co-op units if their buildings have put off major repairs, industry experts say. Both companies issued temporary requirements for condo and co-op projects to ensure that buildings are structurally sound, and that associations governing them have the money to pay for repairs. The result: associations have been confronted with having to answer more detailed questionnaires about the status of maintenance issues at their properties than they have in the past.

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Many association advocates and real estate professionals say the tougher rules are making it harder in some instances for owners to sell, placing more pressure on Florida condo inventories already tightened by heavy demand.

We have urged them to suspend their regulations until theyve had some time to allow the [condo management] industry to set up an infrastructure to answer these questions, said Dawn Bauman, senior vice president of government and public affairs for the Community Associations Institute of Falls Church, Virginia. We appreciate the intent. We want nothing more than safe buildings.

[ RELATED: Surfside condo collapse drives Fannie Mae to toughen loan standards on older buildings ]

The institute estimates there may be as many as 20,000 condominium buildings that would have been impacted by the proposed Florida legislation. If the House and Senate had been able to reconcile their differences, the ensuing law would have benefitted 9.6 million Floridians, the institute said.

Reserves the major sticking point

The chief difference between the House and Senate was that the formers version would have required a short time frame for associations to collect reserve funds to pay for big ticket repair items, said attorney William Skar, managing partner of the Tallahassee office of Carlton Fields, and chair of the Florida Bars Post-Surfside Champlain Towers South Condominium Life Safety Advisory Task Force.

A number of the task forces recommendations made their way into both House and Senate bills, Sklar said. The included provisions for better transparency of inspections reports, the maintenance of financial reserves by associations to cover future reports, requirements for inspections and for maintenance.

The financial reserve issue was the biggest sticking point between the two legislative houses, he said. Historically, condo unit owners in associations statewide have routinely vote down annual proposals for their buildings to carry reserves because they cost too much. As a result, a number of South Florida associations whose buildings face big repair bills cant fund them without imposing large special assessments on their members.

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Under current state law, it doesnt take a large quorum of association members to vote no.

Sklars task force recommended lifting the quorum requirement to 75%. He said Perez wanted two-thirds; the House 50%.

Its not a question of whether reserves are needed, Sklar said. Everyone who provided testimony agreed reserves were necessary. It was just a matter of methodology of getting there.

He said the House version was not viable as it would have forced associations to maintain reserves in the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in a short period of time.

The Senate decided, were not going to deal with it until next year, he said. The Senate was doing the right thing. The House was not being realistic.

[ RELATED: Hundreds of buildings in Boca Raton may be affected by new safety plan ]

Attempts to reach the bills sponsors, Rep. Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Orange Park, were unsuccessful.

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Too many moving parts?

Some condo lawyers argue that it was too ambitious to expect that a sweeping safety bill could be passed in a short three-month legislative session.

I know it was very, very ambitious legislation, said Gary Mars, a condo lawyer at Siegfried Rivera in Coral Gables, It would have taken a lot of effort to get it through all of the machinations developing legislation of this type.

He noted that not every building is in dire structural straits, or even old enough to be required to follow inspection rules such as the ones in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, which mandate deep-dive studies after 40 years.

I represent a lot of associations in buildings in their teenaged years, he said.

Theyre getting sophisticated reports from their engineers about deferred maintenance issues such as waterproofing, balcony restorations and painting, Mars said. But the reports dont cover structural issues.

They may have wonderful reports, but those reports dont give the association the ability to check the box about the buildings overall condition, he said. Theres not a perfect solution to this problem.

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Built in 1974, the buff-colored six-story tower at 501 East Dania Beach Blvd. is one of 60 properties in Dania Beach currently not in compliance with a Broward County-mandated rule requiring buildings 40 years or more to undergo a safety checklist. (Susannah Bryan/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

What now?

Barring a special session of the Legislature to focus on condo safety, Florida will have to wait until next year.

Elsewhere, state legislation governing building inspections for multifamily buildings has been introduced in Hawaii, Maryland, and Virginia, said Bauman of the condominium institute. The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that requires the states housing commission to study condominium safety issues with an emphasis on building inspections.

The Maryland legislature is considering funding for condominium buildings in need of critical repairs, while Hawaii is considering building inspection requirements for condominiums the institute said in a statement.

Bauman said her institute is taking a three-pronged approach:

Best Practices: Encouraging boards to make sure they are regularly inspecting their buildings. It involves conducting reserve studies that entail evaluations of major components of a building that have life expectancies of usually 20 or 30 years or less, and a plan for budgeting to replace components such a roof, air conditioning system, elevator or stairwell. Regular maintenance should be performed on elements not contained in the study. Reserves should also be maintained.

She said the institute doesnt say a fixed amount should go into reserves. We believe you should have reserves funded that your study professional recommends at the time of the study, she said. it should be updated every five years.
Ketchikan, AK (99901)

Today

Cloudy with showers. Low 39F. SE winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 39F. SE winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
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!
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An American Airlines Boeing 737 Max jet plane is parked at a maintenance facility in Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. A former Boeing test pilot is going on trial Friday, March 18, 2022, on charges of misleading regulators about the Boeing 737 Max, the model that was involved in two deadly crashes. Mark Forkner faces four counts of fraud. (LM Otero/AP)

A federal prosecutor said Friday that a former Boeing test pilot lied to regulators about changes to a critical flight-control system on the 737 Max to reduce the cost of pilot training and save the company tens of millions of dollars.

However, a defense lawyer said Boeing engineers kept Mark A. Forkner in the dark about changes to the system, which played a role in two crashes that killed 346 people.

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[Read more] Former Boeing test pilot found not guilty of deceiving FAA 

Forkner went on trial in U.S. district court in Fort Worth on four charges of fraud. He is the only person facing criminal charges in the case, which brought widespread condemnation to Boeing.

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As the trial started with jury selection and opening statements, Forkner spoke only briefly, when the judge asked for his plea.

I am not guilty, he said, standing and turning to face the jury.

Based on court filings by both sides, the trial is likely to feature testimony from technical experts and also internal Boeing communications to shed light on discussions about the Max inside the company. Prosecutors will also attempt to use Forkners own text messages against him, especially one in which he said, So I basically lied to the regulators (unknowingly).

The defendant had contempt for these regulators, and he mocked these regulators, prosecutor Scott Armstrong told jurors, adding that as Forkner learned more about changes to the flight-control system called MCAS, He doubled down on the lies.

Defense attorney David Gerger said his side will show jurors that Boeing engineers withheld information from Forkner. And it wasnt Forkner who set out to save the company money by minimizing pilot-training requirements, that objective came down directly from Boeings board of directors, he said.

The opening statements came after the selection of a jury of 11 men and one woman, plus four alternates. An American Airlines pilot was dismissed; so was a man who said he had flown several times on Boeing Maxes.

Judge Reed OConnor made it clear there was no way to disqualify every potential juror who had read or seen news accounts about the Boeing Max. He quizzed several people whether they could set aside their notions of the issue and focus on evidence that will be presented when testimony starts on Monday.

Until he left in 2018, Forkner was Boeings chief technical pilot for the Max, which gave him a key role in evaluating the differences between the Max and previous 737s, and deciding how much training pilots needed to fly the new version.

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According to the indictment, Forkner knew about changes that made a key flight-control system activate more often than originally planned, but he withheld that knowledge from Federal Aviation Administration regulators. As a result, information about the new flight-control system, MCAS, was deleted from an FAA report and airplane manuals. Most pilots didnt know about it.

MCAS activated on faulty sensor readings minutes before crashes in 2018 off the coast of Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia. It repeatedly pushed the noses of the planes down, and pilots were unable to regain control.

The indictment does not blame the crashes on Forkner, but his lawyers said he would not be facing criminal charges if the crashes had not occurred.

The investigation could have landed on Boeing, or its senior executives who were once subjects but now are witnesses at trial, the defense lawyers wrote in a filing. Fear of being associated with the crashes caused witnesses to curry favor with the prosecution, they said.

The list of witnesses for the prosecution includes three Boeing employees, government experts, and representatives from two big Boeing customers: Southwest Airlines and American Airlines.

The defense could call more than two dozen current or former Boeing employees, including several test pilots and Curtis Ewbank, an engineer who quit after alleging that his bosses rejected safety improvements to the Max on cost grounds. Forkner is listed as a potential witness.

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Boeing reached a settlement with federal officials to avoid prosecution for conspiracy. The company paid a $244 million fine as part of the January 2021 agreement.

Separately, families of passengers who died in the crashes are asking another federal judge in Fort Worth to undo the Boeing settlement and consider criminal charges against the company and top executives, who they say put profit above safety.

Family members argue that Chicago-based Boeing rushed a new version of the 737 into production because European rival Airbus was far ahead of it in developing a more fuel-efficient plane. MCAS was added to the Max to accommodate new, larger engines on the 50-year-old 737 design.

The 737 has had its day, said Adrian Toole, a British man whose daughter Joanna died in the second Max crash. The whole thing should have been scrapped, and they should have put a new plane on the drawing board.
With overdoses and deaths caused by fentanyl surging several of South Floridas most prominent elected officials sought a change in state law to legalize inexpensive test strips that can detect its presence, a step they said could save thousands of lives.

Dave Aronberg, the Palm Beach County state attorney; Congressman Ted Deutch, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, and state Sen. Shevrin Jones, from South Broward and northern Miami-Dade counties  all Democrats  pushed for the change.

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They failed.

Republicans, who control the Florida Legislature, blocked the legalization effort just 18 hours after dramatic headlines and television coverage of a Wilton Manors spring break house party gone wrong, with six people hospitalized from exposure to fentanyl in cocaine.

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[ RELATED: Arrest made in Spring Break overdoses; victims include West Point football player ]

Two ended up on respirators. Fentanyl is so potent  50 times stronger than heroin and as much as 100 times more potent than morphine  that two of the six were stricken when they tried to aid the others.

What happened to the six spring breakers , some of whom were cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was cited as lawmakers unsuccessfully argued for the change during a sometimes emotional debate in the Florida House of Representatives on March 11.

State Rep. Kelly Skidmore, a Palm Beach County Democrat, implored her colleagues to examine their priorities.

If 9,000 dolphins were on the shore dead, or manatees or turtles, man there would be an uprising, Skidmore said during the debate. When are we going to wake up? Why do we allow people to die when we know we can save them with one little [change in state law] that takes the fentanyl strips and make them OK to have in your pocket.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, speaking at a Sept. 16, 2019, news conference in West Palm Beach. He tried to get the Florida Legislature to approve fentanyl test strips in the 2022 legislative session. "You cant arrest your way out of this problem. You need prevention, and a proven and inexpensive prevention are fentanyl test strips. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

Fentanyl impact

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports that drug dealers mix fentanyl with other drugs, including, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, because of its potency and low cost. The combination increases the chance of a fatal interaction, and the drug users would likely not know the drug is in the mix.

Just a few grains are lethal. While its used legally to treat pain, illicit fentanyl is smuggled into the U.S., typically over the Mexican border, according to the DEA. Overdoses can cause respiratory failure leading to death.

But it doesnt just sicken and kill people who are using drugs. It also gets added to other, seemingly innocuous substances, with deadly results.

Deutchs nephew Eli died last year after using a legal herbal supplement laced with fentanyl, a loss described by the congressman during an emotion-filled speech on the floor of the U.S. House on the eve of what would have been his nephews 21st birthday.

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Aronberg said a $1 fentanyl test strip could have saved the young mans life, and many others.

State statistics for 2020, the most recent year available, show that fentanyl caused 5,302 deaths in Florida, a 63% increase from 2019. A report from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission said fentanyl was responsible for more than double the deaths caused by cocaine in 2020.

In South Florida, there are dozens of fentanyl overdoses every day. In 2000, there was more than one fentanyl-caused death every six hours in the region, with a total of 611 in Broward, 572 in Palm Beach County and 301 in Miami-Dade County.

While the opioid crisis has commanded public attention in recent years, its driven by fentanyl, which state statistics show caused, or was present, in 95% of the opioid-caused deaths in 2020.

State Rep. Evan Jenne, left and state Rep. Kelly Skidmore chat during a Florida House of Representatives committee hearing on Jan. 13, 2022. Skidmore supported efforts to legalize fentanyl test strips in the annual legislative session. When are we going to wake up? Why do we allow people to die when we know we can save them with one little [change in state law] that takes the fentanyl strips and make them OK to have in your pocket. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

Test strips

Strips that can detect the presence of most forms of fentanyl are legal in several states.

The Minnesota Health Department, for example, calls the test strips a reliable, common-sense means of providing people at risk of fentanyl exposure with more information that can decrease risk of overdose. As of July 2021, they became legal to distribute and possess in Minnesota.

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Florida, however, categorizes the test strips as illegal drug paraphernalia. Removing that designation, thus legalizing the test strips in the state, is the change Aronberg, Deutch and others sought.

We need to face the reality that, whether its kids on spring break trying a substance once, illegal or not, or whether its a frequent user, Americans are coming in contact with lethal doses of fentanyl without the tools to know its there. Our states inaction costs lives, Detuch wrote on Twitter after the House rejected the move.

Aronbergs chief assistant drafted the legislative language to make the change. Both he and Deutch reached out to state Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, the member of the majority party in the House who argued against the legislation.

Encourage use?

Opponents said they were troubled by the idea of the government doing something that might be seen as condoning illegal drug use.

Theres a real philosophical question there, much like providing drug needles to addicts. What are the philosophical implications of that, Plakon said in a telephone interview. It does give me heartburn. Hes referring to a 2019 law that Jones helped pass when he was a member of the House and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law which allows counties to offer needle exchange programs to try to curb the spread of HIV and other diseases.

Youre not putting the stamp of approval on using illegal drugs. Youve already made it against the law, Jones said. Youre trying to make sure that people who are using these drugs, theyre not dying.

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[ RELATED: Needle exchange is new weapon to fight the opioid crisis ]

Aronberg also said legalizing the test strips would not encourage people to use drugs who otherwise wouldnt. Its an outdated way of thinking, to think that people with substance abuse disorder are motivated by a moral failing rather than by a brain disease. If you understand substance abuse disorder as a brain disease, then you have to support harm reduction practices, he said.

Deutch, writing in a series of Twitter posts, cited the case of the West Point cadets: Fentanyl test strips do not encourage drug use: they empower people to be aware of what substance is really in their possession and to make safe choices. No parent or public servant, myself included, wants any kid to use cocaine. But if these cadets had been able to access fentanyl test strips, if they had been able to see for themselves that they were about to ingest deadly fentanyl, this story could have been different.

Aronberg, who has supported increased penalties on dealers, said the fentanyl problem is so severe that it calls for implementing every possible solution. You cant arrest your way out of this problem. You need prevention, and a proven and inexpensive prevention are fentanyl test strips.

Tomorrow would have been my nephew Elis 21st birthday.



Its time that every Member of Congress acknowledges that fentanyl is killing Americans everywhere in our nation. Its time to act to save lives. pic.twitter.com/dufkt2jPQm  Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) February 9, 2022

Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor offered a similar perspective.

We dont condone illegal drug abuse, but context is everything in these types of situations  we dont see the harm in something that could help members of the community know if what they are ingesting is potentially lethal, Pyror said via email.

Kathleen Cannon, president and CEO of United Way of Broward County, said the organization supports various efforts at harm reduction for people using drugs  including use of Narcan, the medication that reverses the effects of opioids, and funding a needle exchange program  and wanted to see the test strips legalized.

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Anything that can save lives is vital, Cannon said.

Legislative technicality

The Florida Senate approved the legalization of the test strips. But when the measure came before the House on March 11, the last scheduled day of the annual session, Plakon said it should be rejected because the idea had not been vetted and debated in House committees. It came over to us  with no data, no research, no staff analysis, he said.

Aronberg, a former member of the Florida Senate, said the argument about a procedure is a smokescreen used when lawmakers dont want to debate an issue on its merits.

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That procedural argument is always brought out when you dont want to talk about the real argument. There were other bills that had not been fully vetted in committee, and [the test strips legislation] was vetted in Senate committee, Aronberg said.

On a voice vote, with no recorded roll call, the Republicans who control the House removed the test strip language from a broader piece of legislation that had passed the Senate. Lawmakers then approved the underlying legislation, which is awaiting action from the governor.

Next year

Plakon said someone who wants test strips can obtain them. People with foresight and funds can buy them on Amazon and have them delivered in a day, Plakon said. As an experiment, he said he ordered a single strip for $2.97. A set of 25 costs $25.

But theyre still illegal in Florida, though Aronberg and Pryors spokeswoman said they didnt know of any Palm Beach or Broward county prosecutions for possessing the strips.

Aronberg said legalization would make them much more widely available, allowing sales at retail pharmacies, and increase the likelihood theyd be used. Agencies in some states promote and distribute the strips.

Plakon, who leaves office this year because of term limits, said supporters can push their case in the 2023 legislative session.

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Aronberg said proponents would try again. Were going to redouble our efforts. Were motivated to get it passed next year, he said. Floridians will die as a result of the Houses decision.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @browardpolitics

Editors note: This article has been updated to reflect United Way of Broward Countys position on fentanyl test strips.
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Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, arrives to the office of Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., before meeting with him, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Ketanji Brown Jacksons credentials are impeccable. Shes a Harvard law graduate who served with distinction on the U.S. Court of Appeals. She previously served for more than eight years on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She has the experience and ability and looks like a good percentage of our country.

Weve heard no whispers of misconduct. All of us need representation. I am a Caucasian woman and I welcome someone with her qualifications to our Supreme Court. On the federal bench, Judge Jackson has shown her commitment to upholding laws that protect people with disabilities, workers, immigrants, and freedom of speech. She has devoted years to public service, including representing low-income people in Washington, D.C. as a public defender.

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Judge Jacksons experience means she brings to the court the perspective of someone who has seen the justice system through the eyes of our societys most vulnerable. Any senator who votes against a person of her ability is voting against Americans and not voting for our best interests.

Rosann Caraker-Jentes, Sunrise

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Long overdue

Ms. Jackson has the most professional qualifications to be selected as our next Supreme Court Justice.

In our multiracial country, it is long overdue for a brilliant mind such as that of Ms. Jackson, a Black woman with her intellectual curiosity and credentials, to be welcomed onto the highest court in the land.

Harriet Schwartz, Boca Raton

Keep standard time

Re: Rubio is right: Stop shifting those clocks | Editorial

Nearly everyone agrees its a hassle to turn the clocks ahead in the spring and back again in the fall. It upsets our routines, and it gets some getting used to for about a week thereafter. A change was needed.

Leave it to our illustrious legislators in Washington to do exactly the opposite of what should be done. What they should do is keep the real, natural sun time as it relates to our geographical longitude. Instead, they now want to keep Daylight Saving Time in effect year-round.

I hope workers have fun commuting to work before the sun comes up. Parents will see their children off to school in the dark.

I guess we should be used to it. Were bombarded by politicians with propaganda, half-truths and outright falsehoods. Now they make us have to live with our actual time of day being a complete lie. The joke is on us, as usual.

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Bill Longmuir, Margate

Safety first on the tracks

I travel almost daily from west to east on 18th Street in Boca Raton. A few days ago, as I approached the railroad tracks at Dixie Highway, the red lights flashed and the alarm rang, but the arms had not yet come down. Because I value my life and safety, I stopped.

The driver behind me had the audacity to blow his horn in an effort to have me run over the tracks. Of course I stayed put. Neither Brightline nor the government can save anyone from their own recklessness. Its time to recognize that we have a responsibility to keep ourselves as safe as we can and not rely on others to save us from ourselves.

The only tragedy in these deaths are those caused by mental illness or suicide, an illness that unfortunately government doesnt seem to care about. Theres a lot of talk, but it hasnt caused any real change in how the country treats mental illness. These are sad stories with no happy endings.

Rita Obeid, Boca Raton
At left, President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and at right, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.


By David A. Tizzard





Many of us take democracy for granted, believing it to be the natural state of man or the logical progress of all and every society and culture around the world. Such beliefs, however, do not always conform to reality. Backsliding, single-party states, dictators and a whole host of other factors demonstrate that democracy is a variable rather than a fixed phenomenon. What was considered democratic practice in the past is no longer held so today. In the current age, states also differ in their degree of democracy.







So how do we measure democracy? How do we know if we are living in a democratic society today? How and when did South Korea transition from a feudal slave society, through colonization and authoritarian military rule, to a country that has some of the OECD's finest democratic practices today in just over a century? It's an important yet obviously very difficult question. Nevertheless, while platitudes and stereotypes remain somewhat ingrained in many, I would suggest that in 2022 South Korea's democracy is a marvelous thing and now superior in "some" ways to even that of its erstwhile political and economic supporter, the United States.







First, what is democracy? One of the most important characteristics of democracies is that rather than power, it is the protection of rights that is of prime concern: freedom of speech and the press, freedom of religion and conscience, freedom of assembly and association and the right to due process and fair trial. There also has to be competition for government positions and fair elections carried out without force. Citizens should participate in selecting their leaders. Those elected must then be responsive and accountable to the citizens. Civil and political liberties must exist to ensure safety and integrity.







How does democracy come about? Why, for example, is South Korea a democracy and North Korea not? And China? Russia? First, the historical period in which the transition comes as well as the type of regime it replaces matters. Early democratization took place in capitalist economies in which the rich (rather than other social groups) held power. Research also confirms that richer countries are "more likely" to be democratic. Some scholars, influenced by Marx, believe that the middle class is the carrier of democracy: "No bourgeoisie, no democracy." But it is not necessarily wealth that brings about democracy; instead, economic development reduces the likelihood of democratic breakdown. Beyond this, there is a correlation between education and democracy. Culture and the effects of colonialism play a role. As does the presence (or absence) of natural resources. Democratic neighbors and participation in international organizations can also help.







Why is South Korea a democracy? There is no simple answer to this, but broadly one could point to three factors: 1) Civil society and public consciousness expanding; 2) economic development and the rise of the middle class; and 3) the international environment and historical circumstance. This narrative includes, but is not exclusive to, the class conscious rise of the "minjung," the importance of Gwangju, the millions of people that took part in 1987 demonstrations moving the narrative from beyond students and activists to middle class workers, and the 88 Olympics which brought international attention. Women, workers, students, journalists, Christians and professors. Moreover, it was not always peaceful or achieved solely by candles. People rallied behind the symbols of Park Jong-cheol and Lee Han-yeol in their pursuit of freedom. There was suffering, violence, and death. Disruptive tactics in protests played a big role in the 1980s. The point is to suggest that you need people capable of democracy, a state ready for democracy, and an environment in which it can take place.







That's why I would respectfully disagree with former President Kim Dae-jung who once argued in his influential piece in Foreign Affairs that democracy was Korea's destiny. He got much else correct in that piece but his argument that South Korean democracy was inevitable does not quite sit right with me personally. It was hard fought and made ever more beautiful considering the periods of darkness from whence it arose, but it was not the only possibility this country faced. The people of South Korea have brought about democracy and a host of factors have contributed. Considering the country to north of the DMZ is yet to experience democracy, one might think of what particular aspects of South Korea's rise have not taken place there yet. Is it the lack of a middle class? The lack of a figure behind which to rally? The lack of consciousness, education, or political opposition?







As late as the mid-1990s, the streets of Seoul could be seen filled with tear gas and flaming Molotov cocktails as protestors and riot police engaged in violent clashes. Today, whatever your thoughts of the political candidates, South Korean politics is carried out without such dangers. Moreover, power changes hands (relatively) peacefully between opposition parties who have diametrically opposed views on North Korea and other issues. The voter turnout in the recent presidential election was over 77 percent. The young, the old, the rich, the poor, women and men, all turned out in great numbers. There was no apathy or stepping away from democracy believing it to be useless. People demonstrably believed in the process and the fairness. Automatic registration, early voting, national holiday, and polling places everywhere made it easy for people to vote rather than try to prevent them from doing so. Now that the results are in, with some groups vocally unhappy about the winner, there is no narrative that the opposition's victory was not fair or legal. The process is being respected, as it should.







Professor Ra Jong-il

in which he asserted that one's political opponents should not be seen as one's enemy. Instead, they are co-workers or colleagues with whom you disagree but nevertheless must work with in order to make the lives of the citizens better. The focus should never be solely on one's own party nor on working to hinder the progress of the opposition: it should be on the people. When the parties fight, the people suffer. If they can somehow work together despite their differences, the people will benefit.







South Korea is not a perfect society. It has many faults and flaws. But its democracy is beautiful. And so is its cleanliness, infrastructure, public transport, health system and, most importantly, its people. People that share different ideas, values and beliefs but who all live by the democratic process. An alternative to this, no matter how much you might disagree with others, would be tragic in my estimation.







Dr. David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He is also the host of the Korea Deconstructed podcast, which can be found online. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.


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Beyon Connect, a subsidiary of Bahrain's leading telecom services operator Batelco, has signed an agreement with the kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) that will see the latter adopt innovative digital identity and digital postbox solutions and services delivered by Beyon Connect.

Beyon Connect is a key entity launched in January that focuses on delivering new technologies with great innovation potential, Software-as-a-Service platforms, and advanced IT solutions to both the public and private sectors in the Mena region.

The NCSC is focused on building a strong cyber security framework and capability in line with their commitment to Bahrains efforts to ensure a safe and secure ICT infrastructure as a key pillar of the countrys 2030 vision and economic development.

As a result of the collaboration between the two entities, Beyon Connect will deliver its recently launched innovative digital postbox solution, OneBox, to enable National secure communication between the public sector, private businesses and residents of Bahrain in one secure, convenient, and trusted digital space.

Beyon Connect will also deliver its latest new product, OneID, which brings a new platform to register a unique digital identity, to interact securely with public and private sector digital services across Bahrain.

OneID is a highly secure single e-ID which will be made available as a mobile application for both iOS and Android. It allows onboarding of Bahrain residents through an advanced e-KYC process supporting passport and national ID cards with facial recognition and liveness check.

Beyon Connect said the owner of the digital identity wallet will receive a push notification in their OneID app when a new digital identity is issued for them.

With a simple approval of registration and terms of use, the owner stores the issued ID in the digital identity wallet, and it is ready for use.

OneID is free for Bahrain residents and very affordable even for small organizations, institutions, and companies without the burden of minimum commitments and implementation fees. Using the OneID self-service administrator portal, an organization can easily onboard and start receiving OneID digital identities to utilise within their e-services within 30 minutes.

OneBox, brings a new way to communicate to Bahrain, through the launch of an innovative digital postbox solution. OneBox is the first solution of its kind in Bahrain and positions the kingdom as the first country in the Middle East to deliver digital postbox services.

NCSC CEO Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said: "We see the adoption of OneID and OneBox as an important steppingstone in Bahrains journey towards creating a more secure and digitally inclusive society. The combination of OneID and OneBox delivers unique transformational value to the people, institutions and businesses of Bahrain and re-enforces the value of national adoption of innovations and investments being driven within Bahrains burgeoning digital sector."

Beyon Connect CEO Christian Rasmussen said: "We are proud to sign with the NCSC to deliver a shared vision to provide all individuals, institutions and companies with secure digital identities through a nationally available, and highly secure digital ID platform built on transparency, privacy, and trust."

"We are excited to launch OneID here in Bahrain, our second product following the recent launch of OneBox, under the Beyon Connect umbrella," he stated.

By introducing OneID and OneBox to the Bahrain market, Beyon Connect paves the way for a movement towards a secure, modern, digitally connected and trusted Mena region.

Together with its pioneering partners, Beyon Connect will play an important part in laying the cornerstones for a data driven, sustainable and paperless future. Furthermore, the delivery of this new digital solution will help to support the Kingdom's position as the region's leading hub in the ICT and data economy, he added.
Dubai Harbour, an extraordinary seafront district wholly-owned by Shamal Holding, welcomed the Swiss experimental vessel powered solely by renewables, Porrima, to its marinas recently as part of its worldwide journey across five continents called the Blue Odyssey.

Choosing Dubai Harbour for its second world destination, the first-of-its-kind solar, wind and hydrogen-powered ship has travelled more than 11,000 km without stopping since departing Osaka, Japan, on December 18, 2021.

The project comes in response to a call to action from the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which invites initiatives geared towards realising an ideal future society.

Porrima  named after the Roman goddess of the future  was the first in the world to circumnavigate the globe using only solar energy under its previous name, Planet Solar.

Now, using solar, wind and hydrogen, the 36-metre 100-tonne vessel also utilises artificial intelligence and technologies inspired by nature. Just as lungs remove the CO2 from our blood, the same technique is used to clean seawater, isolate and destroy microplastics, making Porrima the only vessel in the word certified to produce and consume hydrogen on board.

Dubai Harbour - recently voted as the winner of the Worlds Best New Cruise Development at the 1st Annual World Cruise Awards 2021  is home to the regions largest marina and features Bay Marina, Dubais first dedicated superyacht marina which can accommodate yachts up to 160m in length.

Dubai Harbour is also home to Palm View Marina and Harbour Marina offering 556 berths for yachts up to 40 meters and a curated mix of restaurants, cafes, and retail offerings.

Upon arrival at Dubai Harbour, the Porrima berthed at Harbour Marina in front of the Yacht Club building before unveiling a suite of renewable technologies that have been proven on board.

It will invite the youth to join the Blue Campus to learn the skills and build the talent around the showcased next-generation solutions to sustainable ocean industries and resource preservation.

Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer, Shamal Holding, said: "We are excited to welcome the Porrima to Dubai Harbour for its third odyssey around the globe. It is exciting to see how the intersection of technology and sustainability come together to help tackle the environmental challenges that we face today."

"Having just concluded our role as host of the Dubai International Boat Show, we witnessed a wide range of innovative, sustainable marine technology showcased at the show, which is a testament to the UAEs dedication to promoting and embracing eco-friendly alternatives to protect our oceans. The Porrima brings sustainable mobility to the forefront, and we are committed to accelerating action to preserve a healthy planet for generations to come," stated Binhabtoor.

The journey, which aims to arrive at its destination after a refit with 12 novel technologies in time for the opening of the Expo 2025 Osaka, will see the vessel dock at ports arond the world to demonstrate how to tackle problems such as pollution and climate change through the use of commercially viable renewable technologies.

The creator of the enterprise is the serial entrepreneur, economist, and author Gunter Pauli, who sets out to inspire the next generation with competitive and commercially viable renewable technologies and techniques.
Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com.
Three Lake Geneva short-term rental property owners will be reimbursed $350 as part of a settlement with the city.

Mary Black, Todd Huemann and Erin Huemann will receive the $350 to settle a claim they filed against Lake Geneva alleging that the citys annual $750 short-term rental license fee was too high.

Representatives from the nonprofit law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a petition in July 2021 with the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission on behalf of Black, Todd Huemann and Erin Huemann. The claim was that Lake Genevas short-term rental license fee was too high compared to other municipalities in Wisconsin.

On Jan. 10, members of the Lake Geneva City Council reduced the citys short-term rental license fee from $750 a year to $400 a year by a 4-3 vote.

The fee was reduced because of pending litigation regarding the previous $750 fee. The city had previously planned to contest the challenge.

Lake Geneva officials have based the citys short-term rental license fee on the cost to administer the licenses and enforce local rules and regulations regarding short-term rental properties.

As part of reducing the fee and settling claim, the city has agreed to reimburse the three short-term rental property owners $350.

Luke Berg, deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, said he is pleased that the city reduced the short-term rental license fee and reimbursed the short-term rental property owners.

We see this as a great win for the clients and for all short-term rental owners both in Lake Geneva and around the state, Berg said. The state law is very clear that municipalities cant impose unreasonable fees.

Berg said the $350 that the property owners will receive is based on the difference between the previous $750 fee and the recently-approved $400 fee.

When youre charged an unreasonable fee, you have to challenge it after the fact, Berg said. The remedy you are entitled to under state law is a refund of the difference.

Berg said because the city reduced the fee and paid the reimbursement, the property owners have since dropped the claim.

That has already happened, Berg said. They have dismissed the claim and stipulated that the case is over.

Officials from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty had filed a similar lawsuit against the city in 2020 claiming that the short-term rental license fee, which was $2,000 a year at the time, was too high.

The lawsuit was dropped in July 2020 when the city council approved to reduce the fee from $2,000 a year to $750 a year. The $2,000 fee was implemented in 2018.

The fee Lake Geneva was charging was one of the highest for the state. Most jurisdictions charge between $100 and $200, and in some places it is up to $300 and $400, Berg said. There are very few that charge $750 and none that charge $2,000, which is where Lake Geneva started.

Wisconsin lawmakers approved a measure in 2017, which was signed by former Gov. Scott Walker, requiring municipalities to allow homeowners to use their properties as short-term rentals for tourists.

Members of the Lake Geneva City Council adopted an ordinance in 2018 to make sure short-term rental properties are properly managed and do not become a nuisance in city neighborhoods.

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A UW-Madison professor accused twice in the past decade of bullying behavior continues to lead a lab and hold significant sway over students. The universitys most recent investigation found students felt trapped in a situation filled with fear and threats, leading officials to recommend safeguards such as ongoing monitoring of the lab.

Engineering professor Chin Wus current students said he is supportive and nothing like what is described in the universitys reports. Wu expressed remorse about his past behavior and said he has changed.

Four students who were in the lab immediately following the 2016 investigation said Wus behavior slightly improved at best. A more recent former student who was unaware of the investigations until contacted by the Wisconsin State Journal described Wus lab as a verbally abusive environment.

In the middle of these conflicting accounts is UW-Madison, which committed to watch over Wu and ensure his behavior improved. The chair of the civil and environmental engineering department has monitored and continues to monitor the labs climate by periodically talking with students, officials said  a claim one student backed up. Another recalled receiving an email about the lab climate.

But seven others who have worked in the lab since the 2016 investigation either said no monitoring took place or couldnt recall anything of that sort. An eighth said the department rarely spoke with him. Their accounts call into question the level of oversight UW-Madison applies after identifying bullying behavior from a professor allowed to continue supervising students.

Nothing to lose

Michael Busch hadnt reached rock bottom, but he was getting perilously close.

It was late 2015, he was several semesters into a masters engineering program and he said Wu kept screaming at him, swearing and calling him stupid. He was having dark thoughts and began seeing a campus counselor, something he said he shared with Wu in the hope that it might de-escalate the situation. Instead, he said Wu brought it up with others despite Busch asking him to keep it confidential.

Busch dreaded his weekly one-on-one meetings with Wu where he said the professor behind closed doors repeatedly called him an idiot, an animal and the worst graduate student. One time, he missed their weekly meeting and said Wu forced him to write an apology letter for his record. If the letter lacked sincerity, he said Wu threatened to kick him out of the program.

The constant beratement and yelling  I just kind of shut down and felt worthless, he said. The main effect on me was I really, really hated myself.

Records show Busch wasnt the only one with a problem.

One of Wus previous students brought bullying concerns to UW-Madisons attention in a 2012 email. The student said he and others experienced verbal abuse and on several occasions he saw his preliminary exams delayed, a crucial step in the Ph.D. process. The only allegation supported by interviews, according to the investigative report, was Wus tendency to verbally abuse graduate students. Officials recommended he discuss his language with a human resources employee.

Four years later, Busch filed a complaint against Wu.

It seemed like I had nothing to lose  I was about to drop out, Busch said.

Just one of nine students interviewed as a part of the 2016 investigation described Wus lab as a positive atmosphere. Several said they received threats related to funding and graduation, according to the report. One student said Wu told them that between 50-70% of his students sought counseling to handle the stresses of the lab.

Former student Nick Jordan called himself one of the lucky ones who didnt experience Wus wrath as often as others did. He remembers the constant churn, with three of four other students who worked on a long-term project with him changing advisers.

Madeline Magee worked in Wus lab from 2010 through December 2016. She didnt plan to stay so long, intending to earn a masters and move on, but the company where she had applied for a job offered her a low salary.

So she continued in the lab. Wu kept putting off scheduling an exam for Magee that was key to progressing toward her degree so she sought two other professors help. For several weeks afterward, she said Wu refused to talk to her or respond to her emails. Then he told her she no longer had funding, according to her account.

It seemed very vindictive, she said.

Magee later asked the company why it had lowballed her on salary and said she learned Wu had given her a bad reference.

Improvement cited

Wu said in a phone interview that he is not a perfect person and his heart is broken for those who had a bad experience at UW-Madison. He made a mistake, improved immediately and said he has not received a similar report since the 2016 investigation.

But Wu also chalked up the investigations to a few unhappy students who turned to the complaint process, which he said he respected was their right to do. He said the reports included a lot of things that were untrue and denied disclosing information about students mental health or forcing anyone to write a letter.

Wu admitted to shouting at students but said he no longer does so. He blamed cultural differences and a totally different American definition as to why he called students stupid, noting that he called himself stupid, too. He also asked how so many of his students  roughly 65 over a 20-year career  could finish their degrees if he threatened to withhold funding or prevent them from graduating.

UW-Madison helped him become a better mentor, be more flexible and exercise more patience, Wu said. He encouraged the State Journal to speak with his current students to see how much he has changed.

Wus current students in interviews and emails said Wu has never screamed at them, threatened them nor called them stupid. They described him as a supportive professor concerned for their well-being. Some said Wus language barrier or cultural differences may have led previous students to interpret things differently than they do.

To have anyone, especially a professor, believe in and invest in you like Chin has done for me is incredibly special, said Miles Tryon-Petith, who joined the lab as a Ph.D. student in 2020.

In letters, students characterized the State Journals reporting as an unwelcome development thats harmed Wus mental health and caused them to worry about their own graduation timelines.

Nine others who have worked with Wu signed a letter sent to College of Engineering leaders this month that said Wu did not abuse them nor intentionally delay their degrees and described the lab environment as positive.

The State Journal independently verified the identities of eight of the signers. One came from a student who said Wu was his secondary adviser in the early 2000s and two were from visiting students who did not earn UW-Madison degrees.

Josh Anderson, a former student who is now an employee in Wus lab and organized the sending of the letter, said he saw nothing since he joined the lab in 2007 that rose to the level of filing a complaint. He said Wu sometimes had to be hard on underperforming students but the professor has since softened his advising approach.

Another former student who signed the letter, John Reimer, who was a part-time graduate student under Wu from 2007 until he graduated with his Ph.D. in 2020, said Wu opened up a lot of doors professionally. What others interpreted as yelling, he viewed as Wu raising his voice.

Hes scared of his students now for what they may falsely claim against him, Reimer said.

Intent is clear

Five former students paint a different picture of Wus behavior after the 2016 investigation, one of superficial changes at best.

It didnt limit him too much other than pulling back some ill-advised things he said, said Jordan, who was in the lab for more than a year after the investigation. He still made sure his intent was there.

Magee offered a similar account.

He did swear and scream less, but there was almost like a sarcastic undertone to it, she said. Like, Oh, we must have this door open because of this ridiculous investigation they did. There was a lot of tone in the way he said stuff that made it seem he wasnt taking it seriously. But I also wasnt going to bring it up to anyone because I wanted to get past it and be done dealing with him.

The positive comments from current students dont surprise Magee. She said Wu strongly encouraged his students to answer questions from investigators in certain ways, which Wu denied doing.

Morteza Mahmoudi, an expert on academic bullying, said former students accounts are often more valuable and robust than current students whose livelihoods depend on their professor.

A former student, who declined to be named because they still work in the same field as Wu and fear retaliation, said within a few months of the 2016 investigation ending, the professor reverted back to his old ways. The student said Wu threatened to delay graduation after informing him about finding a job. The student also said they became a sounding board for labmates, several of whom cried in meetings and one of whom shared that she was having suicidal thoughts.

Busch, who spent more than a year in the lab after filing his complaint and doesnt recall being asked if his situation improved in the aftermath of the investigation he initiated, said there were still manipulative moments but Wu largely ignored him. He suspects thats because Wu told him he knew Busch prompted the investigation based on specific instances referenced in his complaint. Busch said he passed this comment along to the department chair and didnt bother sharing any more concerns after that.

I didnt think it would do much, he said. But I also never got the sense that (UW) cared.

A former student who more recently worked in Wus lab and was not put in touch with the State Journal through other students said they never would have joined the lab if they had known about the previous two investigations. The newspaper agreed not to identify the student because they are still in academia and fear retaliation from Wu for speaking out.

It was degrading and verbally abusive, the student said of their time in the lab. Usually when someones crying in front of you, you dont keep yelling.

The student said they brought their concerns to the department chair but little came of the conversations. Shortly after depression set in, the student decided to leave the lab.

The College of Engineering has addressed individual concerns about Wu that were shared informally, Dean Ian Robertson said. Information is typically reviewed by more than one person to decide whether to forward the information to the Provosts Office for additional investigation. To date, officials said the college has not received information indicating a policy violation by Wu.

Whos watching?

For cases that dont appear egregious enough to justify discipline or dismissal, UW-Madison typically handles the matter through progressive discipline, an approach university officials said is a widely used best practice in human resources.

In most cases you want to try to work with someone, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in an interview. So they understand the consequences, their actions, and are able to modify their actions and become effective teachers and mentors. And I think thats worked in some cases, but that does require mentoring of the individual and education of the individual and their willingness to engage in behavioral change.

In Wus case, he received a letter outlining behavior expectations that has no end date, putting the university in a strong position to take action if misconduct occurs. UW-Madison officials also maintain the department has monitored his lab.

One former student recalled receiving an email asking about the labs climate and a current student said he has talked with the department chair about once a semester since 2020.

Seven others could not recall meetings that they would consider monitoring, though some remembered receiving generic, collegewide emails about bullying or mental health. A few current students said administrators reached out to them shortly after the State Journal informed UW-Madison about this story in late January.

UW-Madison officials offered no evidence that monitoring occurred beyond a statement from Robertson who said the chair met with students, both as a group and with many of them individually. Most of them indicated a single one-on-one meeting was sufficient, he said, but some students requested conversations continue for a longer period. The chair also talked with faculty who share the same lab space as Wu to get their assessment of the groups climate.

David Noyce, the chair at the time of the 2016 investigation and for more than three years afterward, deferred questions to Robertson.

Looking back

Busch graduated with his masters degree in 2017 and now lives out of state. Hes in a much better place. Happy. Fulfilled by his work. And far removed from the years at UW-Madison, where he said he felt worthless.

During the pandemic, a student from Buschs days as a teaching assistant reached out to him. The student said they were now in graduate school, working for Wu and disappointed with academic life.

It sounded like how Busch felt throughout his time in Wus lab. But maybe the professor had changed his ways. He also figured such feelings could have been tied to any number of things  family, friends, finances or the general grind of grad school. Still, he worried about the student potentially being in a situation similar to his own.

But Busch believed he had done everything he could. The rest, he reasoned, was in UW-Madisons hands.

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Tyrone High School students have found a fun way to reduce the 120,000 pounds of crayons go into landfills each year.
Firefighting foam is commonly used to depopulate poultry facilities where avian influenza has been found. Gassing or ventilation shutdown with heat are other options utilized to contain the spread of the virus.

Photo provided by Gregory Martin
Monique Degny-Oulai sings in the French choir, Chorale Sainte Marie Reine, during a French Mass at the Church of Notre Dame in New York City on March 6.
Maharashtra [India], March 19 (ANI/PNN): Leading Baklava brand, Mezaya, which is presently making a sale of Rs 10 lakhs a month, is targeting a sale of Rs 25 lakhs per month in the coming financial year, the Co-founder of Mezaya Confectionary LLP, Raies Sheikh said. We are all set to scale our annual turnover to Rs 3 crore by March 31, 2023, Raies pointed out. At present, we are delivering 50 to 70 boxes a day; we are aiming to increase these deliveries to around 150 plus boxes, he added.

To achieve this target, the company has augmented its capacity and invested in a state-of-the-art kitchen so that the production can match the supply-demand, he said. The company is also looking at expanding its product range so that our patrons can enjoy other Middle Eastern delicacies as well, he said. Right now, we are working on the menu.

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Mezaya, which stormed the Mumbai market with its amazing and sumptuous range of baklavas three years back, has also started delivering its entire range to major tier I cities across the country. The company has tied up with premier courier company Blue Dart so that fresh Baklavas can be delivered in less than 48 hours. For this, the company has developed special packaging to ensure the freshness of the product is kept intact, the release added.

The best products are used in manufacturing them and are sourced from the country of their origin. For example, the company procures pistachios from Iran. Similarly, the best Belgian chocolates are also imported. Besides the ingredients, the other USP of these handcrafted baklavas is specially developed in-house syrups, which not only enhances the taste but also makes the experience of consuming them to the next level. Another distinguishing factor is that no synthetics or chemicals are used to prepare them, and the entire range is natural, organic and 1oo per cent vegetarian.

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It all started as a small venture four years back from a small 100 square feet room in a small decrepit place in suburban Mumbai. It has grown into a full-fledged business venture, with turnover touching close to 1.2 crores in the current financial year. Today, Baklava by Mezaya has become the go-to name for indulging in these sinful Mediterranean delights.

Started by a young entrepreneur couple Shazia and Raies Sheikh, in their twenties, the business has grown multi-fold, and today the company is delivering close to 2000 orders monthly. Says Raies, "in the first month we made a sale of just Rs ten thousand and today we easily cross ten lakh every month".

Raies, who studied engineering and worked in Dubai for some time, confesses that the idea of venturing into Mediterranean desserts came from his wife Shazia. She finished her bakery course at Richemont Master Baker in Dubai. "She used to bake those incredible Baklavas, and everyone who tasted wanted to have more, and that is how the seeds of Mezaya were implanted in our minds", he said.

Mezaya currently has 12 delivery outlets and delivers Baklavas across Mumbai and neighbouring satellite towns. Patrons directly order through the Mezaya's social media pages or other delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy.

This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)

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Kashmiri Pandits during a protest demonstration to mark the 30th anniversary of their mass exodus from the Kashmir valley, (File photo)

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, an advocate and social activist has sought direction to reopen all cases pertaining to the "massacre" of Kashmiri Pandits and also for the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to reinvestigate incidents of killings in the Kashmir valley.

Vineet Jindal, advocate and social activist, in his letter to the President, sought reopening, investigation of cases and constitution of an SIT to probe cases of the "massacre" of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-1990.

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Jindal urged the President that the SIT should "thoroughly investigate the cases reported till now and provide a platform to the victims who were unable to report their cases previously due to unfavourable circumstances prevailing then with the objective of ensuring justice."

The advocate contested that "if matters pertaining to anti-Sikh riots, which took place 33 years ago, can be reopened and reinvestigated then even the cases of the Kashmiri pundits, which happened 27 years ago, can also be reopened and reinvestigated".

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Jindal in the letter pointed out that the victims of the incidents were in a state of "physical, emotional and mental trauma and struggling for their livelihood for past many years and they were not in a state to get their complaints registered, statements recorded and therefore are devoid of an opportunity to justice."

Pressing for justice for the victims, Jindal argued: "As already said the onus of the justice largely lies with the police officials and administrative authorities, who have quite been ignorant of the massacre and the losses. Such Kashmiri pundits should be given a chance to look forward to the government and the authorities concerned". (ANI)

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 19 (ANI): Telangana Information Technology (IT) and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR), on Saturday, led a delegation to the United States (US) to attract global firms for investments in the state.

By departing to the US, early this morning, the delegation is expected to visit a number of cities in the US, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Boston and New York.

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"Minister KTR has a packed agenda in this week-long trip and will be meeting the top management executives of several world-renowned companies in the US," read a press statement by the KTR office.

"He will explain to them the progressive policies of the State and the benefits of investing in industry-friendly Telangana," it read further.

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Minister KTR is accompanied by Telangana IT and Industries Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Director Electronics Sujai Karampuri, Director Life Sciences Shakti Nagappan, Director Food Processing Akhil Gawar, Director Promotions Vijay Rangineni, and the Chief Relations Officer of the state Amarnath Reddy. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Delhi on Saturday reported 61 fresh COVID-19 cases and one death, while the positivity rate stood at 0.68 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

The relatively lower number of cases came out of the lesser number of tests -- 9,011 -- conducted a day ago, which was a holiday in view of Holi festival.

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With 61 fresh cases, the national capital's case count increased to 18,63,694 while the death toll rose to 26,146, the latest health bulletin stated.

Delhi on Friday had reported 140 new cases with a positivity rate of 0.43 per cent, and zero death. The city on Thursday had logged 148 cases with a positivity rate of 0.47 per cent, and one death.

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On March 5, 6, 10, 11, 13 and 14 also, the city had recorded zero fatality count.

The number of daily cases in Delhi has been on the decline after touching the record high of 28,867 on January 13.

The city had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14, the highest during the ongoing wave of the pandemic.

Amid a decline in daily cases of COVID-19 in Delhi, the number of patients under home isolation here has also significantly fallen in the last few weeks.

The total number of home isolation cases as on February 1 had stood at 12,312, and on March 19, it dipped to 393.

The number of containment zones, which were also slowly falling in this period, also registered a dip in its count to 3,171 on March 19, according to official figures shared by the health department.

The surge in Covid cases in Delhi during the third wave of the pandemic, was largely due to the Omicron variant of the virus which is highly transmissible.

There are 10,244 beds for Covid patients in Delhi hospitals and 75 (0.73 per cent) of them were occupied.

A total of 75 Covid patients were in hospitals, the Saturday health department bulletin stated.

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Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 19 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that for the first time in two years, COVID-19 is under control on the occasion of Holi.

The Cheif Minister on Saturday participated in 'Bhagwan Narsingh Holikotsav Shobha Yatra' in Gorakhpur, under the aegis of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

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Addressing the people at the event, Adityanath referred to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory in the recently concluded state Assembly polls and said, "You are connected to the enthusiasm of Holi for past 10 days. For the first time in 2 years, Corona is under control on Holi and we have the opportunity to participate in the event, in person. Secondly, Uttar Pradesh once again chose a government for nationalism and good governance."

Adityanath on March 17 had participated in the function of 'Holika Dahan' in Gorakhpur. He had also visited Gorakhanath Temple on the same day.

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"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 had said.

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 Assembly elections.

The BJP has retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. (ANI)

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Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 19 (ANI): Snow clearance operation has started on a massive scale to clear the Mughal Road. The operation was carried out under the Mechanical and PWD Mughal Road wing with the latest heavy machinery.

With heavy snowfalls hitting the high altitudes, the Mughal road was closed in the area thus disturbing the transportation of the local people.

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"We have started the snow clearance on a war footing. We are tactfully gripping the situation as avalanches hurdle down the mountains at night as well. We aim at completing the operation at the earliest," Sarfraz Ahmed, Engineer PWD- Mughal Road told ANI.

The locals were also relieved due to the clearance and hope for the normal business to return. "There are different tourist spots in the surrounding area, once the roads are clear we think the tourists will come in good numbers on our shops", said a local shopkeeper.

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Mughal Road connects Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir valley. With the clearance of the snow, the road is soon expected to be fully functional. (ANI)

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Chennai, Mar 19 (PTI) More than 1.34 crore eligible people in Tamil Nadu have not received the second dose of vaccination against COVID-19 and they should make use of the Mega Vaccination Camp conducted every week by the health department, state Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday.

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The Minister for Health and Family Welfare inspected the 25th Mega Vaccination Camp currently underway in the city.

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At the camp, he said 3,61,283 children in the age group of 12-14 years have received the jabs as against the eligible 21.21 lakh. Vaccination to this age category commenced on March 16 across the country.

"In Tamil Nadu on a daily basis two lakh vaccination doses are being administered. As many as 1,34,35,505 people are eligible to receive the second dose and are yet to get vaccinated while 51,82,974 people are yet to receive the first dose of vaccination in the state. They should make use of the Mega Vaccination Camp conducted on Saturdays by the health department," he said.

Subramanian said currently 76,80,645 doses of vaccines were available with the health department.

The minister said 3,100 panchayats out of a total 12,585 panchayats in Tamil Nadu have achieved 100 per cent vaccination status in their region and very soon they would be honoured by certificates signed by Chief Minister M K Stalin.

He said of the 5,78,91,000 eligible persons above the age of 18 years, the health department has administered vaccines to 5,32,28,642 while 4,32,24,269 received second dose of vaccinations.

On the status of precautionary booster dose, he said 4,09,588 people above the age of 60 years have received the third dose.

The minister said monitoring of people in the 13 districts bordering Kerala have been intensified as COVID-19 cases increased to 847 on Friday while in Tamil Nadu it stood at 61 on Friday with zero fatalities.

"Lakhs of people travel to Tamil Nadu from Kerala. Due to the increase in cases in Kerala, it has been decided to intensify the measures in the border districts," he said.

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By Rajnish Singh

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): A Parliamentary committee has advised the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to "fix a timeline" to expedite the evaluation, and delivery of products for the full operationalization of the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), which is proposed to be a robust mechanism to track suspects and prevent terrorist attacks with real-time data and access to classified information like immigration, banking, individual taxpayers, air and train travel.

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The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs is headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma.

The 238th report, tabled in Parliament on Monday, stresses the need for expediting operationalisation of NATGRID, saying "the Committee understands the importance of NATGRID for creation of a comprehensive network for intelligence inputs and access for intelligence and security agencies".

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"The Committee observes that administrative approval and procedural delays are hampering the progress of NATGRID and leading to under-utilization of funds," noted the report.

"The Committee recommends that MHA may fix a timeline for evaluation, and delivery of products for the full operationalization of NATGRID so that the funds can be optimally utilized. The Committee would like to be informed about the progress made in this regard," stated the report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to soon launch the NATGRID that aims to provide a "cutting-edge technology to enhance India's counter-terror capabilities", official sources said.

They said the final "synchronisation and testing" of the ambitious electronic database, which was mooted after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, is being carried out so that it can go live.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had last year indicated that NATGRID, conceptualised as a seamless and secure database for information on terrorists, economic crimes and similar incidents, may finally see the light of day.

"Had corona (COVID-19) not been there, the Prime Minister would have dedicated NATGRID to the country. I am hopeful that the Prime Minister will dedicate NATGRID to the country in some time," Shah said during the 51st Foundation Day event of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) here on September 4 last year.

The 26/11 terrorist siege in Mumbai back in 2008 exposed the deficiency that security agencies had no mechanism to look for vital information on a real-time basis.

According to the first phase plan, 10 user agencies and 21 service providers will be connected with the NATGRID, while in later phases, about 950 additional organisations will be brought on board. In the following years, more than 1,000 organisations will be further integrated into the NATGRID.

These data sources include records related to immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions and telecommunications.

Prominent federal agencies of the country have been authorised to access the NATGRID database.

They are the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (for the Income Tax Department), the Cabinet Secretariat, the Intelligence Bureau, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence, the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Financial Intelligence Unit, and the National Investigation Agency.

Lack of quick information to intelligence and enforcement agencies was considered one of the major hurdles in detecting U.S. terror suspect David Headley's movement across the country during his multiple visits between 2006 and 2009.

Headley had provided key information and videos of terror targets to Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba that carried out the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people, including foreigners.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had given approval to the Rs 3,400 crore NATGRID project back in 2010 but its work slowed down after 2012.

However, Modi, who came to power for the first time in 2014, later gave directions for its revival. (ANI)

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New Delhi, March 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda are among the list of invitees scheduled to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, said sources.

According to sources, Yogi Adityanath, who led his party to a thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, is likely to take oath as Chief Minister of the state for the second tenure on March 25.

Other than Union Ministers and the leadership of BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, many other Union Cabinet Ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are also among the invitees. If sources are to be believed, several Opposition leaders have also made their way to the list of invitees to the oath-taking ceremony. Yogi Adityanath Swearing-In Ceremony: BJP To Hold a Grand Oath-Taking Ceremony on March 25 at Ikana Stadium.

"Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati are among the prominent names likely to be invited from the opposition parties," said sources.

Beneficiaries of various central and state-run welfare schemes have also been invited to the oath-taking ceremony with a special focus on women beneficiaries. Preparations for the grand ceremony have begun in Ekana Stadium of Lucknow.

As per sources, the names of cabinet members have already been finalized by the BJP. Home Minister Amit Shah has been appointed as the central observer to look after the government formation in Uttar Pradesh. Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das will also accompany Shah in ensuring government formation in the state as the co-observer.

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.

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Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 19 (ANI): Four persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of International kabaddi player Sandeep Singh earlier this week, Punjab Police said on Saturday.

Police has also registered cases against three foreign nationals who are believed to be the key conspirators in the case.

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"In less than a week after International Kabaddi Player Sandeep Singh alias Sandeep Nangal Ambia was killed, Punjab Police have solved the murder case with the arrest of four accused involved in conspiring crime. Three foreign-based persons identified as main conspirators were also booked," said Punjab Police in a Twitter post.

The kabaddi player was shot dead in Jalandhar on March 14. (ANI)

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Hyderabad, Mar 19 (PTI) Stepping up his attack against the NDA government, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday decided to go to Delhi on March 21, along with state ministers, to demand the Centre to purchase paddy produced in state in the summer season crop.

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He convened a meeting of TRS MLAs, MLCs and other party leaders on March 21, an official release said.

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Rao said the meeting would chalk out a plan to hold dharnas and other protests demanding the Centre to buy 'yasangi' (summer crop) paddy in the state.

After the meeting, Rao and a delegation of ministers would leave for Delhi "to meet Union Ministers and even the Prime Minister" to demand that the Centre buy the paddy.

The TRS members would stage protests in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in line with the agitation in Telangana, the release said.

Claiming that the Centre is procuring "100 per cent of paddy from Punjab", Rao said "agitation programmes would continue demanding Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure 100 per cent of paddy from Telangana".

Rao, known as KCR, described paddy procurement as a "life and death issue" for Telangana farmers and said the TRS is gearing up for an intensive struggle on it.

Rao has been extremely critical of the BJP and the NDA government at the Centre in recent months over different issues.

The TRS and BJP in Telangana were engaged in a bitter war of words over paddy procurement in the state during the rainy season crop last year.

Rao, along with his cabinet colleagues and other TRS leaders, held a dharna here in November last year, demanding that the Centre specify the annual target for paddy procurement in a year from Telangana.

BJP leader and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy had said the Centre would purchase paddy from the state as per the agreement between the state government and Central agencies.

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Washington [US], March 19 (ANI): US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) held a video call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and warned China of implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia while also reiterating that the US continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo on the Taiwan issue, a White House readout informed.

"President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia. He described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians," the readout said.

Also Read | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Says War Against Ukraine Will Set Russia Back by Decades.

Xi said, "As leaders of major countries, we (China and the US) need to think about how to properly address global hotspot issues and, more importantly, keep in mind global stability and the work and life of billions of people," as quoted by Xinhua.

On the question of Taiwan, Biden reiterated that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed, and emphasized that the United States continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo, the readout said.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Europeans Hoard Food in Panic Amid Russo-Ukrainian Conflict.

Xi spoke sharply on the question of Taiwan saying that some people in the U.S. have sent a wrong signal on the issue of Taiwanese independence, adding that "this is very dangerous."

Xi said that President Biden has just reiterated that the U.S. does not seek to have a new Cold War with China, to change China's system, or to revitalize alliances against China and that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence" or intend to seek a conflict with China. "I take these remarks very seriously," he added.

Mishandling of the Taiwan question will have a disruptive impact on the bilateral ties, Xi further said, adding, "China hopes that the US will give due attention to this issue," as quoted by Xinhua.

The two leaders agreed that a diplomatic solution to the present conflict in Ukraine is the most desirable outcome as of now.

Earlier on Thursday, Biden had said that his Chinese counterpart "does not believe democracies can be sustained in the 21st century." According to CNN News, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the same day, "We're (US) concerned that they're (China) considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment to use in Ukraine."

The United States has "deep concerns" on China's alignment with Russia at present time, a US official said, adding that the national security adviser was directed about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions.

"We do have deep concerns about China's 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 official said. (ANI)

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Islamabad, March 19: In a bid to boost Pakistan's air defence capabilities, China has delivered latest versions of its J-10 multirole tactical fighter aircraft. Last week, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) held a ceremony marking the induction of the Chinese-made fighters into its arsenal.

According to the analysts, this deal will significantly boost Islamabad's air defences and maritime security capabilities reported Asia Times. Pakistan which received weapons assistance from the US for the most part of the Cold War, however, has now started to look to Beijing for weapons assistance as Washington has started to place more restrictions. The sale of the fighter aircraft brings China-Pakistan closer together strategically in a clear move away from Islamabad's past reliance on the United States. Indian Army Top Brass Discuss Threats From China, Pakistan.

As Pakistan is facing more restrictions to get weapons from the US, China has filled the vacuum by proving weapons to boost Islamabad's conventional and nuclear arsenal.

While China has long supplied Pakistan's armed forces, the relationship has deepened in recent years, with Pakistan making major purchases of top-of-the-line Chinese export equipment. Further, Pakistan is also in negotiations to buy the longer-ranged Chinese HQ-9 system, a Chinese analogue to the Russian S-300 long-range SAM.

China provided significant assistance to the Pakistani nuclear weapons program and is alleged to have provided missile components, warhead designs, and even highly-enriched uranium.

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San Jose, Mar 19 (AP) A former Apple employee has been charged with defrauding the tech giant out of more than USD 10 million by taking kickbacks, stealing equipment and laundering money, federal prosecutors said.

Dhirendra Prasad, 52, worked for 10 years as a buyer in Apple's Global Service Supply Chain department.

Also Read | China Boosting Pakistan's Air Defence Capabilities, Fighter Jet Deal Pulls Islamabad Closer to Beijing.

A federal criminal case unsealed Friday alleges that he exploited his position to defraud the company in several schemes, including stealing parts and causing the company to pay for items and services it never received.

A court has allowed the federal government to seize five real estate properties and financial accounts worth about USD 5 million from Prasad, and the government is seeking to keep those assets as proceeds of crime, the US Attorney's office in San Jose said in a news release.

Also Read | Most Boring Person in the World Likes Watching TV and Lives in a Town, Reveals Research.

Prasad is scheduled to appear in court next Thursday to answer to charges of engaging in a conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering and tax evasion. It's unclear whether he has retained a lawyer. A phone number listed for him was disconnected.

Two owners of vendor companies that did business with Apple have admitted to conspiring with Prasad to commit fraud and launder money, prosecutors said.

Prasad is scheduled to make a first appearance in US District Court in San Jose next week on Thursday.

Fraud, money laundering and tax evasion each carry maximum sentences of five to 20 years, but sentencing guidelines and judges' discretion mean most people convicted of fraud in federal court receive less than the maximum sentence. (AP)

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Islamabad [Pakistan], March 19 (ANI): Ahead of the no-trust vote in National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign and go home "if he had any sense of shame left", reported local media.

In an apparent reference to Imran Khan, Maryam said, "You cannot save the government, God willing, but if you have any shame left then save it and leave," The News International reported citing the PML-N leaders' Twitter handle.

Also Read | China Boosting Pakistan's Air Defence Capabilities, Fighter Jet Deal Pulls Islamabad Closer to Beijing.

"You are not an elected government which can take a stand so you have opted for hooliganism but that will also backfire," she added.

Meanwhile, the heads of the Pakistan opposition parties were scheduled to meet today to discuss strategy regarding the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to the media outlet.

Also Read | Most Boring Person in the World Likes Watching TV and Lives in a Town, Reveals Research.

According to sources, the opposition's huddle will be held at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad.

PDM chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Balochistan National Party chairman Akhtar Mengal, Awami National Party's Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, and other leaders will be among the attendees.

The Opposition parties submitted the no-trust motion against Imran Khan 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.

Notably, the opposition parties have rejected the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister and has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation. (ANI)

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Moscow [Russia], March 19 (ANI/Sputnik): The authorities of San Marino, Monaco and Andorra were pressured by the West to impose sanctions against Russia but will bear the consequences of this decision anyways, Alexey Paramonov, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's First European Department, told Sputnik.

"In the current situation, the leadership of San Marino, Monaco and Andorra succumbed to the information pressure whipped up by the West and imposed sanctions against us. Unfortunately, the leaders of these countries did not show a desire to understand the Russian position, the reasons for today's events in Ukraine, which resulted in a violation of its own constitutional and political-diplomatic principles," the diplomat said.

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All responsibility for "the consequences and unseized cooperation opportunities" resulting from anti-Russia sanctions rests entirely with the governments of San Marino, Monaco and Andorra, he added.

On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In response, the United States, the European Union and their allies have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow. (ANI/Sputnik)

Also Read | Pakistan Government Plans To Reduce Numbers of Terrorists in POK To Exit From Grey List of FATF, Says Report.

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Lahore [Pakistan], March 19 (ANI): An ally of Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Friday rejected horse-trading allegations ahead of the no-confidence motion.

Hussian said, "This is the first no-confidence motion in which no one is buying or selling votes, this is just propaganda," reported Geo News.

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In an official statement, the PML-Q leader said that he had been observing it in newspapers and on TV that "bundles of notes" are being distributed ahead of the no-confidence motion. He added that even Prime Minister Imran Khan had mentioned that "bundles of notes" were being distributed in Sindh House.

The PML-Q leader said that the government always tries to stop public gatherings and it was the "first time" that the Opposition and the government were holding rallies on the same issue. The Opposition is insisting on holding public gatherings due to the government's announcement.

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Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry had claimed a day earlier that the Sindh House in Islamabad, "is currently the centre of horse-trading," while accusing the Opposition of buying the votes of MNAs, reported Geo News.

He had alleged that there were "reports of huge sums of money being shifted to the Sindh House," adding that the PPP has deputed police outside it to accommodate people there.

Following the claims, the Sindh House had become the centre of attention, with PTI MNA Raja Riaz, who is residing therein, claiming that 24 lawmakers were staying at the lodge.

The claims made by the minister and Riaz had also pushed PTI workers in Islamabad to stage a sit-in outside the Sindh House, reported Geo News.

While the protest started off peacefully at the beginning, it soon took a violent turn as demonstrators broke the gate open and stormed inside the Sindh House. The incident happened despite the presence of a heavy contingent of police outside the lodge.

The Opposition parties moved a no-confidence motion seeking the ouster of PM Imran Khan on March 8, accusing him of "mismanaging the economy and poor governance."

Amid all this, the PTI has called for a public gathering on March 27 -- a day before the no-confidence motion. Soon after the announcement, the Opposition also announced that it would lead a long march to Islamabad ahead of the no-confidence motion, reported Geo News. (ANI)

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Islamabad [Pakistan], March 19 (ANI): The heads of the Pakistan opposition parties will meet today to discuss strategy regarding the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, local media citing sources reported on Saturday.

The News International citing sources said that the opposition's huddle will be held at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad.

Also Read | Taliban Welcomes Extension of UN Mission in War-Torn Nation For Another Year.

PDM chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Balochistan National Party chairman Akhtar Mengal, Awami National Party's Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, and other leaders will be among the attendees.

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".

Also Read | Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Could Last Several Weeks.

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.

The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning 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)

Earlier, the opposition parties rejected the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister, the opposition has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation, reported local media. This comes as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday offered the Opposition a deal to withdraw the no-confidence resolution, saying "let's see what can be given in return", reported The News International. However, the Opposition rejected any option of having negotiations with the government on the subject of the no-confidence resolution. "Our no-confidence motion is not about dissolving assemblies, rather than it is to oust this incompetent government, who has ruined the economy and shown insensitivity towards the masses," the media outlet quoted Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Rana Sanaullah as saying during a Geo News Programme on Monday. "Government did not even bother to shake hand with the Opposition in last four years, therefore now, no dialogue will be held with the government," he added. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Ahead of the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Hyderabad House in Delhi.

Kishida arrived here in the national capital on his two-day visit to India beginning today. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the Japanese Prime Minister at the airport.

Also Read | Taliban Welcomes Extension of UN Mission in War-Torn Nation For Another Year.

Japanese Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, besides holding bilateral talks with PM Modi.

This is Kishida's first such visit in his role as Prime Minister and the Summit would be the first meeting between the two leaders. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

Also Read | Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Could Last Several Weeks.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Last year witnessed increasing bilateral and multilateral engagement between India and Japan and further strengthening of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Both nations also witnessed further strengthening of bilateral security and defence cooperation. (ANI)

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Taipei [Taiwan], March 19 (ANI): Hours after Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait, two Shenyang J-11 fighter jets and a Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine helicopter entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday.

The Ministry of National Defense informed that Taiwan's Air Force jets issued radio warnings telling the Chinese aircraft to turn back immediately, reported Taiwan News.

Also Read | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Says War Against Ukraine Will Set Russia Back by Decades.

The military also said it deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activities of the People's Liberation Army Air Force jets and helicopter.

The aircraft was spotted during the day in the southwest sector of the ADIZ off the coast of Taiwan's main island, the Liberty Times reported.

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Because there was no land close to the area where the helicopter appeared, speculation was that it had taken off from a Chinese navy vessel, reported Taiwan News.

China's Shandong carrier earlier sailed past the island of Kinmen before heading north through the Taiwan Strait.

The United States guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson was shadowing the Chinese ship, while vessels from Taiwan's Navy were also present in the area, according to the report. (ANI)

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Washington [US], March 19 (ANI): Washington's efforts to pressurize China into opening up the tightly guarded region have not succeeded as a new US Congress report assessment indicated that foreign diplomats, journalists and tourists were "systematically" denied access to China's Tibet autonomous region over the past year.

The dire assessment comes despite attempts by Washington to force Beijing to relax the limits it has long imposed on Tibet, including by sanctioning Chinese officials involved in formulating or enacting those restrictions, reported Policy Research Group (POREG)

Also Read | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Says War Against Ukraine Will Set Russia Back by Decades.

Compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and China's closure of the US embassy in neighbouring Sichuan province, there was no sign of a loosening of restrictions compared with 2020, the State Department said in an annual report to Congress published on Thursday.

The obstacles, the report alleged, included harassment of US journalists, the stonewalling of diplomats' engagements with locals in Tibetan areas outside Tibet, and the refusal by the Chinese government to greenlight any visits to Tibet by the US charge d'affaires at its Beijing embassy.

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"(China's) security forces used conspicuous monitoring to intimidate US diplomats and officials including while on personal travel to Tibetan areas, followed them, prevented them from meeting or speaking with local contacts, harassed them, and restricted their movement in these areas," the report said.

The report also noted that US efforts to access Tibet had been "severely" constrained by China's closure of Washington's consulate in Sichuan's Chengdu in July 2020 - in retaliation for the US government's closure of a Chinese consulate in Houston over accusations of espionage, reported POREG.

The report also said that rejections of tourists' applications to visit had increased around politically sensitive times, including the March anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule and the Dalai Lama's birthday in July.

Despite the remote and sparsely populated western region experiencing low infection rates during the pandemic, authorities in Tibet and surrounding provinces implemented "heavily" restrictive travel limits that had stayed in place for much of the past year, according to the report.

The restrictions, alleged the State Department, had been used by Chinese authorities as a "pretext" for detaining, harassing or removing US journalists from reporting in regions near Tibet, reported POREG.

The State Department report comes weeks after Freedom House, a US-based international democracy watchdog, ranked Tibet as the least free territory in the world - alongside Syria and South Sudan - for the second year in a row. (ANI)

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The Goa Crime Branch on Friday said it has arrested a Hyderabad-based man and rescued three women, including a television actress, after busting a prostitution racket at Sangolda village near Panaji. The Crime Branch said two of the rescued women, including the TV actress, are from Virar near Mumbai, while the third one hails from Hyderabad.

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The Crime Branch of Goa Police has busted a sex racket operating in Sangolda village near Panaji and rescued three women, including a TV actress, from Mumbai and arrested a man from Hyderabad.  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022

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Washington/Beijing, March 19: US President Joe Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that there would be "implications and consequences" for Beijing if it chose to provide direct "material support" to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine and increasing attacks on civilians, the White House has said.

The 110-minute secure video call on Friday was the first conversation between the two leaders since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The talks between Biden and Xi largely focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the implications for the US.-China relationship and international order, a senior White House official told reporters.

"He (President Biden) described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians," the White House said in a readout of the lengthy conversation between the two presidents. Russia Intensifies Attack on Ukraine, Using Hypersonic Weapons in Western Region.

Later, a senior Biden administration official refused to publicly detail what those consequences might be for Beijing, a close ally of Moscow. "I'm not going to, sort of, publicly lay out our options from here," the senior official said.

Ever since Russia launched a 'special military operation' in Ukraine on February 24, China has been treading a fine line, declining to condemn it as an invasion.

The call between the two presidents was about making sure there is a "direct, candid and detailed and very substantive conversation at the leader level," the senior administration official said.

"President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia," the White House readout of the meeting said.

Biden underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication, to manage the competition between our two countries, it said.

Biden and Xi also tasked their teams to follow up on their conversation in the critical period ahead, the White House said.

At the same time, President Xi underscored that there have been and will continue to be differences between China and the US. What matters is to keep such differences under control. A steadily growing relationship is in the interest of both sides, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Beijing.

On the situation in Ukraine, President Biden expounded on the US position, and expressed readiness for communication with China to prevent the situation from exacerbating, it said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Urges Meaningful Negotiations on Peace With Russia.

"China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine to come to this. China stands for peace and opposes war. This is embedded in China's history and culture," the statement quoted Xi as telling Biden. "China makes a conclusion independently based on the merits of each matter. China advocates upholding international law and universally recognised norms governing international relations," Xi said.

China adheres to the UN Charter and promotes the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. These are the major principles that underpin China's approach to the Ukraine crisis, Xi explained.

"All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace. The US and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine," Xi said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the vast majority of the nearly two hours was spent with the president outlining the views of the United States, its allies and partners on this crisis, including a detailed overview of efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, how we got here, steps we've taken, where we've gone and why.

A senior administration official told reporters that the conversation was direct.

It was substantive and it was detailed. The two leaders spent the preponderance of their time discussing Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the implications of the crisis for U.S.-China relations and the international order, the official said.

Biden shared with Xi a detailed review of how things have developed to this point, his assessment of the situation today, and President Biden underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, the official said, adding that Biden described the US' assessment of Putin's actions and his miscalculations.

He also described the unity of the United States and its allies and partners, the unprecedented coordination with our European, NATO, and Indo-Pacific partners, and the overwhelming global unity and condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as the support for Ukraine, said the official.

Biden made clear the implication and consequences of China providing material support -- if China were to provide material support -- to Russia as it prosecutes its brutal war in Ukraine, not just for China's relationship with the United States but for the wider world, the official said.

During the call, Biden stressed concerns that Russia is spreading disinformation about biological weapons in Ukraine as a pretext for a false-flag operation and underscored concerns about echoing such disinformation. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had sent a similar message on Monday during a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome, a senior administration official told reporters. Russia-Ukraine War Latest Updates: Zelenskyy Says It is Time for Meaningful Security Talks; Dead Buildings Tower Over Uncollected Corpses in Mariupol.

The official declined comment on whether the US has information that China is providing or is open to providing Moscow with financial and military assistance but did say Sullivan spoke directly about concerns and the "potential implications and consequences of certain actions."

Meanwhile, Biden and Xi also discussed the Taiwan issue during their talks.

President Xi raised Taiwan. President Biden reiterated that the United States remains committed to our one-China policy and is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. And he underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the official said. China views Taiwan, a self-ruling island, as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, even by force.
A Florida shooting on a public transit bus has left two people dead and another two injured. Meanwhile, three other people were injured in a car crash that was connected to the shooting incident in Fort Lauderdale.

The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Jamal Meyers, police said. Meyers has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to an ABC News report.

Police said that additional charges are pending. Meanwhile, court records showed that Meyers did not list any attorney information.

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Florida Shooting on Public Transit Bus

Fort Lauderdale Police Department's acting police chief, Luis Alvarez, said that the shooting took place on a Broward County Transit bus, with the driver hearing "several gunshots." The driver of the bus then pulled into the parking lot of the police department.

The acting police chief said that the bus driver's quick reaction saved lives for sure, according to a USA Today News report.

The suspect shot four people on the Broward County Transit bus, according to officials. One of the shooting victims died at the scene, while another later died at a hospital.

The other two victims are still hospitalized. Police said that they have not identified a motive for the shooting yet. However, they said that they believe that there is no further threat to the public.

Alvarez said in a news conference that they had an officer on an unrelated call in front of the police station. The office had also heard several gunshots coming from within the bus, according to an NBC News report.

Three other people were injured in a car crash as the bus driver maneuvered the vehicle to the police station.

A fire department official noted that they were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The shooter was taken into custody shortly after the police responded.

Alvarez noted that the suspect surrendered to an officer at the scene. Police said that all witnesses are being questioned as part of the investigation.

Gun Deaths in The United States

In 2020, most Americas died of gun-related injuries than in any other year on record.

The record includes gun murders, as well as a near-record number of gun suicides, according to a Pew Research Center report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S. Suicides have long accounted for the majority of U.S. gun deaths.

In 2020, 54 percent of all gun-related deaths in the United States were suicides, while 43 percent were murdered.

The remaining number of gun deaths in the same year was unintentional, involved law enforcement, or had undetermined circumstances.

The 2020 total gun deaths represent a 14 percent increase from the year before. It is also considered a 25 percent increase from five years earlier and a 43 percent increase from a decade before.

READ MORE: Denver Shooting Kills Five Including Suspect; Police Identifies Gunman

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 2 killed, 2 injured in shooting on Florida transit bus - from ABC News






Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, President Joe Biden has spoken with China's Xi Jinping for nearly two hours, trying to dissuade the Chinese official from aiding Moscow.

The White House said the U.S. president discussed with Xi on Friday the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia, according to The Guardian.

A senior administration official noted that there would be consequences, "not just for China's relations with the United States, but for the wider world."

However, the official did not provide details on whether Joe Biden went into specifics on possible sanctions, other than to cite Russia as an example.

"The president really laid out in a lot of detail the unified response from governments around the world and the private sector to Russia's brutal aggression in Ukraine," the official said.

The senior official further noted that Joe JoeBiden made it clear that there would likely be consequences for those who would step in to support Russia this time.

The president did not make any direct requests to Xi to persuade Putin to end the attack. The official said Biden only laid out his assessment of the situation and the possible consequences of certain actions.

The official added that in their view, China would make its own decisions.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Mocks Joe Biden After Being Sanctioned by Russia, Says He Could Talk to Vladimir Putin to Prevent World War III

Joe Biden Speaks With Xi Jinping as China Seems to Back Russia Amid Russia-Ukraine War

White House officials have raised concerns this week about China's offer of assistance to Russia. It would possibly undercut efforts by the U.S. and Europe to put pressure on Russia's President Vladimir Putin to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

China has avoided condemning Putin's attack on Ukraine or calling it an invasion. However, NBC reported that Chinese officials had expressed concern for the humanitarian situation and called for a peaceful resolution.

Chinese officials have blamed the U.S. for the Russia-Ukraine crisis, noting that Western countries should respect Russia's "legitimate security concerns."

China has also heightened a Russian conspiracy theory that the U.S. is funding chemical and biological weapons development in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Xi Jinping said the top priorities now are to continue dialogue and negotiations while avoiding civilian casualties, preventing a humanitarian crisis, and cease fighting to end the war as soon as possible, according to CBC News.

A Chinese media also quoted Xi saying in the call that the Ukraine crisis is not something that China wants to see. The Chinese leader also warned against sanctions.

Russia-Ukraine War

On Thursday afternoon, Vladimir Putin talked to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan via a phone call, telling the Turkish leader what Russia's exact demands were for a peace deal with Ukraine.

One of the demands includes that Ukraine should be neutral and should not apply to join NATO. According to the BBC, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already conceded this.

Another demand of the Russian leader is for Ukraine to undergo a disarmament process to ensure that it was not a threat to Russia.

In addition, there would have to be protection for the Russian language in Ukraine, and there's something called "de-Nazification." Zelenskyy is Jewish, and this is deeply offensive to him and to some of whose relatives died in the Holocaust.

Putin also wanted to have a face-to-face negotiation with Zelenskyy. The Ukraine president has already said that he is prepared to meet Putin and negotiate with him one-to-one.

READ MORE: TikTok Influencers Receive White House Briefing on Russia-Ukraine Crisis; Jen Psaki Also Tells Them Russia Hacked 2016 Election

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Joe Biden Speaks With Chinese President Xi Jinping | ABCNL - From ABC News






Brazil will have a lesser mode of communication after a Supreme Court judge ordered the shutdown of messaging app Telegram nationwide.

In a decision released on Friday, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the app to be blocked across the South American country because it failed to comply with orders from authorities and remove messages found to contain disinformation, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Associated Press, Telegram ignored a police request to block profiles and provide information about blogger Allan dos Santos, who is an ally of President Jair Bolsonaro accused of spreading disinformation.

De Moraes, who heads a probe on misinformation in Brazilian social media, issued a warrant of arrest for Dos Santos in October. The fugitive activist, now based in the United States, has remained active on Telegram.

In his ruling, De Moraes further noted that the Telegram failed to comply in removing misleading content from Bolsonaro's page about the country's electronic voting system.

"The Telegram platform, at every possible opportunity, failed to heed judicial orders in a total disregard for the Brazilian judiciary," De Moraes said.

According to reports, De Moraes gave Google and Apple five days to block Telegram from their platforms. Both tech giants had yet to comment.

The Brazilian judge also instructed Wilson Diniz Wellisch, the head of telecoms regulator Anatel, to implement the suspension within 24 hours.

Al Jazeera reported that the suspension would remain until the app complies with the judicial orders, presents a country representative before the court, and pays fines.

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Telegram Founder Reacts on Brazil Judge's Decision

In a statement, one of the founders of Telegram, Pavel Durov, said their company had troubles with emails going between their corporate addresses and the Brazilian Supreme Court.

As a result of the miscommunication, Durov noted that the court ruled to ban the app for being unresponsive. Durov apologized to the Supreme Court for their negligence, adding that their company could have "done a better job."

The Telegram executive then noted that they complied with an earlier court decision in late February and has responded with a suggestion to send future takedown requests to a "dedicated email address."

"Unfortunately, our response must have been lost, because the Court used the old general-purpose email address in further attempts to reach us," Durov said.

Durov then asked Brazil's Supreme Court to delay its ruling for a few days to allow them to appoint a representative in Brazil and to set up "a framework to react to future pressing issues like this in an expedited manner."

Telegram in Brazil has remained operational as of Friday evening.

Jair Bolsonaro's Camp on Supreme Court Judge's Decision to Block Telegram in Brazil

Jair Bolsonaro has had various posts blocked on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for violating their rules on misinformation. The Brazilian president then encouraged his supporters to follow him on Telegram as the vote nears, France 24 reported.

Bolsonaro will face an uphill battle to win reelection, now trailing former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in polls. Brazil's justice minister Anderson Torres criticized the Supreme Court's decision.

He tweeted that the Bolsonaro administration will "immediately seek a solution to reestablish the people's right to use whatever social media they like."

Lawmaker Carla Zambelli, a close ally of Bolsonaro, called De Moraes "a tyrant" for the ruling. On the other hand, Allan dos Santos, a Bolsonaro supporter, said De Moraes' decisions "are based solely on his will" and the judge, at some point, should be stopped or have to stop.

"I don't believe the Brazilian people will accept these atrocities," the blogger noted.

According to AP, Bolsonaro and his allies had encouraged Brazilians to join Telegram since January last year. Bolsonaro has often expressed doubts on the integrity of this year's elections, implying that he might not accept the results if the electronic system is not changed to the one that includes printed receipts that can be recounted.

Brazilain judicial experts and critics rebuffed the president's claims and accused him of sowing doubt ahead of the elections in order to dispute the results.

The judge's decision came the same day Bolsonaro promoted his Telegram channel.

"Our Telegram informs the public every day of many important actions of national interest, which many regrettably omit. Welcome, and share the truth," Bolsonaro wrote.

- Nosso Telegram traz todos os dias muitas acoes de interesse nacional, lamentavelmente omitidas por muitos. Seja bem vindo e compartilhe a verdade . https://t.co/O8KTejUGuL pic.twitter.com/UuN2d0aY6J  Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) March 18, 2022

To date, Bolsonaro has over one million Telegram followers, excluding numerous fan groups with names like "Reelect Bolsonaro 2022." Lula, for his part, has 47,000.

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Brazil Supreme Court Orders Suspension of Telegram App in the Country Report - From Event News
Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America's 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden's Cabinet, announced that National Small Business Week (NSBW): Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship will take place May 1-7, 2022. The virtual summit will acknowledge small businesses from across the country for their resilience, ingenuity, and creativity. It will also recognize SBA partners for their involvement in entrepreneurial development, disaster recovery, government contracting, financial development, and overall support for small businesses and entrepreneurship.

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'Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship'

"National Small Business Week is a time to honor and celebrate America's entrepreneurs and innovative startups. This year's theme, 'Building a Better America through Entrepreneurship,' celebrates the resiliency and tenacity of America's entrepreneurs who are doing their part to power our nation's historic economic comeback," said Administrator Guzman. "While there is more work to do, under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are on a path toward building a better, more competitive American economy centered around families, workers, and small businesses. This year's NSBW will offer entrepreneurs in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America a week-long event that will highlight the tools and information they need to continue to power our economic growth, strengthen our supply chains, and deliver the products and services Americans depend on every day. I look forward to recognizing our small business giants and their tremendous impact on our economy and communities across the nation."

The SBA will co-host a free, four-day virtual summit from May 2 through May 5, 2022, along with SCORE, to honor the nation's 32.5 million small businesses for their perseverance.

According to SBA Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron, this year's summit will focus on access to critical federal resources, educational workshops, and networking to help the nation's entrepreneurs pivot and grow in the face of current and future challenges. They are invited to seize the new opportunities to insure that the dream of starting, maintaining and growing a small business is in reach of every American. "The SBA under President Biden and Administrator Guzman is meeting small businesses where they are. National Small Business Week will allow our entrepreneurs - from the smallest of small still recovering from the COVID pandemic to those looking to grow - to share their stories of grit, determination and ingenuity at a time when it was needed the most."

SBA Resource Partner SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, is the national cosponsor of the week this year that provides free mentoring, one-on-one counseling and business advising programs across America.

"We look forward to joining the SBA in co-hosting this important virtual summit during National Small Business Week," SCORE CEO Bridget Weston said. "For anyone thinking about starting or growing a small business, this event will connect entrepreneurs with a wealth of industry experts and crucial information to help them achieve success."

The 2022 Small Business Persons of the Year award winners from each state, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, will be honored, and the SBA will announce the 2022 National Small Business Person of the Year from among the state winners represented. In addition, National Small Business Week recognitions and educational sessions will occur throughout each of the SBA's 10 regions and 68 district offices.

Details on National Small Business Week event registration and speaker information will be announced later and posted on www.sba.gov/NSBW.

---

Cosponsorship Authorization# 22-1-C. The SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

READ MORE: Statement by Administrator Guzman on President Biden's U.S. Small Business Administration Appointees
The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital remain high as hospitals struggle to deal with the pressure on services.

There were 1,075 patients with Covid-19 in hospital today (Friday).

That number marks a slight drop on the previous day's total of 1,031. A yearly high for Covid-19 patients was recorded on March 16 when Covid-19 patients in the hospital reached 1,081.

Despite the relatively high numbers of Covid-19 patients in hospital, figures for those requiring intensive care treatment have remained low.

At the end of the week, there were 48 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in ICU.

That figure represents a slight increase on the total for St Patrick's Day, when there were 46 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care.

The HSE issued a warning about the pressure hospitals were experiencing, earlier in the week.

Chief operations officer Anne OConnor said: Anyone who suspects they may be facing an emergency situation should of course come to the emergency department and they will be seen and treated.

However, we would ask those who may be in a non-urgent situation to help our staff through a challenging time by looking at other healthcare options where possible.
Trocaire is appealing to the people to call on the Irish Government to play its part in ending vaccine injustice by ensuring that the most vulnerable people in developing countries have access to Covid-19 vaccines.



March 11, 2022 marks two years since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. So far, based on official records, approximately 6 million people have died from Covid-19 globally. However, the actual death toll is estimated to be much higher.



Trocaire warned that this figure will continue to rise and called on the Irish public to email their TDs to demand that the Irish Government supports the temporary intellectual property waiver (TRIPS Waiver at the World Trade Organisation) to increase vaccine access for low-income countries. In low-income countries, just 6.3% of people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Our World in Data. In high-income countries, 73% of the population has been fully vaccinated with at least two doses. However, despite this glaring injustice, Ireland has yet to support a temporary TRIPS Waiver that would force big pharmaceutical companies to share intellectual property that would enable countries in the Global South to manufacture generic vaccines and treatments for themselves.



Caoimhe de Barra, CEO of Trocaire, said that the pandemic will not end until everyone has access to Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments.



Vaccines have played a vital part in protecting Irish citizens from Covid-19, and have contributed to the recent re-opening of Irish society. However, social and economic recovery from this pandemic is far from global. Inequalities in vaccine access between high- and low-income countries remain stark, and this is prolonging the global public health emergency, Ms de Barra said.



Pharmaceutical companies currently have too much power and control over where Covid-19 vaccines are produced and at what price. Meanwhile vaccine inequity is having a huge impact on poorer countries. Countries must be allowed to produce their own generic versions of vaccines. This is about global solidarity and justice for the worlds most vulnerable communities.



Direct impacts of this inequality are reflected in preventable deaths and the rising numbers of people living in extreme poverty and hunger. Vaccine inequality also increases the risk of new coronavirus variants emerging that threaten the social and economic recovery globally.



Ms de Barra called on the people of Leitrim to support the proposed temporary intellectual property waiver (TRIPS), which would enable the manufacture of affordable vaccines and their predictable supply around the world. The waiver has been supported by the vast majority of members of the World Trade Organisation, however, the EU has persisted in opposing the initiative.



Trocaire is calling on the people of Leitrim to stand with those most at risk of Covid-19 by urging the Irish Government to support the temporary TRIPS waiver and work to ensure that the EU reverses its blockage of the TRIPS waiver.



It is very welcome that the Irish government has been donating vaccines to low-income countries, but this is insufficient in the context of a global pandemic. I believe it is past time for Ireland to raise its voice in favour of the temporary waiver at the World Trade Organisation, Ms de Barra said.



You can sign the petition here: https://www.trocaire.org/petitions/ireland-speak-up-for-vaccine-equity/


A FASCINATING new book delves into the lives of 100 Limerick women to remember and celebrate their contributions to society at home and abroad.

100 Women of Limerick was written by historian and author Sharon Slater with support from Ormston House.

The book tells the stories of women from across Limerick city and county and their achievements in their fields including science, politics, arts, education, activism, business, health and sports.

Sharon has been researching life in Limerick for over 20 years and holds a Masters in Local History from the University of Limerick.

In 2017, she was named a National Heritage Hero by the Heritage Council of Ireland and she is currently Historian-in-Residence at Ormston House, advising on a range of artistic commissions and creative projects.

All this means there really was no better woman for the job of researching and celebrating the lives of Limerick women who made big and small contributions to society.

Sharon told the Limerick Leader that the idea for the book came from a project she was working on with Ormston House before the pandemic started in 2020.

She said: We originally planned to host tours and talks about inspirational women from Limerick however then Covid-19 hit so we changed course.

Instead we developed an app called Women of Limerick which takes users on a walking tour of the city and features stories about local women of note.

Sharon continued: While researching for the app I came across all these other fascinating women and I realised there was enough material for a book.

I had gathered information on 80 women and I said I could make it to 100, I ended up having more than that and had to whittle it down.

I came across so many more women that weren't included so this book is just a starting point, there is a lot more research to do.

The criteria for inclusion in the book was that the women had to be born in Limerick or spent a significant amount of time here, they had to have made an impact on society and they had to have passed away.

And would you look at what hit our overall No.1 Bestseller spot today on https://t.co/WXJMPrjKMX



Just ahead of @MarianKeyes and @lucyfoleytweets is not a bad place to be!#Limerick #LimerickAuthor pic.twitter.com/NEkfFMhkGd  OMahonys Booksellers (@OMahonysBooks) March 15, 2022

Sharon, who is originally from Limerick city, acknowledged that there are plenty more women that could have been included, both alive and dead.

I had a brilliant time researching, especially discovering women whose name has not been mentioned since they left Limerick.

There were so many women who were hidden in plain sight as well, such as Mary Guiney who was the chairwoman of Clerys Department Store in Dublin for 40 years who was still signing the accounts book when she was over 100 years old.

Everyone in Dublin would know her name but they might not have known that she was a Limerick woman.

I feel such a connection to them after researching them so much, they all have a little place in my heart now, Sharon concluded.

A portion of the book sales will be donated to Adapt, so the 100 women of Limerick's past are still contributing to the women of today.
CHILDREN as young as three-years are now watching YouTube while TikTok has unleashed a craze of daring, according to Fine Gael councillor Adam Teskey.

And he wants more steps to be taken within the education system to educate young people on the advantages and hazards of social media.

I am probably the last generation to grow up without social media dominating my life, said the 32-year-old Rathkeale man.

He took particular exception to what he described as a TikTok craze which was about daring one another to do things, to do something illegal at times.

It is a race to the bottom in my opinion, he said. This is putting immense pressure on young people.

His concern was that the dares could lead to serious harm or accidents or even suicide.

There is a lot of cyberbullying going on, he continued. Unlike bullying during school time, he continued, cyber bullying creeps into bedrooms at night and parents may not be aware of the torment in a childs mind.

Cllr Teskey put forward a motion committing the Adare Rathkeale councillors to lobby the Minister for Education and Skills to include an extensive programme in the school curriculum on the importance and dangers associated with using social media platforms.

He understood, he said, that the issue was covered to some extent in schools but argued that it needed to be part of the curriculum.

People may not be aware they must be responsible for what they say, what they say about one another, he said.
A LIMERICK dairy farm has changed hands for close to 3m - making it the biggest agricultural sale in the county in recent years.

A deal for 148 acres, milking parlour, extensive buildings and two storey house at Breska, Clarina, was struck in recent weeks. The sale is the talk of the locality with local sources saying the figure achieved is in the region of 2.9m.

The highest bidder, in a fiercely contested contest, is understood to be a West Limerick-based businessman. He beat off competition from dairy farmers and business interests.

When contacted by the Limerick Leader, GVM Group Property Director Tom Crosse refused to comment on the particulars of the sale.

All he would say is: I can confirm a deal has been done. All parties are very satisfied.

When the farm was first advertised in January, Mr Crosse said at the time that it was the best dairy farm to come on the market for years in Limerick.

This holding is renowned locally as a top class dairy farm. It is an ideal opportunity to acquire a self contained and very sustainable ready to go dairy unit situated just 15 minutes drive south of Limerick city in a very affluent locality made up of sizable agricultural holdings and very good quality one off housing, said Mr Crosse.

He was guiding around the 2m mark for the Clarina holding. However, it achieved close to a million more such was the interest. It works out at around 19,500 per acre.

The highly respected current owners are retiring from farming and understood to be moving to Kerry. While there was interest from the Kingdom, Breska will remain in Limerick hands.

Due to the price achieved in Clarina and dairy markets surging, it will be interesting to see if more dairy farmers put their enterprises up for sale in coming months and get out while the going is good.
A LIMERICK woman has spent more than a week at the Poland-Ukraine border helping refugees fleeing the war-torn nation.

Ivonne Kennedy, who runs a small business near Newcastle West, travelled from Ireland to the Polish city of Rzeszow.

She then continued another hour to the border with Ukraine, which has been hit by Russian forces, where she assisted dozens of refugees who had made the life-threatening journey from their homes in the war zone to safety in the west.

There, she bought treats for young children leaving their homeland, as well as vital medical supplies, which she was able to purchase in Poland, thanks to a donation from a Limerick parish  the priest of which has requested to remain anonymous.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader, while en-route back to Ireland, Ivonne said she felt travelling was the right thing to do.

Despite how crazy it sounds, I had a voice in my head that I should do this, and I believe it was God guiding me, she said.

Upon arrival to Rzeszow, Ivonne  who hails from Germany  made the train journey to the village of Medyka, right on the Polish side of the border with Ukraine, where she distributed items to arriving refugees, and offered moral and emotional support where she could.

I had a donation from a parish in Limerick. I was going shopping every day in a store inside Przemysl train station, another city close to the border, which has hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving. I was buying lots of different things. They wanted always a lot of sweets for the children, nappies for the children, squeeze fruit drinks for the babies, things like that, Ivonne explained.

As well as buying goods, Ivonne also dug into her own pocket to provide hostel accommodation for refugees on their first night in Poland.

Its been very emotional. At one stage, I stayed in a hostel for two nights. There, I met a [Ukrainian] couple, Tanya and her husband with a little girl. They had a private room in the hostel. I was talking with her, and she started sobbing all of a sudden. I just put my arms out and she gave me a hug. Her husband was taller than me, but he fell into my arms too. I just hugged them both together, and allowed them both to sob their hearts out, said Ivonne.

When she was in Medyka, Lviv, the first major city over the Ukrainian border had yet to be invaded, and was seen by many as a safe haven, given its proximity to the European Union.

Due to limited internet coverage, Ivonne did not learn for a number of days that Russian forces were advancing on Lviv, and its something which she admits has given her the shivers, especially given how she had planned to visit the city to help while she was in the area.

Ivonne, who says she made friends for life from this visit, met a number of people with Irish connections.

In particular, she recalled a lady called Iryna, who was married to a man from Newry, and her niece, Victoria, a girl of around 30, living in Dublin, and whose stepfather is Irish.

Victoria was planning to meet family members at the Ukrainian border and bring them home to safety in Ireland.
A LIMERICK family are preparing to take part in a charity climb for two charities very close to their hearts.

Niall Barron and his family have organised the trek in conjunction with Charlie Bird's Climb for Pieta House and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

This climb will take place on Saturday, April 2 on Keeper Hill with hundreds of people across the country organising similar treks.

So far, there are 123 different locations of climbs with 529,568 raised, to date. for the two charities.

Niall lost his mother to suicide and his father Denis has Motor Neurone Disease so the two charities mean a lot to the family.

A local of Father Russell Road, Niall has joined forces with local pubs as well as Mungret GAA to get as many people involved as possible.

Niall's climb is in partnership with Newport College who are climbing Keeper Hill on the same day.

For insurance reasons only 1,200 people are allowed on the hill at one time so Niall is asking anyone who can't take part on the day to donate to their online fundraising page.

You can donate by clicking here.
A YOUNG man has admitted allowing his bank account to be used by criminals to repay a small drug debt he had built up.

Inese Kimene pleaded guilty, at Newcastle West Court, to a single charge, under the provision of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

Judge Carol Anne Coolican was told the charge related to offences which occurred at a location in County Limerick on dates between March 23, 2020 and March 26, 2020.

Solicitor Enda OConnor (pictured below) said the 24-year-old defendant, who now has an address at Eustace Park, Tyrrlestown, Dublin was in a fragile state at the time and was manipulated by others who he was hanging around with.

He said his client had become involved with an unsavoury group and that he developed an addiction to soft drugs during that time.

He told the court he agreed to allow his bank account to be used to clear a 500 debt.

Inspector Sandra Heelan told the court a total of 6,750 had passed through Mr Kimenes bank account over the four days  at the beginning of the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Addressing the court, Mr OConnor said his client accepts the seriousness of the offence but he stressed that he was not the beneficiary of the criminal activity.

His client was not paid and he did not receive any of the monies directly.

He was coerced into allowing his bank account to be used, he said adding that while Mr Kimene was aware that his account was not being used for a good reason he did not realise how much money was involved.

Judge Coolican was told after the defendant agreed to allow his bank account to be used, money was transferred in and lodged electronically.

He was then picked up by others and taken to a local ATM where he was directed to withdraw the money and hand it over.

Inspector Heelan accepted that when he was subsequently arrested and interviewed by gardai, the defendant cooperated and made full admissions as to his involvement.

She said the money had been moved on by the time gardai were alerted and that it could not be traced any further.

Seeking leniency on behalf of his client, Mr OConnor said the now 24-year-old is working as a Junior Software Engineer in Dublin and that he has cleaned up his act over the past two years.

He said he is now drug-free and the results of drugs tests were submitted to the court to support this contention.

He fully accepts this was not a victimless crime. He has good prospects, he said asking that his clients young age also be considered as a mitigating factor.

Having considered the matter, including Mr OConnors submission and the defendants guilty plea, Judge Coolican suggested a probation report may be of assistance to the court before sentence is imposed.

The matter was adjourned to June to facilitate the preparation of a report.
Over 5,000 PPS numbers have been issued to Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, confirmed the news at the opening of three new Ukrainian Support Centres across Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

She said, "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 (SWA). I want the people of Ukraine to know that my department is here to help and support you in every way we can."

Officials will be present at the new centres, as well as Intreo centres, to assist Ukrainian people to obtain PPS numbers and other social supports.

The minister continued: "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."

Minister @HHumphreysFG announces the opening of 3 new city centre hubs to support Ukrainian families



Centres will assist Ukrainian nationals in obtaining PPSNs & availing of income supports



Key support centres to remain open over Bank Holiday



https://t.co/B2BFo4awjl pic.twitter.com/NW6cC1u7EA  Department of Social Protection (@welfare_ie) March 18, 2022

She also confirmed teams of staff from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Justice worked during the Bank Holiday yesterday (Friday March 18) and will also be working today (Saturday March 19).

The Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, also commented: "Since I lifted the visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens travelling to Ireland on 25 February, almost 7,300 people seeking safety in Ireland have arrived and are being supported as needed.

"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. Staff from my department are onsite at the airport from 8am to 3am each day to ensure we are meeting all arrivals."

People fleeing the war in Ukraine will need to bring identification such as their Ukrainian National Identity Card, their Ukrainian Passport or another form of identification to obtain a PPS number.

The new centres will be open today from 9.15am to 3pm and from Monday (March 21) from 9.15am to 5pm.
A new tender for music performance services across Ireland worth 1.5million over three years has been launched.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, announced news of the tender today (Saturday March 19).

It will provide a series of interlinked musician performances, with both online and live audience-based events (subject to Covid restrictions), to broadcast free-of charge across a wide variety of media and social media.

The performances will be in celebration of modern Irish music, music of Irish origin and music with strong heritage links to Irish culture.

A number of musical initiatives - including the Ireland in Music series, and the Hot Press Young and Emerging Artists Series - were previously funded by the government during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The tender contract will reportedly be awarded initially for a three-year period with maximum available funding of 500,000 per annum.

The vast majority - 70% to 80% - will be provided to artists and creative workers.

Tender documentation can be found here and queries on the process can be directed via email to csu@tcagsm.gov.ie with 'Music Services Tender Query' listed as the subject.
Chinese stocks crashed in recent days, only to rebound with unprecedented force. To some investors, the recovery was nearly as worrying as the selloff.

The turbulence follows a year-long slide that had already caused widespread investor losses. Trillions of dollars in market value across American depositary receipts, Hong Kong shares and other Chinese stocks have evaporated as Beijing pursued a series of regulatory crackdowns and as the global appetite for riskier, high-growth shares has waned.

This month, however, the turmoil reached a new pitch, as investors worried about whether China could suffer Russian-style financial isolation, while more bad news emerged on Covid-19 and on regulatory pressure from both Beijing and Washington.

In recent days the market was gripped by panic selling, in one of the biggest episodes in the history of China ADRs, said Tony Chin of Infini Capital Management Ltd.

People were basically selling with no price limitthey just wanted to de-risk," said Mr. Chin, the founder and chief executive of Infini, a Hong Kong-based hedge fund manager.

There is a lot at stake for international investors. U.S. institutions now hold about $750 billion worth of Chinese shares of all sorts, Goldman Sachs analysts estimate, while many individuals also hold U.S.-listed Chinese shares or exchange-traded funds.

The latest rout began March 10, after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provisionally named five Chinese companies whose audit papers it couldnt inspect, a move toward eventual delistings under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.

Taken alone, this was an incremental step in the gradual decoupling of American and Chinese markets. But it prompted investors to revisit the big question of how investible Chinese stocks are, an issue that blew up last year when Beijing took down after-school tutoring companies.

Days earlier, Norways $1.4 trillion sovereign-wealth fund ditched a Chinese sportswear stock over forced-labor concerns. And Moscow had just been frozen out of global finance for its attack on Ukraine, with MSCI Inc. kicking the now uninvestible" Russia out of its influential emerging-markets indexes.

The fate of the MSCI Russia Index painted a vividand terrifyingpicture for what could happen in the event of a diplomatic breakdown between U.S. and China," Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Robin Zhu later wrote to clients.

As the weekend arrived, Chinese technology stocks had shed almost $2 trillion in value from a $3 trillion peak in early 2021, Goldman analysts estimated.

The heavy selling continued into the following week, with news of rising Covid-19 infections and lockdowns in cities like Shenzhen adding to the gloom. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded dozens of internet stocks, saying the markets focus had shifted to risk management as global investors price in Chinas geopolitical risks."

And regulators showed few signs of easing up on corporate China, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that Tencent Holdings Ltd. was facing a potential record fine from the central bank. By the end of Monday, March 14, U.S. ADRs had dropped an unprecedented 29% in three sessions. The selling continued in Asia on Tuesday, though U.S.-listed stocks regained a little ground.

Then midweek, everything changed. Top Chinese policy makers stepped in on March 16 to talk the market back up, with officials led by Liu He, President Xi Jinpings top economic adviser, promising market-friendly policies and pledging to keep capital markets running smoothly.

The Chinese government has never issued something as strong as this to support capital markets," said Mr. Chin at Infini Capital.

The reaction was rapid and fierce. U.S.-listed Chinese companies gained $242 billion in a day, S&P Global Market Intelligence data shows, with a Nasdaq index jumping by an unprecedented 33%. Blue chips traded like penny stocks: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s ADRs leapt a record 37%, in trading volumes only exceeded by the day of the e-commerce giants listing.

The market is completely unstable," said Alexandre Tavazzi, global strategist and chief investment officer for Asia at Pictet Wealth Management, speaking as stocks surged. The pricing is very dependent on short-term supply-demand dynamics and less on fundamentals."

The end result was something of a round trip: By the close on Friday, March 18, the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index stood about 3.4% higher than it did two weeks earlier, while Hong Kongs Hang Seng had lost 2.3% over the same period, Refinitiv data shows.

The roller-coaster ride demonstrates how much Chinese shares remain at the mercy of politics and news headlines, even as they play a growing role in international investor portfolios. While that is a familiar issue for emerging-market investors, it makes them less appealing than companies that can be valued largely on their underlying businesses.

After the convulsions, investors are scrambling to understand how much has really changed.

Chinese authorities have tried to soothe investors before, but the pressure wasnt off for long. While a top regulator moved in July 2021 to reassure global financial firms after the tutoring clampdown, it wasnt long before the property sector was engulfed in a crisisand another tech giant, Meituan, found itself in officials crosshairs repeatedly.

On delisting, there are reasons for optimism. Many companies have, or could get, second listings in Hong Kong as another way to access global capital markets, while some companies including big telecommunications operators have already been delisted with little practical effect. Chinese officials have also repeatedly said they want to resolve the issue.

Numerous investors also argue there is no fundamental problem with investing in China and the long pullback has made some stocks attractive.

We strongly refute the notion that China is uninvestible," said Justin Thomson, chief investment officer and head of international equity at T. Rowe Price Group Inc. It would appear that the market is pricing in extremely negative sentiment while ignoring potential positives such as extremely cheap valuations and the opportunity for further easing in the economy."

Likewise, Conrad Saldanha, senior portfolio manager on the emerging-market equity team at Neuberger Berman Group LLC, said a broad-brushed dismissal of Chinese stocks would be wrong and he still saw investment opportunities in some internet companies, as well as hardware and consumer businesses.

However, other issues that have pressed down on Chinese stocks appear more intractable. Markets world-wide remain jittery about inflation, rising interest rates and global growth.

And the advantage China once enjoyed as first in, first out" of the pandemic has faded, as it targets a relatively modest 5.5% growth rate for this year and experiments with adapting its zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19.

Chinas slowdown will affect consumption and profit growth, while its property sector has yet to show signs of recovery, said Mr. Tavazzi at Pictet, which hasnt held Chinese stocks in its discretionary portfolio for about a year.

Restoring investor confidence could take time. Mark Martyrossian is a director at Aubrey Capital Management Ltd., a boutique investment firm specializing in global growth stocks that manages a China-focused strategy.

In late 2021, he met with some 30 institutional investors in the U.S. to pitch Aubrey. But most of those investors were worried about further business regulations and the sentiment hasnt shifted since then, he said.

People are just not wanting to take risk, and that is understandable," he said.

Serena Ng contributed to this article.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government for their assistance in evacuating Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in the Sumy blast of Ukraine.

"I write to express my sincere thanks to you and your government for extending support and assistance in rescuing and evacuating some Bangladeshi nationals along with the Indians who were stranded in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine," Hasina said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi.

"The wholehearted cooperation that your government has been extending in this regard is a testament to the unique and enduring relationship that our two countries have been enjoying over the years," the letter further read.

She also recalled PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh last year on the occasion of the birth centenary of the country's first Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, adding that the bilateral ties between the two countries have strengthened over the past few years.

"I gratefully recall your visit to Bangladesh during the celebration of the birth centenary of our father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman last year," Hasina said, adding, "Our bilateral ties have been further consolidated through meaningful engagement at all levels over the past years."

She also extended Holi greetings and expressed confidence that the two countries will continue to stand by each other.

"I am confident that both Bangladesh and India would continue to stand by each other always and work together to realise the collective aspirations of the people of the two countries. I wish you good health and a very happy Holi ahead," Hasina said.

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister had even earlier extended her thanks to her Indian counterpart on March 9 for the evacuation of Bangladeshi nationals under Operation Ganga.

Under 'Operation Ganga' to rescue Indian citizens from Ukraine's neighbouring countries, more than 20,000 Indians and other nationals were brought back by special flights to India.
In the first days of his war on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin looked to Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov to supply the fighters he wanted to take an airfield north of Kyiv and launch Russias advance on the capital.

That unit was pummeled and its commander was killed by Ukrainian forces when it tried to seize the Hostomel Airport. But Mr. Putin has turned again and again to Mr. Kadyrovs forces from Chechnya, reveling in the Chechens fearsome reputation as Russia steels for another push on the capitaland Mr. Kadyrov appears happy to comply.

We are in Hostomel, these days we are 20 kilometers away from you," Mr. Kadyrov said on his personal Telegram channel earlier this week, goading Ukrainians bracing for the onslaught in Kyiv. Should I knock on your door?"

A shaky video showed him in a darkened bunker, laughing with Chechen military officers looking over documents blurred out on screen, though Ukrainian sources say it wasnt shot in Ukraine and said some server logs from Mr. Kadyrovs web activity showed he was in Chechnya at the time.

In many ways, the relationship between Mr. Putin, the Muslim Chechens and Mr. Kadyrov in particular, has become symbiotic. Mr. Putin burnished his reputation in the early years of his rule by sending troops into Chechnya, a Russian republic on the countrys southern flank, to put down an Islamist insurgency. Mr. Kadyrovs father, Akhmat Kadyrov, a rebel religious leader, sensed which way the wind was blowing and pledged allegiance to the Kremlin, helping the Russian forces put down the separatist movement and routing the capital, Grozny.

After his father was killed in a bomb attack, the younger Mr. Kadyrov strengthened his familys alliance with Moscow. He ensured Chechnyas loyalty in return for vast inflows of cash that enriched his family and helped him build a huge security apparatus that at times has served as his personal army. His forces have since been implicated in some of the worst rights abuses in modern Russia, including the mass detentions of Mr. Kadyrovs opponents, along with allegations of torture and the disappearance of both his critics and ordinary citizens, say Russian and international human rights groups.

For Ramzan, this is to show Vladimir Putin that his loyalty knows no bounds and that he will send in his own men to support the presidents mission in Ukraine," said Alexey Malashenko, an expert on Russias North Caucasus at the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations.

By deploying his forces behind Mr. Putins war in Ukraine, Mr. Kadyrov is also making a public show of support that is designed to show any rivals in Chechnya that he is tightly aligned with the Russian state and to remind them of the firepower at his command.

For Mr. Putin, having Chechen national guard battalions at his disposal provides a corps of troops who might be able to restore the sense of intimidation that Russian soldiers have largely lost since the start of the invasion, when fierce Ukrainian resistance cost the lives of several thousand Russian soldiers and the loss of numerous tanks and aircraft.

While their numbers are unclear, Moscow will likely use Mr. Kadyrovs forces for any street-to-street fighting that would likely accompany any effort to take Kyiv.

Theyre not trained for the conventional battlefield," said Munira Mustaffa, executive director of Chasseur Group and nonresident fellow at New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. Theyre there to hype up their image as fearsome warriors and sell their reputation for savagery that they earned in putting down the Chechen insurgency."

Mr. Kadyrovs forces have been deployed in other hot spots before.

They were stationed in Crimea before Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. In Syria they fought other Chechen fighters who had been fighting against Mr. Putins ally, President Bashar al-Assad, and they often led the line as the Syrian government retook a wave of towns and cities.

Days before the deployment at Hostomel Airport, Mr. Kadyrov marched national guard troops outfitted with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns through the streets of Grozny. In a flashy video posted on his personal Telegram page, Mr. Kadyrov, flanked by his sons and Chechnyas official mufti, said 12,000 Chechens were ready to fight in Ukraine.

I gathered you, we should be ready for anything," he said.

However, the independence of the Chechen units in Ukraine has caused problems in coordination with Russian troops. It could have been a factor in the battle for Hostomel Airport, where troops from the 41st motorized regiment of the Chechen national guard were killed along with their leader Magomed Tushayev. The Chechen battalions have largely remained self-sufficient without integrating into broader Russian military troop structures. They travel together and speak largely in Chechen on videos posted on Mr. Kadyrovs social media pages.

Other Chechen units have come into Ukraine from the east and are now on the outskirts of Mariupol, the besieged Ukrainian city on the Sea of Azov. Mr. Kadyrovs close ally, Adam Delimkhanov, also a lawmaker in Moscow, is leading Chechen troops against Ukrainian forces that have taken a position at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works.

Ukrainian troops have taken to taunting the Chechens as well. Ukraines National Guard posted a video of fighters from the Azov Battalion, some members of which were accused of committing potential war crimes by the United Nations in 2016, greasing bullets in pork fat and warning them to go home.

The invasion has also given a chance for anti-Kremlin Chechen groups to take aim at Mr. Kadyrovs forces. One former native of Grozny, who has been living in Kyiv since fleeing Chechnya after the imposition of Russian rule, has joined a battalion of Chechens fighting for Ukraine.

I plan on fighting to show the world who Chechens are and how were different from Kadyrovs thugs," he said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text
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Following Gomorrah and The Young Pope, Sky continues to bring to the screen fresh edgy TV series with The King, which is Italys first prison drama but transcends genre tropes to recount the countrys complex way of contending with evil forces, including terrorism.

The dark skein, currently playing in Italy on Comcast-owned Skys pay-TV service  and premiering internationally in competition at Series Mania  is the brainchild of Italian A-list actor Luca Zingaretti, best known as the titular character in Italys widely exported Inspector Montalbano series.

After playing a a simpatico Mafia-fighting Sicilian sleuth in Montalbano, Zingaretti wanted to do a show set in an Italian maximum security penitentiary and play a character who was the head of this jail, says The King producer Lorenzo Mieli.

Zingarettis character, named Bruno Testori, is the supreme ruler of the San Michele penitentiary, which is packed with hard core criminals of various types and located on an unspecified Italian border zone that is not subjected to Italian law.

Being the custodian of these evil people, he has to negotiate with evil, says Mieli. This is the only way to try to keep things under control. But it also causes Testori to risk losing his mind, he adds.

So there is this dilemma: Should one negotiate with evil? Can one negotiate with evil? How far can you push? And when does this become something that prompts someone to have an identity crisis?

This is the element that I found super interesting and with an international appeal, Mieli notes.

Nils Hartmann, senior VP for Sky Studios Germany and Italy  to whom Mieli brought the The King project pitch  pointed out during the shows Italian presser that Bad guys [as characters] work well if they are well-constructed and complex.

Hartmann called Bruno Testori the bad guy who allows us to sleep well every night. He also pointed out that The King goes beyond classic prison drama conventions because, somewhat similarly to Showtimes Ben Stiller-directed prison break skein Escape at Donnemora, there is a larger narrative that originates from this microcosm.

In the case of The King, this larger narrative has to do with how Italy contends with terrorism and its ramifications in the countrys jails and also the link between terrorism prevention and the countrys secret services.

As Mieli puts it: Why is Italy a country that is at the center of terrorism plots, but very rarely actually targeted by terrorism? Which begs the question: What happens behind the scenes to prevent this?, he says. The writing team behind The King delved into this question and came up with a story that is fictional but has clear elements of authenticity in this regard.

Head writers on The King are Stefano Bises, whose credits include Gomorrah, and ZeroZeroZero, and Peppe Fiore (The Young Pope). Zingaretti worked closely with the writing team.

The eight-episode show is helmed by Giuseppe Gagliardi who previously directed Sky Italy original 1992, about Italys watershed Clean Hands corruption probe, and its two subsequent seasons.

Joining Zingaretti as Testori on The King are Isabella Ragonese (Rocco Schiavone) who plays a San Michele prison police agent; Anna Bonaiuto (Loro, My Brother is an Only Child) as the prosecutor investigating the web of illegal connivances that lead back to Testori; Barbora Bobulova (Pure Hearts) as Testoris ex wife; and Giorgio Colangeli (Il divo,) as the prison warden.

The dark Sky skein was produced for Sky Studios by Mielis shingle The Apartment and Mario Giananis Wildside, both Fremantle-owned companies. They are the producers behind The New Pope and My Brilliant Friend. Zingarettis own Zocotoco shingle is also part of the shows production team.

The King launched on Sky in Italy on March 18 and will subsequently play on Sky in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria and Spain. Fremantle is handling international distribution.

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Jobless people wait to receive assistance in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, March 10, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

A Chinese envoy said helping Afghanistan ease the humanitarian and economic crises is the most urgent task at present, and should be the most important work of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in the coming period.

UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Thursday that helping Afghanistan ease the humanitarian and economic crises is the top priority for the international community.

Since the withdrawal of foreign troops last August, Afghanistan has ushered in a critical phase of peaceful reconstruction. China supports the important role of the United Nations in Afghan and welcomes the mandate renewal of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to enable it to provide assistance for the peace, stability and development of Afghanistan, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

In an explanation of vote after the vote on the mandate renewal, Zhang said helping Afghanistan ease the humanitarian and economic crises is the most urgent task at present, and should be the most important work of UNAMA in the coming period.

UNAMA should actively implement its mandate, urge major donors to increase aid without political preconditions, and help Afghanistan improve people's livelihood, he said. "We expect UNAMA to assist Afghanistan in cooperating with international financial institutions to gradually activate Afghanistan's commercial and financial activities and promote economic and social development."

Staff members work at a cooking oil plant in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh province, Afghanistan, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Kawa Basharat/Xinhua)

The Security Council resolution specifies that Afghan assets belong to the Afghan people, which reflects the common view of the international community. In line with the clear mandate from the Security Council, UNAMA should further coordinate the unfreezing of Afghanistan's overseas assets. China calls on the expeditious unfreezing of Afghan assets and the unconditional return of these assets to the Afghan people, said Zhang.

The de-facto authorities in Afghan are actively conducting foreign relations and taking measures to respond to the expectations of the international community. The general direction is correct. The international community should adhere to the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned principle, strengthen contacts with the Afghan interim government and all other parties, activity guide and promote the establishment of an open and inclusive political structure, and gradually restore order, rule of law and economic development, he said.

The international community should support Afghanistan in increasing investment in education and health, protecting the basic rights of all people, including women and children, combating terrorism in all its forms, and developing friendly cooperation with other countries, he added.

This time, the Security Council significantly reprioritized UNAMA's mandate in light of the changing situation on the ground. As the situation is unfolding too fast and filled with many uncertainties, it is not an easy task to ensure that the new mandate fits the latest developments, meets the real needs of the Afghan people, and is practical and feasible to implement, said Zhang.

Photo taken on Feb. 27, 2022 shows a local bazaar in Sangin district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)

He asked Security Council members to take stock of UNAMA's future work in a timely fashion and be ready to make new adjustments at any time.

Always respecting the sovereignty and leadership of Afghanistan, UNAMA should pay attention to the legitimate concerns of the Afghan interim government and carry out various tasks on the basis of active communication and mutual understanding, he said.

For a long time, the neighbors of Afghanistan and regional countries have actively supported Afghanistan in its peace, reconciliation and reconstruction process, and made great efforts to promote its peaceful development. China is making preparations for the third meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbors, and is ready to promote communication and coordination of regional countries so as to create a favorable environment for the stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan, said Zhang. 
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The legal back-and-forth related to plagiarism claims over Lizzos hit song Truth Hurts has come to a close. On Friday, a federal judge officially moved to dismiss the lawsuit after attorneys from both sides stated the parties had reached an agreement.

No terms of the deal were shared, and each side will be required to pay their own legal fees. The attorneys asked for dismissal of the entire action without prejudice. (Lizzo originally denied the claims in October 2019.)

Justin and Jeremiah Raisen and Justin Yves Rothman claimed that Truth Hurts came from a writing session the three had alongside Jesse Saint John for a different track called Healthy. The three songwriters claimed that Truth Hurts  which would go on to garner over 804 million Spotify streams to date  included elements from that written track, including its standout line, I just took a DNA test, turns out Im 100 percent that bitch.

In February 2020, a judge dismissed a countersuit in the case but allowed the possibility for the lawsuit to be refiled pending an amendment. In that filing, the three men claimed credit for the track from Lizzos Cuz I Love U album.

The countersuit accused Lizzo of a bad faith, unprincipled attempt to deny songwriting and producer credits and royalties and alleged that Lizzo would never have collected her Grammy Award [for Best Pop Solo Performance] but for the songwriting and producing contributions of [the Raisens and Rothman].

Lawyers for the songwriters and Lizzo did not immediately return Rolling Stones request for comment.
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A fourth season of True Detective is in the works at HBO, with Barry Jenkins set to produce the latest installment of the beloved, Emmy-nominated anthology series.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa Lopez has been tapped to write and direct the first episode of Season 4, dubbed True Detective: Night Country.

While plot details havent been revealed, the fourth season will reportedly take place in the Arctic, during a period when nighttime can last the entire day. No casting decisions have been made yet, but its expected the new season will feature two female leads.

True Detective: Night Country would be the first season of the anthology since 2019, and the first without the input of the shows creator Nic Pizzolatto; while Pizzolatto and HBO ended their partnership in 2020, HBO retained the rights to the anthology series, allowing them to revive the series with new showrunners; Jenkins  the Moonlight and The Underground Railroad filmmaker who signed an overall deal with HBO in 2021  would serve as executive producer on the fourth season.

Earlier this year, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys revealed they were developing various ideas for a fourth season of True Detective, which premiered in 2014 with an Emmy-winning, instant classic first season starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. A less acclaimed second season  starring Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams  arrived in 2015. Following a four-year hiatus, True Detective returned in 2019 with a decades-spanning mystery led by Mahershala Ali that redeemed the franchise.
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At a time when he was both his countrys most celebrated novelist and a journalist struggling to make ends meet, Zorba the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis set sail for Japan on a formative journey that would shape the latter half of his career  and ultimately lead to his untimely death.

Based on the written account of his travels in the Far East, Last Voyage, by journalist and documentary filmmaker Aris Chatzistefanou, examines that journey while using it as a framework to explore how the period between the two World Wars shaped what would come to be known as the Japanese Miracle. Produced by Kyriakos Chatzistefanou for Moviementa Productions, the film premieres this week at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

Greeces greatest modern writer occupies a singular place in the countrys literary canon. But on his recent travels to Japan, Chatzistefanou was accompanied by Japan-China: A Journal of Two Voyages, one of Kazantzakis lesser-known travelogues, which was based on a visit to Asia in 1935. I used it as a Lonely Planet, said the director, who leafed through the books florid, descriptive passages of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples as he toured the country.

It was Kazantzakis incisive readings of the geopolitical landscape and his harsh critiques of capitalism, however, that gripped the filmmaker, whose previous documentaries such as Debtocracy and This Is Not a Coup focused on political and economic crises roiling Greece and the Eurozone.

The book sheds light on a formative period in the life and philosophical evolution of Kazantzakis, whose signature works  such as Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ  still lay before him. Its at the core of the way he was thinking, [but] its a piece of text that we dont know about, said Chatzistefanou. Its one of the periods of his life that isnt discussed in the official histories.

Last Voyage is both an homage to that book and a visual journey through modern-day Japan, with contemporary footage  combined with manga, anime and video games  unspooling in conversation with and juxtaposition to Kazantzakis text, which is read by renowned Greek artists Yannis Aggelakas and Olia Lazaridou.

Kazantzakis had a famously mercurial spirit. He was a huge personality. He was traveling between theories and ideologies, and everyone hated him, said Chatzistefanou. The church thought he was an atheist. He was not a Christian, but he had a very strong faith. The left was saying that he was an idealist. The right was saying that he was a pro-left materialist, he continued. If you were to ask someone in his time, they would say that he was a communist. He loved the Soviet experiment and he loved Lenin. If you had to ask a communist, he would say, No way. Hes not a communist. Hes not even a leftist.

Kazantzakis, however, was fervid in his anti-imperialist beliefs, a conviction that prevented him from speaking out against  or perhaps even recognizing  the growing menace of fascism that in the 1930s was sweeping across the globe. He didnt really criticize fascism as one would expect, said Chatzistefanou. He hated the United States and Great Britain and France and all the old powers, so he was giving space to new powers like Italy, like Germany, like Japan, which at the time were moving toward fascism.

The writers travels in the Far East, however, marked a turning point. I think its in 35, or a little later, that he will realize the dark side of some things that he used to believe, said Chatzistefanou. He realized that something really bad is going to happen with Japan, with all these expansionist policies.

Yet despite his increasingly sharp criticism of the country later in life, Kazantzakis the traveler was still drawn to the enigma that was Japan. I think he loved this contradiction. As he says, they use the [cherry blossoms] to cover the cannons, said Chatzistefanou. I think that Kazantzakis was using Japan to explain this battle with modernity and tradition. It wasnt only about Japan. Those were the things he didnt like in other countries where he traveled. He didnt like this modernity of the machine that was coming.

In a radio interview reproduced toward the end of Last Voyage, during a 1957 visit to Japan with his wife, the great novelist quotes an ancient Egyptian saying: Happy is he who has seen the most water in his life. On the return trip to Europe, Kazantzakis fell ill with the Asian flu epidemic that would claim more than 4 million lives worldwide  including his own.

As for how the writer would respond to the modern-day Japan presented in Last Voyage, Chatzistefanou was circumspect. Im not sure if he would like it or not, he said. It was the travel itself that he loved.

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A major multi-vehicle accident in Mississippi County, Missouri along Interstate Highway 57 occurred on Thursday morning as its aftermath is still being totaled as of Friday night.

Six lives have been confirmed to have been lost so far and no names have been officially released, but some local reports have suggested that individuals from the Laredo and Nuevo Laredo area are among them. However, one cargo and freight company has contradicted some of these reports which stated that among those deaths is a driver from Nuevo Laredo. In fact, he states his driver is currently safe and doing well at an area hospital.

One of our drivers was involved in the multiple-vehicle collision over there in the north, said Francisco Rivera, the owner of Transportes Rigonza. Contrary to other reports by local media, my truck driver is not deceased. He just had a fracture on his foot. He is actually right now being attended to at a hospital over there, but we already spoke to him several times throughout the day and he has stated that he is all right, but he continues to say that he is still being checked by medical staff over there.

Rivera states that since the accident happened in the early morning hours of Thursday at 7 a.m., they have been in contact with him and also spoke briefly to the driver about what may potentially have caused the collision.

We havent really talked that much with our truck driver about that, but he did tell us that when he was circling around the highway normally just like everybody else when he noticed that in front of him several vehicles suddenly stopped. And he did not have enough time to stop the vehicle in efforts to avoid crashing, Rivera said. He did tell us that he did notice 10, 12 or even 15 vehicles in front of him already in the crash involving both regular vehicles and transport trucks.

Rivera states that he does not believe his truck driver did anything wrong when it came to the crash, as it was simply a domino effect caused as one-vehicle crash after another occurred on the highway causing the deadly accident.

Rivera states that despite the fact that fog has been considered as one of the main culprits  many have pointed to this as the cause of the accident in its aftermath  he states that his driver felt it was not foggy when the situation happened and that weather conditions were quite normal.

We still do not even know the motive why the first people actually crashed, and we and the insurance company are looking into that, Rivera said. He never told us that it was foggy around him while he was driving.

As for his truck, Rivera states that from what he has seen through the media and some pictures from his insurance company, it has been totally destroyed. The same goes for the merchandise being transported.

We are already working with the insurance company on it, but from what we have seen through pictures and the media, I do believe that the vehicle is already completely destroyed as no repairs seem to be able to fix it, Rivera said. Although we are still waiting for the confirmation from our insurance company, but it is most likely that it is a total loss.
If you woke to the smell of smoke hovering over the Houston area this morning, don't be alarmed. Winds from the northwest are blowing smoke and haze to the Bayou City from wildfires currently raging in Central Texas.

The Texas A&M Forest Service Thursday reported that multiple small fires combined to form a massive blaze now burning in Eastland County, which is just east of Abilene. As of Friday morning, the fire has consumed 39,883 acres and is still only 2 percent contained, the forest service reported.

The combination of Thursday night's cold front and gusty winds, some as high as 20 to 30 mph, pushed the smoke from the wildfire across the state to the Houston area, according to Space City Weather. The wind gusts are expected to die down through the weekend, though Friday will be another elevated fire weather day.

The National Weather Service shared a gif depicting how the smoke traveled to the area. Although the smell will dissipate through the afternoon, it may return later Friday evening, they said.

Fox Weather meteorologist Aaron Barker says the worst of the Eastland Complex fire smoke will arrive in the Houston area around 7 a.m. Saturday. "If you're sensitive to that kind of stuff, it'll be best to keep your windows closed tonight," Barker tweeted.

Confused and concerned, residents took to social media to report the scent of smoke as it hit the area. Some as far south as Pearland reported smelling the fumes as they stepped outside Friday morning.

Despite the strong odors, air quality readings in Houston were moderate as of 9 a.m., according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, Houston's office of emergency management said the quality could potentially worsen throughout the day.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena advised those with chronic respiratory conditions, like asthma, allergies or COPD, to stay indoors if possible. "CALL YOUR Dr. IMMEDIATELY if the smoke is causing adverse reactions," Pena tweeted.

Some local firefighters are assisting with putting out the wildfires. The Spring Fire Department Friday morning shared a clip of Captain Tim Weiman and firefighter Jason Adams helping protect structures in the Abilene region.

On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state's emergency management division to activate more resources to combat "escalated fire weather conditions." He urged residents across the state to "remain weather-aware and practice wildfire safety diligently through the rest of the week to keep their communities safe."

This is a developing story.
Chattanooga man found guilty on Friday for the murder of his son in 2018
Meteorlogist

Clay joined the Local 3 Weather Storm Alert Team as the weekend meteorologist and reporter in June of 2021. He came to Local 3 from WABG Channel 6 in Greenville, Mississippi where he served as the morning meteorologist for 2 years.
Zhang Jun (C, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 18, 2022. Zhang on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community.

China was once a victim of chemical and biological weapons. China believes that any information and lead on biological military activities should trigger heightened concern and attention of the international community to avoid irreparable harm, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"In this regard, relevant parties should take a responsible approach. Russia has further revealed newly discovered relevant documents. The party concerned should respond to questions, and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community," he told a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine.

"We do not consider it too much to ask. And on this issue, no double standards should be applied," he said.

China's position on weapons of mass destruction and biological security is consistent and clear. China stands for the complete prohibition and destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, said Zhang.

China resolutely opposes the development, possession or use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances, and urges countries that have not done so to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles as soon as possible. Complying with the Biological Weapons Convention is the obligation of all state parties. China calls for early negotiations on the establishment of a verification regime under the convention, which will help improve global biosecurity, he said.

Under the current situation, it is the shared desire of the international community to achieve a cease-fire in Ukraine as soon as possible to avoid more civilian casualties and to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis. China shares this wish, said Zhang.

Direct negotiations between the parties concerned are the fundamental way to solve the problem. Russia and Ukraine have held four rounds of negotiations. While the negotiations are kept going, there is hope for a cease-fire and a peaceful future. China will continue to facilitate dialogues for peace. China supports the United Nations and all parties in ramping up mediation efforts, and hopes that all parties can do more to promote peace talks, rather than adding fuel to the fire.

"Behind the Ukraine crisis is the issue of European security. It is our hope that the United States, the European Union and NATO can sit down with Russia for in-depth and comprehensive dialogues and explore ways to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism based on the principle of indivisible security so as to achieve lasting peace and stability in Europe." 

Photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community. (Xinhua/Xie E)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by MIGUEL A LOPES/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (12855869f) Petro Poroshenko, a Ukrainian businessman, and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019, speaks during an interview in Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine, 18 March 2022. Russian troops entered Ukraine on 24 February prompting the country's president to declare martial law and triggering a series of announcements by Western countries to impose severe economic sanctions on Russia. Situation in Ukraine after Russian invasion, Kiev - 18 Mar 2022
This image made available by Azov Battalion, shows the drama theater, damaged after shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday March 17, 2022. Rescuers are searching for survivors in the ruins of a theater ripped apart by Russian airstrikes in the besieged city of Mariupol, while ferocious Russian bombardment killed dozens in a northern city over the past day, according to the local governor. Debris is seen after a theater was damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine on March 17. (Azov Battalion/AP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium and on the screens) addresses a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 18, 2022. Guterres on Friday called for action against racial discrimination. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for action against racial discrimination.

"Realizing the vision of a world free of racism and racial discrimination demands action every day, at every level, in every society," he told a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. "Today and every day, let us unite around our common humanity and speak as one for equality, respect, justice and dignity for all."

Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights. It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and stymies an inclusive and sustainable recovery from COVID-19, said Guterres.

Racism is also a catalyst of coarsening public discourse that normalizes hate, denies dignity, and spurs violence. The linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable, he said.

No country is immune from intolerance, nor free of hate. Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent, minority communities, indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, and so many others -- all continue to confront stigmatization, scapegoating, discrimination, and violence, he said.

"We all have a responsibility to engage in solidarity with movements for equality and human rights everywhere. And we must extend solidarity to everyone fleeing conflict or persecution without any discrimination based on race, religion or ethnicity. We must speak out against hate speech, offline and online. We must defend civic space by protecting free expression and assembly, the bedrock of pluralist, peaceful and inclusive societies. We need a renewed social contract, based on rights and opportunities for all, to tackle poverty and exclusion, invest in education, and rebuild trust and social cohesion."

In line with international human rights obligations and commitments, member states must show stronger political will to accelerate action for racial justice and equality, he said.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination falls on March 21. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 18, 2022. Guterres on Friday called for action against racial discrimination. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
A retired old age pensioner has branded being fined 100 for the non display of tax on his car in Longford town over two years ago as a farce.

Denis Flanagan, 11 Waterfront, Dromod, Co Leitrim, is to appeal a conviction handed down at last week's District Court sitting following an incident at Town Centre Car Park on February 21, 2020.

Mr Flanagan fully contested the summons which was issued against him and even asked for damages to be awarded to him for the inconvenience it had cost him.

Judge Marie Keane replied, saying the awarding of costs to Mr Flanagan was outside of her jurisdiction.

Mr Flanagan, who defended himself throughout a 15 minute hearing last Tuesday indicated he would be seeking a dismissal of the case based on two overarching points of law.

The first of those, he alleged, centred on the condition of the ticket which had been issued to him on the day of the incident.

The piece of paper put on the windscreen was soiled and hardly legible.

You would want to put it under a microscope as it's torn in two, he said.

Mr Flanagan said there was no question in his opinion that a court could validate the ticket as a legal document.

It was warped and crumpled, he said.

It was like it had been held in a basin of water.

Mr Flanagan's second point of argument, he revealed, concerned the length of time it had taken for court proceedings to be issued against him.

In calling into question the two year timeframe, Mr Flanagan repeated his earlier application for costs to be awarded to him.

Solicitor for Longford County Council Frank Gearty said after inspecting the original ticket, said it was his belief it was in reasonable repair.

Mr Flanagan, at that juncture swiftly interjected, saying: Your joking me.

Judge Keane warned Mr Flanagan to keep a tight rein on his use of language when addressing both the bench and members of the local judiciary.

This is a court and I expect certain behaviour, she told him, before advising against Mr Flanagan resorting to any glib replies when in the witness box.

Judge Keane also ruled against Mr Flanagan's assertion over the length of time the case had taken to come before the court, adding it fell within the specified two year timeframe.

Was this statutory legislation ever challenged before? Mr Flanagan asked.

I would like that question answered.

When told the matter was one which did not concern the District Court, Mr Flanagan responded by saying: This whole thing is a farce.

Judge Keane once again appealed to Mr Flanagan to desist from using inappropriate language and reminded him that he was addressing a court.

Judge Keane, in considering Mr Flanagan's application for a strike out, rejected both.

She said key information including the location, date and alleged offence could be identified while the prosecution itself fell within the required two year parameter.

Mr Flanagan also raised questions as to why the traffic attendant hadn't spotted a notice which had been left on the car which explained why a tax disk was not fixed to the vehicle.

It would have taken 30 seconds, he said.

Mr Flanagan insisted he had done everything required of him in ensuring his motor tax affairs were in order, claiming a cheque he had sent to Leitrim County Council was still not cashed to this day.

He told of how he had notified his insurance company and the council of his car having been off the road for a period of time, but was informed he was liable for arrears.

I notified the county council that it was off the road and when I went in I was asked to pay back tax, but I said it (car) was off the road, he said.

When it became apparaent the court would be ruling against Mr Flanagan, the accused asked: Would you not agree to disagree and walk away?

Judge Keane said given the evidence provided and circumstances of the case, she would be issuing a conviction.

Asked about the current status of his vehicle, Mr Flanagan confirmed it was fully taxed.

Judge Keane issued Mr Flanagan with a 100 fine, giving him four months to pay.

In doing so, Mr Flanagan said he was of a mind to appeal the ruling handed down.

As he stepped down from the witness box, he turned to Mr Gearty, telling him: (It was) nothing personal.
Residential house prices across Ireland rose by almost 15% in the last year, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), with Longford presenting best value and remaining the location where the lowest prices are to be found.

The CSO published their Residential Property Price Index (RPPI), which shows a 14.8% rise in house prices nationally between January 2021 and January 2022.

Pensioner slams 100 road traffic fine in Longford as a farce A retired old age pensioner has branded being fined 100 for the non display of tax on his car in Longford town over two years ago as a farce.

Prices outside Dublin saw the highest rise at 16%, with homes in the Capital being sold for prices 13.3% higher than a year prior.

The area outside Dublin that saw the largest rise was the Border at 24.7%, while the Mid-West saw a 13.8% rise.

According to the CSO, the average cost of houses purchased nationwide in the last year was 280,000.

The lowest average price between January 2021 and January 2022 was 130,000 in Longford, while the highest average price was 595,000 in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.

In January 2022, a total of 3,517 dwelling purchases by households at market prices were filed with Revenue, an increase of 0.9% compared to the 3,484 purchases in January 2021.

Existing dwellings accounted for over 80% (or 2,899) of the dwelling purchases filed with the Revenue Commissioners in January 2022, while almost 18% (or 618) were new dwellings.
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Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Another week has already passed us by, and it is time to pen this column again.

My plans for today are to wash daughter Elizabeth and Tims laundry. Daughter Lovina assisted her with her work for several hours yesterday. I went to pick Lovina up and brought the laundry home. Today sounds like it will be a warm day to hang it outside. The sun is trying to peep out from behind the clouds.

Baby Andrea is now four weeks old. Her cute little expressions are so fun to watch. I was only able to stay a few minutes yesterday. She would change her smile to a frown then back to a smile, as if she wasnt sure if she should be happy or sad. Such sweet, innocent little angels. What does this world hold in store for them? Only God knows! Allison, 2, still wants to be held by Grandma, too. She is gradually adjusting to the fact that her mothers attention isnt all on her. She has had her share of falls from climbing. She is a little tomboy and tries to keep up with active little T.J., 3.

We stopped through daughter Susans and got to see Jennifer, 4, and Ryan, 2, for a few minutes. The weather was so nice, and they both came running out of the door barefooted, circling around the yardbut not for long, as Susan took them inside to get shoes on. I remember on those nice, warm March days as a child we would want to go outside barefooted, too. Mom would always tell us to wait until after March is over. I can still hear her say, No! Dont go out barefooted  its still March. Oh, thinking of those sweet memories of her still makes me miss her so much.

We ended up helping daughters Susan and Verena cut up two quarters of beef on Friday. Son-in-law Dustin and son Benjamin didnt have to work that day. Those helping were Dustin, Loretta, sons Benjamin and Kevin, daughter Lovina, sister Verena, and me. The steaks were cut out, hamburger ground and packaged.

Susan canned some of the meat. We brought the steaks and T-bones home to put in our freezer overnight. My husband Joe then cut up all the steaks on Saturday. Loretta and I vacuum sealed the meat for Susan. Now its all in her freezer, and Im so glad she has beef and pork to use in the coming year.

Then on Saturday, son Benjamin and I, daughters Susan and Verena assisted Tim and Elizabeth in cutting up their two quarters of beef. The hamburger was ground and packaged, steaks and T-bones sliced and packaged, some meat canned, etc. Daughters Susan and Verena did Elizabeths cleaning before heading for home. Needless to say, this grandma was a wee bit tired Saturday night after two days of helping cut up beef. I am so glad to help the children whenever I can.

Sunday, Joe and I, son Joseph and his special friend Grace, my sister Emma, her son Benjamin and his special friend Crystal, and my sister Verena attended church in northern Indiana to partake in the blessing of nephew Andrews baptism. Andrew is brother Albert and Sarah Irenes youngest son. In the afternoon, we made a short stop at brother Alberts house. We hadnt seen the new house he built. It is very nice. Albert and Sarah Irene have three daughters and one son still at home. They have 11 children and all but four married, so their house seems emptier.

A notice to readers: I will be signing books on April 2 at the Plain and Simple Craft Show in Shipshewana, Indiana. They will have over 130 vendors there. Then on April 9 I will be at the Nappanee, Indiana, library from 2-4 p.m. Im looking forward to meeting old and new readers there. In Shipshewana, daughters Elizabeth and baby Andrea, daughter Susan and children, Jennifer and Ryan, and daughter Lovina will be with me. Some family members are also planning to attend the meet and greet in Nappanee with me. God bless!

This week I will share the recipes for coffee soup and pon hoss due to many requests from readers.

Lovinas Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

Pon Hoss

Pork bones

Flour

Salt

Black pepper

Place pork bones in large kettle and add enough water to cover. Cook bones until the meat comes off bones. Remove bones and skim fat from broth. Measure the quantity of broth remaining. Return meat to broth (we grind the meat before returning it to the broth). Then add 4 cups of flour to every gallon of juice, sifting in the flour, as well as 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper per gallon of juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, then pour in pans. Let cool, then slice and fry on each side until golden brown.

Coffee Soup

2 cups coffee

2 or more cups milk

1/2 cup sugar (or more, to taste)

Combine all ingredients and heat until hot, but do not boil. Pour over toasted bread or saltine crackers.
DUBAI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met with visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday in the capital Abu Dhabi, discussing cooperation and issues of common interests, according to UAE's official WAM news agency.

During the meeting, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that Syria is a fundamental pillar of Arab security, and the UAE is keen to strengthen cooperation with it to achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people towards stability and development.

The two sides emphasised on preserving the territorial integrity of Syria and the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, as well as providing political and humanitarian support for Syria and its people to reach a peaceful solution to all the besetting challenges.

Assad met with UAE's Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum earlier on Friday in Dubai.

The UAE's senior official affirmed his country's keenness to discover new paths of constructive cooperation with Syria, and to monitor opportunities to advance this cooperation for the common interests of the two brotherly peoples.

The two also reviewed the current situation in Syria, as well as other topics of common interests.

The UAE reopened its embassy in Syria in late 2018. On Nov. 9, 2021, UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan made his first visit to Syria since the Syrian war erupted in 2011, and held talks with Assad. 
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable.
Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues to cause all sides involved in the war conflict to react, now with one Russian member of parliament calling for reparations from the United States, including the return of historic settlements in Alaska and California.

In response to Western economic sanctions, Duma member Oleg Matveychev on Sunday enlisted a series of demands for both the United States and Ukraine after the "demilitarization of Ukraine" is finalized.

"We should be thinking about reparations from the damage that was caused by the sanctions and the war itself, because that too costs money and we should get it back," Matveychev said with Vladimir Solovyov on Sunday.

"The return of all Russian property, that of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and today's Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on," the Russian parliament member added.

When questioned whether he was referring specifically to Alaska and the former Russian settlement of Fort Ross, California, Matveychev confirmed this and added that "that was my next point. In addition to Antarctica... We discovered it, so it belongs to us."

Why does Russia want Alaska and part of California back?

The first Russian colony to be founded in Alaska, in 1784, was Three Saints Bay, then home to the Russian-American Company, which in 1799 served as a commercial monopoly authorized by Tsar Paul I to expand the Empire in North America.

That same company built Fort Ross in 1812, less than three hours from present-day San Francisco, which was sold to private hands in 1841.

In 1867, Alaska was sold to the United States, then with Andrew Johnson as president, for $7.2 million, which in 2021 would be $144.4 million.
There was a devastating shark attack on the Colombian island of Isla de San Andres on Friday afternoon, with 56-year-old Italian tourist Antonio Roseto Degli losing his life.

The incident took place in La Piscinita, a popular tourist spot on the island, and saw a shark bite the victim's right leg several times as he was swimming.

He was rushed to the Clarence Lynd Newball Hospital, but had lost too much blood to survive.

According to The Archipielago Press, it was a tiger shark that attacked the tourist. That same publication shared a video of the shark that apparently attacked him.

Although these types of attack aren't common on the island, there have been more and more sharks spotted in these waters over the past couple of weeks.

Local authorities are now investigating exactly what happened and have issued fresh warnings for those thinking of bathing in the waters at La Piscinita.
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 1.24 billion people across the Chinese mainland had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, a Chinese health official said Saturday.

Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), released the data at a press conference, adding that close to 3.22 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the mainland.

Lei Zhenglong, another NHC official, said that 649.16 million people had received a booster jab as of Friday. More than 80 percent of people aged 60 and above had taken at least two doses of the vaccine.

Studies show that a booster jab is effective in preventing death or severe conditions, Lei noted, advising elderly people who have not been vaccinated and those who meet the conditions for booster immunization to get inoculated as soon as possible.

Cautioning against relaxing precautions in the face of the still raging pandemic, Mi Feng called for earlier, faster and stricter implementation of the current measures for COVID-19 prevention and control.

China's population stood at around 1.41 billion people at the end of 2021, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. 
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...Significant and potentially life threatening flash flooding is ongoing just south of I-44 across Okfuskee and Okmulgee counties. Numerous main-stem rivers will likely rise above flooding. Extensive low land flooding will be likely, 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 7 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 later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
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. &&
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- China increased investment in road and waterway infrastructure in the first two months of the year, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

Fixed-asset investment in road and waterway infrastructure jumped 14.8 percent year on year to 273.1 billion yuan (about 43.1 billion U.S. dollars) from January to February.

Southwest China's Guizhou Province reported the fastest growth in this regard, with investment more than doubling from a year ago to 20.67 billion yuan in the first two months.

North China's Tianjin Municipality saw the sharpest decline during the period, with the investment plunging 76.2 percent year on year, data showed. 
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 95 percent of COVID-19 patients in the latest outbreak have been mild or asymptomatic cases, a Chinese health official told a press conference on Saturday.

Less then 0.1 percent were in a severe or critical condition, Jiao Yahui from the National Health Commission (NHC) said, noting that some provinces are seeing a rapidly rising number of infections, as the prevalent Omicron variant flares up in multiple locations across the country.

From March 1 to 18, more than 29,000 local infections were reported in 28 provincial-level regions across the Chinese mainland, NHC data showed. 
The first batch of imported Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 pill arrived in Shanghai Thursday, according to local customs authorities.

The batch of medicines, totaling 21,200 boxes, entered Shanghai through Pudong International Airport and was sent to Waigaoqiao bonded area for inspection immediately.

After clearance, the medicines were distributed to hospitals all over the country to treat COVID-19 patients.

China's National Medical Products Administration granted conditional approval for the imports of Paxlovid COVID-19 pill on February 11 this year.

On March 15, the country's National Health Commission included Paxlovid in the latest COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment protocol.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Let's Start With Bipolar Disorder

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The Case Studies

The Working Procedure

About Mental Health

Consult Only a Specialist

The Next Stage of this Study

There are a number of hurdles before poo transplant surgeries for these can be seen to have become ubiquitous. Still limited results for the bipolar disorder are far from promising. Here is what the evidence tells us about the possibility of poo transplant surgery for mental health.There are different types of bipolar disorder. This is when people have distinct periods of mania (or a form known as hypomania)  with, for example, elevated mood, increased activity and decreased sleep  and periods of depression.People with bipolar disorder usually take medication to manage their symptoms, generally for life. These medications are mainly mood stabilizers (such as lithium), but many also take antipsychotics. These medications come with risks and side effects, which depend on the medication. Side effects can include weight gain, sedation and movement disorders.In 2020, Russell Hinton, a private psychiatrist, described how he treated the first patient, a woman who had tried over a dozen different medications for her bipolar disorder. She had been hospitalized ten times, had gained a lot of weight and judged that she had no quality of life.After a poo transplant from her husband, she was symptom-free for the next five years, she lost 70 pounds, required no medication and her career flourished.Gordon Parker and his colleagues at the University of New South Wales reported their results with the second patient last month, a young man who developed bipolar disorder as a teenager, had tried numerous medications, and became progressively intolerant of the side effects of it.After a poo transplant, he was able to phase out all medications over the next year and had virtually no mood swings. He also noticed an improvement in his anxiety and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).Trillions of bacteria live in our guts. This is known as the gut microbiome and this has a huge impact on the health of not only the brain but in general too.Differences in gut bacteria have been linked to obesity, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome.The idea behind poo transplants is to change the gut microbiome. The poo, with all its micro-organisms, is taken from a healthy person and give it to the one being treated.This can be done in a "top down" approach, for example, by swallowing poo capsules (crapsules), or by delivering poo through a tube inserted into the nose, stomach, or intestine.Alternatively, the poo can be inserted "bottom up" too. It can be done using an enema, a simple and painless procedure in which a syringe transfers poo into the rectum. Or you can use a colonoscopy, a procedure done under general anesthesia that involves inserting a tube higher into the colon.Poop transplants are already used to treat the often life-threatening intestinal infection caused bybacteria.In people with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, HIV and hepatitis, among other medical conditions, both these approaches have been tried with various degrees of success.Side effects of poo transplants are rare and are usually related to the way they are administered, for example, side effects of anesthesia from poo transplants administered by colonoscopy.Abnormal gut microbiome have been linked to the diseases like bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia.When the poo of depressed humans is fed to rats, they seem to develop a rat version of depression. Similarly, when mice receive poo from someone with schizophrenia, they develop a mouse version of schizophrenia.These are indirect findings. Still, they suggest that poo transplants may have the potential to treat some mental health issues.So what exactly is the impact of bacteria in the gut on mental health? There are many different ways, each complicated and interacting with each other.For example, these bacteria act directly on the intestinal wall or the gut wall, sending signals to the brain via the vagus nerve. Bacteria also produce large amounts of chemicals (e.g., short-chain fatty acids), which impact virtually every system in the body, including the immune system. Brain function is highly dependent on these immune cells.At this point, any evidence to suggest poo transplants can help people with depression or bipolar disorder is, for the most part, not reliable.Some people have tried their own version at home, involving poop donor who haven't been screened for diseases.A highly publicized example is Dave Hosking of Australian band Boy & Bear. He used a "poo roadie" to provide him with transplants on tour to help him deal with his depression and anxiety.It is not recommended. Poo transplants should only be performed under the supervision of healthcare professionals, using an approved and thoroughly tested poo product.Poo transplants are strictly regulated in Australia. Donations should be screened for harmful bacteria, fungi, parasites, or viruses. Donors also must not have any health conditions thought to be associated with gut bacteria, such as autoimmune disease, cancer, or obesity.We need larger, well-designed studies to show that poo transplants are effective than any improved symptoms cannot be explained by other factors.Look for markers in the microbiome that can predict a successful outcome. If those markers are known, optimization treatment can be done and better measure the results.The first author's center recruits people with depression to try poo transplants. The study will randomize participants to an enema or placebo enema. If successful, a larger study is planned.Three such studies are underway in Canada to evaluate poo transplants. These are for bipolar disorder, depression, with or without irritable bowel syndrome.While promising, it can't be concluded at this point whether poo transplants work for bipolar disorder or depression.Until the results of these studies are in, it's too early to say whether the early results with bipolar disorder can be more widely replicated.The majority of studies into what's known as the microbiome-gut-brain axis have, so far, been done with mice and rats.Source: Medindia
Holi is one of those Indian festivals that isnt just widely celebrated across the country but also finds mention and representation in several Bollywood films such as Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Baghban, and Waqt: The Race Against Time, among many others.

Speaking of Waqt: The Race Against Time, released in 2005, the Bollywood flick may have been a box-office success, but what made it all the more memorable is its now-iconic song Do Me A Favour (Lets Play Holi). An anthem for many-a Holi parties, the song featured a certain Priyanka Chopra alongside Akshay Kumar, as they captured the festivitys full fervour like no other.

Recently turned mother, Priyanka Chopra, channelled the same energy while celebrating Holi with her husband Nick Jonas and in-laws.

The Jonas Brother is big on celebrating the festival of colours, as he has been participating in it for the past four years. His first time was in Mumbai, with the celebrations being held in London the following year. This year though, Priyanka and her beau decided to bring in the festivities at their home in Los Angeles, instead of heading out and travelling with their new baby.

Glimpses from the power couples Holi celebrations can be seen on Priyanka Chopras Instagram.

In one of the posts, Piggy Chops shared several pics of herself with Nick, covered in gulaal, with a callback caption from the movie Waqt, "Do me a favour.. let's play holi. Sorry. Had to! #holihai"

In another post, Priyanka shared a carousel of images and videos from the celebrations.

The first video had Nick sneakily hit Chopra with a balloon as she leaned in for a kiss.

The following snippets have the couple celebrating Holi with Nicks cousins, and other family members, including his parents. She captioned the post, "To be able to find some joy at a time when the world feels so scary is such a blessing. Happy holi everyone. Thank you to our friends and family for playing holi like desi's do! Feeling blessed. #photodump #happyholi #goodoverevil #festivalofcolours"

Its good to see Priyanka and Nick leaving no stone unturned in celebrating Holi with their family at their LA home.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is the latest to lash out against The Kashmir Files by Vivek Agnihotri. He has accused the filmmaker of distorting the truth in the film based on the Kashmiri Pandit massacre and exodus of 1990.

 Twitter/Omar Abdullah

At recent a briefing in Kulgam, the former Chief Minister said, The makers should clarify whether it is a documentary or a film. If this is a documentary then it is obvious that whatever is shown is true. But the makers say that it is a film based on reality,



He continued, Many false things have been shown in The Kashmir Files movie. When the Kashmiri Pandits left the valley, Farooq Abdullah was not the chief minister. Jagmohan was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir. VP Singh's government was at the Centre, supported by the BJP,"

 Zee Studios

Citing the lack of responsibility placed upon the then government, Abdullah charged, Why wasn't VP Singh's government and BJP shown in the film. It is not right to play with facts. We condemn the killings of Kashmiri Pandits. But didn't Kashmiri Muslims and Sikhs lose their lives?



Later, Omar took to Twitter, as he continued his tirade against the film, The pain & suffering of 1990 & after can not be undone. The way Kashmiri Pandits had their sense of security snatched from them & had to leave the valley is a stain on our culture of Kashmiriyat. We have to find ways to heal divides & not add to them.

The pain & suffering of 1990 & after can not be undone. The way Kashmiri Pandits had their sense of security snatched from them & had to leave the valley is a stain on our culture of Kashmiriyat. We have to find ways to heal divides & not add to them. https://t.co/D5vzZ994Z8  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 18, 2022

Considering the heat that The Kashmir Files has sent Agnihotris way, he was granted Y category security cover in order to keep him safe from physical harm.



Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tore into the Modi government over the film, she tweeted, The manner in which GOI is aggressively promoting Kashmir Files & is weaponising pain of Kashmiri Pandits makes their ill intention obvious. Instead of healing old wounds & creating a conducive atmosphere between the two communities, they are deliberately tearing them apart.

 Twitter

Starring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, and Darshan Kumar, The Kashmir Files is making its presence felt in all quarters. In fact, the film directed by Vivek Agnihotri has recently been declared tax-free in several BJP-ruled areas.



Do you think the former Chief Ministers of Jammu & Kashmir have a point? Do let us know in the comments below

Source: Hindustan Times
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
Dolls of Haji Firouz, a traditional character who appears in streets by the beginning of Iranian New Year, is displayed for sale at a bazaar in Tehran, Iran, on March. 18, 2021, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)



Ahead of the Iran's new year Nowruz, Iranians expects an agreement to revive the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will be reached in the upcoming new year, which may lift the sanctions on the Islamic republic reimposed by the United States, and will make life easier.

TEHRAN, March 19 (Xinhua) -- As Nowruz, the Iranian new year, will begin on March 21, Reza, a construction worker living in Tehran, is feeling depressed because he hasn't been able to afford to buy new clothes and gifts for his children.

"It is a tradition, and they are looking forward to new clothes," Reza, who only gave his first name, regretted. He is the father of a 10-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy.

A number of symbolic objects are displayed for sale during the Nowruz celebrations, in Tehran, Iran, on March 18, 2018, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

Hardly capable of reading and writing, Reza recalled that life has turned to be more difficult after the United States, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the international Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Though the sanctions failed to bring Tehran to its knees, a bitter yet undeniable fact is that it has always been Iran's people, mainly low-income class, who have borne the brunt of the pressures caused by these unilateral coercive measures.

"They are only kids and they don't understand it when I say I don't have enough money," he said, questioning "Don't they (the Americans) say that they want to reach an agreement? Why do they insist on keeping sanctions in place?"

Reza said that in the early months after the re-imposition of the sanctions, the prices in Iran kept spiking that it was once hard for him to repair any of their broken appliances, let alone to buy new ones.

After the sanctions' reinstatement, the prices of major foreign currencies in the domestic market were on an uptrend, rising even tenfold in some cases.

A man walks past a board showing the rates of currencies at a currency exchange center in central Tehran, Iran, Oct. 14, 2020. Iran's currency rial has hit a new low against foreign currencies days after the United States slapped fresh sanctions against the Iranian financial sector. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

Commending efforts by the new Iranian administration, "I am hopeful that (Iranian President Ebrahim) Raisi would lift the sanctions as he and his team are very determined and capable," Reza said, referring to the ongoing talks between Iran and the remaining parties, namely China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany, in Vienna on the JCPOA's revival.

"Hopefully, if the sanctions are lifted in the coming Iranian year, the economy will be able to take a fresh breath. We can sell oil with greater ease and receive its money. In addition, the downward trend in (market) prices will gain greater momentum," he told his expects.

Photo taken on April 17, 2021 shows a meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna, Austria. (EU Delegation Vienna/Handout via Xinhua)

Washington re-imposed the sanctions, mainly targeting the country's oil and banking sectors, on Iran as a part of its "maximum pressure" campaign in a bid to cripple the country's economy.

"My son wants a bike. I hope I would be able to buy him one for the next Nowruz," Reza said. 
Barry Bivens, pastor of the Workman for Christ church, 5760 U.S. Highway 60, stands inside his home office where he displays his necklaces and other artifacts that hes collected from his 34 mission trips to the Amazon rainforest. Bivens has helped build and establish churches in the Amazon since the early 1990s.
In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
With less than four months until the primary election, Congressman Charlie Crist stressed a need for party unity among the Democratic gubernatorial candidates this past weekend, and rightly so.
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Summer Storms is grateful to have the opportunity to be the first member of her family to attend college. She's done it thanks to a longstanding partnership between Meridian Early College High School and Delta College.

Storms, a fifth-year Meridian student, is enrolled full-time at Delta. She is well on her way to becoming certified to work as a travel nurse.

"I come from a family that wasn't financially able to put me through college. So it was a really great opportunity for me," Storms said.

Meridian became an early middle college high school in 2012 and is one of 19 early middle schools in Michigan. It is also the only full-school early middle college program in the state of Michigan, according to Meridian Dean of Student Services Amy Boxey, who helps connect Meridian 11th- and 12th-graders with postsecondary opportunities.

Since then, Midland County's other three public school districts have all adopted early middle college options for students. Bullock Creek High School has offered early college classes since 2015, and Coleman High School since 2016.

Midland Public Schools announced in February that its two high schools - H.H. Dow High School and Midland High School - will offer early middle college starting at the beginning of next school year.

What is early middle college?

According to the Michigan Department of Education website, "an early middle college (EMC) is a Michigan Department of Education approved five-year program of study. EMCs work closely with postsecondary partners to provide students with an opportunity earn a high school diploma and one or more of the following:

60 transferable college credits

An associate degree

A professional certification

The Michigan Early Middle College Association (MEMCA) technical certificate

Participation in a registered apprenticeship

Michigan has 114 EMC programs, including Bullock Creek and Coleman, and 41 EMC consortia, which are programs that include more than one school district.

How Meridian's early college program works

As an early college high school, Meridian is unique among Midland County schools in that every student in the school will do some form of postsecondary learning before graduating.

"Our goal is to find the right pathway for all our students, to make sure they are ready for any postsecondary training they need," Boxey explained.

For some students, that means enrolling in Delta College classes full-time in their fifth and final year at Meridian, like Storms, who is one of 44 Meridian students doing that this year. Eight of those 44 students will earn an associate's degree at the end of this semester, and most of the rest of them will have earned at least 20 credits by that point.

For other students, it means learning a specific career at Bay Arenac Career Center, the Greater Michigan Construction Academy, or through career and technical education (CTE) programs in any of the Midland County districts.

"It's about finding the best fit for every student and making sure theyre ready for their next step," Boxey said.

Toward that end, Meridian has a full-time early college advisor, Lisa Tomsich, who was previously the high school counselor.

Tomsich meets frequently with fifth-year Meridian students at the Delta main campus in Bay County, the Delta Downtown Midland Center, or even at their homes, to make sure they are getting the support they need as they transition into college mode.

"The two biggest keys to having success in the program are making sure students are ready before they start (college classes) - academic, emotional and social readiness - and having parent engagement and parent support. The parents here (at Meridian) are really great," Tomsich said.

"Having a dedicated person, like my position, that provides the support and resources and is the go-to person for students in the program (is key), because when theyre not on campus every day at the high school, it's hard to make sure their needs are being met," Tomsich added.

For her part, Storms, who is taking 13 credit hours between the Midland Center and the main campus and also has a job, appreciates the support she has gotten from Meridian as a first-year, full-time college student.

"They were there to help me fill out the applications, (financial aid forms), making sure that I have everything that I need," Storms said. "Theyre extremely supportive."

Another Meridian fifth-year student, Jenna Emerson, said having the opportunity to explore nursing through Bay Arenac as an 11th-grader two years ago made her realize it wasn't the right fit. Now, Emerson is enrolled in a sonography program at Delta to become an ultrasound technician.

"(The classes at Bay Arenac were) free, so I didn't waste my money (while figuring out what I wanted to do)," Emerson said. "I still wanted to work with people and help them, but I wanted to be in more of a hospital setting than a nursing home setting."

Emerson will continue studying at Delta after this semester to finish her associate's degree.

About half of Meridian students opt to stay enrolled for a fifth year and take Delta classes full-time. Those students receive their high school diploma at the end of their fifth year, although they already have gone through commencement at the end of 12th grade.

"The school pays the entire cost of tuition, fees and books for their fifth year," Tomsich said. "We also pay for the same components in their junior and senior year if they (are partially enrolled at Delta). So thats a huge benefit."

Early middle college program at Bullock Creek

Bullock Creek High School also partners with Delta College. Unlike Meridian, Bullock Creek students are not automatically early middle college students. They can apply for the program at the end of their 10th-grade year.

Bullock Creek Superintendent Shawn Hale said as many as 20 students in a given graduating class have enrolled in the early college option, which puts them on a five-year high school path. In most years, it's closer to 10 students.

"We know that not every student is interested in going to college," Hale said. "So we really want to keep it as more of an application process and interview process for students who are ready for that experience, as opposed to pushing all students to enter."

Bullock Creek High School counselor Jennifer Brown, who serves a similar role to what Tomsich does at Meridian, said she is "very, very proud" of the school's early middle college program.

"I wanted to provide opportunities for our students," Brown said of starting up the program. "Having a partnership with Delta so close, we could provide an opportunity for students to get a jump-start on college and have that extra mentorship piece in there. I provide mentorship to the students. It's an extra safety net for them.

"Some are first-generation college students. For many, its an extra boost to realize they can be a college student."

MPS launches early middle college program

Midland Public Schools Curriculum Specialist for Auxiliary Education Steve Poole told the Daily News that the district recently got approval from the state Department of Education to initiate an early middle college program in the 2022-23 school year.

So far, 11 families have reached out to school counselors at the high schools to express interest in the program.

MPS will partner with both Delta College and Davenport University for the early middle college program, which will be a three-year commitment. Current 10th-graders can apply to join the early middle college program next August. The program gives students the opportunity to earn an associate's degree or 60 credit hours toward a bachelor's degree. Tuition will be paid by MPS.

In order to apply for the early middle college program, students must have a 3.0 GPA, get two recommendations from teachers, and have good school attendance.

Tenth-grade students at Midland or Dow high schools can apply for the early middle college program through their school counselor.
CHONGQING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality had rescued more than 700 ancient and precious trees as of last year, said the local authority.

The city has adopted a raft of measures since it launched a tree protection campaign in 2018, including treating tree holes, installing protective fences and trunk supports, improving their living environments, and handling threats involving insects and diseases to the trees' health, said the municipal forestry bureau.

Meanwhile, Chongqing has strengthened tree protection through technologies. It created ID cards with QR codes for some ancient trees under protection. Sensors also monitor the displacement, lodging, and growing of several significant trees.

Chongqing is home to more than 25,500 ancient and precious trees, of which over 510 are above 500 years old.

In recent years, Chinese cities have launched various campaigns to strengthen the protection and improve the management of ancient and rare trees nationwide.

In March 2021, the local government revived a 406-year-old dying tree in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, after years of hard work such as setting up hoses next to it and watering it twice a week during the drought season.

In December 2020, Taishan Mountain, a popular UNESCO World Heritage site in east China's Shandong Province, encouraged the public to "adopt" more than 200 ancient and precious trees growing on the mountain. 
MILFORD  Diya Daruka, a senior at Jonathan Law High School, has been named as a 2022 Coca-Cola Scholar, a designation that carries with it a $20,000 college scholarship.

She is one of only 150 students across the country receiving this designation out of more than 68,000 applications initially filed last fall.

I am so thankful to have received this scholarship from Coca-Cola, Daruka said. Not only is the scholarship for monetary value but the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation greatly values staying connected to scholars even after college.

She said she was excited to be part of the scholars alumni community and hoped to one day make the world a better place.

I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank the administration and staff at Jonathan Law as well as my family who helped make this achievement possible, she said.

Throughout the process, students were selected based on their academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities.

Daruka has successfully completed a wide range of rigorous courses during her time at Jonathan Law and currently ranks first in the Class of 2022. She was named a recipient of the College Boards National Merit Scholarship earlier this fall, and recently was named the Boys and Girls Club of Milford Youth of the Year, a recognition that comes with a $10,000 college scholarship.

Throughout her time at Jonathan Law High School, Daruka has been an active participant and leader in the school community, serving as president of the National Math Honor Society, vice president of the Science Club, and treasurer for the schools Key Club, to name a few.

She also holds a seat on the national board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and serves as president of the Keystone Club, a group that provides leadership and service opportunities for teens.

Beyond her work at Law, Daruka founded her own nonprofit financial literacy program. She teaches students in grades 3-12 the ins and outs of saving, investing, financial decision-making, college and retirement planning, and personal money management. She has reached more than 150 students through the program so far and plans to continue this work into the future.

Daruka is awaiting her college acceptance letters with most of them due to come in at the end of the month.

Two top contenders include Boston College and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She hopes to pursue a degree in finance/investment banking and analytics. She said she would like to start her own impact investing firm one day.

Diya is a dedicated and passionate individual with a vibrant personality, Jonathan Law High School principal Bryan Darcy said. She is a wonderful young woman who possesses all of the characteristics we want every student to have. Im proud of this accomplishment and the many others that will follow.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
Key

Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Detailed Mineral List:  Awaruite Formula: Ni 3 Fe Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  'Garnet Group' Formula: X 3 Z 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Gold Formula: Au Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Ilmenite Formula: Fe2+TiO 3 Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Magnetite Formula: Fe2+Fe3+ 2 O 4 Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Osmium Formula: (Os,Ir,Ru) Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Osmium var. Iridosmine Formula: (Os,Ir) Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Platinum Formula: Pt Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield  Quartz Formula: SiO 2 Reference: personal correspondence with Giles Peatfield

Gallery:

References

Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)

Britten, Ron. 2017. Regional Metallogeny and Genesis of a New Deposit TypeDisseminated Awaruite (Ni3Fe) Mineralization Hosted in the Cache Creek Terrane. Economic Geology, Volume 112, No. 3, pp. 517550. Dawson, George M. 1889. The Mineral Wealth of British Columbia  with an annotated list of localities of minerals of economic value. Report R, in Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada, Annual Report (New Series) Volume III, Part II, 1887-88, p. 156R. Johnston, Robt. A. A. 1915. A List of Canadian Mineral Occurrences. Canada, Department of Mines, Geological Survey, Memoir 74, p. 35. Hoffmann, G. Chr. 1905. Souesite, a native iron-nickel alloy occurring in the auriferous gravels of the Fraser, province of British Columbia, Canada. American Journal of Science, Volume S4-19 (Issue 112), p. 319. Hoffmann, G. C. 1906a. Chemistry and Mineralogy, in Summary Report of the Geological Survey Department of Canada for the Calendar Year 1905 (No. 947), pp. 126-127. Hoffmann, G. Christian. 1906b. Miscellaneous Minerals, 1. Souesite, in Report of the Section of Chemistry and Mineralogy. Geological Survey of Canada (No. 958), pp. 9-11. ONeill, J. J. and Gunning, H. C. 1934. Platinum and Allied Metal Deposits of Canada. Canada, Department of Mines, Geological Survey, Economic Geology Series No. 13, p. 101. Milidragovic, D., Grundy, R. and Schiarizza, P. 2018. Geology of the Decar area north of Trembleur Lake, NTS 93K/14. in Geological Fieldwork 2017, British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia, Geological Survey Paper 2018-1, pp. 129-142. Scott, J. Douglas. Personal communication, March 2022. Steacy, H. R. 1953. An Occurrence of Uraninite in Black Sand. Notes and News, American Mineralogist, Volume 38, p. 549. Traill, R. J. 1970. A catalogue of Canadian Minerals. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 69-45. Traill, R. J. 1983. Catalogue of Canadian Minerals Revised 1980. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 80-18.

Other Databases

Link to British Columbia Minfile: 092INW063

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North America Coast Mountains Mountain Range North America Plate Tectonic Plate

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

The Fraser River (Lillooet) placer occurrence is located about 3.2 kilometres south (downriver) from Lillooet, British Columbia.The following quote is from B.C. Government site Minfile- Minfile No. 092INW 063, current to 1998:Most of the production from the Lillooet Mining Division has come from bars and low benches along the Fraser River and along the Bridge River. Placers along both rivers were found in 1858, and although a large amount of gold was mined from them, no records of production before 1874 are available. In many years the production recorded for both rivers was combined.Up to 1902 all production from Lillooet Mining Division, and from 1883 to 1900 all production for Clinton Mining Division (see 092INW066) are recorded under this occurrence.Comment by Giles Peatfield regarding the locality:It is important to stress that while there was placer mining activity at many localities along the Fraser River, this specific location refers to an area of dredging activity in the early 1900s. It also has no relationship to the well-known Lytton Bar occurrence (see Stacey, 1953), which is about 50 kilometres downriver.Comments by Giles Peatfield regarding some of the minerals listed:Awaruite: A nickel-iron alloy was described from this locality by Hoffmann (1905, 1906a, 1906b) who, on the basis of detailed analyses, compared the mineral with awaruite from New Zealand and with an iron-nickel alloy from Italy. He suggested . . . that this mineral be named souesite, after Mr. F. Soues  to whom he is indebted for the sample sent for identification  to distinguish this find from that of other naturally occurring iron-nickel alloys. Mr. Soues was at that time the British Columbia Gold Commissioner for the district, based at Clinton. The name quickly fell out of favour; Johnston (1915) listed it as Awaruite (an alloy of nickel and iron). Traill (1970) listed it under Nickel Iron, and while he used the name souesite for the locality, he mentioned that there were several varieties described, but Awaruite was the first name to be applied and probably deserves priority. To add to the confusion, Traill (1983) still used souesite as a variety of nickel-iron at this locality. In recent years, awaruite has become of considerable interest in British Columbia because of its potential as an economic source of nickel (see, e.g.: Britten, 2017; Milidragovic, et al. 2018).Iridosmine: This was described by Hoffmann (1906a, 1906b), but interestingly was not mentioned for this locality by Johnston (1915), Traill (1970) or Traill (1983). It should be considered to be tentative for the locality.Platinum: This has been reported here by several authors. Dawson (1889) stated that it was Mentioned as occurring in very fine scales, with gold, particularly at a place ten miles below Lillooet. Hoffman (1905) described . . . small to minute, flattened, rounded, steel-grey, glistening scales of native platinum; . . . . in material from the dredge clean-up. ONeill and Gunning (1934) noted that . . . during the summer of 1917 more than half an ounce ($53 worth) of platinum was obtained from cleaning up the concentrating tables of the old dredge at Lillooet, which had lain idle there for several years. The locality is 4 to 5 miles below Lillooet on the east side of the river. Finally, Dr. J. Douglas Scott, in the summer of 1966, found an ancient sluice box near the river bank, from which he collected a black sand concentrate, subsequently found to contain platinum amongst other minerals. The platinum was X-rayed and proved to be ferroan platinum (personal communication, March 2022).
As a standard course of business every spring, teams reach agreement on contracts with their pre-arbitration players. Since pre-arb players have virtually no negotiating leverage, their salaries arent far beyond the MLB minimum ($570.5K), and most teams now adopt a particular formula for assigning modest raises to pre-arbitration players who have performed above and beyond expectations.

When a player doesnt accept this agreement, it has no change on his contractual status with the team. It just means that his contract is renewed, and the team will impose the players salary for the coming season. For a further explanation of the renewal process, MLBTRs Jeff Todd provided an outline in a YouTube video last year.

Why would a player not accept the terms of his teams raise? Often, it is just a matter of principle, as Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty (who had his last two pre-arbitration salaries renewed) said last year, as a player who excels during a season simply feels he is worth more than the minor raise a team is offering. Occasionally, youll see a player look for a more substantive raise, as Mike Trouts camp asked for a $1MM salary for the 2013 season, following a 2012 campaign that saw Trout finish second in AL MVP voting in his first full year in the big leagues.

While Trout didnt get his $1MM ask, some clubs have indeed rewarded players with pre-arb salaries worth well above (by a few hundred thousand dollars, in some cases) the minimum, both as a nod to performance and perhaps as a way to continue good relations with a player and his agent in advance of extension talks.

Here is a list of players whose contracts have been renewed for the 2021 season. As youll note, the members of this group have already enjoyed significant early-career success.
Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil, and J.D. Davis have all been mentioned as possible or even likely trade candidates due to the Mets new influx of position players, yet it now seems as though the club is leaning against a deal. According to SNYs Andy Martino, the trio are now expected to stay in New York, with a trade of Smith or McNeil in particular looking like a long shot.

Of course, there could be some gamesmanship at play here for the Mets. Publicly, the club has always expressed an interest in keeping the players, with manager Buck Showalter saying earlier this week that he saw McNeil as the teams regular second baseman. Saying the same thing privately could simply be a way of trying to entice more of a trade return from interested teams, as one would imagine the Mets would indeed deal any of the three players if another club made a big enough offer.

On the face of it, however, it also makes sense why the Mets would want to retain any or all of the three. Several members of New Yorks veteran roster have battled injury problems either in past seasons or as recently as 2021, plus Robinson Cano is an x-factor in his return from a season-long PED suspension. Having Davis, McNeil, and Smith on hand as depth would be a big help for the Mets in the event of more injury problems, and the introduction of the DH spot also provides more opportunity to rotate bats in and out of the lineup, so everyone can theoretically stay fresh.

Health issues impacted each of Davis, McNeil, and Smith last season, resulting in only 73 games played for Davis, and both missed time and subpar performance for McNeil and Smith. Its safe to assume that these injuries factored into trade talks, as rival teams were likely unwilling to pay a premium for anyone coming off a checkered season, while the Mets likely arent keen on selling low on any of the three players.

In Smiths case, the first baseman played virtually the entire season hurt, as he recently told SI.coms Pat Ragazzo. In trying to compensate for a wrist strain suffered in Spring Training, Smith then developed a partial tear in his right labrum in late May or early June. Labrum surgery wasnt required, but between the shoulder and wrist problems and a groin injury, Smith hit only .244/.304/.363 with 11 home runs over 493 plate appearances.

After a lot of offseason work to heal and rehab, Smith told Ragazzo that Nothing hurts right now. Trust me, if something hurts, everybody will know. I wont be out there playing if Im hurt. Thats something thats going to change from the past. In regards to his shoulder, Smith felt it had healed but its good enough to go for the season. You still take some swings and feel stuff, and thats just a part of it. But.its a lot better than last year, I will say that.

Martino reports that the Padres are one of the teams who have interest in McNeil and Smith, and that interest in Smith has continued even in the wake of San Diegos acquisition of first baseman Luke Voit. With Voit now adding to an already crowded first base/DH situation for the Padres, presumably any Smith deal would hinge on the Padres being able to fulfill their aim of trading Eric Hosmer, though Smith can also play left field. The versatile McNeil could play second base, third base, or either corner outfield spot for San Diego, which would give the Padres some flexibility as they try to fill the void left by Fernando Tatis Jr.s wrist surgery.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the inauguration ceremony of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge in Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, on March 18, 2022. Turkey's 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the longest midspan suspension bridge that spans the Dardanelles Strait and connects Europe and Asia at the western end of the Marmara Sea, was inaugurated on Friday in Canakkale. (Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the longest midspan suspension bridge that spans the Dardanelles Strait and connects Europe and Asia at the western end of the Marmara Sea, was inaugurated on Friday in Turkey's northwestern province of Canakkale.

The bridge, the name of which refers to the Canakkale Naval Victory achieved on March 18, 1915 during World War I, stretches 2,023 meters between its towers, symbolizing the year 2023, the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.

The bridge, which costs 2.5 billion euros (2.76 billion U.S. dollars) to build, will generate 5.3 billion euros in economic output, create 118,000 jobs and generate 2.4 billion euros in revenue for Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the inauguration ceremony.

The bridge will save 415 million euros for Turkey each year from a reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions, Erdogan revealed at the ceremony.

With its two-way and six-lane road, the bridge will decrease the approximately one-hour ferry voyage between the two sides across the Dardanelles Strait to six minutes.

After Istanbul's three bridges over the Bosphorus Strait, the 1915 Canakkale Bridge is Turkey's fourth bridge connecting Europe and Asia, and the first to cross the Dardanelles.

The bridge, constructed through a public-private partnership model, was built by a consortium of Turkish and South Korean companies, local media reported. South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum attended the inauguration ceremony on Friday.

China's Sichuan Road and Bridge Construction Group also took part in the bridge's construction after winning the steel box girder hoisting project bid. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves at the inauguration ceremony of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge in Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, on March 18, 2022. Turkey's 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the longest midspan suspension bridge that spans the Dardanelles Strait and connects Europe and Asia at the western end of the Marmara Sea, was inaugurated on Friday in Canakkale. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 3, 2021 shows the construction site of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge in Canakkale, Turkey.

Turkey's 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the longest midspan suspension bridge that spans the Dardanelles Strait and connects Europe and Asia at the western end of the Marmara Sea, was inaugurated on Friday in Turkey's northwestern province of Canakkale.

China's Sichuan Road and Bridge Construction Group also took part in the bridge's construction after winning the steel box girder hoisting project bid. (Xia Zhenhan/Sichuan Road and Bridge Construction Group/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2021 shows the construction site of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge in Canakkale, Turkey.

Turkey's 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the longest midspan suspension bridge that spans the Dardanelles Strait and connects Europe and Asia at the western end of the Marmara Sea, was inaugurated on Friday in Turkey's northwestern province of Canakkale.

China's Sichuan Road and Bridge Construction Group also took part in the bridge's construction after winning the steel box girder hoisting project bid. (Xia Zhenhan/Sichuan Road and Bridge Construction Group/Handout via Xinhua)
The Nationals have signed lefty Jace Fry to a minor league deal, according to Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post. He has been invited to big league camp.

This will be just the second organization for Fry, as he has been with the White Sox for the entirety of his career thus far. After a cup of coffee in 2017, he settled in as a mainstay of the teams bullpen over the next three years. From 2018 to 2020, he appeared in 145 games for the Pale Hose, with a 4.43 ERA. Although the 13.7% walk rate was concerning, he could certainly rack up the strikeouts, with a rate of 29.6%.

In 2021, a microdiscectomy kept him on the IL until June and he struggled in his return. In a small sample of just 6 2/3 MLB innings, he put up a 10.80 ERA. However, in 40 Triple-A innings on the year, his ERA was just 2.93, along with a 36.1% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate. Despite that strong showing in the minors, he was outrighted by the White Sox at the end of the year.

For the Nationals, they leaned into a rebuild last year, trading away various players, including relievers Daniel Hudson and Brad Hand. That left them with a bullpen primarily consisting of inexperienced younger pitchers and Will Harris, who was limited by injury to just six innings last year. Since then, the club has added Sean Doolittle to be the primary lefty, alongside younger options like Sam Clay and Francisco Perez. Fry is still just 28 years old and has an option year remaining. If selected to the roster, he could give the Nationals an optionable veteran southpaw in the pen. He also has less than four years of MLB service time, meaning he could be retained into the future via arbitration if he succeeds with the Nats.
March 19: Manager Alex Cora confirmed that Robles will be returning to the Red Sox, adding that the right-hander remains in the Dominican Republic as he waits for a visa, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The deal is a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (via Twitter). If he makes the Major League roster, Robles will make $2.25MM, adds Speier.

March 18: The Red Sox are in agreement with free agent reliever Hansel Robles, reports Mike Rodriguez of Univision (Twitter link).

The 31-year-old is now set to continue his tenure in Boston after being acquired in a deadline deal with the Twins last July. While his overall 4.43 ERA or 12.5% walk rate on the 2021 season wont wow anyone, the right-handers results improved considerably upon joining the Red Sox.

In 25 post-trade innings Robles carried a 3.60 ERA with an impressive 30.3% strikeout rate. His walk rate remained several notches above the league average, but given Bostons minimal cost of acquisition Robless performance was more than acceptable. Further working for the reliever is his ability to take the ball every couple of days, as his 72 appearances topped his previous record of 71 appearances during a strong 2019 season as the Angels closer. An ability to be a workhorse out of the bullpen may prove prudent given the injury risk already on display in Bostons rotation.



Bostons reunion with Robles through free agency is about as good a relief signing as one can expect at this time of the offseason, particularly with reliever Kenley Jansens departure from the free agent board. Among remaining free agent relief pitchers, Robles has perhaps the best bet of following the high-strikeout, high-walk rate formula that Bostons pitching staff rode to general success last year.

Tonights signing also addresses a weakness in the Sox bullpen, which had a dearth of right-handed relievers behind end-of-game right-handers Garrett Whitlock and Matt Barnes. Three of chief baseball officer Chaim Blooms most recent moves have been centered on adding southpaws to the teams pitching staff, but the addition of Robles should take some pressure off incumbent reliever Hirokazu Sawamura as the teams go-to right-hander in the middle innings.
The Ada-East District is experiencing massive development as part of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addos efforts to enhance local governance across the country since 2017.

I inherited seven uncompleted projects in 2017, out of which six including the three-storey Assembly Office Complex, three CHPS Compounds, Police Station at Big Ada, and three-unit classroom blocks at Amlakpo and Alavanyo have been completed.

Other new projects initiated are the construction of five CHPS compound, rehabilitation of recovery ward of Ada Health Centre, construction of solar-powered mechanized water facilities, and provision of potable water to six communities.

Construction of classroom blocks for different communities, procurement of over 5,000 furniture for schools in the District, Ms Sarah Dugbakie Pobee, Ada-East District Chief Executive enumerated at the Ada East District Assembly Town Hall Meeting at the Big Ada to solicit inputs in the development process of the District

The meeting, which was sponsored by Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) brought together dignitaries including; traditional authorities, religious leaders, Assembly members, staff of the Assembly, opinion leaders among others.

She gave the assurance that the assembly in line with the laid down protocols issued by President Akufo-Addo was working to ensure that some planned projects and programmes for the year were carried out successfully in the district.

The Ada-East DCE said the assembly was also working on a salt processing factory, market sheds, construction of solar-powered irrigation infrastructure among others across the district.

Ms Pobee said the town hall meeting offers stakeholders in the district the opportunity to give impetus to local participation, transparency, accountability, and good governance, as being championed by President Akufo-Addo.

She said the town hall meeting was a key requirement of the Assembly as the highest political and administrative authority in the District adding that it was mandated by the Local Governance Act 936.

Mr. Fred Bubune Kpodo, District Coordinating Director urged the community members to pay their taxes for the Assembly to initiate more developmental projects in the District.

Ms. Adizatu Moro Maiga, MFWA Programmes Officer lauded the Ada-East Assembly for the numerous projects initiated to improve the standard of living of the people.

She said the MFWA is partnering with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies as well as community radios to promote citizenship access to information to enhance good governance as well as support the Assemblies to account to its people.
Mr Prince Debrah Appiah addressing the participants

19.03.2022 LISTEN

Ghana should bring back the missionary zeal in school management and administration to achieve quality education, Mr. Prince Debrah Appiah, a Member of the Board of Directors, Educate Ghana which is an educational think-tank Foundation has stated.

To achieve quality education, all stakeholders especially parents and the missions must be allowed to play their roles effectively in teaching and learning.

In order to provide the best possible educational experience for the students, it is critical that teachers and staff have access to resources and materials for creating an engaging and positive learning environment that will prepare students for the academic rigour and competition, Mr Appiah affirmed.

Mr. Appiah who is a former Chief Audit Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority stated at the Ghana News Agency, Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform, stressing that holistic stakeholder involvement in education is critical at this point.

Speaking on the status of the educational system, Mr. Appiah who was Election 2020 New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Korle Klottey, said the challenges of free Senior High Schools, should not be grounds for attacking the policy.

He said while the government needed more time to perfect the challenges experienced with the implementation of the free SHS, the stakeholders especially parents and the missions must be allowed to play their respective roles to achieve quality.

I am appealing to the government to allow the Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) to be active again, get the parents who are stakeholders to participate in their childrens education, he said.

Mr. Appiah said providing free education to Ghanaians was enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, therefore, the free SHS was a good and important policy to be implemented adding however taking out the role of the PTAs in the management and administration of schools must be relooked at.

He acknowledged that some of the school authorities took advantage of the PTAs to extort monies from parents, notwithstanding, we should not throw the baby away with the wash water, we must allow them to work with the schools and the government to improve education.

He said another way to improve the quality of education in Ghana, was to have legislation making it compulsory for all politicians children to attend public schools.

By so doing, those in authority would see the need to provide infrastructure, the needed teaching, and learning materials, and the right policies as their children would also benefit from it, he said.

Mr Appiah who is a leading member of the ruling NPP said critical thinking must be one of the subjects' students must be taught just as it pertained in most European countries to ensure that graduates became assets to the nation.

He expressed worry that currently, the average Ghanaian graduates are just having certificates, apart from creating access, we need quality as even though we are in a third world country, we see things in real-time happening in first world country due to technological advancement.
Dr Binka addressing the participants

19.03.2022 LISTEN

A call has been made to the government to integrate gender perspectives into all national laws and policies to enhance womens participation in national development.

Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Director of Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), said steps must be taken to ensure that women and girls were at the centre of planning and programming to accelerate the countrys growth.

She made the call at a mentorship and leadership seminar organized by WOMEC and Gender Transformative Programme, (GTP) as part of this years International Womens Day.

Over 60 adolescent girls from selected schools in the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality participated in the programme.

Dr Binka urged the government to speed up the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law and said this could no longer wait after eleven years.

She also underlined the need for deliberate economic measures to support women in business to ensure that, they have equal access to finance and other resources.

She said as part of celebrating this years International Womens Day, WOMEC deemed it necessary to bring the event to the level of the girls to remind them to aspire for a brighter future.

Dr. Binka said the Day offered an opportunity to reflect on the issues of gender equality and the promotion of the rights of women and girls.

She charged the girls to focus on education and said it was the pathway to socio-economic and political empo11werment.

Education, she noted that, was one of the significant ways to promote positive change, adding that, you have to be assertive without being aggressive, if you are not assertive, people will walk over you, so should not allow anybody to silence you because nobody has the right to.

Dr. Vanesa Nsiah Akosah, a Surgeon at the Tema General Hospital encouraged the adolescent girls to be eager to add value to their lives.

Ms. Deborah Konney, School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator, Ghana Education Service, told the adolescent girls to keep themselves well and to be modest in their dressing.
Drunkards Association of Ghana says it has boycotted all alcoholic beverages from GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited.

The beverages include Castle Bridge, Mandingo, Takai, Apet Dry Gin, Castidingo, Herb Afrik, Kaiser Imperial Schnapp, and Meridian Water among others.

The boycott is a protest against the MD of GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited for asking Ghanaians to drink water if they cannot afford the new prices of their products.

The MD, Maxwell Kofi Jumah in an interview with the media said the company will increase their products to meet the high cost of production to remain in business.

He added that consumers who cannot afford the new prices of alcoholic beverages should resort to drinking water.

He also stated that excessive intake of alcoholic beverages is often a pastime for people who are lazy to work.

His statement, according to the President of the Drunkards Association of Ghana, Moses Onya, is an insult to the members that include prominent personalities in the country.

In an interview with Otec News on Thursday, Moses Onya warned that until Kofi Jumah apologizes to them, the 6.6 million of the Association would boycott all products of GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited.

We take Mr Jumah statement as unfortunate, discriminately and an insult, for labeling us as lazy people and asking us to drink water as a substitute.

With immediate effect, the 6.6 million members of the association will not patronize the products of GIHOC until he apologizes to us, Moses Onya also known as Dry Bone stated.

He urges all members to abide by the direction to protect their hard won reputation.
One of the Principal Elders of Akwanor Royal family of Ashalaja in the Greater Accra Region, Emmanuel Nii Awule Ackaah have called on President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akufo Dampare to ensure justice in the recent murder of the Oshippi of Ashalaja, Joshua Lartey.

According to him, the death of the Oshippi has brought discomfort to the residents in the community as they continue to live in fear and panic.

The Principal Elder of Akwanor Royal Family addressing the media in Accra on Tuesday, March 15 appealed to all and sundry to volunteer information to the Police concerning the death of Nii Oshippi to enable the police unravel this unfortunate incident.

He also entreats all members of the family to remain calm as the police conduct its investigation into the matter.

He added that though the Accra Regional Police Command has arrested six suspects yet the people continue to live in distress due to the activities of landguards.

He lauded the police for acting swiftly in arresting the suspects.

He revealed that the suspects, who are in the custody of the police, were remanded by the District Magistrate Court Adjabeng on Thursday, March 10 to reappear in court on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Nii Awule Ackaah prayed the District Magistrate Court not to grant the suspects bail any time soon to make room for proper investigation to be conducted.

He has alleged that members of the Akwanor Royal family have been receiving several threats from the suspects even though they are still in police custody.

The family, he said, is gathering evidence of the messages for onward submission to the police for further investigation.

The suspects are in the police cells yet they are making calls and sending us threat messages; this means that they have no remorse.

So we are appealing to the court not to release these suspects to put the life of the Akwanor Royal family in danger, he reiterated.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has delivered an electric shock to the NATO alliance and given it a new strategic clarity that it was lacking.

Macron, speaking to journalists as he launched his campaign for re-election, was responding to a question about whether he regretted describing NATO as brain dead around two years ago.

Macron said the situation in late 2019, when he made his remarks, was different from today, and that the alliance was indispensable for dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The war launched by [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin brings a clarification, and creates at our borders and on our European soil an unusual threat which gives a strategic clarification to NATO, the French President said. Yet, I continue to think that we need to rebuild a new European order of security, that the war today in Ukraine makes it even more indispensable.

On Thursday, asked by a journalist of US political journalism outlet Politico if he "would reconsider his 2019 comments," Macron answered that he wants to initiate a strategic clarification of NATO's role. A work in progress, he added.

Macron said that EU leaders will conclude work on the EU's strategic compass," France's shorthand for strengthening the Union's military capabilities during a EU Council meeting in Brussels next week.

He also pointed out that an upcoming NATO summit in June will focus on redefining the alliance's frameworks.

NATO indeed started an overhaul of its functioning. In 2020, the organization's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg created an expert group to explore a future direction of NATO, resulting in the report Nato 2030 - United for a New Era.

Stoltenberg himself remarked earlier this month that Russia's invasion into Ukraine had forced the military alliance to launch "an urgent rethink" of its long-term outlook.

(With agencies)
19.03.2022 LISTEN

Extreme poverty is a terrible human rights violation that robs people of basic opportunities to live in dignity. They are deprived of basic necessities such as food, clothing, housing and medical care.

Whatever caused this situation, these financially disabled people need help so that they can get a chance to survive.

And this is where Nadisco Foundation, founded by Hajia Nadia Alhassan iv is making significant inroads, and is on the cusp of making history as one of the most ingenious and hardworking humanitarian group in Ghana which is giving hope to the impoverished.

Hajia Nadia, popularly known as Hajia Nadisco is a queen of charity, compassion, and selflessness. To the needy and destitute, she is the light that gives hope to their helplessness.

The selfless and humane Hajia Nadisco has been working in promoting the welfare of the less fortunate through her NGO, the Nadisco Foundation which partners with donors and well-wishers to drill boreholes to provide potable water, provide shelter, food, emotional support, and other necessities to those in need.

Furthermore, Nadisco Foundation provides care for widows, fight for the rights of women, children and the physically challenged.

The Foundation has also built classroom blocks with offices, staff rooms, stores, and libraries for school children in deprived communities who study under trees, to learn in a safe and productive environment. Hajia and her Foundation are confident that with access to good education, children can escape poverty.

Women empowerment is also one of the areas the Foundation is zealous about, and has legal practitioners who offer free services to oppressed women.

Lady Nadia's love for the needy in society is awesome; and her support for them has been matchless. According to her, the passion to serve the poor is a calling. "I feel happy within me anytime I'm able to put a smile on someone's face. I was born to give hope to those who need it, that's why my name, Nadia means hope," she said.

Many communities in Akatsi North, Ketu North, Ketu South, Akatsi South, Nakpanduri, Bimbilla, and Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo districts among others have benefited from her Foundation.

A famous American poet and civil rights activist, the Late Maya Angelou once said,

"Love recognises no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

This quote of the famous poet aptly describes who Hajia Nadisco is: her love and passion for the less privileged

recognise no barriers. They jump hurdles, leap fences, penetrate walls to arrive at a destination where she could deliver hope to the needy and helpless. She is a great humanitarian who has dedicated herself to alleviating hardship amongst people from poverty-stricken communities in Ghana and beyond.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kasongo Kakubo in Tunxi, east China's Anhui Province, March 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

HEFEI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on Saturday with Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kasongo Kakubo in Tunxi, east China's Anhui Province.

Welcoming Kakubo as the first foreign minister of a sub-Saharan African country to visit China since the pandemic began, Wang said China supports Zambia's independent choice of a development path suited to its national conditions.

China is willing to work with Zambia to strengthen strategic communication, deepen exchanges of governance experience, enhance mutual trust and expand practical cooperation in various fields, Wang said.

Kakubo congratulated China on successfully hosting the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and spoke highly of China's long-term contribution to the development of the African continent and its adherence to principles and justice in international affairs.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Kakubo appreciated China's active role in promoting peace talks and its long-term leading role in realizing peace. 
19.03.2022 LISTEN

No Ghanaian living in troubled Ukraine has died or been involved in any serious, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

A statement from the Ministry said most Ghanaians in Ukraine, including those under siege, have reportedly left to neighbouring countries.

So far, the Ministry has not been notified of any tragic loss of life or serious injuries to our compatriots, the Ministry added in a statement issued on Friday, March 18, 2022.

The Ministry further added that it has so far been able to evacuate 226 Ghanaians back to Ghana.

It added that the evacuees have been attended to by professionals of the Mental Health Authority, who offered psycho-social support to our distressed compatriots.

The Ghanaian nationals living in Ukraine had been stranded following that countrys conflict with Russia. Russia disagrees with NATOs eastward expansion, hence its invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.

The Ministry thanked all who have been of immense support in the course of the evacuation.

The government of Ghana wishes to seize this opportunity to express its profound gratitude to Governments, international humanitarian organisations, religious bodies, groups, and individuals, notably the National Union of Ghana Students in Ukraine, and neighbouring countries, the church of Pentecost, and the International Organisation for Migration for their support which in diverse culminated the success of this very important national assignment.

The Government also appreciates the efforts of the hardworking members of our diplomatic Missions in Prague, Berne, the Vatican City, Moscow, Ankara, Vienna, and Berlin, as well as our Honorary Consuls in Hungary, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, in the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals.

Some Ghanaian nationals have, however, refused to be evacuated, despite the Government of Ghanas efforts.

The government has therefore washed its hands off such persons should any ill befall them.

citinewsroom
19.03.2022 LISTEN

Madam Cecilia Asaga, a Zongo Caucus patron of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra region is asking the wife of Vice President Samira Bawumia to stop worsening matters with her annoying propaganda comments.

The Second Lady has come under intense criticism after she reportedly said President Akufo-Addo has touched every constituency with development.

Her comments angered Madam Asaga who said Ghanaians are going through tough times under the leadership of Akufo-Addo-Bawumia led NPP Government due to bad economic management.

She noted that Samira Bawumia must contend with the reality on the ground and call out his 'missing' husband, Vice President Bawumia to clean the economic mess.

According to her, Ghanaians are suffering from intolerable hardships and an ever-increasing cost of living, which is quite unfortunate.

In addition, an increase in existing taxes, as well as the introduction of new ones, has resulted in dramatic increases in the prices of petrol, food, and other essentials.

"On this day, as hardships deepen, I implore His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo to extend a hand of collaboration to all Ghanaians who can help save our beloved country from the abyss into which it is sinking," she stated in an interview with Avenor TV.

She continued, "I salute Ghanaians in need, and I would want to take this occasion to ask Madam Samira Bawumia to assist her husband in taking the necessary steps to provide aid in fixing the Ghanaian porous economy than insulting and attacking Ghanaians complaining about the bad nature of the economy.

"Although it appears that Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia's lies have decreased marginally because of his hidden stature due to the implementation of the obnoxious E-levy, it is conceivable that his wife, Samira, has acquired the same ailment.

"One cannot imagine under what influence should Samaira Bawumia be to declare that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration's accomplishments are strewn around the country.

"Indeed, I do not receive or share the poor taxpayers' money to go throughout the country as she claims, but I am confident that those with good eyesight can only see agony, hardship, frustration, crime, corruption, starvation, unemployment, and so on all over the country."
With its imposing, angular proportions made out of clay, laterite and other local building materials, the Opera Village cultural and educational project, designed by Burkina Faso-born architect Francis Kere, blends into the landscape.

It overlooks Laongo, a rural community not far from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, and is the sort of groundbreaking design that helped Kere scoop architecture's most prestigious award, the Pritzker Prize, this week.

In so doing, the 56 year-old, who holds dual Burkina and German nationality, became the first African to win the honour in its more than 40-year history.

Aerial view of the groundbreaking Opera Village project. By OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT AFP

Built on 20 hectares (almost 50 acres) of a granite plateau, the Opera Village is shaped like a spiral, with 26 buildings housing workshops, a health centre, guest houses and a school.

Eventually, at its centre will be a performance venue and covered exhibition area with 700 seats.

Built in the early 2010s with the aim of combining art, education and ecology, the project was the brainchild of late German theatre director and filmmaker Christoph Schlingensief.

'The simplest material'

Kere was hailed by the Pritzker's sponsors on Tuesday for designs that are "sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants -- in lands of extreme scarcity".

Schoolchildren attend a lesson in a classroom at the Opera Village school. By OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT AFP

His Opera Village used local construction materials, such as clay, laterite, granite and wood to allow it to withstand the extreme heat of the region, the site's administrator Motandi Ouoba said.

"These are local materials that the architect found on site: blocks of compressed earth, bricks taken from the site, paving stones made from granite," he said.

Kere "starts with the simplest material, which we commonly share... which our parents used, and he makes something noble out of it," he added.

"It's the earth, it's all that's around us, when he brings them together, he brings to life something that is magnificent."

It also blends well with local vegetation, contributing to a sense of harmony.

'Bioclimatic buildings'

The immense roofs overhang the walls and ventilation keeps the temperature in the rooms down, even when it's more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) outside.

The roofs overhang the walls and ventilation keeps the temperature in the rooms down, even when it's more than 40 degrees Celsius outside. By OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT AFP

Kere ensured that "our buildings are bioclimatic, with a double ceiling and openings to dissipate hot air," Ouoba said.

The health centre's consultation and treatment rooms have dozens of long windows that slide upwards.

"With so many openings, patients feel less isolated by hospitalisation. They have a view of the landscape," doctor Issa Ouedraogo said.

The stylish classrooms filled with daylight are a far cry from the makeshift decor of many of the schools in Burkina Faso, a country battling a jihadist insurgency since 2015 that swept in from neighbouring Mali.

"The architecture of the buildings changes everything. We are in perfect classrooms because it is very hot here and not everyone can afford fans or air conditioning," said headmaster Abdoulaye Ouedraogo, who is also an actor and playwright.

Six classrooms can accommodate 181 pupils -- and there's a separate space for music, dance, theatre, plastic arts, photography and audiovisual lessons.

'Durable and functional'

Opera Village also serves as a creative residency site for artists, according to Ouoba.

"It reminds us that we can get something beautiful, durable and functional from local materials," he said.

With its unique architecture, the centre attracts around 2,500 visitors every year.

Ouoba hopes that international recognition of Francis Kere will help maintain the curiosity of visitors.

"This very prestigious prize is the pride of everyone, especially in these times when Burkinabe news is dominated by terrorist attacks.

"We are happy for Mr Kere but also for us who are among the first beneficiaries of his work," he said, in congratulating the architect.
19.03.2022 LISTEN

After two years of meeting exclusively via video and/or telephone conferencing, Jehovahs Witnesses in Ghana and around the world will resume in-person meetings at their Kingdom Halls, starting April 1, 2022.

Since Monday, March 16, 2020, even before government restrictions were announced to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, all in-person meetings of Jehovahs Witnesses in the country and worldwide were suspended.

The decision was motivated by respect for life as a gift from God, Jehovah and love of neighbour. Because of the motivation for the decision, government directives that came later were considered as the minimum requirements at all times and additional measures were added wherever it was needed to protect life.

To care for the spiritual needs of over 212,000 of Jehovahs Witnesses and others in the country who attend meetings each week, all spiritual programs and public ministry were conducted via video and/or telephone conferencing, such as Zoom.

In the last two years of virtual meetings and preaching ministry, over 220,000 people across the country now join these virtual meetings. Some of the new attendees have begun sharing in the

Christian commission of preaching the good news of Gods KingdomMatthew 24:14; 28:19, 20.

With the current low incidents of COVID-19 infections and the wide availability of vaccines, the in-person use of Kingdom Halls for meetings will now start across the country, subject to all government directives and safety protocols. The virtual means of attending will be retained as a complement to the in-person meetings wherever possible.

This opening of the Kingdom Halls for in-person meetings coincides with the delivery of a Special Talk to be given worldwide, titled: Where Can You Find Real Hope? on Sunday, April 10, 2022, followed by the Memorial of Christs death on the evening of Friday, April 15, 2022. Jehovahs Witnesses invite you to join them at their Kingdom Halls or virtually for these truly faith-building programs that give real hope for the future and to cope with the many challenges we all face today.

Daniel A. Adashie

PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK

Jehovahs Witnesses, Ghana Branch

No. J348/4 Nungua-Tema Beach Road, Accra
Dr. Stephen Amoah

19.03.2022 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, Dr. Stephen Amoah has accused Yapei-Kusawgu MP John Jinapor of being intellectually dishonest over his call for the economic management team of the government to be dissolved.

Speaking to Citi News on Friday evening, John Jinapor who is Ranking Member on Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament accused the Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia-led economic management team of failing woefully to help government manage the economy.

What is the use of the team? What are they doing? Absolutely nothing. It is better we dont have the economic management team because they have not lived to expectations. That is why we are calling on the government to dissolve this economic management team whose performance has been woefully inadequate, abysmal, and nothing to write home about, John Jinapor shared.

Reacting to the call on the same platform, Dr. Speaker Amoah slammed his colleague parliamentary insisting that it appears he is unconsciously incompetent.

My brother John Jinapor, I listened to him. Either he is displaying intellectual dishonesty or unconscious incompetence because he is a finance person and he knows what he is talking about, the Nhyiaeso MP stressed.

According to him, government admits times are hard but it is working to ensure things get better for everyone in the country very soon.

I am surprised. We need to be serious. He is rather throwing dust into the eyes of the public. Yes, some of the economic indicators are not doing well because we were not moving forward as a country economically. I dont want to do politics the way he is doing it but what Im saying is yes there is hardship but things are better than when they took over, Dr. Stephen Amoah added.
The Minority in Parliament has distanced itself from explanations provided by its counterpart on the Majority side that the leadership of Parliament is yet to give President Akufo-Addo the green light for the presentation of the 2022 State of the Nation Address.

Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi insists the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is rather not presenting himself to the house for the presentation.

The President was expected to deliver the State of the Nation Address on March 3, 2022, but it has since been postponed indefinitely.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, absolved President Akufo-Addo of blame in relation to the delay in the presentation of the State of the Nation Address, suggesting that the absence of the Speaker from the jurisdiction could be attributed to the postponement in the delivery of the message .

But speaking on Eyewitness News, James Klutse Avedzi maintained that the reasons given by the Majority are unsatisfactory.

[I am not satisfied at all with the explanation from the Deputy Majority leader.] It was the President who said he cannot come on March 3 because it was close to the 6th March celebrations. So we were waiting for the President for the new date so we can factor it into our programs. So what the Deputy Majority leader is saying is actually not the case.

The Speaker was scheduled for his medical review, but because of the State of the Nation Address, he has rescheduled it two times until the President said he cannot make it. So the Speaker had to go for his medical review. So it's about the availability of the President to determine the date so If the President is not available for us to fix the date, nobody should be blamed rather the President should take the pain and say he wasn't available, he added.

Article 67 of the Constitution mandates the President to present the address to Parliament at the beginning of each session of the lawmaking body and before the dissolution of the house.

The address sets out the government's key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead. It will give President Akufo-Addo the opportunity to highlight the achievements of his government, challenges faced, and also outline developmental measures for the coming financial year.

The Minority in Parliament has in the last few weeks been mounting pressure on the leadership of Parliament to ensure that the president attends to the house to deliver his address.

The Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, last week insisted that the president had no good news  for Ghanaians; hence the delay in making the presentation.

We don't even know when he is coming to address the House. Except that he has no good news to tell the nation because if he has good news to tell Ghanaians he would have been in a hurry to deliver the address.

---citinewsroom
Government is either not paying attention or it is an intelligence lapse that has resulted in the renewed conflict in Bawku, a Security Expert, Dr. Adam Bonaa, has said.

Dr Bonaa has therefore asked the government to scale up efforts in intelligence gathering in order to forestall some of these challenges.

"Its either government is not paying attention or its an intelligence lapse, Dr Bonaa said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday March 19.

The situation in Bawku attracted concerns from some observers including the Bawku Central Member if Parliament Mahama Ayariga.

Mr Ayariga described the situation as unfortunate.

The development is unfortunate. I have been mounting some pressure on the Interior Minister and the Defence Minister to increase security surveillance in Bawku.

They complied and they increased the numbers. Unfortunately, the conduct of some of the security personnel has been most unfortunate and regrettable to say, the least. Definitely, we need the security in Bawku, we appreciate their presence to separate the various factions and to provide security but the conduct of some of them in the last couple of days has been most regrettable. I think that the mayhem that they unleashed on the Community three days ago, is totally unacceptable.

I know that the lives of some soldiers were at stake but unfortunately, the reaction of the soldiers has been very highhanded. I think that we will have to look into that.

I will personally send a complaint to the CHRAJ for them to investigate the conduct of military in the community. Lives were lost needlessly, people's properties were destroyed, these are clear human right violations. The fact that Military officers were shot at does not under any circumstances, give the military the moral right to attack innocent civilians, shoot at babies and kill kids., he said on the Key Points on TV3 with Dzifa Bampoh on Saturday March 19.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has described as false and diversionary claims that its personnel were 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
MANY CHRISTIAN believers think that pastors do not need others to pray for them. Some ministers of the gospel themselves are so proud that they would not ask the church to pray for them. But Paul, an apostle, who was highly anointed and did mighty works for God asked the church to pray for him and other facilitating ministers in their day.

At the same time, PRAY ALSO FOR US, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison  that I make it clear, which is how I ought to speak, (Colossians 4: 3).

Finally, BROTHERS, PRAY FOR US, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith, (2 Thessalonians 3: 1- 2).

Some church members have no idea that they have the responsibility to pray for their pastors. They think only their pastors should pray for them. But no, that is not the plan of God. Christians must pray for one another. Everyone needs someone else's prayers. In the two passages of scripture above, we read about Paul asking his 'church members' to pray for him and other ministers.

In the first scripture, Paul asked the church to pray for him so that God might open a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ. Similarly, in the second, Paul asked the church to pray for the effective and efficient preaching of the gospel. He also asked for their prayers to deliver them from evil men like Alexander the coppersmith, who attacked Paul while preaching the gospel (2 Timothy 4: 14).

One man of God wrote that prayer is the work and the work is prayer. The first-century Apostles were mostly concerned about the success of the work of God. They were concerned about the expansion of the kingdom business, especially the preaching of the gospel of Christ. They were concerned about souls, souls and souls. I have not read anywhere in the Bible where the early church prayed for material things  donkeys, camels (cars) and houses.

Of course, these are important things for life we all need, and it is certainly not wrong or sinful to pray to God for them, but the early church did not spend time praying for them. It is obvious that the then believers understood the teaching of Christ Jesus that His disciples should seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and that all material resources will be added unto them (Matthew 6:33).

When Hannah prayed for the fruit of her womb, she did so with the pledge to give her son to the LORD all the days of his life. Hannah sought the kingdom of God first, and trusted God to address her personal plight. And God answered her prayers (1 Samuel 1: 11).

Similarly, when the early Jewish Christians were being persecuted, they prayed for boldness to preach the Word of God. They sought the welfare of the kingdom business. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus, (Acts 4: 23- 29).

It is high time we repented and learnt from the early church and prayed for our pastors to preach the gospel. We must bow our knees and pray for our Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Bishops and Teachers to grow in the grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must ask God to guide the hearts of our pastors to be in His perfect will.

Brethren, many men of God in Ghana and elsewhere, today, are straying from the truth of the gospel and are following the devil and the world. In most church meetings, today, the pulpits have been turned into motivational speaking to excite people.

Teachings about sanctification, holiness, faith, love, suffering, trial, testing, righteousness, purity, Holy Spirit baptism, second coming of Christ, rapture, judgment day and life after death have been abandoned.

One day, a lead pastor of a charismatic church, remarked that teachings and preaching about Jesus Christ are reserved for only beginner preachers and teachers. In his opinion, a matured man of God should not waste his time feeding his congregation with Christo-centric messages. He meant to say that senior pastors must focus on feeding the church with materialistic stuff. The pastor seemed to have no burden to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to save souls and disciple them to know Christ and grow in Him.

By the pastor's words, you will wonder whether a person sincerely called and commissioned by Christ Jesus will utter such words in his right frame of mind. A pastor may blaspheme against the Lord if he has rejected Christ in his heart or if his eye of faith has been blinded to keep him from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

This is not the time to reject Jesus Christ, but accept Him. This is not a time to leave a church but join it for your salvation. While in the church, we must see the need to pray for all ministers of the gospel to remain focused and determined to faithfully discharge the divine duties assigned to them. The work Christ Jesus accomplished on the cross for the world must be proclaimed, and God is the ultimate rewarder.

By James Quansah

[email protected]
IT is early morning in a city called Lviv. In Ukraine.

Suddenly, an air raid siren blares out. People wake up still groggy. But they know from experience that the air raid warning cannot be ignored, no matter how beguiling the call of continued sleep is.

They have heard air raid sirens, which had been followed by loud explosions. Explosions caused by jet bombers. Or shells fired from tanks. And missiles whizzing past at supersonic speed.

The explosions are always preceded by a flash of yellowish flame, and followed by billows of thick, black smoke. The cries of injured or dying people rend the air. They are soldiers, or civilian men and women. Plus children and babies. They run or are carried out. But where to go? They had thought they were going to be safe at their present location. But that had proved wrong. Where else to seek shelter? Again?

President Vladimir Putin, please why are you putting the people of Lviv, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities through this routine of experiencing hell on earth each day? Your bombs have been talking to them for a good three weeks. Since your invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.

What have ordinary Ukrainians done to you, please, Mr. Putin? Are they responsible for the infantile policies of their government? You are the head of a government. Do you consult your people every time you take a decision that affects their lives? You know that is impractical. Why then are you punishing these people so severely because of the mistakes of their government?

Mr. Putin, please call off your soldiers. The only sin of the Ukrainian people is that they were born and brought up in a territory that became Ukraine. In fact, you claim that they are from the same stock as your Russian people! Certainly, most of them speak Russian. So, Mr. Putin, if you dont realise it, you are killing your own people.

Mr. Putin, even the Ukrainian Government you hate so much has only erred in intent, not in practice. It has said that it wants to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Sure.

But thats only words by mouth, isnt it? You are punishing them so much for uttering a mere wish, that you have ended up by actually driving them to request NATO to institute a no-fly zone in their skies, that will definitely extend over your territory.

Suppose a MIG-29 piloted by a Pole or a Hungarian was to fly over Russian territory and were to be shot down and its true identity established, what would you do, Mr. Putin? Would you send nuclear missiles to the bases from which the Mig-29 came?

Mr. Putin, you know that the Americans would immediately deploy their own nuclear weapons, dont you? And that me and my family and my friends, and other harmless people in developing countries, sitting somewhere thousands of miles away from you and your Ukrainian enemies, would become victims of radiation and die?

Mr. Putin, do you consider that fair? For that matter, do you consider it fair that about three million people have already been uprooted from their homes and country, in the three weeks since you attacked Ukraine?

Mr. Putin, please spare a minute to watch the footage of these people arriving with empty hands at railway and truck stations in Poland, Hungary, Germany and other neighbouring countries. Watch the hopelessness in their faces.

But above all, please watch the efforts of the people whom they do not know; people whose language they do not speak; people unprepared to accommodate visitors in their homes. Please watch the willingness; the friendliness; the human warmth that these strangers are exhibiting towards the poor foreigners who have managed to cross the frontiers and got to their countries.

Mr. Putin, are you and your Russian soldiers not saying that you come from the same Great Russian human stock as the refugees? And yet, do not the total strangers you have driven them to, care more about them than you, their fellow Great Russian?

Mr. Putin, please stop this war. You are just making more enemies for Russia, for nothing. Please remember that the world has forgiven Russia for a lot of mistakes it made in the past. The people of Poznan (in Poland) cursed Russians in 1956. As did the people of Warsaw. Followed, in the same year, by the people of Budapest. Then, the people of Prague (1968). Some people in the Crimea and Afghanistan too may not have stored the fondest memories of Russians in their minds.

Mr. Putin, if you care about Great Russia, please do not continue giving your country the name of an ogre. For what will all this killing, killing, killing, bring to you and your people?

Please remember that empires come and go, because that is the nature of politics. But the reputations of individuals never die, once established in history. Otherwise we would not remember Genghis Khan. Or King Herod The First; King Leopold The Second of Belgium, Adolf Hitler or Josef Stalin.

So, in the name of humanity  and also in the name of your family  please end this silly war, Mr. Putin. If you continue it, then, rather than create a Great Russia in the eyes of the world you will belittle Russia. For great nations, by definition, do not respond with anger every time they are ribbed by small nations.

BY Cameron Duodu
19.03.2022 LISTEN

Ghana is currently established to be experiencing unprecedented economic hardships by the views of many an ordinary poor Ghanaian. This is a fact that must be acknowledged, explained and addressed.

Prices of goods and services keep increasing on daily basis to the dismay of many a Ghanaian including myself.

However, the economic hardships the country is going through are not unique to Ghana but a worldwide catastrophe.

The Covid-19 pandemic that led to the lockdown of nations where citizens were ordered to remain indoors, workers shut out of workplaces, production ceasing and people dying in their numbers, exacerbated any economic problems the world was faced with.

The threat of war by Russia against Ukraine started its own economic problems and made matters worse when the war actually started.

Russia supplies about 40% of the natural gas needs of some Western European countries but with the threats of war and actual war, Russia has drastically reduced their gas supply to such countries.

They are using the gas as an effective weapon to bring such countries to their knees to coerce them to support Russia in what is clearly their invasion of a sovereign state for their parochial selfish interests.

Russia produces and exports oil. It is one of the largest oil exporting countries in the world.

However, they are not only restricting their production of petroleum for war purposes but also, economic sanctions have been placed on them by the Western world.

This has led to the shortage of oil on the market with the risk of exporting them becoming greater and more expensive hence the hike in prices of the little oil on the market.

Throughout all the European and American nations, prices of petroleum products have gone up very high. Such price increments on oil have had ripple effect on other goods and services.

Go to France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada and United States of America, just to mention a few countries, prices of petroleum products and goods have gone up so high to the worry of all citizens.

Have the prices gone up because of the economic mismanagement of one particular President or Prime Minister? No!!!

Is it only in Ghana that prices of goods and especially, petroleum products, have gone up? No!!!.

Ghanaians had better check with other nations to see how they are equally facing price hikes.

It is equally as worse in France, United Kingdom and Germany as it is in Ghana, yet people are not moaning as Ghanaians are noted for doing in Ghana.

It is sad to see many a Ghanaian say, l shall never vote NPP come election 2024 because they have made conditions of living harder than they were under former President John Mahama.

I shake my head in pity for those Ghanaians who see the administration of Jobn Mahama's as better than that of Nana Akufo-Addo's.

Do they really understand the havoc Covid-19 and the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war have wreaked on the worldwide economy?

If the NPP government is involved in acts of malfeasance, say it and expose them.

However, to blame the current hikes in oil and other goods on them because of their imprudent economic policies is just as erroneous as such blame is the purposeful malevolent intention of the populist NDC.

Let me regain my bed as it is very well into the wee hours of Saturday, 19 March 2022 and l feel tired, although robbed of sleep.

More to write about my Ghana experience and how dirty our practice of democracy is.

Rockson Adofo

Saturday, 19 March 2022
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Tropical terrestrial emissions could explain more than 80 percent of the observed changes in the global atmospheric methane growth rate over the 2010-2019 period, showed the latest study by a joint research team.

Methane concentration in the atmosphere has more than doubled since the pre-industrial era, contributing 20 percent of present-day human-induced global warming. according to Liu Yi, a researcher with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Tropical terrestrial methane emissions, as the main contributor, represent about 60 percent of the global totals and describe 84 percent of the global annual mean growth rate in the 2010s, said the study published online in the journal Nature Communications.

Large variations in the growth of atmospheric methane, a prominent greenhouse gas, are driven by a diverse range of anthropogenic and natural emissions and by loss from oxidation by the hydroxyl radical.

Researchers of the joint study team used a decade-long dataset (2010-2019) of satellite retrievals of methane and surface measurements to constrain methane posterior emissions.

Using correlative meteorological analyses, researchers find strong seasonal correlations between large-scale changes in sea surface temperature over the tropical oceans and regional variations in methane emissions over tropical South America and tropical Africa.

Therefore, existing predictive skills for sea surface temperature variations could be used to help forecast variations in global atmospheric methane, according to the research team. 
Not long ago, Sunyani, the capital of Ghana's Bono Region was adjudged the most cleanest city in the country.

I'm from Goka in the same region, but lived and schooled in the capital Sunyani for my basic education. I bring to bear my experiences from the two named Bono towns in proffering solution for the Korle Lagoon menace in Accra which see governments spend millions of cedis annually in its dredging.

As a child growing up in my native Goka, my grandmother told me why the Asuo Goka (Lake Goka) never saw drought in all seasons. Not least the fishes in its clean waters were not a delicacy for the town's folks. But chiefly, the Lake was not sacrilegiously hurt by its dependents, the people.

The Goka people believed the lake was a deity, and never pissed, defecated or spat near its banks let alone insulting the waterbody and its inhabitants - the fishes, turtles, and crabs by hunting them for venison or food.

My grandmother said a newly married couples stealthily under the cover of darkness trapped the lakes children, the fishes, and served for a dinner, they thus substituted the revered aquatic creatures for their biological offsprings, and they never had a child until they died in their ripe age.

Another man deliberately eased himself in the middle of the footpath where the women passed to fetch the water, and from that day forward he was stricken by constipation, never visited nature's call again until his stomach swelled to bursting and his death and burial in the evil forest.

The Asuo Goka carried with it a deterrent story, and none durst incurred its wrath.

Expansion of Goka has now got settlements near the lake, and upon my return I see Asuo Goka waning under the weight of human filth, where animals and caitiffs alike take turns to let the previously pristine water suffer what it hated. It now goes drought with the harmattan, and the fishes are shrank in weight and numbers.

At Sunyani, on Independence Days, every 6th March, the Military Barracks was opened for student's entry. We had the chance to enter their swimming pool and see the stockpile of arsenals they use for defending our region and the country.

Some of my mates at Rapid Preparatory School were from the Sunyani Barracks, and they told us stories about the soldiers disciplining people who littered on the compound on such revelling holidays. Those who threw banana peels about were charged to pick them by crawling on their knees. And woe betide the one who'll pooh openly, you are likely to be forced to gulp it down to where you forced it out from.

By stretch, the neatness of the Military Barracks reflected the Sunyani township, and won it the enviable accolade, Ghana's most neatness city.

Perhaps, for complacency or overindulgence in freedom under democracy, the neatness of Sunyani is now comparable to the harmattan induced drought of the Asuo Goka in my nativity.

Last night I saw in a GBC news item how excavators desilted the Korle lagoon as part of its perennial ritual to take away the human caused filth of heavy materials loaded into the water body at the centre of Ghana's capital, Accra, close to one of Africa's best Teaching hospitals - The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

In 2015 I wrote a skit for a Bono representative who contested for the Miss Tourism Beauty pageant, Miss Ruth Awunyo. It was focused on using the Korle lagoon for a racing sport, where after dredging, freshwater should be channelled into it, and as Accra is known for fishing trade, the lake should stage a canoe competition.

Fishermen will annually compete on the Korle lagoon as a festival created for it that will bring in many tourists, raking in revenues and solving the filth menace.

My candidate won the entrepreneurship sash, but lost out on the ultimate to the central region representative. Her blueprint for the lagoon died with the closure of the competition.

Today, we're back at it again, spending the state's resources to rehash a tedious labour that can be eradicated once and for good.

We're likely to repeat this work next year or suffer the palpable consequences.

Every crop of people have the way of understanding things, and if a leader fails to acknowledge such tactics, it spells doom and failure.

In India, the people are known to be spewing spittle anyhow when there's available space. Even if it's on bridges or near polished skyscrapers, they'll smear it with their corrosive saliva.

Then the authorities thought of a solution in using the Indians reverence for spiritual figures. They erected their statues and mounted placards bearing their images along places the people spat most, and it got and instant results.

Now those places were turned into sacred grounds, where worshippers stopped to pray than deface.

Accra and for that matter Ghana can be the cleanest place in the world, but it'll not take a big broom to sweep our filth into perpetual dustbin, but through the magic of the people's natural understanding.

*Written by: Charles Yeboah (Sir Lord)*

+233(0)249542111

[email protected]
Clearly to turn into a government official you really need to have cash.

In the event that you don't have cash as a government official you can't contest for any political position and win.

Numerous government officials go into standard legislative issues to search for cash to advance themselves.

Legislative issues have turned into an alternate route to make not well gotten abundance.

This plainly shows why numerous lawmakers are bad.

For without a corruptible method, it will be truly challenging for some of them to become rich.

The vast majority go into governmental issues with nothing, however through it they become very influential and strong.

The monetization in governmental issues should be control for it is influencing the advancement of the country.

No legislator is a dad Christmas to share cash to individuals very much like that without having an individual premium.

The cash the greater part of them shares it a venture they contribute to get political position.

This influences the country to languish to create over the cash required for advancement goes into one individual's pocket.

Nationalism is presently becoming dim progressively, the nation's advantage isn't focus on any longer.

A few legislators center around what they will get from the province and not what the nation will profit from them.

As of late one strong lawmaker said that is the electorates or representatives who makes the legislators to become bad.

I consent to what he said flawlessly for the interest on them is excessively, everyone needs a politician to tackle their concern.

The interest on them now and then become exceptionally weighty, with tremendous obligations.

The rootcourse of this moneyocracy in legislative issues, began from the grassroots or troopers, a large portion of them accept kickbacks from the lawmakers before they vote in favor of them.

Rather than deciding in favor of a skillful group who are prepared to do the job, they rather really like to cast a ballot someone who has cash.

Once in a while you can't fault the government officials for their corruptible dealings.

The greater part of these government officials additionally has agents who support their political goals and aspirations.

Such lawmakers work with the biddings of their paymasters.

Supposedly assuming an individual from parliament is being supported by the LGBTQ+ the bill that is unbounding to be decided in favor of its legitimization to be authorize or not.

There is no way any individual from parliament who is being taken care of by the LGBTQ+ society will cast a ballot against them.

The rude awakening is that assuming we permitted monetocracy to administer in our political scene, a few lawmakers will take specific choice, larger part of Ghanaians will not be content with it.

We should the kingmakers or electorate's prevent charging monies from the legislators prior to giving their command to them.

A portion of the lawmakers ought to likewise quit being bad and ponder how to foster the country.

We should all ponder Ghana first.
It is normal that people often cant get rid of their problems because they like to blame others. I did notice the same problem with President Nana Akufo Addo.

He couldnt accept responsibility; therefore, it makes it easier to explain his own mistakes and failures, as he continues blaming John Mahama for his incompetence and inefficiency, the fact that there were tribal bigots that gave him support.

I dont think I will ever pity Nana Akufo Addo because when I was writing against his crafted policies to benefit him only, including his lavish lifestyle, appointing his relatives as the Finance Minister and Chief Justice, which I know will affect Ghana in the long run, my reward was constant attacks from tribal bigots and those who hate this common writer once a taxi and tro-tro driver.

When Akufo Addo became the president, he appointed more ministers than any Ghanaian president, yet still, he and his ministers dont know what to do and where to begin. From that point, they tend not to notice their shortcomings.

When they realized that being a president is entirely different from being on the campaign trail giving promises, they began blaming John Mahama. They blamed him for every mistake, including the NPP's E-Levy cake for a birthday party.

The pride of Ghana's cocoa has made non-cocoa planting countries, such as Belgium, Switzerland, America, etc; very rich but the country where the product is taken from remains poor. Photo credit: Ghana media

Unexpectedly becoming president, without any plans, Akufo Addo concentrated more on his promise of dedicating a Cathedral project to God. He occupied the building of this project in his mind for over two years in power.

While, the president has no intentions to create jobs, leaving behind the problems of unemployment, crime, corruption, financial mismanagement, and many others unattended.

The economy of Ghana was already at the brink of collapsing, after some banking institutions in the country doors were closed to the general public but the busy port was there to slowly revamp the economy.

However, since Akufo Addo failed to protect the publics purse as promised, the nefarious activities had already reached a level it cant be controlled, therefore; affecting the business sectors, including the ports.

The tariffs on import duties increased over three hundred percent affecting both local and international businessmen. The period is so hopeless that one could purchase a vehicle at the cost of 5,000 Euros and pay almost the same price for the vehicle.

This went on for a long time without the president intervening to solve the problem until things were completely out of control. By the time the president had the interest to solve the harbor issues, businessmen had already lost investment interest.

I still cant find out the reason many hate John Mahama so much even though he is extremely intelligent, competent, and industrious, compared to the current president, Nana Akufo Addo.

Yet, all along, its very hard for the NPP government to accept their failures to find the right and immediate solutions. They only enjoyed blaming the former Ghanaian leader, John Mahama for their failures.

The government which promised to protect the publics purse and cut down taxes to make life easier for the common Ghanaians, today, has increased the rate of unemployment, corruption, and rather created multiple taxations intending to add another as E-Levy.

John Mahama did so many projects that some were left uncompleted because they were abandoned by the NPP. The action of the NPP government should have told Ghanaians something about Akufo Addo.

He is a man who allowed hate, tribalism, and nepotism, to divide Ghana and destroy him. Thats why I am still campaigning against his Cathedral because God is too holy to dwell in a Cathedral built by Akufo Addo.

If the Republicans abandon projects because the Democrats started, America would have never been a developed country. Ghanaian politicians without shame seek medical treatments in the United States of America.

Many Ghanaians, including writers and journalists, are psychologically sick to the extent that tribalism wouldnt let them see the harm Akufo Addo was doing to Ghana.

They openly supported the bad governance of the NPP government and continuously attack John Mahama. The NPP government is now like a four-wheel-drive vehicle running on three wheels.

The party is struggling because people have lost confidence and hope in Nana Akufo Addo since they werent expecting to see the current suicidal position of Ghana, despite all the promises and boasts of turning Ghana into Dubai.

The truth is Ghanaians will continue to suffer in the remaining years of Nana Akufo Addo until the coming of a new party or leader to work on the current economic crisis which will be worst.

However, we can't ignore the fact that the next president that will come after Akufo Addo will not find things easy at all because the current crisis Ghana faces is so severe to the extent that it may take between five to ten years, probably, even more before the economy can start gaining momentum.

Paying debt amid a troubled economy is not easy, yet Ghana must concentrate on paying its debt at the same time make sure that wouldnt affect the economy.

The only leader who can achieve that is someone who doesnt fear challenges and wouldnt blame anyone for the countrys mess.
The Parliamentary Service has denied claims that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has requested that $50,000 be sent to him in Dubai, where he is seeking medical treatment.

In a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Kate Addo, the Parliamentary Service said the speaker cannot make such a request since he has no power under the law to do so.

It further said as the legislature, it does not intend in any way to engage in any profligate expenditure given the current challenges in the country and that Mr. Bagbin, being fully aware of the countrys situation, has always prioritised the national interest above his personal interest.

Several news reports, including one by the Daily Guide newspaper earlier this week, alleged that the Speaker had made a $50,000 request as an addition to some $120,000 already given to him and a team of four for the trip.

With the latest request, Mr. Bagbin would have blown $170,000 on this current trip. Information gleaned from the corridors of Parliament indicates that this is not the first time the Speaker is making such a request for extra money. According to a source, in July last year, when the Speaker made his first official trip to Dubai for his medical care, he went with a spending money of $150,000, after which he demanded an additional $100,000, but Parliament was able to raise $90,000, bringing the total to $240,000, excerpts of the report claimed.

But the Parliamentary Service has rubbished the claims and asked that it should be treated with contempt.

We would like to state categorically that the Rt. Hon. Speaker has not, at any point in time, made direct cash requests from Parliament.

The current Speaker has no authority and has not made any attempt to in any way amend or alter what has been in existence before he came into office. Parliament is fully aware of the dire times we are in as a country and is mindful to avoid any profligate spending, the statement said.

Read the full statement below:

---citinewsroom
The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annor-Dompreh has stressed that he is confident the government will find homegrown solutions to tackle the current economic difficulties.

Speaking in an interview following the Minoritys criticism of the government over the high cost of fuel in the country, Frank Annor-Dompreh has said it does not mean Ghana should return to IMF.

According to him, government is confident it will find homegrown solutions to tackle the challenges it is facing.

...compare somebody that imposed difficulty on himself after run with the chair between his legs to IMF. We are confident that we will find a homegrown solution to the problems that we are having. We dont want the situation where the IMF will look in our face and say halt public sector recruitment, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri shared.

Frank Annor-Dompreh added, We are confident that we can raise the needed revenue within and for a long time a third world country has not been able to do that. Ghana is setting a good example. If you look at Greece, when it was facing serious economic hardship they run to the IMF.

Just a few African countries will say will not go to the IMF, a country like Uganda. The IMF will say do this and that, we will not and bite the bullet.

This weekend cabinet led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is on a retreat at Peduase in the Eastern Region to come up with solutions to address the current hardships.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has advised the public to regularly monitor all bank transactions and properly secure passwords to protect accounts with the various financial institutions.

In a series of posts on the official Facebook page of the Central Bank, it has provided vital banking tips as part of its efforts to sensitize the public on how to keep bank accounts safe.

Among the tips, the Bank of Ghana has urged Ghanaians to always report any suspicious transactions seen on their bank accounts.

Regularly monitor your bank transactions and account balances and report any unlawful, unauthorized, or suspicious transactions on your account to the institution.

Your banking application login credentials such as passwords, usernames, and one-time passwords (OTPs) are highly sensitive and important assets in the digital world as the keys to your homes. Properly secure them, a BoG post on Facebook has cautioned.

Find contact details of the Bank of Ghana for inquiries and reports in the post below:
France commemorated 60 years since the signing of the Evian Accords, which paved the way for Algeria's independence from France, at an Elysee Palace ceremony on Saturday. The bilateral relationship in the decades since has been marked by episodes of turbulence and rapprochement.

In the 60 years since Algeria won independence from France, it has gone through multiple crises with its former occupier, often fuelled by domestic politics. Yet experts say the two sides had surprisingly good relations for four decades, and it was only in the 1990s that things started to fall apart.

"Generally, despite appearances and criticism, there has been a stable, very balanced relationship," said Luis Martinez, a Maghreb researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris.

That is despite the devastation caused by the eight-year war of independence that finally ended after the signing of the Evian accords on March 18, 1962.

Heavy toll

French historians say half a million civilians and combatants died  400,000 of them Algerian  while the Algerian authorities insist 1.5 million were killed.

Under French General Charles de Gaulle, whose administration signed the accords, and his successor Georges Pompidou, Paris had good relations with Algiers.

The same was true of the administration of Francois Mitterrand, even though he had been interior minister when Algeria's armed independence struggle began in 1954 and remained opposed to the country's independence.

"Mitterrand was surrounded by Socialist Party people, who were all pro-FLN," said historian Pierre Vermeren, referring to the National Liberation Front which led the revolt and has dominated Algerian politics ever since.

"(Mitterrand) was able to take a back seat" and let others deal with Algeria, said Vermeren, a professor at the Sorbonne University.

France was allowed to continue its nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara until 1967, and de Gaulle managed to negotiate a secret deal with the new Algerian state to allow for chemical weapons tests until 1978.

But in 1992, Paris raised hackles by criticising Algiers for suspending elections after Islamist parties had won the first round.

Algeria withdrew its ambassador in response.

The cancellation of the polls sparked another decade of devastating conflict, only ending after an amnesty offer by Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who became president in 1999.

Despite being close to France, Bouteflika made use of anti-French discourse, primarily for domestic consumption, Vermeren said.

"To win back control of the ideological and political sphere after the civil war, (the Algerian leadership) 'forgot' that France had helped them fight the Islamists," he said.

"They went back to their traditional enemy."

'Good ties in secret'

Under Bouteflika, Algerian leaders used ever-stronger language against France, accusing it of "genocide" during its more than 130-year occupation of Algeria.

Then, in 2019, a vast protest movement toppled the autocratic leader after two decades in power -- but the new regime has kept up the anti-French discourse.

Observers say however that cooperation behind closed doors has been surprisingly close.

From 2013, Algeria had allowed French forces to use its airspace to reach Mali in order to battle jihadists.

According to Naoufel Brahimi El Mili, who has written a book on 60 years of "secret stories" between the two countries, "French-Algerian relations are good when they're in secret. They're more hostile when they're in public."

Relations were good under Emmanuel Macron, who became president after an election campaign in which he had visited Algiers, where he described colonisation as a "crime against humanity".

After taking office, he made gestures aimed at healing past wounds on both sides of the Mediterranean.

But he refused to apologise for colonialism, a highly sensitive topic in France, which for decades saw Algeria as an integral part of French territory and where far-right discourse has been escalating.

Comments reported last October dampened hopes around reconciliation.

Macron accused Algeria's "political-military system" of rewriting history and fomenting "hatred towards France".

In remarks to descendants of independence fighters, reported by Le Monde, he also questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French invasion in the 1800s.

Once again, Algeria withdrew its ambassador.

'Algeria votes Macron'

Now, as French presidential elections loom in April, relations appear to be looking up again. Millions of French citizens of Algerian origin and descendants of Europeans who left after independence are among those casting votes.

"Algeria will vote for Macron," said author El Mili. "Algerians are convinced that a Macron II will be bolder."

Xavier Driencourt, a former French ambassador to Algeria, shared that view. "They don't want (conservative candidate) Valerie Pecresse who has a fairly right-wing tone, and definitely not (Eric) Zemmour or Marine Le Pen," he said, referring to two far-right presidential hopefuls.

But much remains to be done. Martinez from Sciences Po said Macron's comments had done a lot of damage.

"They'll go back to the drawing board, and try to see what they can agree on," he said.

Former envoy Driencourt said "it takes two sides to have a relationship".

"I'm not very optimistic," he said.

(-AFP)
19.03.2022 LISTEN

Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin says President Nana Akufo-Addo is ready to present the State of the Nation Address (SONA) but leadership of Parliament is yet to agree on a date for the President to come.

He explained that the duty of the Speaker of Parliament and Leadership in the House is to agree on a date and communicate same to the President.

Currently the Speaker has been away in Dubai for the past two week hoping to return at month end.

However, that agreement has not been reached for it to be communicated to the President thereby President Akufo-Addo cannot be blamed for the delay in presenting the State of the Nation Address.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said on the Floor of the House on Friday March 18 after Member of Parliament (MP) for Adaklu, Kwame Agbodza had raised concerns regarding the delay in addressing the nation.

Mr Agbodza had described the situation as unprecedented in the history of the Fourth Republic.

This is an unprecedented territory. We have never seen a president who is unable to tell us the state of the nation this long. We think that we need a definite date, he said.

Responding to Mr. Agbodza, Mr Afenyo-Markin said On the statement by honorable Kwame Agbodza to the effect that Mr President had delayed in coming. At the risk of being repetitive and for emphasis, it isn't Mr President who has delayed in coming. It is the duty of the Speaker and leadership to agree on a date and communicate same to Mr President . That is what is pending and so don't say that Mr President has delayed.

The Business Committee of Parliament had said it was still unsure when President Akufo-Addo will be in the House to deliver the State of the Nation address.

No date has been fixed after two scheduled dates  Thursday, February 24 and Thursday, March 3  have been cancelled.

Reading the agenda for the business week ending Friday, March 11, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin had said the House is being put in order before programming the President to appear.

He insisted that the president is not out of time and will deliver the address as per Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.

The President is not out of time, the Effutu Member of Parliament pointed out.

He is within time required to come, so we are putting our House in order as a House.

We will programme Mr President to come.

But this did not go down well with some Minority MPs, who think there is something fishy ongoing.

If we have to arrange, is it that the House don't care. We care to know about the real state of affairs [at the presidency], stated Buem MP, Kofi Iddi Adams.

---DGN online
The Minority in Parliament has expressed concerns over the incessant delay in the delivery of the State of the Nation (SONA) by President Akufo-Addo.

It says the delay can be attributed to the Presidents unavailability to carry out the constitutional mandate despite the readiness of Parliament.

The President was expected to deliver the message on the State of the Nation in late February, but it was rescheduled to the 3rd of March, but before that day, it was postponed indefinitely.

The Majority Caucus in Parliament has attributed the delay to the failure of the house to programme the President to be present; and the absence of the Speaker of Parliament but in an interview with Citi News the deputy Minority leader, James Klutse Avedzi says the government cannot blame anyone but itself for the delay.

He said the majority caucus cannot say the delay is due to the absence of the Speaker of Parliament, especially when the speaker delayed his medical review twice to be present for the address, but the President was not scheduled to address the House.

The Speaker was scheduled for his medical review and because of this [address], the Speaker has postponed his medical review two times until the final decision was that the president will not come on the 3rd March. So he [the speaker] still had to go for the medical review.

Surely, we can say that the availability of the president was going to [help] determine the date. So if the president is not available and now the date has not been fixed, nobody should be blamed. Rather, the president should be blamed, Mr. Avedzi said.

Article 67 of the Constitution mandates the President to present the address to Parliament at the beginning of each session of the lawmaking body and before the dissolution of the house.

The address sets out the government's key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead. It will give President Akufo-Addo the opportunity to highlight the achievements of his government, challenges faced, and also outline developmental measures for the coming financial year.

---Citinewsroom
Radio and Television Personality, Afia Pokuaa has insisted the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) can never break the eight.

She argues that it will take magic to change this considering recent happenings in the country and Ghanas electoral history.

With the breaking the eight, after my analysis with Prof., you will understand that NPP cant break the eight. With the records available, there are all indications that they cant break the eight unless theres some form of magic that changes things along the way. They cant break the eight.

The NPP government says it intends to make history by winning the 2024 elections.

In Ghana, political parties are not made to stay in power for more than eight years. There has always been a change after eight years for a new government to take over. But the New Patriotic Party believes it can be the first political party to change the statusquo.

The party believes that fulfilling their promise to the people of Ghana will be what will give them the mandate to govern for another eight years.

Vim Lady who was speaking on the rise in fuel prices called on Ghanaians to stop politicizing the rise in fuel prices.

She argued that regardless of the government in power. fuel prices will continue to shoot up.

With regards to the fuel prices, lets not attempt to politicize it. From President Mahama, Atta Mills, President Kufour the issue about tax component in fuel pricing has been an issue. The taxes in the fuel pricing is too much so we need to reduce them. But when you look at Africa, especially in Ghana, the taxes we pay we are always told that our revenue is not enough.

The issue is not about how small the taxes are but rather about management. Its about how to prudently manage the taxes we get. If the government is able to deal with the losses made in the country, it will be able to reduce the taxes on fuel. If the government does not solve that loopholes we will continue to talk to no avail. When NDC they will increase the prices, When PP comes they will increase the prices.

You remember during the President Kufour era when Sadam Hussein and the US were fighting. the prices of fuel in the global market went high as $134 per barrel. We dont refine our oil so the fuel price increase we are seeing in recent times its not about NDC or NPP, its not about breaking the eight, she said on Accra-based Okay FM.

---MyNewsgh.com
HONG KONG, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Saturday that anti-epidemic supply kits will be distributed to all Hong Kong residents by the end of March.

Addressing a daily press conference on anti-epidemic measures, Lam said that the HKSAR government has distributed hundreds of thousands of anti-epidemic supply kits to residents in the areas with higher numbers of positive cases of COVID-19 since early March, while the Home Affairs Department of the HKSAR government has also distributed 4 million rapid antigen tests (RAT) kits to the public.

The HKSAR government has distributed medical supplies aided by the central government to the public through different channels, including several hundred thousand boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines, Lam added.

Lam said that the HKSAR government is planning a city-wide distribution of anti-epidemic supply kits, which consist of RATs, masks and traditional Chinese medicines, among others.

Secretary for the Civil Service of the HKSAR government Patrick Nip said that the government had completed the first dose of vaccine for all eligible residents in 1,100 elderly and disabled homes as of Friday.

Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR government Sophia Chan expressed her gratitude to the central government and medical teams from the mainland, saying the medical staff from Hong Kong and the mainland are collaborating well.

On Saturday, Hong Kong registered 7,528 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 9,069 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. 
Parliament on Friday failed to adopt the motion on a loan agreement between government and the German Development Bank Group for an amount of 20 million for lack of a quorum.

The facility is to finance the Green Credit Line under the Reform and Investment Partnership between the two countries would help cut down on carbon emissions.

On Friday, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Majority Chief Whip asked the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, who presided over the sitting to put the question on the motion to be taken because the debate on the matter had been concluded

He said the Leadership of the House had reached some agreement on the issue after it was suspended.

However, Mr Bernard Ahiafor, the Ranking Member on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, raised an issue with the procedure, citing Article 104 (1) of the 1992 Constitution that the House did not seem to have the decision-making quorum looking at the numbers present.

He said the recent Supreme Court ruling was clear on the decision-making quorum that at least the majority of the members must be present and the number in the House did not have members to adopt the motion for the loan agreement.

Mr Speaker we will be violating Article 104 (1) of the 1992 constitution and will be in contempt of court if we follow the procedure when we do not have the numbers, he said.

However, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, accused the Minority of picking and choosing and that even before this motion had earlier supported the motion on the Criminal and other Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

He said the basis for the Minority's argument against the House adopting the motion was not right.

However, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Minority Chief Whip drew the House's attention to the claim by Mr Afenyo-Markin that though they did not have the numbers yet supported the motion on the Criminal and other Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

He said if the claim by the Deputy Majority Leader was right then the purported approval of the motion on the Criminal and other Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021 should be rescinded because the House did not have numbers to take that decision.

Mr Osei-Owusu subsequently adjourned the House to Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

GNA
Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, says the Leadership of Parliament is in discussions with the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to update the country on the ongoing fight against illegal mining.

Presenting the Business Statement of the House for the Eighth Week of the First Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, Mr Afenyo-Markin said following ongoing discussions between the Leadership and the Minister, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the House would be duly informed of the date in due course.

He said the leadership expected the minister to find an appropriate date for the brief.

"Mr Speaker, the Business Committee, proposes that minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources attend upon the House to update the country on the ongoing fight against illegal mining also known as Galamsey, he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said the leadership was also in discussions with the Administrators of the various statutory funds for the expeditious presentation of the disbursement formulae for the consideration and approval of Parliament.

The statutory funds are the District Assemblies Common Fund, GETFund and the National Health Insurance Scheme.

GNA
19.03.2022 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga has disclosed that he plans to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ) to look into the conduct of military men sent to Bawku to maintain peace.

In midweek, there were reports that soldiers allegedly shot and killed some persons in one of the surrounding communities in Bawku in the Upper East Region.

Unhappy with the incident, Mahama Ayariga has noted how he had to push to have the Minister in charge of Defence to increase security surveillance in his Constituency.

The development is unfortunate. I have been mounting some pressure on the Interior Minister and the Defence Minister to increase security surveillance in Bawku.

They complied and they increased the numbers. Unfortunately, the conduct of some of the security personnel has been most unfortunate and regrettable to say, the least. Definitely, we need the security in Bawku, we appreciate their presence to separate the various factions and to provide security but the conduct of some of them in the last couple of days has been most regrettable. I think that the mayhem that they unleashed on the Community three days ago, is totally unacceptable, Mahama Ayariga told TV3 during an appearance on the Key Points programme.

The Bawku Central MP further disclosed that he is going to petition CHRAJ to look into the conduct of the military in his Constituency.

He said the lives lost were needless and those responsible must be held accountable.

I know that the lives of some soldiers were at stake but unfortunately, the reaction of the soldiers has been very highhanded. I think that we will have to look into that.

I will personally send a complaint to the CHRAJ for them to investigate the conduct of military in the community. Lives were lost needlessly, people's properties were destroyed, these are clear human right violations. The fact that Military officers were shot at does not under any circumstances, give the military the moral right to attack innocent civilians, shoot at babies and kill kids, Mr. Ayariga said.
19.03.2022 LISTEN

A 45-year-old hunter, Isaac Bentum has died instantly after accidentally shooting himself to death at Awutu Bonsoku a Community within the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region.

The sad incident happened Thursday, March 17, 2022 evening around 5:30 PM.

According to ASP Kingsley Asante, District Police Commander of Senya Bereku, the hunter Isaac Bentum returned from hunting on Wednesday, March 16, at 12:00 midnight but did not remove the remaining bullets from his double barrel gun.

He said Isaac, in an attempt to put the gun in its proper place, mistakenly pulled the trigger and fired his own chest, killing him instantly.

According to ASP Kingsley Asante, when police arrived on the site, they discovered the deceased Isaac Bentums body in a pool of blood.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Winneba Trauma Hospital.

Source: Kasapafmonline.com
The opposition National Democratic Congress's constituency secretary in the Akatsi South Consistency in the Volta Region, Hon. Daniel Dagba has lambasted President Nana Addo's government for the country's hardship.

Speaking to the media, the NDC big wig in the Akatsi South constituency claimed that the proposed E-levy indicates the Akufo-Addo government's "severe lack of empathy" for Ghanaians.

"Since the inception of President Nana Addo's government, life in Ghana became extremely difficult," he stated.

Hon. Dagba noted that government was "demonstrating a blatant disregard  not just for the pain felt by all the good people of Ghana who were hurt by Nana Addo Danqua led NPP reckless governance, but also for the pain and difficulty being experienced by the majority of Ghanaians just trying to survive in these difficult times."

He claims the Minority's E-Levy squabble in Parliament was a fight for Ghana's democracy.

The AKatsi South constituency scribe has praised and urged the Minority Caucus in Parliament to be steadfast in their opposition to the proposed Electronic Transaction Levy (e-levy).

Mr. Dagba believes that if the e-levy is approved, it will exacerbate the misery of ordinary Ghanaians and inflate untold hardship among the Ghanaian youths.
The family of Stephen Mane, one of the two persons who were hit to death by a stray bullet in the recent shooting incident in Wa over a land dispute, is accusing the Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Peter Ndekugiri, of making biased and prejudicial comments about their deceased relative.

According to the family, the regional commander in a radio interview after the incident suggested that the deceased was among the youth who engaged in the scuffle that led to the shooting.

The commander is also reported to have said that the late Mane was a family member of one of the groups that tried to prevent the development of the land in contention.

In a press statement issued on Friday, the family expressed their anger and revulsion over the commanders comments, saying we are baffled by the deliberate efforts of the Regional Police Command to establish some sort of familial relations between the deceased and the suspect, when in fact, none exist. The family of the deceased finds this to be extremely unfair, prejudicial, and repugnant.

When contacted, DCOP Peter Ndekugiri conceded to making the comments, but explained that they were initial briefings he received from his men who went to the scene.

This was an issue involving life and death. So my initial comments were the information I received from my men handling the case. This is a serious matter and the police will not shield anyone found culpable.

He added that his outfit has since corrected his initial comments in subsequent radio interviews and called on the family to remain calm as his men are working hard to get to the bottom of the shooting incident.

---citinewsroom
Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has said Ghana is to expedite action on its transition to become a full member of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF).

She noted that various measures had been put in place in pursuit of Ghana's aspiration.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey announced this in a speech read on her behalf at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the 52nd Anniversary of OIF in Accra on the theme: The Francophonie of the future.

Ghana became an associate member of La Francophonie in 2006.

The OIF is an international organisation representing countries and regions, where French is a lingua franca or customary language, where a significant proportion of the population are francophones, or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture.

Madam Botchwey noted that for 52 years, the OIF had endeavoured to live up to its motto of Equality, Complementarity and Solidarity.

She said the OIF had supported the demonstration of equal rights, unity in action and emphasised the peculiar qualities of each Member State with its principles grounded in democracy, rule of law, human rights, and championing women and youth rights.

"With a strong functioning democracy, Ghana shares the values of the OIF and is proud to have joined the Organisation in 2006 as an associate member," she said.

"Our membership has allowed us to deepen our relations with our Francophonie friends and given us insight into how to enhance people-to-people interactions with our Francophone neighbours."

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said in the area of education, Ghana had made massive progress in strengthening the teaching of the French language.

She said following the signing of the Framework Cooperation Agreement on Teacher Mobility Project between the Ministry of Education and the OIF, Ghana received 21 experts from OIF member countries who had since been deployed to six Colleges of Education, 10 Regional Centres for Teaching of French and five bilingual schools.

She said this programme would reinforce the linguistic and other competencies of teachers in institutions mandated to provide initial and continuous training of future teachers and in-service teachers of French.

She said Ghana sought to improve the use of French by creating a Francophonie environment and facilitating access to Francophone productions and material for its populace.

The Minister said in this account, the country had established 50 bilingual schools and trained 50 bilingual teachers.

She said, in addition, seven regional libraries had been identified to be equipped with French materials.

"However, it is important to note that the Accra Central Library has been fully equipped with Francophone reading and audio-visual materials and is currently opened to the general public."

She said for the first time, and with the support of the Embassy of France, the National Council Curriculum and Assessment within the Ministry of Education had developed textbooks for primary and JHS students.

Madam Botchwey said that initiative was further extended to the production of bilingual textbooks for Mathematics, Science and ICT students.

She said in anticipation that Ghana would soon be granted full membership status by the OIF, the country was working further to build on these projects and initiatives.

We believe that this would not only strengthen our ties with our friends but also enable us to foster economic cooperation with the Francophone family.

She recalled the various ways in which the OIF had supported young people and their aspirations through the Francophonie Young Entrepreneur Awards; the International Volunteering of the Francophonie; and the National Youth Pact.

"The OIF is an organisation that not only gives us hope but also helps us to expand our dreams and realise our common goals," she said.

Mr Maher Kheir, the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana/President of the Francophone Ambassadors Group, said French was a language of openness to the world, which allows one to discover new cultures.

He lauded Ghana, an Anglophone country, for being one of the few countries that were members of both the Commonwealth and the La Francophonie.

GNA
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has said it is about time government of Ghana scrapped the US$50 compulsory PCR test for travellers who have been vaccinated.

As part of safety protocols at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Ghanaians travelling outside the country and foreigners arriving in the country are required to undergo a mandatory PCR test to ascertain their Covid-19 status.

Following a recent trip to London where John Dramani Mahama had to go through the process at Ghanas international airport but entered the UK without testing, he says its about time the government reviews its procedures and protocols at KIA.

According to him, the compulsory PCR testing for travellers already vaccinated is unfair and must be abolished.

From my recent experience with PCR testing and COVID regulations at our airport, I think it is time for Government to review the procedures and protocols. It is an inconvenience, a financial burden, and actually unfair to compel our citizens, who we encouraged to take COVID-19 vaccinations, with some taking the boosters, to pay as much as 90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights coming back home.

Government must stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test for travellers who have been vaccinated. And must also stop the demand for originating PCR tests before the same category of travellers are allowed to board flights to Ghana, parts of a post on the Facebook page of John Dramani Mahama reads.

Meanwhile, the 2020 presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has also called on government to reopen the countrys land borders.

He insists that the borders closed to curb the importation of the Coronavirus has been long overdue.

Below is the full post from former President John Dramani Mahama:

I travelled last month to London on British Airways. I was pleasantly surprised when I was informed that I did not require a COVID-19 PCR test to board the flight. While I was still required to fill a locator form, no further tests were required of me for the 12 days I stayed in the UK.

Imagine my shock when British Airways informed me that I would be required to take a PCR test before I am allowed to board my return flight home. They explained that this is because of regulations in Ghana. It cost 90 to have the test done. I was also informed that I would not be checked in for the flight back unless I filled an online form and paid a fee of $50.

From my recent experience with PCR testing and COVID regulations at our airport, I think it is time for Government to review the procedures and protocols. It is an inconvenience, a financial burden and actually unfair to compell our citizens, who we encouraged to take COVID-19 vaccinations, with some taking the boosters, to pay as much as 90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights coming back home.

And even more ridiculous, they must book another $50 PCR test to be conducted on arrival in Accra.

The UK government considers the Ghanaian COVID-19 vaccination card internationally accepted and allows entry once you have the card without any testing.

It is a most unfortunate situation that Ghanaians who have valid vaccination certificates cannot board flights back home without a 90 PCR test, and an additional US$50 PCR test booking in Accra.

Government must stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test for travellers who have been vaccinated. And must also stop the demand for originating PCR tests before the same category of travellers are allowed to board flights to Ghana.

The reason for UK rolling back its COVID-19 restrictions is that deaths are down and severe cases requiring intensive care are down, and besides they believe it's time to learn to live with Covid. I think it is time for us in Ghana to do same.

The long border closures have devastated the economy of our border communities. Government's announcement that it is deliberating at Cabinet about a possible opening of our land borders is long overdue. Let's open the land borders now!
Algeria recalled its ambassador from Madrid on Saturday in protest at Spain's decision to back a Moroccan autonomy plan for the disputed former Spanish colony of Western Sahara.

A foreign ministry statement condemned the "abrupt about-turn" by Madrid, which had previously maintained neutrality in the decades-old conflict for the territory between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front independence movement.

Speaking Friday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares backed a 2007 proposal by Morocco to offer Western Sahara autonomy under its sovereignty, describing it as the "most serious, realistic and credible basis" to end the long-running conflict.

"Completely stunned by the statements on the Western Sahara issue from the highest levels of the Spanish government, and surprised by this abrupt about-turn from Western Sahara's former rulers, the Algerian authorities have decided to recall the ambassador to Madrid for consultations with immediate effect," the statement said.

The Polisario had already responded angrily to the statement from Albares, calling for political pressure to be put on Madrid for a change of heart.

The movement still insists on full implementation of a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations in 1991 that provided for a UN-supervised referendum on independence for the territory.

"The United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Justice and all regional organisations do not recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara," it said.

Spain has maintained generally good relations with Algeria and last year imported more than 40 percent of its gas needs from the North African country.

Its ties with Morocco, which controls two-thirds of the Western Sahara, have been more problematic.

Migrant worries

An April 2021 decision to allow Polisario leader Brahim Ghali to receive medical treatment at a Spanish hospital drew a furious response from Rabat.

The following month, hundreds of would-be Moroccan migrants stormed the border around the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, taking advantage of the withdrawal of Moroccan border guards to penetrate the remote outpost of the European Union.

Rabat quickly welcomed Madrid's change of policy, describing it as "constructive."

Bernabe Lopez, professor of Arab and Islamic studies at the Autonomous University of Madrid, said the migrant issue was the main spur for Spain's move.

Madrid wanted to see Moroccan border guards exercise "more control and not this deliberate lack of control", Lopez said.

Earlier this month, the United States reiterated its support for Morocco's autonomy offer.

"We continue to view Morocco's autonomy plan as serious, credible and realistic," US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said during a visit to Rabat.

In late 2020, the administration of president Donald Trump recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara as a quid pro quo for the kingdom mending ties with Israel.

The deal sparked renewed tensions with Algeria.

President Joe Biden's administration has not reversed Trump's decision.

A UN peacekeeping force remains in Western Sahara with a mission to oversee implementation of the 1991 truce, but the ceasefire collapsed in November 2020 when the Polisario declared it null and void.

Moroccan had sent in troops to forcibly reopen a highway to neighbouring Mauritania, prompting the Polisario to resume what it describes as "a war of legitimate defence".

In early February, the Polisario said it had killed 12 Moroccan soldiers, including two senior officers, in fighting along the former ceasefire line.

The flare-up coincided with a tour of the region by the UN's new Western Sahara envoy, Staffan de Mistura, who has been trying to restart negotiations on the territory's future.
MOGADISHU, Somalia 19 March 2022  Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Somali Media Association (SOMA) strongly condemn and express their concern about the violent attack and the detention against independent journalists in Somaliland.

On 14 March, Somaliland police in Borame, Awdal region, detained Horn Cable TV reporter, Imran Hussein Adan, a day after he covered a vox-pop piece for Horn Cable TV seeking views of ordinary citizens on President Muse Bihi Abdis visit to the United States. The report which featured diverse views including views that criticised the composition of president Bihis delegation as non-inclusive. According to colleagues and family members, journalist Imran was taken to the Borame police station for interrogation where he is detained until today.

Imran Hussein Adan

Horn Cable TV reporter Imran Hussein Adan remains in police detention since 14 March, 2022. | PHOTO COURTESY/SJS.

On the midnight of Friday 18 March, armed plain-clothed officers attached to Somalilands intelligence unit physically attacked two journalists: Abdisalan Ahmed Awad and Ali Mahdi Jibril as they drove from a hotel in the city centre of the capital, Hargeisa. The officers who were armed with pistols blocked the journalists vehicle midway and fired three bullets before physically beating both journalists.

Two vehicles followed us from the hotel. In the midway one vehicle drove past us and immediately blocked our way. I tried to speak to them but six men got off and begin throwing stones shuttering our windows loudly. The second vehicle blocked the road behind us, said Jibril who was the driver. I attempted to escape but the men in the front shot one bullet. Then they fired two bullets. I was afraid that they may kill us. I stopped the car.

Both Jibril and Awad said they were dragged out of the vehicle as the officers shouted our mission is not to kill. Both were beaten with handgun and stones. The journalists said, their attackers were loudly telling them to stop their critical coverage on president Muse Bihi Abdi.

I managed to flee. They fired one bullet but I managed to run to the nearby hotel. Unfortunately, my friend Awad fell to the ground unconscious, Jibril said.

Journalist Awad after he is discharged from the hospital

Journalist Awad shows hospital documents about his injuries following the attack on Friday night.

According to Awad, he was rushed to the hospital by another friend after the attackers left. He was discharged on Saturday morning.

SJS and SOMA are deeply concerned by the increasing attacks, threats and arrests of independent journalists in Somaliland. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Horn Cable TV reporter, Imran Hussein Adan who is in detention since 14 March, and to launch an investigation into the violent attack against Abdisalan Ahmed Awad and Ali Mahdi Jibril in Hargeisa on Friday night.

It is very worrying that armed government officials are behaving beyond the law to physically attack journalists. We are aware that some of these journalists have been threatened several times for criticising the president of Somaliland, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the Secretary-General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said. This shows the intolerance of the Somaliland presidency towards journalists that criticise its policies.

We demand that a full investigation be carried out into the Friday nights incident in Hargeisa and that the perpetrators be brought to justice. We also demand the unconditional release of journalist Imran Hussein Adan, Mumin added.

Today we express our growing concern about the increased targeting of journalists in Somaliland. We thank God that both journalists Abdisalan Ahmed Awad and Ali Mahdi Jibril survived the attack on Friday night. We urge the Somaliland authorities to honestly investigate the incident and arrest the perpetrators, Mohamed Osman Makaran, the Secretary-General of Somali Media Association (SOMA) said.

READ FULL STATEMENT HERE
Video: Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on March 18, 2022 refuted U.S. attacks on China's human rights record and urged it to face up to its own human rights violations. (Xinhua)

"The truth will surely give the United States and its malicious and blind followers a resounding slap in the face," says Dai Bing, noting that the United States knows genocide the best.

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday refuted U.S. attacks on China's human rights record and urged it to face up to its own human rights violations.

Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, accused U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield of abusing a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

As a gesture of respect for the host country, or the United States, its representative was invited to speak alongside representatives of regional groups in the meeting, Dai noted.

However, the United States, without regard for its own credibility, has gone so far as to use the meeting to launch political attacks, smearing China and many other countries with respect to their internal affairs, said Dai.

"Act like this makes a sad mockery of its status as the host country," he said.

The U.S. accusation of the so-called "ethnic genocide" and "human rights violations" in China's Xinjiang is an outright lie of the century and a vicious political scheme orchestrated and staged by none other than the United States, which China firmly opposes and sternly rejects, Dai said.

A woman holds a sign outside the Hennepin County Government Center reacting to the trial verdict that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 20, 2021. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter over the death of Black man George Floyd, the judge presiding over the high-profile trial announced Tuesday, reading the jury's verdict. (Photo by Ben Brewer/Xinhua)

"The truth will surely give the United States and its malicious and blind followers a resounding slap in the face," he said, adding that the United States knows genocide the best.

Since the founding of the United States, the U.S. government had developed policies to slaughter and plunder American Indians in an intentional and systematic way, decimating their population to 250,000 at the beginning of the 20th century from 5 million in 1492, Dai noted, adding this is an original sin that the United States cannot shake off.

According to a Lancet report published in October 2021, Dai noted, about 30,800 people in the United States died from police violence from 1980 to 2018, and non-Hispanic Black Americans were estimated to be 3.5 times more likely to die from such violence than non-Hispanic white Americans during that period.

Anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States, instigated by U.S. politicians, have been surging ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dai said, noting that such crimes in New York City rose 361 percent in 2021 compared to 2020.

"May I ask the U.S. representative: When will you give the American Indians an explanation? When will you be able to give the ethnic minorities a real sense of fairness and justice? When will you ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women? When will you offer genuine safety and protection to Asian women who are victims of hatred and violence?" Dai said.

He urged the United States to put away arrogance and prejudice, abandon double standards, and stop pointing an accusing finger at other countries as soon as possible.

"We all know very well what the human rights situation is like in the United States. I hope that the United States will come around to face up to its mistakes and correct them, rather than knowingly leaving them be," said Dai. 
Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - Nii Okaija Adamafio, Minister of the Interior, on Tuesday announced that the Narcotic Drug Control, Enforcement and Sanctions Law will soon be amended to make it more efficient.

He made the announcement at a ceremony to launch the 1999 International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Report on the global drug situation as at the close of last year.

The 76-page report deals with the operation of the international drug control systems and analyses the world situation, among others things. Nii Okaija noted that despite intensive efforts by the government and its agencies to rid the country of the problems of drug abuse and illicit trafficking, the scourge has rather increased among the youth in recent times.

"The government, therefore, intends to amend the Narcotic Drug Control, Enforcement and Sanctions Law, 1990, (PNDC Law 236) to make it more efficient in operation, and work in this direction is progressing steadily."

Nii Okaija said under the auspices of the United Nations Narcotic Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), a rapid assessment of the drug situation in Ghana has also started, with the view to precisely determine the drug problem.

This is to facilitate easy formulation of medium- and long-term plans to combat the drug problem. Nii Okaija noted that there are increasing media reports on the involvement of security agents in the aggravation of the drug problem and assured the public that the law would be made more stringent to deal severely with such crimes.

He added that the internal disciplinary measures such as loss of job, prosecution and imprisonment would be strictly applied. Nii Okaija said the government would continue to abide by international conventions, which enjoin it to apply strict measures in the fight against the drug problem.

Mr Kofi Bentum Quantson, Executive Chairman of the Narcotics Control Board (NCB), said about 400 narcotic-related cases are currently pending before the law courts, adding that this impedes the effort to bring drug dealers to justice.

"Past experiences also show that the courts do not deal with drug dealers severely enough." He therefore called on the government to reconsider its position on the issue of establishing narcotics tribunals to ensure speedy and severe application of justice.

Mr Quantson said the NCB and the Ministry of Education are working closely together to develop policy guidelines that would ensure that drug education programmes are run twice in every term or semester in all schools.

The board is also working with the Ghana Tourist Board to fashion out modalities and strategies to reduce the inflow of drug traffickers who come into the country as tourists.

Mr Quantson said "these days drug dealers appear as most diplomatic, saintly as pastors, unlike the past when we see them shabbily dressed in dreadlocks." He argued that the attitude of society towards life is a major contributory factor to the aggravation of the drug problem, saying "society tends to ridicule honest and modest people and hail rich criminals, making the former desire to make fast money to win society's respect."

Mr Quantson said last year over 200 billion dollars was identified as money laundered from drug-related crimes around the globe. He appealed to Ghanaians to assist security agents and the NCB with vital information that would lead to the location and arrest of drug dealers.

"Let us see the drug problem as a global one, rather than a puzzle for the government alone to solve." Mr Quantson also appealed to financial, banking and other corporate organisations to readily assist the NCB in its drug control effort, saying that it has been very difficult to get assistance from local profit-making organisations which willingly sponsor other programmes.
Subhedari Guest House is a prestigious government guest house in Aurangabad. The ratings on Google are excellent. Recently, I requested my friend to book a VIP room for me as I was visiting the city for a personal or official trip.

Firstly, it took a while to locate the person in charge when I reached there. Seeing the fancy cottage, equipped with metal detectors at the entrance, I took for granted that it was the VIP cottage. Sorry, no. I was led to a room in another building. Fair enough.

However, in one hour, I had to flee. The room was ill-maintained with even bed bugs around, dirty bedsheets and a poorly kept bathroom. And hey presto! when I came out to look for the manager, suddenly I found my room locked! I was told stray dogs enter; hence, the precaution and a warning that we should not keep the door open!

When I asked about the VIP cottage, he responded that it was only for ministers. When even senior bureaucrats and judges stayed in the room allotted to me, he pointed out, why was I complaining? I have had similar experiences in guest or circuit houses in Kolhapur. There, the peon had told me that VIPs now prefer fancy hotels and the guest house rooms were allotted to their accompanying drivers and other lesser human beings! When I asked about the VIP cottage, he responded that it was only for ministers. When even senior bureaucrats and judges stayed in the room allotted to me, he pointed out, why was I complaining? I have had similar experiences in guest or circuit houses in Kolhapur. There, the peon had told me that VIPs now prefer fancy hotels and the guest house rooms were allotted to their accompanying drivers and other lesser human beings!

The fact is, there must be hundreds of guest or circuit houses all over Maharashtra and, of course, their maintenance is paid for with taxpayers money.

So, I decided to file an RTI online to the public works department (PWD), seeking information on the following: names of government guest houses and circuit houses in Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur and Aurangabad districts; annual budget of all the above guest houses and circuit houses from January 2017 to December 2020; annual expenditure of above from January 2017 to December 2020; names of government officers with ranks and political leaders who stayed in these from January 2017 to December 2020 and specifically expenditure on maintenance for these from January 2017 to December 2020.

The reason for penning this article is the barrage of correspondence from 11 February 2022 to 3 March 2022, by various public information officers (PIOs) from the PWD of Pune, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Solapur, Hatkalange and Indapur, as replies to my RTI application dated 3 February 2022.

Twenty letters have been sent to me, all of which could have been avoided if these public authorities had heeded the proactive disclosure under various clauses of Section 4 of the RTI Act. The public authority is bound by it to put such information in the public domain. Not only would my time and stress of going through those letters have been saved but the government expenditure on postage and correspondence would have been nil!

Besides, senior government babus and even judges, who keep harping about the additional burden on the PIOs because of RTI applications, should now know why they increase their own burden. Instead of blaming enthusiastic RTI applicants, they should blame themselves. All they need to do is regularly put up data on the website, as has been directed by the RTI Act. Is this difficult when anyway they have the information when you ask for it under Section 6 of the RTI Act?

Here is how my journey will be as I seek information, after which, of course, I shall write an article on the details that I receive. I have been asked by the Pune and Kolhapur offices to come over personally to inspect files under Section 4 of the RTI Act. I stay in Pune so do they expect me to incur personal expenditure to visit Kolhapur?

The Hatkalange PIO has come up with a bright idea to evade much information: he has replied that I have asked for information on different subjects when the Maharashtra government has restricted RTI applicants to just one subject (that is, indeed, laughable).

The special projects department of the PWD Kolhapur (four PIOs of four different PWD departments of Kolhapur have replied), wrote that the information I need is ready with them. It comprises 55 pages and as and when they receive Rs110 (Rs2 per page) either by money order or directly to them, they would send me the information.

A couple of PIOs have provided half information by mentioning how many guest houses exist in their jurisdiction.

I broached this topic at the RTI online kata last Sunday. I have been advised to write a complaint to the state chief information commissioner against the PIO for asking me to travel to Kolhapur to inspect files and instead direct the public authority to upload the information on the website. I have also been asked to check the audit reports which may have been uploaded in the public domain. I shall be pursuing both these suggestions.

To conclude, the RTI Act is in a mess due to the government side and not due to the citizenry, which is rightfully using it. One can imagine the frustration of information-seekers as such hurling of letters by the PIOs must be a standard mode of their modus operandi! The only way out is for public authorities to abide entirely by Section 4 of the RTI Act.
On 15th March this year, a grand ceremony was held at the Maharashtra railway police headquarters to recognise and honour 24 instances of police officials who went Beyond the call of Duty to help railway commuters through extraordinary and heroic acts or excellent detection.

These awards are part of an initiative started last year by senior IPS officer Dr Pradnya Saravade, who is the additional director general (ADG) of Maharashtra railway police, to inspire the railway police to go the extra mile for commuters. There were 59 awardees this year from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad divisions.

Speaking to Moneylife, Dr Saravade says, I am personally proud of each officer, who is part of the Beyond the Call of Duty awards because of their exceptionally wonderful acts.

As an example of how these 'micro-interventions' of recognising good work were effective, she pointed out that last year there were six instances and 12 awardees, which had increased to 24 cases this year and 59 awardees. The awards play an important role in boosting the morale of the police force and increasing workforce participation to take a call which is beyond their duty and do acts of compassion, says Dr Saravade.

Railway police commissioner Quaiser Khalid, who was present during the awards ceremony, says, .... Mumbai government railway police (GRP) is capable of great work provided that they are given the right leadership and motivation and expected the initiative to lead to a 'change in culture' when it came to dealing with people, because 'courage and love is contagious'.

How are the awardees selected? It is through scanning of CCTV footage that often highlights impressive acts of courage by police officials and citizens. Photographs, videos and news reports are also taken into account. The respective police stations send nominations to the railway head office, and exceptional ones are classified as acts of Beyond the Call of Duty when the action involves work beyond routine duty and where the risk to life is involved.

The event has seen quick growth since its inception during the COVID-19 pandemic. So many police officers performed well in situations beyond their training and purely instinctive ones, from arranging ambulances for COVID-19 affected patients to spreading the word and raising awareness about the importance of getting the vaccine. The awardees managed to display courage and humility in times of distress.

Although these officers get a salary for their duty, they are humans, so they are affected by love, affection, compassion, rewards, recognition, and bad behaviour too. We think that these acts must be brought to the notice of the general public at a large scale, and we must give these officers the due respect and look up to them as real-life heroes, Dr Saravade says.

Over the next few days, Moneylife intends to document some of these stories of courage, such as the rescue of a 10-year old boy, who had fallen on the railway track, or the act of curbing a fire that broke out in a railway pantry car and evacuating passengers at the earliest with zero casualties, and many more.

The awardees this year were:

1. Aadinath Somnath Thananbeer, a constable from Vasai Road Mumbai, saved the life of a 10-year old through a heroic rescue.

2. Eknath Gajanan Naik, a head constable at Vasai Road saved the life of a woman attempting suicide.

3. Head constable Mahendra Bhagwan Shinde and constable Rajendra Pandhrinath Kul from Dadar were felicitated for saving a woman attempting suicide.

4. Milind Shreedhar Sawant, a head constable at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai (CSMT) went out of his way to help people get admitted to hospitals, find ambulances and isolation facilities and get themselves vaccinated during the COVID pandemic.

5. Sonali Sunil Balode, police naik at Mumbai Central, saved a mother and her two children attempting to board a running train.

6. Archana Suresh Pise and Chanda Baja Tadvi, both constables at Mumbai Central, went out of their way to ensure that a mentally disturbed woman was safely handed over to her family in January this year.

7. Police naik Vasant Bhagwan Kute and constable Anil Kade from Pune, saved a ticket checker (TC) from falling off a running train on 6 January 2022.

8. Somnath Rambhau Jaffrey and Suresh Shrirang Jadhav, both assistant police sub-inspectors (ASI) at Pune, saved the life of an 85-year old man attempting suicide and safely handed him over to his son on 7 November 2021.

9. Assistant police inspector (API) Deepali More and APSI Anna Keru Savde from Pune along with Maya Keshav Bhalerao (head constable), Uday Pandurang Chil and Yogita Ganesh Pardeshi (police naiks) and Kirti Ashok Jadhav (constable), saved a young girl attempting suicide and handed over safely to her father on 19 February 2022.

10. Nitin Vasant Thorat (constable) and Aadinath Jyotiram Bhonsale (police naik) of Miraj rescued a 17-year old girl and handed her over to her parents on 14 October 2021.

11. Yashwant Ramchandra Jamadar and Deepak Anil Salvis timely action saved an injured man lying on the tracks. These constables from Solapur alerted the railway guard to stop the train on time and took the injured man to the hospital on 21 December 2021.

12. Pralhad Daulatrao Chauhan, ASI with Deepak Anil Salvi and Vishal Vasant Kulkarni (constables) of Solapur saved the lives of a pregnant lady in labour pain and her unborn child by taking her to hospital in time. This was in January 2022.

13. Arun Aatmaram Tingre, a police naik at Daund Lohmarg Police Station saved the life of a child who had fallen in the gap between the halted train and the railway tracks. He rushed to pull the chain inside the compartment and rescued the child on 19 November 2021.

14. Pradip Mahadevrao Ghodkar, Head Constable at Badnera Lohmarg Police station, Nagpur rescued a girl child by halting the train that had started moving to get her family and luggage on board 4th March 2022.

15. Constable Sunil Mahadevrao Kavalkar, along with police naik Gajanan Mahadev Metange and constables Rajendra Kumar Ravindra Fating and Sulochana Gyandev Kamble of Shegaon in Aurangabad rescued a 45-year old woman who had fallen off a moving train at a very remote place and rushed her to the hospital, saving her life.

16. Head constables Ramkrishna Trayambak Khandagale and Sachin Kumar Jagdish Bhavsar with constable Narendra Pandit Lodhe from Bhusawal provided urgent medical assistance to a lady undergoing labour pain by admitting her to the hospital and saving the mother and the childs life.

17. Sachin Kumar Jagdish Bhavsar, head constable at Bhusaval in Aurangabad division encouraged two run-away Nepali boys, to return to their village and complete their education.

18. ASI Rajesh Prabhakar Puranik and constable Kishor Arun Patil saved a blind man who had fallen off the overbridge at Bhusawal. They provided the blind man with medical assistance and contacted his relatives.

19. Sagar Ramchandra Khandara, head constable with Jyoti Dashrath Shahu (police naik) at Bhusaval, Aurangabad tracked down a young woman of unsound mind who had boarded an express train from Madhya Pradesh, located her parents and handed her over to them.

20. API Ramesh Shivahi Wavre, and ASI Rajesing Gavit from Nandurbar Lohmarg Police Station in Aurangabad division along with head constables Kiran Borse, Kailas Dhaku Chaudhri, Ravindra Sudam Patil, Prakash Bhatugir Gosavi and Laxman Pawer and Vishal Babanrao Kathilkar (police naik), Gyaneshwar Triyambak Nimsakhare, and Mohan Ramchandra Dange (constables) were felicitated for the act of curbing a fire that broke out in a railway pantry car and evacuating passengers at the earliest with zero casualties.

21. Head constable Sanjay Digambar Janjalkar with Prakash Udaybhan Dongardive (police maik) and Vijay Shankar Jadhav (constable) at Chalisgaon in Aurangabad division rescued a young girl found crying in a railway bogie. They contacted the girls parents and safely handed her over to them.

22. Head constable Dinesh Keduji Pawar with Raj Santosh Bachhav and Vishnu Maroti Gonade (constables) at Manmad were felicitated for counselling a person who had left his home with the intent of ending his life. They then contacted his mother and handed him over.

23. Head constable Santosh Dattatray Ufade with Aashwini Ganesh Pradhan (police naik) at Nashik intercepted and counselled a young girl who had left her house in a fit of rage and boarded an express train heading to Nashik. They contacted her father and handed her over.

24. Radha Madhav Kendre and Pradeep Hemachand Ther, constables at Nanded, Aurangabad, rescued a young girl from the railway waiting hall, ensured her safety by keeping her overnight at the juvenile correction facility and reunited her with her father the next day.
HELENAMont. Thursday night, Mar. 17 at 8:38 p.m. Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office, East Helena Fire Department and the Montana City Fire were quickly dispatched to an unexpected blaze seen for miles out in East Helena, where an apartment building was quickly burning down.

According to Sgt. Deputy Don McCarthy, he confirmed there was an accidental explosion on East Riggs St. and Kalispell Ave. N.

A video was first captured by Melissa Rambo, an East Helena resident driving by that she posted to Facebook.

McCarthy stated that everyone made it out of the building uninjured, however, two house cats died in the fire.

One cat survived, due to being trapped behind a closed door, which McCarthy said, is one of the best things you can do in scary, unexpected incidents such as these.

Closing the doors and being vigilant is important, said McCarthy.

Keeping the doors closed can be a huge fire break, as simple as keeping the doors closed, can help prevent airflow; open doors, allow more airflow, enabling the fire to spread faster, he said.

All residents in the apartment complex, as well as the neighboring building, were evacuated as the heat from the explosion began to melt the other exterior of the building.

Across the street, neighbor and East Helena resident, Helena Lee, said that she had been told by her neighbor that four propane tanks exploded from the residents' communal barbecues.

I thought, 'Why is it so bright in my backyard?' Said Lee.

Lee continued,  And I went on the other side of my deck and this entire building was totally (at that time engulfed) and the fire trucks had not yet arrived, I think maybe the fire may have started ten minutes before that, because my neighbors said they heard a couple of explosions and I do believe that there are barbecue utilities that the residents use, and I guess all four of them blew-up....it was horrendous.

 Im just so very thankful and praise the Lord that those families got out of there, it was like an immediate explosion, it was really scary, said Lee. I was shaking all night.

The American Red Cross is currently aiding those who lost their homes. McCarthy said many of the victims of the fire were able to stay with close friends and family.

I just want to thank all the East Helena residents nearby that reacted and respondedyou know, who were putting hoses together before the fire department got there, trying to help us do our jobs, we really appreciated that, McCarthy concluded.

According to Sheriff Leo Dutton, the initial cause of the fire was from cigarettes butts thrown into flower pots that sparked the blaze.

The following are verified GoFundMe pages working to raise money to help the victims of the apartment fire:

Help Eileen Rebuild Her Home

Help Rebuild Lives
Conductor Peter Bay leads the symphonys 75th-anniversary program, opening with Finlandia to celebrate and open the sound universe, he says. Finlandia was perfect.
A Boeing 767 freighter carrying 45 tonnes of goods is seen at the Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 19, 2022. The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen has launched a chartered air-freight service to Hong Kong, starting Saturday. Early on Saturday morning, a Boeing 767 freighter operated by SF Airlines left Shenzhen for its neighbor Hong Kong, carrying 45 tonnes of goods, including donated anti-pandemic materials and also export goods from local businesses. The freighter will fly six times a week, with the chartered service initially planned to last until early April. (Xinhua)

A Boeing 767 freighter carrying 45 tonnes of goods leaves Shenzhen for Hong Kong at the Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 19, 2022. The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen has launched a chartered air-freight service to Hong Kong, starting Saturday. Early on Saturday morning, a Boeing 767 freighter operated by SF Airlines left Shenzhen for its neighbor Hong Kong, carrying 45 tonnes of goods, including donated anti-pandemic materials and also export goods from local businesses. The freighter will fly six times a week, with the chartered service initially planned to last until early April. (Xinhua)
March 19, 2022 What Will Be The Geographic End State Of The War In Ukraine The Ukrainian National Security Advisor has sent a letter to the White House and the CIA to request money in support of an insurgency in Russian held areas: The document, dated March 6, asked the U.S. "to allocate additional funds for the organization of the resistance movement and voluntary formations of territorial communities throughout Ukraine." The White House and the Ukrainian embassy vehemently deny that the letter is real. I however do not believe that it is faked. It just was not meant to become public. The CIA has been training 'resistance' militia in the Ukraine since 2015. To request new money for more of it is only natural. The U.S. will finance a resistance in Ukraine through the CIA just as it did in Syria and just like it did from 1949 until the early 1950s when the U.S. financed anti-Soviet insurgency in Ukraine ended in misery. But resistance against whom? The premise seems to be that Russia wants to occupy the Ukraine. It can be seen in an English language interview the Turkish state TV channel TRT had with Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev. Klitschko accuses Russia of wanting to recreate the USSR. He rejects any negotiations for peace and wants the Ukraine to keep fighting. After the interview the historian Gilbert Doctorow pointed out that it was Russia which first left the USSR to end the financing of outlaying provinces at the center's cost and that no one wants to recreate that situation. As Putin ones said: Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain. Russia has limited aims in Ukraine and will end the war and leave most of the Ukraine when those aims are achieved either by negotiations or by other means. It is the Ukraine that will have to bear the cost for it. But Zelenski, Klitschko and the U.S. overlords do not want to see it that way. The U.S. wants to keep Russia in the Ukraine to fight it to the last Ukrainian and to damage it that way. The Washington Post writes that there seems to be no Ukrainian urge to negotiate anything: The prospects of a near-term deal look bleak, diplomats say, but mixed signals from Zelensky about how close he is to striking an agreement have only heightened anxiety about the trajectory of the negotiations.

...

Im ready for dialogue; were not ready for capitulation, Zelensky told ABC News earlier this week, while vowing to continue fighting Russia for as long as necessary. Zelensky reiterated that message in even stronger terms on Tuesday when the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled to Kyiv to meet him in a risky wartime visit. He showed very little interest in a negotiated settlement and said Ukraine needed to keep fighting until Putin altered his demands, said a diplomat familiar with the discussions, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive meetings. The U.S. seems to be happy with that stand and the secretary of state even wants to widen the war: Theres no indication on our end that the Ukrainians are suing for peace. They want to fight, said a senior U.S. official.

...

Zelensky will have to sell any peace deal to his own people  a tricky task if he is forced to concede too much. He has been a wildly popular wartime president, but he was an unpopular peacetime one. And Ukraines westward ambitions have only been strengthened by Russias assault.

...

Any potential deal will also require buy-in from the West, which will need to lift sanctions on Moscow in exchange for its withdrawal of Russian forces. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that a simple withdrawal of troops may not meet a U.S. standard for sanctions relief. The United States will want to make sure that anything thats done is, in effect, irreversible, that this cant happen again, that Russia wont pick up and do exactly what its doing in a year or two years or three years. The only way to get to that end state is the total dismantling of Russia. That may indeed be what Blinken has in mind. What plans does he have to make it happen? When the war to disarm the Ukraine started to my utter surprise I asked what Russia would desire as the geographic end state of the war: It is difficult to discern what the planed end state of this operation is. Where is this going to stop? Looking at this map I believe that the most advantageous end state for Russia would be the creation of a new independent country, call it Novorossiya, on the land east of the Dnieper and south along the coast that holds a majority ethnic Russian population and that, in 1922, had been attached to the Ukraine by Lenin. That state would be politically, culturally and militarily aligned with Russia.

bigger This would eliminate Ukrainian access to the Black Sea and create a land bridge towards the Moldavian breakaway Transnistria which is under Russian protection. The rest of the Ukraine would be a land confined, mostly agricultural state, disarmed and too poor to be build up to a new threat to Russia anytime soon. Politically it would be dominated by fascists from Galicia which would then become a major problem for the European Union. Novorossiya was mention by Putin on April 17 2014 during a long Q&A session on Russian TV. The question was about federalization of Ukraine before new government elections in the just regime changed Ukraine. Putin responded: Regarding the question of what should come first: a constitutional referendum followed by elections, or elections first to stabilise the situation and then a referendum. The essential issue is how to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in the southeast of Ukraine. I would like to remind you that what was called Novorossiya (New Russia) back in the tsarist days  Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Nikolayev and Odessa  were not part of Ukraine back then. These territories were given to Ukraine in the 1920s by the Soviet government. Why? Who knows. They were won by Potyomkin and Catherine the Great in a series of well-known wars. The centre of that territory was Novorossiysk, so the region is called Novorossiya. Russia lost these territories for various reasons, but the people remained. At that time Putin did not threaten to take Novorossiya but demanded full rights for its population: Today, they live in Ukraine, and they should be full citizens of their country. Thats what this is all about. The issue is not whether the referendum on decentralisation or federalisation is followed by elections or the elections come before the architecture of the state is changed. The key issue is providing guarantees to these people. Our role is to facilitate a solution in Ukraine, to ensure that there are guarantees. People from southeast Ukraine will ask you, will ask us and the current authorities in Kiev: Fine, the elections will be held on May 25, but do you want us to recognise their outcome? Youll forget your promises the very next day and send new oligarchs to Donetsk, Kharkov, Lugansk, and so on. What about guarantees? We need answers. I hope that an answer will be found. No answer was found then and Kiev has since strongly discriminated against those Russian people. Novorossiya roughly includes the red and yellow areas in the above map. It also includes the valuable Soviet developed iron ore mines and factories of Kryvyi Rih west of the Dnieper river. Two professional Russia experts now agree with my prediction above but chose slightly different borders than I had originally proposed: In his latest piece the Canadian Russia specialist Patrick Armstrong writes: I still do not think that [Russia wants to take ownership of Ukraine]  I believe that Moscow wants a neutral and de-nazified Ukraine that is a buffer between it and NATO. I am also coming to believe that Novorossiya, more or less in its historical borders as formed by Katherine when recovered from the Ottomans, will be independent. The chance that it would remain part of Ukraine has probably passed. As I wrote in 2014 In short, the West broke Ukraine, it now owns it. Or, to put it more precisely, it owns that part that Moscow doesnt want. And what part that is is entirely up to Moscow to choose. Moscow is choosing now. In a new piece about the coming partitioning of Ukraine Gilbert Doctorow agrees: I do not deny that a Ukrainian insurgency is a plausible next phase to the war, especially given the irrational position on compromises that we see in Klitschkos interview. However, there are obvious ways for the Kremlin to respond so as to contain the risks to themselves. To begin with, they can realize the threat Putin issued before the war began: to deprive Ukraine of its statehood. Not entirely, but to deprive them of the state in the configuration that has existed since 1991. This means to partition Ukraine, to hive off the territories west of Kiev and the Dnieper River, forming a land-locked rump state with its capital logically in Lviv, near the Polish frontier. To use the language of the banking community, Russia would thereby create a bad bank, containing the poisonous assets of Ukrainian radicalism, very few industrial or other major economic assets, and removed to a distance no longer threatening to Russia. The good bank would be central Ukraine, the territories east of the Dniepr River, which have a considerably larger population of Russian speakers, who should respond to Russias call to defend their own interests in the public life of the country and come out from the bullying they were subjected to by the nationalists over the past 8 years. This central Ukraine would receive back the Black Sea coast now occupied by the Russians and would enjoy the agricultural and other major economic assets that always defined Ukrainian prosperity. The areas that Armstrong, Doctorow and I describe have largely Russian speaking pro-Russian populations. Yesterday some 30,000 people left the besiege Mariupol and several of them were interviewed. They all spoke out against the Azov Nazis who still hold parts of the city. They likely would not mind to become citizens of a newly founded Novorossiya that does not submit to a Russian hating government in Kiev or elsewhere. But to hold that land Russia must first gain it. So how will the war proceed? Russia will slowly grind down the Ukrainian defenses and then move further into Ukraine up to the new border it wants to achieve. (I do not think that it will include taking Kiev. Russia is currently just threatening it to bind Ukrainian troops.) It will hold there and help to organize a referendum for the independence from Ukraine in the areas it will hold by then. A new local militia army will be formed to defend that state. Russia will recognize the new state and sign a common defense agreement with it. Russian troops can then go back to Russia. As those areas are largely pro-Russian there will be little chance for an effective insurgency within them. Posted by b on March 19, 2022 at 16:31 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-15 20:33:08|Editor: huaxia

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BUJUMBURA, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Inbound international travelers arriving via a major airport in Burundi can choose whether to quarantine at a hotel or at home.

As of Monday, travelers entering the central African nation via the Melchior Ndadaye International Airport in Bujumbura will be tested for the coronavirus and then choose whether to quarantine at a hotel or at home for at least 72 hours, said Jean Baptiste Nzorironkankuze, permanent secretary at the Burundian health ministry.

The test results will be delivered by email within 24 hours, and those who test positive will be treated at a screening and treatment center near the city center, said Nzorironkankuze after a meeting of the national committee in charge of managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Burundian government also requires travelers to submit a negative test result within 72 hours before their departure.

The country has also reopened the border crossing in Mugina in the southern province of Makamba, and the Kobero border crossing in the northern province of Muyinga, both with Tanzania, on June 1, Nzorironkankuze said.

The Burundian government reopened the international airport in November nearly eight months after it was closed as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Since the outbreak, the country has recorded 5,013 cases with eight deaths. Enditem
Midlands Mexco Energy doesnt have a large office campus  or a lot of employees. It doesnt drill wells, instead participating in drilling projects and acquiring royalties and mineral interests and proved reserves. But it has gotten some of the same investor attention as other Midland-based oil companies like Diamondback Energy.

Mexcos stock closed at $13.52 on March 3, then soared over $11 to close at $24.94 on March 4 and rose even higher when the trading week resumed on March 7, closing at $30.36 before trending downward and ending the week at $18.38.

Were having the best year in the 50-year history of the company, Nick Taylor, Mexco board chairman and chief executive officer, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview. Its the increase in prices and volume.

Last November the company had recorded record net income of $1.103 million or 52 cents per diluted share for the six months ended September 30, 2021, halfway through the companys fiscal year. For the first nine months of Mexcos fiscal year  ended December 31, 2021  the company reported net income of $1.857 million compared to a net loss of $261,143, an increase of 132 percent. Revenues from oil and gas revenues jumped 159 percent to $4.37 million for the nine-month period over the $1.68 million in the same period a year earlier, attributed to both higher commodity prices and production volumes.

Tammy McComic, Mexco president, chief financial officer, treasurer and assistant secretary, predicted production volumes will be even higher in the next quarterly report.

We had a lot of completions happen in December, so we should see that in the next report. Thats when you get so much of your production, in the beginning, she said.

Agreed Taylor, the pop in the first (fiscal) quarter will be terrific. The primary motivator for investors is to catch that beginning.

Mexco has been busy during the fiscal year, she reported, closing on the purchase of various overriding royalty interests in approximately 75 wells, primarily operated by XTO Energy, in the Eagle Ford play in Atascosa and Karnes counties for $567,000.

In addition, theres further development for that area, she said.

During its fiscal year, Mexco plans to participate in the drilling and completion of 43 horizontal wells for an estimated cost of $1.2 million. All are in the western portion of the Delaware Basin primarily in Reeves County and in Lea and Eddy counties, New Mexico. Most have been completed, she said, with the remainder being completed into the summer and possibly into September. In addition, the operator there has announced plans for 10 to 12 more wells.

We think other operators will drill our property, she said.

Another operator plans to start drilling in Reagan County and Mexco has been collecting royalties from activity in Upton County.

Continued strong commodity prices have Taylor and McComic expecting to continue setting fiscal records for the time being.

I think they overestimated Saudi Arabias ability to produce, observed Taylor. Raymond James thinks Saudi

Arabia could produce 10 million barrels. The consensus is theres not that much extra capacity. That and shutting off Russian oil markets and its almost a perfect storm  from a positive point of view  for producers.
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Russias invasion of Ukraine has placed a spotlight on just how uncertain the worlds energy supplies can be.

Railroad Commission Chairman Wayne Christian offered a reminder of the role Texas oil and gas played in both World War I and World War II.

In Eastland County, home of the Ranger oil discovery made just before World War I, he told members of the Natural Gas Society of the Permian Basin, is the Roaring Ranger Oil Boom Museum. And in that museum is a letter from the European Commonwealth crediting oil from the Ranger field with helping the allies win the war.

Move ahead to the 1940s, he said, and Texas Big Inch and Little Inch pipelines supplied 80 percent of the oil used by allied forces and is credited by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with winning World War II.

This is what we need to celebrate, he told the audience. Not East Texas, not Central Texas but West Texas, home of the largest discovery of oil in the world. The Permian is estimated to hold about 230 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

The challenge is what to responsibly do with that oil, Christian continued.

He addressed complaints about rising energy prices, especially for gasoline, noting the presence of petroleum-based products in a wide spectrum of consumer products. Its 6,000-plus products that will go up if oil goes up, not just gasoline, he said.

The US is the cleanest country, environmentally, on Earth, he said, complaining that environmentalists dont take into consideration human innovation when they criticize the oil and gas industry. That innovation has reduced emissions over the years, he said, and reduced the amount of natural gas flared by Texas producers from just over 2 percent to about a quarter of a percent.

The industry is also working with regulators to address emerging issues like the rising number of seismic events being recorded in the Permian Basin.

Were letting the industry and local communities take the lead in addressing the problem, he said. We ask the citizens, industry, workers how they want to address the problem. Its always the workers out in the field doing the job that makes state great, not government.

Last years Winter Storm Uri highlighted the liabilities of relying almost solely on renewable energy, Christian said, pointing to the sharp decline in power from wind and solar facilities during the storm while natural gas rose to about 70 percent of the fuel going to the states power generation plans.

We spent so much on reliable energy sources, we let the pilot light go out on reliable energy, he said. Since Uri, weve increased wind and solar electric production by 11 percent. Weve increased natural gas, coal and nuclear electric production by 0 percent.

Its time, Christian concluded, to stand up for oil. We need that next generation of professionals. Were at a fork in the road and need to stand up for the truth.
"I don't want my vote or anyone else's to be disenfranchised. . . . Do you realize how inaccurate the voter rolls are, with people just moving around. . . . Anytime you move, you'll change your driver's license, but you don't call up and say, hey, by the way I'm re-registering."

- Mark Meadows, at the time White House chief of staff, in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Aug. 16, 2020

- - -

"We need to make sure that everybody's vote is cast. But we also need to make sure that no one else disenfranchises those by creating a fraud on the voting system."

- Meadows, in an interview on ABC's "This Week," Aug. 23, 2020

- - -

In the run-up to the 2020 election, President Donald Trump repeatedly warned about potential election fraud - as did Meadows. But, apparently, what's good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

About a month after Meadows made these statements, Charles Bethea of the New Yorker reported, Meadows and his wife, Debra, submitted voter registration forms that listed as their residential address a 14-by-62-foot mobile home with a rusted metal roof that sold for $105,000 in 2021.

The forms ask for a residential address - "where you physically live" - and are signed "under penalty of perjury." According to Bethea's reporting, Meadows and his wife have never lived there - and Meadows himself may have never set foot in the house. But the couple used that address to cast ballots in the 2020 general election, North Carolina voting records show.

Six months earlier, in March 2020, Meadows sold, for $370,000, a house in Sapphire, N.C., meaning the couple no longer had a place of residence in the state. Instead, they lived at the time in a condominium in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia. But that did not stop Debra Meadows from using the old Sapphire registration to cast a ballot in a June primary runoff election for someone for whom she had done fundraising.

These votes appear to be the exact scenario that Meadows and Trump warned about. Indeed, in his memoir, "The Chief's Chief," Meadows wrote: "If we could get a few more Republicans to show up in places like Minneapolis and Bemidji in November, we would be able to win not only Minnesota, but the whole election - assuming, of course, that everyone else who votes was alive, a real person, and an actual resident of the state they were voting in. That last part turned out to be a little harder than we thought."

Were Meadows and his wife actual residents of the state they were voting in? It does not look like it.

- - -

When Meadows left Congress to join Trump's White House, 12 candidates vied in the Republican primary for North Carolina's 11th Congressional District on March 3, 2020. Lynda Bennett, a friend of the Meadows', led the pack with 22.7% of the vote. In a surprise, political novice Madison Cawthorn finished second with 20.4%, edging out Jim Davis, a member of the General Assembly. The fractured showing required a runoff between Bennett and Cawthorn on June 23.

Debra had campaigned heavily for Bennett, attending fundraisers for her across the state. On March 26, the Meadows sold their home in North Carolina, property records show.

That left the couple only with two undeveloped parcels of land in the state, according to his financial disclosure form.

Nevertheless, Debra voted in the June 23 runoff, using her Transylvania County registration to vote early, voting records show. Mark Meadows did not vote in the runoff, although he did secure an endorsement from Trump for Bennett two weeks before that election. Bennett's overwhelming loss - Cawthorn beat her 66% to 34% - was considered a "black eye" for Trump and an embarrassment for Meadows.

Both Mark and Debra Meadows voted in the 2020 general election, with Mark listed as voting by absentee ballot; Debra voted early in person.

Less than two months before the election - and three weeks before the state's voter registration deadline - Mark and Debra Meadows filed voter registration forms listing the mobile home as their residence. Both forms appear to have been filled out by the same hand; they were released with the signatures redacted.

Interestingly, Meadows's mother, Mary Gail Garwood, had lived at and voted from the Sapphire property in 2012, 2014 and 2016. She then registered to vote in Georgia on Sept. 12, 2018. Mark listed the property for sale the next day, Sept. 13, 2018.

For many years before, the Meadows lived in and voted from Jackson County in a house they sold in 2016 for almost $1.3 million. They then moved to an apartment in Asheville in 2018, a move Meadows said was temporary, according to local newspaper accounts. The couple even switched party registrations in 2008 to vote in the Democratic presidential primary as part of "Operation Chaos," a Rush Limbaugh-inspired tactic to keep alive the lengthy presidential primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Now, as the 2020 general election loomed, the couple listed a house four miles north of the border with Georgia that they did not own or live in as their primary residence. To register to vote in North Carolina, a citizen must have lived in the county where they are registering and have resided there for at least 30 days before the date of the election, according to the state's board of elections.

The former owner (unidentified in the article) told the New Yorker that Debra Meadows had rented the house once but spent only one or two nights there; Mark Meadows never stayed at all. When the house was put on the market in the summer of 2020, she said, Meadows never expressed interest in buying it.

Both Mark and Debra listed a post office box as the mailing address. The director of the county Board of Elections told the magazine that if a voter registration card is not sent back as undeliverable, then the voter goes into the system. Both forms, filed Sept. 19, list the move-in date as the next day: Sept. 20.

Yet the real estate agent still listed the property for sale on Facebook on Sept. 23. The property's address was later used by Meadows when he requested an absentee ballot on Oct. 1, records obtained by WRAL show. The absentee ballot was requested on his behalf by Debra, the document shows.

The 900-square-foot mobile home, with its modest bedrooms, is a far cry from the family's old 6,000-square-foot house in Jackson County, which had four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms and was on a nearly six-acre lot. As the mobile home's current owner told the New Yorker: "It was not the kind of place you'd think the chief of staff of the president would be staying."

Indeed, in 2021, Meadows purchased a three-story waterfront home of more than 6,000 square feet in South Carolina for nearly $1.6 million.

Ben Williamson, a spokesman for Mark Meadows, did not respond to text or phone messages. George Terwilliger, a Meadows attorney, also did not respond to a request for comment. Debra Meadows did not respond to emails sent to her email address at Right Women PAC, where she is executive director, or to several personal email addresses. She also did not respond to a phone message.

The Heritage Foundation maintains a voter-fraud database with numerous instances of politicians being charged for filing false voter registration forms.

Steve Watkins, a GOP House member from Kansas, was charged with three felonies in 2020 after he listed a postal box at a UPS store as his residence on a state voter registration form while living temporarily at his parents' home during a 2019 municipal election. In Pennsylvania, Richard Cummings, a county school board member, moved from Westmoreland County to Allegheny County in 2009, but continued voting at his Westmoreland address through the 2016 general election. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation.

- - -

Meadows, of course, had an important job for the federal government - White House chief of staff. Perhaps that's a possible excuse, but he did sign the form.

Meanwhile, Debra Meadows appears to have voted twice under suspicious circumstances - first in the runoff primary from the address of a home that had been sold three months earlier, and then by signing a form under "penalty of perjury" that her primary residence was a trailer home in the mountains when she did not live there.

Voter fraud is relatively rare. It's jarring to see such fishy behavior by someone who decried it.
In the wake of the crisis in Ukraine, last week the U.S. Secretary of Energy called upon American energy producers to increase output to stabilize the market and minimize harm to American families. This comes after more than a year of this Administration taking deliberate steps to discourage, and in some cases halt, oil and natural gas production in our country, in addition to calling for an end to drilling during the 2020 campaign. American consumers are suffering with skyrocketing prices and feeling the repercussions of cancelled pipeline projects, halted leases on federal lands, delayed approvals for permits and the discouragement of additional expansion  poor, short-sighted decisions that are exacerbated by the war.

This crisis should be a wakeup call that we need strategic, collaborative American energy policy that treats oil and natural gas as an asset and not a liability. Just months ago, the Administrations pleas to foreign countries to increase their production, while undercutting local jobs and local investment, had a chilling effect on domestic energy development. Efforts to shame lenders for providing capital to oil and natural gas companies further slowed energy production and essential infrastructure development.

Expanding oil and natural gas production and transportation requires foresight, planning and investment that are rooted in certainty. Securing permits and permission to access rights of way can take years  longer still with an Administration intent on obstructing development. The oil and natural gas industry shares the commitment to meet our nation and allies energy needs and is operating as quickly as possible given the consequences of policy decisions designed to slow things down.

The conflict in Ukraine painfully demonstrates that national security and energy security are inextricably linked. The United States plays an important role in contributing to stability by providing reliable energy at home and abroad. Texas is the nations leader in oil and natural gas production, responsible for 43 percent of total U.S. oil production and 26 percent of total U.S. natural gas production in 2021. If Texas were its own country, it would be the third largest natural gas producer in the world, behind only the United States and Russia.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. met more than a quarter of European demand last year for liquified natural gas (LNG), with the majority of those exports originating from the U.S. Gulf Coast. Annually, Texas exports approximately 4 billion cubic feet a day of LNG. For perspective, thats enough natural gas to meet the needs of 22 million households every day. And our national export capacity is on track to be the worlds largest by end of 2022, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). Without LNG shipped from the Gulf Coast, Europe would be suffering from an energy crisis even more than they are today.

Clearly, we have the resources and a globally unmatched commitment to the environment to responsibly meet the energy needs of our nation and our allies. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as reported recently by the Houston Chronicle, CO2 emissions in the U.S. decreased over 8 percent from 2010-2019 while they rose in China and Russia by over 25 percent and 21 percent during the same period. We must reestablish a focus on American energy security and recognize that no one produces the oil and natural gas the world needs in a more environmentally responsible way than American producers.

Texas and America are poised to lead if federal policymakers embrace forward-thinking, collaborative policies that harness the natural resources, technology and innovation that have made this nation the global front-runner in energy and environmental progress. We need a strategic American energy policy, not a game of whack-a-mole.

--

Todd Staples is president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner.
MOGADISHU, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Senior African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali National Army (SNA) military commanders have wrapped up a five-day meeting by agreeing to set up a joint technical team to implement rules of operations for the new peace mission.

The joint team which will also include the United Nations officials will work on implementing the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) that will be replacing AMISOM effective April 1.

"Discussions should continue within the theatre of operations to agree on which forward operating bases (FOBs) to hand over, to relocate or to collapse," said AMISOM Force Commander Diomede Ndegeya at the end of the conference in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, according to a statement issued Friday evening.

CONOPS 2022-2024 is a comprehensive document that will, together with the Somali Transition Plan (STP), give direction to the operations of the ATMIS.

Ndegeya reiterated that al-Shabab is still a security threat to Somalia and degrading the armed militants remains a key priority going into the new mission. He thus called upon the sector commanders of the SNA and ATMIS to continue conducting targeted joint operations, as well as operationalize the joint operation coordination centers that AMISOM set up recently to aid intelligence coordination and action.

The conference was attended by representatives from the Somali government, AMISOM and Somalia's international partners.

Somali Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said the achievements of AMISOM since it started operating in Somalia in 2007 should be consolidated under ATMIS through further capacitation of the Somali security forces in preparation for their takeover of Somalia's security responsibilities from ATMIS in 2024.

"The government is committed more than ever to ensuring its security forces are capacitated and equipped to the standard required for the achievements of the implementation of the CONOPS and to meet the Somalia Transition Plan benchmarks," Nur said.

The minister called for more civil-military coordination (CIMIC) activities under ATMIS so that local communities can feel the positive impact of the peacekeepers' involvement in their day-to-day lives, and work with them toward peace and stability in Somalia.

Odowa Yusuf Rage, the Somali chief of the armed forces, stressed the need for the international partners to channel logistical support to not only the joint operations between SNA and ATMIS, but also operations independently carried out by the SNA. 
Muskogee, OK (74401)

Today

Occasional thunderstorms - possibly severe. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Occasional thunderstorms - possibly severe. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.
Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com.



ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

217-370-4002

Jacksonville locations:

 First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible.

 Club HOW, 638 S. Church St.

Monday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Tuesday

 Open discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets.

 ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St.

Wednesday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Thursday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group.

Friday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group.

 Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave.

Saturday

 Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

 Open meeting, noon at Club HOW.

Sunday

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group.

 Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open)

 SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St.



AL-ANON

Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend. 217-248-6434.

Wednesday

 Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance).



NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization.

Jacksonville locations:

 First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. (enter through far southeast door). 217-883-1975.

 Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975.

Wednesday

 Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

Friday

 Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at First Christian Church.



OTHER MEETINGS

Monday

 Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388.



Tuesday

 American Legion Post 279, first Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m. at 903 W. Superior Ave.



Wednesday

 Breastfeeding support group, 6 p.m., Passavant Area Hospital, Meeting Room 2.

 ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670.





Thursday

 Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882.

 Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, teens 5:30-6:30 p.m.; adults 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of New Life Church, 626 Curtis St.

 Cancer support group, 6-7:30 p.m., Winchester United Methodist Church. 217-742-3610.



Friday

 Jacksonville Rotary Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388.



Saturday

 Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com.
Provided

Cole Delaney of Franklin High School took first place in the recent state Poetry Out Loud competition and will advance to national competition.

I cant believe it," Delaney said when told he'd won.
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Much like much of the world, an Illinois College senior is trying to wrap her head around Russia's invasion of Ukraine and realizing she will forever have a reminder of the day it started  her 24th birthday.

"I'm trying to understand it," Illinois College senior Maddie Brockhouse said. "I can't believe this is happening in my lifetime."

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, which also is Brockhouse's birthday.

"That was a surreal experience," she said. "... I was driving to Springfield and listening to the radio and podcasts about it. "To my understanding, I don't see an end to this war anytime soon."

Brockhouse is no stranger to devastating news coverage of wars  she grew up watching coverage of fighting in the Middle East. But the situation in Ukraine  and Russian President Vladimir Putin's access to nuclear weapons  makes this a different experience for her.

"Nuclear weapons were never a concern in the Middle East," she said, adding that Putin's decisions are "made up (with) despots and yes-men" that surround and support him.

Brockhouse believes this war will last a while because the West and NATO have become stronger and Ukraine is tenacious about defending its freedom.

"I think (Putin) severely underestimated Ukraine and his own Russian forces," she said. "He's a madman with yes-men around him."

With the possiblity of nuclear weapons being used, Brockhouse fears Putin's thinking is outdated  that he will prefer a nuclear end to a more modern solution, she said.

"Diplomacy is the way to stave off a nuclear war," she said.

Many, including children and civilians, have been killed in Ukraine since the war began, but Brockhouse also sees the damage done by countries applying sanctions to Russia and its oligarchs.

"The sanctions worry me because the Russian people are being affected," she said, adding that Putin will pull from him own economy to fund the war. "I don't think there is a simple solution."

Brockhouse, who is majoring in elementary education, will graduate May 15. The next day she is supposed to fly to Europe for two weeks to spend time in Sweden and Denmark for the final part of her studies. The trip now will be bittersweet. She's excited to visit Europe, but she's also nervous that she will be just four hours from Ukraine, she said.

"I feel guilty by being afraid," knowing Ukraine's women and children are fleeing for their safety as its men stay behind to fight for their nation's freedom, she said.

Still, Brockhouse has empathy not just for Ukrainians but for ordinary Russian citizens who also are feeling the burdens of a war their leader started but they didn't necessarily want.

"It's incredibly important to have empathy for all involved in the war, even the Russians," she said.
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The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated.

 Travis W. Hileman, 48, of 231 W. Adams St., Pittsfield, is being sought on a warrant accusing him of violating probation on a domestic battery charge.

He is a white male standing 5 foot 10 and weighing 190 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

 Penny S. Self, 59, of 214 S. Athens St., Ashland, is being sought on a warrant accusing her of deceptive practices.

She is a white female standing 5 foot 6 and weighing 250 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes.

Morgan County

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Casey G. Haines, 45, of Ocean View, Hawaii, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 9:32 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of adult-use cannabis by a driver, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper plate/permit display and resisting a peace officer.

 Brett M. Dooley, 18, of 414 E. Lafayette Ave. was arrested at 8:08 p.m. Thursday on a charge of criminal damage to property after being accused of breaking the mirror off a vehicle.

ACCIDENTS

 Debra R. Finn, 66, of New Berlin was treated at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital after suffering a medical episode during which the car she was driving left the road about 6:35 a.m. Friday and hit a fence on North Clay Avenue.

 Dakota A. Cheek, 24, of Jacksonville was treated at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital after having to lay down the motorcycle he was driving in the 500 block of West Morton Avenue when a car pulled into his path about 10:05 p.m. Thursday. The car's driver has not been located.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 Identification and credit cards were stolen from a car parked in Duncan Park on West State Street, according to a report filed at 6:08 p.m. Thursday.

 Police are investigating the use of counterfeit $100 bills Saturday at Bill's West State Tavern, 315 W. State St.

OTHER REPORTS

 A juvenile was taken to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital about 8:30 a.m. Friday after being found lying on a sidewalk in the 1200 block of North Diamond Street and going in and out of consciousness.

Calhoun County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Nicholas S. Conrad, 43, of Alton was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:58 p.m. March 8 on charges of threatening a public official and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Cass County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Justin J. Bachar, 21, of 412 E. Broadway St., Virginia, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:28 p.m. Thursday on a domestic violence charge.

Greene County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Yazmene C. Walker, 22, of Kampsville was booked into Greene County Jail at 1:31 p.m. Wednesday on a Calhoun County arrest warrant accusing her of possession of methamphetamine.

 Daniel W. Stepp, 36, address unknown, was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:17 p.m. Tuesday on a violation of bail.

 Nathan A. Daniels, 39, of Rockbridge was booked into Greene County Jail at 12:20 p.m. March 11 on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

 Brandon M. Krueger, 41, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:43 a.m. March 1 on charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a firearm with invalid identification.

Carrollton Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Avery F. Byrd, 41, of O'Fallon was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:52 a.m. March 3 on charges of theft and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Greenfield Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Scott R. Andrews, 59, of Alton was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:02 p.m. Thursday on a charge of driving while license is revoked.

 Ashley H. Corrigan, 19, of Chesterfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:23 p.m. Wednesday on charges of aggravated driving under the influence and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Jeremy A. Ward, 45, of Alton was booked into Greene County Jail at 6:54 p.m. Sunday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Johnathan W. Hayes, 27, of Greenfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:13 a.m. Sunday on a driving under the influence charge.

 Dylan A. Logsdon, 29, of Beardstown was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:57 p.m. Feb. 28 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Logan M. Manns, 21, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:56 p.m. Feb. 27 on a charge of driving while license is suspended.

 Ashley N. Vollintine, 34, of Bunker Hill was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:42 a.m. Feb. 26 on a probation violation.

Roodhouse Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Bryon L. Harris, 27, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 1:17 p.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine and on Greene County warrants accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 Amy R. Tuttle, 29, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 2 a.m. Sunday on a Greene County arrest warrant accusing her of credit card fraud/false statement.

 Melvin V. Fuller, 37, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 6:24 p.m. March 3 on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Dylan A. Logsdon, 29, of Beardstown was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:06 p.m. March 1 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle, illegal transportation of liquor and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Lucas J. Mitchell, 29, address unknown, was booked into Greene County Jail at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 28 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operation of a vehicle with a suspended registration.

 Richard L. Ackley, 58, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:07 a.m. Feb. 28 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

White Hall Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Terry L. Miller, 45, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 11:54 p.m. Thursday on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting a peace officer and obstructing justice.

 Robert W. Reed, 40, of Jerseyville was booked into Greene County Jail at 2:11 p.m. Thursday on a criminal trespassing charge.

 Dekoda L. Matthews, 23, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 7:29 p.m. Monday on a charge of possession of cannabis and a on Greene County warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 Jacob D. Edwards, 27, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 3:27 p.m. March 10 on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Lloyd L. Speaker, 36, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:22 p.m. March 8 on a domestic battery charge.

 Steven B. Hoots, 48, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 7:28 p.m. March 7 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Brandon K. Ervin, 35, of Jerseyville was booked into Greene County Jail at 4:56 p.m. March 3 on a violation of an order of protection.

State police



ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jason C. Laing, 52, of Michael was booked into Greene County Jail at 10:30 p.m. March 10 on a domestic battery charge.

Scott County

Winchester Police



ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Lydia R. Gorman, 20, of Winchester was booked into Greene County Jail at 6:42 p.m. March 6 on a charge of aggravated battery involving great bodily harm.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
DAR ES SALAAM, March 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people were killed and 38 others injured Friday after a bus collided head-on with a truck in Tanzania's eastern region of Morogoro, police said Saturday.

Fortunatus Musilimu, the Morogoro regional police commander, said 13 of the victims died on the spot and nine died while they were receiving treatment at the Morogoro regional hospital.

The tragedy occurred after the driver of the truck attempted to overtake a motorcycle and collided head-on with the oncoming bus, said Musilimu, noting more deaths could occur as some of the injured persons are in critical condition.

According to the police official, the truck was heading to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam while the bus was heading to Tanga city from Mbeya city.

Musilimu said the accident occurred at 4:30 p.m., local time, Friday at Melela Kibaoni village.

Meanwhile, President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Saturday sent a condolence message to the bereaved families, saying the accident has caused losses of lives of innocent citizens.

A statement by the Directorate of Presidential Communications said President Hassan directed the traffic police to reinforce efforts aimed at curbing road accidents in the country. 
A Sangamon County grand jury has returned indictments against three men, two of them from Jacksonville, in a triple homicide last summer in Springfield.

Kelton C. Galmore, 21, and Joseph W. Hembrough, 33, both of Jacksonville, each were indicted on nine counts of first-degree murder.

Federal marshals and Springfield police arrested Galmore after a court appearance last month in Morgan County on a 2020 charge of manufacture and delivery of cocaine, according to court records. Hembrough was arrested the same day. He already was being held in Morgan County on an October charge of possession of a weapon by a felon.

A third person, Larry McClain Jr., 20, of Springfield was arrested March 2 in the deadly shootings. He also was indicted Wednesday on nine first-degree murder charges.

The three are charged in the Aug. 9 shooting deaths of three people in a house in the 2500 block of South 10th Street in Springfield. Reports at the time indicated Savante English, 27, and Keyera Gant, 25, both of Springfield, and Bryant K. Williams, 27, of Houston died of multiple gunshots wounds.

Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon called it one of the most horrific scenes he had seen in 20 years.

English was Gant's cousin and a childhood friend of Williams. Police have not discussed a motive for the shooting but previously told reporters that the victims or the house appeared to have been targeted.

In addition to the murder charges, the grand jury handed up indictments against Galmore for armed robbery, armed violence, possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of a firearm by a street gang member.

Hembrough also was indicted on charges of armed robbery, armed violence, possession of a weapon by a felon, obstructing justice and manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance.

McClain faces additional charges of armed robbery, armed violence, possession of a weapon by a felon, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a street gang member, according to Sangamon County State's Attorney Daniel K. Wright.

An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury and is not proof of guilt.
WINDHOEK, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has detected an outbreak of lung sickness among cattle in the western part of the Kavango region, officials said Friday.

According to Agriculture Ministry Chief Veterinary Officer Albertina Shikongo, farmers alerted veterinary officers after observing some deaths and clinical signs in their cattle.

She said lung sickness was confirmed by the Windhoek Veterinary Laboratory from March 10 March and that the source of infection is under investigation.

"In Africa, lung sickness is known to cause greater losses in cattle than any other disease because it is highly contagious and with a mortality rate of 50 percent," Shikongo said.

Lung disease, which affects cattle and water buffaloes, is caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides SC, a type of bacteria that attacks the lungs of susceptible animals.

The agriculture ministry has put a complete ban on the movement of live animals around the affected areas until further notice, Shikongo said.

She said surveillance teams have been deployed to the region, located in northeastern Nambia, to assess the extent of the outbreak, and that vaccination of all cattle in the region against lung sickness will be conducted in the next few weeks. 
Investigator Ashley Boujikian, Sheriff Bill Pooley and Captain David Vasquez View Photo

Sonora, CA  A panel of law enforcement officials will speak about concerning trends they are noticing when it comes to online illegal activities aimed at youth of all ages in the community.

This weekends Mother Lode Views will feature Tuolumne County Sheriff Bill Pooley, Captain David Vasquez and Investigator (and former school resource officer) Ashley Boujikian.

Some of the conversation will focus on the David Pacheco case, a Crystal Falls man, who set up an elaborate drugs for sex network using the social media app Snapchat. They will also talk about other ways local kids are being targeted, through avenues like online gaming, and different social media apps. There will also be a discussion about the rise of online bullying, and what they are witnessing.

The panel will relay advice for parents and guardians, and speak about things to keep an eye out for related to phones and any other devices connected to the internet.
Governor Gavin Newsom View Photo

Sacramento, CA  A new proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom would put millions in the hands of native tribes to preserve their ancestral lands.

Newsom on Friday proposed giving Native American tribes $100 million so they can purchase and preserve nearly one-third of Californias land and coastal waters by 2030. It was part of an executive order signed by Newsom in 2020 mandating the importance of reducing the effects of climate change in the state.

Too often, California Native American tribal communities are overlooked and suffer many of the worst impacts of climate change, said Governor Newsom. The California way is not to hide from our past, but to embrace it with a commitment to build upon our values of inclusiveness and equity for everyone who calls this state home.

The funding would not function like a traditional California grant program where the state oversees the money. Instead, tribes would decide where to spend the funds.

We know that California Native peoples have always had interdependent relations with land, waters, everything that makes up the state of California, Newsom said. Unfortunately, we also know that the state has had a role in violently disrupting those relations.

A growing Land Back movement to return Native American homelands to their descendants is fueling the proposal. Aside from buying land, tribes could also use the money for programs that address climate change and workforce development.

Overall tribal leaders in the state praised the plans but say a structure for distributing the money would have to be worked out. One major concern is how it would work in practice, especially in situations where tribes have competing claims on the same land. They worry that it would complicate decisions regarding purchasing the land.

These funds are just one piece of Newsoms $286.4 billion budget proposal. The state Legislature would have to approve the spending before it could happen.
March 11

A 32-year-old man was arrested on March 11 during a traffic stop initiated for failure to maintain a single lane. During the investigation, the driver was found to be driving while intoxicated. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. The stop was conducted at the 2800 block of Olton Road.

Plainview police were dispatched to the 4000 block of Olton Road where a firearm was found inside one of the rooms at the Super 8 Motel. Officers secured it and took it to the PD where it has been logged in for safe keeping.

Police responded to the 1000 block of W. 5th St. on March 11 where an individual reported being threatened by another.

A crash was reported at the 300 block of S. Columbia on March 11. Two vehicles were involved in a crash and the one was reported to have rolled over. The driver of that vehicle was transported for medical observations. The driver of the other vehicle was released at the scene due to no reports of injury at the time.

An assault was reported at the 2100 block of Dimmitt Road on March 11.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on March 11 during a traffic stop at the 500 block of W. 5th St. During the stop, officers conducted a drug trafficking investigation which resulted in the arrest of the driver, Matthew Aaron Nelsen. He was charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, which is a felony.

March 12

A stolen vehicle was reported at the 3500 block of W. 25th St. on March 12.

March 13

Criminal mischief was reported at the 700 block of N. Columbia on March 13. Vehicle damage was reported.

Vehicle damage was also reported at the 820 block of Cedar St. on March 13. A report including two arrests was also reported at the same location. Carlos Holguin, 17, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, search or transportation and evading arrest or detention. Holguin was also charged with possession of a controlled substance and with delivery of marijuana, between 5 pounds and one-fourth of an ounce, which are both felonies. A 43-year-old man was also arrested for an active warrant out of Dallas for a probation violation, injury to a child, injury to an elderly/disabled with the intention of bodily injury.

Forgery was reported at the 600 block of W. 24th St. on March 13.

Police arrested 44-year-old Adam Cisneros, Jr. at the 1400 block of W. 16th St. on March 13. Officers reported to the location for driving while under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and charged with evading arrest or detention; resisting arrest, search or transportation; failed to yield row at open intersection; accident involving injury; driving while intoxicated, third or more offence, which is a felony; and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, which is also a felony.

Theft was reported at the 600 block of N. Columbia St. on March 13.

March 14

Officers were called to the 400 block of W. 5th St. on March 14 in reference to an assault.

Police responded to the 2900 block of Castro St. on March 14 where fraudulent use of credit cards was reported.

Theft from a vehicle was reported at the 1500 block of W. 5th St. on March 14.

A 43-year-old individual was arrested on March 14 at the 1900 block of Quincy St. The individual was charged with resisting arrest or transportation. The case involves three active warrants including possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of failure to appear/bail jumping. No arrests are indicated for those warrants.

A crash involving vehicle damage was reported at the 3100 block of Olton Road on March 14.

A burglary was reported at the 1000 block of W. 10th St. on March 14.

A 16-year-old individual was arrested on March 14 at the 500 block of Austin St. The individual was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon, possession of a dangerous drug, a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, and delivery of marijuana (between 5 pounds and one-fourth of an ounce), which is also a felony.

March 15

A sexual assault was reported on March 15.

Criminal trespass was reported at the 1600 block of N. Date St. on March 15. Plainview Police arrested a 31-year-old man and charged him with criminal trespass.

Theft from a bank was reported at the 100 block of Kirchwood on March 15.

A theft was reported at the 1500 block of N. I-27 on March 15. Officers arrested a 48-year-old man. The individual was charged with theft and with two active warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear/bail jumping.

March 16

An assault was reported on March 16 at the 900 block of W. 28th St. Officers responded to a fight at an apartment complex where three women assaulted another.

Criminal trespass was reported at the 900 block of S. Austin St. The case is currently under investigation.

Fraud was reported on March 16 at the 2300 block of Houston. The report indicates it was regarding illegal use of credit cards.

March 17

An assault was reported at the 2600 block of W. 18th St. on March 17.

Two cases of forgery of checks were reported at the 100 block of Kirchwood on March 17.

Theft of a tractor with attached implements was reported at W. 8th and Zephyr on March 17.
MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP)  Ohios crowded Republican Senate race has been all about one man: Donald Trump.

But with less than two months until the states May 3 primary to succeed retiring Sen. Rob Portman, some of the leading candidates have accepted that, despite their best efforts, the former presidents coveted endorsement may never come.

Ive made my pitch to the president. I continue to make my pitch to the president. But we also have to make our pitch to voters because I think theres a chance he stays out of it, said J.D. Vance, one of the candidates eagerly courting Trump.

Perhaps no race in the nation better represents the transformation of the Republican Party over the last six years than the one in Ohio. The state that voted twice for former President Barack Obama and elected a long succession of moderate Republicans, from former Gov. John Kasich to the establishment-minded Portman, has swung decisively right. And the leading candidates in the race have been working to out-Trump one another as they try to woo both him and his voters.

Vance notes at his town hall events that he speaks with Trump regularly. Former state Treasurer Josh Mandel is running with the slogan pro-GOD, pro-GUN, pro-TRUMP. And former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timkens website opens with an ad titled Incredible Leader that features footage of Trump praising her at his rallies and by tweet. At his last event in the state, her campaign hired a plane to pull a banner that read Ohio is Trump Country and distributed a flyer that called her The Only True Pro-Trump, America First Candidate in the race.

The candidates past criticisms of Trump have also dominated the millions of dollars in negative advertising that has flooded the states airwaves.

But Trump has remained on the sidelines, unable to settle on a pick, even as some current and former aides  a long list of whom are working for competing candidates  have tried to nudge him their way. Unless a clear front-runner emerges, allies say Trump may choose to sit out the race entirely, may endorse more than one candidate or may wait to weigh in until the last minute, when many voters will have already made up their minds. Adding to the uncertainty: the possibility the election may be delayed after the Ohio Supreme Court this week again rejected proposed legislative maps.

Ohio is a critical race. President Trump is watching it closely and will decide at the right time, said Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich.

Thats left the candidates trying other tactics.

You know, in this campaign, everybodys saying theyre all the Trumpiest candidates, Mike Gibbons, one of the races front-runners, said at a campaign event last week. I dont have to prove my Trump credentials. And its not about Trump. Its about America First and the ideas and the things that he accomplished.

Nonetheless, the wealthy investment banker who is running as a pro-Trump businessman ticked through his Trump bona fides, telling his audience at the Stark Country GOP headquarters that hed served as Trumps state finance co-chair in 2016, launched a Trump-aligned super PAC and even served as a pro-Trump commentator on Norwegian TV.

Gibbons, who told The Associated Press last week that he had never courted Trumps endorsement, met with the former president Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the sit-down who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

You know I never have, Gibbons told the AP. I mean, (Trump) knows who I am. Thats it. He doesnt know a lot about me. But I think he knows I never criticized him or was an anti-Trumper.

He also said he understood Trumps reluctance: He doesnt want to be embarrassed and pick the wrong person.

Mandel, the far-right candidate who has been using Trumps playbook of attention-by-controversy, had no qualms about acknowledging his efforts.

I completely respect the presidents decision-making process on the endorsement. Im doing everything I can to earn his support. And Im confident Im going to earn it, he told the AP, noting that he was the first statewide official in Ohio to support Trump in 2016. Theres no candidate in this race that embodies the Trump America First spirit and agenda like I do.

Timken spokesperson Mandi Merritt, meanwhile, said Timken of course would be honored to receive Trumps backing.

But every day, Jane is focused on earning the endorsement and support of the voters of Ohio, she said.

The final major GOP candidate in the race, state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, has not aligned himself with Trump, seeking an alternate lane.

For now, the race remains fluid. A recent Fox News poll found that about a quarter of Republican primary voters in the state say they are undecided. And even majorities of Gibbons, Mandel and Vance supporters said they may well change their minds.

And voters here said in interviews that a Trump endorsement might not matter.

Dorine Garbash, 57, a lifelong Republican who lives in Uniontown, said shes turned off by candidates who constantly talk up their ties to Trump, whom she voted for twice.

I dont like people riding on other peoples coattails. And I really feel that theres a lot of them out there riding on his coattails, she said.

Star Clark, 75, an Elyria resident who plans to vote for Mandel, said she she doesnt care about Trumps endorsement  as long as the person seeking her vote supports the former president.

If they go against Donald Trump, its to their detriment, she said. They need to stick with him if they want to go on and to be something. I love Donald Trump.

While the former presidents endorsement is coveted by candidates across the country, it remains unclear how valuable it will be in this years races.

Trump crowed last week after the first 2022 midterm election contests that All 33 Trump-Endorsed candidates won last night in Texas, or are substantially leading. But many of the candidates he endorsed there were running uncontested or had limited opposition. And Attorney General Ken Paxton, a strong Trump ally, was forced into a runoff against Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

Meanwhile in Alabama, Trumps Senate candidate, Rep. Mo Brooks, has been struggling so badly that Trump told the Washington Examiner this week that he may pull his endorsement. His surprise pick in North Carolinas Senate race, Rep. Ted Budd, is locked in a competitive primary. And in Georgias governor race, former Sen. David Perdue, whom Trump lobbied to run, has been badly outraised by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

In addition to Ohio, Trump has yet to endorse in several other high-profile Senate races where his support has been courted. After being burned when his original pick for Pennsylvanias open Senate seat dropped out amid allegations of abuse by his ex-wife, Trump has yet to weigh in again in that race or in primaries in Missouri and Arizona.

Rep. Tim Ryan, the leading Democrat in the Ohio Senate contest, sees an opportunity as the Republicans in the race jockey to be the Trumpiest of the bunch.

I think a lot of Republicans are afraid of what the Republican primarys turned into, he told the AP. Its one of those I didnt leave them, they left me kind of things.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens campaign to unite the globe against the Russian invasion of Ukraine is being challenged not only by adversaries such as China but also by the worlds most populous democracy, India.

An Indian government official said Friday that the country will increase its imports of Russian oil, allowing it to boost energy supplies at a discount as its economy struggles to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The official, who was not authorized to talk to reporters and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the latest purchase was 3 million barrels.

Although India isnt alone in buying Russian energy  several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so  the decision conflicts with Bidens efforts to isolate Russias economy with sanctions.

The increased flow of oil could further strain the relationship between Washington and New Delhi, which has already been tested by Indias recent procurement of advanced Russian air defense systems.

The White House is still considering whether to enact sanctions on India for that purchase. The issue is being looked at with a different spin following Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to a U.S. official familiar with the Biden administrations deliberations. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal decision-making.

The oil deal is a reminder of how the war in Ukraine has created a complicated geopolitical balancing act for Biden. Even as he tries to rally countries to oppose Russias invasion, he also sees India as a critical partner for countering Chinas rising influence in Asia.

Russia has long been a point of friction in U.S.-India relations, but the White House believes the two democracies have more thats in common than that divides them.

India is a member of the Quad, an international partnership that also includes the U.S., Australia and Japan, and the leaders of all four nations are slated to meet this year in Tokyo.

Although Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a checkered record on human rights, he was invited to participate in Bidens virtual summit on democracy in December.

During the summit, Biden described the struggle between democracy and autocracy as the defining challenge of our time. Modi said that India stands ready to join fellow democracies in this noble endeavor.

The White House has publicly warned China against siding with Russia during the war in Ukraine, but it has been more circumspect when addressing Indias role.

Asked Friday about Indias oil purchase, White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that even though the U.S. has banned the import of Russian oil, every country has not made that decision.

They have different economic reasoning, she said. However, she cautioned other countries that the rest of the world is watching where youre going to stand as it relates to this conflict.

Imports make up 85% of Indias oil needs, and its overall demand is projected to jump 8.2% to 5.15 million barrels per day this year.

Indian media reports said that Russia was offering a 20% discount on oil purchases below global benchmark prices.

We are exploring all possibilities in the global energy market, Indias External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said Thursday. I dont think Russia has been a major oil supplier to India.

Indias relationship with Russia revolves more around defense than energy. Russia provides only a small fraction of Indias oil but the majority of its military hardware.

Its critical for Indias military readiness, especially as they have an ongoing border crisis with China, said Richard Rossow, an expert on the U.S.-India relationship at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which is based in Washington. Twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers died less than two years ago in an ongoing territorial dispute over eastern Ladakh.

India abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote condemning the invasion of Ukraine, and the Russian embassy in New Dehli responded by saying it highly appreciate(s) Indias independent and balanced position.

Ken Juster, a former U.S. ambassador to India, said the South Asian nation believes in strategic autonomy and is unlikely to line up neatly on either side in conflicts between the East and the West.

However, he expects New Delhi to face additional pressure as the war in Ukraine continues.

India is going to face an increasingly challenging situation as Russias atrocities become more apparent and more widespread, he said. Its going to be difficult for any country not to come out and condemn this.

Biden has described the situation as a work in progress.

Shortly after Russias invasion began, Biden was asked if India is fully in sync with the U.S. on Russia.

He responded that were in consultation with India, adding that we havent resolved that completely.

___

Sharma reported from New Delhi. AP writer Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington.
KHARTOUM, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Sudan and South Sudan on Friday reiterated commitment to achieve peace and stability at the bilateral and regional levels.

The pledge was made when Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit held joint talks in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, according to a statement from Sudan's ruling sovereign council.

The two sides reassured commitment to laying down the pillars of peace and stability at the national and regional levels as well as at the Horn of Africa Region.

They also agreed to focus on cooperation with regard to their joint borders and work together to put a model for peace via development through developing the oil fields, including those in the disputed Abyei region.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011, due to which Sudan lost 75 percent of its oil revenues.

In 2013, Sudan and South Sudan signed nine agreements in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, including an oil deal stipulating transitional financial arrangements that include transit and export fees of South Sudanese oil through Sudanese territory.

The border issue represents one of the biggest obstacles hindering the settlement of differences between Sudan and South Sudan, revolving around five border areas, including Abyei, Dabatal-Fakhar, Jabel Al-Migainis, Samaha and Kafia Kanji. 
Russia was massing troops on the border with Ukraine when an increasingly desperate Cesar Quintana went to the U.S. embassy in Kyiv in December to plead for a passport for his toddler son, who had been abducted from their Southern California home a year earlier by his Ukrainian-American mother.

Quintana got a U.S. court order showing he had sole legal custody of 2-year-old Alexander. He was granted the passport, bought plane tickets and a few days later headed to the airport for a flight home.

But they never boarded the plane. Police who he said were summoned by Alexanders Ukrainian grandmother  the mother of Quintanas estranged wife  ordered the boy be turned over to her.

Now, three months later, Ukraine is ravaged by war. The city of Mariupol where Alexander has been living with his mother at his grandmothers home is under siege. Quintana, who is back in the U.S., has lost contact with them and is so distraught hes considering going into the war zone to find his son.

I am willing to do everything and anything, Quintana told The Associated Press. I just want my son to be back.

Quintana, 35, said he last spoke with Alexander over FaceTime on March 2. He said he sent money to his estranged wife, Antonina Aslanova, for supplies but never heard back.

Communications have been disrupted across Mariupol because of the Russian bombardment, which this week included an airstrike that blew apart a theater being used as a bomb shelter by hundreds of civilians. Tens of thousands have fled the city, and an unknown number have been killed.

Efforts by the AP to reach Aslanova were not successful. Email and LinkedIn messages were not returned. She currently doesnt have a lawyer in the child custody case in California, and a U.S. phone number she provided the court wasnt working. A message was left on another phone listed under her name.

Andrew Klausner, who was Aslanovas divorce lawyer when she previously sought and was denied a restraining order against Quintana, said he hadnt had contact with her since the fall of 2020 and didnt know she had left the country.

Quintana has set up a website about his plight and traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to try to get members of Congress to help and to ask Ukrainian diplomats in the nations capital for permission to enter their country.

The State Department declined to comment on the case, but wrote in a Feb. 15 letter to California U.S. Rep. Lou Correas office that when Quintana tried to take his son back to his Orange County home in December he didnt have the consent of the boys mother, nor approval from Ukrainian authorities overseeing the custody fight there.

Although a left-behind parent in the United States may have custody or visitation rights pursuant to a U.S. custody order, that order may not be valid and enforceable in the country in which the child is located, wrote April Conway, the departments branch chief for the office of childrens issues.

The letter also said State Department officials were asking Ukrainian officials why a critical February court hearing on the boys case was delayed until late March.

International parental child abduction cases are complex, and advocates say relatively few of the children taken from their countries of residence are returned. But the issues are even more complicated for Quintanas son since the embassy in Kyiv is closed because of the war and the State Department has said it can assist American citizens with consular services once they leave Ukraine and get to another country.

Noelle Hunter, co-founder of the iStand Parent Network, said her group wants to draw attention to Quintanas case so U.S. government officials and nonprofit groups can step in quickly once the fighting subsides. Hunters daughter was taken to war-torn Mali, and she was able to bring her home with help from U.S. officials in 2014.

Many of the details of Alexanders case are spelled out in a September letter from Orange County deputy district attorney Tamara Jacobs to Ukrainian officials.

Alexander was abducted in December 2020 as Quintana and Aslanova were divorcing, according to the letter. Quintana was granted custody of Alexander after she was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence.

Quintana said he allowed Aslanova to visit their son at his home as Quintana recovered from gall bladder surgery. He said he fell asleep and when he woke in the afternoon she and Alexander were gone.

Quintana texted Aslanova and said she wasnt allowed to leave with the boy; she responded they were at a store. Quintana called police, who the next day told him Aslanova and Alexander had gotten on a flight to Turkey and then to Ukraine, according to the district attorneys office, which charged her with child abduction.

In March 2021, a California family law judge ordered that Alexander be returned. The court ruled that there were no exigent circumstances for mother to have taken the child and the taking was wrongful, Jacobs wrote in the letter.

The same month, Aslanova filed a declaration with the court in her DUI case saying she had no plans to return to the United States.

Meantime, Quintana obtained a visa and traveled to Ukraine, where he hired a lawyer to try to get his son returned. Quintana said he had remained in touch with Aslanova, provided financial support to her family and once in Ukraine was allowed visits with the boy.

Quintana said he tried to convince Aslanova to let him take their son back to California and that she should also return to face her legal issues. He said during a November phone call she finally consented and told him that her mother, who had been caring for their son, would bring Alexander to him at his Mariupol hotel.

As soon as he had the boy, they left in a car for Kyiv. Quintana said he was stopped by police twice on the 14-hour trip. Authorities confirmed he was the boys father and allowed them to continue but took their American passports.

In Kyiv, Quintana went to the U.S. embassy to get new passports. He said officials there demanded more than a temporary custody order to issue a passport for the boy, so he wrote to the family court in California seeking an order for the document. He said he was worried about a possible Russian invasion.

If this happens, I am fearful Alexander and I will not be safe and American flights to Ukraine will be cancelled for an unknown period of time, Quintana wrote. An order was made and the passport issued.

He and Alexander spent Christmas together and made plans to fly back to the United States before the new year. He said he spoke with Aslanova by phone and she asked him not to leave her behind.

But Aslanovas mother, he said, didnt want the boy to go and filed a complaint against Quintana with Mariupol police. He said she accompanied police when they stopped him at the Kyiv airport. Police showed him a document written in Ukrainian  which he doesnt understand  and threatened to arrest him if he didnt turn over the child, Quintana said. His son became distraught, Quintana said, so he gave him to his grandmother to avoid further stress on the boy.

Quintana provided a copy of the police document to the AP, which enlisted a translator to read it. The document alleged Quintana took the boy from his Mariupol hotel in late November without permission from the childs mother and called for an investigation to determine whether Quintana was legally allowed to take the boy.

As he turned over his son, Quintana said he kissed Alexander and told him: Bye for now, son, but I wont give up. Ill bring you home.

Quintana said his Ukrainian lawyer told him the document was a pretense to block him from leaving. He said he remained in Ukraine until late January but left when he was denied a visa extension. He said he had hoped to get his son back after an international parental child abduction hearing scheduled for February but it was postponed to March.

Then war broke out. Quintanas Ukranian lawyer now is in the military fighting the Russians.

Quintana said hes willing to do anything to bring Alexander to the U.S. He said he told Aslanova hed help her with a lawyer for her DUI case if she returns. He said hed even help sponsor her mother so she could join her in America.

He plans to buy a ticket to Poland next week and may try to enter Ukraine from that neighboring country.

I am not really sure what I am going to do, but I just want to be there close if an opportunity presents itself for him to leave the country, he said.
Maloney and Platt high schools have set aside space for students taking Advanced Placement classes. The comfortably appointed lounges are designed to support the academic focus of college-track kids and help them adapt to the rigors ahead.

The lounges opened in January. As reported in the Record-Journal, the room at Maloney, tinted green, includes high-top tables with charging stations, egg -shaped chairs and footrests. Platt High School offers a similar AP Lounge  decorated in the schools blue and gold colors. Both lounges are staffed.

The new digs were funded by American Rescue Plan Act money. Board of Education President Rob Kosienski Jr. said approving the district administrations request for the lounges, using COVID-19 relief funds, was a no-brainer.

The numbers show there was a significant reason to provide these study spaces for college-bound students looking to get a head start.

The school district offers 27 college level courses at both Maloney and Platt and enrollment in these classes has grown more than fivefold over the past decade. Currently, 1,099 students participate in classes that include Advanced Placement courses, along with other Early College Experience courses offered through the University of Connecticut and other universities. Overall demographics of those students closely resembles the student body as a whole. For example, the majority of students currently taking advanced courses come from low-income families. A third of students taking those courses are Latino. Another 10% are Black

Thats a big change from the 2010-2011 school year when only 184 students at Platt and Maloney were enrolled in college level courses and few were Latino, students of color or students with disabilities.

That change may be due to a new approach. Enrollment is no longer based on whether students are recommended. Its based on student interest.

Maloney Assistant Principal James Flynn said, all the research shows when students have access to one AP class, regardless of what they get on their exam, theyre more likely to finish their first year of college and go back for their second year.

Other supports are in place, too, such as after-school academies, summer AP boot camps and online tutoring outside of the school day.

Superintendent of Schools Mark Benigni said, obviously we can't recreate a full student center but we can create a space that will get them used to being in a college setting  we wanted it to be a spot where students are truly committed and focused on their learning, felt comfortable and had support.

Putting aside that the best use of ARPA funds remains under discussion in area towns, the lounge concept is solid and deserves the support it has received and must continue to receive in order to serve the ever-expanding population of students who can benefit. That the advance class option has been opened up to any interested student helps to ensure that the AP lounges serve a wide range of individuals.
For the first time in three years, musicians are performing at SXSW. As the Austin festival ballooned over the last decade, SXSW began to feel like it wasn't made for the types of indie bands that once gained followings and record deals from their performances.

But absence can make the heart grow fonder. As live music all but disappeared after March 2020, the musicians I spoke with were excited to get back onstage at SXSW. They didn't feel particularly jaded at all about the size or the scope of the festival, they were ready to play.

Chris Conde

Chris Conde, the queer Latinx rapper originally from San Antonio  now based in Austin until they move to Brooklyn in April  has been playing SXSW shows for about a decade. They remember it really clicking for them in 2016, when they got to open up for Bushwick Bill, MC from Houston legends The Geto Boys.

"He told me that, as a gay rapper, what I was doing was awesome," Conde says. "And that living my life and rapping about that was what's up, basically. I've done so much cool stuff, just being like here."

Conde has seven shows at SXSW this season, which they'll perform at each night after working their shift until about 7 p.m. Even though it's tiring, they see the benefits in getting out there every year and doing their thing.

"There's ups and downs to (SXSW)," Conde says. "But I think it's mostly beneficial. Even if you don't have a wristband, even if you don't have a badge, if you're stoked about new music and new art or you're an artist trying to get out there and get more well known, you absolutely need to be down here."

Chris Stokes

Conde also sees this as a bit of a sendoff before they leave Texas.

Devin De Leon

"These are going to be my last shows before I leave. So that's part of that," they say.

They also see how excited fans are for the return of live music.

"People are hungry," Conde says. "I think the one thing that was beneficial about pandemic  it was a nightmare  is it taught people the value of live music."

Like many other veterans of SXSW, they aren't playing everything they are offered. With the cache they have earned, Conde can be selective.

"You know what, I'm not gonna take $100, or I'm not gonna take $50 and a [expletive] drinking ticket," Conde says. "Like, I'm worth this much."

More SXSW: Richard Linklater's new film 'Apollo 10 1/2' premieres at SXSW

Either way, if you're trying to be a full-time musician, Conde says that it is absolutely imperative that you get thyself to Austin during SXSW, even if everyone says it's too big or too branded in 2022.

"I tell artist friends, just come during the week, sleep on someone's couch. Just hang out, even if you don't have any shows," they say. "Even if you're not official, this whole thing is about discovering what's going on, so not only is it being able to play in front of new people, but also to network and then experience what's going on."

Despite the chaos, they say they'll return to SXSW even when they don't live nearby anymore.

"It's a shitshow, you know," Conde says, "but it's a great shitshow."

Travis P Ball/Getty Images for SXSW

Andrew Cashen of Sweet Spirit and A Giant Dog

"You're not going to get signed, I'll tell you that," guitarist Andrew Cashen says. "I think it did happen in the 90s."

In 2006, a friend from Spring, outside of Houston, where Cashen grew up, went to SXSW during spring break. He returned, regaling Cashen with tales of seeing nonstop shows for days. An endless party.

"And that was kind of what got me to move to Austin," he says.

Cashen moved to Austin in 2008 and since then has played upward of 20 shows every year with his bands A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit, Tear Dungeon, and his solo project.

He remembers sleeping under a pinball machine at Beerland once. They had a late night and he had to be back at the erstwhile venue the next morning bright and early for another show.

"We played a show at two in the morning the night before, and it was mid-South-by and I was just exhausted," he says. "I look at that now, and I'm just like, 'How ... how did I do that?'"

Atlanta at SXSW: Fear and loathing and free stuff at the SXSW 'Atlanta' psychedelic cafe

Now a seasoned vet, he's got his schedule down to 10 shows total between the four bands. In years prior, he'd play anything.

"The only reason why I would feel like we had to do it were for monetary reasons," Cashen says, smiling. "I'm not going to name which ones are money-grab situations, where it's just like, yeah, we'd normally never play there. But we're getting paid quite a bit of money to do it. We save it for tour."

Travis P Ball/Getty Images for SXSW

Cashen says that although bands aren't going to get million-dollar contracts, he still sees the upside in playing after all these years. You meet promoters, venue owners, and other music industry contacts over the course of the week.

"One of them could be the right show at the right time," he says.

Plus, it can be a great way to gain new fans.

He recalls playing the Beerland patio one year, and having access to more than 10,000 people who walked by, some of which he says were "famous people who started posting about the show." They passed out burned CDs, which traveled all over the world once people left Austin for their homes.

"I remember talking to somebody like eight years later and they were like, 'I still have that burned A Giant Dog CD, man. It got stuck in my truck,'" Cashen says. "That guy was from Europe."

courtesy of Claire Rousay

Claire Rousay

Claire Rousay, an ambient musician from San Antonio, says she was asked by the festival to play this year, rather than submitting her music.

"I obviously said yes, because I haven't really been asked to do anything at that level," she says. "A lot of stuff that I've done has been just like grinding at like a DIY level, or hoping somebody reaches out a hand and pulls you up with them."

Rousay is used to playing SXSW in indie rock bands, partying and having someone drive the group from show to show. This year, it's just her and her small setup for her solo career, which has taken off in the last year.

"I guess this time around, because I am representing myself, it's a little bit less about, yeah, go have fun, and it's more about like, really just trying to do what I do to the best of my ability, given the craziness," she says. "And I'm sure of the crazy circumstances that there are going to be South By after not happening for a couple years."

courtesy of Claire Rousay

SXSW allows musicians to choose professional connections to make on their official band pages. Rousay put "Gear Endorsement,"  she says she needs some guitar strings and microphones, etc.  "Other Artists to Tour With," and, because who doesn't need it, "Brand Partnerships."

"I'm down," she says. "I mean, Topo Chico rocks. Or Coca-Cola at this point?"

Mostly, though, she's just excited to play. The other stuff is a byproduct.

"From a career standpoint, I don't really know that there's like much to gain from doing something like this just because it's an overload of so many different things, right?" she says. "There's a billion people playing. It's kind of hard to have a concrete goal and go into this thing being like, 'I'm going to connect with this person.'"

Instead, Rousay says, she wants to connect with her audience. She hasn't played many Texas shows recently, so she's excited to play for a local crowd.

"It sounds kind of like a woo-woo answer or hippie-trippy vibes, but I feel like the reason I play shows to begin with is just to connect with the people who are at the show. I'm so stoked to play music for somebody who's entering into a venue to listen," she says. "That's really the reason to do it anyway. If I become a billionaire off an NFT, that's not too bad, either."
San Antonio's bunch scene has added a list of new members as the weather warms up and the urge to sit in the sun with a refreshing spritzer intensifies. Since the start of the year, new brunch menus have been popping up throughout San Antonio. Some are new names to the city, while others are known institutions giving weekend warriors a place to fuel up.

Keep reading for seven San Antonio brunch options you should know about before the weekend commences.

Maple Street Biscuit Co.

The Tennessee-based chain opened its first of three San Antonio restaurants at the Quarry Village on March 14. The menu features a variety of loaded biscuit options. There's also crave-worthy three-layered "cake" made of hash browns and topped with a Gouda cheese, gravy, chives, and an egg. The restaurant will eventually serve mimosas using fresh-squeezed orange juice. Maple Street Biscuit Co. is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

Find them: 290 E. Basse Road, Suite 105, San Antonio, TX 78209

Madalyn Mendoza, MySA.com

Amor Eterno Sunday Brunch

The Southtown vinyl-spinning Amor Eterno is pairing up with Milpa's food truck to bring hearty eats to patrons on Sundays starting March 27. Milpa offers yolk-drenched options like an al pastor Spam hash, quesadillas, chilaquiles, and capirotada. Partied too hard the night before? Take your time getting there. Brunch at Amor Eterno starts at 3 p.m.

Find them: 540 S. Presa St., San Antonio, TX 78205

Courtesy, Sari-Sari

Sari-Sari Supper Club

Though supper is in the name, Sari Sari is getting in on the brunch game. Camille and Adrian De Los Reyes' newest concept, Sari-Sari Supper Club is offering a soft launch of their brunch menu. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, brunch goers can order items like the Tito benny made with pork belly, ube french toast, eggplant frittata, and a traditional Filipino breakfast plate with tocino bacon, garlic fried rice, and a sunny side up egg. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Find them: 10234 Hwy. 151, Suite 102, San Antonio, TX 78251

Chuck Blount /Staff file photo

Playland

Playland, the downtown pizza place owned by Stefan Bowers, rolled out a brunch and espresso program in March. The menu has the brunch classics covered with a bacon and egg sandwich; bagels with lox, cream cheese, and capers; and continental breakfast plates. There's also an extensive menu filled with Belgian waffles that ranges from traditional to topped with Nutella. Playland also has mimosas, spritzers, and Bloody Marys. The early menu will be available 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Find them: 400 E. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205

Jess Elizarraras/MySA

The Box Street Social

The Box Street Social opened at Hemisfair in December and has been a hit. The downtown spot serves eggs Benedicts, burritos, classic breakfast plates, views, picture-perfect aesthetics, and the weekend morning playlist of your dreams. The restaurant also started offering dinner service in March. Reservations are encouraged.

Find them: 623 Hemisfair Blvd., Suite 108, San Antonio, TX 78205

Courtesy of Chris Cullum

Cullum's Attaboy

Though not fully open yet, the upcoming Cullum's Attaboy is teasing some of the options that could end up on the dine-in menu like a brisket breakfast sandwich. Currently Attaboy is offering a to-go model as the brick-and-mortar location prepares to open.

Find them: 111 Kings Court, San Antonio, TX 78212

Jess Elizarraras/MySA

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou

Pearl's French restaurant introduced a "dream" weekday breakfast menu in February with omelettes (including one with salmon); a filet mignon with eggs plate; and a French ham and cheese sandwich. Prices range from $9 for a parfait to $35 for the steak and eggs option. The menu is available from 7 to 9:30 a.m. The menu is a weekday addition to the Sunday brunch menu, which features lobster benedict, polenta, and omelettes. Mon Chou Chou also serves a cocktail menu.

Find them: 312 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78215
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A man in East Texas has taken his mobile home and turned it into a large tin castle, with more than 20 rooms and most of it made out of tin and other pieces of salvage.

Wayne Fisher, 68, first started working on this project 45 years ago, according to KLTV.

Fisher said he started reading some do-it-yourself magazines and began reclaiming salvage from across the city of Tyler and fixing it up to add to his home. The home is located in the 13000 block of Highway 155, south of Loop 323.

RELATED: Texas builders go big with tiny house construction business

He made friends with people who dealt with salvage and lumber across the city, and he was able to purchase those items from them.

It turned out to be a life-long hobby, Fisher told mySA.com. It captivated my interest and I just went from there.

Eighty percent of the home is taken from those pieces of salvage, he told KLTV, a project hes done all by himself.

RELATED: West Texas couple lives in this self-sustaining ranch with home made of concrete, glass bottles

He used primarily corrugated barn tin on the outside, which makes the home look like a tin castle, he said. His goal was to make the outside of the building look like a barn.

I've often been caught working up in the yard and somebody comes by and says that they would love to have a copy of my blueprints, Fisher told KLTV, saying that all those blueprints are inside his head.

He said hes now finished adding extra rooms to the property, but is now focused on finishing and furnishing the rest of the home. Fisher said maintenance on the home is an everyday job.

RELATED: The bland-looking barns are anything but ordinary inside

The Smith County Appraisal District website said the assessed value of the home is about $69,000, but the market value of the home is $101,654, according to data from the 2015 tax year.

Fisher lives in this East Texas "castle" with his Boston terrier, who's named Tyler.

Click through the slideshow to see more photos of the home.

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
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.

P.P.S. One of our mods is on holiday till the end of the month, so comment liberation may take longer than usual. We are very sorry! Please be patient.

* * *

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Climate/Environment

China?

New Not So Cold War

Brexit

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Biden

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Our Famously Free Press

Western freedom of expression is more scandalous every day than yesterday

After blocking Russian networks in the West, YouTube is now removing critical remarks in the American media pic.twitter.com/IcqT23ouD4  Spriter (@spriter99880) March 17, 2022

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Inside the Nickel Market Failure: Massive Trades the Exchange Didnt See Wall Street Journal

International Energy Agency Says Nations Should Conserve Fuel as Global Energy Crisis Looms New York Times. Resilc: Too funny. Yeh, and wear a mask.

IEA calls for driving restrictions and air travel curbs to reduce oil demand Financial Times. Wowsers.

SEC takes its finger out of the dike with investigation of Big 4 auditors conflicts Francine McKenna

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour. Alison Ls Daisy:

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here
Yves here. This post provides a useful short history of neoliberalism, as well as how it undermines mental health by weakening social bonds and increasing insecurity.

By Lynn Parramore, senior research analyst at the Institute of New Economic Thinking. Originally published at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website

If youre unlucky enough to reside in a town where data centers house computer servers storing everything from financial data for giant corporations to military secrets, youre likely to find that a loud, whining noise becomes lifes agonizing background. The sound peaks and subsides, but its always there, never allowing you to fully relax. Eventually, the stress of this kind of ambient noise can wear you down, doubling your risk of mental illness, as well as increasing your risk of diseases like heart attack and stroke.

Living in an economy dominated by neoliberal principles can feel kind of like that: a background hum of constant psychological stress.

The sense of precariousness never really goes away. Instead collectively of sharing the risks of life, were increasingly saddled with the heavy burdens of existing in an overwhelmingly complex, modern world. Were lonely individuals, fighting to stay afloat no matter what our situation. There are a few lucky winners, sure (and even many of them are psychically damaged), but most of us are forced to battle in an unrelenting struggle and competition for rewards. Hunger games, status games, power games, the list goes on and on.

In the big picture, the cumulative impact of shoddy safety nets, rapacious business practices, money-driven politics, and severe economic inequality is crushing our hope for the future, which we need to survive. Our trust in one another and in our institutions is dissolving. Our mental and physical health cant stand up to this.

Harrowing conditions like major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are among the leading causes of disability in established market economies, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Even before the pandemic, more than a quarter of American adults were afflicted by a diagnosable mental disorder. Then, in 2020, global rates of depression and anxiety soared by more than 25%, a jaw-dropping one-year rise, linked to the pandemic, that has especially devastated women and young people. American doctors have declared the mental health crises among children a state of emergency. And all this mental distress fuels physical disease, like stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

The twentieth-century movement of neoliberalism, the dominant economic philosophy of the last half-century in the United States and much of the world, has foisted upon us a false view of the world with myriad negative outcomes for human wellbeing. The question is, how can we recover from its maladies? We had better figure it out soon because a half-century of the unrelenting strain of this toxic philosophy is breaking us down.

A Plan to Shift the Human Soul

The roots of the neoliberal perspective sprung from a world shattered by the collapse of empires and the chaos produced by the first World War. Austrian economists and business advocates in the 1920s and 30s, like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, working at the time in the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, worried about how a rump nation like Austria could get along in the new global landscape. The specter of socialism and communism in Hungary, part of the old Habsburg Empire, which briefly went red in 1919, added to their anxiety. They were also afraid of rising nation-states calling the shots on economic matters by doing things like raising tariffs  especially nations governed by democracies that recognized the interests of regular people. The spread of universal male voting rights set off alarm bells that power was shifting.

How could capitalists survive without a vast network of colonies to rely on for resources? How could they protect themselves from continuing interference in business and seizures of private property? How might they resist increasing democratic demands for more broadly shared economic resources?

These were big questions, and neoliberal answers reflected their fears. From their viewpoint, the political world looked frightening and uncertain  a place where the masses were constantly agitating to disrupt the realm of private enterprise by forming labor unions, conducting protests, and making demands to reallocate resources.

What neoliberals wanted was a sacred space free from such turmoil  a transcendent world economy where capital and goods could flow without restraint. They imagined a place where capitalists were secure from democratic processes and protected by carefully constructed institutions and laws  and by force, if necessary. Neoliberals werent fully opposed to democracies as long as they could be constrained to provide a safe haven for capitalists, but if they didnt, many thought that authoritarianism would do just fine, too.

These early stirrings of neoliberalism were thus a kind of theology, a utopian longing for an abstract, invisible world of numbers that humans could not spoil. In this promised land, talk of social justice and economic plans to enhance the public good was heresy. Society was a realm which, at best, should be kept strictly separate from the economy. At worst, it was the enemy of the global economy  the troublesome domain of nonmarket values and popular concerns that got in the way of capitalist transcendence.

After World War II, the neoliberals organized formally as the Mount Pelerin Society, in which key figures like Hayek pushed the vision of a competitive order where competition among producers, employers, and consumers would keep the global economy humming along smoothly and protect everybody from abuse (quite an idea, that). Protections like social insurance and regulatory frameworks were unnecessary.

Basically, the market was God, and people were here to serve it  not the other way around.

For neoliberals, the twentieth century wasnt about the Cold War, which didnt much interest them. It was about fighting against things like Franklin Roosevelts New Deal and what they considered dangerous totalitarian schemes of economic equality. As historian Quinn Slobodian put it in his book Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism, they set their sights on the development of a planet linked by money, information, and goods where the signature achievement of the century was not an international community, a global civil society, or the deepening of democracy, but an ever-integrating object called the world economy and the institutions designated to encase it.

Neoliberals dedicated themselves to protecting unrestricted global trade, crushing labor unions, deregulating business, and usurping governments role in providing for the common good with privatization and austerity. While its true that most Western governments, as well as powerful global institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, are deeply influenced by neoliberalism today, it really wasnt until the 2007-8 Global Financial Crisis that most people had even heard of the movement.

Thats because, for a long time, neoliberalism invaded our lives like a stealth virus.

During the first half of the twentieth century, it was mostly rich right-wingers who cottoned to the neoliberal prescription for world order. Economist John Maynard Keynes, who called for government intervention in markets to protect people from the kind of flaws and abuses so clearly demonstrated in the Great Depression, was much more influential.

But neoliberals kept their economic utopian dream alive by patiently building institutions, focusing on creating legal restraints for democracies, and seeding their ideas in supranational institutions and in academic outposts like the University of Chicago. They funded symposia, scholars, books, and reports, gaining well-known cheerleaders like economist Milton Friedman, and lesser-known but influential ones like James Buchanan, the only Southerner to win the Nobel Prize in economics.

The turn to neoliberalism really didnt go mainstream until the 1970s, when conservatives blamed economic upheaval on too much government spending and labor power. By the 1980s, neoliberal champion Margaret Thatcher felt comfortable letting the agenda fully out of the bag: Economics are the method: the object is to change the soul, she announced.

It seems strange to mention the dismal science in connection with the human soul, but Thatcher had a point. Neoliberalism seeks to shift how human beings exist in the world, to change how we relate to each other and what we expect from life. Over time, we move from considering ourselves mutually responsible beings with a shared fate to isolated atoms liable solely for our own lives. Gradually, we shift from empowered citizens to people destined for servitude to arbitrary economic powers that lay well beyond our reach or understanding. Our humanity fades into an abstract realm of incomprehensible numbers and data, and we become little more than commodities, or even embodied externalities, in an invisible global economy ruled somehow by an invisible fist.

Unsurprisingly, this mode of existence produces maladies of mind, body, and spirit, elevating some of our most troublesome instincts as it denigrates many of the best.

Three Maladies: Distrust, Disconnection, and Disempowerment

A key tenant of neoliberal philosophy is that to live is to compete. As Slobodian has described, the architects of neoliberalism focused on pushing policies to deepen the power of competition to shape and direct human life. For them, the best world is brought about by everyone constantly striving to get more or better than their neighbor.

In a society dominated by this kind of thinking, you find yourself inculcated with a competitive mindset the minute you enter school. The simplest expression of your vitality, like singing, running, or jumping, is quickly nudged into a competitive framework. You cant just jump for joy; you have to be the number one jumper. The point is not the intrinsic reward of the activity but the thrill of beating someone else, or perhaps the negative relief of not being a loser. You are trained to categorize your fellows according to whether they win or lose, sensing that you should just give up on activities in where you dont excel.

Gradually, you grow distrustful of both your own natural instincts and of the motivations of other people. After all, helping others succeed means they may win the prize instead of you in a zero-sum game. Thinking selfishly becomes second nature. As researchers on the impacts of neoliberalism have shown, we become restless perfectionists, endlessly trying to perfect ourselves.

As political economist Gordon Lafer has noted, (increasingly defunded) schools become the place where ordinary kids are groomed for servitude and prepared for a life in which they are likely to find themselves either stuck or sliding downward on the economic ladder.

You learn to accept a world of diminishing, not expanding, possibilities.

A sense of disconnection increases as life progresses. In a place like the U.S., you grow up with low expectations of anyone really caring about you, resigned to spending most of your energy trying to fund lifes necessities, like healthcare and education, all the while dealing with shape-shifting predators in the form of the insurance firm, the bank, the utility company, the hospital, the police, the fill-in-the-blank  those entities which neoliberals made sure were free from the pressures of regulation and legal remedies. If you have a problem, the night watchman state isnt interested; ask anyone whos tried to deal with bank charges or utility bills.

You begin to understand that you dont have much agency in the world. Life feels precarious, and that is exactly what neoliberals intended because they believed that living in such a state was necessary to discipline people to accept their place in a world ruled by capitalists.

As a citizen, your influence feels negligible. Neoliberalism tends to dimmish the political agency of ordinary people, offering us a wide array of (often subpar) consumer goods as compensation. As concentrated wealth takes over the political system, we see that what most people want  universal health care, a tax system in which the wealthy pay their share, affordable education, decent jobs, reproductive rights  are increasingly ignored in the policies and laws that govern our lives. Neoliberals sought only to expand the freedom and agency of property owners, as James Buchanan explained in his 1993 book, Property as a Guarantor of Liberty. In his view, everybody else was little more than a parasite trying to bleed the capitalist dry.

In 2007, Alan Greenspan declared that it hardly makes any difference who will be the next president. The world is governed by market forces. What he didnt mention is that market forces are governed by capitalists, even though neoliberals pretend that their vision of markets doesnt lead to asymmetries of power that result in monopoly practices, the undermining of citizens legal rights, and the dumping of the risks of business activities onto society. By the time Greenspan was making his declaration, people had begun to get used to the idea that predatory financialized markets designed by and for capitalists had crept into every aspect of our lives, from education to medicine to policing. (Of course, few had done as much as Greenspan to make that happen, with his preposterous confidence in reputation as a substitute for serious regulation.)

Today, the sick neoliberal vision has taken hold to such an extent that if you find yourself in a hospital emergency room, a hedge fund manager may well decide your fate. Perpetually anxious in our atomized existence, we shoulder our debts and burdens alone, inured to sacrificing our wellbeing, our natural habitats, and even, as the pandemic has shown us, our very lives, to the economy.

At the end of this weary road, when youre too old to work anymore, youre likely to be faced with an uncertain and underfunded retirement, all the while scolded by neoliberals for not being more careful as you struggled for bare survival. And even if with the most carefully laid plans, you are likely to be rewarded by being sicker and dying younger than those who came before you.

Neoliberalism says: suck it up, because this is as good as it gets. Is it any wonder that we are starting to break down?

The Covid-19 pandemic has shined a glaring light on the ugliness of the failures and insufficiencies of the neoliberal approach  and yet governments are still pushing out policies that prioritize business security above the lives of the vast majority of people.

Stressed-out workers simply cant cope anymore. At a time when most Americans are worried about the economy, low-wage workers are walking off the job. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in January 2022 illustrates a trend of hanging up your hat so widespread that 2021 has been called the Year of the Quit.

Contrary to popular narratives, the quitting wasnt mostly driven by better-off employees doing something more fulfilling. Instead, industries with low-wage workers saw the highest number leaving the job. While it may not seem rational for a worker worried about the economy to quit even an undesirable, inflexible, low-wage position, a worker beaten down by depression and anxiety might logically do just that, unable to tolerate the punishing demands while worrying about getting sick, caring for children or other family members, and being forced to take on extra duties as employers struggle to fill positions. Its simply too much.

The transition from the welfare state to neoliberalism has meant that you are responsible for everything, even what is clearly out of your control. You have to reinvent the wheel every time you try to solve a problem, like how to pay for a house, how to get an education, how to have surgery, how to retire. There are unpleasant surprises at every turn.

Neoliberalism is not a happy philosophy, carrying a belief that human discontent is not only a natural but actually a desirable, state of affairs. It has had a huge impact on the culture of the U.S. and other countries where it holds sway and acts as a largely unrecognized drag on health and well-being. Its no coincidence that the prevalence of mental health problems both nationally and globally is rising. Broken marriages, addictions, loneliness, and deadly despair are taking their toll.

So whats the alternative? Lets begin by stating the obvious. A sane society is not run for the economic benefit of a few wealthy capitalists. That is a sick society, and we are living proof of it.

Since the 1980s, weve been trained to think of this psychologically crippling state of affairs as normal, when its actually anything but.

Part of our recovery is remembering what truly makes us human. Researchers have found that a baby at six months already displays the instinct for empathy, illustrating that caring about what happens to our fellows is part of our DNA. On a collective level, anthropologists like David Graeber have shown that human societies have not always been organized along the lines of domination and inflexible hierarchies. We have choices, and we can make those that better align with our positive instincts. We can give parents the ability to nurture children, like bringing fathers into nurturing from the moment of birth, providing gender-blind parental leave, and making childcare affordable. By extension, our nurturing of the young enhances our ability to care for each other, our communities, and nature writ large.

Our common good is enhanced by political arrangements in which cooperative forms of participation and the needs of ordinary people are prioritized. This means pretty much doing the opposite of what neoliberals have championed. We acknowledge that governments can and must intervene in markets so that people are protected from abuse. We focus relentlessly on getting money out of politics and making voting something that everybody can do easily. We regulate business, enhance the power of working people, and ensure that the global economy is not just one big race to the bottom but a system in which the needs and rights of all inhabitants are considered.

Recovery demands that we create, as economist Peter Temin has stressed, a unified economy instead of the bifurcated one neoliberals and their libertarian offspring have brought us. We focus on restoring and expanding education and shifting resources from policies like mass incarceration. We focus on establishing and enhancing safety nets so that life is not just one arduous, Hobbesian slog, but a journey in which creativity and joyful pursuits are available to everyone. Instead of hyper-focusing on competition, we emphasize mutual succor, and we remember, as the denizens of Silicon Valley seek to drag us into an ever-more abstract metaverse, that we are embodied creatures who need real-life communion more than digital connectivity. We demand to be trained for jobs that are dignified, decently paid, and free from abuse.

The remedies to the maladies stoked by neoliberalism involve doing what it takes to enhance our sense of trust and shared fate. We move from privatization to the public interest, from solo flying to sharing risks, from financialization to a fair economy, from the common denominator to the common good.

Such a shift requires enormous resources of endurance, commitment, patience, and boldness. Neoliberals manifested these things. They played a long, tough game to get their ultimately antisocial, anti-life ideas accepted as mainstream. Our recovery and the widespread acceptance of a better, healthier narrative will not happen overnight. At first, demands for economic equality, political rights, and social justice will sound radical and futile, and those who promote them will be called dreamers and lunatics. Thats just what happened to the neoliberals when they first demanded a transcendent promised land for capitalists free from democratic constraints. They took the hits and kept going.

If we learn to play a long game, the future can be our world, not theirs. That awful, whining hum in the background of our lives might be changed to a tune we can actually dance to.
YANGON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were killed in a road accident Saturday on Pathein-Chaungtha road in Ayeyarwady region, according to the local police.

A private car collided with an express bus and caught fire, killing seven people on board, including two men, three women and two children, said an officer of the Ayeyarwady police.

The officer said the passengers on the express bus were not seriously injured as they all got off the bus after the accident. They tried to open the doors of the private car when the fire broke out, but failed.

The victims were brought to Pathein hospital, according to rescue teams. 
(Natural News) A high-profile Boston Black Lives Matter leader and her husband have been charged by federal authorities for using a nonprofit they founded to scam donors out of more than $185,000.

Monica-Cannon Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, are accused of using their organization, Violence in Boston, as a way to fund their rent, summer vacations, car rentals and repairs, shopping sprees, meals, and salon services.

Among the charges in the couples 18-count indictment are two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, 13 counts of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to a mortgage lender, and one count of conspiracy. In addition, Cannon-Grant was hit with one count of mail fraud.

She was arrested on Tuesday and was released without bail. According to the Boston Globe, she may continue to work at her nonprofit but will not be permitted to manage its finances.

Her husband was arrested by federal agents in October, who charged him with lying on his mortgage statement and illegally collecting pandemic unemployment benefits. Cannon-Grant and her husband allegedly collected roughly $100,000 in federal pandemic unemployment benefits illegally.

Donations and grants were used to fund the couples lifestyle instead of helping victims of violence

Among her victims was the Cambridge chapter of Black Lives Matter, who sent her nonprofit a $3,000 donation to feed needy children via PayPal; the funds were transferred two days later to one of her family members bank accounts.

They also allegedly used a $6,000 grant from the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office to fund a vacation in Maryland; the money had been awarded by the DAs office to Violence in Boston to take a group of at-risk young men on a three-day retreat aimed at preventing violence in Philadelphia.

Prosecutors have also alleged that Cannon-Grant told the IRS and the state attorney generals office that she did not take a salary from her nonprofit despite paying herself $2,788 per week starting in October 2020.

In March 2021, she allegedly texted her husband at one point: Unemployment caught my a__! Asked me to provide documents by June unless Ill have to pay it all back. He allegedly instructed her to have an associate write a letter that falsely claimed the nonprofits headquarters were closed.

Although the associate did not pen such a letter, they did prepare a different letter she used to scam unemployment payments. The associate had previously written fake letters that helped the couple qualify for housing benefits and go to a Boston Celtics game with proof of negative COVID-19 test results. The couple has also been accused of using the nonprofits assets to qualify for a mortgage to buy a home in the Boston suburb of Taunton.

Disgraced activist was once named Best Social Justice Advocate

Violence in Bostons website claims its mission is to improve the quality of life and life outcomes of individuals from underserved communities by reducing the prevalence of violence and the impact of associated trauma while addressing social injustices through advocacy and direct services.

They set up the questionable nonprofit in 2017 after she gained prominence on the local activist scene for helping to organize a Fight Supremacy march in Boston.

According to the New York Post, she bragged of having the personal cellphone numbers of leaders such as council member Michelle Wu, who is now the citys mayor; the local district attorney; and then-mayor Marty Walsh, who now serves as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Boston magazine named her Best Social Justice Advocate in 2020, and she was also named one of the Bostonians of the Year by the Boston Globe.

Black Lives Matter is also coming under fire for its own questionable activities, with states including Indiana, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia and New Mexico all recently revoking the charitable registration of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the legal entity that handles the cash donated to the movement. California and Washington, meanwhile, have been threatening to hold officers of the nonprofit personally liable for their lack of financial transparency.

Sources for this article include:

MSN.com

NYPost.com

NYPost.com
(Natural News) A New Zealand court allowed Christians to refuse to receive abortion-tainted Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, acknowledging that the objection to abortion is a ground core principle in Christianity.

The High Court of New Zealand said on February 25 the government mandate that ordered police officers and New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) personnel to receive a COVID jab to carry out work was an unlawful impediment to their free and democratic rights.

Judge Francis Cooke accepted that the obligation to receive a vaccine, which a person objects to because it has been tested on cells derived from a human fetus, potentially an aborted one, does involve a limitation on the manifestation of a religious belief in the observance, practice or teaching of religion.

Cooke said the decision is grounded in a core principle of the particular Christian religion and the objection to abortion, adding the fact that others observing the same religion who do not agree with the stance does not mean that the stance itself does not involve the observance of a religious belief. (Related: Students sue Creighton University for disallowing vaccine exemptions.)

Pfizers COVID vaccine was seen to have been derived from fetal cell tissues, as confirmed by a medical expert for the court. However, he said that it is not known whether or not the fetus was aborted. The companys use of the so-called immortalized cell line HEK-293 was originally harvested from the kidney cells of a female in the Netherlands in 1973.

The same medical expert also testified that Pfizers vaccine effectiveness declines rapidly after the first month. He said vaccination does not prevent persons from contracting and spreading the disease, particularly the omicron variant. Moreover, he noted that the protection from serious illnesses and death wanes after the second dose, and it seems to wane in a similar way after the third one.

Though the jab mandate is being contested on four separate grounds, it succeeded solely on the basis that the right to manifest religion was being suppressed. Thus, the court required that the objection must be relevant to a religious, and not a secular belief.

Cooke also stated that while COVID poses a threat to the continuity of police and NZDF services, the same threat exists for both its vaccinated and unvaccinated staff, concluding that ordering the reception of coronavirus shots makes no material difference.

New Zealands Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood was also criticized by the court over enacting an order that affected very few members of the police and NZDF. There had been only 164 police officers and 115 NZDF staff protesting the mandate out of over 30,000 employed.

Cooke also noted that the punishing order bordered on administrative convenience, adding that it did not justify limiting the rights of the few affected.

Following the decision, terminations of employment based on failure to comply with vaccine mandates were suspended, and eventually, the order was overturned.

Church lets its members make own decisions regarding vaccination

Some religious leaders have actually encouraged their members to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including Pope Francis. But the Church continues to let its members make their own decisions regarding vaccination, with its board of directors saying that it recognizes the importance of cooperating with measures considered necessary by public health officials.

Science Committee on Publication spokesperson Lance Matteson said choosing not to get vaccinated is a conscientious choice to seek help through spiritual means. (Related: Methodist Health System in Texas faces lawsuits for illegally denying covid vaccine exemptions.)

Matteson said he knows some church members who have chosen to get vaccinated and others who have not. He said that the church does not want any of the members to feel pressured either way. However, he did add that the church has always appreciated the availability of religious accommodations with regard to vaccine requirements.

Follow Vaccines.news for more updates related to COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch the video below to learn more about New Zealanders desire to stop vaccine mandates.

This video is from the In Search Of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

New York abolishes religious exemption for covid vaccine mandate.

USDA turns down vaccine exemption request for FSA employees decision will degrade food harvests for years to come.

Rutherford institute issues guidance on how to request a religious exemption for COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the workplace.

VICTORY: Health freedom advocates successfully kill New Jersey bill that sought to eliminate religious vaccine exemptions.

Religious groups sue NYC mayor over citys vaccine passport requirement.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

IdahoPress.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been encouraging the countrys farmers to sow as many fields as they can in an effort to protect the food supply. Its an important message from the worlds largest exporter of sunflower oil and second-largest shipper of grains, but its looking increasingly impossible as Russias invasion of the country rages on.

In a video released last week, Zelenskyy said that the country needs to carry out a sowing campaign to the extent thats possible.

He added: All depends on people and the situation, because this is about life.

However, some of the countrys biggest agribusinesses have warned that these plantings will not be possible if the war continues. Some farmers are reluctant to plant because they worry about drawing air attacks on themselves and their surrounding villages. The towns and villages have been turning off their lights at night so they are invisible from above, and the bright lights of tractors operating at night could draw unwanted attention. Others report being unable to plant because of dozens of dead Russians lying in the fields.

UkrLandFarming, one of the nations largest agricultural companies, said several of its company managers were killed in fighting in northern Ukraine and Kyiv, and they also reported losing more than 297,000 acres of land to Russian invasion, which equates to a third of their land portfolio.

Theyve also had to close three of their egg farms. One, the Chornobaivka near Kherson, is the biggest egg farm in Europe. The company said that 3.1 million laying hens are dying at the site.

Another major agricultural business, IMC SA, has said that although it would like to keep its operations running, it cant let workers into many of its fields due to safety concerns. Much of its land is found in the northern part of the country, where Russian forces are currently occupying villages. With roadways mined and bridges and roads broken, its not looking too promising for the sowings that are normally carried out by the middle of May there.

The companys CEO, Alex Lissitsa, said: We do wish that the war will be ending soon, and then were going to prepare something and try to plant everywhere. But honestly, nobody knows.

IMC has shifted its focus from producing hundreds of thousands of tons of corn and wheat to ensuring local stocks and helping the Ukrainian government deliver essentials like baby food. At its dairy, staff have been unable to deliver veterinary services or feed to barns housing around a thousand cows. The electricity has also gone out at the barns, which means milking machines were unable to operate. He fears the farm will soon be nothing more than a memory because the animals will be unable to survive. Lissitsa told Bloomberg that one dairy farmer he knows had his facilities bombed.

Ukraine war will impact global supply chain

Ukraine is home to one of the worlds biggest farming sectors, selling its vegetable oil and grains throughout not only Europe but also Africa and Asia. The Russian invasion came at a crucial time for fieldwork, and the ongoing attacks are putting Ukraines food system as well as the entire global supply chain at risk.

According to estimates from the UN, as much as 30 percent of the fields that are normally used for sunflower seeds, corn and winter cereals will be unplanted or unharvested for the upcoming 2022 season. Summer crops like corn may be impacted even more severely, with the fighting potentially reducing the typical planting area by half and logistics problems compounding the problem.

Farmer Kees Huzinga said the port blockage will have an impact far beyond Ukraine.

So, the Russians are starving Ukrainians here but they will also starve the people of Northern Africa and the Middle East because there is no grain transport to these countries and they will soon face serious shortages.

The first frontline is in Ukraine, but the second will be south of Europe, he warned.

Sources for this article include:

AGFax.com

Bloomberg.com

RTE.ie
(Natural News) It has been two years since provincial governments in Canada announced and imposed school closures and other lockdown measures for a two-week period to flatten the curve against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). They suggested that it was a necessary move to protect the health care system.

Two weeks turned into two years. And yet, the federal, provincial and municipal governments have done nothing but violate the freedoms of Canadians  their freedom to move, travel, associate, assemble, worship or even exercise control over their own bodies.

Two years and Canadians still cannot fly on airplanes unless they have taken the right number of COVID vaccine doses as determined by the federal government.

Lawyer John Carpay, president of legal organization group Justice Center, said: Most provinces have done away with the discriminatory vaccine passports that turned the vaccine-free into second-class citizens, but provincial governments can re-introduce this vicious discrimination at any time, without warning.

He also said that the past two years of the government violating its citizens Charter rights and freedoms are based on false predictions that equated COVID to the Spanish flu of 1918. The fear is not based on facts, but the irrational fear still has a hold on the minds and hearts of some Canadians.

In a paper, the Justice Center outlines how federal and provincial governments, in the guise of following science, have enacted inconsistent, ineffective and damaging measures in an attempt to eradicate the virus  which has not been proven deadly for the overwhelming majority. (Related: Canadas COVID-19 lockdowns have not provided any benefits to Canadians.)

The report looks back and analyzes the COVID-19 lockdowns in the light of science, taking into account the widespread economic, physical and psychological damage that the policies inflicted.

Carpay also went on to say they have asked Canadas federal and provincial governments about their cost-benefit analysis of lockdown measures. He noted that to their knowledge, not one of Canadas governments has conducted a thorough review of lockdown benefits versus harms.

The absurd mandates that have been imposed on Canadians have caused the erosion of public confidence in the authorities. The failure of the new mRNA vaccines to create herd immunity and its failure to stop the spread of the virus is one example of an illogical and arbitrary measure that is documented as they were imposed across Canada.

As we now enter our third year of Charter violations, the Justice Center will continue to hold governments accountable in court, Carpay went on.

Restrictions ease, but not for high-risk Canadians

Meanwhile, some high-risk Canadians have complained about being overlooked as restrictions ease. While experts and disability activists say there had been calls for the inclusion and prioritization of people with disabilities, it just hasnt happened, said Hilary Brown, an assistant professor at the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Many provinces cited their high vaccination rates and lower levels of viral circulation as reasons to drop or relax their COVID-19 rules such as mask requirements, vaccine passports, capacity limits and mandatory immunization policies. However, in response to inquiries about how this shift will affect high-risk individuals, officials merely emphasized further control by saying that people can still take personal precautions, such as wearing a mask. (Related: Protesters in Alberta say they wont end their demonstration until all COVID restrictions are rescinded.)

Brown found this type of thinking to be problematic. It places the burden of responsibility for protection on the individual rather than making it a structural and systemic responsibility. That disproportionately negatively impacts people with disabilities, she said.

Statistics Canada said 14 percent of adults have a condition that compromises their immune systems, and several studies suggest the immune response triggered by vaccines is substantially decreased in some immunocompromised individuals.

The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to push for mask-wearing for these high-risk individuals, despite face coverings no longer being required for public spaces.

Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the video below to see Canadians call for the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions and mandates.

This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Canadas Freedom Convoy invokes waves of protests against Canadas COVID mandates.

PSYOPS CONFIRMED: Governments admit using mass formation psychosis to enforce compliance with COVID restrictions, mandates.

Trump dossier author Christopher Steele involved in group seeking to clamp down on citizens with authoritarian COVID restrictions.

Canada spends millions on voluntary isolation sites, tightens travel restrictions.

So the science is NOT settled on vaccines, masks or lockdowns, as CNN scamdemic crisis actor Dr. Leana Wen now says lift ALL Covid restrictions (op-ed).

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

AgassizHarrisonObserver.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The pressure to start World War III is on. NATO now expects that there will be a major war with Russia and the confrontation may come even in a few weeks. The NATO Secretary-General announced an increased war alert for hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Stoltenberg issued a joint statement with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, stating that hundreds of thousands of NATO troops were placed on high alert along with 100,000 US troops.

(Article republished from ArmstrongEconomics.com)

The problem with war is that BOTH sides lie and twist the facts to support their own agenda. They paint their adversary as evil to stir up the troops to go fight and risk their lives typically for fake stories and agendas.

The Press is deliberately trying to create World War III and is engaged in using photos of children hurt and others from events unrelated to Ukraine. This is all to beat the war drums to create World War III without any honest understanding of what that will mean.

Despite the hatred and demonization of Putin, he has been trying to take the high road. Zelensky has been following his orders and refusing to compromise on anything.

As a WEF Young Global Leader, he is showing the same authoritarian approach as Trudeau in Canada as well as Australia and New Zealand who are all on board with this Great Reset.

We may see this crisis turn into a confrontation as soon as the week of April 18th going into the first week of May based upon our computer models. But the real crisis may come in August and turn global in 2023. I am glad I spent a fair portion of my life in Europe to see all the historical monuments before these people feel the need to destroy the world over two provinces in Ukraine. I fear this time, the monuments will not survive.

Pray for civilization for we have madmen leading the West into World War III all so they can Build Back Better as they did following World War II with Bretton Woods II, but this time we are facing a completely different war with biological and nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately, the press will NEVER tell us the truth or explain just why people are expected to lose their lives for some noble cause that is always some propaganda to support a political agenda. This time, the bombs will be wiping out American cities unlike World War I and II not to mention Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, or other clandestine operations. You may not be watching it on TV but out your own window.

Well, we get what we deserve. America voted for Biden, Britain for Johnson, Canada for Trudeau, and Ukraine for Zelensky. There is no peacemaker and certainly no statesman among the crop of world leaders today. To even question what is going on they cancel you now as a Putin supporter to once more not have to explain the truth. There is NEVER truth to be found in the propaganda of war for either side.

Read more at: ArmstrongEconomics.com
(Natural News) A survivor of the Holocaust campaign said government policies against those not injected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine share similarities with Nazi Germanys policies against the Jews.

Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) President Vera Sharav noted this comparison in a March 9 interview with Rebel News. She told the media outlets Drea Humphrey that both the Nazis of the 1930s and the governments of today dehumanized people refusing to get injected with the COVID-19 shot.

She explained: The Nazis used the fearmongering [tactic] of Jews [being the] spreaders of infectious diseases. Thats exactly the accusation against the unvaccinated  theyre spreaders of the virus, which they are not.

Humphrey cited research stating that the Nazis utilized the deaths from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic to gain political power. In line with this, they used propaganda to convince the German population that Jews and other undesirables were responsible for spreading threats to public health such as typhus and lice.

In the same vein, governments worldwide used the COVID-19 pandemic to solidify their control on their respective populations. They also dehumanized unvaccinated individuals in their countries, with some even declaring a pandemic of the unvaccinated. However, data revealed that the fully vaccinated comprise a larger number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Back when she was still a child, the AHRP president and her family were sent to a Nazi concentration camp in Ukraine from their home in Romania. Her father died of an infectious disease while interned in the camp. In 1944, Sharavs mother managed to ransom her through an orphan organization, where she was sent back to her homeland.

According to Sharav, having been disobedient at one point during that time  by refusing to follow government dictates  saved her life and served as a big lesson for her. She also recommended that those looking into history and recognizing parallels to the current [time] continue to do so.

I wish that most people would stop obeying. Because by obeying, you are allowing the dictators to flourish. They couldnt do it without obedience, said the AHRP president.

Vaccine passports are the modern version of Nazi-era identity papers

Sharav also pointed out the role of vaccine passports in segregating the unvaccinated from the rest of society. People were required to show identity papers during the Nazi regime and World War II, similar to how people are required to show proof of vaccination in the current period.

This requirement allowed the Nazis to set aside and demonize a whole segment of the population. [The vaccine passport decides] who may go to the public square, who is allowed to go into a restaurant, etc. (Related: Nearly HALF of all Democrats favor rounding up unvaccinated people and forcing them into concentration camps the LEFT have become vaccine Nazi extremists.)

The Holocaust survivor added that such measures were implemented in an insidious manner. The Holocaust happened in stages; it didnt happen overnight, she said.

Sharav also stressed the role of the medical establishment in allowing laws that infringe on health freedom and eventually lead to genocides. The medical establishment, during the [rule of] the Nazis and now, is the pivotal enabler. Without the medical establishment, neither regimes would have been able to get away with it. The medical establishment provides the veneer of legitimacy [for] genocides, she explained.

The AHRP president ultimately pointed her finger at eugenics as the underlying ideology behind the Holocaust and the ongoing COVID-19 medical tyranny, describing it as the devaluing of some human beings.

According to Sharav, the draconian COVID-19 mandates that essentially resulted in deaths were issued for both financial reasons and eugenics. She added that this eugenics-based ideology, which the societal elites espouse and serves as a bedrock of the tyrannical mandates, has never been repudiated.

Find more stories like this at MedicalTyranny.com.

Watch Vera Sharav calling on parents to be the rescuers of their own children from the dangers of medical tyranny.

This video is from the Qual2828 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Sounds like Nazi Germany: Video shows McDonalds kiosk in Israel denying service to customers without a COVID vaccine card.

Highly disturbing child indoctrination video from Canada shows brainwashed vaccine Nazis calling for the arrest of innocent people.

Right out of the Nazi playbook: Chabad Rabbi defends Marjorie Greenes comparison of vaccine mandates to yellow stars in Germany.

Dont bother vacationing in Hawaii: Honolulu goes full vaccine Nazi and will deny you entry into restaurants, museums and movie theaters.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

RebelNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) An investigation has found that former President Barack Obama led the charge to build and fund a very dangerous biological research facility in Ukraine that handled and experimented on some of the worlds deadliest pathogens.

This investigation was headed by Natalie Winters of the National Pulse, who was led down a rabbit hole after she uncovered a now-deleted web article praising Obama for helping open the biolab in question.

The deleted article, originally posted on June 18, 2010, proved that while Obama served as a senator from Illinois, he helped negotiate a deal to build a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) biological research laboratory in the southwestern Ukrainian city of Odesa, today known as the Mechnikov Anti-Plague Research Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. (Related: As US government denies biological research in Ukraine, Russia exposes network of biolabs that began during the Obama-Biden administration.)

A facility being given the designation of BSL-3 means that it is doing work involving indigenous or exotic strains of pathogenic agents which, according to the Federation of American Scientists, may cause serious or potentially lethal disease as a result of exposure by inhalation.

According to the deleted article, Obama, with the help of former Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana, met with Ukrainian officials and coordinated efforts between American and Ukrainian researchers.

The Mechnikov Institute was the first in several planned biolabs in Ukraine that were built under the expanded authority of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. This program, established in 1991, provided funding and assistance to former Soviet Union states supposedly to help them dismantle and safeguard their stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

In 2012, during a symposium marking the 20th anniversary of the implementation of Nunn-Lugar, Obama gave a speech wherein he recalled that Lugar took him on his first foreign trip as a senator to Azerbaijan, Russia and then to Ukraine. He recalled that, while in Ukraine, he visited a biolab where workers were handling nuclear, chemical and biological materials, including anthrax and the bubonic plague.

Were traipsing through nuclear weapons storage sites and junkyards full of old land mines and technicians showing off test tubes where you said, Well, whats that? Well, thats anthrax, thats plague,' remarked Obama. He then revealed that Lugar had already been to this biolab before and was already familiar with the pathogens contained within it.

Odesa biolab equipped with deadly bacteria and viruses

A report from the National Academy of Sciences published in 2011 noted that the Odesa biolab is responsible for the identification of especially dangerous biological pathogens.

The report added that reconstruction of the lab started in 2005, when Obama and Lugar started working with Ukraine to keep the biolab funded. It was also during this time that the labs biosafety level was upgraded to level 3 through a cooperative agreement between the United States Department of Defense and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Official statements from Ukraine and the U.S. claim the collaboration and work on the lab focused on preventing the spread of technologies, pathogens and knowledge that can be used in the development of biological weapons.

When the Mechnikov Institute was upgraded to its BSL-3 status, it started serving as a collection point for different deadly pathogens and it was given an official permit by the Ukrainian government to work with bacteria and viruses.

Furthermore, an investigation conducted by the Bioweapons Prevention Project (BWPP) found that the Odesa lab had secured special training for specialists on biosafety and security, especially during the handling of dangerous biological pathogenic agents.

According to the BWPP report, among the pathogens being actively researched and experimented upon in the biolab were Ebola, Marburg virus, Lassa virus and other viruses. The lab was also studying deadly bacteria like Brucella and Francisella tularensis, which are responsible for brucellosis and tularemia, respectively.

Read more stories about the American-funded bioweapons labs in Ukraine at Bioterrorism.news.

Watch this episode of the Ben Armstrong Show as host Ben Armstrong talks in detail about how Obama helped to fund biological weapons research facilities in Ukraine.

This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Dr. Francis Boyle: NATO and the West have used Ukraine to surround Russia with biological weapons.

GENOCIDE: US-run biolabs in Ukraine have been building bioweapons targeting certain ethnic groups after harvesting DNA from Russia.

WHO, which was complicit in Chinas COVID spread, tells Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens in labs to prevent disease outbreak.

After denying existence of US bio labs in Ukraine, Biden regime warns that Russia could release the bioweapons they contain.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TheNationalPulse.com



Programs.FAS.org

Web.Archive.org

StrangeSounds.org

ObamaWhiteHouse.Archives.gov
(Natural News) Two studies revealed that the protection offered by Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to children dwindles after a certain period. In addition, the vaccines do more harm than good and children have a very high chance of recovering from COVID infection.

One study done in New York state found that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was only 12 percent effective against the B11529 omicron variant. The Feb. 28 pre-print study published in medRxiv examined data from two groups of children in the Empire State from Dec. 13, 2021 to Jan. 30.

In the group of children aged five to 11 years old, vaccine effectiveness against omicron dropped from 68 percent to 12 percent during the period. The study also pointed out that the vaccines ability to protect against COVID-19 hospitalizations in children aged five to 11 dropped from 100 percent in December to 48 percent in January.

A similar observation was found among vaccinated children 12 to 17 years old. From 66 percent in December, vaccine effectiveness against omicron infections fell to 51 percent in January. Protection against hospitalization in the same cohort dropped from 85 percent to 73 percent, the study added. (Related: NY health department study: Pfizers COVID shot for kids only offers 12% protection from omicron.)

There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of the [Pfizer] BNT162b2 vaccine for children, particularly those [aged five to 11], and after the omicron variants emergence. In the omicron era, the [Pfizer shots] effectiveness against [omicron] cases declined rapidly, wrote the authors of the New York study. Incidentally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved the Pfizer vaccine for use in children aged between five and 17 years old.

Another study, this time in England, proved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine offers little to no protection against the omicron strain. According to the March 2 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two doses of the shot only imbued a measly 8.8 percent protection against omicron 25 weeks after vaccination and beyond. A similar result was observed in the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, with two doses only offering 14.9 percent protection against omicron 25 weeks after injection and beyond.

Vaccines purported benefits roughly equals the risk of harm

Dr. H. Cody Meissner, a member of the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, put in his two cents on the matter. He said the studies results taken together suggest that the benefit roughly equals the risk of harm for many children injected with the shots. Its not even clear that this vaccine will reduce rates of transmission. This vaccine is probably not going to prevent infection, Meissner told the Epoch Times.

According to the FDA committee member, diminished protection means that its benefits are almost the same as the risks that come with it. These risks include cases of myocarditis and pericarditis observed in some children injected with the Pfizer shot. Myocarditis involves the inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis involves the inflammation of the lining or sac surrounding the heart.

It really should be up to the parents to decide whether they want to immunize their child. I think they need to be informed [and they] need to educate themselves. [The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine] may reduce the risk of death, but the risk of death is so small [that] its almost negligible, added Meisner.

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo went the extra mile on the issue of vaccines for children, releasing guidance that advised against injecting children with the shots. His offices March 8 guidance stated that based on currently available data, healthy children aged five to 17 may not benefit from receiving the currently available COVID-19 vaccines.

In general, healthy children with no significant, underlying conditions under 16 years old are at little to no risk of severe illness complications from COVID-19. For adolescents 16 to 17 years old, the risk of myocarditis due to the COVID-19 vaccines may outweigh the benefits.

Read more stories like this at Vaccines.news.

Watch the Fox News report about parents enrolling toddlers in Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine trials.

This video is from the Self-Government channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Study: Covid jabs provide virtually no protection against Omicron.

New study shows Pfizer vaccine is ineffective for children aged 5 to 11.

Injecting children with Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine is reckless and dangerous.

Study confirms Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is USELESS against omicron variant.

Florida surgeon general: COVID vaccine risks OUTWEIGH benefits for healthy children.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

medRxiv.org

NEJM.org

TheEpochTimes.com

FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov [PDF]

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Foreign nationals traveling to aid Ukraines war effort are reportedly being duped into signing indefinite service contracts. The Ukrainian Army has denied such allegations while failing to provide evidence of military contracts stating otherwise.

(Article by Simone Hanna republished from TheNationalPulse.com)

As the nations war with Russia broke out, the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine has been formed, with people from around the globe welcomed  and encouraged  to join the fight. At the beginning of March, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced to his Telegram channel that 16,000 foreigners (the number is now estimated to be 20,000) had volunteered.

Some of the volunteers are former military personnel, while others have joined with little to no combat experience. But despite wanting to join the Ukrainian army, recruits from across the West are being turned off upon their arrival at the Polish border, with many claiming they have been unable to see contracts until they arrive in Ukraine.

Those who have persisted claim to have similar, first-hand experiences with the contractual arrangements.

Contracts with the Ukrainian government allegedly state those joining will be under the same obligations as Ukrainian men, and that those fighting will be earning 7000 hryvnia a month (the equivalent of 237.37 dollars). Under martial law, the people who sign this contract from the ages of 18-60 will have to remain in the Ukrainian foreign legion for the duration of war  many feeling they are essentially signing a death warrant, according to eyewitness reports at The Economist.

Of those who have entered Ukraine to fight against the Russians, stories have included reports of poor vetting measures, alongside tales of violence as Ukrainian agents mistake them for Russian saboteurs. A British soldier who opened up about his experience under Ukrainian investigation spoke of guards who had slammed his head down, whacking him eight or nine times leading him to endure a concussion and heavy bleeding, The Sun reported.

Following the announcements of foreign nationals joining the Ukraine fight, Russia warned of criminal prosecutions. Though men joining the are technically entitled to prisoner of war status should they be captured, a Russian military spokesman recently said that foreigners aiding Ukraine will be treated as mercenaries and would not enjoy the status of prisoners of war. Russian sources further stated: at best, they can expect to be prosecuted as criminals.

Russian defense officials have further backed this claim with the announcement that they had killed 180 foreign fighters in Ukraine and that this destruction would continue. While Ukraine actively recruits foreign fighters, Russians continue to warn foreigners of intense repercussions.

Additional volunteers continue to be dissuaded by Ukrainian contractual terms, low-payment issues, poor vetting measures, and fear of Russian castigation, many continuing to flee at the Polish border. It is still unclear how many of the 20,000 volunteers have arrived in Ukraine.

Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) meets with visiting Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 18, 2022. Cambodia and Saudi Arabia have vowed to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits, said a statement from the Cambodian foreign ministry.

The commitment was made on Friday during a meeting between Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and visiting Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in the capital of Phnom Penh. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Saudi Arabia have vowed to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits, said a statement from the Cambodian foreign ministry.

The commitment was made on Friday during a meeting between Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and visiting Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in the capital of Phnom Penh.

They discussed various fields of cooperation and shared the view that this visit was a starting point for the promotion of relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, the statement said.

"The two foreign ministers agreed that both countries have not yet explored all of their existing cooperation potentials and had the common commitment to further strengthen and broaden the scope of their bilateral cooperation," it said.

On trade and investment, Sokhonn requested his counterpart to encourage Saudi Arabian business people to invest in Cambodia in a number of key areas, including tourism, agriculture and renewable energy.

He said Cambodia has favorable new investment law and several free trade agreements with friendly countries, and is a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that has come into effect earlier this year.

"He also expressed interest in Saudi Arabia's experience and expertise in oil and gas production and asked for scholarships on oil and gas engineering training," the statement said.

During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed and exchanged views on some important regional and international issues of common interests and concerns.

Earlier in the day, Faisal also paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen. 

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) greets Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 18, 2022. Cambodia and Saudi Arabia have vowed to further enhance bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits, said a statement from the Cambodian foreign ministry.

The commitment was made on Friday during a meeting between Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and visiting Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in the capital of Phnom Penh. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)
(Natural News) A Harvard professor faked data in order to prove that white people feel more threatened by minorities, according to a document obtained by the substack site Karlstack.

According to the site, the leaked report was produced as part of a complaint in 2018 against Prof. Ryan Enos by an anonymous source whose identity is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, Karlstack noted.

A Harvard spokesperson has confirmed that this report sparked an internal and non-public investigation by Harvards Committee on Professional Conduct over research integrity concerns relating to Enos 2016 paper What the demolition of public housing teaches us about the impact of racial threat on political behavior published in the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), the site reported.

University officials said that Harvards Committee on Professional Conduct readily dismissed the document after it was reviewed, though they did not elaborate.

The previously suppressed report concluded that the data Enos used in his paper was mathematically impossible as well as manipulated beyond any reasonable doubtin favor of authors preferred theory and hypotheses, which was a racial threat theory, closely aligned with critical race theory. The professors paper attempted to quantify the degree in which whites felt threatened by minorities. In order to study the effect, if there indeed was one at all, Enos looked at the demolition of a public housing project in Chicago in the early 2000s, going on to conclude that it resulted in fewer whites voting for conservative candidates.

According to Karlstack, Enos graduate paper has been scrubbed from the internet because of its dataset errors and erroneous conclusions.

The Enos (2016) replication datasets exhibit numerous discrepancies with respect to official statistics released by the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago (henceforth BECC), both at individual and aggregate level, the report noted, adding:

One immediately obvious such discrepancy, which is highly consequential for the authors results, pertains to the turnout figures for 2004. The official number of registered voters in 2004 according to BECC is 1,416,101, and the number of ballots cast is 1,056,830 (see Figure 2), i.e., 359,271 registered voters did not vote according to official statistics.

The individual-level turnout dataset Enos starts with before executing the code in the turnout [dataset] has 1,132,646 observations (registered voters). The only data management operations performed prior to this configuration of the dataset were discarding observations for which no race probability could be computed and/or which the author was unable to geocode, and those living within 10 m of the projectsat least according to Enos own statements on p. 4 of the Supporting Information document, as no R code was supplied by the author to ascertain exactly which data transformations were actually applied

In the final dataset consisting of 848,061 observations (five less than Enos claims in article) on which article results are reported, turnout is somewhat overestimated for 2000, and severely underestimated for 2004, generating a heavily biased sample, the leaked report continued.

Notes Jacob Shapiro, a political science professor at Princeton, in remarks to Karlstack: There are very strong incentives to fudge data in the field of political science.

But, he notes further, data fabrication is theft: its money, its career advancement, its life satisfaction, its bad. Its bad.

I believe there need to be sanctions, the harshest possible sanctions, for scholars who are proven to engage in data fabrication. There should be no scholars who engage in data fabrication at our top institutions or any institutions, he continued.

That makes perfect sense: If we cannot trust science and research, then those fields of study are effectively neutered and no one will believe anything researchers say, no matter how many times the data can be replicated.

We are moving closer to the collapse of Western civilization. It will be ugly and violent.

Sources include:

Karlstack.Substack.com

ScienceFraud.news
(Natural News) Because the left-wing media will pander to left-wing Democratic politicians instinctively, especially if they are persons of color, leave it to The New York Times to fete and support a rising young Democrat star who is also a sick human being if the charges against him prove to be true.

The Times backed the Democratic mayor of Sebastopol, Calif.  Robert Jacob, 44  who was arrested and charged in April 2021 on 11 felony and one misdemeanor sexual assault charges involving a minor, the National Pulse reported.

Jacob, an avid supporter of Black Lives Matter and the insane defund the police movement has been charged with committing lewd acts with a child between the ages of 14 and 15; sexual penetration of a child under 16; making a child under 16 years of age available to another person to perform equally lewd and lascivious acts; and distribution of child pornography, the outlet noted further.

Following a three-hour preliminary hearing on March 7, Superior Court Judge Christopher Honigsberg ruled that prosecutors had presented more than enough evidence to establish the commission of crimes.

There is sufficient cause to believe the defendant is guilty, he found.

Back in 2013, The New York Times was all about the alleged pedophile and highlighted Jacobs rising political career in an article, In California, A Mayors Rise Is A Sign Of the Times. Interestingly, the lead photo accompanying the story is a picture of Jacob having lunch with police officers; the caption also noted that the alleged perv founded a pot dispensary as well.

When Robert Jacob ran for the City Council here last year, he had already made the list of Forty Under 40 of 2012 in a local business magazine. So it was to be expected that his business gave him face recognition among voters on the campaign trail, many of whom greeted him by exclaiming, Youre the pot guy!' begins the profile piece by the Times.

The story emphasized Jacobs political ascendancy and linked it, especially, to the nature of his business, which was considered very revolutionary at the time as states around the country began passing laws legalizing medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, in defiance of federal law that prohibits the latter (and still does). The paper also noted that Jacob could be seen as a symbol of how federal laws lag behind the times, or he could become an inviting target.

A resident of Sebastopol since 2004, Mr. Jacob is a relative newcomer. He grew up in Rodeo, in the East Bay, the son of immigrants, his father from Mexico, and his mother from Iraq, the paper continued.

He moved with his family to the Central Valley, but uncomfortable in the areas conservative culture because he was gay, he said, at 15 he decamped to San Francisco, where he first lived in a homeless shelter for youths. In San Francisco, Mr. Jacob went to high school and also worked for several social services groups, helping victims of domestic violence and H.I.V.-positive youths, the Times added.

According to the National Pulse, Jacobs underage victim appeared in court as well to describe the alleged crimes committed by the now-former mayor, whom he met on the dating app Grindr, at some point in late 2019 or early 2020.

After we started talking, I did eventually tell Robert my name and age. I told him I was under 18, the teen said on the witness stand.

They began messaging for several weeks, according to the teen, eventually exchanging explicit photos. In addition, Jacob also ordered the boy to call him master or sir, the victim said, because it made him feel like he was in control and sexually aroused.

The boy said when he began to visit the then-mayor at his Sebastopol home, he had told his parents he was only walking Jacobs dog and performing chores around the house for pay.

It progressed. It became more sexual after we met, the teen testified.

On at least two occasions, he would leave me a step-by-step process of what to do when I arrived, he testified, adding that instructions included how to come into the house, which room to use when undressing, and where to put his clothes.

At that point, he said Jacob would blindfold him and take him to his bedroom, adding that the only thing he was to say to Jacob was yes or no.

But hey, The New York Times thought this guy was a Democrat up-and-comer.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NYTimes.com
(Natural News) Last year, the Vatican called for Puerto Rican Bishop Fernandez Torres to resign after he was caught telling Catholics that they can refuse Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines in good conscience. When he refused, Pope Francis stepped in and removed Torres himself.

According to reports, Pope Francis removed Torres, an outspoken conservative Catholic from the Diocese of Arecibo, without any formal proceedings. Pope Francis simply said Torres disobeyed him and demonstrated a lack of collegiality, to quote LifeSiteNews, with fellow Puerto Rican bishops.

The Holy See announced that Pope Francis has relieved the Arecibo bishop from pastoral care as of March 9 due to Torres refusal to accept and promote Fauci Flu shots, which contain ingredients made from aborted human babies.

The 57-year-old bishop is a staunch defender of life and family who vehemently opposes covid injection mandates. Torres is now protesting his removal by Pope Francis as totally unjust, having issued a statement about how he could not in good conscience be an accomplice of a totally unjust action.

No process has been made against me, Torres wrote, nor have I been formally accused of anything, and simply one day the apostolic delegate verbally communicated to me that Rome was asking me to resign.

Torres had led the Diocese of Arecibo for nearly 12 years before getting axed by Pope Francis for refusing to promote Big Pharma poisons.

A successor of the apostles is now being replaced without even undertaking what would be a due canonical process to remove a parish priest.

The Catholic Church has fully embraced pharmakeia, which the Bible strictly forbids

Torres went on to state that the Vatican told him he had committed no actual crime, but that he was being removed for not being obedient to the pope. Torres also says he was accused of having insufficient communion with my brother bishops of Puerto Rico.

It was suggested to me that if I resigned from the Diocese, I would remain at the service of the Church in case at some time I was needed in some other position; an offer that in fact proves my innocence, Torres added.

However, I did not resign because I did not want to become an accomplice of a totally unjust action and that even now, I am reluctant to think that it could happen in our Church.

Torres further blasted the Catholic Church for its hypocrisy in preaching mercy but failing to show it in practice. He also chastised Pope Francis and the Vatican for lacking a minimum sense of justice.

I express my communion in the Catholic faith, with the Pope and my brothers in the episcopate, despite my perplexity at an incomprehensible arbitrariness, he further added.

The Vatican summoned Torres for a meeting in Rome, to which he declined. The bishop is also resisting sending seminarians to the Interdiocesan Seminary of Puerto Rico, which the Vatican approved in 2020.

Torres dismissal came after he declined to join a statement issued by Puerto Ricos six other Catholic bishops announcing that Mass-goers would, from now on, be segregated based on their injection status.

That same letter, which Torres refused to sign, also imposed a strict covid jab mandate for both clergy and Church employees, claiming that there is no basis in Catholic teaching for anyone to reject forced injections.

Respect for the conscience of the person is also Catholic doctrine, Torres wrote, citing The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Conscience, and its freedom, cannot be considered only as a civil right but is something intrinsic to our Catholic faith.

The latest news about Pope Francis and his post-modern Catholic apostasy can be found at Evil.news.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
Human remains from a 1978 cold case have been identified more than 40 years later through advancements in DNA technology. The remains belonged to a certain Donald Grant Anderson who was originally from Minnesota, according to his family members.

Donald was said to have spent a short time in the state of Washington in 1977 before the Bellevue Police reported him missing. A year after that, during the month of May, his then unidentified human remains were found in Kittitas County near Westside Road, between Nelson and Cle Elum. Since 1978, Donald remained gone.

A forensic pathologist and an odontologist in Wenatchee who aso studied the deceased being was unable to identify the remains at the time due to insufficient resources. Thus the case grew cold over the decades, Fox13 News reported.

Since then, the Kittitas County Sheriff's detectives continued the investigation to identify the resident skeleton who "has had no identity and no past... until now."

Development of DNA analysis

The moment the remains were found and sent to Central Washington University's anthropology department in May 1987, an analysis suggested the remains belonged to a 30 to 40-year-old woman who had been dead for 3-9 months. However, in early 2000s, results changed and a new DNA analysis revealed the victim was actually a man, not a woman.

When DNA sample of the remains did not match any records in the DNA databases of the time, the samples were passed along to the King County Medical Examiner where Washington's forensic pathologist, Dr. Kathy Taylor - who solved several criminal cases, including the Green River Killer murders - sent them to the University of North Texas Health Center lab for further examination.

The state forensic anthropologist who served the public with distinction and compassion passed away on August 1, 2021, Public Health Insider reported.

Also read: New Discovery Shows that the World's Oldest Mummy is from Portugal

40 years later

Kittitas County coroner Nick Henderson submitted the same DNA sample originally taken by the University of North Texas for comparison in a forensic genealogy database way back 2020 and used a wider spectrum of DNA information to identify close or distant relatives, like that used by Ancestry.com or 23andme.com.

DNA analysis is performed in US laboratories certified to meet Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standards of 1988. A CLIA-certified lab must meet certain quality standards, including qualifications for individuals who perform the test and other standards that ensure the accuracy and reliability of results. The DNA Genetic Testing and Analysis above use leading technology to genotype your own DNA-a custom version of the lllumina Global Screening Array.

Months later in December 2021, a possible sibling from 1978 was identified. The coroner has contacted the siblings and other family members of the deceased and confirmed the remains to have belonged to that of Donald Grant Anderson, who has been missing since 1977.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating the circumstances into Anderson's death.

Related article: 50-Year-Old Man from India Who Suffered from a Stroke Develops a Black 'Hairy' Tongue
Dust storm from the Sahara Desert in Africa has covered Europe with its swirling air of thick sand and dirt. The so-called Saharan dust storm has reached Spain first and then spread throughout the continent.

Airborne particles from the storm have posed hazards to breathing and respiratory health.

The dust storm reportedly traveled thousands of kilometers over the Mediterranean Sea from the African desert over recent days. The Saharan dust cloud has degraded the air quality of some of the major cities in Europe, notably Madrid, Paris, Belgrade, and as well as in London.

Although the occurrence of a sand storm is common in Africa each year. The current Saharan sand storm is reported to be intense due to the amount of dust and sand that the storm contains. Furthermore, the distance that it has traveled also accounts for its uniqueness.

Saharan Dust Storm

Inhabitants of the city of Madrid and other major cities across Europe on Tuesday, March 15, woke up to the massive Saharan dust storm blanketing their skies and surroundings. The sand storm had also made it for Europeans to breathe due to the particles from the dust cloud, according to the Associated Press.

The dust storm had continued its rampage across the continent as of Wednesday, March 16, causing widespread respiratory health hazards and depreciating the air quality of some of the continent's major cities. Poor visibility from the dust cloud has also likely affected travel with no reported casualties.

On Tuesday, the Saharan sand storm reached Spain first from the Sahara Desert before stretching out to other countries in Europe, including Portugal, France, and Serbia. Strong winds containing dust, dirt, sand, and other particles have covered the streets, vehicles, and buildings of major European cities.

Also Read: Dust Storm Strikes Mongolia; Forecast of Strong Winds and Heavy Snow in the Coming Days

Major European Cities Affected

In Spain, the national air quality index in Madrid and other areas across the country has decreased. The case is also the same in Serbia where the capital Belgrade experienced a "hazardous" air quality index, as per ABC News.

In France, public cleaning personnel had to work extra time as large-scale swathes of areas, including cars and buildings covered with dust particles. The same scenario was also reported in London, Belgrade, and Madrid.

In the UK, the dust storm also covered windows and vehicle windscreens in London and southeast England with its particles on Wednesday, according to meteorologist Alex Burkill of the Meteorological Office (Met Office) as cited by ABC News.

Dust and Sand Storms

A dust storm or a sand storm is a natural phenomenon characterized by a swirling air of strong winds containing airborne particles from a desert. Locally known as a haboob in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), dust storms are able to carry these particles of tiny sands and rocks in a far distance.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), these storms occur when the wind is strong enough to carry these particles. This phenomenon is common in arid and semi-arid regions, says WMO.

Related Article: Massive Dust Storm in Brazil Turned Day Into Night, Swallowing Cities in Clouds of Dust
With both the opening of the world's largest and first single-tower, single-span railroad embankment for the succeeding month; going on holiday or just travelling alone in China's picturesque Yunnan region is all getting to be extra better and easier.

This is also quite exciting for individuals who wish to travel, unlike the previous years that have already passed.

The Development of Suspension Bridge in Yunnan, China

As tacked in the previous news report published under the news media site CNN, when tried to equate to the other of the world's longest concrete structures, the Lvzhijiang Structure's span of 798 meters across a valley area would not seem most of that extraordinary to many experts in the field.

However, the development's intricacy has already earned it acclaim as an industrial design wonder. The structure dangles over Lvzhijiang, known and called literally as the Green Juice River which have extends down all through the underpasses that spring from precipitous rolling hills slopes on either bank of the body of water.

The construction, according to government agencies, smashes multiple global economy catalogues. The development action is considered as the world's first single-tower and single span connection stayed viaduct.

As it continued to backed at both extremities by cables and is incorporated in a rocky V-shaped canyon. There are no other pillars, delivering it a stunning, gravitational pull appearance.

The solitary time frame of the structure which tackles the gap between adjacent pillars have the length 780 meters long. It also contains the world's steepest underground entrance, which is tilted at 54 degrees, according to authorities.

Because of the suburb's challenging terrain, most of the primary supplementary parts including the 156-meter-high tower, the piers and abutments platform solely on a single extremity of the construction, and the underground anchoring just from the other are erected on mountain terrain.

According to the development team leader, the length differential among both the structural system as well as the construction lawn care is 320 meters tall, or almost 100 story extremes. As the sophistication of this construction process is infrequently shown through China.

The causeway could very well significantly reduce travel duration between Yuxi City as well as Yunnan's Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Regional capital.

With the new bridge the current administration of China together with the proper agencies have set the overpass' national acceleration restriction up to only 100 kilometers per hour.

Also read: Major Rainfall Triggers Flooding in Birmingham, Causing Travel Issues





The Record-Breaking World's First Suspension Bridge

According to media website - People's Daily Online, the very intriguing and world breaker complex takes around three years to accomplish when building began in 2019. It is scheduled to launch to the general public in later of April 2022.

Even though Yuxi City which is among the metropolis to be renowned for tobacco cultivation as well as neighboring Chuxiong an fully independent enclave of the indigenous Yi community noted for its natural history museum are really not a major tourist attraction, they are situated near the center of Yunnan provincial capital, amid important towns notably Kunming and Dali.

The Lvzhijiang Bridge crosses connects the 190-kilometer-long Yuchu Access road with the 9,000-kilometer-long Yunnan National highway.

The Yuchu Main Road connects Yunnan to certain other significant countrywide major highways, including the Hangzhou-Ruili Service Roa, which is a western Yunnan city bordering Myanmar and the Guangzhou-Kunming National highway.

Constructing world-class motorways isn't the only industrial design accomplishment accomplished in China's western part of the country in recent quarters. In October 2021, a truly innovative high-speed China-Laos railway will push.

Related article: Hong Kong Faces Another COVID Outbreak as 4.5 Million Residents Test Positive




Photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows vivid light on Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

SYDNEY, March 19 (Xinhua) -- To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbor on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians.

A host of events littered Sydney's harbor as locals and tourists from across the city rang in the bridge's 9th decade of regular use, including a spectacular lighting up of the bridge at night, a number of pop-up art galleries and museums displaying the bridge's history, musical and dramatic performances, and a commemorative vintage train ride.

Kicking off the Saturday of festivities, a red F1 Vintage Electric Train and a New South Wales (NSW) Waratah Train, the city's most modern train, headed across the bridge in opposite directions -- a symbolic meeting of "old and new."

Train enthusiasts Andrew Murphy and Sean Lowry were among the lucky few who managed to snag two of the few tickets that sold out in record time.

"I've pretty much lived in Sydney my whole life," Lowry told Xinhua. "It's my first time being on the F1. So, I'm really excited to see Sydney's past and what kind of trains they had back then."

As the train rolled into the platform just north of Sydney Harbor Bridge, excited children and reminiscent seniors piled into the train for the historic ride.

Over the other side of the bridge performers and actors warmed up ahead of keen crowds. An actor dressed in newsboy attire from the 1930s passed out papers and touted facts about the bridge.

"Extra, extra read all about it, Sydney Harbor Bridge's construction used over 6 million rivets," he shouted to passers-by.

Plaques lined the harbor with facts and stories about the bridge's construction and long history, and performers brought brightness despite the dreary grey skies.

More than just a tourist destination, the bridge was first opened for public use on March 19, 1932. To this day it joins Sydney's northern and western suburbs and continues to play an integral role in the development of the nation's largest city.

NSW Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott praised the bridge as a vital part of Sydney's history on how its citizens move around the city.

"On this day 90 years ago, the Sydney Harbor Bridge came to life, and so too did the vision of a modern Sydney. More than 1 million people crossed the bridge on its opening day in trams, trains and on foot, which was almost the entire population of Sydney at that time," said Elliot.

Despite what the scale of the feat might suggest, its construction and completion came at a time of extreme poverty in Australia's Great Depression when unemployment hit a staggering 32 percent in 1931.

Sophie Loy-Wilson, an expert in Australian history from the University of Sydney, said the bridge became a symbol of hope.

"The bridge was expensive, but it represented hope and a better life for Sydney people. Sandstone excavations caused dust and debris but also uncovered fossils and other treasures," said Loy-Wilson.

"The story of the harbor bridge is a story of a city on its knees, looking up towards the largest structure the city had ever seen, being pieced together across Sydney Harbor." 

A girl experiences vintage bus driving near Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2022, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows vivid light on Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A vintage train passes Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2022, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows vivid light on Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Photo taken on March 18, 2022 shows vivid light on Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A woman takes photos near Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2022. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A costumed newspaper salesman shows a newspaper near Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2022, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A vintage train passes Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2022, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Vintage buses stop near Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia, on March 19, 2022, as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 90th anniversary celebration. To mark the 90th year since the completion of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydneysiders headed into the harbour on Saturday to pay homage to the bridge that has connected and inspired generations of Australians. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
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.
A little bit of sunny Italy is coming to Lawrence County.

And with it will come pieces of Croatian, Polish, Bulgarian and Macedonian culture as well.

All of this arrives in the form of the Tamburitzans, an 85-year-old performance troupe that has expanded from its roots of Eastern European music to include song and dance from around the world. The talented college students will be performing at 3 p.m. March 27 at Lincoln High School in Ellwood City.

According to event organizer Pete Kucan  whose daughter spent five years performing with the Tamburitzans  much of the groups broadened focus can be attributed to its current artistic director, George Butchie Kresovich. He and Kucan got to know each other while they were growing up as members of Junior Tamburitzans groups in different communities.

Hes done a really great job in modernizing their presentation, Kucan said. Hes a very talented accordion player on his own. He has great taste in musicality, and thats what comes across in the performances

So he started to break away from strictly a Slavic show to where now theyre bringing in other flavors. One year in his tenure they had the French suite. It looked like you were watching An American in Paris. They had a Mexican component, where the girls were doing tremendous acrobatic dancing. This year, they have added an Italian segment.

Those who think theyll be treated simply to a delightful performance of the tarantella will be surprised at what actually takes place on stage, Kucan said.

These are not your grandmothers Tamburitzans, he explained. Its a multi-media show. Its put on with a large screen in the back of the stage that starts every segment with the culture of the country that youre about to witness; the history of the country, interesting facts about the country.

Then on each side of the multimedia stage are small, elevated platforms where the musicians play when dances are going on. and behind them are color screens that accent the costumes.

As for the new-for-2022 Italian segment, they start off in the 1600s or 1700s with white wigs and playing chamber music on their cellos and strings and violins, Kucan continued. Then they move into opera, then into ballet.

They bring a whole different perspective to Italian culture, then they finally do the tarantella.

Story continues below video

Alyssa Bushunow, executive director of the Pittsburgh Internatinal Folk Art Institute (the name of the nonprofit the Tamburitzans formed in 2016), said the Tamburitzans  who endured a 517-day hiatus during the pandemic  are looking forward to their Ellwood City visit.

That is the longest time the Tamburitzans have ever been off stage, she said. So we are pumped to be back on stage, and Ellwood is a place that weve been going for many years. We love those familiar audiences, they have such energy to them.

That energy is likely to be ramped up even more by the new Italian culture portion of the show, since Ellwood City and the surrounding area boast many folks of Italian descent.

Its really cool to have an audience with cultural ties to the show, Bushunow said. We know theres a good Italian base out there. Chicago has a very heavy Croatian and Serbian community, and those numbers do well there.

We really hope that everybody who remembers their grandma telling stories while she was cooking, or hearing about people who used to live over there, will see some of that represented on stage and find a connection to it.

The Tamburitzans last appeared in Ellwood City in 2019. What had been an annual fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Ellwood City Scholarship Fund was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

The Tamburitzans trace their origins back to 1937, when a group of young men who played the tamburica  a stringed instrument predominant in the music of Balkan cultures  decided to play together. Dr. A. Lester Pierce brought the Slavonic Tamburitza Orchestra to the culturally rich city of Pittsburgh in the hope of garnering support for the ensemble from Duquesne Univesity.

The partnership that was formed lasted for 79 years.

In 2016, the university completed the transition of the Tamburitzans from a university-based entity to an independent, nonprofit corporation called the Pittsburgh International Folk Arts Institute. The Tamburitzans now audition and accept students from other Pittsburgh-based universities, as well as Duquesne.

To help ensure the Tamburitzans continued success, Duquesne gave all related assets, including buildings, vehicles, instruments, costumes and equipment to the troupe.

According to Kucan, the Tamburitzans now are Americas longest running, live-action theater performance.
Newburyport, MA (01950)

Today

Sunshine along with some cloudy intervals. High 67F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
COPENHAGEN, March 19 (Xinhua) -- All four crew members of a U.S. Marine Corps aircraft, which crashed in northern Norway Friday night, were killed, the Norwegian Armed Forces confirmed on Saturday.

"The police in Nordland County now confirm that the crew of four have died. As far as the police know, the four are of American nationality," said a press release from the Norwegian Armed Forces.

"Apart from the crew, there were no other people on board the Osprey," it said, referring to the aircraft Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey which crashed on a training mission in the ongoing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise dubbed "Cold Response" scheduled from March 10 to April 10.

The circumstances of the accident have yet to be clarified. According to the Norwegian Armed Forces, the Cold Response exercise will go on as planned.

"It has now sadly been confirmed that the crew on board the American aircraft died in the accident," said Norwegian Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen in the press release.

Cold Response, dubbed the largest Norwegian-led military exercise since the Cold War, involves 30,000 military personnel, 220 aircraft, and over 50 vessels from NATO countries. 
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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).
Longview, TX (75601)

Today

A few passing clouds. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

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A few passing clouds. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Indian students in uniform clothing walk inside the campus of a government-run junior college in Udupi, Karnataka state, India, Feb. 24. Muslim students in this southern Indian state have found themselves at the center of a debate over hijab bans in schools.
PARIS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- French multinational electric utility company EDF announced on Friday an increase of the share capital of over 3.1 billion euros (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) to finance their operations between 2022 and 2024.

EDF announced in a press release that current Rights holders will be entitled to buy new shares in the group.

"The capital increase we are launching today will allow the group to strengthen its balance sheet structure in the context of the events of early 2022, and the strategy to tackle climate change," said the CEO of the group Jean-Bernard Levy.

The French State owns 83.88 percent of the share capital and 89.2 percent of the voting rights, EDF stated, adding the State will commit to 2.7 billion euros for the company and the subscription of over 400 million new shares.

For 2022, due to their production of nuclear power while respecting the government measures to limit the increase of electricity bills, EDF anticipates a decrease of profits. 
Laboratory studies of lung tissue usually require the removal of large amounts of human or animal tissue. Now scientists from the University of Freiburg's Faculty of Medicine have succeeded in collaboration with American researchers in generating tiny quantities of lung tissue, so-called organoids, from just a few body cells in the lab. The tissue forms a three-dimensional structure as it develops, complete with the tiny hairs on the surface typical of lung tissue. These organoids can play an important part in future research on lung diseases, drug development, or personalized medicine. The researchers published their method in the online version of the American Journal of Physiology.

"The method we developed for growing lung tissue is simple and inexpensive and is very good at reproducing important biological aspects," says the Freiburg lead investigator Dr. Peter Walentek, Emmy Noether research group leader at the University of Freiburg's Faculty of Medicine and scientist at the Medical Center  University of Freiburg.

In addition, he is a member of the University of Freiburg's Cluster of Excellence Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies. The study was headed by scientists at the University of California in San Francisco, USA, in close collaboration with the Freiburg researchers. They combined lung cells with two messengers after two weeks of cultivation in the laboratory, whereupon the stem cells were positively influenced and the organoids formed. Until now, this process involved many steps. For example, cells that had been removed first had to be brought into an embryo-like state by means of complicated methods. Furthermore, until now the outside of the tissue in such organoids was always directed inward and was much less like the natural model.

Organoids enable individual planning of therapies

Cells from patients with the lung disease cystic fibrosis led to the development of characteristically altered organoids in the lab. "In the future, this uncomplicated method might even allow us to grow the tissue of individual lung patients in the lab, in order to hopefully test in advance whether a therapy is effective or not," says Walentek. In addition, the scientists can use the organoid to study how healthy lung tissue develops and precisely how genetic changes affect, for example, the formation of the tiny hair-like structures known as cilia.

The malformation of these cilia leads not only to lung diseases but also, among other things, to genetic kidney diseases, which we are investigating at the Collaborative Research Center NephGen (SFB1453)." Dr. Peter Walentek, Freiburg lead investigator

Method offers alternative to animal models

Until now, the healthy development of lung tissue and genetic lung diseases were often studied in animal models. The newly established method should be able to replace some of these studies: "Growing tissue in its natural three-dimensional form in the lab is an important way to reduce the use of animals in research. This is another reason why this research is so important," says Prof. Dr. Lutz Hein, Dean of the University of Freiburg Faculty of Medicine.
On Thursday, Clarksville Community Schools presented its first in-person Showcase of Schools since the pandemic began.

Adrienne Goldman, principal at Clarksville High School, said the annual showcase is meant to "show the opportunities Clarksville has to offer." The event allowed students and families to tour the schools in the district, including the elementary, middle and high schools.

At the high school, students and teachers showcased programs and classes at the school, and the event featured everything from science experiments to musical performances. Local colleges and employers were also available to talk to students and parents.

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Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Increasing clouds with showers arriving sometime in the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

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Light rain with thunderstorms by morning. Low 63F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
(Newser)  Updated: A federal judge has ruled that former County Clerk Kim Davis violated the constitutional rights of same-sex couples by refusing to issue marriage licenses to them. US District Judge David Bunning ruled Friday that Davis "made a conscious decision" to violate the rights of two couples who then sued her, USA Today reports. Davis' lawyers had cited her right to religious freedom in their argument. But as an elected official, Davis "cannot use her own constitutional rights as a shield to violate the constitutional rights of others," he wrote. "The only remaining issue is the issue of damages," Bunning added, which he said will be decided by a jury. Our October 2020 story about the Supreme Court's reaction to the case follows:

On the surface, a decision by the Supreme Court on Monday was a victory for advocates of gay marriage: The court declined to take up the appeal of Kim Davis, a former Kentucky county clerk who was sued after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But a bigger issue might loom. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito agreed with the decision not to take up Davis' case, but only because they said it did not "cleanly present" the key questions about the court's landmark 2015 ruling establishing a constitutional right to gay marriage, reports Fox News. And the justices, both of whom dissented in the 2015 case, Obergefell v. Hodges, seemed to back the idea of the court reconsidering its decision in that case, per the New York Times.

Obergefell enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots, making their religious liberty concerns that much easier to dismiss, Thomas wrote. The court, he added, "created a problem that only it can fix." With the court possibly on the brink of a 6-3 conservative majority, Mark Joseph Stern at Slate writes that "marriage equality is in imminent peril." The ACLU is similarly worried, calling it "appalling that five years after the historic decision in Obergefell, two justices still consider same-sex couples less worthy of marriage than other couples." But at the Washington Post, Robert Barnes points out that Chief Justice John Roberts (who also dissented in the 2015 ruling) and Trump appointees Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch did not join Thomas' opinion. (Read more gay marriage stories.)
(Newser)  The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is undergoing a major overhaul. Starting in July, Americans in need of crisis counseling won't have to dial 1-800-273-8255they'll instead be able to use the much simpler 988. It's the result of legislation signed by Trump in 2020, and in December, $282 million in funding was approved to bolster telephone infrastructure and staffing in crisis call centers across the country, many of which are nonprofits and which are tasked with answering the calls 24 hours a day. Advocates see what the New York Times describes as a "watershed opportunity to recast the delivery of mental health care," and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra promises a lean, clean, working machine"eventually. With the relaunch just months away, the current hotline is already struggling to keep up.

About 2 million calls were placed to the 1-800 number last year, and in about about 17% of cases, the call was abandoned before the caller received assistance. Some people indicated to the Times that was because no one took their call. For instance, "a teenager from Mississippi recounted calling three times one night without getting through, and then overdosing." The centers can cost millions to run but generally get a stipend of up to $5,000 from the feds; some also get a grant. Many have tight budgets and use fundraisers to keep operations going. States have been authorized to add a fee on monthly phone bills, as is the case for 911, to generate funding, but some lawmakers are disinclined to tack on a new tax. Still, some 78% of Americans said in an October Ipsos poll that they are willing to pay a monthly 988 fee. (Read the full story for much more.)
(Newser)  "Shed influencers are a thing on YouTube, and some of them pull in six figures from ads and sponsorship. They are an offshoot of a multimillion-dollar market for elk antlersthe ones that are shed by the animals each spring. Writing in the Atlantic, Abe Streep explains how the "confluence of the dog-chew phenomenon and social media has created a uniquely American boom." The article begins with a description of the annual "shed hunt" near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where hobbyists and antler traders gather in droves on May 1 each year to comb the rugged terrain of the 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge. It's serious stuff: Streep recounts one 27-year-old boasting that he had logged 700 miles of running over the last nine months to ready himself for shed hunting.

No elk are harmed in the process, at least not directly, but widespread interest in the activity (a hobby for some, big business for others) has motivated state and tribal governments to regulate shed hunting in order to protect existing herds and their habitats. Once upon a time, elk ranged by the millions across North America, as far east as Pennsylvania and Virginia. Overhunting and development nearly wiped out the population by the early 1900s, when the federal government stepped in to create the refuge. Soon after, the lands around Jackson Hole were littered with shed antlers. Streep digs into how much the antlers go for (commonly $16 a pound, with a nice rack weighing 10 pounds), how the Chinese medicinal market factors in, and how the dog chew-toy antler business came to be. (Read the full piece here.)
(Newser)  Mark Zuckerberg and Meta can act as low-hanging fruit to anyone who likes to disparage tech billionaires and their empires. Sometimes, employees are also easy picking, thanks to compensation and benefits that may seem lavish to many Americans. Consider the Meta engineer who took to the anonymous professional network Blind to lament the loss of the company's complimentary laundry service. Per SFGate, the post sparked snickers like, "zuck will fold the clothes himself for you." A Meta spokesperson added context: "As we return to the office, weve adjusted on-site services and amenities to better reflect the needs of our hybrid workforce."

With COVID restrictions easing, some Meta employees will return to the office March 28; others will continue working from home, and some will split time between the two. As the New York Times reports, the laundry-perk loss is "a warning shot for employees at other companies," and one example of a "changing workplace culture in Silicon Valley." Then again, the Times also notes that Meta has more than quadrupled employees wellness stipends from about $700 to $3,000 in response to some of the in-office perks that have been eliminated.

That blind item was posted in Marchby, it should be noted, an engineer who gives their total compensation as $850,000but it comes on the heels of this CNBC report from January that pointed out Meta fell from No. 11 to 47 on Glassdoors ranking of best places to work. In reviews, employees complained about "unwanted public scrutiny, lack of action from leadership on platform issues, and questions about the companys future direction." At the time, "extensive benefits" were among the positives keeping the company from falling further down the list. (Read more Meta stories.)
OTTAWA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Canada's chief public health officer on Friday called for more people to get a booster to make the public health system more resilient as the country began to lift COVID-19 restriction measures, such as limits on social gatherings and mask mandates.

Speaking at a press conference, Theresa Tam said that COVID-19 policies may soon shift from "an emphasis on requirements to recommendations" and that it's critically important that more people, especially for those 50 years of age or older, get a booster dose.

"We're in a period of uncertainty where the virus is still undergoing evolution, so getting up to date with vaccines and wearing a mask is really a good idea," Tam said, adding that it would be difficult to expand vaccine mandates to cover a third dose because eligibility for a third shot varies and people with a previous Omicron infection have been told to wait up to three months between a positive test result and getting a third dose.

According to a statement from her office on Friday, recent studies indicated that an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster dose could enhance the overall immune response, which can provide longer lasting protection and possibly better effectiveness against variants.

Over 5.2 million eligible Canadians need one or more doses to complete their primary series and many others are eligible to get a booster dose to help improve protection that may have decreased since their second dose and to provide even better protection against severe illness from Omicron, the statement said.

According to data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada, as of March 17, over 17.6 million third doses had been administered. National data as of March 13 indicated that over 83 percent of seniors aged 70 or older, 61 percent of 50-59 years of age and 74 percent of 60-69 year olds had received an additional dose.

The data indicated that over 81 percent of the total population have been fully vaccinated. Age-specific vaccine coverage data, as of March 13, 2022, showed that over 88 percent of people 12 years or older had at least one dose and over 84 percent were fully vaccinated, while among children aged 5-11, 57 percent had at least one dose.

Health Canada on Thursday authorized the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine (50 mcg) for children 6-11 years of age. Following authorization, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization released recommendations for the use of Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine in this age group. 
(Newser)  President Biden took his effort to dissuade China from helping Russia with its invasion of Ukraine to the top on Friday, holding a video meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping for nearly two hours. Biden detailed the "implications and consequences" of providing military or economic support to Russia, the Washington Post reports, "as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians," according to a White House statement. Administration officials did not specify to reporters what the consequences would be, however. China's official broadcaster reported that Xi told Biden their goal should be peace, per the New York Times.

The Ukraine fighting "is something we don't want to see," Xi reportedly said, though neither side said he committed to anything. China has cast itself as neutral in the war, per the Hill, and it's being pressured by the US to denounce Russia's actions. China and Russia have become closer allies recently; the Western sanctions leave China as one of the few countries where Russia could find major support, possibly affecting the outcome of the fight. Although Xi's statements about peace could be taken as reassuring to the US, and the White House called the talks substantive and direct, administration officials were not satisfied that China will stay out.

"We have that concern," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, per CNN. US officials would not say how Xi reacted to Biden's warnings. US and Chinese officials will keep talking, and Biden will raise China's position at a snap NATO summit scheduled for next week in Brussels. In other calls Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the attacks on Ukraine. The lobbying effort seemed to go nowhere, per the Times. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Alaska gets one member in the US House of Representatives, and for most of the time that it's been a state, that member has been Don Young. On Friday, the Last Frontier bid farewell to Young, 88, the dean of the House as its longest-serving member, who died while traveling home with his wife, Anne. He was 88, reports CBS News. Jack Ferguson, Young's former chief of staff, tells the Anchorage Daily News that Young lost consciousness on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle and couldn't be revived.

"I'm sad to lose such a good friend, and a person that I've known all his political career," Ferguson says. Young, of Fort Yukon, started serving in Congress in 1973, under somewhat strange circumstances: He won a special election to replace Democrat Nick Begich, whose small plane vanished in October 1972 while en route from Anchorage to Juneau. The plane, Begich, and the three others on the aircraft were never found.

A statement from Young's office details some of his accomplishments. "Nearly everything that has advanced for Alaska is a result of Don Young's tenacious work," it notes. "From the Trans-Alaska pipeline, to the Ketchikan Shipyard, to the Magnuson Stevens Act, which transformed the American fishing industry, to the numerous land exchanges he fought for, Don Young's legacy cannot be overstated."

The Daily News notes Young was also known for making colorful, even "inflammatory" remarks at times, and that former speaker of the House John Boehner once claimed Young held a knife to his throat (Boehner subsequently was the best man at Young's wedding). Young had planned to run for his 26th term this year. His leading GOP opponent: Begich's grandson Nick Begich III. "I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of this amazing man who, in many ways, formed Alaska into the great state it is today," Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a fellow Republican, tweeted Friday evening. (Read more Don Young stories.)
(Newser)  Vladimir Putin may have rallied a crowd in Russia on Friday to seemingly support his invasion of Ukraine, but Volodymyr Zelensky was not impressed. In fact, in an overnight video, the Ukrainian president accused Russia of spurring a "humanitarian catastrophe" and once more implored the Russian leader to sit with him for peace talks, reports the CBC. "It's time to meet. Time to talk," Zelensky posted on his Facebook page, along with the video. "It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound." More from Zelensky, and other developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict:

Pressure on Putin: "Meaningful negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine, are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes," Zelensky added in his statement.

"Meaningful negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine, are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes," Zelensky added in his statement. 'Mixed signals': That's how US and European officials frame the general feeling around Zelensky, with "specific elements of any peace deal his government may be discussing with Moscow [remaining] a mystery to Western leaders," per the Washington Post. "We're not ready for capitulation," Zelensky said in an interview earlier this weekyet his top negotiator also said this week that negotiations with Russia look hopeful, and that "we have much confidence that we will have a ceasefire in the coming days."

That's how US and European officials frame the general feeling around Zelensky, with "specific elements of any peace deal his government may be discussing with Moscow [remaining] a mystery to Western leaders," per the Washington Post. "We're not ready for capitulation," Zelensky said in an interview earlier this weekyet his top negotiator also said this week that negotiations with Russia look hopeful, and that "we have much confidence that we will have a ceasefire in the coming days." A first for Russia? Via the Interfax news agency, a spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Saturday that Russia launched its new Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, hitting a weapons storage site in the western part of the country, reports Al Jazeera.

Via the Interfax news agency, a spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Saturday that Russia launched its new Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine, hitting a weapons storage site in the western part of the country, reports Al Jazeera. Possible shift in plans: Western defense experts warn of signs of a "a cruel and intentional strategy" Russia may now be employing, perhaps giving up on its initial intentions to capture the capital of Kyiv and overturn the government. Now, the plan may involve what one UK defense chief calls a "strategy of attrition," in which "reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower" will be used to wear the Ukrainian people down in cities across the nation, per USA Today. One DC think tank says it's "designed to suffocate Ukraine."

Western defense experts warn of signs of a "a cruel and intentional strategy" Russia may now be employing, perhaps giving up on its initial intentions to capture the capital of Kyiv and overturn the government. Now, the plan may involve what one UK defense chief calls a "strategy of attrition," in which "reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower" will be used to wear the Ukrainian people down in cities across the nation, per USA Today. One DC think tank says it's "designed to suffocate Ukraine." Humanitarian aid : Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced Saturday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed on the opening of 10 humanitarian corridors, including from the hard-hit city of Mariupol and several locations in the regions of Kyiv and Luhansk, reports the AP.

: Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced Saturday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed on the opening of 10 humanitarian corridors, including from the hard-hit city of Mariupol and several locations in the regions of Kyiv and Luhansk, reports the AP. Refugees: According to the UN's migration arm, at least 3.2 million people have crossed Ukraine's borders into neighboring countriesmore than 7% of the population. That's not counting the almost 6.5 million still in Ukraine who are said to have been displaced, per USA Today.

(Read more Volodymyr Zelensky stories.)
U.S. Army Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conduct a live fire training event during Justified Accord, March 9, 2022. Over 800 personnel are currently participating in the exercise representing the U.S., Kenya Defence Forces, allied nations and partners. (U.S. Army Sgt. Neysa Huertas Quinones)
In March 1973, the soap opera "The Young & the Restless" premiered on CBS, U.S. troops left Vietnam, Marlon Brando won an Oscar for "The G
The Public Safety Report is compiled from criminal complaints filed in state and federal courts, as well as some police blotter information, trooper dispatches, fire department reports and interviews with public safety officials. Individuals named as arrested and/or charged with crimes in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Many parents in Bahrain, mainly expatriates, are worried over the state of affairs of their children, who are students in Ukraine.

Over the last few days, they have been continuously scanning news websites and television news channels to ensure that their children are safe in Ukraine.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Bahrain resident Babu Sebastian said he is worried about the recent developments in Ukraine.

My daughter is a third-year medical student at Kyiv Medical University. I am very much worried about what is happening over there though I video call her every day.

I am in touch with the Indian Embassy there. If I bring her back I am also worried about her education and future suffering, he said.

Another resident Senthil Natarajan also shared his worries with The Daily Tribune. My son is a second-year student at Donetsk National Medical University. I spoke to him today morning and he says everything is normal there. But being a parent the ongoing developments are a big matter of concern for us.

Pradeep Patheri, also a Bahrain resident, whose son is a student in Ukraine, said he expects the situation not to flare up.

There were similar incidents in 2014 and finally a peaceful resolution was reached by the timely intervention by the world leaders. I am hopeful about a peaceful resolution. Pradeeps son is a medical student at Uzhhorod University in Ukraine.

Uzhhorod is located on the Ukraine-Poland border. The Kingdom yesterday called on Bahraini citizens to avoid travel to Ukraine.

In a travel advisory issued, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Bahrainis who are currently in Ukraine to leave for their safety, given the recent developments and security instability there.

People who need assistance should call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Operations Office on 00973-17227555.

Meanwhile, Indian Embassy yesterday issued an advisory given the current situation in Ukraine. Indian nationals in Ukraine, particularly students whose stay is not essential, may consider leaving temporarily, the statement said.

According to recent reports, some 130,000 Russian troops are massed around Ukraines borders and off its coast, the biggest mobilisation of combat forces in Europe since the end of the Cold War in 1989.

Ukrainians and Russians have conflicted the east for almost eight years after Russian-backed rebels seized big areas of two key regions - Luhansk and Donetsk.

About eight years ago, the separatists declared those areas as independent, so-called peoples republics. Russia has never recognised them as an independent.

But now Russias parliament has voted to appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognise those two separatist-run areas as sovereign and independent states.

There are two accords known as the Minsk agreements from 2014 and 2015. They just havent been implemented yet and one way out of the current crisis would be to make progress on the Minsk deal.

Under those accords, the two rebel-run regions would remain part of Ukraine, but theyd keep a special status of autonomy.

Russia and Ukraine have very differing views on what that status means.
" " The star-filled night sky over Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, certified as an official International Dark Sky Park in 2019. VWPics/Getty Images

According to the U.S.-based International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), an International Dark Sky Park (IDSP) "is a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage and/or public enjoyment."

The most visible arm of this entity is their vaunted International Dark Sky Places program, which has been in existence since 2001 and has five levels of participation. We will focus on International Dark Sky Parks,which the organization defines as publicly or privately owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors. There are also International Dark Sky Reserves, International Dark Sky Sanctuaries, Urban Night Sky Places and International Dark Sky Communities.

To learn even more, we tapped John C. Barentine, Ph.D., F.R.A.S., who serves as director of conservation at the International Dark-Sky Association. Barentine shares that, "As of today, there are 178 designated International Dark Sky Places in 21 countries on six continents around the world." He thinks it's vital for there to be places like those recognized by the IDA. "They represent in some cases the last remaining regional sources of natural nighttime darkness, which we now know has great value for the wellbeing of the biological world, including ourselves as humans. Access to the night sky is part of our cultural heritage, and many people are now cut off from that experience. They are refuges for body and soul in our increasingly disconnected and frenetic world."

Most importantly, Barentine continues, is that they show what could be when people consciously decide that nighttime darkness is worth protecting. "They demonstrate the power of people coming together to identify a valuable resource and take simple but powerful and cost-effective steps to protect it. And they offer an opportunity for us to hand off something good to the generations that come after us, so they can access an experience among the few that transcends place, time, culture and cultural identity. There's only one night sky, and it belongs to all of us. It's also up to us to preserve it," says Barentine.

Earning an IDA designation is no small task. To get this distinction, areas must go through a rigorous application process, further explained here. "At any given time there are about 50 places in the pipeline that we consider highly 'active' (i.e., we anticipate that they will apply to the program within about the next 12 months) and about 75 that are considered 'active' but that we think will take a little longer to apply. So all together, there are around 125 sites that are somewhere in the nomination process. Lately we have accredited about 25 new sites per year, which means our annual conversion rate is about 20 percent," Barentine explains.

Now that we know what dark sky parks are, let's learn about a handful of options across the United States where visitors can experience the majesty of unspoiled nature via astrotourism.

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1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

We'll start with John Barentine's favorite park, which he admits is a tough question, adding, "I've been asked the same question by journalists in the past, and I always think it's sort of like trying to say which of your children is your favorite. The answer is, of course, all of them." But when pushed, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is his chosen pick. "Not only is it a world icon, as national parks go, but as an Arizona native, it has special meaning to me. It's not the darkest park, or the biggest, but it's "grand" on a scale that's hard to describe. Seeing the Milky Way at night with the dark, yawning depths of the canyon before you is an incomparable experience. It's that sort of moment, that feeling, that drew me into working in dark skies to begin with. It's a feeling I want everyone on this planet to experience in their lifetime," he explains. This park was certified by the IDA in June 2019.

According to the National Park Service, about 5.5 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year to see the stunning 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) deep canyon winding through the desert. Grand Canyon National Park has built a robust night skies program. The best spots to view the stars from the South Rim, where 90 percent of visitors access the park, are Moran Point, Lipan Point and Mather Point from the visitor's center. The Desert View Watchtower is another popular spot, especially for astrophotography. Ranger-led hikes occur every full moon, and rangers occasionally provide constellation talks as well. The 10 percent of visitors using the North Rim entrance should hike to Bright Angel Point for the best views.

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2. Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Fittingly, Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument consists of ancient lava flows that are reminiscent of the craters and valleys of the moon. Its a stunning spot to view the skies and was designated a dark sky park in 2017. Annual star parties are held each spring and fall, while full moon hikes led by rangers are a summertime staple. Additionally, the Idaho Falls Astronomical Society hosts special events in the park to celebrate the beauty of the night sky.

Visitors can also camp overnight in a lava field for another excellent opportunity for a pristine star view.

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3. Newport State Park, Wisconsin

Dark sky parks aren't just reserved for nationally protected lands, so in 2017, Newport State Park in Door County, Wisconsin became the first IDSP in the state. This beautiful area rests on the shores of Lake Michigan and is the only wilderness state park in the state. The entire park offers pretty dark sky views, but for specific parking suggestions, check out this guide to the park's 2,300 acres (931 hectares). Just be sure to head out of the park before the 11 p.m. closing time.

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4. Prineville Reservoir State Park, Oregon

Prineville Reservoir State Park is currently Oregon's only certified dark sky park and earned the honor in May 2021. According to Allison Keeney, global communications manager for Travel Oregon/The Oregon Travel Commission, visitation has definitely increased over the last couple of years, likely due to this designation and the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people choosing to camp and be outside. This central Oregon spot is located east of Bend, a popular outdoorsy destination in the Beaver State. Scheduled dark sky programs are listed at the park in the on-site calendar, and overnight guests can camp at 43 sites along the shore of the 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) reservoir. A number of rustic cabin accommodations are also available in the park and can be reserved up to six months in advance.

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5. AMC Maine Woods, Maine

AMC Maine Woods is New England's first IDSP and was designated as such in May 2021. This massive site helps preserve 75,000 acres (30,351 hectares) in remote northern Maine from light pollution. Owned and operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Maine Woods site provides overnight stargazing and accommodations opportunities with their Medawisla Lodge & Cabins and future programming is in the works as well.

Now That's Interesting According to National Geographic, three of the most light-polluted countries in the world are Singapore, Qatar and Kuwait.
The unwelcome behaviour of some male customers is putting women off visits to hot springs, where both sexes have mingled for years

The rattle of someone sliding open the changing room door is the cue to execute a discreet turn of the head, gaze firmly directed at the steam rising towards the bathhouses intricate wooden rafters.

As it turns out, the precaution is unnecessary. The two bathers joining the Guardian in the restorative waters of a 140-year-old hot spring resort, or onsen, in the mountains of Japans Gunma prefecture were men.

Despite being open to male and female bathers for all but two hours each day  when access is restricted to women  the historical baths seemed to be mixed in name only. Over the course of four long soaks, all of my fellow bathers were male.

The absence of women seemed to confirm Japanese media reports that konyoku  mixed bathing  is at risk of becoming a cultural curiosity, especially when it requires participants to go naked.

Many blame the rising menace of wani (crocodiles)  the nickname given to men who spend long periods immersed in the water, their eyes constantly scanning the room for female bathers. ...continue reading
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will propose reforms at the United Nations to limit veto powers held by the Security Council's five permanent members, Nikkei has learned, after Russia last month blocked a resolution condemning its invasion of Ukraine.

"Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, has violated international law with its reckless actions," Kishida said at a parliamentary upper house budget committee meeting Thursday. "We need to work toward concrete reforms on the use of veto power."

Kishida had told Japanese lawmakers on Monday that he wanted to continue promoting change at the U.N. and the Security Council in cooperation with countries like France, which has proposed limits to veto power in the past.

"Japan's stance has long been that countries must exercise maximum restraint on veto use," he said.

Kishida did not give details on Japan's proposal, but possibilities include restricting the council's permanent members from vetoing resolutions on conflicts in which they are involved, or resolutions related to grave human rights violations. The permanent members are the U.S., China, France, the U.K. and Russia.

The U.K. is willing to discuss removing Russia as a permanent member of the Security Council, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on March 1.

Moscow is expected to block any attempts to remove Russia as a permanent member or to limit veto powers. The U.S. also has reservations. ...continue reading
Japanese Wagyu Beef is quite different from other beef around the world and within Japan, there are so many regional brands.

It's hard to know what the difference is between Kobe Beef and say, Yonezawa Beef other than the branding, but there are factors that can change the taste like climate, elevation, feed, housing conditions, treatment of livestock, and water.

This time, we are in Yonezawa and the Okitama Region of Yamagata to learn how Wagyu beef is inspected, graded and ranked, cut and distributed. We'll also try some of the social dishes famous in Yonezawa like its Gyu Nabe -- also known as Sukiyaki.
Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday said his country will invest $42 billion in India over the next five years in a deal that is expected to boost bilateral trade.

Kishida met his counterpart, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi during his maiden visit to India since assuming office. The two leaders held talks ranging from economy to security cooperation.

In a televised press statement, Kishida said the investment plan will bring huge benefits for several industries, from the development of urban infrastructure to green energy.

Kishida also said the two sides reaffirmed Japan and Indias commitment to strengthen security ties across the Indo-Pacific region and held discussions over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

We discussed the situation in Ukraine. (The) Russian attack is a serious matter as it has shaken international norms, he said.

India says ties with Japan are key to stability in the region. The two nations, along with the United States and Australia, are members of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad that is countering Chinas rising influence in Asia. ...continue reading
Map data:  2022, Google

This automated story was produced for Hearst Connecticut by United Robots using artificial intelligence and data science. Property information is compiled from municipal assessors in Connecticut.

A 3,441-square-foot house built in 1988 has changed hands. The spacious property located on 115 Old Ridge Road in New Milford was sold on February 17, 2022. The $589,000 purchase price works out to $171 per square foot. The property features five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a garage. It sits on a 122,839 square-foot lot.
Vineet Jindal, advocate and social activist, in his letter to the President, sought reopening, investigation of cases and constitution of an SIT to probe cases of the "massacre" of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-1990.

Vineet Jindal, an advocate and social activist has written to President Ram Nath Kovind and sought direction to reopen all cases relating to the massacre of Kashmiri Pandits. In his letter, Jindal has also urged the President to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the incidents of killings of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-90 in the Kashmir valley. Jindal said in the letter that the SIT should thoroughly investigate the cases reported till now and provide a platform to the victims who were unable to report their cases previously due to unfavourable circumstances prevailing then with the objective of ensuring justice.

The advocate contested that if matters pertaining to anti-Sikh riots, which took place 33 years ago, can be reopened and reinvestigated then even the cases of the Kashmiri pundits, which happened 27 years ago, can also be reopened and reinvestigated.

Jindal in his letter stated that the victims of the incidents were in a state of physical, emotional and mental trauma and struggling for their livelihood for past many years and they were not in a state to get their complaints registered, statements recorded and therefore are devoid of an opportunity to justice.

Keeping forward his argument, Jindal wrote, As already said the onus of the justice largely lies with the police officials and administrative authorities, who have quite been ignorant of the massacre and the losses. Such Kashmiri pundits should be given a chance to look forward to the government and the authorities concerned.
Azad told media persons after the meeting at 10 Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi. "The discussion was held to fight unitedly in the forthcoming Assembly elections to defeat the opposition parties," he said.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday met with party interim president Sonia Gandhi. Azad informed the media that he has shared suggestions discussed in the dissident G-23 group meeting on strengthening the party. He further said that there was no duality in the party over Sonia Gandhis position as the party president. The meeting with Sonia Gandhi was good. All members of the Congress party decided unanimously that she should continue as the president, nobody said that Sonia Gandhi should quit, we just had some suggestions that were shared, said Azad while talking to media persons after the meeting at the residence of Sonia Gandhi. He stated, The discussion was held to fight unitedly in the forthcoming Assembly elections to defeat the opposition parties.

Azad said that in the Congress Working Committee meeting recently, suggestions were sought on how to strengthen the organization.

On Tuesday, after a meeting of G-23 at the residence of Azad, the dissenting leaders of Congress issued a statement after the meeting that said the Congress party needs to adopt collective and inclusive leadership. According to the leaders, the meeting was aimed at deliberating on the thrashing defeat faced by Congress in the recently concluded assembly elections in five states.

The G-23 group, consisting of various senior Congress leaders, has been a vocal critic of Congress leadership, demanding an organizational overhaul after its members wrote a joint letter to Gandhi in 2020. 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.
The US is in contact with Indian authorities at various levels on India's plan to buy oil at a discount from Russia, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday.

The US is in contact with Indian authorities at various levels on Indias plan to buy oil at a discount from Russia, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Friday (local time).

We have been in touch, of course, with Indian leaders at a range of levels, (however) not through the president, Psaki said during a press briefing. Psaki was replying to a question about the US position on Indias choice to buy Russian oil despite the harsh sanctions placed on Russia by the majority of Western countries.

But what we will project and convey to any leader around the world is that the rest of the world is watching, where you are going to stand, as it relates to this conflict, (and) whether it is support for Russia, in any form as they are illegally invading Ukraine, Psaki further said in a veiled reference to Indias neutrality in the ongoing conflict so far.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US argued that while purchasing inexpensive Russian oil would not violate US sanctions, it would place the worlds greatest democracy on the wrong side of history.

India has been under intense pressure to take a stance in the current crisis, notably from the United States, which has placed harsh sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in late February this year.

India has not criticised Russias invasion of Ukraine and has refrained from voting on UN Security Council resolutions condemning Russias aggression. In recent weeks, US officials have stated that they would prefer India to distance itself as far as possible from Russia, while simultaneously acknowledging Indias substantial reliance on Moscow for everything from weaponry and ammunition to missiles and fighter planes.

According to a statement published by Moscow last week, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak informed Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri over the phone that Russia is eager to grow its oil and petroleum product exports to India, as well as Indian investments in the Russian oil industry.

According to a Russian official announcement issued last week, Russias oil and petroleum product exports to India have exceeded USD 1 billion, with evident prospects to enhance this amount.

We expect to continue cooperating in the development of peaceful nuclear power, in particular, in building the nuclear power units at Kudankulam, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying in the statement following a phone conversation with Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

We expect to continue cooperating in the development of peaceful nuclear power, in particular, in building the nuclear power units at Kudankulam, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying in the statement following a phone conversation with Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

According to media sources, Indias largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp, acquired 3 million barrels of Russian crude oil on Monday, the first such transaction since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

India, the worlds third-largest oil user and importer, is one of the few countries that has not condemned Moscows invasion of Ukraine. However, only approximately 2% to 3% of those purchases come from Russia.
India, according to the recently appointed Russian envoy, is a "global pharmacy" and a top creator of medication duplicates that are as good as the original.

Denis Alipov, Russias envoy to India, stated on Friday that Indian pharmaceutical companies may replace Western firms that are exiting the Russian market.

In several areas, including medicines, the departure of numerous Western corporations from the Russian market and the niches that have been deserted may really be taken by Indian enterprises, Alipov told the Rossiya 24 channel, as reported by Sputnik news agency.

India, according to the recently appointed Russian envoy, is a global pharmacy and a top creator of medication duplicates that are as good as the original.

Last year, Indias Vaccine Maitri project solidified its position as the worlds pharmacy. At important junctures of the epidemic, world leaders publicly praised Indias efforts to swiftly boost vaccine production and supplies.

This move to change pharmaceutical makers comes at a time when Russia is facing sanctions from Western countries. Russia is now aiming to expand its economic ties with non-European nations.

In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, Alipov claimed earlier this month that Moscow has embraced Indias autonomous foreign policy.

In response to a question on Indias ties, Alipov stated, The Prime Minister (Modi) and the Indian leadership adhere to the states persistent independent foreign policy. We have indicated repeatedly that we support Indias autonomous foreign policy and its efforts to increase its position and influence in the international arena.

The Russian ambassador also lauded Indias foreign policy stance on the present Russian-Ukrainian situation.
Fumio Kishida during his two-day stay in New Delhi will take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, besides holding bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi.

Japanese Prime Minister Fushio Kishida will be taking part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit during his two-day trip to India from 19-21 March. This will be Kishidas first visit to India since assuming office as the Japanese PM. Kishida will also be holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The venue of the summit alternates between the two countries every year. The last edition of the summit had taken place in Tokyo in 2018 while Shinzo Abe was the Prime Minister of Japan.

Kishidas visit to India holds much significance as this time the bilateral meeting will take place in the backdrop of a major conflict in the form of the Russia-Ukraine war. Major oil-consuming countries are keeping a close watch on the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on oil prices.

India and Japan are cooperating as partners in multiple areas within the ambit of their Special Strategic and Global Partnership. These areas include skill development, technology sharing, cultural exchange, infrastructure development and investments under FDI. The summit will also provide a platform to both countries for discussion on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

A decision was also taken in the 2017 Summit to establish the India-Japan Act East Forum. The objective is to coordinate developmental projects in Northeastern parts of India in areas of connectivity, forest management, disaster risk reduction and capacity building. Several projects, including the up-gradation of highways in Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram are underway.
Researchers in China have created a microwave machine called the Relativistic Klystron Amplifier (RKA) that has the potential to jam or destroy satellites in space.

According to Asia Times, Taiwan News, the gadget can create a 5-megawatt wave burst in the Ka-band, a section of the electromagnetic spectrum that is increasingly being exploited for both civil and military reasons. Although it is not strong enough to fire targets out of the sky from the ground, the RKA may be placed on satellites and used to strike enemy assets in orbit by destroying their sensitive electronics.

DEWs are systems that employ focused electromagnetic radiation rather than kinetic energy to harm or destroy enemy equipment and/or troops during a physical confrontation.

Although China claims the RKA is a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), if deployed at scale, the device may fire beams powerful enough to rip through metallic components travelling at high speeds, according to Taiwan News. Indeed, a Beijing-based space expert warned the media anonymously that this technology might be used as a powerful weapon, calling its capability overwhelming just to think about.

Space is becoming a more contentious geopolitical battlefield. This follows recent allegations that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle in low-orbit space in August of last year.

In response to the announcement, Thomas Karako, a senior scholar at the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), stated in November that the US needed to deploy space-based sensors to counter Chinas new missiles, according to Taiwan News.

Furthermore, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine may increase the possibility of space conflict and threaten satellites.

The decades-long collaboration between Russia and Western countries in space may be coming to an end, with the Russian space director recently threatening Moscow with a refusal to correct the course of the International Space Station, which would bring it crashing down to Earth, according to Taiwan News.

Furthermore, Russia destroyed one of its own legacy satellites last year, resulting in a large amount of trash in orbit.
Austin said that in order to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, the US will have to actively engage in aerial combat with Russian aircraft and run the risk of entering into a nuclear conflict with the latter.

The United States will neither engage with Russian troops in Ukraine nor establish a no-fly zone over the country, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told CNN. Austin stated, Well, the Presidents [Joe Biden] been very clear about the fact that we wont have troops engaged in combat with Russia and Ukraine in order to affect or put into place a no-fly zone.

Austin said that in order to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, the US will have to actively engage in aerial combat with Russian aircraft and run the risk of entering into a nuclear conflict with the latter. Austin said, Wed have to control the skies and that would mean that wed have to engage Russian aircraft wed also have to take out Russian aircraft and aircraft systems in Ukraine, in Belarus, and also in Russia. So that would mean that were in combat with Russia. And these are two nuclear-powered countries. That nobody wants to see. Its not good for the region. Its not good for the world.

Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden had said US forces will not engage with the Russian military in Ukraine. Let me be clear  our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine, said Biden during the State of the Union address.

Biden further said that US troops deployed in Europe are there to defend NATO allies from Russian aggression. He added, For that purpose, we have mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, ship deployments to protect NATO countries, including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
The Senators in the letter first called on Biden to convey the US Congress's support for NATO and express their appreciation to countries that recently decided to expedite or increase defence spending commitments.

A bipartisan group of US Senators forming the NATO Observer Group sent a list of proposals meant for the military alliance to US President Joe Biden ahead of his Brussels visit, as per a letter sent by the Senators to Biden. The list contains five proposals and is in regards to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As members of the Senate NATO Observer Group, we wish to convey robust bipartisan support ahead of your trip to Brussels next week for this extraordinary NATO Summit We support your efforts to maintain transatlantic strength and unity at this critical moment for the alliance and have outlined a number of key issues we wish to convey ahead of your visit to Brussels, the letter, first obtained by Politico on Friday, said. Biden is set to attend an extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Senators in the letter first asked Biden to convey the US Congress support for NATO and express their appreciation to countries that recently decided to expedite or increase defence spending commitments.

For the second point, the Senators proposed that NATO and its members urgently explore all options to support Ukraines fight against Russian aggression and take President Volodymyr Zelenskyys request for military equipment seriously to defend Ukrainian skies.

The senators also urged Biden to request NATO to strengthen its presence on its eastern flank, including the establishment of an Enhanced Forward Presence in Romania. The Senators also requested NATO increase its engagement in the Balkans region and consider contingency measures in the event that Russia vetoes the renewal of the EU Forces mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the letter said.

Lastly, the letter urged Biden to consider making an additional stop to a NATO member country sharing its border with Russia, either Romania or a Baltic state, to convey strong US support to the region amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

The Senators who signed the letter include Senators Jeanne Shaheen, John Barrasso, Cory Booker and Marco Rubio among others.
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HAMDEN  Local police departments, including Hamden, New Haven and Hartford, announced Friday that they had banded together to donate ballistic vests to residents of Ukraine, offering a layer of protection amid the ravages of war.

Stephen Coppola, a retired police inspector with the State Attorneys Office in New Haven, said a contact in Ukraine reached out and asked for assistance. Coppola brought the idea to Gabriel Lugo and Bo Kicak, both former deputy chiefs in Hamden; they brought the idea to Hamden police; the effort was born.

Im very proud, said Coppola. Theres a lot of people suffering, a lot of people dying  whatever we can do.

The vests, which run about $800 each, are considered to be expired, Hamden Detective Sean Dolan said. After four to five years, they lose some moderate structural integrity, although they still offer a significant degree of ballistic protection, he said. Hamden usually uses them for training at that point; instead, theyre going to Ukraine.

The department has donated approximately 130 vests so far, with another 18 on the way, Dolan said. Collection efforts continue; Kicak said West Haven police may donate vests; New Haven Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said that department would offer its vests to the effort as they expire.

This is just a small gesture on behalf of the Hamden Police Department to our fellow Ukrainian community members here in Hamden, and throughout the country, that we support them  (and) their loved ones fighting a courageous war in Ukraine, said Hamden Police Chief John Sullivan. We are hoping that our efforts in collecting and donating these bulletproof vests will help keep the citizens of Ukraine safe.

While the vests are expired, that does not mean they are ineffective, according to Sullivan. We cant use them anymore because of industry standard, but we can hand them off for something like this, he said.

I know this is going to spark even more police departments who are going to be donating vests, said Dominguez. Were very thankful to be thought of and to be brought in this and to be part of something.  We cant even comprehend what is going on, and so the little we can do, were glad to do it.

Sullivan noted that everyday people seeking medical care or bread to eat were under threat, spurring the urgency of the donation.

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett praised the department for the effort, noting the fear and threat of violence faced by Ukraine residents. Other departments that wish to donate should contact Hamden police, she said.

I want to rally commend the Hamden Police Department for being leaders in this effort and considering the global community, and keeping the people of Ukraine safe, said Garrett.

Kicak said the effort was personal for him. He was born in Poland; he has family members who live near the border.

My family is dealing with it right now, said Kicak. Any way that we can help them out is something we all want to do.

Youre looking at three guys that probably have 95 years of law enforcement background. It was our duty to help people all that time, said Coppola. Its just like an extension of what we used to do.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
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MILFORD  Local church youth group members rocked the day  and night  away Saturday, maintaining a fundraising tradition that extends more than four decades.

Ten members of the First United Church of Christ's Junior Pilgrim Fellowship group participated in the annual Rock-a-Thon, in which these middle school aged children spend 24 hours in rocking chairs to raise money for nonprofits, and had a good time doing it.

Ive participated for the past two years, and its been fun, said middle schooler Joey Kaminski, so, I wanted to do it again.

Junior Pilgrim Fellowship is a service-based fellowship group who meet regularly and consists of middle school aged youth from Milford and surrounding towns, not all of which attend the First United Church of Christ.

When I was in sixth grade, I successfully rocked in a chair for 24 hours by making sure I always have something to do  like playing a game, enjoying a presentation, doing a craft, Kaminski said. To prepare, Ill be packing all the things I need to stay occupied during the time that were rocking. This year, Ill be knitting and making bracelets with embroidery floss.

Kelsey DeCarlo, the churchs Minister of Faith Formation, said this rocking chair event has been a tradition for 45 years.

Its truly a hallmark of the program and of this church, DeCarlo said.

DeCarlo said church staff and volunteers transformed the buildings large Fellowship Hall, taping carpet to the floor so the chairs will not slip, bringing in the rocking chairs and some tables for the children to use while rocking the time away. The rocking began at 11 a.m. Saturday, ending Sunday.

This does involve staying up for 24 hours, and it is a fundraising effort, DeCarlo said.

This year, the Rock-a-Thon was fundraising for The Trevor Project and Silver Lake Camp and Retreat Center. Over the years, the Rock-a-Thon has raised between $2,500 and $3,000 annually for various charities and organizations.

Rev. Adam E. Eckhart, the churchs senior pastor, said the Rock-a-Thon has been a fixture of the churchs middle school youth group, going back to the 1970s.

It has changed in many ways over the years according to the times and the ways that youth function, Eckhart said. The coordinators have had to, for instance, deal with the increasing tendency of youth to retreat into themselves, with individual screens, by encouraging interaction. But at the same time, screens also helped us have a virtual rock-a-thon last year.

Eckhart said that after several years of the youth eating lots of potato chips and downing increasingly pervasive caffeine drinks through the night, we shifted the emphasis more toward food moderation.

Over the last several years, presenters have come in to teach and encourage creativity and teamwork among the youth, Eckhart added.

DeCarlo said this year there were speakers on budgeting and software development. The rest of the time, she said the kids enjoyed snacks and water while doing crafts and playing board games.

They just have fun in the moment  it is such a great event, DeCarlo added.

The Trevor Project is the worlds largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. The organization focuses on crisis services, education, advocacy and research.

Silver Lake is a summer camp in Sharon used annually by First United Church of Christs youth. The site offers camps throughout the summer and opportunities to hold retreats for churches and other organizations.

It feels good, and it makes me happy to help others, said Kaminski.

Throughout the rock-a-thons history, raising funds has been a constant, Eckhart said. This year Im proud that JPF chose to support the Trevor Project to resource LGBTQ+ people in crisis.

Our church is now open and affirming, and our open and affirming covenant includes the commitment to welcome and affirm people of a diversity of identities, including of any gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, he added. We also commit to work against prejudice and discrimination. So, by supporting the Trevor Project, the youth are doing crucial ministry to further our Christian commitments to honor the full humanity of all of Gods children and creation.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
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Across Connecticut, 157 schools lack critical onsite health services, and even more lack mental health supports, a legislative task force found. Lawmakers have filed a bill that calls for spending $21.8 million to address the problem.

But even under that proposal, more than 100 schools the working group identified as being in need of services could continue to go without.

Help cannot come soon enough amid a crisis in youths wellbeing, local school and health officials said.

The need increased during the pandemic, said Verna Ruffin, superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools, the community identified by the task force as having the greatest need. People are living it right now.

In recent months, hospital leaders in Connecticut have sounded alarm bells as their emergency departments have been overwhelmed with children in crisis during the pandemic.

An incredible mental health burden has been placed on children, the state Department of Public Healths commissioner, Dr. Manisha Juthani, said in late February.

But, relying on hospitals to treat childrens mental health is known to be less effective, and more costly, than getting them help before they reach a crisis stage.

Lawmakers and childrens health advocates have sought and proposed a variety of other measures to address the roots of the problem.

One area that has gained attention is to expand and bolster the states network of school-based health centers  onsite clinics at K-12 schools around Connecticut that provide mental and medical care for kids during school hours.

The centers are considered by many to be one of the most efficient ways to address youth health needs.

A legislative task force, led by the Department of Public Health with members spanning the health and education fields, began meeting late last year to study where to add more school-based mental health services.

The group, in a report released this week, said it found out of 999 schools statewide, roughly two-thirds lack such a health center.

However, among the 694 schools without a school-based health center, some need help in this area significantly more so than others, the group said, and they identified 157 schools that need help the most.

Of any town, Waterbury is home to the highest number of schools in need, but the 157 schools span the state between Danbury and Killingly.

The findings confirm what the states child advocate, Sarah Eagan, told lawmakers in November when she said the majority of school districts in Connecticut dont have school-based mental health.

Lawmakers this session are making earnest efforts to change that. Gov. Ned Lamont last month proposed spending $82.6 million in new funding to address the youth behavioral health crisis.

And amid dozens of proposals with competing priorities, at least one bill in the Senate has set aside $21.8 million for the Department of Public Health to expand the school-based health sites.

Increases in violent behavior

Ruffin, Waterburys superintendent, said after kids came back to in-person learning full-time in the 2021-2022 school year, educators noticed serious differences in students behavior.

We saw increases in violent behavior, she said. The interactions were more reactions than they were conversations. We saw evidence of mediation not working.

Ruffin said the district added more counselors in some schools, and the district noticed tremendous benefit for the kids as a result. Ruffin said its clear which Waterbury schools still need more support.

But the superintendent also said hiring people has been a huge challenge, and she said even if they are given additional funding from the state, she hasnt seen a solution for staffing new clinics.

The majority of Connecticut is in need of more mental health professionals, according to government estimates. One recent CDC-led survey found a third of Connecticut residents have symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Rep. Bill Petit, R-Plainville, agreed the availability of health care providers is the biggest challenge.

Petit, who is a physician and had his own private practice for many years, said legislators are looking at options to remove regulatory barriers that would allow professionals to practice across state lines more easily.

A mental health bill that House legislators are considering takes a few steps to ease the steps of becoming a professional in the field; for example, the legislation would make it easier to practice across state lines and makes obtaining a license smoother.

But Petit also said making sure people have access to mental health services close to home is key to preventing crises. School-based health centers are just one example, he said.

They're local, and they're convenient, and people are more likely to utilize them, Petit said.

The argument for school-based health

Connecticuts health commissioner last month said there is a shortage of inpatient beds in hospitals to treat kids in crisis. Lamonts proposed budget calls for $15 million to open a new 12-bed psychiatric unit at the Connecticut Childrens Medical Center to alleviate backlogs in emergency departments.

But, Melanie Bonjour, manager of the school-based health program at Connecticut Institute for Communities based in Danbury, said emergency departments are a poor substitute for mental health care for the states youths, both in terms of the outcome and the cost.

It's like a band-aid, she said. Its an extremely expensive band-aid, and it doesnt provide long-term care.

School-based health centers, though they are housed on-campus, arent typically operated by schools. Instead, outside organizations  usually a community health network  staffs and runs the program. Every child can use its services for free.

Bonjour, who is also a past president of the states Association of School Based Health Centers, said the model has been shown over decades of work to make kids healthier and safer.

Even if families seek out mental health care in their communities, its easy to fall out of sync and miss appointments, Bonjour said, and some cant afford to pay for the services. But in the school setting, counselors closeness to their patients helps keep students in the loop.

School-based health centers like the five run by Connecticut Institute for Communities accept Medicaid and are legally obligated to offer their services to every student, regardless of ability to pay.

One analysis of emergency department costs nationwide pegged the price of one visit at above $400 for adolescents and teenagers. The costs could increase if the patient is admitted. Running a school-based health center, meanwhile, can cost anywhere between $90,000 and $210,000, depending on what they offer, according to one estimate in the journal Public Health Reports.

Its an effective use of state dollars, Bonjour said.

The state Department of Public Health chips in roughly $125,000 to 90 school-based health centers in 27 communities, meaning the majority of centers must find ways to fund themselves.

Tricia Orozco, who directs East Hartford-based InterCommunity Health Cares school-based health program, said there are waitlists for the mental health providers at most of its seven school sites.

Of those seven clinics, Orozco said five receive partial state funding. The centers offer a full range of primary care for kids, she said, and the organization works to fill in other gaps  by providing a food pantry, for example.

Virtual visits have created flexibility, she said, but some students dont have access to technology. Even in recent weeks, the demand for help with kids behavioral health has continued to increase.

More funding from the state would enable InterCommunity, a nonprofit, to hire more staff and even expand its services to other schools in East Hartford, Orozco said.

We've established that theres a great demand for services, however in the absence of funding, how do school-based health centers hire more staff? she said. School-based health centers are frequently the only health care these students are receiving.

Proposals on the table

Connecticut is home to among the most school-based health centers per capita of any state already, according to the national School-Based Health Alliance, but advocates agree its still inadequate.

In the state Senate, the bill appropriating $21.8 million to school-based health centers directs funds to 36 schools that have no mental health services in any format, located in 11 towns. Seven of those schools are in New Britain, the most of any town.

Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, said the total amount would be split into roughly $590,000 for each of the 36 schools. He said the $21.8 million is a large portion of the budget and a healthy start.

Every community has a school, McCrory said. Why not use that facility that everybody is comfortable going to, whether its for health care or education, to get the services that they need.

McCrory said he would be open to adding more funding to more of the sites the legislative report identified in future sessions.

The Senate bill has the endorsement of the Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers.

It is not the only proposal on the table that addresses the need for more mental health support in schools.

State representatives put forward a bill in the House of Representatives that calls for a detailed plan to be drafted to expand school-based health across Connecticut. Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, said funding school health centers will help to close the care loop that legislators are trying to address.

We continue the struggle in terms of getting to young people at the most appropriate time to get them help, he said.

House lawmakers still need to decide how much money to appropriate to the various proposals in the 103-page childrens mental health bill, Steinberg said. Later in the legislative session, House and Senate legislators will have to reconcile their proposals, leaving the question of how much school-based health centers will receive open-ended. Steinberg also noted there will be further efforts next year.

Need for state funding

The largest provider of school-based health in the state says it is already growing, even absent of additional state funding.

Community Health Center Inc., a nonprofit, operates more than half of the school-based health clinics in Connecticut, approaching 190 in total, according to an analysis by Hearst Connecticut Media. But only 17 clinics receive state dollars directly from the Department of Public Health.

Not all of the organizations clinics offer all three of the core services the centers could offer: Medical, mental health and dental. But Yvette Highsmith-Francis, vice president of the health networks eastern region, said the organization offers what the school believes it needs, and that almost always includes mental health services.

The organization told legislators recently it saw a 22% increase in the number of children it has treated in the last two years, both inside and outside of schools.

Highsmith-Francis said Community Health Center Inc. has developed a way to sustainably fund the centers without outside support by billing insurance plans and keeping services lightweight and focused on what kids need. In fact, it opens between 10 and 12 of the clinics every year.

Were not asking the school for additional resources, were not dependent on a grant from the state. Were able to respond to the needs of the community, she said. We've never said no to a community that has approached us.

Still, Highsmith-Francis said state aid is needed. She noted funding could help schools that lack the physical space to house a clinic. Others need to be updated to accommodate a medical suite, another common barrier to adding the service, so the organization is suggesting adding sites focused solely on students mental health.

The committee of experts also assigned each of the 157 schools a score based on how much a school-based health center could be needed. Charter schools in Hartford and Bridgeport, each run by the organization Achievement First, topped the list.

Tiffany Bostic, director of social work for the charter, said in a statement the organization supports efforts to increase funding for students in the highest-need communities, noting it would be game-changing in many ways.

Our students would greatly benefit from increased mental health support and programming, she said. They would also benefit academically because learning cant happen until a students basic needs are met.
Every politician who has voted to legalize marijuana (pot) does not deserve praise or respect. AAA wrote years ago that every state which legalized pot saw an increase in auto accidents. Your rules will not keep it out of younger peoples bodies and it does affect older users. It is a drug. Since Connecticut needed more money, income and health benefits to politicians should be lowered.

When good politicians wanted to cut down bear populations, another man changed the law to help wild animals in Africa or someplace. Bears have entered a home in my neighborhood and they return. To tell people not to have bird feeders is cruel. People who cant care for a domestic pet enjoy seeing the birds. You have spoiled peoples barbecuing because the food would draw wild animals. An owner of a domestic pet cant comfortably put that pet on their patio as it could draw bobcats or coyotes. This has happened. In warmer weather people cannot use their screen door as a bear or other animal could push through it. Placing wild animals before people has destroyed peoples relaxation so politicians could receive donations for reelection. This is not caring for your constituents as a whole.
Deanna Cook, left, poses for a photograph with her mother Colleen at their home in Malden, Mass., Tuesday. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via AP)
Lt. Bobseine poses with ECO Lt. Nathan VerHague after receiving Public Servant of the Year award from the Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs on March 5. (Contributed photo)
Wednesday morning rain delayed the extraction of a wayward ice boom pontoon until afternoon but the lift came off without a hitch.
CRIME: Accused of assaulting and firing gun at customer in dispute over leaky milk container.
An election official helps another as they sort ballots during an audit at the Georgia World Congress Center on Nov. 14, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The house of representatives says it was not served a notice as being a party to a court case on the Electoral Act 2022. Benjamin Ka...

The house of representatives says it was not served a notice as being a party to a court case on the Electoral Act 2022.

Benjamin Kalu, spokesperson of the house, said this on Friday while addressing journalists.

On Friday, a federal high court in Umuahia, Abia state, ordered the attorney-general of the federation to delete section 84(12) of the amended electoral act.

Evelyn Anyadike, the presiding judge, held that the section was unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null, void and cannot stand.





Anyadike ruled that sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(f) and 182(1)(f) of the 1999 constitution already stipulated that appointees of government seeking to contest elections were only to resign at least 30 days to the date of the election.

President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the electoral act amendment bill on February 25, and asked the national assembly to expunge section 84(12) of the act, on the grounds that the provision disenfranchises serving political officers.

However, the senate rejected the presidents request, while the house of representatives had yet to take a decision on it.

Following the senates rejection, the AGF had said the federal government will consider all other options available on the matter.

Speaking on the decision of the court, Kalu said the lower legislative chamber is also yet to receive the certified true copy of the judgment.

The house of representatives was not aware of this legal matter, was not served and is still unaware whether we were a necessary party to this matter or not, he said.

It is important also to note that it is out of place to comment on a judgment we are yet to see the certified true copy. We will make comment on this judgment once we receive the certified true copy to know the length and breadth of the judgment.





But we have read from the social media and traditional media platforms that the judgment borders on section 84(12) of the electoral act.

We will like to know  when we get the CTC  who represented us (house of representatives), who served us, when, and all those technicalities.

It is important also to let Nigerians know the mindset of the legislature while drafting section 84(12). The section bothers on issues affecting our intention to carry out excellent electoral reforms.

As you know, for electoral reforms to be efficient, effective, transparent, accountable, inclusive, competitive, and fair, it has to be credible. And if any element of this is missing at any point  pre-election processes, election processes, post-election processes  towards achieving credible election, it affects the whole picture.





That was why we wanted to address the conduct of appointees of political office holders who are used as tools during conventions and congresses that gives birth to who becomes a candidate in the general election or who not to be a candidate.

We wanted to give a level playing ground for those who have been in government not to use the undue advantage of being in government while running for an office, so that they will be at par with those who are not occupying office and going for the same position.

It has nothing to do with a public servant. I said it because I hear that many have argued that it offends the provision of the constitution on how to be qualified or disqualified for an election. That is for public servants.

We are talking about political appointees and section 318 defines what a public servant is. It does not include political appointees. So, the ability to differentiate between these two will help us understand what the electoral act is trying to do as against what is being roped in as what it is trying to do.

When we get the judgment, we will know whether that differentiation was clear or if it was not clear.
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.

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Engineers work to perfect masks before the next wave or pandemic
The beloved childrens literary prize, The Newbery Medal, will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, and the Jefferson Parish Library has many of the award-winning titles available for patrons.

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the American Library Association to the author of "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children." Books selected are widely carried by bookstores and libraries, the authors are interviewed on television, and master's and doctoral theses are written on them.

The award is named for John Newbery, an 18th-century English publisher of juvenile books. It was established in 1921 and first awarded in 1922 to Hendrick Willem Van Loon for The Story of Mankind. The medal is awarded each year to an author whose work was published during the preceding year and who is a United States citizen.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt attended the 1937 Newbery Banquet and was seated at the head table next to Frederic Melcher, who first conceptualized the award. This was also the last year the banquet was just for the Newbery Medal. The following year the Caldecott Medal was established and it became the Newbery-Caldecott Banquet.

Robert Lawson won the Newbery in 1944 for "Rabbit Hill." He had won the Caldecott Medal three years earlier for "They Were Strong and Good," and he remains the only person who has won both a Newbery and a Caldecott.

In 2000, "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis was the first book to win both the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award for writing.

The Jefferson Parish Libraries have most of the Newbery winners in its collections, including the following familiar titles.

1923: "The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting

"The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting 1944: "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes

"Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes 1961: "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott ODell

"Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott ODell 1963: "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine LEngle

"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine LEngle 1970: "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong

"Sounder" by William H. Armstrong 1978: "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson

"Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson 1986: "Sarah, Plain and Tall" by Patricia MacLachlan

"Sarah, Plain and Tall" by Patricia MacLachlan 1994: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry 2004: "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo

"The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo 2009: "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman,

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman, 2021: "When You Trap a Tiger" by Tae Keller

For a complete list of winners and more history of the medal, go to http://laglib.org/newberymedalwinners.html.

GENEALOGY SERIES: Gwen Kelley, a librarian who specializes in genealogy and local history, will lead a seminar on the U.S. census at 2 p.m. March 28, via streaming through the librarys website.

Patrons should visit the homepage of the librarys website and click on the link to join the meeting.

For those who dont have computers, the sessions will be broadcast into the River Ridge (8825 Jefferson Highway) and North Kenner (630 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner) libraries on the East Bank, and the Terrytown (680 Heritage Ave.), Belle Terre (5550 Belle Terre Road, Marrero) and West Bank Regional (2751 Manhattan Blvd.) libraries on the West Bank. These sessions will be recorded and will be archived on the librarys website.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: EBSCO, an intuitive online research platform that makes content available to the Jefferson Parish Library, has updated and created several collections on the subjects of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

The collections focus on: African American history; community policing; diverse books for youth; Hispanic and Latin American studies; indigenous studies; Islamic studies; Japanese history and culture; Jewish studies; justice and peace; women in the workplace; and many others.

To find the EBSCO collection, go to the librarys home page, then to the Databases tab at the top of the page. Scroll down to find the link to EBSCO.

WWII DISCUSSION: The group meets at 7 p.m. April 7 at the River Ridge Library, 8825 Jefferson Highway, River Ridge. Brian Altobello, a retired history teacher who leads the group, is the presenter. He will compare the two World Wars with emphasis on the New Orleans home front during WWI, particularly the citizens' attitudes toward local Germans, the role of women, and hyperpatriotism.

MINDFULNESS FOR KIDS: The Mindful Fun Hour, an event for kids 6 and older, takes place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. March 26, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. It will be held in the courtyard across from the main meeting rooms.

Event organizers said being mindful is all about being kind and gentle in the present moment. It has so many awesome benefits for kids including reduced stress, greater ability to focus, and a more positive outlook on life.

Activities will include kid-friendly yoga and meditation and a fun exercise.

COMPUTER CLASSES: Receive free computer training at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, and at the West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.

Seating is limited, and online registration is required. Visit the Computer Classes page at www.jplibrary.net/training and click East Bank Regional Schedule or West Bank Regional Schedule.

Upcoming Metairie classes include:

Microsoft Word 1  10 a.m. to noon March 23.

Microsoft Word 2  2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 23.

Basic Computer  10 a.m. to noon March 24.

One-on-One Training  3 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 24.

One-on-One Training  10 a.m. to noon March 29.

One-on-One Training  3 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 29.

Beginner Computer  2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 31.

Upcoming Harvey classes include:

Microsoft Word 2  10 a.m. to noon March 25.

Microsoft Excel 1  2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 25.

Beginner Computer  10 a.m. to noon March 26.

Microsoft Word 1  10 a.m. to noon March 28.

Microsoft Word 2  2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 28.

Chris Smith is manager of adult programming at the Jefferson Parish Public Library.
On the same day that retail behemoth Amazon filed a permit to remodel a retail space at Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie, the company announced it was shuttering many of its retail stores, including the ones that typically would go into malls.

A permit application filed in Jefferson Parish on March 3 sought permission to remodel 4,657 square feet of retail space at Lakeside for "retail use." The permit listed "Amazon" as the business seeking the approval, which would have demolished a previous retailer's space and installed new "storefront, partitions, doors, lighting" and other elements.

A Seattle-based architectural firm is listed on the permit as the architect of the project.

The parish received just over $4,100 in permit fees with the application, which valued the renovation at about $677,320.

That same day, however, several media reports recounted Amazon's decision to shutter 68 brick-and-mortar retail stores, including ones known as Amazon 4-Star, Pop Ups and Amazon Books. Many of those, especially the 4-Star stores, carried toys and homegoods that were highly rated on Amazon's website. The 4-star stores, as well as the Pop Up kiosks, are often found in malls.

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Instead, the reports said, the company was going to focus on Whole Foods Markets, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go and Amazon style stores. Amazon is also going to devote energy to its cashierless technology, the reports said.

Mall officials decline to comment on the permit application. Messages left for comment with both Amazon and the architectural firm Friday were not returned.

Unlike many malls across southeast Louisiana, Lakeside Shopping Center has continued to thrive. Located near three major traffic thoroughfares, it has bucked trends that have overtaken other malls like the Esplanade in Kenner and Northshore Square Mall in Slidell and has remained a potent economic engine in Jefferson Parish.

"Lakeside Shopping Center is an economic powerhouse with Jefferson Parish," Chamber President Ruth Lawson said, citing it as a key source of sales tax revenue.
A financial planner accused of raping three women in New Orleans was convicted Friday in one of the cases, concluding a five-day trial that hinged on the definition of consent and the believability of a victim who accompanied the defendant to his Warehouse District condominium.

William McDonough, 49, of Natchez, Miss., faces as long as 40 years in prison for the Sept. 15, 2016 crime. Criminal District Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier is scheduled to sentence him April 14.

McDonough is charged separately with additional counts of second-degree rape stemming from encounters with two more women, who served as witnesses at this week's trial and allege they are victims of sexual assault.

Assistant District Attorney Mary Glass said in her closing argument that not giving consent is as easy as saying no, which she called a simple concept. Prosecutors said the victim said no multiple times but McDonough refused to listen.

The rape

On the witness stand, the victim described a first date that began at the Ace Hotel and continued to the nearby Saenger Theatre, where she danced with McDonough and they kissed, their mouths closed. When McDonough offered her a half tab of the party drug molly, also known as MDMA, she said, she took it.

Later, at One Eyed Jacks in the French Quarter, the victim testified, McDonough invited her back to his condo, but she declined because she didnt want to have sex with him. I said it multiple times, she told the jurors, because I wanted to be very clear.

But, she said, she was worn down when he offered a more muted at-home activity: watching television from his sofa, while eating some leftover spaghetti.

In his kitchen, however, the victim said, he started aggressively kissing and touching her. To distract him, she asked for a tour of the loft, which led to a bed at the top of a spiral staircase. She sat down on the bed. Moments later, he raped her, she said.

I felt like I had no control over my body, the victim said, as she described being boxed in on the bed. At 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing about 100 pounds, she testified that this moment was the first time Ive been made to feel how vulnerable I am because of my size.

McDonough stopped, the victim testified, and she initially stayed at the apartment because she couldnt find her clothes. But as they moved to the living room, he raped her again, she testified.

Too scared to fight back, she said, she repeated, no, over and over again.

Soon after, the victim sought medical attention, submitted to a rape kit and filed a report.

Casting doubt

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Her story drew skepticism from the defense counsel, Cameron Mary, who pointed to a toxicology report from the hospital that examined the victim. It did not list molly as present in her system.

That, Mary told jurors, should give you great pause. That the victim said shed taken molly but it wasnt reflected in the report, Mary said, put into question her credibility. It proves that, maybe, shes making things up, Mary said.

Mary largely focused on what he called oddities in the victims story: that she couldnt recall how McDonough had removed her dress, for example, or that when Mary questioned her on the stand, she was spoiling for a fight.

The DNA taken in the victims rape kit was, beyond dispute, a match to McDonough. But Mary said that proved only that the two had sex, something we dont dispute.

Mary asked the woman if she had danced with McDonough in a sexually suggestive way during their first date. I guess you could call it that, she replied.

But the victim only kissed him with her mouth closed? Mary asked, and later, pointed out that she hadnt objected to McDonough kissing her when they were at his apartment.

No, the victim said, kissing isnt the same thing as being raped.

'No means no'

In his closing argument, District Attorney Jason Williams, who co-prosecuted the trial, turned away from the jurors and stood in front of the defense table, looking from Mary to McDonough, his voice raised almost to a yell.

It doesnt matter if you paid for dinner or bought all the drinks, Williams said. It doesnt matter what time of night it is. No means no.

It doesnt matter if they thought you were hot or George Clooney or Denzel Washington, he said. No means no.

It doesn't matter if she kissed you with an open mouth or if she danced with you, Williams said. No means no.

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this story incorrectly quoted Williams on the relevance of kissing and dancing.
A Covington couple who scammed more than 350 companies and 4,400 employees out of $48 million with a bogus medical reimbursement account program have been stripped of their-ill gotten gains and sentenced to prison.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier on Thursday sentenced Denis Joachim, 55, to 8 years, 1 month in prison plus three years of supervised release. Donna Joachim, 55, got 12 months, 1 day in prison, plus three years of supervised release. Barbier, whom President Bill Clinton nominated to the court, will consider ordering restitution in a June 9 hearing.

The defendants must also surrender $6.3 million in assets, including a 26-foot boat, personal watercraft, a Chevrolet Corvette, a Dodge Wrangler and a Mercedes-Benz CL 550, among other vehicles; their home and two other residences in Madisonville; and 40 acres of property in Bush and 125 acres in Spring City, Tennessee.

A reimbursement plan

The couple's company, The Total Financial Group, ostensibly offered employers a supplemental benefits plan to reimburse employees for their co-payments, deductibles and other medical expenses. The program was called Classic 105.

"Classic 105 claimed to be comprised of several components: a tax-exempt contribution of between $1,000 and $1,600 per month made by an employee (which reduced the employees taxable income), a loan from a lender back to the employee to make up for the contribution, an insurance policy payable to the lender at the employees death to repay the loan and fees paid by the employee and the employer," the U.S. attorney's office said. Total Financial Group "told prospective employer-clients that participants would never have to make out-of-pocket payments to repay the loan, and that as a result of the tax savings, most participants would receive an increase in their net take-home pay."

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In reality, the company arranged a series of paper transactions that "did nothing more than reduce participants' taxable wages and employers' Social Security payments," without obtaining a single loan or insurance policy.

'Stoking public distrust'

In 2019, the Joachims pleaded guilty: Denis to conspiracy to commit money laundering, Donna to conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The defendants targeted unsuspecting employers, luring them into this fraudulent scheme that caused severe tax issues for both employers and their employees, U.S. Attorney Duane Evans said. Schemes such as these have a profound effect on their victims, not only by the monies lost in the scheme, and the time and effort to repair the adverse effects of the fraudulent plot, but also by stoking public distrust."
Latrell Johnson has become the 31st defendant to plead guilty in a broad scheme to stage accidents with 18-wheelers in New Orleans and file fraudulent lawsuits and insurance claims.

The 30-year-old New Orleans resident admitted she was a passenger in a Ford Expedition that struck a tractor-trailer May 11, 2017, at Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road, and that she lied in a lawsuit blaming the truck driver for the collision, the U.S. attorney's office said. She and her co-conspirators collected $140,242 from the truck's insurance company.

She pleaded guilty Wednesday to mail fraud, after which federal prosecutors dismissed two other counts of mail fraud.

Judge Jane Triche Milazzo scheduled sentencing for July 13. Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000. Still maximum punishment is rare in federal court for first-time offenders.

Authorities said Johnson was part of a large ring of "slammers" who intentionally collided with big rigs, "spotters" who ushered slammers away from the wreck scene, passengers who sometimes feigned injury or posed as the driver when police arrived and crooked lawyers who filed suit for them. Members are accused of causing 77 wrecks and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent settlements.
The shooting death of a man who jumped over a neighbors gate and another who aggressively approached a motorist at a gas station won't lead to criminal charges, at least for now, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Following investigations by the NOPD and the Orleans Parish District Attorneys Office, the shooters who killed Kenneth Coleman on Oct. 23 and Wesley Bell three days later have effectively been cleared and won't face criminal charges. Both claimed they were acting in self-defense.

Colloquially, these types of killings are known as justifiable homicides, though the police avoid using that term.

Should additional evidence be discovered, it will be analyzed in conjunction with existing evidence and presented to the District Attorneys Office for review, an NOPD statement said.

Coleman, 36, jumped over a wrought-iron gate surrounding a house in the 2800 block of Paris Avenue at about 5:15 a.m. the day he was killed. Homeowner Philip Cooper, 69, has since publicly claimed that he shot Coleman from the balcony because his house, which was undergoing a lengthy renovation, had been previously burglarized and he felt he had no other choice.

People in Louisiana can kill without being prosecuted if they prove they did so while in a place they were legally entitled to be and because they reasonably feared they were in imminent danger of losing (their) lives or receiving great bodily harm.

A key aspect of this case was whether authorities considered Coleman to have been killed within the curtilage of Coopers home. A curtilage, generally, is land which a dwelling and its yards occupy.

Colemans family had urged authorities to charge Cooper. While Coleman's criminal record included a simple battery conviction in 2018, he had never been accused of burglary, his sister Deatrice Coleman said. He cut grass and did other landscaping work to support his son and two daughters.

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Meanwhile, Bell, 57, was accused of aggressively approaching a motorist who had pulled his car next to a fuel pump at a service station in the 3200 block of Gentilly Boulevard, police sources said. The driver shot Bell, waited for first responders to arrive following a 911 call, and asserted that he was acting in defense of his life.

At least two other high-profile cases involving self-defense claims remain under legal review.

Alton Williams, 21, was shot to death outside the Ace Hotel on Carondelet Street on Dec. 5. The admitted shooter, Lavanzel Kerr, has said he shot Williams  a hotel valet  after Williams allegedly pistol-whipped him, demanded $100 and threatened to shoot him. The NOPD forwarded the case to the DAs Office without booking Kerr with a crime, and prosecutors are still reviewing it, a police statement said.

Joseph Sandoval, 44, was killed when he and his girlfriend went to the parking lot outside the Costco warehouse club off South Carrollton Avenue so that she could leave her child with his father, who police have not publicly named. An argument erupted between Sandoval and the other man, who ended up shooting Sandoval to death.

Police said Sandoval also had a gun during the confrontation, and they were trying to determine whether the man who shot him acted in self-defense. He wasnt immediately booked with a crime, but NOPD detectives are still reviewing the case, police said.

Note: This post was updated since it was first published to clarify the term justifiable homicide.
Derrick Harry, the man accused of gunning down a 15-year-old boy on a Marrero sidewalk, told investigators he acted in self-defense, claiming the teen was armed and accompanied by another person who shot at him first, according to authorities.

Harry, 19, also alleged that JaMarian Price was part of a group that had shot at him in front of his home him several weeks before Price was fatally shot Feb. 12.

I believe the facts will merit a claim of self-defense, Harrys attorney, Adam Koob, said this week during a preliminary hearing in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court.

But authorities say Price wasnt armed and was shot in the back and side, indicating he was running away.

Harry also never identified Price to authorities investigating the December gunfire at his home, naming Price only after he had shot and killed him, according to Assistant Jefferson Parish District Attorney Doug Freese and Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office Detective Steven Mehrtens.

+4 After 'sweetheart' 15-year-old boy gunned down in Marrero, JPSO books suspect with murder The death of 15-year-old JaMarian Price, gunned down in February on a Marrero sidewalk, split open the wounds of a large West Bank family sti

His assertion of self-defense is inconsistent with the physical evidence, Freese said.

Harry was booked with second-degree murder in Price's death after surrendering on March 3.

The shooting occurred about 12:45 p.m. on a Saturday in the 7200 block of Gentry Road in Marrero. Harry, who lived on that block, told detectives he was sitting inside his sport utility vehicle, which was backed into the driveway of a vacant residence, Mehrtens said.

Gunfire erupts

Harry noticed three people walk in front of the SUV and told investigators he made eye contact with Price, Mehrtens testified. Harry told the detectives he recognized Price as one of the people who shot at him in December based on conversations with other neighborhood residents, Mehrtens recounted.

Harry told investigators he stepped out of his SUV and heard a gunshot. He said Price and one of teens two companions were armed, Mehrtens testified. The companion fired first, Harry told authorities.

Harry said he returned fire until he ran out of ammunition, Mehrtens testified.

Price was shot twice in the side and twice in the back and collapsed in front of the home next door to the driveway where Harry was parked, according to authorities.

It was consistent with the fact of his turning and running away, Mehrtens said.

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Detectives found no evidence that Price was armed or fired a weapon, he said.

Investigators did find two sets of spent .9mm shell casings that were fired by two different guns, according to authorities. One group of about 17 casings was found on the ground near the drivers side door of Harrys SUV.

The other set of casings, about seven, fell in the grass between the two houses.

It was as if [the person was] shooting, traveling in a straight line between the two residences, said Mehrtens, who testified that the bullets would have been fired in Harrys direction.

Sheriffs Office detectives have not identified the person who was allegedly with Price and fired at Harry. They also dont know the name of Price's other companion who ran when the shooting started, according to authorities.

SUV has bullet damage

While the vacant house was hit, Harrys SUV was not hit by any bullets on the side that faced Price and his companions, Mehrtens said.

But the drivers side of the SUV, the side Harry would have been facing as he shot at the trio, had shattered windows and damage to the frame and roof from the bullets fired from Harrys weapon, Mehrtens said.

Harrys grandmother and mother spoke with investigators shortly after the homicide, Mehrtens testified. Harry had asked his grandmother to pick him up in the area after the shooting and told her his house had been shot up again, and hed fired his gun after being attacked, Mehrtens recounted.

While Harry did not return to the homicide scene, Harrys mother called him and allowed him to talk with a detective over a speakerphone.

I explained to [Harrys mother] that if he was in possession of a firearm that had been used in the shooting and had removed it from the scene, he needed to bring it in, Mehrtens said.

Surrenders on homicide warrant

After the family hired Koob, Mehrtens testified that the attorney reached out to investigators and said hed advised his clients not to make a statement or turn over the weapon. Koob eventually gave the gun to the Sheriffs Office after Harry surrendered on a homicide warrant, Mehrtens said.

Koob alleged that the person who attacked Harry on the day of the homicide was the same person who shot at him in December 2021. He accused the Sheriffs Office of failing to investigate it.

But deputies tried several times to call Harry after the December shooting, Mehrtens said. The calls were never returned.

Magistrate Commissioner Paul Schneider ruled there was sufficient evidence to continue holding Harry on the second-degree murder charge and denied a motion to reduce Harrys $550,000 bond.
Emmanuel Ukot's phone started going off in the early hours of Feb. 1. Anxious classmates wanted to know if Ukot, the president of Xavier University's Student Government Association, had any idea what was happening.

There had been a report of a bomb threat, rumors were circulating around the New Orleans campus and school officials told students to shelter in place.

"You could hear the anxiety right in their voice," Ukot said. "Quickly enough, the anxiety and the nervousness turn into frustration, righteous frustration. Why us?"

It wasn't the first bomb threat of the year at the university. Beginning in late January, a wave of bomb threats targeted historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, across the United States. Many came on Feb. 1, the first day commemorating Black History Month. Almost a third of the 107 HBCUs were targeted, including Dillard University and Xavier University in New Orleans and Southern University in Baton Rouge.

No explosives have been found in connection with the threats. But for students and faculty already juggling more than two years of pandemic-related stress, the threats have shattered the calm and comfort they had enjoyed on what are typically tightknit campuses.

When institutions refused to admit Black students, HBCUs offered a safe space and a high-quality education for many African American scholars," U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, said Friday, after meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray. "However, the recent bomb threats on scores of HBCUs across the country  including several in Louisianas 2nd Congressional District  have shattered this sense of safety on many campuses. We need to ensure that our HBCUs, and all who spend time at them, are protected."

Testifying Thursday before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in Washington, Ukot said the threats were especially painful given the significance of February.

The triple impact of COVID-19, the ongoing racial reckoning in the country and the bomb threats on HBCU campuses is having a real and lasting impact on our students, he said.

'Righteous frustration'

Xavier experienced a bomb threat on Jan. 4. After a second bomb threat, hours before dawn on Feb. 1, the school told students living in dormitories to remain in their rooms and switched to remote learning until authorities gave the all-clear signal that afternoon. Xavier also received a bomb threat in the fall of 2020, a Xavier spokesperson said.

Even after the all-clear was sounded, some students were too nervous and paranoid to attend class for the rest of the week, Ukot testified. In an interview later, Ukot said the nervousness turned to "righteous frustration" as weeks went by with no arrests.

"I think you kind of lit a fire for some students about wow, maybe society does need people like me who've been able to see through this for what it is and push back respectfully," he said

The Feb. 1 bomb threat at Xavier came a day after at least six other HBCUs across the U.S., including Southern, received similar threats. A Southern spokesperson said campus police increased foot patrols "with officers on alert for any suspicious items," and were working with the Baton Rouge and Baker Police departments to arrange for a bomb-sniffing dog and other resources in the event of another threat.

The U.S. Department of Education said HBCUs receiving bomb threats would be eligible for short-term funding to address mental health resources or enhanced security, to restore the learning environment on their campuses.

'Highest priority,' but no arrests

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the threats as hate crimes, and said last month that six tech-savvy juveniles might have been behind them. At the congressional hearing Thursday, Ryan Young, executive assistant director of the FBI Intelligence Branch, said the threats might have come from one person or a small group of people, as well as some copycats.

The agency deemed the investigation of the highest priority, but no arrests have been made.

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Dillard University received a bomb threat Feb. 25. Dillard President Walter Kimbrough said there was minimal disruption on campus because it was the Friday before Mardi Gras, but he worries that people will become less vigilant as the threats increase. He said the university will apply for grant funding to pay for security, but he worried about a lack of arrests.

All thats good, but what stops it is when they catch the person [who's] doing it, Kimbrough said.

Rising hate crimes

According to the FBI, hate crimes against Black people increased by almost 50% between 2019 and 2020.

Lecia Brooks, chief of staff and culture at the Southern Poverty Law Center, characterized the threats as acts of domestic terrorism and said the center's research has shown hate crimes that go unchecked often continue.

Its urgent that people be held accountable for these bomb threats, not to mention the psychological stress and strain its had on students and faculty members, Brooks said.

"This is another instance of a psychological attack on Black communities, and to know that is happening today in 2022 with a seemingly a lack of response from our government is unsettling at best, Brooks added.

Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, point out that such threats not only cause disruption, but draw on law enforcement resources and can lead to complacency.

No explosions; still, a toll

Andrew Logan, a senior communications student at Dillard, said he arrived on campus after work on the morning of Feb. 25 to find police officers swarming outside his apartment. Then an email came through from Dillard police warning of the bomb threat. Students were evacuated, classes were canceled and, because it was midterms, exams were pushed back a week.

Logan said his peers have seemed on edge, but in the age of school shootings it doesn't feel new, he said. "Now its just a little more curated to our campus.

Ukot said that although fewer students have expressed continuing fears, there is an overwhelming sense that "it's expected again."

"Unfortunately, students are understanding that this is part of the fabric of society," he said. "There's always going to be this group or multiple people who somehow justify reprehensible actions because people have done nothing to them. ... But I think what students are beginning to do is say, 'OK, what are we going to do about this on a larger scale?' "

Chris Taylor, a freshman at Xavier, said Mardi Gras lifted some pressure but that students still worry "because if it happened before it may happen again."

When Ravien Burns, a Dillard freshman, woke up Feb. 25 and checked her phone, she thought accounts posting about the bomb threat were the result of being hacked. Then a resident adviser banged on her door and told Burns and her roommate to get off campus.

Staying calm, Burns grabbed some necessities - her computer, notes to study for exams and some clothes - and headed to her father's house in New Orleans East.

My campus is safe but what if this happens again? she asked.
A Tulane University study has found that students in New Orleans did not change schools significantly more than those in Jefferson Parish, but that Black and economically-disadvantaged students were more likely to move than their White peers.

The Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, an education research arm of Tulane, looked at data from Orleans and Jefferson parishes from the 2015-2016 school year to the 2018-2019 school year to determine which students changed schools the most and how moving to different schools impacted the students academic performance. The findings echo those of earlier studies that found that after post-Hurricane Katrina school reforms, student mobility in New Orleans decreased.

Opponents of the charter system often raise concerns about school mobility, fearing that without residential boundaries, students would switch schools more frequently, which could have a negative impact on their learning.

NOLA Public Schools declined to be interviewed about the findings, but Taslin Alfonzo, a school district spokesperson, said in a statement that the district often partners with local researchers to better understand the dynamics of the school system.

"These findings do not always lead to new decisions, but understanding the forces and trends that impact our students educational journeys is vital to the work of the district and our schools," Alfonzo said. "Our team continues to evaluate the survey results with regard to student mobility to better understand its impact on student achievement."

Mobility rates go down

In a 2016 study, the Education Research Alliance found that in New Orleans, where there is no residential requirement for charter school and students can more easily change schools, mobility rates actually went down similar to those seen across the state at the time.

Looking at students who moved schools mostly during the year, researchers found that mobility rates in Jefferson Parish, which has far fewer charter and magnet schools, were slightly higher than those in Orleans Parish.

More than 75% of New Orleans students during the time period did not move, compared to 73% of Jefferson Parish students. In Orleans Parish, 18% of students moved one time, compared to 20% of Jefferson Parish students. Six percent of Orleans Parish students and 7% of Jefferson Parish students moved two or more times.

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The data included students who moved during the summer if the school they moved from offered their grade level for the next year but excluded students who moved due to school closures or takeovers.

It reinforces that the charter based school system is not inducing (a) substantial increase in mobility  and mobility is hard on students and its hard on schools, said Doug Harris, director of the Education Research Alliance.

When do students change schools?

The study found that Orleans Parish public school students were more likely to change schools during the summer, but Jefferson Parish students were more likely to move during the school year. This suggests that "Orleans Parish parents may have been intentional and strategic while Jefferson Parish moves were more likely to be the consequence of a residential move," the study said.

Of the New Orleans students who did switch schools, two trends emerged: Black students moved more than White students, and students who had experienced homelessness and those who received free or reduced price lunch moved schools more than students who never experienced homelessness and did not receive free or reduced lunch.

From the studied time period, 27% of Black students changed schools, compared to 6% of White students and 16% of students who identified as another race.

The study could not determine what academic effects moving schools had on a student, but it found that the English-language arts and math test scores of students who moved schools one or more times were lower than those of their peers before they moved.

This suggests that students with lower academic achievement are more likely to change schools voluntarily, the study said.
You won't, after all, be able to cross the Mississippi by way of the Huey Long and take the Edwin Edwards to get back.

That would certainly have been a neat arrangement, given that Edwards in many ways inherited the Long mantle. The bridge in Jefferson Parish, named in honor of Long and opened four months after his assassination in 1935, is just a few miles upriver from what is officially known as the Crescent City Connection in New Orleans. A bill in the state legislature to rename that bridge for Edwards has been withdrawn.

While the two mercurial populist governors make a logical pair, there is one crucial difference. Long was never convicted of a crime, whereas Edwards, as an inveterate exponent of the shakedown, was sentenced to 10 years in the federal pen.

Let's be fair to Edwards, though. Had he, like Long, lived only to the age of 42, he would have kept an unblemished record. He was 72 when found guilty, and 93 when he died in 2021. Long, moreover, was not celebrated for financial probity. Regardless, you might think, with so many highly partisan Republicans at large in Baton Rouge, that a bill honoring any Democrat would have no chance of passage anyway.

But check who, along with Democrat Kyle Green of Marrero, filed the bill in the House. It was none other than Speaker Clay Schexnayder of Gonzales, who describes himself on his website as a conservative Republican. He has, however, a connection with Edwards, who spent the last several years of his life in Gonzales and died there.

Schexnayder may have lived at the other end of the political spectrum, but he bears a striking resemblance to Long in one respect.

Schexnayder allows on his website that his family proudly belongs to both St. Joseph Catholic Church in French Settlement and Pine Grove Baptist Church in Bayou Barbary.

When Long, a native of Protestant North Louisiana, was campaigning for governor in the Catholic South, he told how he would take one set of grandparents to Mass at six o'clock on Sunday morning, and hitch up the horse again at 10 to take his Baptist grandparents to church.

When an acquaintance said he did not know about the Catholic grandparents, Long replied, Don't be silly. We didn't even have a horse.

Long, his brother Earl and Edwards all brought a quick wit and a devil-may-care style to the job of governing Louisiana that is out of fashion these days. Whatever that may mean for the integrity of public life, the fun quotient is definitely down.

Edwards used to tell me that a journalist would always betray a politician for the sake of a headline, so the two could never be friends, and he remained suspicious of the press. When the old Times-Picayune merged with the States-Item in 1980, he wasn't just joking when he said, Two wrongs don't make a right.

Still, it was impossible not to be beguiled by the charm and panache that made him such a success as a politician and philanderer. His command of detail and power of persuasion helped make him the only four-term governor in Louisiana history.

But he was widely regarded as a crook from at least his third term in the 1980s. Long after that suspicion was so dramatically confirmed, renaming a bridge for him would have had the outside world in stitches.
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.
A new version of Omicron, BA.2 found its way to U.S. shores after emergence in Asia and parts of Europe in late December 2021. As it becomes detected more frequently in the U.S.now accounting for roughly 23 percent of COVID-19 variants in the U.S. per CDC datait is time to consider the public health response.

Does this new strain require a different response? We asked a UPMC doctor.

The following replies are from Rutul Dalal, MD, FACP, FIDSA, medical director, Infectious Diseases, UPMC in North Central Pa.

How is UPMC responding to the BA.2 subvariant?

New variants arent unexpected, and this certainly wont be the last one.

Known as stealth omicron, BA.2 seems to spread more easily than the original omicron variant. The original omicron variant is still dominant across the United States, and UPMC will be ready when if it should come to the region.

If BA.2 becomes the dominant strain in our regions, UPMC does have a new monoclonal antibody treatment, bebtelovimab, as an option we could pivot to. While we await further clinical data on bebtelovimab, UPMC has an adequate supply of sotrovimab to treat those in our communities who are most likely to have severe outcomes from COVID-19.

How does UPMC anticipate the impact of BA.2 on hospitalizations and deaths? Will the country continue to see a decline in cases, despite the emergence of BA.2?

Data suggests that there's no more increased disease severity with BA.2 but there may be a little bit more of a transmission advantage.

Omicron had a high transmission rate which may have helped health systems prepare for future variants. As weve seen Omicron spread and start to decline, were also seeing that most of the population is either vaccinated or has been infected, and theres a high change that cross-immunity between variants, and in this case a subvariant, will occur.

We do not know for sure what future variants will look like as they spread around the world. The data is suggesting that it is likely that this subvariant could extend our tail, meaning it might slow down the decrease in cases. But were hopeful that it will not lead to a new wave of cases.

What is the relationship between boosters and variants?

It remains important that people know their risk and take steps to protect themselves like getting vaccinated and staying out of large, indoor crowds.

Vaccinations and boosters remain one of the best ways we can continue to fight the spread of COVID-19. Vaccines seem to still prevent severe illness with both BA.1 and BA.2, and infection with the former seems to provide antibodies to fend off the latter. We encourage everyone to stay the course and continue to follow the latest guidance on appropriate vaccination and boosters.

Will we see government request for additional boosters given BA.2 (or other subvariants)?

At this time only 36% of the U.S. has received their two doses of an mRNA vaccine and a booster. Were still learning about the subvariant, however; there may be the need for another booster, a fourth-dose booster for an individual receiving the mRNA, that could be based on age, as well as underlying conditions. At this time, this fourth booster seems to be something a person can address on a case-by-case basis with their provider.

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Harrisburg, Pa.  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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Lock Haven, Pa. -- A Lock Haven father was sentenced to 15 years in state prison for breaking his 3-year-old son's collarbone last February, according to the Clinton County District Attorney's office.

Aaron Confer, 23, pleaded guilty in January to felony aggravated assault and felony child endangerment. He will be eligible for parole after 26 months.

Judge Michael F. Salisbury imposed the sentence in front of a courtroom filled with several dozen attendees who showed their support for the injured baby boy, as well as a handful of Confer's supporters.

Related reading: Man pleads guilty to assault on 3-month-old

At Confer's sentencing, District Attorney Dave Strouse said all the statements and comments made by Confer showed he refused to take full responsibility for his assault on his defenseless baby, according to a news release.

"Strouse said Confer claimed he was 'reckless', said he 'maybe went too far' and always minimized his actions," the released stated. "Strouse said the truth was that the photographs of the head-to-toe injuries suffered by the baby told a far different story. He said Confer would have killed the baby if he wasnt interrupted by the babys mother."

Strouse also expressed disbelief that Confer apparently began a new romantic relationship a short time after he was arrested, and impregnated his new girlfriend while his criminal case was pending.

"Strouse repeatedly referenced photographs of the infant that showed injuries to all parts of his body. He called the injuries 'horrific,' and added, that Confer 'should be locked up for as long as possible, and he should never, ever, be around another child for the rest of his life,'" the release said.

Confer's attorney Kyle Rude did not attempt to minimize his clients actions, according to the DA.

"Rude said that Confer had no explanation, and no excuse for what happened that day. He said Confer had since sought counseling, and was trying to manage his anger," the release said.

According to Rude, his client expressed remorse for his actions from the very beginning of the case, and referenced an apologetic letter Confer had written to his son that he hoped his son would be able to read when he got older.

Confer also addressed the Court, apologized to the victim, and said he had no explanation for what happened that day. He told Judge Salisbury that whatever punishment he decides on, Confer would accept it. Confer also said he "hopes to be better."

Judge Salisbury noted he had received seven letters of support for Confer.

"Not one of the letters mentioned the terrible injuries that were suffered by this little defenseless baby," he said.

Salisbury told the Confer's supporters that he would like them to view the photographs of the babys injuries, but decorum prohibited him from showing them.

According to the news release:

Salisbury said "words could not do justice to the injuries and he would find it hard to believe that anyone would be able to speak so highly of Confer if they actually would see what he had done."

Strouses use of the word 'horrific' is the only one suitable to describe the injuries, Salisbury said.

Salisbury also talked about the trauma the victim endured, and the trauma endured by the babys mother. The baby was unable to be held for an extended period of time due to a fractured clavicle caused by Confer, he noted.

"Your behavior goes against every natural paternal instinct, and I cannot believe that you went out and fathered another child after doing these things," Salisbury told Confer at sentencing.

I hope that the mother of the next child is here in this courtroom listening, Salisbury said.

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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.

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In addition to the Xiaomi 12 and the Xiaomi 12 Pro the Chinese OEM also sells a more affordable entry-level model named Xiaomi 12X. It features the exact same design language as its more expensive siblings, and it performs strikingly similar as well. Mid-range competitors watch out, there's a new sheriff in town.

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The 12-series is Xiaomis latest series of their top smartphones, and the launch was focused mostly on the larger Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro.

There is, however, a third member, the Xiaomi 12X. And it could very well be the most exciting one. First of all, it represents the comeback of Xiaomis X-series of affordable smartphones. Second, this 6.28-inch device is a compact yet powerful Android smartphone featuring a 120 Hz AMOLED display, up to 12 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, and a 50 MP main camera.

For their 12X, Xiaomi chose the Snapdragon 870 from their parts bin resulting in a level of performance akin to high-end instead of mid-range devices while both, the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro, are powered by the faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 instead.

Identical Design and Virtually Identical in Terms of Technology to the Xiaomi 12

Apart from the SoC the difference between the Xiaomi 12 and the Xiaomi 12X are few and far between. The only major difference is the formers support for wireless charging with up to 50 W and reverse wireless charging with up to 10 W while the latter does not support any form of wireless charging at all. Otherwise, the two are virtually identical, down to individual design elements. And while the Xiaomi 12 Pro features the same design it is slightly larger at 6.73 inches.
NREL Issues Competitiveness Improvement Project Request for Proposals

The Program, Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Will Build on 10 Years of Successful Distributed Wind Energy Innovation

March 1, 2022 | Contact media relations

The U.S. Department of Energys (DOEs) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP). New this year is an opportunity for manufacturers of small and medium-sized wind turbines to propose solutions focused on developing markets for new products or new markets for existing products.

CIP provides subcontracts to U.S. companies that help make distributed wind energy more cost competitive. Now, the project is evolving to support commercialization, accelerate deployment, and encourage market scaling to further reduce costs. Graphic by John Frenzl, NREL

Applications will be accepted through April 1, 2022.

Managed by NREL on behalf of DOEs Wind Energy Technologies Office, the CIP awards cost-shared subcontracts and technical support to make distributed wind energy more cost competitive, improve its interoperability with other distributed energy resources, and increase the number of small and mid-scale wind turbine designs that have been tested to national standards. The 2022 RFP includes a new topic area that takes the programs impact one step further by supporting the costs associated with the commercialization process and development of partnerships with a pathway to larger-scale deployments.

Over the last decade, CIP has supported small businesses in multiple phases of the product-development cycle, resulting in significant cost reductions in distributed wind energy turbine technology while simultaneously improving product reliability and market readiness, said Ian Baring-Gould, NREL distributed wind energy program lead. As we look to greatly expand the use of clean energy, CIP is also evolving to support commercialization by addressing barriers to rapid deployment of these improved distributed wind energy technologies.

Exemplifying the impact of CIP on the U.S. distributed wind energy industry :

Bergey Windpower (in Norman, Oklahoma) developed and achieved certification through third-party verified testing for safety, function, performance, and durability for the Bergey Excel 15 wind turbine, which has reduced the cost of energy by 50% compared to the Bergey Excel 10 wind turbine.

(in Norman, Oklahoma) developed and achieved certification through third-party verified testing for safety, function, performance, and durability for the Bergey Excel 15 wind turbine, which has reduced the cost of energy by 50% compared to the Bergey Excel 10 wind turbine. Pecos Wind Power (in Somerville, Massachusetts) prototyped a new 85-kilowatt (kW) wind turbine engineered specifically for the U.S. distributed generation market, resulting in an expected cost of energy 55% lower than comparable installations

(in Somerville, Massachusetts) prototyped a new 85-kilowatt (kW) wind turbine engineered specifically for the U.S. distributed generation market, resulting in an expected cost of energy 55% lower than comparable installations Primus Windpower (in Lakewood, Colorado) achieved turbine certification on two of the companys turbine models.

(in Lakewood, Colorado) achieved turbine certification on two of the companys turbine models. Intergrid LLC (in Temple, New Hampshire) developed a modular power inverter for wind turbines under 25 kW to meet updated grid integration requirements and fill a distributed wind energy industry gap by delivering an interconnection-code-compliant inverter designed for compatibility with other distributed energy technologies.

(in Temple, New Hampshire) developed a modular power inverter for wind turbines under 25 kW to meet updated grid integration requirements and fill a distributed wind energy industry gap by delivering an interconnection-code-compliant inverter designed for compatibility with other distributed energy technologies. Carter Wind Turbines (in Wichita Falls, Texas) modernized their 300-kW turbine with a new rotor design for increased energy production in lower wind speeds and developed controls and power electronics to integrate battery storage and provide enhanced resiliency through emergency backup power.

(in Wichita Falls, Texas) modernized their 300-kW turbine with a new rotor design for increased energy production in lower wind speeds and developed controls and power electronics to integrate battery storage and provide enhanced resiliency through emergency backup power. QED Wind Power (in Tucson, Arizona) initiated field testing, certification, and electrical safety listing of their 20-kW turbine, which can integrate into existing grid infrastructure or operate off grid in isolated communities.

(in Tucson, Arizona) initiated field testing, certification, and electrical safety listing of their 20-kW turbine, which can integrate into existing grid infrastructure or operate off grid in isolated communities. Eocycle America (in Stowe, Vermont) advanced their 100-kW M series turbine with a new optimized rotor design for maximum yield at sites with low to medium wind speeds and integrated storage to provide resiliency and grid stability enhancement.

The Bergey Excel 15 wind turbine, developed through CIP, has reduced the cost of energy by 50% compared to the Bergey Excel 10 wind turbine. Photo from Jordan Nelson, Nelson Aerial Productions

The 2022 RFP focuses on projects that:

Develop new, innovative distributed wind energy concepts

Transform and optimize existing designs for lower cost, increased energy production, or expanded capabilities, such as advanced grid support to enhance power system resiliency

Conduct wind turbine and component testing to national standards to verify performance and safety

Develop advanced manufacturing processes to reduce hardware costs

Accelerate pathways to commercialization.

The RFP includes cost-share requirements, and proposals must provide evidence of technical readiness, incorporation in the United States, strong team skills and capabilities, and financial information. Work funded under this effort is expected to take place in the United States and/or U.S. territories unless otherwise justified.

To view the CIP RFP and find additional background information, visit the CIP project website.
Power to the Women

For Womens History Month, NREL Celebrates the Powerful Women of Water Power

Do you know these remarkable women? From innovations in radio signals that made today's mobile phones possible to the mathematics behind America's early space missions, their contributions to science are far from invisible (even if the women themselves are often overlooked). Pictured here are, from left, Hedy Lamarr, Evelyn Boyd Granville, Barbara McClintock, Ruby Hirose, and Nora Stanton Blatch Barney. Image from the U.S. Department of Energy

This article is the first of two in a Womens History Month series that showcases a handful of the National Renewable Energy Laboratorys (NREL's) outstanding women researchers in water power.

Are women really interested in renewable energy technologies? asked an NREL report published in 2000.

There is a stereotype, wrote the reports author, Elizabeth Cecelski, that women are not technologists and that they are not capable  of building, operating and maintaining sophisticated technologies. The reality is that womens role in technology has been largely overlooked.

Twenty-two years later, womens role in technology (and science) has grown substantially. But theres plenty more room to grow. Fewer than 30% of the worlds researchers are women. And papers authored by female scientists are often, well, overlooked. Those who publish in elite medical journals are half as likely to be cited as men who publish comparable studies.

So, for Womens History Month 2022, were taking a look at six NREL women who are, in fact, really interested in renewable energy technologies, specifically water power technologies. We wanted to know: How did you get into science? What barriers did you have to overcome? And what do you do now? Here, three of the six give us their answers.

Question: Whats Your Scientist Origin Story?

Sarah Awara, Energy Systems Researcher at NREL. Photo from Sarah Awara

Sarah Awara, Energy Systems Researcher:

When I was about 10 years old, I watched a documentary on global warming. I remember asking my dad, What is this global warming? Is it true the world is going to end? I was freaking out. I thought the world would end tomorrow.

Ever since, I've always wanted to do something about climate change.

Hannah Ross, Water Power Postdoctoral Researcher:

My mom was a biologist, and she had these really little eyeglasses that she used to look at little specimens. I really wanted to take those eyeglasses apart and see if I could figure out how they worked. One day, they broke, and my mom couldnt fix them. So, I did.

Then, in high school, I had a moment of awakening when I realized that electricity is something we have to make. I also learned some of the implications of the ways we made electricity and how that was affecting the planet. I knew then that I wanted to go into renewable energy.

Sara Wallen, Water Power Research Technician at the Flatirons Campus:

I grew up in a gearhead family. My dad and brother were always working on cars. I helped out a bit but wasnt really involved. I always thought, OK, you guys are in the shop? That's great. I'm going to go run track.

When I started at NREL, I was an administrator. But at one of the staff awards, I happened to be sitting next to a gentleman who was high up in management with the field-testing team, and I said, Hey, I'd love to climb a wind turbine. When can I get out there and do that? That translated into Sara wants to be a technician. How can we transition her out to the field? I've been doing it for 7.5 years now.

Question: What Barriers, if Any, Did You Face Throughout Your Career?

Sarah Awara:

I was very lucky that most people supported me throughout my career. But when youre a minority, its harder to find a community that can relate to you. Because of that, its important to foster a community for women and minorities to build connections and relationships. During my undergraduate studies, I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration, which was a turning point for me. I realized there was a vast community of great women out there to support us through our challenges.

Plus, when I feel discouraged, I think back to the documentary I watched as a kid. Climate change is a scary thing, and we need to study renewable energy technologies to implement them. That always motivates me.

Hannah Ross, Water Power Postdoctoral Researcher at NREL. Photo from Hannah Ross

Hannah Ross:

Im lucky that the only major barriers I faced were confidence issues and the impostor syndrome that comes with being the only woman in a class of 30, when anything you say is going to seem representative of all women in engineering.

There were quite a few engineers in my family, so I didn't even realize, going into mechanical engineering, that women were underrepresented in the field. No one ever said, Oh, you're doing really well especially for a woman in this field. It wasn't until later, going through my undergraduate and doctoral classes, that I had to face the fact that only about 10% of the student population in my major were women.

Sara Wallen:

Being a woman, its always a bit different. You must figure out your own way of doing things. Working with mostly men up here at NRELs Flatirons Campus, we all have different beliefs and different ways that we were raised. But we're all here, working for NREL, so we have common ground there.

In the beginning, I wanted to be tough. I was the only female technician at the Flatirons Campus (and one of only a handful at NREL). It was like, OK, we're going to climb the meteorological tower today, which is close to 400 feet. And of course, I'm nervous. Of course, I'm scared. But on the outside, I'm like, Oh yeah, no problem. We got this. Give me a tool bag. I'll haul one of those up there.

Whats Your Role at NREL? What Are You Working on Now?

Sarah Awara:

Im an energy systems researcher in NREL's Grid Systems Group within the Grid Planning and Analysis Center. I mostly write code to model U.S. and Canadian power systems and troubleshoot issues they might face as we add more renewable energy sources to the grid.

Its not just an easy fix. Once we add renewable energy from solar power, wind energy, and water power, that doesnt mean we've solved the problem. We already have a power grid, and we're trying to add something and remove something. You can't just fix it in one day.

Hannah Ross:

Im a postdoctoral researcher in NRELs marine energy group, focusing on energy generated from rivers, tides, and ocean currents. Mostly, I work in numerical modeling. For example, Ive been taking some of the tools that were developed by the Wind Energy group, specifically the OpenFAST code, and am adding functionalities to make them work for water turbines.

There are a lot of similarities between wind and water turbines. But there's some additional physics that needs to be accounted for, like the blade interactions with the water. By adding that in, we can take advantage of tools that already work really well and make them useful for water, too.

Sara Wallen, Water Power Research Technician at the Flatirons Campus at NREL. Photo from Sara Wallen

Sara Wallen:

Im a research technician at NRELs Flatirons Campus. I started out climbing the wind turbines and meteorological towers to work on instrumentation up, up in the air.

Now, I work mostly with the structural testing team and the grid integration team. For example, if we're testing a turbine blade or generator for an underwater marine energy device, I assist in the setup from top to bottom. I install hydraulic controls systems, instrumentation, wiring, and the software that connects everything to the computers so we can collect raw data.

Question: Whats Your Advice for Young Women Who Want To Pursue Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields?

Sarah Awara:

If you're passionate about using logic to solve challenges, then you're in the right place. Try to filter out the distractions and anyone who tries to bring you down. Focus on your goal instead.

Hannah Ross:

If you enjoy science, math, or engineering, then just pursue it. You belong in those fields as much as anyone else. Try not to let setbacks overshadow the bigger goal of pursuing what you're passionate about.

Sara Wallen:

I always tell myself, Relentless forward motion. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Road blocks will come. You have to figure out how to get around them and have a good attitude about learning something new.

My mom always said, The squeaky wheel gets the grease. For me, it was really important to be confident and talk to that field manager to say, Hey, I want to go out into the field. How can I do that?

Want to hear more stories from NRELs women? Stay tuned for the next feature on women in water power at NREL. Remember to sign up for the water power newsletter, too!

However you identify, we want you in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics! Check out NRELs education program to find resources for teachers and students of all ages, career stages, and identities.
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Andy Schmookler is a prize-winning author. Many of his works can be found at www.ABetterHumanStory.org.
HAMMOND  Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. no longer is seeking immediate judicial action on his claim that he's entitled to ink contracts relating to the county jail without having to obtain consent from the county commissioners.

Court documents filed Friday show Martinez has withdrawn his request for a preliminary injunction directing the county auditor to pay bills submitted in connection with jail contracts signed solely by the sheriff.

Martinez said the injunction is no longer needed because Correctional Health Indiana Inc. (CHI) has agreed to continue providing medical care at the Lake County Jail through at least August 1, at the 2021 rate approved by the commissioners, even though the sheriff authorized a 5% increase for CHI to $6.1 million a year.

Instead, Martinez now is asking Lake Superior Judge Stephen Scheele to promptly rule on the central legal question of whether the sheriff possesses contracting authority independent of the county commissioners.

"The need of all parties to have the critical underlying issue of whether the sheriff has the authority to enter into contracts that relate to the operation of the Lake County Jail and/or the care of the inmates within the jail and to expend funds from the sheriffs budget remains paramount," Martinez said.

"A speedy resolution of this issue is not only necessary for the parties to be able to move forward with identifying and contracting with inmate medical care providers for 2023 and beyond, but will save judicial resources and promote judicial economy and potentially provide an opportunity for the parties to resolve this dispute."

The commissioners said in court documents there's no question Indiana law expressly grants the authority to negotiate contracts for the county solely to the commissioners, and the sheriff's attempts to assume that power for himself are unsupported by both state statute and court precedent.

To that end, the commissioners on Tuesday requested Scheele bar the sheriff from signing any additional contracts on his own "to eliminate the cloud of confusion with the countys contracting partners  such as Correctional Health Indiana, Inc.  created by the sheriffs attempt to usurp the board's exclusive executive power."

"The sheriffs attempt to exercise unilateral authority to enter into a contract with CHI is unlawful and constitutes per se irreparable harm. Therefore, this court should enter a preliminary injunction enjoining the sheriff from purporting to exercise such authority," the commissioners said.

The commissioners repeatedly have declared they have no issues with CHI's services. But they believe that the company's costs have increased exponentially over the past 10 years and that an audit by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is needed to assess the services the county is receiving for the amount of money taxpayers are spending.

Martinez, however, repeatedly has declined to allow NCCHC to inspect the jail, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The next hearing in the case tentatively is scheduled for April 18 at the Hammond courthouse.

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Cleveland-Cliffs was named a General Motors Supplier of the Year for the fifth straight year.

The Ohio-based steelmaker, one of Northwest Indiana's largest employers, was one of 134 suppliers in 16 countries to be honored with the distinction for exceeding GM's quality requirements.

This years Supplier of the Year event was special not only because its 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.

Detroit-based GM, which sells vehicles worldwide under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands, recognizes its top suppliers that provide it with the most innovative technologies. The awards are based on criteria like Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales and Logistics.

Lourenco Goncalves, Cleveland-Cliffs chairman, president and CEO, said the company, North America's largest flat-rolled producer of steel, was focused on supplying the American automotive industry.

Our position as the largest supplier of automotive steel in the United States is unquestionable, and our partnership with GM is an important piece of our leading market share," Goncalves said. "Unlike other U.S. steel companies, we can supply any steel specs for all vehicles, and customers like GM have recognized this and given us the prominent position we have in their supply chain. We are proud to accept this award for the fifth year in a row.

Founded in 1847 as a mining company, Cleveland-Cliffs employs about 26,000 people in the United States and Canada. It's the largest supplier to North America's automotive industry.

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The Hobart Chamber of Commerce recently recognized business leaders in the community with its Influencer Awards.

The chamber honored leading business people at its annual awards ceremony at the Hobart Art Theater.

Teddian Jackson of Montego Bay Restaurant was named Businessperson of the Year, Michael Chutani of Litehouse Whole Food Grill Entrepreneur of the Year and Dee Bedella of St Mary Medical Center Influencer of the Year.

"Michael Chutani from Lighthouse Whole Foods just started a new business here in Hobart, serving fresh, healthy foods right across the street from St. Mary's Hospital. He's doing real well." Hobart Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tom Byelick said. "Teddian Jackson form Montego Bay is one of the hardest-working restauranteurs in town. He's doing some expansions over there. He does a great job, great food, Caribbean and Jamaican-style food. Dee Bedella is the patient advocate from St. Mary Hospital is involved in so many different aspects of Hobart and surrounding areas."

The city of Hobart also named Steve Gouwens Hobart Firefighter of the Year and Zachary Crawford Hobart Police Officer of the Year. Shane Evans of the Hobart Art Theater won the Mayor's Choice Award.

"The Art Theater won the Mayor's Choice Award for all the things they are doing to bring outside traffic and outside dollars into the community," Byelick said.

The Hobart Chamber bestowed the honors at the Hobart Art Theater at an awards ceremony that featured two stand-up comedians and a jazz band.

"We tried to loosen things up this year," Byelick said. "It was well-received."

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U.S. Steel expects to pull in $1.3 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in the first three months of the year, which would be a record for the first quarter.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, a pillar of the Region economy since it first built the Gary Works steel mill and the city of Gary around it in 1906, expects to bring in between $2.96 to $3 in adjusted diluted earnings per share in the first quarter.

We expect to deliver another strong quarter of safety, adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, and operational performance in the first quarter, U. S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt said. At the beginning of the year, we communicated expected market softness for the first quarter, along with the normal seasonal impacts related to our mining operations. We are exiting the first quarter with spot business accelerating, steel prices rising, and the longest backlog at our Big River Steel operations since October. Additionally, as a result of continued execution of our differentiated commercial strategy, we are realizing significant upside on our fixed price contracts. We expect improving market conditions to continue into the second quarter as seasonal demand picks up and buyers begin to shift their attention to a more reliable, regional steel supply given the geopolitical risks and cost volatility which has increased in recent weeks.

U.S. Steel's European division has seen strong demand despite the war in Ukraine. The company operates a mill in nearby Slovakia.

The conflict in Ukraine is a human tragedy. Safety remains our number one priority," Burritt said. "Our employees in Slovakia remain safe and we are demonstrating our culture of caring by assisting our Ukrainian neighbors through various charitable activities. The workforce in Slovakia has been quick to address refugee needs by supplying over 7,840 meals for refugees in Slovakia, working with Ukrainian suppliers to send 17 tons of food to Ukraine, and providing 800 beds for refugees arriving in Kosice. Over 220,000 refugees have crossed into Slovakia from Ukraine. In addition, we are demonstrating our S.T.E.E.L. Principles and culture of caring by announcing donation match programs through UNICEF and the Red Cross.

The geopolitical situation has increased steel spot demand, leading to a growing backlog of orders. U.S. Steel also expects a $150 million hit in the first quarter from increased raw material costs and seasonal mining headwinds.

We are actively monitoring the conflict in Ukraine for impacts and risks to our people and business. Todays market dynamics reinforce what makes U.S. Steels business model unique," Burritt said. "Our low-cost, captive iron ore assets in Minnesota are a sustainable competitive advantage that cannot be replicated by the competition. We are increasingly translating this competitive advantage to our growing fleet of electric arc furnaces. We are building a pig iron machine at Gary Works to supply Big River Steel with up to 50% of its ore-based metallics needs by the first half of 2023 and will continue to identify additional opportunities to broaden our metallics strategy. These actions build upon the regionally sourced, low-cost iron ore advantage our U.S. blast furnaces have and the strategy in place with Big River Steel to supplement a portion of their prime scrap needs with home scrap from our integrated operations. We remain bullish for 2022 and another strong year of financial performance.

U.S. Steel has repurchased about $100 million of stock in the first quarter. It can still buy back $550 million of shares in the $800 million stock buyback it authorized.

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Perhaps the most divisive film up for Best Picture this year is "Don't Look Up," which seemed to have two camps: Love It or Hate It. Those who loved it absolutely seemed to get what director Adam McKay was going for. Those who hated it may have had the fact it's a black comedy and supposed to be farcical in a way go right over their heads. It's up for three other awards, including McKay's screenplay with David Sirota, Nicholas Britell's original score and Film Editing. It stands a very solid chance to win for the screenplay.
CROWN POINT  A Lake Criminal Court jury found a Chicago man guilty Friday of murder in the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl found dumped in a Gary alley in 2019 with a cord biding her wrists and another cord around her neck.

The jury deliberated about 25 minutes before convicting Deonlashawn C. Simmons, 36, of killing 14-year-old Takaylah Tribitt, of Chicago, in September 2019.

In a subsequent phase of his trial, Simmons admitted to firearm and habitual offender enhancements, which could add years to the sentence he receives for murder. The possible penalty for murder is 45 to 65 years in prison.

Tribitt, who was known to her family as "Ladybug," was a runaway who met Simmons on Sept. 8, 2019, at a girl's birthday party in Chicago, according to testimony during the weeklong trial before Judge Natalie Bokota. Simmons agreed to give Tribitt a ride home from the party.

During the 43 hours before Tribitt's last location in Facebook data, she and Simmons were known to be together 18 times, Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Shaw said.

Tribitt's last Facebook login was about 8:30 p.m. Sept. 13, 2019, and her last known location was recorded at 1:27 a.m. Sept. 14, 2019, in the area of Simmons' relative's home on Chicago's South Side, Shaw said.

Three minutes later  at 1:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 2019  Simmons deactivated his own Facebook account. About 3:45 a.m., Simmons' cellphone data showed he was in the area of Interstate 80/94 and Cline Avenue, near the Gary-Hammond border.

Tribitt was found dead from a gunshot wound to her head about 9 a.m. Sept. 16, 2019, in an alley near East 20th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street in Gary. Members of Simmons' family lived nearby.

Tribitt was lying face down, with an automotive cord around her neck and another cord biding her wrists behind her back. A forensic pathologist from the Lake County coroner's office testified she had been shot at close range and likely had been dead at least 48 hours, but more likely three to four days.

Investigators determined she also had been sexually assaulted multiple times, but Lake County prosecutors did not charge Simmons with any sex crimes as part of their case, court records state.

It had rained overnight, so any DNA on Tribitt's exposed skin or clothing likely washed off into the ground, Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Arturo Balcazar said.

However, the cord binding Tribitt's wrists had been covered up by the Nike windbreaker jacket she was wearing. It was on that cord  in the case's "saving grace"  that DNA evidence linking Simmons to the homicide was found, Balcazar said.

Tribitt had a rough life, but she made it 14 years surviving however she could, Shaw said.

"She made it six days with Deon Simmons, and then she was dead," he said.

Simmons' defense attorney, Michael A. Campbell, listed a number of reasons why jurors might have reasonable doubt.

Simmons wasn't questioned by police until a year after Tribitt was killed; his cellphone pinged at I-80/94 and Cline, not Gary; a security guard at a Chicago public housing complex who claimed to have had a conversation with Tribitt the morning of Sept. 14, 2019, was never questioned; Tribitt's ex-boyfriend, who went by the nickname "Hot Head," had deleted their Facebook messages but wasn't questioned; police could not conclusively say a gun frame found in Simmons' car was used to fire the spent bullet casing found near Tribitt's body; and no direct evidence was presented to show Simmons fired the gun that killed Tribitt or ever had a gun in the alley.

Campbell questioned why a pair of gloves seen near Tribitt's body in crime scene photographs was not collected as evidence and tested for DNA.

"They say, 'If the glove fits,' but we don't even know that. They didn't test it," Campbell said. "They didn't do their jobs. That's reasonable doubt."

Campbell asked the jury to find Simmons not guilty.

"We all want justice for Takaylah, but ask yourself, 'What does justice look like?'" he said. "Is it a conviction based on speculation without any actual proof of who actually killed her?"

Balcazar said the gloves in the alley were weathered and had been run over, and investigators did not think they held any evidentiary value.

Detectives cannot be expected to go on wild goose chases, particularly when all the evidence kept pointing back to Simmons, he said.

When Detective Sgts. Williams Poe and Edward Gonzalez first questioned Simmons in September 2020, Simmons claimed he met Tribitt on the street, not at a party.

When they served a search warrant for his DNA, he said, "If it wasn't by her (privates) I don't give a (expletive)."

That same month, a special agent with the FBI executed a search warrant for Simmons' car and found a frame for a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a magazine and 9mm ammunition hidden in the vehicle.

The alley where Tribitt was found was dirty and full of trash, but investigators collected one shiny 9mm spent shell casing from the ground next to her body, Shaw said.

A firearms examiner with the Lake County Sheriff's Department could not determine the gun frame fired the spent shell casing, but he couldn't exclude it as a possibility, either, Balcazar said.

"The timeline fits. The evidence fits. The DNA fits," he told the jury. "You are being asked to look at what isn't there, because what is there only fits one person."

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HAMMOND  A federal judge sentenced a Merrillville woman Friday for peddling counterfeit wrinkle remover.

U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon imposed a six-month term of home detention on 37-year-old Dina Al-Sbeihi, who pleaded guilty last year to a consumer fraud charge.

The judge also sentenced her to probation for an additional 18 months and ordered her to pay $260,739 in restitution to the victims of her illicit sales.

She gave up her right to make the government prove the felony charge against her in return for the U.S. attorneys recommendation that she receive little or no prison time.

A federal grand jury indicted Al-Sbeihi in June 2020 on charges she was importing counterfeit Juvederm and Restylane products from China and elsewhere and branding them to look like authentic brand name products.

Juvederm and Restalyne are prescription dermal fillers the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for injection into the skin for wrinkle removal.

The FDA hasnt approve foreign-made dermal fillers because of questions about their safety and efficacy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Abizer Zanzi said in a memo to the court there is no evidence Al-Sbeihi intended to harm anyone.

Nevertheless, he said, she knowingly put her customers at risk and lied to them that they were buying approved products rather than foreign knockoffs.

Zanzi said that Al-Sbeihi had a considerable inventory of the illicit product and that she was unlikely to stop selling it until she was caught red-handed.

Al-Sbeihi admitted in her plea agreement that she sold the counterfeit products from July 2015 through August 2019 through her online retail company, The Beauty Pharmacy, which she ran out of a condominium in the 6800 block of Pierce Drive in Merrillville.

The FDA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated her sales and helped bring charges against her.

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PORTAGE  Officers negotiated with an armed man who locked himself in a bathroom while SWAT members were en route, police said.

Around 5:40 p.m. Friday police responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of the Woodland Village Mobile Home Park, said Portage Police Department Sgt. Rob Maynard.

Officers arrived on scene to find a woman outside who told police that a man with a handgun was inside the residence. The woman had visible injuries to her arm, face and neck and said the man had battered her, police said.

The woman said that the man made threats to harm himself and that he locked himself in the bathroom with a firearm. An on-duty crisis negotiator tried to call the man but the attempts were not successful.

The Portage Police Department SWAT team was activated to relieve patrol officers at the scene, and as the officers waited, they continued to try to deescalate the situation using a loud speaker to talk to the man.

Though the man did not verbally respond, he surrendered himself to police before the SWAT team arrived. Police were able to recover a semiautomatic pistol from the scene.

The woman refused medical treatment.

The man was taken into custody to the Porter County Jail, where he is being held on the charges of domestic battery and strangulation, which are both Level 6 felonies, Maynard said. The man's identity has not yet been released.

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CROWN POINT  A woman initially accused in 2020 of allowing her boyfriend to cook methamphetamine in a home where her children lived pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine.

Abigail L. Ziembicki, 38, of Hobart, admitted to the level 6 felony count and was sentenced to two years in prison, which was suspended in favor of probation.

Ziembicki's attorney, Herbert Shaps, told Lake Criminal Court Judge Samuel Cappas his client already has enrolled in a drug treatment program, which was a condition of her plea agreement.

In exchange for Ziembicki's plea, Lake County prosecutors agreed to dismiss her remaining charges, which included neglect of a dependent.

Ziembicki and Thomas A. Wenzel were arrested in February 2020 after police conducting surveillance on Ziembicki's home in the 1200 block of West Cleveland Avenue in Hobart saw Wenzel leave, pulled him over and arrested him on drug charges.

According to charging documents, police went back to Ziembicki's home, and she consented to a search. Officers found evidence of a "one-pot" meth lab in a back room, records state.

Prosecutors charged Wenzel with manufacturing methamphetamine and other counts, but the case was dismissed after his death at age 41.

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HAMMOND  The Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce is hosting a town hall-style luncheon March 30 in Hammond featuring four state lawmakers who represent Lake County at the Statehouse.

The legislators are expected to speak about the new Indiana laws approved by the General Assembly during its 10-week annual session that adjourned March 9 and answer questions from the audience.

The participating lawmakers are: State Sens. Michael Griffin, D-Highland; and Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago; and state Reps. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago; and Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond.

The event begins with networking at 11 a.m. at Dynasty Banquets, 4125 Calumet Ave., followed by lunch and the legislators' panel.

The cost of the luncheon is $30 per person. Reservations must be made by Friday by contacting the Lakeshore Chamber by phone, 219-931-1000, or by email, paula@lakeshorechamber.com.

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CHESTERTON  The Town Council is considering designating quiet zones at two railroad crossings.

If so, it would be the first such zones in Porter County. Quiet zones already exist in Dyer, Griffith, Highland, Munster, Schererville and Whiting, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

Two quiet zones  along the CSX and Norfolk Southern routes  would cost the town $1.27 million to $1.49 million, estimated Dan Fregia, vice president of operations for Rio Grande Pacific Technology.

I didnt ever envision doing every crossing in town at once, Councilman James Ton, R-1st, said. We thought it for economic development, principally.

The town could decide to do the Norfolk Southern line first and do the CSX line later, Fregia said.

Im just trying to get the biggest bang for the buck, Ton said. This whole thing started with Thomas Centennial Park.

When a train passes through downtown Chesterton, it blows a whistle to warn motorists and others to keep the railroad crossing clear. That interrupts events at the downtown park, affecting everything from movies to concerts to the European Market and other events.

The Norfolk Southern line would cost about $745,000, Fregia said. The quiet zone would include the crossings on South Calumet Road; Fourth, Eighth and 15th streets; and Jackson Boulevard/Wagner Road.

Youre talking about four trains a day on the CSX, and 83 trains a day on NS, Ton said.

A quiet zone involves intersection improvements to keep vehicles from going around crossing gates. That can include medians, gates all the way across the intersection on both sides of the tracks and more. At the Jackson/Wagner crossing, Fregia recommends also upgrading the lights to LED for greater visibility.

Griffith Town Council President Rick Ryfa said that when his town established a quiet zone downtown, the town negotiated with Canadian National Railroad to have the railroad fund the full costs of improvements at all of the intersections.

The FRA requires locomotives to blow their horn 15 to 20 seconds before entering a public crossing. Trains traveling more than 60 mph must begin blowing the horn more than one-quarter mile before a public crossing and keep blowing the horn until the train is in the crossing.

The FRA allows municipalities and counties to establish quiet zones, but that comes with conditions attached. A quiet zone must be at least one-half mile long, meaning one-quarter mile on each side of a crossing. If theres another crossing that close, it automatically is included in the quiet zone. Chesterton couldnt make a shorter quiet zone than Fregias recommendation because there are so many crossings throughout town.

Establishing a quiet zone requires 18 to 24 months. Even after the crossing upgrades are in place, theres a three-month transition period for train operators to get used to the new quiet zone.

The council took Fregias report under advisement with no plan in place on how to afford either of the proposed quiet zones.

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Two men suspected in the armed theft of a luxury car have died after jumping into a Chicago-area river while fleeing police. Illinois State Police say a 2020 Rolls-Royce that was taken during a carjacking was spotted about 4:40 a.m. Saturday in Chicago. The occupants of the Rolls-Royce stopped south of Chicago in Lansing where they got into a luxury SUV and again drove off. The SUV crashed and some of the people inside the vehicle then entered the Little Calumet River. Members of a Chicago police marine unit removed a 27-year-old man and a 21-year-old man from the river. They later were pronounced dead at a hospital. Three others have been arrested.
Managing pet anxiety can in some cases be straightforward, veterinarians say, once medical reasons have been ruled out. Anti-anxiety medications and desensitizing techniques can help.

Some of what we do is common sense, and some of it is common sense in hindsight, says Dr. Bryan Slinker, a veterinarian at Washington State University. An upcoming study, he says, will look at how pets handle needles and vaccines, with one group receiving standard care and the other distracted with tasty treats during inoculation.

Right now, we know a lot of people dont even go to the vet because their pets get too stressed, says Dr. Slinker, who owns five cats and notes that cats are more easily stressed than dogs. A Bayer study found that 40 percent of cat owners cited feline resistance as a reason for not taking their cats to the vet frequently, if at all, compared to the 15 percent of dog owners citing canine resistance.

Cats are not team players, says Eileen Simoneau, a former kindergarten teacher in Florida who owns two Siamese cats and a Maine coon mix. Although one of her cats is easy breezy, she says, the other two frequently mix it up.

She has now adopted some simple strategies she learned from her local vet in Kissimmee, Dr. Lynn Honeckman, who is Fear Free certified. They include putting a bell on one cats collar so he cant sneak up on the other, and providing four litter boxes rather than three, to lessen the chance of overcrowding. The idea is to pre-empt where things can get ugly to prevent anxiety-producing behaviors, she says.

Dr. Gary Weitzman, president of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, says he sees little need for his facility to seek Fear Free certification. The shelter regularly takes steps to minimize fear and anxiety in the 40,000 cats and dogs that pass through its doors each year, he says, using many of the same strategies Fear Free suggests: soft music, low lighting, noise reduction and mild sedatives, including Prozac.

Easing anxiety in pets may be lifesaving. While cats tend to suffer more than dogs from fear and anxiety, Dr. Weitzman says, the behavioral problems that arise in dogs tend to be more lethal, since aggression may make it impossible to place these animals in homes. Its a fact, and its sad, he said.
Don Young, the Alaska congressman who secured pork-barrel billions for his state over nearly a half-century and became the longest-serving Republican in the House of Representatives and the oldest current member of both the House and Senate, died on Friday. He was 88.

Mr. Young died while traveling home to Alaska, his office said. His wife, Anne Young, was with him.

In a state whose small population allows for two senators but only one representative, Mr. Young, who cultivated the image of a rugged frontiersman with outsize clout in Washington, was sometimes called Alaskas third senator. To this day, most Alaskans have had no congressman in their lifetimes but Mr. Young, who was first elected in 1973, during the Nixon administration.

Early in his 24th term in 2019, he became the longest-serving Republican in House history, surpassing the tenure of the former speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon of Illinois, who as a teenager had followed the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates and went on to serve 23 House terms in three discontinuous segments between 1873 and 1923. At his death Mr. Young was in his 25th term and 49th year in Congress. (John Dingell, a Democratic House member from Michigan for 59 years, was the longest-serving member of Congress in American history.)

When asked in 2020 how long he planned to serve, Mr. Young told The New York Times, God will decide that, or the voters.
Three Russian astronauts launched to the International Space Station early Friday. A few hours later, their Soyuz spacecraft docked at the space station and, when they boarded the orbiting outpost, they were wearing flight suits of striking colors  yellow and blue, similar to the colors of Ukraines flag.

The Russian astronauts did not say anything that would suggest that their clothing was a political statement. Yet it seemed difficult to believe it was happenstance. The outfits worn by astronauts in orbit on a daily basis tend to be subdued. But recent crews from Russia have worn vibrant flight suits of various colors during their arrival, including Yulia Peresild, an actress who arrived on the station in November in a bold red coverall.

Eric Berger, a space reporter at the website Ars Technica, said the flight suits are usually prepared and packed months in advance but that substitutes could have been added among the last items to be loaded on the spacecraft.
A court on Friday threw out what was thought to have been the first government lawsuit in the United States arguing that Amazon had broken antitrust laws.

Judge Hiram E. Puig-Lugo of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia granted Amazons motion to dismiss the complaint, which was filed last year by Karl Racine, the districts attorney general, according to court records. The records did not state the reason for the dismissal.

The lawsuit focused on how Amazon treats merchants that use its website to sell products. According to the lawsuit, Amazon made them sell their wares on its site at the lowest price they charged elsewhere on the web or at a lower price entirely. That caused merchants to raise prices across the board, the suit argued.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Racines office said that the Superior Court got this wrong and that the office was considering our legal options. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A former employee at Google sued the company on Friday, claiming it systematically discriminated against Black workers by placing them in lower-level jobs, underpaying them and denying them opportunities to advance.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, seeks class-action status. The plaintiff is April Curley, who worked at Google from 2014 until she was dismissed in 2020. While there, Ms. Curley helped bring in Black employees to the company by designing programs to recruit from historically Black colleges and universities.

Google is engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of intentional race discrimination and retaliation and maintains employment policies and practices that have a disparate impact against Black employees throughout the United States, the complaint said.

A Google spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit echoes many of the complaints that Black employees have expressed over the years about working at Google. Even as it has grown to become one of the largest private employers in the United States, the company has struggled to increase racial and gender diversity among its work force  especially among its high-paid engineering staff.
Donald J. Trumps presidential campaign has been ordered to pay more than $300,000 in legal fees and expenses to a former employee who the campaigns lawyers said had violated the terms of a nondisclosure agreement when she accused Mr. Trump of forcibly kissing her in 2016.

The award, the culmination of an arbitration claim that was dismissed in November, represents the latest instance of Mr. Trumps failure to use a nondisclosure agreement successfully against an ex-worker.

The resolution of the claim, which Mr. Trumps campaign filed in September 2019, came less than a year after he had lost similar efforts to enforce nondisclosure agreements against Jessica Denson, a former campaign worker, and Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former White House aide and a star on The Apprentice.

Victor E. Bianchini, a retired federal judge, cited both of those cases in his decision on March 10, when he ruled in favor of Alva Johnson, a former campaign worker who in 2019 unsuccessfully sued Mr. Trump, claiming he kissed her on the mouth against her will during a campaign stop in August 2016.
The McCormick campaign denied that account and insisted that the McCormicks have focused only on Dr. Ozs ties to Turkey as a liability.

The early meeting with Mr. Trump was just one sign of the intensity of the race to succeed the retiring Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican. The Pennsylvania seat is a linchpin in both parties pursuit of the Senate majority in 2022. And with polls showing a competitive Republican contest, the race is already awash in negative ads and on pace to be one of the most expensive primaries in the nation.

Mr. Trumps blessing is widely seen as potentially decisive.

A spokesman for Mr. Trump confirmed the private meeting with the McCormicks took place but declined to comment on anything said.

The McCormick campaign has publicly made Dr. Ozs heritage an issue from Mr. McCormicks first day as a candidate in January, when he called on Dr. Oz to renounce his Turkish citizenship. His campaign has since accused Dr. Oz of harboring dual loyalties. Dr. Ozs Muslim faith has not been part of the public debate.

Mr. McCormicks spokeswoman, Jess Szymanski, echoed the concerns he has been raising publicly.

This is an anonymous, false smear on a candidates wife who is an Arab American immigrant woman who fled the Middle East to escape religious persecution, Ms. Szymanski said of the account of the McCormicks meeting with Mr. Trump. She said that it was designed to distract from the legitimate national security concerns about Dr. Oz that could pose significant security risks, including his dual citizenship, his Turkish military service, connections to the Turkish government and financial links abroad.
BATON ROUGE, La.  Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Friday that the Justice Department would increase the training and other services it offered to local law enforcement agencies seeking to address policing problems, such as the use of excessive force, officer-involved shootings and police bias.

The revamped program, called the Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance, is designed to transform a law enforcement agencys operations and its relationship with the community, Mr. Garland said at a conference in Baton Rouge hosted by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

But this program is not an enforcement action, he added. It is a voluntary opportunity for an agency that knows it needs to make changes, and wants to make changes, to do just that.

Mr. Garland unveiled the revised program after bipartisan negotiations over policing overhaul legislation collapsed in Congress, leaving the White House to work on an executive order on the issue.
In the past two weeks, Hong Kong has recorded about 65 percent of cases that it has ever had, government data show. Experts have said that figure is most likely an undercount. Using models, researchers at the University of Hong Kong estimated this week that at least 3.6 million people had been infected. Up to 4.5 million people may get the virus before the current outbreak ends, they added.

The outbreak involves the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, which is more transmissible than Omicrons first version, BA.1, though not necessarily more virulent. Researchers in Britain and Denmark have found that BA.2 is no more likely to cause hospitalizations, but studies elsewhere are ongoing.

Other factors in Hong Kongs surge are also at play: The city is densely populated, and has a low vaccination rate among those 70 and older and residents of nursing homes. Its success in keeping the virus at bay until recently has also left many residents without any enhanced immunity.

Hong Kongs government is caught between the surging cases and deaths, pressure from Beijing for mass testing and lockdowns, and pandemic fatigue among residents. On Thursday, Carrie Lam, the citys chief executive, said at a news conference that she would move up the review of its current measures planned for April 20 to as soon as next week and reconsider its flight bans, compulsory testing and mandatory quarantines for travelers. I have a very strong feeling that peoples tolerance is fading, she said.
Image A coronavirus testing site this month, outside a Hong Kong residential building under lockdown. Credit... Billy H.C. Kwok for The New York Times

Hong Kong said that more than one million people in the city of 7.5 million had tested positive for the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, a worrying milestone for a city being battered by an extraordinarily lethal Omicron wave.

Hong Kong health officials said in a news conference on Friday that they had recorded 20,082 daily new cases and 206 new deaths, bringing the cumulative totals to more than 1,010,000 cases and more than 5,000 deaths.

While other places in Asia like China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are experiencing similar case waves driven by Omicron, Hong Kongs death rate is high, far outstripping that of mainland China, which has reported a total of about 4,600 deaths in a population of over 1.4 billion. Almost 95 percent of the citys deaths have come in the past 30 days, government data show.

Hong Kong was once viewed as a world leader in controlling the coronavirus crisis. But despite limits on public gatherings, restrictions on nighttime dining and mask mandates, a wave of Omicron cases that began late last year has overwhelmed its health care system, leading to bodies of the dead being piled up in hospitals.

In the past two weeks, Hong Kong has recorded about 65 percent of cases that it has ever had, government data show. Experts have said that figure is most likely an undercount. Using models, researchers at the University of Hong Kong estimated this week that at least 3.6 million people had been infected. Up to 4.5 million people may get the virus before the current outbreak ends, they added.

The outbreak involves the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, which is more transmissible than Omicrons first version, BA.1, though not necessarily more virulent. Researchers in Britain and Denmark have found that BA.2 is no more likely to cause hospitalizations, but studies elsewhere are ongoing.

Other factors in Hong Kongs surge are also at play: The city is densely populated, and has a low vaccination rate among those 70 and older and residents of nursing homes. Its success in keeping the virus at bay until recently has also left many residents without any enhanced immunity.

Hong Kongs government is caught between the surging cases and deaths, pressure from Beijing for mass testing and lockdowns, and pandemic fatigue among residents. On Thursday, Carrie Lam, the citys chief executive, said at a news conference that she would move up the review of its current measures planned for April 20 to as soon as next week and reconsider its flight bans, compulsory testing and mandatory quarantines for travelers. I have a very strong feeling that peoples tolerance is fading, she said.

Hong Kongs case data included results from rapid antigen tests, officials said, which the government has accepted in lieu of P.C.R. test results since last month to expand testing capacity. Residents who test positive with rapid antigen tests have not had to seek confirmation with P.C.R. tests. But the government has also asked them to self-report their infections, or face legal consequences. Those who receive a positive result from a rapid antigen test may be randomly requested to be administered a P.C.R. test, officials said.

At a news conference on Friday, Ms. Lam underscored the urgency of reporting home tests to health authorities. If there are people blatantly refusing to comply, then isnt it incumbent upon the law enforcement body to do something? she said.

Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering, which has supplied the raw numbers for Our World in Data and The New York Timess coronavirus world map, has reported fewer cases than the Hong Kong government.

The difference is because the center has not been including results from the citys rapid antigen tests in its total, but in an email on Friday, it said it intended to incorporate them in the future.
Russian forces extended their bombardments into a relatively unscathed part of western Ukraine on Friday, striking a warplane repair plant about 50 miles from the Polish border, as President Biden warned President Xi Jinping of China not to provide military aid to Russia amid a scramble of diplomatic efforts to end the violence engulfing Ukraine.

During a nearly two-hour video call, Mr. Biden warned Mr. Xi, a close ally of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, that there would be implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians, according to the White House.

But a senior administration official declined to discuss what kind of penalties the United States would impose on China if it provided Moscow with military hardware or offered it financial relief. The official also declined to say how Mr. Xi responded to Mr. Bidens warning.

We will continue to watch until we see what actions they take or dont, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said.
DAMASCUS, Syria  Syrias president, Bashar al-Assad, was in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, his office said, his first visit to an Arab country since Syrias civil war erupted in 2011.

In a statement posted on its social media pages, Mr. Assads office said he had met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Emirates vice president and prime minister, who is also the ruler of Dubai. The two discussed expanding bilateral relations between Syria and the Emirates, it said.

The visit sends the clearest signal yet that the Arab world is willing to re-engage with Syrias widely shunned president. It comes against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, where Mr. Assads main ally, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, is pressing on with a military offensive, now in its fourth week. Syria has supported Russias invasion, accusing the West of having provoked it.

Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League and boycotted by its neighbors after its civil war broke out 11 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the war, which displaced half of Syrias population. Large parts of the country have been destroyed, and reconstruction would cost tens of billions of dollars.
The museum has built a reputation for celebrating Black artists and working-class communities over the last decade, but now it is putting this work on pause. The Underground Museum in Los Angeles unexpectedly announced this week that it was closing until further notice.

Nearly ten years after the beloved cultural organization began, developing into one of the countrys leading venues for Black art, its two directors have departed, and the doors of its Arlington Heights location have shuttered. The decision was announced on Tuesday by one of the museums founders, the sculptor Karon Davis, who posted her message on Instagram. We simply do not have any answers right now, she wrote in her letter, which was then published on the museums website.

It was unclear from Daviss message when the Underground Museum might reopen or how the sudden closure would impact staff and trustees. Davis declined to comment through her dealer, Wilding Cran Gallery in Los Angeles.

The museum had recently returned from its two-year pandemic hiatus, an uncertain period when the organization hired Meg Onli from the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia to become its curator and one of its two directors, alongside the executive Cristina Pacheco.
The BA.2 subvariant began its march across Europe around the time that certain countries were lifting restrictions and mask mandates, potentially giving it extra kindling for its spread. Some scientists in Britain have also attributed that countrys surge in part to the fact that immunity tends to weaken over time following vaccinations or earlier infections.

In some parts of Europe, like Denmark and the Netherlands, the peak of the BA.2 wave has already passed. In other countries, where case numbers have climbed since early March, hospital admissions have remained flat or risen only slightly.

But Britain has emerged as a more startling example of the potential for a surge in BA.2 cases to begin filling up hospital beds, too. People 70 and older in England have been infected at record levels, health officials said, with estimates that roughly one in every 30 people in that age group had Covid in the week before March 12.

As a result, the number of hospitalized Covid patients there has climbed by around 35 percent in recent weeks, though about half of those had tested positive incidentally after admission. To bolster protection, Britain plans to start administering fourth doses to older people later this month.

In the United States, too, scientists are concerned that so many people have gone more than six months since their last doses of vaccine, reducing levels of immunity. Pfizer and BioNTech have asked American regulators to authorize fourth doses in older people, and Moderna is seeking clearance for the additional shots for all adults.

It is less clear whether relaxing Covid rules in the United States will help fuel transmission to the same degree that it may have in some European nations. Parts of the United States have effectively been without restrictions for months.
Several states have laws against excessive idling, but few have citizen-outsourcing programs like New York City.

The program and the increased interest in filing complaints have brought a new game of cat and mouse to the citys streets, as citizen reporters prowl in search of idling trucks and drivers, perhaps stung by past fines, are increasingly wary of people with cameras. New levels of stealth have come into play, like Mr. Slapikass tourist disguise.

The camera around his neck has no film. The flip phone does not work. They are distractions from what is really going on, which he asked not be explained in detail and thus revealed to the truck drivers  suffice it to say it involves an iPhone that he is not holding in his hands while it records. And lots of pretend calls on the flip phone.

If this all sounds like a lot of trouble for a quarter cut of a $350 fine, consider this: Mr. Slapikas said he pulled in $64,000 in rewards in 2021 for simply paying attention on his daily walks for exercise: I would expect to get three a day without even looking.

He is one of about 20 or so busy citizen reporters who collectively submit some 85 percent of the complaints to the city, a data analysis found last year. They count in their number a pediatrician, several attorneys and a retired police detective. The loose group trades tips and stories, calls itself Idling Warriors and files hundreds of complaints per month. The pandemic, and the citys increased reliance on deliveries, has only brought more work.

The city paid more than $724,000 in bounties last year alone, and $1.1 million since 2019. For its share, the city collected $2.4 million in fines last year, up 24 percent from when the program began in earnest three years ago.

And yet, several citizen reporters said in interviews that creaking bureaucracy, loopholes, waivers and a seeming disinterest in issuing increasing numbers of fines has left untold penalties uncollected.
For companies like Con Edison, pulling the plug on customers who fall behind in paying their bills is usually a last resort, which it typically avoids during the coldest months. But for most of the last two years, as the pandemic inflicted widespread financial hardship, overdue utility payments have soared.

Nationally, the total level of arrears to utility companies is about $22 billion, after peaking at about $32 billion in the spring of 2021, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

But that is still significantly higher than before the pandemic, when debt totaled about $12 billion. In New York and New Jersey alone, more than two million customers are in debt to companies that provide electricity, heat, water and broadband.

Con Edison says it has held off on disconnecting residential customers and small businesses. But on Wednesday, New Jerseys largest power distributor, PSE&G, started sending representatives to shut off electricity of customers who had not responded to multiple warnings and whose bills were more than 90 days past due, a company spokeswoman said.

Advocates worry that many vulnerable customers, especially the poor and older people, will be left in the dark or saddled with obligations they can never repay. Many who owe large amounts are working-class people like Marisol Rivera, who fell far behind after being out of work for most of the last two years.

Ms. Rivera, a single mother of two who lives in Brooklyn, owes Con Edison more than $3,300.

Even though utilities in New York State are no longer prohibited from disconnecting delinquent customers, the last thing that we want to do is to shut anybody off, said Jamie McShane, a spokesman for the company.

Instead, they try to work out repayment plans over a period of months or even years. Or, as in Ms. Riveras case, longer than that.
In the 1950s, when she was in her teens and early 20s, Janet MacPherson was something of a rare sight in the waters off Hawaii and California: a woman on a surfboard at a time when men dominated that activity.

But to Ben Marcus, the author (with the photographer Lucia Griggi) of the 2017 book Women Who Surf: Charging Waves With the Worlds Best, that wasnt even the most remarkable thing about Ms. MacPherson. To him, it was that she could still be found riding a board more than a half-century later.

Yes, it was unusual to see a woman on the waves in the 1950s, he said by email, but more unusual for a woman to be surfing, and surfing well, into her 70s and 80s  and she was surfing well.
With Roe v. Wade on thin ice, state legislatures are producing a wave of anti-abortion bills, some of them truly eye-popping. Missouri alone has in recent weeks tried to limit out-of-state travel for abortion, proposed treating the delivery or shipment of abortion pills as drug trafficking and moved to make it a felony to perform an abortion in the event of an ectopic pregnancy (in which a fertilized egg implants outside the womb), a condition that can be life-threatening.

In the past, many extreme bills like these would have captured the publics attention and then quickly disappeared, swept under the rug by lawmakers and abortion opponents who had easier-to-enact plans for dismantling abortion rights.

The past year has been different, in a few ways. For one, some fringe bills are actually going into effect. S.B. 8, the Texas law that bans abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy and allows people to sue those who aid or abet abortion for at least $10,000, started wreaking havoc in the state in September. A few years ago, S.B. 8-style bills were not on anyones radar. Now, theyre spreading, with Idaho passing its own version in recent days.

Not every bill being introduced will succeed, but those that fail will matter, in part by influencing the national conversation about women who have abortions. Thats another way things have changed in recent months: Some of this new crop of bills reflect a change in how the anti-abortion movement portrays such women, depicting them as serious criminals rather than innocent victims of the abortion industry, as was common in the past. That rhetorical and legal shift sends a powerful message about who is likely to face criminal punishment when Roe is dismantled, as it is expected to be this summer.
Tucked into a New Yorker article by Jill Lepore about the spate of school board fights over just about everything was a statistic that caught my eye. Despite all the ink spilled lately about clashes over masking, critical race theory and which books to assign (or ban), American parents are happy overall with their childrens education. Lepore explains:

In Making Up Our Mind: What School Choice Is Really About, the education scholars Sigal R. Ben-Porath and Michael C. Johanek point out that about nine in 10 children in the United States attend public school, and the overwhelming majority of parents  about eight in 10  are happy with their kids schools.

Though I am quite happy with my childrens public school, am surrounded by parents who are mostly happy with their kids public schools and, when I was a kid, attended a public school that my parents were basically happy with, I was still surprised the number was that high.

I would have thought that the latest numbers about parental satisfaction might be lower because of all the pandemic-related chaos. But according to Gallup, which has tracked school satisfaction annually since 1999, in 2021, 73 percent of parents of school-aged children say they are satisfied with the quality of education their oldest child is receiving. More parents were satisfied in 2021 than they were in 2013 and 2002, when satisfaction dipped into the 60s, and in 2019, we were at a high point in satisfaction  82 percent  before the Covid pandemic dealt schools a major blow.

Digging deeper into the Gallup numbers revealed that the people who seem to be driving the negative feelings toward American schools do not have children attending them: Overall, only 46 percent of Americans are satisfied with schools. Democrats, women, older adults and lower-income Americans are more likely than their counterparts to say they are satisfied with K-12 education, Gallup found. My hypothesis is that its a bit like the adage about Congress: People tend to like their own representatives (thats why they keep sending them back year after year) but tend to have a dim view of Congress overall.

Polling done by the Charles Butt Foundation shows a similar dynamic playing out in Texas, a state where book bans have been well publicized and an anti-critical race theory bill was signed into law in December. The third annual poll, which was of 1,154 Texas adults, found:

The share of public school parents giving their local public schools an A or B grade is up 12 percentage points in two years to 68 percent in the latest statewide survey on public education by the Charles Butt Foundation. In contrast with the increase among parents, theres a decline in school ratings among those without a child currently enrolled in K-12 schools. Forty-eight percent of nonparents now give their local public schools As and B's, versus 56 percent a year ago.

This isnt to say that our education system, broadly speaking, is humming along perfectly. There are so many ways it can improve, particularly in serving students in schools with higher poverty rates and those with physical disabilities and learning differences. But it does mean that we should take stories with a grain of salt when they present the American education system as a fact-free zone, no longer focused on teaching the basics, that parents are or should be fleeing from in any significant or sustained way.
And now youre applying this approach to tours in the United States?

I used to live in Washington, D.C., which is a very segregated city, especially on a class level, and I realized that my friends and I wouldnt venture out of the neighborhoods we already knew. So we started to develop a tour of the city, and we got a Republican and a Democrat to colead it. That first trip was incredible. Watching the news, you would think that if you put a Republican and a Democrat together, they would just talk past each other. But that wasnt the case at all. One of the most interesting conversations we had was on a visit to the Heritage Foundation, which is very conservative. Some of the liberal people in the tour group had never had this kind of open conversation with a conservative that wasnt just sound bites, but a real, productive conversation. By the end of it, the discussion was about Whats the solution? rather than Youre doing this wrong or that wrong. It was fascinating. And thats what happens on our tours in Israel and Palestine. Thats what happens in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

You spent your childhood in a place with a long history of conflict. How has that experience informed this work?

I grew up in Jerusalem, but I never had a real conversation with a Jewish-Israeli person until I was 18 years old. My brother was killed by being beaten up in prison by Israeli soldiers, so I grew up very angry, very much with the idea that the other is evil. And then when I was 18, I decided to study Hebrew because I had to  not because I wanted to. Living in Jerusalem, you cant survive without Hebrew. I remember walking into the class thinking, None of these people probably want me to be here. And I couldnt have been more wrong. My Hebrew teacher was the most incredible human being. She even tried to speak Arabic to me to make me feel welcome. And that was the first time I felt like I was treated like a human being by the other.

But before that moment, I only knew one narrative of Israel, and many Israelis probably only know one narrative of Palestinians: the one they hear in the news.

Is that what you mean when you say that the most difficult trips can be the ones that are closest to home?

I think it can be much easier to be open to learning about issues or problems that are happening five or six thousand miles away. Often when I talk about my work with Syrian refugees, people will say, Oh, I would like to go and volunteer with Syrian refugees in Jordan or Turkey. And I ask them, Have you volunteered with Syrian refugees in your own community? Because if not, you should start there, and then maybe go to Syria.

We tend to think of travel in terms of distance, but I think travel is really a lifestyle, a state of mind. And if you learn to travel in your own community, youll learn to travel when you go abroad. For me, the hardest trip I ever took was going from my home in East Jerusalem to West Jerusalem. Its just a 15- or 20-minute walk, but making that trip brought about the biggest change for me, because it challenged me the most.

Many people want to relax when they go on vacation. Why should they choose to go on a challenging, dual-narrative trip?

Theres an assumption that when people travel, theyre not interested in learning. And thats not true. Even surveys tell us its not true. People want to do good as they travel, and they are looking for culture and connection. I have fun in my travels: I go see museums, I swim in the ocean, I enjoy music, all of that. But thats not all that I do. I like to say that travel is an act of diplomacy: Be a diplomat as youre traveling and go out and meet someone new and hear their stories. And its so much fun! Its the thing that you will remember, and that youll tell people about when you come back.

Paige McClanahan is the host of The Better Travel Podcast.
One of the people who responded, Barbara Fenley, a deputy with the Eastland County Sheriffs Office, died on Friday while trying to save victims from the fires, the authorities said.

Carbon, just south of Eastland, Texas, is believed to draw its name in part from the oil discoveries of the early 20th century that turned communities like nearby Ranger into fabled boom towns. The rural community is home to farmers, cattle entrepreneurs, small business owners and commuters to jobs in bigger towns.

On Saturday, Carbon residents were left without water or power. Many people whose homes burned down were staying with friends or in shelters. Individuals, churches and businesses were dropping off donations of goods and money.

Mr. Hull, 47, the mayor, who works as a metal worker in Eastland and is a music minister of the Carbon Community Baptist Church, did not lose his home. But the fire burned others nearby, and the streets of Carbon and surrounding landscape offered abundant evidence of the disaster.

Michael Williams, an auto technician who works in Breckenridge more than 30 miles away, said he raced back to Carbon after his father called him at about 5 p.m. on Thursday to tell him that his town was under an evacuation order, with a torrent of flames bearing down.

Mr. Williams, a member of the Carbon city council, arrived home to find that his family had been evacuated, but conditions were so severe because of the approaching flames that he was unable to go into the house to save anything other than his two dogs, Pepper and Wrangler. Although he had been driving in daylight, the smoke was so dense when he reached home that you couldnt see the road in front of you, Mr. Williams recalled. It was like somebody turned out the lights.
Get ready, America, he declared. Weve got your back.

Yet in interviews between stops, when asked about the challenges ahead, Mr. Becerra kept coming back to the pandemic. If Americans are ready to put it behind them, he is not. He said his department would continue to push vaccination, because that is the best way to prevent infection, and much cheaper than treating people after they get sick.

He wants to repair the cracks in our public health system, and improve telemedicine, which could require improving broadband access in underserved areas. And he wants to close the black holes  by which he means the racial disparities in health and access to care that Covid-19 so painfully exposed. Mr. Becerra has backed the idea of single-payer government insurance, known as Medicare for All, which puts him to the left of Mr. Biden.

In talking to some of my international counterparts, they ask us questions about how is it that we could miss so many people? he said. To them, these issues are nonexistent because they have a wide net in their public health care system  they have that universal coverage. We saw the gaps that occur when you dont have universal coverage.

At 64, Mr. Becerra has a soft-spoken manner. Several current and former administration officials said that he had played a limited role in setting pandemic policy, and did not step in to resolve conflicts between the strong-willed doctors who lead some of the agencies  the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health  he oversees.

His critics say that has led to confusing messaging that has at times hindered the pandemic response  an assertion Mr. Becerras office disputes.

Hes like, a ghost, Dr. Eric Topol, founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said in an interview in January. Oh, is there a pandemic? Oh, really? Oh, theres infighting among my agencies. Oh, really? Hes done nothing.

But Mr. Blunt says Mr. Becerra has been unfairly blamed. He notes that the Biden White House took charge of the pandemic response before the Senate confirmed Mr. Becerra last March, putting Mr. Zients in charge.
WASHINGTON  Russia has fired scores of guided missiles into Ukraine, but on Saturday it claimed for the first time that it had launched one capable of hypersonic speed in an attack on an ammunition depot in western Ukraine. The report could not be independently verified, but if true could be the first use of a hypersonic weapon in combat.

Hypersonics, generally defined as weapons capable of flying at speeds over Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, are at the center of an arms race among the United States, Russia and China.

The United States has pursued development of this type of weapon since the early 2000s, focusing on two different variants, according to a report released Thursday by the Congressional Research Service.

The first is a hypersonic glide vehicle which is launched from a rocket and then separates before gliding to a target, and the second is a faster version of a cruise missile, which could be launched by submarines, ships, airplanes and ground vehicles, the report said. The Pentagon requested $3.8 billion for hypersonic research in fiscal year 2022.
The balancing act informs every aspect of American policy about the war, including the scope of the punishing sanctions imposed on the Russian economy, the granularity of the battlefield intelligence provided to Ukrainian troops, the killing power of the weapons systems coming over the border and whether, as Mr. Biden did this past week, to label President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as a war criminal.

C.I.A. officers are helping to ensure that crates of weapons are delivered into the hands of vetted Ukrainian military units, according to American officials. But as of now, Mr. Biden and his staff do not see the utility of an expansive covert effort to use the spy agency to ferry in arms as the United States did in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union during the 1980s. They have judged that such a campaign would be an unnecessary provocation, in part because NATO supply lines remain open and there is a functioning government in Kyiv.

The new war has forced a recalculation on other fronts. In one example, American officials have floated the idea of Turkeys government providing Ukraine with the sophisticated S-400 antiaircraft system. It is the very system, made by Russia, that American officials punished Turkey  a NATO ally  for buying from Moscow several years ago. Now American diplomats see a way to pull Turkey away from its dance with Russia  and give the Ukrainians one of the most powerful, long-range antiaircraft systems in existence.

In the White House and the Pentagon, there have been active debates over which lethal weapons delivered to Ukraine meet the nuanced interpretations of what international law allows. American officials acknowledge that the judgments of government lawyers are valuable only up to a point, and that all that really matters is the judgment of one person: Mr. Putin.

The Russian president has his own complex calculus about when the military support to Ukraine from the United States and its NATO allies crosses the line. He has his own reasons not to escalate, given the combined power of the NATO members and his own militarys evident difficulties against Ukrainian forces. But he is also unlikely to accept defeat or a stalemate in Ukraine without further testing American resolve, despite explicit public warnings from Washington against the use of chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons.
A Louisiana man was convicted on Wednesday of defrauding the federal student loan system of more than $1.4 million in an elaborate scheme that involved posing as students and hiring impersonators to get financial aid he then pocketed.

The man, Elliott Sterling, of Baton Rouge, obtained grants and loans intended for 180 students by using their personal information to fill out federal financial aid applications and enroll them in classes at Baton Rouge Community College from September 2017 to November 2019, prosecutors said.

Mr. Sterling, who was 32 when he was charged in September 2020, took most of the financial aid money for himself and spent more than $253,000 of it at casinos in Louisiana, Nevada and Pennsylvania, prosecutors said.

A jury in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana convicted Mr. Sterling on 15 counts of wire fraud, financial aid fraud and money laundering. The F.B.I. had seized about $422,600 of the proceeds, which the jury ordered be forfeited.
That is happening already, as administration officials discuss speeding up visas for religious minorities and thousands of people who already have relatives in the United States, a process that normally takes years. Some Ukrainians are making a roundabout journey to reach Mexico, where they hope to cross over, and others are attempting to secure appointments at U.S. consulates in Europe to request tourist visas.

The federal government announced early this month that it would extend Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians, enabling some 30,000 people who were in the United States as of March 1 to remain legally in the country for 18 months. But that does not help people waiting in makeshift shelters in countries neighboring Ukraine.

Refugee resettlement is a drawn-out bureaucratic process. It begins when a person is officially designated a refugee by the United Nations. Once assigned to the United States, applicants must pass interviews, background checks and medical exams. Winning approval and ultimately being relocated can take years, and former President Donald J. Trump downsized the refugee program, prompting arrivals to plunge precipitously.

For decades, the United States resettled more refugees than all other countries combined. About 3.5 million refugees have been admitted since 1975, though only a few thousand of those have come in the past five years. With conflicts brewing around the world, Democrats and Republicans have been at odds over whether the country should bear responsibility for people fleeing strife, and, if so, how many people to admit and from where.

Anti-refugee sentiment has been bubbling, and as a result, our refugee program is unable to meet this moment, said Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum, an advocacy organization.

In 2015 and 2016, Germany received about 800,000 Syrians seeking asylum after Angela Merkel, who was then the chancellor, made the decision to admit people escaping the war, and policymakers introduced measures to bolster the efficiency of refugee processing.

Around the same time in the United States, 31 governors  most of them Republicans  tried to block the resettlement of Syrians in their states, citing security concerns. Among them was former Vice President Mike Pence, when he was Indianas governor.
The consequences of that would be unthinkable, Max writes. Even a single nuclear strike by Russia could set off a tit-for-tat exchange that, in escalating to strategic weapons like intercontinental missiles, could kill 34 million people within a few hours.

[Read: As Russia Digs In, Whats the Risk of Nuclear War? Its Not Zero.]

Canadians and the federal government, of course, were quick to offer other forms of support to Ukraine. As of Friday morning, Canadians had donated 82 million Canadian dollars to the Canadian Red Cross for relief  a sum that doesnt count the federal governments matching donation of 30 million Canadian dollars.

The Canadian government is also taking steps to ease immigration processes for Ukrainians. This week, officials rolled out an accelerated digital application process that will allow Ukrainians to work in Canada for up to three years. (Some immigration policy experts noted the contrast between this new system and the slower, more cumbersome process for Afghan refugees looking to permanently settle here.)

As the war drags on, it seems likely that Ukrainians will need additional help. And as Canada ponders how to assist them, its worth remembering a potentially awkward reality: Canada is likely to indirectly profit from the Wests isolation of Russia in a number of ways.

While trade between Canada and Russia is not extensive, the countries compete in world markets for a wide range of resources, including grains, lumber and other forestry products, potash for fertilizers, nickel and other minerals and, perhaps above all, oil and gas. Ukraine is also a major exporter of wheat and other grains.

The effect of more than three weeks of war has not been so much to create new markets for Canada as it has been to raise the prices of commodities, in some cases sharply.

In Alberta, after years of low prices had slowed the economy and battered the provincial governments finances, oil prices were beginning to rise before the invasion. But moves to shut out Russia, one of the worlds top three oil producers, from global energy markets has only added to the pressures driving up prices. Clifford Krauss, a Times energy reporter and a former Toronto correspondent, wrote that, throughout history, there have been few comparable disruptions of oil supplies.
PARIS  Grim conspiracy theories about replacing white, Christian French with Muslims from North Africa. Vows to limit immigration from the region. And the evocation of memories of a supposedly glorious colonial past in Algeria.

While President Emmanuel Macron of France has tried over the past year to address the painful memories of his countrys colonial history in Algeria, the long shadows of that past  provoked by such messages  have increasingly pervaded the campaigns of right-wing candidates in next months presidential elections.

In the fall, one far-right candidate, Eric Zemmour, said, France does not have to welcome and keep all the criminals from North Africa. Another, Marine Le Pen, said on Friday that memories could not be reconciled by scourging ourselves in front of Algeria.

Mr. Macrons attempts to heal the wounds of Frances colonization of Algeria have included acknowledging crimes committed by the French military and by the police, recognizing Frances lack of regard for former settlers and Algerians who had fought for the country, and easing access to archives related to the war.
Separately, Russias Defense Ministry claimed on Saturday that it had used a hypersonic missile for the first time to destroy an underground ammunition depot in the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk. Ukraines military spokesman confirmed the hit on Saturday, but said the missile type was yet to be determined.

If confirmed, the Russian militarys use of a new generation of its missiles, called Kinzhal or Dagger, would mark an escalation in the conflict. Hypersonic missiles are capable of flying at five times the speed of sound, according to military analysts.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Saturday appealed directly to Russians to support a diplomatic resolution to the war, and added a stark warning.

I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow, Mr. Zelensky said in a video address hours after President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had spoken to tens of thousands of Russians in a rally at Moscows largest stadium. Its time to meet, time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russias losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound.

He repeated the Ukrainian militarys claim that 14,000 Russian troops had been killed. The Pentagon estimates that the figure is about half that, still a staggering toll, one that U.S. officials say the Kremlin has sought to cover up.
The document, drafted by top cardinals chosen by Francis, was released on the ninth anniversary of his installation as pope. It explicitly states in its preamble that the pope, bishops and other ordained ministers are not the only evangelizers in the church, creating space for Catholic laymen and laywomen to have roles of government and responsibility. In another section, called Principles, it states that the pope can appoint any Catholic he considers qualified to lead a Vatican office.

Church experts suggested that the departments for bishops, which oversees bishops around the world, and clergy, which deals with the churchs priests, would still require men as leaders because only men could be priests.

The new constitution also places Francis abuse commission inside the powerful doctrinal office that often opposed the panels recommendations. The new structure, the constitution says, will help the church protect minors and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse.

Cardinal Sean OMalley, the archbishop of Boston and the president of the commission in question, has at times taken the exceptional step against the hierarchy and criticized Francis for being tone deaf and wrong on the issue of abuse. But the cardinal called the incorporation of his commission into the church government a significant move forward in upgrading the place and mandate of the commission, which can only lead to a stronger culture of safeguarding throughout the Curia and the entire church.

The constitution, signed by Francis on Saturday and published immediately, and only in Italian, will go into force on June 5, replacing the charter Pastor bonus, or Good Shepherd, introduced in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
Ideally, Mr. Kalin said, the solution will be found in some new version of the Minsk accords, which were meant to provide significant autonomy within Ukraine to the Russian-supported separatist enclaves of Donetsk and Luhansk.

That is now more complicated since Mr. Putin and the Russian Duma, or parliament, have recognized the separatist enclaves as independent states covering land not now under their control, as Russia did with South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia following a similar war in 2008.

Russian and Ukrainian officials have been negotiating both in Belarus and over video calls. But the Russian delegation is relatively low-level, and so far the talks have not touched on the hardest problems separating the two sides, leading Ukrainian officials to believe that Russia is delaying while its military offensive grinds on.

The most difficult issues, like those of territorial control and sovereignty, will have to be left to the two presidents, Mr. Kalin suggested, once lesser issues are resolved. Those include Ukraine agreeing to a form of neutrality barring NATO membership, which Mr. Zelensky already appears to concede. The Russians are ready to move to another level of negotiations, Mr. Kalin said.

But it will also be important for Turkey and its fellow NATO members to start thinking seriously about how to manage relations with Russia once the war ends, Mr. Kalin said. Even though we fully reject the Russian war on Ukraine, the Russian case must be heard, because after this war, there will have to be a new security architecture established between Russia and the Western bloc, he said.

We cannot afford another Cold War  it will be bad for everyone and costly for the entire international political and financial system, he said. Every decision we make, every step we take now with regards to Russia militarily, politically, economically and otherwise, will have an impact on that new security architecture.

That topic will be part of the extraordinary summit meeting of NATO countries on Thursday, which President Biden plans to attend. While mostly intended as a show of unity in the face of Russian aggression, to emphasize the alliances commitment to deterrence and collective defense, Mr. Kalin said, at the end of the day, the goal is to establish peace and security for all.

That is why Turkey is trying so hard to keep our lines of communication open with Russia, he said. Of course, Russia bears the greater responsibility here, he said, but at the end of the day, its President Putin who will call this war off. When he will feel like doing it, when he thinks that he has gotten what he wanted out of this war  compromise, concession, deal  I do not know. But I think we are moving in that direction.
MADRID  In a bid to ease tensions with Morocco, Spain has recognized for the first time a plan drawn up by the African country for governing Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that has been torn by a separatist conflict for five decades.

The endorsement of Moroccos plan to grant some level of autonomy to Western Sahara could usher in a new stage in Spains relationship with Morocco, the authorities in Madrid said when announcing the move late Friday. But the development was immediately denounced by representatives of the Polisario Front, a separatist movement in the Western Sahara that represents the Sahrawi ethnic group.

The Moroccan plan would allow the Sahrawis to run their own administration, but under Moroccan sovereignty and with Morocco in charge of defense and foreign affairs.

The Polisario Front, which has long fought Moroccos control over Western Sahara, with the backing of neighboring Algeria has demanded a referendum on self-determination, as prescribed by a 1991 cease-fire and U.N.-mediated talks.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008. To many Georgians, that means the country should stand unequivocally with Ukraine. But the government is more cautious.

March 19, 2022

KHURVALETI, Georgia  When she hears the latest news from Ukraine, Tina Marghishvili, a Georgian farmer, remembers the forest her father planted. She remembers her childhood home, her cows, her family orchard  all the land and belongings that her family hasnt seen since 2008, when Russian troops forced them from their hometown during that years Russian-Georgian war.

I watch the Ukraine news, I remember 2008, and it makes me cry, said Ms. Marghishvili, 57, who now lives in a camp for Georgians displaced by that 2008 war. Georgia should be sanctioning Russia, blockading them, boycotting their exports.

And for Ms. Marghishvili, the big mystery is: Why hasnt the Georgian government already done that?

Along Russias borders, in post-Soviet countries like Georgia that remain caught between Russian and Western influence, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has presented governments with a strategic dilemma.
The bodies of four U.S. Marines who were killed in Norway during a NATO training exercise were retrieved from the accident site, the Norwegian Armed Forces said on Sunday.

The Marines had been taking part in a long-planned exercise called Cold Response on Friday when their MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed south of Bodo, in the northern county of Nordland, the Royal Norwegian Air Force said in a statement.

The update, published Sunday evening on the Norwegian militarys website, said that the Norwegian 330 Squadron, a search and rescue unit, deployed a Sea King helicopter to the crash site. The remains will be kept in Bodo until transported to the United States.

Organized regularly by Norway, the Cold Response exercise is intended to teach troops survival skills in extreme weather conditions in the Arctic. NATO said in a statement that Cold Response 2022 was not linked to Russias invasion of Ukraine.
technology The Latecomers Guide to Crypto What is DeFi?

This is part of The Latecomers Guide to Crypto, a mega-F.A.Q. about cryptocurrency and its offshoots. Kevin Roose, a Times technology columnist, is answering some of the most frequently asked questions he gets about NFTs, DAOs, web3 and other crypto concepts.

What is DeFi?

DeFi (pronounced dee-fye) is short for decentralized finance. Its an umbrella term for the part of the crypto universe that is geared toward building a new, internet-native financial system, using blockchains to replace traditional intermediaries and trust mechanisms.

I am falling asleep.

Dont! I promise its interesting.

OK, Ill give it a chance. What do you mean by using blockchains to replace traditional intermediaries and trust mechanisms?

Lets back up a bit. To send or receive money in the traditional financial system you need intermediaries, like banks or stock exchanges. And in order to feel comfortable doing the transaction, all parties need to trust that those intermediaries will act fairly and honestly.

In DeFi, those middlemen are replaced by software. Instead of transacting through banks and stock exchanges, people trade directly with one another, with blockchain-based smart contracts doing the work of making markets, settling trades and ensuring that the entire process is fair and trustworthy.

So DeFi is cryptos version of a stock exchange?

Thats part of it. But DeFi also includes things like lending platforms, prediction markets, options and derivatives.

Basically, crypto people are building their own version of Wall Street  one that is largely decentralized and deals exclusively in crypto, with crypto versions of many of the products offered by traditional financial firms, and without much of the red tape and regulations that govern the existing financial system.

Wild West Wall Street! OK, now Im interested. How big is DeFi?

DeFis total value locked or T.V.L.  a standard way of measuring the value of crypto held in DeFi projects  is currently about $77 billion, according to DeFi Pulse. That would make DeFi something like the 38th largest bank in the United States by deposits, if it were a bank.

So not huge, but not small either.

Right. And T.V.L. isnt the only way to measure DeFis growth. You could also look at trading activity on decentralized exchanges, which has grown by triple-digit percentages in the past year.

Or you could take a cue from regulators and politicians, who are increasingly looking to DeFis growth with concern. Michael Hsu, the acting U.S. comptroller of the currency, said in a speech at a blockchain conference in September that many DeFi products reminded him of the credit default swaps and other complex derivatives that were popular on Wall Street in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.

And Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat, singled out DeFi in a December crypto hearing, calling it the most dangerous part of the crypto world.

Why are people so worried about DeFi?

In short, because DeFi is mostly unregulated, with few of the consumer protections and safeguards that exist in the traditional financial system.

Can you give me an example of something that would be regulated in the traditional financial system, but isnt regulated in DeFi?

The best example is probably stablecoins. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies whose value is pegged to the value of a government-backed currency, like the U.S. dollar.

Stablecoins are a critical part of DeFi markets, because if youre a crypto investor, you dont want to constantly be changing tokens back and forth to dollars, or keeping all your assets in cryptocurrencies whose values might fluctuate wildly. You want a crypto coin that behaves like a boring, stable dollar, which you can use without needing to interact at all with the TradFi system.

TradFi?

Its what DeFi people jokingly call traditional finance.

Clever. So, back to stablecoins. Whats dangerous about them?

Well, regulators have argued that despite the name, stablecoins arent actually that stable.

As my colleague, Jeanna Smialek, explained in an article on stablecoins last year, the worry stems from the fact that stablecoin issuers arent legally required to back their coins one-to-one with safe, cash-like assets. Investors who buy stablecoins might reasonably assume that each USD Coin or Tether (the two most popular stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar) is worth $1, and that they will be able to redeem their stablecoins for actual dollars whenever they want.

But theres nothing in the law, at present, that requires stablecoin issuers to have one-to-one backing. And if they dont have enough reserves to cover the stablecoins theyre issuing, the whole thing could collapse if enough investors decide to pull their money out all at once.

That sounds bad!

It would be, especially since stablecoins are the backbone of DeFi trading. And there are questions among investors and regulators about whether some of the leading stablecoin issuers actually have enough assets to pay out their holders, in the event of a large-scale redemption.

So stablecoins might not be stable. What else is potentially worrisome about DeFi?

The crypto firms that issue loans, credit cards and savings accounts, without many of the protections or safeguards offered by conventional banks, are also drawing concern. Regulators in the United States have begun clamping down on firms that issue these products, saying they could represent a risk to consumers.

Regulators are also looking into decentralized exchanges, or DEXs, which allow users to swap crypto tokens with the help of market-making algorithms.

And then there are all the hacks and scams 

Oh, great.

Yeah. DeFi, like crypto in general, is a big target for fraud. More than $10 billion was lost to hacks and scams in DeFi projects in 2021 alone, according to a report from the blockchain analytics firm Elliptic.

There typically isnt much recourse for victims of DeFi scams. And unlike deposits in a regular bank, which are insured by the F.D.I.C., crypto tokens usually cant be replaced or recovered once theyre gone.

So, let me get this straight. One of the fastest-growing areas of crypto is a Wild West version of Wall Street where there are no investor protections, where the things that are called stablecoins might not be stable, and where your money could be irreversibly stolen at any time?

Thats an unflatteringly phrased but largely accurate summary!

Why would anyone sign up for this?

Four reasons.

First, many people like DeFi because its so new and unregulated. Building an entirely new financial system from scratch is the kind of intellectual challenge that doesnt come around every day, and lots of people are attracted to the sectors wide open, blank slate potential. Plus, if youre a clever trader or an experienced financial engineer, you could do all kinds of things in DeFi that you couldnt do in the traditional financial system, and potentially make a lot of money very quickly.

Second, many DeFi fans argue that blockchains are technologically superior to the existing banking system, much of which runs on ancient databases and outdated code. (Most bank transactions, for example, still rely on programs written in COBOL, a programming language that dates back to the 1960s.) Crypto, they say, is the first form of money that is actually devised for the internet, and as it grows, it will need a new, internet-native financial system to support it.

Third, if youve bought into the crypto/web3 vision of a decentralized economy, DeFi is the financial architecture that makes all of the things youre excited about possible. Theres no way, in the traditional financial system, for a DAO to create a membership token out of thin air and use it to raise millions of dollars. You cant call up JPMorgan Chase or Goldman Sachs and ask them to give you a quote for Smooth Love Potion, priced in Dogecoin. (Well, you could, but they might have you committed.) But with DeFi platforms, you can find people who are willing to trade almost any crypto asset for almost any other crypto asset, with no central entitys approval needed.

And fourth, theres a more idealistic cohort of DeFi fans who see all of this heading in a much more utopian direction.

Decentralizing finance, these people say, could help fix whats wrong with our current financial system, in part by eroding the power of big Wall Street banks over our economy and markets.

How would that work?

These optimists contend that because DeFi replaces human intermediaries and trust mechanisms with public blockchains and open-source software, its cheaper (fewer fees), more efficient (faster transaction times) and more transparent (less opportunity for corruption) than the traditional financial system.

They say it democratizes investing, placing tools in peoples hands that only professional investors had access to before. And because you can participate in crypto anonymously and without a banks approval, they say, DeFi is a way to provide financial services to people who arent well-served by the conventional banking sector, and avoid many of the discriminatory practices that have kept minorities from accessing financial services in the past.

Ultimately, the optimists say, DeFi will become safer and more robust over time, as more people use it and some of the early problems are ironed out. And just as they believe that web3 will replace greedy tech platforms with user-owned collectives, they believe that DeFi will replace todays banks and brokerages with a better, fairer system.

That sounds great, but Im still worried. Didnt we learn our lesson in 2008 about the dangers of unregulated finance? Could DeFi bring about the next financial crisis?

Right now, its unlikely that DeFi could produce any disasters on the scale of the 2008 financial crisis. Its still a relatively small piece of the crypto world (which is a relatively small piece of the overall economy), and many of the people pouring money into DeFi are the kind of deep-pocketed investors who could absorb even big losses.

But the possibility that DeFi could grow big enough to present a systemic risk isnt lost on regulators, who are scrambling to make the Wild West of crypto a little less wild.

Go deeper:

Finance 3.0: DeFi, Dapps, and the Promise of Decentralized Disruption Kevin Werbach, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, makes the case that DeFi will revolutionize the world of finance by eliminating costly and controlling intermediaries from financial transactions.

Anyone Seen Tethers Billions? Bloombergs report on the mysterious dollar reserves of Tether, the stablecoin at the heart of the DeFi economy, helps explain why regulators are worried.

The Defiant This independent media companys daily DeFi newsletter is an industry must-read.
JUDGE Alec Gabbett remarked that a defendant had a penchant for breaking windows when he appeared at Tullamore district court.

Before Judge Gabbett was James Mullan (21) 34 Connolly Park, Tullamore, who had broken windows at Boots pharmacy, Digan's pub and and the Vape shop in Tullamore on dates between September 2021 and December 2021.

Judge Gabbett noted that Mr Mullan had not engaged with the probation services. He said he didnt answer his phone and most young people have the phone stuck to their hands.

Solicitor Patrick Martin said his client suffers from anxiety.

Judge Gabbett said he would be too if he broke a window in Boots worth 1,000.

He said he had a ''fair lot'' of charge sheets on front of him. Mr Martin said his client was not involved in drugs.

The judge commented that Mr Mullan had broken windows in a pub, shop and Boots. He has a penchant for breaking windows, he added. He is not prepared to cooperate with services.

Mr Martin said his client was now working and would engage with the probation services. Judge Gabbett told the defendant it was time to wake up and smell the coffee. ''People have to do business in this town.''

He said he would take the 200 Mr Mullan had brought to court but told him this was by no means the end of the matter.

He put the case back to May 4, 2022 for a probation report. He warned Mr Mullan that when the probation service ring him he is to answer, or the next time he is in court he is to bring a bag.
A safety issue has been identified with a kids inflatable paddling pool prompting an immediate recall.

The popular pool was sold on the eBay platform.

"The product contains unacceptable levels of the chemical, DEHP, that are classified as unsafe for young children," a recall notice on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said.

"The brand is unknown. The type/number of model is 402858363880. The batch number is unknown. The barcode is unknown," the alert added.

"Given the online availability of this product, it may have been sold to customers in the Republic of Ireland."

People are advised, if they think they bought the product, to discontinue use immediately, discard the product immediately and keep it out of the reach of children.

"You may wish to contact the online store from where you purchased this product to see if there are any remedies available to you. This can be done via your user account on the relevant platform."
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.
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Belize is a Caribbean country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It borders Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of 419,199 (2020). Its mainland is about 290 km (180 mi) long and 110 km (68 mi) wide. It has the lowest population and population density in Central America. Its population growth rate of 1.87% per year is the second-highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Its capital is Belmopan, and its largest city is Belize City.
Brisbane Times 19 Mar 2022

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Middle Eastern and North African countries rely heavily on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine. The current war could lead to a severe food crisis in a region already under pressure.
War in Europe has become a reality for the first time in decades. German teens are concerned that Russia's aggression will spread beyond Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, dead and wounded Russian soldiers have been arriving in Belarus. Most officials and doctors refuse to talk openly about the specific numbers and details remain sketchy.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the Ukraine invasion as a "turning point for the world" and said it would be a mistake to normalize ties with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Follow DW for the latest.
The war in Ukraine continues to rage while Ukrainian and Russian negotiators talk. Experts say that for now neither side is ready for a breakthrough and fear that the war will last a very long time.
The City of Calgary has been granted a temporary court injunction to address protesters in the citys Beltline area.
President Bashar Al Assad has travelled to the United Arab Emirates, his first visit to an Arab country since the outbreak of Syria's brutal civil war in 2011.
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Catholic Culture 09 Mar 2022
There's a warning increases in food prices are "inevitable" as production costs soar due to the war in Ukraine.
Rumble 27 Apr 2022

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Saturday updates on the invasion of Ukraine, which has entered its fourth week without the Russians capturing Kyiv or toppling Ukraine's government.


Germany has vowed to wean itself off Russian gas imports in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Economy Minister Robert Habeck is visiting Qatar, one of the world's largest exporters of liquified natural gas (LNG).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces are blockading his country's largest cities to wear the population down into submission, but he warned Saturday that the strategy will fail and Moscow will lose in the long run if it doesn't end its war.
Thousands of Ukrainian citizens queue outside Warsaw's National Stadium as they wait to register for their Polish ID numbers.
About three dozen would-be asylum seekers from Russia found themselves blocked from entering the U.S. on Friday while a group of Ukrainians flashed passports and were escorted across the border.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama made his first public appearance on Friday in Dharamshala in about two years since the Covid pandemic hit the country. The 14th Dalai Lama delivered teachings from the Jataka Tales followed by the ceremony for generating Bodhichitta (semkye) at the main Tibetan temple, Tsuglakhang.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had shaken "the roots of international order" and required a clear and diplomatic response.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has dismissed the row over parties held during lockdown in Downing Street and across Whitehall as trivial "fluff".
Rumble 25 Mar 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that if Russia were to use chemical weapons in its invasion of Ukraine, the United States..
United States President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in a two-hour phone call on Friday morning wherein the two most powerful leaders focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Lviv, Ukraine (AFP) March 18, 2022



Ukraine on Friday said "hundreds" of civilians were trapped in the wreckage of a theatre bombed by Russia, as the United States demanded China get tough with its "war criminal" allies in the Kremlin. Russian missiles struck an aircraft repair site close to Lviv's airport in Ukraine's far west, extending the war to a relatively unscathed region near the border with NATO member Poland. No
The jet is being held at London Biggin Hill airport while it is investigated if it falls under UK sanctions.

BBC News 19 Mar 2022
Six top executives from oil companies have been summoned to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in April. This comes amid the gas price hike that many Americans are experiencing amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
On Day 23 of Russia's war on Ukraine, faces permeated with fear, uncertainty and sadness filled the frames of Associated Press photographs. (March 18)


The White House emphasizes that regime change is not US policy, but Sen. Lindsey Graham has called for someone to assassinate Vladimir Putin.


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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for meaningful peace talks with Moscow - but UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned Russia could use them as a "smokescreen" for war crimes.
Food and drink company Nestle has been accused of being a "sponsor of Putin's war" after refusing to halt its operations in Russia.Swiss firm Nestle makes well-known products for the Australian market including Nescafe coffee, Milo...
A prominent pro-Putin activist has used an anti-vaccination protest in Sydney to spread misinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Video posted to social media showed Simeon Boikov, who goes by the name Aussie Cossack...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces are blockading his country's largest cities to wear the population down into submission, but he warned that the strategy will fail and Moscow will lose in the long run if...
Business Insider 07 Apr 2021

Biden warned China is "counting on American democracy to be too slow, too limited, and too divided to keep up the pace."
TMZ.com 11 Apr 2022

Desiigner thinks Goonew's nightclub funeral was a perfect way to go out ... and if his family says it's what he wanted, then..
Opalesque Geneva:

ETFS Capital and Lion Point Capital nominated three candidates to WisdomTree Investment's board of directors on Friday, in their latest attempt to create sweeping changes within the underperforming ETF asset manager. Failure to reach an agreement, they said, means they will reveal all details of WisdomTree's mismanagement to all concerned.

ETFS and Lion Point currently own about 13.5% of the outstanding common stock of WisdomTree, and 21.4% of the company upon conversion of their Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock, making them the company's largest economic holder.

The two firms formed a group with regards to their investment in WisdomTree after having independently reached similar conclusions about the significant opportunity to create value through actions, says ETFS' letter to WisdomTree.

Problems at WisdomTree

ETFS had agreed to sell its European ETC business to WisdomTree based on the belief that the combination of the company's U.S. ETF franchise and ETFS' European ETC business had significant value creation potential. "Since then, however, WisdomTree has squandered its credibility, as demonstrated by its destruction of invested capital, inability to align its cost structure......................

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Oskaloosa, IA (52577)

Today

Becoming cloudy with occasional rain late. Low around 50F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

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Becoming cloudy with occasional rain late. Low around 50F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Ottumwa, IA (52501)

Today

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Davenport University announced it has rescheduled the 23rd Annual Excellence in Business Gala, its annual event to benefit student scholarships, to Thursday, May 26 at DeVos Place, Grand Rapids.

The gala will feature an exclusive conversation between Davenports President Dr. Richard J. Pappas and George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Guests will have an opportunity to hear about President Bushs time in the White House, the challenges facing our nation in the 21st century, as well as his current work at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
With the cost of medical debt burdening many families in the United States, a local group of faith leaders is looking to help alleviate the burden for mid-Michigan residents.

Midland Area Interfaith Friends is partnering with RIP Medical Debt, a group dedicated to paying off medical debt, to raise money to help local families in need. While the group has already reached its fundraising goal, it will continue collecting donations until April 1.

The Interfaith group formed in 2016 to bring together people of different religious backgrounds during the divisive time of the election, said Umbareen Jamil, member of Interfaith and the Islamic Center of Midland. The group started out as a way to get to know one another, but eventually found a higher purpose - to work together to better the community.

One of the groups most recent projects was a comfort and warmth drive. The group raised money to help people pay their energy bills, Jamil said. Their goal was $5,000, but they ended up collecting $5,600.

The Rev. Jim Harrison, of St. John's Episcopal Church, said he first heard about RIP when he was preparing for a funeral for someone from another church and saw that this church had recently worked with them when he went to the churchs website. He knew he wanted to work with them group for Interfaith.

RIP is based in New York and buys debt at a discounted rate, Harrison said. It then pays that debt off for people, no strings attached. The organization specifically pays off debt for those who are burdened by it the most: people earning twice below the federal poverty level and whose debt is more than 5% or more of their income.

The Interfaith groups goal was to raise $20,000 from the public, with St. John's Episcopal Church agreeing to match the donation. According to a recent Facebook post, the group has already raised $24,121.

Jamil said said for every $1 raised, $200 will abolish $200 of medical debt, with 100% of the money raised going towards abolishing the debt. The money raised through this campaign will stay in Midland, Bay, Gladwin, Isabella and Saginaw counties, Harrison said.

Interfaith member Pam Fagan wanted to raise money for this group because of her 31-year-old daughter in law, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was paying off student loans, and her medical bills were high, even with health insurance.

This is such an awesome project. I cannot say enough good things about it, Fagan said. I always think of those people, like, what it would be like for my son and daughter-in-law to get a letter in the mail and just says, Oh, by the way, this medical debt was relieved.

The Rev. Eric Severson, of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland, said some of his congregants have faced the issue of medical debt and that it is a ubiquitous burden. It was a natural fit for the group to take this on, he said.

Within the Muslim faith, members are taught about the importance of the sanctity of human life, Jamil said, and that every life is important.

The stress of medical debt is such that it kills people, Jamil said. They may not die from the disease that they have, they may die from the emotional stress of having to deal with how they are going to pay this because that has such a domino effect on everything. If you are in debt, you cannot get a house, you cannot get a car. So many things are affected.

If you are interested in donating to the campaign visit RIPs website.
ONEKAMA TWP.  To the dismay of many in the Onekama community, Andrew and Barbara Cook are one step closer to building on their Portage Point Drive property in Onekama.

On Thursday, the Onekama Township Board voted 4-1 in favor of approving a consent judgment which would grant the Cooks two zoning variances and allow them to build a single-family dwelling and attached garage 0.18-acre lot. Board trustee Al Taylor was the dissenting vote.

"I don't feel all my concerns have been addressed, so I vote no," Taylor said.

Having been approved by the board, the consent judgment will go in front of 19th Circuit Court Judge David Thompson for approval. The agreement states that the township will grant a land use permit for the Cooks, with multiple requirements in place.

Concerns and rationale

Taylor was not alone in his concern, as several people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting against the Cooks' ability to build.

Jim Pomaranski, former Onekama Township Zoning Board of Appeals chair, said the site plan submitted by the Cooks has errors and omissions that make it "less than adequate."

Pomaranski said the scale of the drawing was too small, making it difficult to read; critical dimensions such as building exterior perimeters were not shown; the rear and front setback terminology were reversed, leading him to believe the preparer and approver were not knowledgeable of standard zoning ordinance setbacks; and the plan does not address construction limits, such as where construction is occurring and the location of paths for heavy equipment.

"A lot this small having a public road in the rear, lake frontage in the front and only 10 feet on the side easements will immediately become a highly congested area. This is a major public safety issue in terms of blocking public access onto Portage Point Road  pedestrians, cyclists, delivery and vehicle safety will become rapidly compromised," Pomaranski said. "Emergency vehicle and delivery truck access will also will be compromised. The site plan is absolutely critical on this most important issue. To have a good site plan is a key element."

Pomaranski said the proposed site plan violates state right of way statues.

"Here we are today and the Cook Subcommittee that you appointed is recommending the approval of a two and a half story dwelling over 33 feet tall encroaching into the Portage Point Road right of way," he said. "In closing, this is in direct violation on Michigan right of way statutes ... but the bigger question is how did we get to this point not knowing this? This is a serious issue."

The Cook Subcommittee was assembled after the the Cooks filed an appeal in the form of a lawsuit with Manistee County's 19th Circuit Court after the Onekama Township Zoning Board of Appeals denied a proposed plan which requested five variances in order to build. The lawsuit took the decision out of the hands of the zoning board of appeals and instead left it up to the township board.

The subcommittee was put together in the hope that both sides could come to an agreement outside of court. The board voted during a Dec. 8 meeting to appoint township clerk Shelli Johnson, Taylor, planning commission chairman Jim Trout and Onekama Township zoning administrator and Manistee County planner Katie Mehl to the subcommittee.

Township treasurer Ed Bradford said if the board took the matter to court, the judge would decide on a site plan featuring a much larger structure and require more variances than the one the board was considering.

"We feel like we have a strong case there, however, it's the judge's decision and the judge could rule either way. I think the public needs to understand that is what the court would rule on," he said. "It's my opinion that if the court were to uphold the zoning board of appeals' decision on that, the Cooks would be right back here with another site plan, probably looking a lot like the one we have right now. That's my opinion. ... I want to explain my rationale before I vote on this so the public has an idea of what's going on."

Onekama resident Dan Norbeck said he believed the board was doing what it felt was in the best interest of the township, but "an error made in good faith is still an error."

"I understand the township's attorney, I believe his name is Tom Grier, in writing and I'm sure elsewhere has made it clear to the board that, in his view, this case is a loser, so in effect why spend a lot of taxpayer dollars on a case that is ultimately going to be lost?" Norbeck said. "What I didn't understand from Mr. Grier as I read his recommendation, nowhere does he indicate that the zoning board of appeals was in error. What's the mistake that they made that needs to be corrected? I don't know of one."

Township supervisor David Meister said Grier would not be willing to represent the township if it went to court.

"Mr. Grier would abstain from being our attorney because he said that would be a malfeasance of his duty to represent the township and to go to court on a plan that has already been reduced in size, and to spend any amount of money on that would be in violation of his ethics," Meister said. "... That's what Mr. Grier told me. It would be a no-win situation when on the table right now is a structure that's way smaller. He said, 'Why would you go to court on that?' I understand a lot of people aren't going to understand that answer, but that's what the attorney advised."

The Cooks' attorney, Richard Wilson, of Mika Myers, PLC, said the board, the zoning board of appeals and the Cook Subcommittee put a lot of work into coming up with a solution that worked for both parties.

"You've spent a lot of money. My clients have spent a lot of money. We are at a point where we've got a reasonable resolution to the problem," Wilson said. "I would ask you, on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Cook, to approve the proposed consent judgment that is on your table in front of you."

Bradford said much of the public's concern goes beyond the scope of what the township is ruling on.

"There have been several comments made that there's no room for the construction traffic. ... I understand there's a concern there, but that isn't a township issue," he said. "That's a county road commission issue and it's not any more egregious from a safety standpoint than we have right now. I don't think those facts are in dispute. People can do construction. They park on the side of the road. It's that simple.

"I don't think it's worth risking for the township to continue litigating for this matter when the Cooks submitted a much scaled-down house that's in keeping with the neighborhood that's an allowable use on a pre-existing, non-conforming lot of record."

More steps

Bradford said even with the board's approval of the consent judgment, the Cooks have other boxes to check before they can build on their property.

"There are going to be additional things that they have to do. There's litigation  somebody's asked to intervene and the judge will decide whether or not they get to do that," Bradford said. "Who knows where that's going to go? They have to get their septic permit; the township doesn't do that. They have to get a well permit; the township doesn't do that. They have to get whatever agreement with the road commission that's not already in place to do what they need to do.

"There are lots of other steps that the Cooks have to do on this, but at some point this body either needs to say judge, you decide on Plan B, which I heard lots of people very upset about, or we go with the proposal that's in front of us now and that consent to judgment which does protective things that nobody else along that stretch has to do."
LANSING  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared March 20-26 as Michigans Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division is calling on residents to take action by participating in a voluntary statewide tornado drill at 1 p.m. on March 23.

Last summer in Michigan, we saw the devastating impacts of severe weather, from flooding to tornadoes and straight-line winds, said Whitmer in a news release. Taking steps to prepare now can protect your home, your family and your pets. We ask that all Michiganders do their part to keep our communities safe.

Businesses, organizations, families and individuals are encouraged to engage in this statewide preparedness activity but are not required to do so. During the drill residents will observe or hear alerts on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio, television and radio stations. To learn how local alerts are administrated in your community and if your community is participating, contact your local emergency management agency.

With an average of 15 tornadoes each year, this is a very real threat to our Michigan communities, said Col. Joe Gasper, state director of emergency management and homeland security and director of the Michigan State Police, in the release. This drill will give people a chance to make a plan and put it to the test. By planning now, you can be better prepared when a disaster happens.

The average lead time for tornadoes to develop is 10 to 15 minutes, which means residents need to be ready to react quickly when a warning is issued.

To be ready for a tornado:

 Know the difference: Tornado Watch means conditions exist for a tornado to develop; Tornado Warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.

 Know the signs of an approaching tornado: dark, often greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark low-lying cloud; and loud roar, like a freight train.

 Develop an emergency preparedness kit with essential items such as a three-day supply of water and food, a NOAA Weather Radio, important family documents and items that satisfy unique family needs.

 Conduct regular tornado drills. Make sure each household member knows where to go and what to do in the event of a tornado.

 Stay tuned to commercial radio or television broadcasts for news on changing weather conditions or approaching storms.

For more information about being safe before, during and after a tornado, follow the MSP/EMHSD on Twitter at @MichEMHS or go to michigan.gov/miready.
Ann Brown, age 67, of Palestine, Texas, passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022 in Palestine, Texas. Funeral service will be held at 10AM on Friday, May 6, 2022 at Evangelistic Temple. Burial will follow at Tennessee Colony Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6PM to 8PM on Thursday, May 5, 2022 a
Cotonou, Benin PANA) - The Executive Secretariat of the Entente Council Saturday expressed its sympathy with the pain of the Burkinabe people following the recent successive attacks in the north of he country, a statement received by PANA said
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

A man from New Jersey, Christopher Gregor, was charged with murder for abusing his six-year-old son including forcing him to run on the treadmill.

The son, Corey Micciolo, died on April 2, sustaining injuries due to blunt force trauma, the Ocean Country Medical Examiner's Office said. Gregor was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child, but the charges were eventually upgraded to murder.

Abused by his father

Bre Micciolo, the mom, said that her son hated going to his dad's house. Her son would scream and hide in closets to evade going to his father's house, and the mom did not understand why, as per Mama's Uncut.

The mom admitted that it was not until Corey came back one day with bruises that she understood why her son dreaded visiting his father. The father would bite the boy and put him on the treadmill while calling the boy fat.

Investigators cite unreleased video footage in an affidavit of probable cause showing Gregor and Corey at a local fitness center called Atlantic Heights Clubhouse on March 20. The boy was running on a treadmill when his father approached the machine and increased the speed.

According to Daily Voice, the treadmill was going too fast, and Corey could not keep up, so he fell and hit his chest. The mom said she only learned about the incident until it was too late. His father would make Corey get back on six times. On his last fall, the father picked the boy up by the back of his shirt, put him back on, and then bit his head.

Days after, the mom saw the son's injuries and reported them to a caseworker with the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

On April 2, the mom brought Corey to a doctor, where he died. He told his mom that his father forced him into the treadmill because "he was too fat."

Miccioloa also said that the father verbally and physically abused the boy before he died on April 2. Authorities said that an investigation remains active and more charges are likely to be charged against the father.

Prosecutor Billhimer announced the upgraded charges, where he thanked the law enforcement officers involved in 'this very thorough and comprehensive investigation over the past 11 months.'

Gregor is being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, where he will remain after the detention hearings.

Read Also: Man Accidentally Shoots and Kills Pregnant Teen While Playing With Handgun

No one in authority was helpful

Micciolo said that she made many reports about the abuse over the past two years. However, she said that "no one in authority was helpful.". As the investigation is ongoing and there are confidentiality laws to comply with, authorities cannot confirm details.

The mom said that before April 1, the judge denied a request to allow her to have temporary full custody pending a child protection services investigation outcome.

The Daily Mail reports that after her son's death, Micciolo created a private Facebook page called Justice for Corey to raise awareness for her son's case. On July 30, 2021, a rally, "Justice for Corey." The mom got outpouring support from the local and international community. Micciolo said that the public pressure got the law enforcement's attention.

Related Article: Fate of Ukrainian Pregnant Women Gets Grimmer as Russia Continues Ukraine Attacks
Photo: (Photo : BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

The brutality of the Russian invasion was there for all to see on March 9 when Vladimir Putin's troops bombarded a maternity and children's hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine which left three dead at the scene and over a dozen people injured. A young pregnant Ukrainian influencer, who was seen after the carnage, is now in the center of a Russian propaganda campaign claiming that the bombing was staged.

Photos and videos of the aftermath of the attack went viral with many people around the world stunned by the horrific nature of the Russian shelling. One picture in particular sent shivers down the spine as a photographer managed to capture a shot of an injured pregnant woman being carried out of the destroyed building on a stretcher.

The woman, who was seen stroking her bloodied lower abdomen in the picture, died along with her unborn baby later that day. The Associated Press managed to learn her fate after the news agency tracked down pregnant women who were inside the maternity hospital when the facility was bombed.

Russia uses pregnant Ukrainian in disinformation campaign

There is another story floating around, though, with the Russians launching a disinformation campaign that one of the pregnant women, Marianna Vishegirskaya, was planted by the Ukrainian government and the attack being shown was staged by them.

The Russians likely targeted Vishegirskaya because she is a popular internet personality in Ukraine. Vishegirskaya is widely known as @gixie_beauty on social media platform Instagram. When the Russians found her in the pictures that circulated, they pounced on the opportunity and casted Vishegirskaya in the role of a 'crisis actor.'

I received an update from a relative of Marianna - a pregnant girl from Mariupol's bombed hospital. They were able to reach her on the phone briefly. Last night at 10pm, Marianna gave birth to a baby girl! They are ok, but it's very cold in Mariupol and the bombing doesn't stop pic.twitter.com/PSLxI6I0zZ  Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) March 11, 2022

According to Mashable, this is a classic Russian propaganda tactic that has also been used by conspiracy theorists and far-right groups in the United States. That happened during the mass shootings in Sandy Hook and Parkland when the victims in those deadly attacks were falsely accused of being paid actors.

The real reason, though, why Vishegirskaya was there in the maternity hospital is because she was due to give birth there. Photos on her Instagram account even before the Russian invasion started show Vishegirskaya in a clearly pregnant state, debunking Russian claims that she was a hired actor.

Read Also: Ukrainian Mother and Baby Fleeing Russian Invasion Denied Flight by Authorities to San Francisco

Russian goverment coordinating disinformation campaign

According to a USA Today fact check, Vishegirskaya herself was interviewed by the AP after the explosion, telling them that they were lying in wards when glass, frames, windows and walls suddenly flew apart. She added that they don't know how it happened.

The disinformation regarding the young pregnant Ukrainian woman appears to have started from a Russian Telegram channel called "Signal." That channel has a wide reach, with at least half a million subscribers on its platform.

It is more than likely that the disinformation campaign that focused on Vishegirskaya was coordinated by the Russian government. News outlet Vice recently uncovered a propaganda campaign showing how influential TikTok personalities in Russia were being paid by the government to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda about the war in Ukraine.

Related Article: Human Trafficking Problem Surfaces in War-torn Ukraine After Chinese Pair Caught Smuggling Babies
Photo: (Photo : Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Bensalem police announced on Thursday, March 17, that a grandmother, father, and mother, are facing charges in connection with the death of a 4-month-old baby, who was found unresponsive at a Pennsylvania home last January.

According to 6ABC, Bensalem police have charged grandmother and foster mother Donna Westmoreland with child endangerment while parents Felicity Westmoreland and Daniel Howarth were charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 4-month-old's death. The baby's mother and father were also charged with child endangerment and other drug crimes, including possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bensalem police officers were dispatched to a home on Oak Avenue in Trevose on January 7 after a report was sent of a baby having cardiac arrest. According to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office and the police, the 4-month-old child was transported to a Langhorne hospital after he was found unresponsive in the living room of their home. The kid was later pronounced dead at St. Mary's hospital.

Fentanyl found in 4-month-old boy's blood

Detectives who were investigating the case said that the parents were at home when the child died, with drug baggies and syringes found inside the residence. Those items tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl.

According to officials, the home was in total disarray with trash, old food, and clothes all over the place. WSAZ reported that an autopsy later revealed that the baby had fentanyl in his blood, and the cause of his untimely death was determined to be from the dangerous and harmful effects of the powerful opioid.

Donna Westmoreland, the child's grandmother, was previously appointed as the baby's foster mother and was ordered by the court to not leave him unsupervised with his parents. Apparently, Bucks County Juvenile Dependency Court prohibited the grandmother from leaving the baby alone with his parents, according to the police.

Read Also: Mom of Six Gets Three Police Visits for Her Parenting Style

Foster mother leaves child unsupervised with his parents

Authorities who investigated the incident said that Westmoreland admitted to leaving the 4-month-old child with his parents on the day the baby died. Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey told the Bucks County Courier Times that Donna Westmoreland was in the said home at the time of the incident, but left the baby unsupervised in the room with Howarth and her daughter. McVey said the victim's parents were staying at the home temporarily.

The grandmother's decision to leave the child with his parents proved to be costly with the baby apparently suffering fentanyl poisoning. She was arrested by Bensalem police with her bail set at $150,000.

Felicity Westmoreland was also arrested by the police and was placed in the Bucks County Correctional Facility. It is highly unlikely that she will be out soon with her bail set at $10 million. The other suspect, Howarth, has not yet been arrested as of Thursday afternoon. A warrant has been issued for his arrest with police still looking for his whereabouts.

Related Article: Florida Parents Whose Children Died of Brain Injuries to Get $150,000 Stipends
Photo: (Photo : Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

An 8-month-old baby has been found alive in a Louisiana field after going missing overnight, much to the delight of Baton Rouge officials in charge of the search who called it a miracle discovery.

The city's police department announced the great news on social media. The young boy, Niguel Jackson, was discovered alive and healthy on Wednesday, March 16, after being abandoned overnight in a field along Plank Road.

According to the Advocate, police and first responders searched for the baby for hours on the ground and through a helicopter overhead. Their hard work paid off as they found the infant unscathed, a development that EMS spokesman Mike Chustz described as nothing short of miraculous.

Tough baby did not cry during rescue operation

The first responders feared Jackson might suffer from hypothermia with temperature dipping near 50 degrees, but he appeared in good spirits when personnel from the Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services attended to him. Chustz said the baby did not even cry during the rescue operation.

Missing baby boy found alive in Louisiana field https://t.co/RaSgTz7hHx  Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) March 18, 2022

Chustz added that the timing of the rescue did not give a lot of them hope, but the baby was tough. The search and rescue operation was carried out by multiple agencies starting on Wednesday morning after the child's mother turned herself in to get medical treatment.

According to Baton Rouge Fire Department (BRFD) spokesman Curt Monte, Jackson's mother showed up at Harding Road fire station around 6 p.m. on Tuesday and was later brought to the hospital. WAFB reported that while she was being transported to a different facility for treatment the next morning, the mother mentioned the abandoned child, alerting officials.

BRFD contacted the woman's family members, who said they saw her with the baby when she left her apartment by Cypress Road and Harding Boulevard for the fire station on Tuesday evening. Officials immediately launched a massive search for the child upon learning that no one in the family knew where to find the baby. The search team involved police officers, firefighters from multiple cities, a helicopter, and at least one police dog.

Read Also: Miracle Baby Kendall Jurnakins Finally Leaves Ascencion NICU After Record 460-Day Stay

Baby found near Saintsville Church on Plank Road

According to Monte, search crews scoured the woods between Plank and Hooper roads to find the baby. They also looked as far west as the BRFD headquarters, about a mile away from the woman's apartment.

The baby was eventually located near Saintsville Church on Plank Road after the child's mother helped Baton Rouge police officers narrow down the location where she abandoned Jackson. Monte said officers eventually spotted the child from a BRPD helicopter.

BRPD spokesman Lt. Don Coppola issued a statement about the woman who abandoned the baby, saying she will not face charges over the incident, which was prompted by medical issues. People magazine reported that East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome also released a public statement about the successful search, thanking first responders for finding the baby safe.

Related Article: Parents and Grandmother Charged in Bensalem Child's Death; Fentanyl Found in Baby Boy's Blood
Photo: (Photo : LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Building a family is never easy. That is certainly the case for a Denver couple who had to travel to the war zone in Ukraine to rescue their baby, who was born via a Ukrainian surrogate. Allison and Byron told their story to the Denver Post on the condition that their last names be withheld for privacy and safety concerns.

The family of three are now in Poland recovering after the dangerous trip, which saw them at one point being accused of kidnapping their own newborn baby at the Polish border. All is well now for the couple, who are just awaiting baby Evelyn's passport before returning to the United States.

Byron and Allison got married in 2016, and neither one of them had plans to have any children. Allison did donate her eggs multiple times in the past, just in case her stance on motherhood changed. That happened a little more than a year ago when Allison was unexpectedly struck with baby fever.

Allison and Byron chooses Ukrainian surrogate to carry their baby

The Denver-based couple knew fertility would be difficult for them, so they began investigating surrogacy options and in vitro fertilization. The couple's financial constraints led them to choose a Ukrainian surrogate instead to carry their first-born child.

According to the Daily Mail, the surrogacy process costs around $55,000 in Ukraine. Costs rise to around $60,000 if the couple uses a donor sperm or egg. That is still cheaper than surrogacy services in the United States which can range from around $100,000 to $200,000.

Allison said they put a lot of thought into the repercussions of doing the pregnancy abroad with a Ukrainian surrogate. Allison added that they wanted to make sure these women were doing this by choice, and they were not being coerced or forced to become a surrogate. They also did all the due diligence to ensure their payments were going to the woman who would be their surrogate.

Allison and Byron went to Ukraine twice to undergo two in vitro fertilization cycles. The couple loved the country's culture and its capital city of Kyiv. When news of Russia potentially invading Ukraine began to surface earlier this year, Byron and Allison admitted that they felt helpless as they knew they could do nothing for their Ukrainian surrogate, who had to take care of her own family and had no passport to escape the country.

Read Also: Young Pregnant Ukrainian Influencer Used by Russia in Disinformation Campaign on Mariupol Bombing

Denver couple accused of kidnapping their own daughter at the border

Baby Evelyn was born in a basement bomb shelter of a Kyiv hospital on March 7, almost two weeks after Russia began its military invasion of Ukraine. The agency Allison and Byron used for surrogacy organized a nanny to care for their baby. Allison said she found a surrogacy-related organization called Growing Families that sent a driver to Kyiv to pick up Evelyn and her nanny and drive them back to the Polish border.

Allison and Byron crossed over to Ukraine to pick up Evelyn, but when they tried to return to Poland, they were accused of kidnapping their own child by the border guards. They tried to show the paperwork to the guards to prove that they were the baby's parents, but the language barrier and the tension in the Poland-Ukraine border proved difficult to overcome.

They were detained for about 12 hours before the guards eventually let the family through. According to the United Nations, 1,975,449 refugees have crossed over to Poland from Ukraine since the conflict started. The huge number of people seeking refuge in Poland makes the situation on the border so difficult, which Allison and Byron experienced firsthand.

Related Article: Ukrainian Mother and Baby Fleeing Russian Invasion Denied Flight by Authorities to San Francisco
Photo: (Photo : Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Draper police in Utah have arrested six teenagers who were caught pranking strangers with airsoft guns loaded with Orbeez gel balls for the TikTok Gel Gun Challenge.

According to KSL 5, eight teenagers walked into a local restaurant and the nearby Orson Smith Trailhead and then open-fired with their airsoft guns using gel pellets. However, two other kids were able to get away before the police made their arrests.

One victim thought the kids were carrying actual guns when she was hit at the back of her neck. However, she also said that the fear she felt was real and suggested that someone should talk to these teenagers about gun violence and gun safety.

Read Also: 5 Genius TikTok Mom Hacks You Should Know About

What's the TikTok Gel Gun Challenge?

Airsoft or paintball guns look like real firearms. While the device uses small paintball bullets, some kids prefer to insert frozen hard gel beads from Orbeez to get more laughs for their TikTok gel gun challenge, which is also called the #OrbeezChallenge, according to the New York Post.

Indeed, heaps of the TikTok gel gun challenge videos show teenagers enjoying and laughing as they have a "shootout" with their friends. However, the danger in this viral challenge is that some of the kids use this to prank unsuspecting targets.

Miles away from Utah, the police in Florida and Georgia have also arrested teenagers splattering their Orbeez bullets towards strangers. A victim in Florida told the cops that the gel bullet left her face injured, while another victim, who works as a delivery driver, said that he was hit while driving.

The Florida police also accosted 17- to 18-year-old teens whose car crashed after they had a shootout. Locals said some kids had been emboldened to do "drive-by shootings" because of this challenge.

In Georgia, a child riding his bike had welts on his torso and face after someone made him the target. This prompted the local police to issue a warning on social media, saying that parents may be held responsible for the actions of their teenagers. They also reminded the public that shooting airsoft gun toys with harmful bullets outside of a recreational facility violates a few city ordinances.

Marketing Gone Wrong?

According to NPR, people may have been encouraged to do the TikTok gel gun challenge, likely because Orbeez has been advertising their latest product on their official site and using #OrbeezChallenge.

Following the controversy, Spin Master, the makers of Orbeez, issued a statement stating that their gel balls are designed only for "educational, creative, and sensory play." The company also reiterated its commitment to making high-quality toys for children and families.

The company clarified that they neither make nor sell airsoft guns nor recommend using Orbeez for these adult toys. Their gel balls are not supposed to be inserted in mechanisms like an airsoft gun, nor should they be used as bullets.

Related Article: Psychiatrist Analyzes if Grief Trend on TikTok, Where Kids Dance at Funerals, is Healthy or Not
Photo: (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

California's top prosecutor announced on Thursday, March 17, that one of their courts had overturned the 11-year prison term and conviction of a Central Valley woman for causing the death of her stillborn baby through drug use.

According to a report by the Associated Press, a judge in Kings County Superior Court reversed the conviction of Adora Perez on Wednesday. She pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter back in 2018 to avoid a charge of fetal murder.

Perez was ordered, however, to be sent from prison to the county jail pending a lower court hearing on April 6, where she can argue that the law was created with the intention of prosecuting people who cause stillbirth or miscarriage rather than the pregnant women themselves.

Attorney General Bonta applauds Court's landmark ruling

Kings County Executive Assistant District Attorney Philip Esbenshade issued a statement via an email on Thursday, saying they will review the Court's ruling and analysis in detail and decide on any further action they may take, including appeal.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta applauded the Court's decision, saying, "This decision is a good first step towards affirming what we know to be true; no woman should be penalized for the loss of her pregnancy." Bonta added that the bottom line of this decision is that pregnant individuals will be protected by the law and not criminalized by it.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Perez gave birth on December 31, 2017, to a full-term, stillborn baby at a Hanford hospital in the San Joaquin Valley. Perez acknowledged that she had used methamphetamine during her pregnancy. According to court documents, a doctor believed that her baby had died hours earlier because of her "extensive drug use."

Perez was charged with fetal murder and pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. Her plea was then upheld on appeal. The judge announced in Wednesday's ruling that the court should not have permitted the plea in the first place because the voluntary manslaughter law in California does not apply to the unborn child.

Read Also: Man Charged With Murder for Allegedly Abusing Six-Year-Old Son, Forcing him to Run on Treadmill

Chrissakis ruled that Perez's plea bargain was illegal

In her ruling, Judge Valerie R. Chrissakis wrote that "there is no crime in California of manslaughter of a fetus." That being the case, Chrissakis ruled that Perez's plea bargain was illegal based upon a "factual or legal impossibility and/or non-existent crime."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Perez was one of two Kings County women charged with fetal murder on the grounds that their drug use was the reason behind the stillbirths. The first woman was charged with fetal murder in 2019, but a Kings County judge dismissed her case in May of last year.

The murder law in California was amended in 1970 to include the death of a fetus. Last January, Bonta issued a legal interpretation saying that the change was intended to criminalize violence done to pregnant women resulting in fetal death. Bonta said that intent was never to include a pregnant woman's own actions that might result in stillbirth or a miscarriage.

Related Article: Boy, 12, Speaks Out After Burning Himself in Tiktok Fire Challenge
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Late yesterday afternoon it was reported that a former Apple employee is facing federal charges after he allegedly defrauded the tech giant out of millions of dollars over the span of several years.

"According to U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds office, 52-year-old Dhirendra Prasad of Mountain House has been indicted on five charges, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, along with two counts of conspiracy to launder fraud proceeds. In addition, Prasad is accused of tax evasion and conspiring to help a co-conspirator evade their taxes," reports San Francisco's KPIX news.

The report further stated that "Prasad worked for Apple between December 2008 and December 2018 and was a buyer in the Cupertino-based companys Global Service Supply Chain.

Prosecutors said Prasad allegedly engaged in 'multiple different schemes to defraud Apple,' which included taking kickbacks, stealing parts and causing Apple to pay for items and services it never received. The losses to Apple were more than $10 million, according to a court filing.

In addition, Prasad is accused of conspiring with two vendors who did business with Apple to commit fraud and money laundering." For more on this, read the full San Francisco CBS KPIX report.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has appointed a retired Justice of the High Court, Justice Kwasi Anto Ofori-Atta, as a Sole Inquirer, to inquire into the circumstances leading to the alleged encroachment and demolishing of property on the land being used by the Bulgarian Embassy.



The appointment of Justice Ofori-Atta became necessary after media reports, earlier this week, that a private developer has demolished the Bulgarian Embassy and is developing the land.



The Sole Inquirer has also been tasked to inquire into all other matters relating to land in which Diplomatic Missions have an interest or which affects them, directly or indirectly. Justice Ofori-Atta has seven (7) days to present his findings on the Bulgarian Embassy issue, and one month to present his report on other lands issues that affect Diplomatic Missions.



Inaugurating the Sole Inquirer on Friday, March 18, 2022, at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minister said, following the media reports, a team from the Ministry, led by a Deputy Minister, Benito Owusu-Bio, visited the site to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the reports. He said the team met a private developer on the site and ordered him to stop work until further notice.



Mr. Jinapor said Government has no hand in the alleged demolishing exercise, and therefore the need, to commission full investigations into the matter.



He said the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is once the Minister for Foreign Affairs Regional Integration, will not authorise any action that will affect diplomatic relations or Ghanas obligation under international law.







He recalled the visit of President Akufo-Addo to Bulgaria in 2007, then as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the resultant Protocol that was signed between the two countries to promote friendly relations and co-operation.



He added that Government is committed to maintaining the cordial relationship it keeps with Diplomatic Missions in the country.



He expressed his confidence in the retired Judge, who has previously served as a member of the Ashanti Regional Lands Commission and a member of the Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee of the Judicial Service, to conduct the inquiry and make appropriate recommendations to the Government.



Accepting his appointment, Justice Ofori-Atta thanked the Minister for the confidence reposed in him. He assured the Minister that he will bring his experience to bear and to all that is necessary to furnish the Government with the full facts and recommendations.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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The Dutch Government has given assurance of its commitment to support sustainable cocoa production in Ghana as the biggest importer of the countrys cocoa beans.



Ms. Wieneke Vullings, Leader of a Delegation from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was important for the Netherlands to contribute to the sustainable production of cocoa in the country as one of the huge beneficiaries of the industry.



Many of the cocoa produced here come to the Netherlands and we want to make sure that the cocoa beans are produced in a sustainable way, she told the media after a visit to a cocoa farm and other project sites funded by the Dutch Government at Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Central Region.



The delegation is in the country to learn firsthand the realities of cocoa production and how the implementation of the Cocoa Rehabilitation and Intensification Programme (CORIP II) is impacting the lives of beneficiaries as well as the cocoa sector.



Funded by the Dutch Government, CORIP II which was implemented by Solidaridad West Africa is a four-year project that sought to provide economic, social and environmentally sustainable support for farmers to address institutional challenges in the cocoa supply chain.



Following the successful implementation of CORIP I between 2013 and 2017, the programme was extended for four more years under CORIP II, having made a significant impact.



Accompanied by officials of Solidaridad, the Dutch delegation paid a courtesy call on the Municipal Chief Executive for Upper Denkyira East, Mr Ebenezer Forson Appiah and the Regional Manager of Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of COCOBOD, Mr Samuel Asare Ankamah.



They then interacted with Women in Cocoa Cooperative (Cocoa Mmaa), a group that mobilizes over 600 women, cocoa farmers, at a Rural Service Centre (RSC) established with the support of Solidaridad under CORIP II.



As part of the programme, CORIP has facilitated access to GHS 167,000 in concessional financing in working capital and purchase of mechanised tools.



The women have also been supported to set up Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) to enhance access to microcredit and support each other as a group.



The delegation also visited rain-fed and irrigated cocoa farms at Bebianiha and Asikuma to assess their performance in terms of yields during the harsh climatic conditions.



Ms Vullings said the visit was to see firsthand the factors militating cocoa production from the source as well as the difficulties farmers faced to inform them what kind of interventions to pursue, going forward.



I am really impressed about the collective empowerment of the women and the strength that they show in doing these themselves as a group, she commended the women cocoa farmers.



She applauded Solidaridad for setting up the RSCs and other initiatives that were transforming the lives of cocoa farmers, especially women.

Source: GNA









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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 that live around minning Communities in Ghana.



His suggestion is in connection with the disasterous gas explosion which took place in Apiatse and took the lives of many Ghanaians and destroyed properties.



These kind 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.



Again, 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 the 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.













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A community police officer with the Airport Police Station has been jailed 15 years by the Accra Circuit Court for defiling a 10-year-old girl.



Bright Dzebuwho pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilementwas found guilty by the court, presided over by Christiana Cann, after a full trial.



The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts and established that Dzebu lured the girl into his room and had unprotected sex with her.



Afterwards, he warned the girl not disclose the act to anyone.



Menace to society



Delivering her judgement, Mrs Cann described Dzebu as a menace and threat to society who needed to be put away immediately.



According to her, it was important to slap the convict with a harsher sentence to serve as a deterrent to people who had made it a point to be defiling minors, adding that it was the only way the country could protect young girls and women from the preying eyes of men like Dzebu.



She described the action of Dzebu as animalistic and therefore he must be dealt with ruthlessly.



"He is a dangerous homosapien who needs to be put away immediately. He did not show mercy to the little child and therefore he does not deserve mercy, the presiding judge added.



Facts



The fact of the case as read by the Prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Agnes Boafo, was that the victim together with her aunt lived in the same neighbourhood with Dzebu. In October last year, the aunt of the girl went for a funeral, leaving the girl behind, she said.



"Dzebu took advantage of her absence and lured the victim into his room and forcibly had unprotected sexual intercourse with her", she added.



DSP Boafo said Dzebu warned the girl not to disclose what had happened to anyone including her aunt.



"However, during the early days of December, the victim fell sick and complained of severe abdominal pains and when quizzed by the complainant, narrated her ordeal to her", DSP Boafo said.



She continued that the victim's aunt reported the case to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) where a police medical form report was issued to take the victim to a government hospital for examination and treatment.



The medical examination revealed that indeed the victim had been defiled. During the course of investigations, Dzebu was arrested and he admitted the offence in the investigation.



In an unsworn evidence to the court, Dzebu revealed he indeed had sex with the victim once and that he did not know what came over him.









Source: graphiconline.com









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Lawyers for the founder of the defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien, on Thursday, March 17, 2022, grilled an official of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) at the Accra High Court about the liquidity support the Central Bank extended to the bank.



The BoG official  Emmanuel Edward Arhin, a Deputy Chief Manager at the Banking Department of the BoG, was being cross-examined on some documents relating to the liquidity support which he brought after he was subpoenaed by the court.



The GH620 million liquidity support the BoG gave to Capital Bank is the subject matter of the trial, with the prosecution making a case that Essien and the other accused person dissipated the money, leading to the collapse of the bank.



However, throughout the trial, Essien has insisted that the liquidity support was a loan which Capital Bank was dutifully paying with interest until it was declared insolvent by the BoG.



Also, he denied that the liquidity support was dissipated as alleged by the prosecution, but rather made a case that the money was used for normal banking business which was not alien to the banking industry.



Interest payment



Counsel for Essien, Baffour Gyawu Bonsu Ashia, who held brief for Thaddeus Sory, sought to reinforce the position of his client by asking Mr Arhin about some interest payments relating to the liquidity support



He asked the witness whether Capital Bank had an operational account with the BoG, to which he answered in the affirmative, adding that it was the said operational account that the BoG paid the liquidity support into.



Counsel then asked Mr Arhin whether on June 26, 2016, the BoG credited the operational account with GH150 million, which was the first tranche of the liquidity support, to which the witness answered yes.



On the said amount, counsel further asked Mr Arhin if an interest of GH3, 057,534 was paid, to which he answered yes, after looking through the documents.



Below are excerpts of the crossexamination



Mr Ashia: Can you confirm to this court that on September 25, 2015, the account of Capital Bank was credited with an amount of GH300 million?



Mr Arhin: Yes, my Lord.



Mr Ashia: How much was paid by Capital Bank as interest in December 11, 2015?



Mr Arhin: GH9, 936,986.



Counsel then brought the defence of Essien to a close after which the prosecutor, Marina Appiah Opare, a Chief State Attorney, also cross-examined Mr Arhin.



Ms Opare asked the witness if the interest payments by Capital Bank were in compliance with the terms of the liquidity support, to which Mr Arhin answered yes.



Hearing continues on March 24 at the court, presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, sitting as a High Court judge.



The second accused person  Fitzgerald Odonkor, a former MD of Capital Bank, is expected to open his defence on that day.



Not guilty



Essien is standing trial with Odonkor and the MD of MC Management Services, a company said to be owned by Essien, Tettey Nettey.



The prosecution has accused the three persons of engaging in various illegal acts that led to the dissipation of a chunk of the GH620 million liquidity support given to the Capital Bank by the BoG between June 2015 and November 2016.



The accused persons have pleaded not guilty to various counts of stealing, abetment to stealing, conspiracy to steal and money laundering.



Background



Capital Bank was one of the first banks that collapsed after a massive clean-up of financial institutions by the BoG started in 2017.



On August 14, 2017, its licence and that of UT Bank were revoked by the BoG, after the BoG had declared them insolvent.



The BoG allowed the state-owned bank, the GCB Bank, to acquire the two banks in order to protect depositors funds and also enable them to stay afloat.



The hurricane that swept through the banking sector due to the collapse of the two banks further heightened in August 2018 when the central bank collapsed five other indigenous banks and merged them into one entity  Consolidated Bank, Ghana.

Source: graphiconline.com









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A video has emerged, showing the moment a man attacked his friend for trying to introduce him to homosexuality.



A male voice speaking in the background was heard saying he won't allow the gay man to scot-free. He insisted that he needs to beat him up to prove that he's straight.



He maintained that he really loves women and would not accept a man who came down from Nwaswam in the Eastern Region of Ghana, to force him into homosexuality.



Watch the video below...

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ghpage TV (@ghpage_tv)









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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









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Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker, presiding as Speaker has directed the National Security with the assistance of Ministers of Defence and Interior to brief Parliament on the security situation in Bawku.



He gave the directive when Mr Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, the Minority Chief Whip, urged the House to call on the trio (Ministers of National Security, Defence and Interior) to brief the House on the security situation in Bawku.



Mr Muntaka said there was the need for the three Ministers to brief the House on what was happening in Bawku and what steps the Government was taking to address the situation.



He noted that the Bawku conflict had a long history; stating that however, the current happenings in the area was not a healthy development for the nation.



Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, the Member of Parliament for Okaikai Central, recalled that the President in January this year had a meeting with the Bawku Naba, during which the President gave him the assurance that the Government would do everything possible to maintain the security situation in Bawku.



He said Bawku was a vibrant commercial town, but recent developments in the town were not encouraging at all, especially coming after the meeting between the President and the Bawku Naba.



We all know the history of the Bawku conflict, and I think the call by the Minority Chief Whip is welcoming; for the Ministers of National Security, Defence and Interior to brief the House.



He said it was important that they called the three Ministers to brief the House on the situation in Bawku.



Alhaji Alhassan Sayibu Suyini, the MP for Tamale North, said the current situation in Bawku deserved urgent attention for the three ministers to brief the House.



He said there was the need for the Government to take urgent steps to de-escalate the tension in the area.



Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip, said the current situation in Bawku was worrying and that there was the need for the House to discuss and find a lasting solution to it.



He commended Mr Ambrose Dery, the Interior Minister for his efforts in ensuring that the Bawku situation did not get out of hand.



He said this was the time for them (MPs) to do a sober reflection and find a lasting solution to the Bawku conflict.

Source: GNA









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President Nana Akufo-Addo has been urged to be humble, admit there is a challenge and call for national dialogue over the raging economic hardships.



I think the best thing first and foremost is that Akufo-Addo and his team must admit to Ghanaians that there is a problem and then you tell us your alternatives or better still call for national dialogues.



Call people like Seth Terpker, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, Kwabena Duffuor or even call John Mahama and seek advice from him as a nation and not as NPP but usual of them, they claim they have the men but now see, petrol selling at almost 10, a former District Chief Executive for Sekyere Afram Plains, Fuseini Donkor, said on Adom FM, Friday.



The Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, prior to taking over power in 2016 through his lectures, gave the people of Ghana hope that things can be made right with homegrown solutions.



Through his lectures and seminars he spoke at, he indicated that Ghanas problems were a result of the incompetence of the managers of the countrys economy.



Currently, the people of Ghana are complaining about hardship and the rise in the cost of living in the country.



Fuel prices are skyrocketing while the Ghana cedi is falling against other currencies in the world.



However, to Mr Donkor, nothing seems to be done to salvage the situation, especially by the people who claimed to have the solutions to the countrys problems.



This government is just jumping and clutching to excuses. Things went bad even before covid but they used covid as an excuse and we still benefitted from the fund but they have not accounted for it.



We are now organising a Cabinet meeting and just going to talk without any solution. Where is the economic team when the Finance Minister has run out of ideas? Bawumia is in E-library learning and the rest are all lost and so they have to be candid and tell Ghanaians the real truth about the economy, he added.

Source: adomonline.com









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The top dignitary participated in a ceremony marking the closing of the First Meeting of Municipal Associations of Peru in Calca, southern Cusco region.

Within this framework, he invited local authorities to participate in the upcoming meeting, so that their main needs can be met.

"Today, we are here because of the democratic cry from authorities nationwide; I announce from this space that on Saturday, March 26, we will hold the National Agreement (session), the National Agreement Assembly, to which you are invited in a disciplined, orderly, and organic manner to participate," Mr. Castillo expressed.

The Head of State indicated that this meeting will enable the Government to assess the country's needs, as it is important to put Peru first.

Likewise, the top official affirmed his presence constitutes the Government's commitment to make decentralization a reality in Peru.

Furthermore, the Head of State explained that the fight against poverty and the closing of gaps require the support from all citizens and the nation's main authorities.

In this sense, he called on the Council of Ministers, the sectors' heads, and deputy ministers to "move from speech to action and from word to action."

"El sabado 26 de marzo se realizara la sesion del Acuerdo Nacional", informo el presidente @PedroCastilloTe durante la clausura del Primer Encuentro de Mancomunidades Municipales del Peru, que se realiza en la region Cusco. #GobernabilidadYDialogo pic.twitter.com/ytiLeSM52v

Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "La lucha contra la pobreza y la desigualdad, asi como el cierre de brechas, requieren del compromiso de todos los peruanos y de la voluntad de las autoridades".#SiempreConElPueblo pic.twitter.com/JD7ZR1EWA5
Former President John Mahama has described as "an inconvenience, a financial burden" the fact that Ghanaians who are fully vaccinated; "with some taking the boosters" still have "to pay as much as 90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights" back home.



"I think it is time for Government to review the procedures and protocols," he said.



My journey to London



According to him, "I travelled last month to London on British Airways. I was pleasantly surprised when I was informed that I did not require a COVID-19 PCR test to board the flight. While I was still required to fill a locator form, no further tests were required of me for the 12 days I stayed in the UK.



Imagine my shock when British Airways informed me that I would be required to take a PCR test before I am allowed to board my return flight home. They explained that this is because of regulations in Ghana. It cost 90 to have the test done. I was also informed that I would not be checked in for the flight back unless I filled an online form and paid a fee of $50...It is an inconvenience, a financial burden and actually unfair to compel our citizens, who we encouraged to take COVID-19 vaccinations, with some taking the boosters, to pay as much as 90 to a foreign clinic for a PCR test before they are allowed to board flights coming back home".



The former President who was sharing his experience in a facebook post added: "And even more ridiculous, they must book another $50 PCR test to be conducted on arrival in Accra. The UK government considers the Ghanaian COVID-19 vaccination card internationally accepted and allows entry once you have the card without any testing.



It is a most unfortunate situation that Ghanaians who have valid vaccination certificates cannot board flights back home without a 90 PCR test, and an additional US$50 PCR test booking in Accra".



Stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test



He has therefore asked government to "stop the US$50 compulsory PCR test for travellers who have been vaccinated. And must also stop the demand for originating PCR tests before the same category of travellers are allowed to board flights to Ghana.



The reason for UK rolling back its COVID-19 restrictions is that deaths are down and severe cases requiring intensive care are down, and besides they believe it's time to learn to live with Covid. I think it is time for us in Ghana to do same".



Open Land borders now



Meanwhile, he has asked the ruling government to open the land borders; insisting it is long overdue.



"The long border closures have devastated the economy of our border communities. Government's announcement that it is deliberating at Cabinet about a possible opening of our land borders is long overdue. Let's open the land borders now!" he added.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Oksana Shvets, one of Ukraines most famous stage actresses has been killed in a Russian rocket attack while she slept in an apartment in southeast Kyiv.



Her death was confirmed by the Young Theatre, a Ukrainian theatre company she had previously been working with.



They posted a tribute to the 67-year-old actress alongside a picture of the theatre and film star.



In a statement, translated from Ukrainian, the theatre company wrote on social media: Bright memory to the talented actress! There is no forgiveness for the enemy that has come to our land!.



The Kyiv Post has also confirmed the actors passing, adding on social media that she had been murdered in Kyiv during the war.



According to the theatres website, Shvets had graduated from Ivan Franko theatre school in 1975 and had a career that spanned decades. She had also been the recipient of the Merited Artist of Ukraine award, one of Ukraines highest and most coveted honours.



Russian troops have continued to attack the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and launched a barrage of missiles against an aircraft repair installation at an airport on the outskirts of the western city of Lviv, close to the Polish border. One person was reported wounded.



Ukraine said it had shot down two of six missiles in the volley, which came from the Black Sea.



The early morning barrage of missiles on Lvivs edge was the closest strike yet to the centre of the city, which has become a crossroads for people fleeing from other parts of Ukraine and for others entering to deliver aid or fight.



In city after city around Ukraine, hospitals, schools, and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked. Rescue workers were still searching for survivors in the ruins of a theatre that served as a shelter when it was blasted by a Russian airstrike on Wednesday in the besieged southern city of Mariupol.



Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainain parliaments human rights commissioner, said on Friday that 130 people had survived the theatre bombing.



As of now, we know that 130 people have been evacuated, but according to our data, there are still more than 1,300 people in these basements, in this bomb shelter, Denisova told Ukrainian television. We pray that they will all be alive, but so far there is no information about them.













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YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia denied the media reports according to which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going to visit the Kingdom in the near future, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reports.

Earlier some media outlets reported citing the US, Israeli and Palestine sources that Blinken plans to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel in late March.
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Charleston, SC (29403)

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Clear to partly cloudy. Low 68F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

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CORDESVILLE  A former U.S. congressman's request to change the use of property he owns in rural Berkeley County has ignited fierce opposition from other landowners near the Cooper River Historic District who fear it will open the door to more development.

Henry Brown of Hanahan, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011, said he was never made aware that the county rezoned his property in 1997. He called the change "illegal."

Brown's land is classified as being split-zoned. The first 1,000 feet off of part of S.C. Highway 402, which affects 200 of the 500 acres on Brown's property, is restricted to one house for every 15 acres through the county's "R-15 Preservation Residential District" zoning that was adopted 25 years ago. Two homes per acre are allowed on the rest of the property.

Brown wants to have all the acreage under the less-restrictive category.

Large-tract landowners near the Cooper River, many with conservation easements on their property, are pushing back. They say reversing the restricted land-use designation along parts of S.C. Highways 402 and 41 will undo the protections they've had for the past 25 years.

The opponents said they fear that if one parcel along the roadways is changed from one home per 15 acres, it will set a precedent for others to follow and open the door to large-scale housing developments, which already are cropping up along Highway 41 in the Huger area.

"The owners of large and small tracts in the Cooper River corridor do not want to see Mount Pleasant grow to Moncks Corner via Highway 402," said Richard Coen, the owner of nearly 2,000 acres that stretch from his family's Halidon Hill Plantation off Cainhoy Road to Highway 41.

"This is not the time or place for high-density residential development," Coen stressed.

Brown told the Berkeley County Planning Commission in January he wasn't formally notified in 1997 when the county reviewed and adopted the more restrictive uses for the land closest to the road. The Post and Courier reported about the proposed changes on at least one occasion when they were being debated.

I didnt see the article in 1997," said Brown, who was a state lawmaker at the time. "I was the chairman of the Ways and Means (budget-writing) Committee, and we were doing very important work on behalf of the people of South Carolina."

Back then, he added, details about zoning were not available online.

"In 1997, I couldnt just go on my computer ... and see what the zoning was on my property," Brown said. "To do that, I had to go down to the courthouse to see what the zoning was. I bet most people dont know what their property is zoned for."

He called into question the way the county handled the land-use change.

They illegitimately made an ordinance that was not properly processed, and they are using that as an enforceable document to downgrade properties in Berkeley County," Brown said. They didnt follow the proper process in 1997. It was illegal in my opinion.

Brown's request has been making its way through the county's review process, including initial approval on Feb. 28 from Berkeley County Council.

I didnt know a thing about the zoning until two months ago," Brown said. "I saw that my property was zoned R-15, and I didnt want that. I wanted the property zoned to what it was (before zoning) and so I had to go through the Planning Commission."

The county had been working through its land-use classifications in the late 1990s, when the special zoning designation was made to protect large-tract owners near the Cooper River from the prospect of dense development.

Brown, 86, said he has no plans to develop his property if his request is approved. But he added that his heirs might sell the property for residential development in the future.

Im not going to say my children in 10 years or so might not want to do that. But why shouldnt they have that privilege? he asked.

The council's Land Use Committee voted 4-0 on March 14 to send Brown's rezoning request to the full Berkeley County Council, where a second vote is scheduled for March 28. If approved, it would likely move to a third final vote in April.

Pushback

Dozens of other landowners in the Cooper River Historic District corridor don't want that to happen.

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About 100 owners and local residents met March 14 at Mepkin Abbey to oppose any change in the county's existing land-use policy. In all, about 65 parcels abutting S.C. Highway 402 and S.C Highway 41 near the east branch of the Cooper River could be affected if Brown prevails.

Coen, who is spearheading the charge to oppose Brown's request, said his land is not under the R-15 zoning, but he's concerned all the same since several nearby owners have placed properties under legally binding conservation easements to protect them from development based on the protection along the roadway they thought they had.

Coen fears a rollback in the land-use classification "would absolutely destroy" the now-protected corridor.

County officials said in a February statement that they're working to remedy "possible procedural errors" from the late 1990s for the properties along Highway 402 and Highway 41, an area that abuts the Francis Marion National Forest.

The county is asking any of the 62 other owners with split-zoned land to request to rezone to a singular designation, including R-15 or other less-restrictive options. It is waiving the $250 application fee.

Coen doesn't believe that's necessary.

"Even if there was a procedural error, correct it and rezone the property to what it was zoned 25 years ago," Coen said. He was referring to the R-15 designation.

'Fine line'

No one has come out publicly in favor of Brown's request, and the former lawmaker doesnt understand why so many neighbors are upset with his push to change the land use of his property.

I think its much ado about nothing, he said. Up until 1987, Berkeley County didnt have any zoning. Now, for some reason, the county wants to treat ... properties along Highway 402 differently than any other property in the county.

County Council member Tommy Newell told the opposing landowners on March 14 that hes not in favor of more residential developments in the Cordesville area.

You have a jewel on this side of the river that needs to be protected, said Newell, who lives in Ladson near Goose Creek. I do not support any kind of residential development on this side of the river, but Im only one vote.

Newell added that he hopes a compromise can be reached.

I am a supporter of private property rights, Newell said. You shouldnt be told what to do on your property, but you shouldnt negatively affect the people around your property either, and thats the fine line that we are walking now.

More coverage To read more stories in the series about growth and development, go to postandcourier.com/boomandbalance/

Kevin Branigan, who purchased Midway Plantation near Cordesville in 2014, said the wooded areas around Highway 402 need to be protected from residential development.

Conservation and preservation, those are the initiatives that were trying to uphold, Branigan said. The Cooper River Historic District is a treasure because it doesnt exist anywhere else in the state. I know, Ive looked.

Edward Beaufort-Cutner, a community leader in Huger, said he's witnessed the suburban sprawl that has spread to the area near his home off Highway 41.

Over the next five years, as many as 700 homes in two developments  D.R. Hortons French Quarter Creek and Toll Brothers Forest Edge  will alter the landscape just steps from Beaufort-Cutners property.

He does not want to see similar developments pop up on Highway 402.

Im not against progress or development, but once it changes, it changes forever, said Beaufort-Cutner, who is 77. You dont see anyone tearing down buildings and planting trees, but you see plenty of trees torn down for buildings.
YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS. A US military aircraft with four people on board has crashed in northern Norway, RIA Novosti reports.

The plane was taking part in NATOs Cold Response military exercises.

Search operations are underway.

Investigation is being carried out to find out the cause of the crash.
Charleston, SC (29403)

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Sunny along with a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies. Low 71F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
COLUMBIA  Lexington and Richland County school district officials are scrambling to adjust their budgets if state lawmakers approve a series of education funding increases, including a $4,000 teacher annual pay boost.

The legislation also proposes a 5 percent pay increase for bus drivers and a bump from $275 to $300 for classroom supplies.

The proposed boosts in education cost was part of the $13.9 billion spending plan approved by the S.C. House approved this month.

The school boards serving Lexington and Richland counties are working to balance the added costs to their bottom lines with the need to keep in-demand teachers and employees.

It remains unclear how the districts plan to adjust to raises if they are passed. The change would be immediate and start next school year.

"We are going to lose a lot of money in the school district," said Ken Loveless, vice chairman of the Lex-Rich Five board of trustees.

Loveless worried the district would need to cut support staff, including social workers or school resource officers. Lex-Rich Five and neighboring districts have been putting more emphasis on these positions to address concerns over students' mental health and school safety.

The 17,000 students in Lexington-Richland Five, the state's 12th-largest district, make up about 2.2 percent of South Carolina's public school students. But the district is unlikely to receive that exact percentage of the state money because funding is based on their population of students in poverty or students with special needs.

Lexington Two Superintendent Nicolas Wade said the district would receive $2.9 million, but in the end it would cost the district $3.6 million and take away their ability to stay competitive with other districts and private schools.

"How does a school district adapt to a new expectation or standard of learning and operations?" Wade said. "You're really talking about the heart and soul of public education."

Wade said the district also needs to pay more to support staff, such as bus drivers and custodians.

"We add all that together, and it's a pretty significant, hefty number," he said.

Lexington One Superintendent Greg Little said he supports "significant pay raises" for teachers and staff in South Carolina's sixth-largest district with 28,000 students. But he said the state needs to "create a funding formula that covers the cost of these raises rather than passing a significant portion of the cost of those raises to local districts."

Leaders at Richland School District Two, the state's fifth-largest with 27,000 students in suburban parts of Richland County and Blythewood, will likely discuss potential teacher pay hikes and other education at a board meeting on March 22, district spokeswoman Libby Roof said.

Board members or administrators from Richland School District One  serving 22,000 students across Columbia  did not return requests for comment.
COLUMBIA  A Columbia police sergeant has been charged with sexual assault and fired from his job, authorities said.

Keith Ryan Williamson, 35, was arrested by the State Law Enforcement Division on March 18 and charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, authorities said. He was fired the same day by the Columbia Police Department.

The sexual assault occurred in October and Williamson "had reason to know" the person was incapacitated, a SLED affidavit alleges.

Columbia Police Department received a criminal complaint about Williamson in October and turned the case over to state investigators, the agency said in a release. After an internal affairs investigation, Williamson was suspended pending the outcome of the state investigation, Columbia Police said.

Williamson was fired for violating department policy related to conduct unbecoming of an officer, police said.

"No employee of the department, while in uniform or identified as a representative of the Department, shall engage in any conduct or activity which would reasonably be construed as bringing disrepute upon the City of Columbia Police Department or the profession of law enforcement as a while," the relevant section reads.

Williamson had been with the department since March 2010 and most recently was a sergeant in the agency's metro region, according to the release.

He was booked at Lexington County Detention Center. A bond hearing is scheduled March 19, online records show.

The records did not list an attorney for Williamson.

Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree is a felony punishable if convicted with up 10 years in prison.
Weve become content consumers since the internet entered our lives. Were no longer considered viewers, listeners or readers  were consumers. If you only read the newspaper daily or watch just one newscast, youre missing out on life-changing information.

It was during a casual surfing of the internet recently that I decided to click onto various headlines that caught my eye. Keep in mind, thats exactly what the writers of this content are paid to do. The goal is to produce multiple clicks. Be careful, before you know it you can spend most of the morning roaming around this rabbit hole.

Just what sort of topics were there for me to explore? As long as you agree that this was merely for the purposes of research, Ill agree to share my experience with you.

The first headline I noticed said that "Russia wants Alaska back." Apparently, a Russian lawmaker proposed such an idea. Youll be happy to hear that Alaskas governor fired back that Alaskans are armed and ready to resist.

Feeling proud to be up to date on current events, my next click concerned a story from China. It seems a poisonous snake that had been kept in a sealed jar for a year bit a man when he opened the jar. It turns out that venomous snakes are submerged in rice wine to produce a snake wine that some believe to have medicinal properties. This snake wine is often used as a painkiller. I wonder if the snake-bitten man drank the contents of that jar?

Now hear this

A couple of other headlines used warning teasers to pique my interest. There was a police warning that people shouldnt fill up the gas tank without first doing this. Know what that was? Checking your bank account. I suppose thats fair given the pain at the pump these days. No need to add charges for an overdraft. Even so, I felt a little foolish for swallowing the clickbait.

The other warning dealt with something dentists dont want you to do after brushing your teeth. The article quoted one dentist who said not to rinse your mouth out with water immediately after brushing. The reason? The water washes away protective fluoride left behind by brushing. The same article suggests waiting 20 minutes after brushing to swish with mouthwash. Ill be checking with my own dentist about these routine-breaking activities.

There was one other health-related topic I couldnt resist. The headline boldly proclaims that only three body parts should be washed daily. Hey, that seemed worthy of further inspection. After all, for the last two years, weve been made constantly aware of the importance of washing our hands.

Just what three parts of the body should be washed daily? Glad you asked. They are, in no particular order: the armpits, groin and the feet. By showering or bathing the entire body daily, it removes good germs or bacteria, and that actually lowers your immunity.

The article didnt speak to this, but Ive been in enough locker rooms and newsrooms to believe some people might need to wash their feet more than once a day.

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Inquiring minds

With all that occupies our attention these days, it might be therapeutic to meander down an exit ramp, from time to time, along the information highway. Theres only so much time to devote to the price of gas, the death and destruction in Ukraine and the return to normalcy after a pandemic.

There were two or three other headlines I chose not to examine that certainly could have devoured other chunks of my day. For the sake of full disclosure, here are other examples and topics I did not investigate.

"7 discounts Seniors only get if they ask"

"The lifeguards of Baywatch  and how they look now"

"How bald celebrities looked when they had hair"

Would you click on these? Maybe you already have?

We all make our choices on how to use our time. Some of that time is useful and productive. Some of it, not so much.

My interests are varied. I like to be conversational on myriad subjects. I would admit to not knowing a lot about some things, but I do know a little about many things.

Maybe you learned something today. Theres also a chance you stumbled upon some information youd just as soon forget.

Were all wired a little differently. But thats what makes the world go 'round.

Its time to wrap up our visit. Besides, I just saw another headline that asks, "When lightning strikes water, why dont the fish die?"
If anyone who knows what it takes to start a new church, it's the new bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina.

Before being consecrated March 12 as the diocese's top clergyman, the Right Rev. Chip Edgar helped grow a number of churches between Illinois and Florida by several hundred parishioners. His latest charge involved starting a new congregation of 25 parishioners that grew to 400 regular worshippers in Columbia. This all during an era where Christianity and mainline denominations have suffered decline and continue to navigate a pandemic that has forced them to find different ways to worship.

Despite the challenges facing mainline Christianity, Edgar believes in the diocese's potential for growth. He agreed it will likely come about by starting new congregations.

Over the past 20 years, that's the way the church has grown most," Edgar said. "The planting of new congregations.

Edgar was consecrated bishop of the diocese during a service held at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul in downtown Charleston. He succeeds Bishop Mark Lawrence, who has led the diocese since 2008.

At the recent consecration, the Rev. Jamey Graham of Saint John Baptist Church in Columbia served as preacher and pointed to Edgar's unique skillsets.

Graham, who said Edgar is "planted to produce," first recalled some of the bishops early ministry fruit  growing St. Marks in Illinois from 175 to 450 worshippers and the growth of Edgar's Columbia congregation.

God is planting you in a different part of the vineyard for you to produce even more for God, his church and his kingdom, Graham said.

Graham also charged the congregation to produce in their own respective ministries, which might include evangelism or social outreach efforts.

Produce where you are planted," he said. "Keep on serving, keep on producing, keep on lifting up the name of Jesus."

Edgar feels the diocese is positioned for success. South Carolina's Anglican congregations  53 churches and nearly 20,000 members  have been effectively navigating the pandemic by creating strong digital presences that have kept parishioners connected to their local churches, Edgar said.

Anglican churches throughout the state did not have a strong online presence before the pandemic. But developing a digital footprint was not as challenging as one might think, Edgar said.

While some congregations were able to do sophisticated video productions for worship services, others made do simply with iPhone recordings.

"That the technology was readily available, pretty user-friendly, cheap to produce, that allowed smaller parishes to get up to speed very quickly," Edgar said.

Churches nationwide have struggled to retain old members and attract new ones.

A 2019 Pew Research Center survey spoke to a rapid decline of Christianity in the U.S. In telephone surveys conducted by Pew in 2018 and 2019, 65 percent of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade.

Both Protestantism and Catholicism have seen losses in membership. At the time of the survey, 43 percent of U.S. adults identified with Protestantism, down from 51 percent in 2009. Twenty percent were Catholic, down from 23 percent in 2009.

It's hard to assess whether the South Carolina diocese itself is growing or declining, Edgar said. Though a number of the older members are still hesitant to return to in-person worship amid COVID-19, most churches have "faired pretty well" during the pandemic, he said.

"There are as many signs of good health and growth as there are signs of those who have not come back yet," Edgar said. I think itll take us a while to figure out how we assess this reality.

Edgar does not know how many churches he'd like to see planted throughout the state. He does know the formula. It usually takes a larger, healthier church to be willing to birth a new congregation, he said. The main question involving the diocese's larger churches is whether they're strong enough to produce new churches, he said.

Additionally, the state's growing metropolitan areas booming with new housing developments pose a promising opportunity for new houses of worship, the bishop said.

"Theyre building thousands of houses around and developing new areas that didnt have houses before," he said. "The church needs to be ahead of the curve rather than lagging behind in the curve.

In addition to dealing with the pandemic, the diocese continues to be faced with another ongoing problem. The Anglican group is tied up in legal proceedings stemming from its split with the Episcopal Church. Both groups are awaiting a decision from the state Supreme Court about whether the breakaway churches can keep their properties.

Despite the legal controversy, Edgar said the diocese has been focused on preaching the gospel, ministering the sacraments, and "staying focused on what the church should be focused on."
GREENVILLE  Cone Mills Acquisition Group sold a majority stake in the On the Trail mixed-use development at the former Union Bleachery site in Greenville to 13th Floor Investments, a Miami-based real estate development and investment firm.

The investment firm closed on the acquisition of 168 acres of the 250-acre project site at 3335 Old Buncombe Road for an undisclosed amount.

Two-thirds of the abandoned former mill site was delisted in September 2021 from the Environmental Protection Agencys list of contaminated Superfund sites, freeing up the acreage for potential redevelopment. The mill site itself, consisting of about 40 acres, remains on the EPAs National Priorities List as a Superfund site. The agency may issue a proposed remedy by mid-2023 to clean and monitor the mill and its immediate surrounding land.

Greenville County approved a redevelopment plan for the property in 2021 and a set of tax incentives in January 2022 worth up to $200 million to encourage the redevelopment of the site, much of which remains vacant or wooded alongside the Swamp Rabbit Trail in the Sans Souci community.

Cone Mills Acquisition Group partners Dean Warhaft and Warren Zinn led efforts to seek environmental approvals and to secure project approval from Greenville County for a major development just outside of downtown Greenville. The pair will remain involved in the project, which will now be led by 13th Floor Investments, a real estate investment firm with more than $784 million in investments across the southeast.

The projects first phase may break ground this spring. The sites development plan calls for up to 3.5 million square feet of office and employment space, 2,000 apartments and townhouses, a 200-room hotel and nearly a million square feet of grocery store, retail, restaurant and commercial space.
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Pastors with the African Methodist Episcopal Church nationwide are facing what could be severe and unexpected financial burdens after the denominations leaders announced an investigation into missing pension funds.

It appears that tens of millions of dollars are unaccounted for, and federal law enforcement agents have reason to suspect "a possible financial crime," according to a report in The Wall Street Journal citing church documents and officials.

In response to the financial crisis, AME Church officials have stopped sending checks to retirees, and now are scrambling to find a solution that could involve selling property or taking out a large loan.

In the meantime, retired pastors now must cope with a significant loss of income, and active clergy can no longer submit hardship requests, which enable them to draw a portion of their pension savings to pay for housing, education or other necessities.

The Rev. Wilford Kinlaw, 79, was pastor of New Mount Zion AME Church in Jamestown when he retired four years ago. He had $60,000 vested in the pension fund and decided to take a lump sum disbursement.

"Im blessed because I got all of mine out," he said.

He did not accrue as much as others because he didnt know for a long time that he could add to the contributions made by the church on his behalf. Many other pastors have done just that, trusting the church would manage the money responsibly, Kinlaw said.

"If the money is not there, its going to hurt them," he said. "We never thought church folks would be doing things like this."

Several other AME pastors in South Carolina reached by The Post and Courier declined to comment for this story. Requests for comment left for Bishop Samuel Lawrence Green Sr., who oversees AME activities in South Carolina, were not answered.

On March 17, The Post and Courier became aware of an email directive sent to pastors, asking them "to not have any communication with any media news outlets regarding the AME Church Annuity Department."

Joe Watson, a lifelong member of Ebenezer AME Church on Charlestons East Side who once contemplated the ministry, said annual audits, a clear paper trail and more transparency would have limited bookkeeping mistakes and discouraged any wrongdoing.

Just because an organization is meant to be godly and devout doesnt mean its leaders always are pure, Watson said.

"Theyve got to be able to accept criticism or questions in the church," he said. "It cannot be that you push it away."

The AME Church has around 2.5 million members in 20 Episcopal districts located in 39 countries. About 5,000 pension fund contributors are affected, The Wall Street Journal reported. Pastors are required to participate in the retirement plan.

The church is most active in states along the East Coast and in the South, as well as in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. Its origins are traced to the late 1700s, making it the first Protestant church institution founded by Black people in North America.

Like some other Protestant denominations, the AME Church is hierarchical. Its supreme governing body is the general conference under which are a council of bishops, board of trustees, general administrative board and judicial council. Each district has a bishop and organizes annual gatherings to address a variety of business, programming and personnel issues.

On Oct. 7, the church sent a memo to members reporting a loss of value in one or more of the investments managed by the church's Department of Retirement Services, based in Memphis, Tenn. Church officials announced that an audit was underway and that detailed findings would be made public. The discovery was made after a personnel change in the department.

Church retirement plans are exempt from federal pension and tax laws. Administrators can opt into a federal pension insurance program, but most do not, according to the nonprofit Pension Rights Center. The AME Church pension fund is not federally insured.

Employees and retirees covered by church plans are denied the basic protections provided to virtually all other private-sector workers who participate in pension plans, the Pension Rights Center states.

Churches are not required by law to disclose information about their pension funds to contributors, and are not obligated to ensure that their pension accounts are adequately funded.

The AME Church derives much of its revenue from tithing and member donations. A significant portion of the purse collected within individual parishes moves up to the episcopal district level and helps fund statewide outreach, capital projects and salaries.

The 7th Episcopal District of the AME Church comprises the state of South Carolina. It has six conferences and provides financial support to the affiliated Allen University in Columbia.

The churchs ties to South Carolina are strong. Its primary founder, Richard Allen, preached regularly in the state, and one of the denominations foundational parishes, Emanuel AME Church, is located here.

Another of the churchs founders, Morris Brown, was a Charleston native who was implicated in the Denmark Vesey uprising then moved to Philadelphia where he became the denominations second presiding bishop.

The AME Church historically has functioned as a major pillar of the Black community in the South, providing not only spiritual nourishment but practical assistance to Black people enslaved and free  and burdened by a socio-economic system that persecuted and marginalized them.

Pastors in the church contribute a portion of their earnings to the pension fund, and now they are uncertain about when  or whether  they can get that money back.

Elnora Taylor, a longtime member of Emanuel AME Church, said she heard about the pension fund problem recently, and it only heightened her concerns about the churchs money management in general.

For years we have wondered where all the money taken up in churches goes, she said.

Eventually, the truth will be revealed, she said.

Whats done in darkness comes out in the light. ... God is just tired of it now. You can do sinful things and hide, but it ends at some point.
MONCKS CORNER  Police Chief Rick Ollic retired after more than 35 years in law enforcement, the town announced March 18.

Police Capt. Steve Young will serve as acting chief while town officials search for the next person to lead the department, according to a press release.

Ollic had served as police chief for six years. The police department received its first state accreditation during his tenure, the release stated.

Ollic served as president of the S.C. Police Chief Association in 2020, and the town received the Municipal Association Achievement Award for a community-outreach program started by the chief.

We are grateful to Chief Ollic for his service to the people of Moncks Corner and the work he did to advance the department during his tenure," Mayor Michael Lockliear said in a statement. "We look forward to finding someone who can stand on the shoulders of what has already been accomplished and take our police department further.

Ollic's tenure as police chief wasn't without controversy.

In 2020, a former Moncks Corner police officer filed a federal lawsuit alleging the chief used racial slurs against her, discriminated against her and drummed her out of the department because of her race and gender.

The town denied the allegations. The lawsuit was settled in November for an undisclosed sum, court filings state.

In June, Ollic was suspended for two weeks after a school resource officer, Zedrick Maurice Smalls, was charged with having criminal sexual conduct with a high school student.

Smalls was fired by the department. Mark Peper, attorney for the high school student's family, said a lawsuit has not been filed and settlement negotiations continue in the case.

A woman filed a lawsuit that same month claiming a Berkeley County sheriff's deputy and Moncks Corner detective illegally searched and arrested her in 2018 on charges of trafficking and manufacturing marijuana.

The town has denied the allegations. The case remains pending.

In July, Moncks Corner police officer Randall O. Scott was arrested on allegations he accepted money to dismiss a traffic ticket in November 2020. Scott was also fired.

Young has been with Moncks Corner Police Department for three years, previously serving as lieutenant over investigations and patrol before his promotion to captain, the town's press release states.

The town said it will look at candidates both inside and outside the department to fill the chief's position.

Residents can provide input on the decision by filling out a survey at monckscornersc.gov/police. Paper copies of the survey are also available at Moncks Corner Town Hall, 118 Carolina Ave.
MOUNT PLEASANT  The late owner of an iconic East Cooper dive bar was remembered March 18 with a family bar-crawl to a pub packed with well-wishers, where there were tears in the beers before it was done.

Richard M. Ruth Sr., owner of the former Richard's Bar & Grill, died March 15 at the age of 82. He was an outsized personality who publicly clashed with local and state government over smoking and gambling restrictions, and convinced some that he was running for governor years ago.

"He's a legend, man," said Brandon Johnson, bartender at My Father's Moustache, the pub on Ben Sawyer Boulevard where Ruth's memorial service began at 1 p.m.

Ruth was a regular there, and the pub hosted two of his surprise birthday parties after Richard's Bar closed in 2018.

Ruth was also a regular at Dog and Duck, and at Art's Bar, so his large extended family visited all three in matching "Richard M. Ruth Sr. Bar Crawl" T-shirts on Friday. On the back of each shirt was an image of Ruth sitting at a bar, holding a drink, with the motto once displayed at his bar; "Be Nice, Be Good, or Be Gone!"

"He was a lovely man," said Colleen Emery, a bartender at Art's Bar who joined more than 100 people at the memorial service at My Father's Moustache, a British-themed pub.

Those who didn't know Ruth likely knew of his East Cooper bar, because countless thousands of Mount Pleasant residents drove past it every day on U.S. Highway 17 near Six Mile Road. Today it sits mostly empty, with real estate signs outside and a smashed-up pool table inside.

A cantankerous fighter of government oversight, Ruth sued Charleston County over indoor smoking restrictions, and then just ignored the rules.

"The thing is, he was our pain in the ass," Johnson said. "I will miss him every day."

In a 2018 interview, Ruth said he was once a tugboat captain but had been in the bar and restaurant business since 1954. Richard's Bar & Grill opened east of the Cooper River in Charleston County in 1989, and operated for 29 years.

"You always knew somebody when you went in," said former customer Troy Crawford.

Although Ruth was 79 when the bar was closed, it would have had a longer run if he'd had his way.

I aint going nowhere, and they can kiss my redneck ass," Ruth said in October 2018, while vowing to fight multiple misdemeanor gambling charges related to video poker machines, while also facing state tax issues. By the end of that month the state had revoked the bar's liquor license and padlocked the building.

Many friends, family and former employees said some version of the same thing at his memorial, that Ruth was a tough old SOB who dug in when he felt he'd been wronged, but a reliable friend who would go out of his way to help.

"Richard could be a pain in the butt, but he would do anything for you," said Bob Raih, who was enough of a Richard's regular that his breakfast order  one egg, two bacon and toast  was noted on a sign taped to the kitchen wall as the "Bob special."

"There were many times when I sat on a barstool next to him and poured my heart out, and it was better than going to a psychiatrist," said Sherry Howard, a friend from McClellanville.

An animal lover, Ruth left his three dogs Jack, Jill and Pepper in the care of his youngest daughter, Ginger George.

"He taught me to fight for what was right and never give up," George said, through tears, at his service.

When Richard's Bar & Grill opened it was beyond the north end of Mount Pleasant, which had about 30,000 residents at the time. Mount Pleasant's population more than tripled since then and Richard's, though not technically in the town, became surrounded by subdivisions and retail stores.

The property sits across the highway from the Snee Farm subdivision, next door to a Home Depot. Ruth didn't own the roughly 8-acre property on which the bar sat, and town officials said they've heard proposals for a shopping center or convenience store on the site, but no plans have moved forward.

Richards was known for being one of the last in the area to serve liquor from minibottles  something all bars were required to do until 2006  and for allowing patrons to smoke in violation of a Charleston County ordinance. The bar was never cited for the smoking, the Sheriff's Office said in 2018, because no one had complained.

Former Post and Courier food writer and critic Hanna Raskin called Richard's "fiercely unpretentious" and "a dive bar in the truest sense of the term" that served a classic meat-and-two meal for lunch.

"Its fried fish and limas are something to behold, albeit through the haze of cigarette smoke and dimmed lighting," Raskin wrote in praise of Richard's lunch plates.

On any given day there tended to be motorcycles parked out front and a diverse group of men and women inside, playing pool, feeding the juke box, eating and drinking.

"Were viewed as an eyesore, an inhibitor of growth, and are poorly thought of, much like a house of ill repute  rough, a place known as harboring the last of the towns undesirables," bartender L.R. Smith wrote in a 2017 letter to the editor published in The Post and Courier. "Yet, in this place, the low mix with the 1 percent, black with white, Democrat with Republican."

"Our boss, Richard, is the defender of the downtrodden, a beacon for the blue-collar working man," Smith wrote.

Barbara Goodyear married one of Ruth's five children, Richard Jr., and was his daughter-in-law for 39 years.

"He used to say 'I'm a damn iconic symbol around here,'" she said.

Goodyear said she would usually reply that, no, he was not. But on Friday he was toasted and well remembered by a large crowd of friends, family and former employees who made clear how many lives he had touched.
The tactics of the Russian troops in Ukraine lead to deterioration of the situation in Russia itself. So, peace and security talks are the only opportunity for Moscow to reduce the damage from its own mistakes. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his latest video message, news.am informs.

March 19, 2022, 11:29 Zelenskyy: The war must end

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 19, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The initial plan of the Russian military to occupy our country failed. And they do not seem to know what else to do with us. Their military commanders do not seem to be able to offer their political leadership anything but a cruel and wrong tactic to exhaust us, to exhaust Ukraine.

But this tactic of their military only aggravates the situation for the Russian state, leads to new and new destructive sanctions, pushes new members to join our anti-war coalition, enables to uniteto put pressure on Russiaeven those states that have always tried to remain neutral.

Therefore, meaningful, honest and without delay negotiations for security, peace, for us, for Ukraine are the only opportunity for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes," Zelenskyy said.

The president stressed that Ukraine has always insisted on negotiations, dialogue, and offered a solution for peace.

"And I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. It's time to meet. It's time to talk. Its time to restore Ukraine's territorial integrity and justice. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that even a few generations will not be enough to stand on its own two feet," Zelenskyy said.

"The war must end. Ukraine's proposals are on the table," he noted.

The president added that in the coming days he will continue to appeal to the peoples of the world with a call for peace for Ukraine.
NORTH CHARLESTON  Local pastor and activist Thomas Dixon asked residents at a March 18 town hall event to raise their hands if theyd ever lost someone to gun violence.

That is not normal, Dixon said, responding to the sea of arms held up inside an auditorium at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church.

A few dozen community members, activists and law enforcement officers gathered to attend the S.A.V.E. North Charleston event.

The acronym means Stand Against Violence Everywhere, Dixon said. He's spearheading the new initiative, which aims to address the rise in gun violence recently seen across the city.

The North Charleston Police Department reported seven homicides and 17 people shot during the first two months of 2022. A Feb. 26 fatal shooting at South Allen Drive left 15-year-old Xiamere Moody dead and three others injured.

Dixon announced shortly after the shooting his plan to present a comprehensive package on how to address gun violence in the community. He met with Police Chief Reggie Burgess and other community leaders to put together the town hall.

Dixon proposed gun control laws, as well as improvements to the education and prison systems at Friday's event, which lasted several hours.

Dixon doesnt believe he can eliminate gun violence. But he does think it can be reduced. The pastor repeatedly stated he supports the Second Amendment for people who go through the legal process to own a gun, he said.

Dixon called for harsher penalties for irresponsible gun ownership, and mentioned Project Exile, a Virginia-based program he would really love to see happen in the Charleston area.

Project Exile began as a partnership in 1997 by local and federal law enforcement officials in Richmond, Va., to aggressively prosecute criminals caught with firearms on federal offenses, which carry mandatory prison sentences.

Richmond authorities asked citizens to report guns to an anonymous crime-stopping group and stated an illegal gun will get you five years in federal prison, part of a larger media campaign to hammer home the consequences of illegal gun possession.

Richmonds homicide rate, one of the highest in the nation for cities of its size at that time, dropped 36 percent in the 10 months after the program was implemented, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

School boards and district officials arent doing enough to ensure their students dont grow up to be criminals, Dixon said. He suggested building conflict-resolution programming into standard curriculums beginning around second grade.

Dixon called on church pastors to start talking with their congregations about gun violence, and inviting OGs, or original gangsters, to speak with youth about how they found a path out of the prison system.

Community members also have an important role to play: The no snitch rule must end. Reporting a burglary at a home across the street doesn't make you a "snitch," Dixon said. It shows you care about your community.

Local pastor and activist Thomas Ravenel agreed. The reason so many homicide cases remain unsolved is because community members dont want to get involved, he said.

When you get involved, Im telling you, we can clean up our community, he added.

Police Chief Reggie Burgess said law enforcement agencies and government officials must work together to tackle the problems that exist.

Other town hall speakers included Charleston County Sheriff Kristen Graziano, Life Community Church Senior Pastor Mike Cooke, and Katrina Sinclair and Ronald Smith, the parents of 14-year-old Ronjanae Smith who was killed in the crossfire of a gang shooting last May.

Dixon and audience members criticized elected officials for their notable absence from the town hall. Another event would be organized to collect comments and feedback from community members.
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.
I was on my crusade to convince the Legislature to debate the whole state budget rather than just new money when I first noticed Jay Lucas.

I was smitten immediately.

Mr. Lucas had put together what looked like the most absurd caricature anyone could dream up of lawmakers cursory review of how agencies were spending money, lining up 14 agencies to appear before his budget subcommittee at 15-minute intervals.

The truth turned out to be very different. Yes, he was taking those pro forma meetings to an extreme, but he was doing so, he explained to me in one of his now-storied time is our most precious commodity monologues, in order to carve out more time to delve into the behemoth under his purview: the Transportation Department.

That agency was reeling from a 2006 audit that found it had squandered tens of millions of dollars on overly generous contracts and manipulated its fund balances to deceive the Legislature into thinking it had less money than it had. By shorting the other agencies assigned to his panel, Mr. Lucas was able to do a deep dive into the Transportation Department during the early stages of the Houses budget-writing process.

It was a much more thorough examination than anyone else in a Legislature led by Transportation Department apologists was willing to undertake, and it turned Mr. Lucas into South Carolina's most persistent legislative advocate of injecting accountability into the agency. That was a job he retained for another decade, pushing for gubernatorial control and the elimination of the horse-trading, part-time board of legislative cronies that had divvied up the states road money through most of our history.

Mr. Lucas, it turned out, was not an accidental reformer. He was a student of government, a thoughtful former county administrator and small-town city judge who understood how government works and how it can cease to work, and he possessed a rare willingness to challenge the maddening legislative mindset that says we have to do things the way weve always done them because thats how weve always done them. He understood the need for reform because he understood human beings.

Why arent you pushing for more? I would ask him each time he helped advance another minor change at the Transportation Department that prolonged the status quo. The votes just arent here yet, Cindi, he would always reply patiently, as he worked behind the scenes to find those votes and, a decade after he started, produce the reforms our state needed.

Dismantling one of the last vestiges of South Carolinas early 20th century patronage model was probably more important than the more populist changes weve been hearing about since he announced Tuesday he would step down as House speaker, a job hes held since 2014. There are numerous other important wonky reforms to his credit. More obscure is one of the first decisions he made as speaker, which has helped focus legislative attention on state agencies performance.

No, he didnt achieve my dream of thorough, routine spending reviews  a task that is even more logistically difficult today than it was when we first discussed it 15 years ago. But he used the then-new legislative oversight law to create a House Oversight Committee, populated by experts at examining the inner-workings of state agencies.

It wasnt the approach envisioned by the bill's sponsors, which the Senate adopted and I preferred: assigning the reviews to the committees with subject-matter jurisdiction over each agency. But it has been much more consistent in identifying systemic problems and opportunities in agencies and correcting them before they become crises.

Mr. Lucas has not been a perfect speaker. He and then-Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman drove our state to the precipice of a constitutional crisis by defying a Supreme Court order involving the Abbeville school adequacy case. But they managed to reach a tense agreement, and while Mr. Lucas wasnt willing to let the court make him address the problems, he was willing to address them on his own; once a bit of time has passed, I suspect well look back on all the reforms and funding that he was able to piecemeal through the Legislature and add education to his list of top-flight accomplishments.

More recently, critics say he has become untrustworthy as the number of reactionaries in the Republican caucus increased. The government openness is always essential part of me has to denounce some of the surprises hes pulled, but the pragmatic part of me sees some of those surprises as efforts to actually protect us from worse outcomes  as when he backed the last-minute switcheroo on the Houses insane effort in December to prohibit businesses from requiring their employees to be vaccinated.

Mr. Lucas departure will leave our state poorer  not just because we are losing our chief reform visionary but also because we are losing a good and decent leader. As his likely successor, Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, told the House on Tuesday, Mr. Lucas is a man rooted in small-town values: to listen to people, to treat everyone with respect and to most importantly be humble.

This is how Jay leads, Mr. Smith said. He listens to all members. He respects all members. He tries to build consensus across party lines and across ideological lines. And when you lead with those qualities, you get success after success.

Colleagues say Mr. Smith shares those traits, which helps explain why, as The Post and Couriers Seanna Adcox reports, the jockeying to succeed Mr. Lucas ended pretty much before it started. I don't know Mr. Smith well enough to say one way or the other, but we can all hope theyre right. Either way, he'll have mighty big shoes to fill.
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.
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
Following state Attorney General's Office release of an investigation report on the lethal shooting of an Auburn resident by a police sergeant, the city's police chief issued a statement supporting law enforcement officials involved.

The AG Office of Special Investigation report on Brandi Baida's death found that Sgt. Tim Spingler was justified in firing his service weapon during the Sept. 21 incident in which Baida was firing a rifle through a second-story window in her Wheeler Street residence. State law requires the AG's office to conduct independent investigations into all shootings involving law enforcement.

After receiving the report Friday afternoon and reviewing it, APD Chief James Slayton on Saturday said investigators were "thorough and comprehensive" and that officers performed their duties admirably that day.

"I want to commend all officers that responded to 12 Wheeler St. on September 21, 2021, because as gunfire rang out, they ran toward the threat to protect the lives of other officers and those civilians living the neighborhood," Slayton said. "This was a difficult and evolving event that was putting many lives in danger. Ms. Baida was using a high-powered rifle capable of traveling long distances, going through houses and soft body armor worn by officers. The ultimate goal was to stop the threat and get the shooter to surrender their weapon."

The AG's report, which included a compilation video with cell phone and door-bell camera footage and emergency radio audio, said officers repeatedly directed Baida to drop the rifle, but she refused and continued to fire shots after officers had the residence surrounded. Officers responded to the Wheeler Street area after 911 dispatchers received calls about shots being fired in the area.

"After many verbal attempts and several more shots by Ms. Baida, Sgt. Spingler made the difficult decision, based on his knowledge, training and law enforcement experience, to use deadly physical force to stop the threat towards officers and innocent civilians," Slayton said.

The chief noted that after securing the scene, APD immediately turned the investigation into the shots-fired incident over to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police.

"In doing so, there were independent criminal investigations overseen by three separate agencies, Attorney General's Office of Special Investigations, Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and the NYS Police."

Slayton said the APD thanks the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, state police, Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, Auburn Fire Department, TLC Ambulance and "many other local agencies that assisted us on September 21, 2021."

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Yesterday I suggested that the New York Post continue to hammer the validation of its suppressed Biden laptop reporting by taking up the role played by the intelligence community in collaboration with Politico. I suggested that the Post persist with a cover, an editorial, and a Michael Goodwin column.

The Post must have been working on just such a package as I wrote yesterday morning. Today the Post follows up as I suggested with Kyle Smith taking up the duties as columnist. The cover is below. The accompanying editorial is Spies who lie: 51 intelligence experts refuse to apologize for discrediting true Hunter Biden story. The accompanying column is Kyle Smiths How Dem officials, the media and Big Tech worked in concert to bury the Hunter Biden story.

The Posts cover presents a photo lineup of the intelligence perps. What a crew.

Smith writes: Everlasting, undying, soul-rending shame be upon you, Facebook and Twitter and Politico and all the others who covered up, denied and suppressed this newspapers true and accurate reporting about Hunter Bidens laptop in 2020. You should be hurling yourselves at the feet of the American people, begging forgiveness. You should be renting billboards saying, WE LIED.'

I disagree with Smiths column only in its ranking of the operation to disparage and suppress the Posts reporting as the most egregious and willful fake-news scam of our time. In my judgment, the Russia hoax is the greatest fake-news scam since the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

The Post editorial reports the results of the papers efforts to obtain comments from the 51 intelligence experts. Here are the reported results:

Mike Hayden, former CIA director, now analyst for CNN: Didnt respond.

Jim Clapper, former director of national intelligence, now CNN pundit: Yes, I stand by the statement made AT THE TIME, and would call attention to its 5th paragraph. I think sounding such a cautionary note AT THE TIME was appropriate.

Leon Panetta, former CIA director and defense secretary, now runs a public policy institute at California State University: Declined comment.

John Brennan, former CIA director, now analyst for NBC and MSNBC: Didnt respond.

Thomas Fingar, former National Intelligence Council chair, now teaches at Stanford University: Didnt respond.

Rick Ledgett, former National Security Agency deputy director, now a director at M&T Bank: Didnt respond.

John McLaughlin, former CIA acting director, now teaches at Johns Hopkins University: Didnt respond.

Michael Morell, former CIA acting director, now at George Mason University: Didnt respond.

Mike Vickers, former defense undersecretary for intelligence, now on board of BAE Systems: Didnt respond.

Doug Wise, former Defense Intelligence Agency deputy director, teaches at University of New Mexico: Didnt respond.

Nick Rasmussen, former National Counterterrorism Center director, now executive director, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism: Didnt respond.

Russ Travers, former National Counterterrorism Center acting director: The letter explicitly stated that we didnt know if the emails were genuine, but that we were concerned about Russian disinformation efforts. I spent 25 years as a Soviet/Russian analyst. Given the context of what the Russians were doing at the time (and continue to do  Ukraine being just the latest example), I considered the cautionary warning to be prudent.

Andy Liepman, former National Counterterrorism Center deputy director: As far as I know I do [stand by the statement] but Im kind of busy right now.

John Moseman, former CIA chief of staff: Didnt respond.

Larry Pfeiffer, former CIA chief of staff, now senior advisor to The Chertoff Group: Didnt respond.

Jeremy Bash, former CIA chief of staff, now analyst for NBC and MSNBC: Didnt respond.

Rodney Snyder, former CIA chief of staff: Didnt respond.

Glenn Gerstell, former National Security Agency general counsel: Didnt respond.

David Priess, former CIA analyst and manager: Thank you for reaching out. I have no further comment at this time.

Pam Purcilly, former CIA deputy director of analysis: Didnt respond.

Marc Polymeropoulos, former CIA senior operations officer: Didnt respond.

Chris Savos, former CIA senior operations officer: Didnt respond.

John Tullius, former CIA senior intelligence officer: Didnt respond.

David A. Vanell, former CIA senior operations officer: Didnt respond.

Kristin Wood, former CIA senior intelligence officer, now non-resident fellow, Harvard: Didnt respond.

David Buckley, former CIA inspector general: Didnt respond.

Nada Bakos, former CIA analyst and targeting officer, now senior fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute: Didnt respond.

Patty Brandmaier, former CIA senior intelligence officer: Didnt respond.

James B. Bruce, former CIA senior intelligence office: Didnt respond.

David Cariens, former CIA intelligence analyst: Didnt respond.

Janice Cariens, former CIA operational support officer: Didnt respond.

Paul Kolbe, former CIA senior operations officer: Didnt respond.

Peter Corsell, former CIA analyst: Didnt respond.

Brett Davis, former CIA senior intelligence officer: Didnt respond.

Roger Zane George, former national intelligence officer: Didnt respond.

Steven L. Hall, former CIA senior intelligence officer: Didnt respond.

Kent Harrington, former national intelligence officer: Didnt respond.

Don Hepburn, former national security executive, now president of Boanerges Solutions LLC: My position has not changed any. I believe the Russians made a huge effort to alter the course of the election . . . The Russians are masters of blending truth and fiction and making something feel incredibly real when its not. Nothing I have seen really changes my opinion. I cant tell you what part is real and what part is fake, but the thesis still stands for me, that it was a media influence hit job.

Timothy D. Kilbourn, former dean of CIAs Kent School of Intelligence Analysis: Didnt respond.

Ron Marks, former CIA officer: Didnt respond.

Jonna Hiestand Mendez, former CIA technical operations officer, now on board of the International Spy Museum: I dont have any comment. I would need a little more information.

Emile Nakhleh, former director of CIAs Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program, now at University of New Mexico: I have not seen any information since then that would alter the decision behind signing the letter. Thats all I can go into. The whole issue was highly politicized and I dont want to deal with that. I still stand by that letter.

Gerald A. OShea, former CIA senior operations officer: Didnt respond.

Nick Shapiro, former CIA deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to the director: Didnt respond.

John Sipher, former CIA senior operations officer: Declined to comment.

Stephen Slick, former National Security Council senior director for intelligence programs:

Didnt respond.

Cynthia Strand, former CIA deputy assistant director for global issues: Didnt respond.

Greg Tarbell, former CIA deputy executive director: Didnt respond.

David Terry, former National Intelligence Collection Board chairman: Couldnt be reached.

Greg Treverton, former National Intelligence Council chair, now senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies: Ill pass. I havent followed the case recently.

Winston Wiley, former CIA director of analysis: Couldnt be reached.
The biggest news out of Nigeria this week is undoubtedly the altercation between Bianca, the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu and Ebele Obiano, the immediate past First Lady of Anambra State, on Thursday afternoon in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The occasion was the inauguration ceremony of Governor Charles Soludo, an incident that momentarily disrupted the swearing-in ceremony.

Mrs Ojukwu slapped Mrs Obiano after the latter stood up from her seat and walked up to where Mrs Ojukwu.

Setting the records straight on Friday, Mrs Ojukwu said her action was an act of self-defence against Mrs Obiano, who attempted to remove her headgear in public.

Mrs Ojukwu, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, explained that she ignored several provocative verbal and physical assaults from the former first lady, whom she alleged were intoxicated by alcohol. Mrs Obiano is yet to comment on the matter publicly.

Following the incident, Mrs Ojukwu has once again found herself suddenly thrust into the limelight.

At the same time, the term Inaugural Slap continues to generate debate and trends on several social media platforms.

But long before the infamous slap, Mrs Ojukwu has always been a media darling because of her strides in pageantry, her well-celebrated affair, marriage to Mr Ojukwu, and her political leanings.

Just in case, you have you need a refresher; this PREMIUM TIMES article revisits ten times Mrs Ojukwu has made headlines.

10. 1987- 1989 Beauty queen with many crowns

From the early 1990s till date, Biancas name has become synonymous with beauty. A multiple international pageant titleholder, Bianca emerged as the winner of Miss Martini in 1987 and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1988.

She reigned through most of 1989, mainly when she emerged as Miss Africa 1989 at the pageant held in The Gambia.

Bianca represented Nigeria at the Miss World in Hong Kong and Miss Universe in Mexico following her win.

In the same year, she achieved success when she won Miss Intercontinental and was named Miss Congeniality at the now-defunct Miss Charm International in Russia, where she was also a semi-finalist.

She made history as the first Nigerian and African to win Miss The Intercontinental pageant.

9. 1989  Affair with Ojukwu, the warlord

Her high profile and fame ensured that she was the toast of many, including her fathers close political associate, Odimegwu Ojukwu.

In no time, the news of her romantic relationship with Mr Ojukwu, who was 34 years older than her, spurred controversies and was a topic of national discussion in the 1990s.

8. 1989  Renouncing her Crown

Amidst their controversial relationship, a young Bianca was under immense pressure, which was increasingly unbearable as the day went by, causing her to resign as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN).

However, since the MBGN holders are restrained from having public love affairs, she decided to relinquish her crown despite not acknowledging or debunking her affair with Mr Ojuwku at the time.

The first runner-up, Regina Askia, assumed her position and completed Biancas tenure as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.

Her main concern for the young beauty queen was completing her education as a Law student, and no beauty crown was worth letting go of Mr Ojuwku, who was madly in love with her.

7. 1994  Wedding

Although Bianca and Ojukwu had been in a relationship since 1989, they formally married on November 12, 1994.

The wedding was the talk of the town in those days; it was a lavish wedding ceremony in Abuja. Bianca was 22, while Mr Ojukwu was in his 50s.

Their union is blessed with three children Chineme, Afamefuna, and Nwachukwu.

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6. 1994  Mission Impossible

Her father, Christian Onoh, never supported her decision to partake in beauty pageants and had banned her from coming home after she emerged the MBGN winner in 1988.

Although it took him a while to come around, Biancas marriage to his political associate, Mr Ojukwu, was an even more bitter pill to swallow.

Mr Onoh gave his inlaw an arduous task.

Mrs Ojukwu, who regularly shares her personal stories on her Facebook page, recently revealed that her father requested that her husband present 100 pre-independence copper coins as her bride price.

She wrote, He demanded a bride price of 100 pre-independence copper coins (those old coins with a hole in the middle), and where could anyone readily find these scarce coins, and in such quantity in 2001?

And so, he dispatched people to various parts of the country in search of the old coins. But unfortunately, it cost so much more to source the coins than they were worth. Years later, when I asked my father what informed his request, he said I had to make it quite difficult for him. If it were purely a matter of paying moneyBeing a man of great means, he would have been prepared to pay any amount, no matter how huge, as bride price. That would have been easy for him. But in your marriage, anytime he makes you upset, and you threaten to head back home to us, he will remember the difficulty in procuring your bride price!

5. 2011  Ojukwus Widow

After almost 17 years of marriage, Mr Ojukwu died in the United Kingdom after a brief illness, aged 78. He was buried in a newly built mausoleum in his compound at Nnewi.

The legendary beauty queen focused on her marriage and business, despite political offers that kept knocking on her door.

4. 2012  Fights with family

Following the death of her husband, Bianca was thrust into a lengthy legal battle with Ojukwus first son, Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The battle, characterised by a series of court cases, spurred a great deal of controversy about the late Biafran leader and the chaos in his family.

At the end of the court battle, which ruled in her favour, Mrs Ojuwkwu had the lions share of her late husbands will.

3. 2011- 2012  Appointments

Shortly after her husbands death, she had some diplomatic appointments that brought her to the forefront of politics.

In 2011, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2012 she became Nigerias Ambassador to Ghana. In the same year, she was appointed the Ambassador of Nigeria to the Kingdom Of Spain.

2. 2013  Alleged affair with Fani- Kayode

After she was appointed Ambassador to Spain, another controversy surfaced.

In his controversial piece A Word For Those Who Call Me A Tribalist, Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, claimed he had a long-standing and intimate relationship with Mrs Ojukwu while she was unmarried.

The piece stirred a brief media frenzy as journalists reached out to her for a reaction.

Mr Fani-Kayode would later apologise, saying he regretted naming three of his former girlfriends  one of them Bianca Ojukwu, as evidence he was not anti-Igbo.

1. 2022  Infamous inaugural slap

Mrs Ojukwu has maintained a low profile save for her ambassadorial duties and her political leanings not until Thursdays inaugural slap that has once again thrust her into the spotlight.
Over eleven years after the demise of the founder of Fuji genre of music, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, some of his widows are considering remarrying.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, they unanimously agreed that it was difficult to fill the vacuum the late Fuji crooner left.

One of the widows, Kehinde Balogun, 50, told NAN that finding a good man after the demise of her late husband was tough.

Its not easy, but should a good man come along, I will remarry. It is not easy to come across truthful men these days.

I was quiet young when I got married to Alhaji and losing him hasnt been easy, but we cant question God.

Being a widow hasnt been easy but God has been faithful, with the support of family and friends, she said.

Expressing a similar view was Oluwayemisi Balogun, 50-year-old. She told NAN that if it was Gods will for her to remarry, she will.

In life, you never say never. You dont know what God has destined for you, so it is important to always focus on the will of God.

If God says Id remarry, so be it. Marriage is a union that God created and like most women Id want that too, she said.

The music superstar, Sikiru Ololade Ayinde Balogun, was born on February 9, 1948 and died on December 16, 2010.

Better known by his stage name, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Balogun was a Yoruba-born songwriter, song producer and music performer.

Another of his widows, Temilola Balogun, 40 years old, told NAN that 12 year years after the death of Alhaji Agba (Sikiru Ayinde Barrister), she has yet to find true love.

If I find someone I love enough to share my life with him, why not, but finding true love isnt easy these days, one have to thread with caution.

So if tomorrow I find that true love, Id remarry but until then, Id keep praying to God for mercy and protection, she said

Regarded as the pioneer of Fuji and Were genre of music, Ayinde Barrister went on to release over 70 studio albums.

The musicians eldest widow, Adebisi Balogun, 65 years old, told NAN that remarrying was not her priority as she would rather focus on her children and grandchildren.

At this age, what is the point, my focus is to live a healthy life surrounded by my children and grandchildren, she said.

Yetunde Balogun, 58 years old, spoke along the same line, saying at this stage of her life remarrying was a non-issue to her.

What will I be looking for again, I have lived life with my late husband, I am happy with the memories we shared.

My children are getting married now, so it just grandma duties I am doing and living my life to the fullest, she said.

Yet another widow of Ayinde Barrister, Yinka Balogun, in her 40s, told NAN that she hasnt given remarrying a thought.

I have never thought about it honestly, she said.

(NAN)

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Two police officers on duty were shot dead on Saturday when gunmen attacked their police facility in Imo State, Nigerias South-east.

The attack happened at the Umuguma Police station in Owerri West council area of Imo State.

The gunmen came in two Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and attacked the police station with an explosive device, according to a witness who narrated the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The witness said two officers were seen dead at the station after the attackers left for an unknown destination.

He further narrated that while one of the officers was killed and cut with a machete, the other victim died at a water dispensing stand where he went to drink water after he was shot in one of his legs while trying to escape.

A NAN reporter, who visited the scene, confirmed that no fewer than 12 vehicles parked at the police station and the roof of the station were burnt by the explosives used in attacking the station.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, CSP Michael Abattam, confirmed the incident, but said the gunmen were repelled by the officers on guard.

I can confirm that there was an attack on the Umuguma police station, but the hoodlums were immediately repelled, said Mr Abattam, a chief superintendent of police.

Mt Abattam said the police were on a manhunt for the attackers.

The attack has the trademark of IPOB, an outlawed group agitating for the creation of an independent state of Biafra from the South-east of Nigeria and some parts of the South-south.

(NAN)
Yakubu Gowon, a former military Head of State, has said that Nigeria deserves to be led by its very best in 2023 and beyond.

The General said this on Friday in Abuja when officials of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG) paid him a visit at his Asokoro, Abuja residence.

Mr Gowon emphasised that while he had no partisan involvement with politics, he believed that leaders and citizens at all levels had a duty to sustain peace, progress and national unity of the country.

He also affirmed his conviction that no matter the level of intrigues and circumstances, God would ultimately decide the final outcome.

Mr Gowon said that in the countrys interest, all politicians and their followers must look beyond the struggle for positions and sustain faith in Nigeria.

He urged the mass media to do more towards consolidating national unity.

Sustain hope, believe in Nigeria and believe in the cause of unity and peace, Mr Gowon said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that leaders of the PCG earlier had a closed door meeting with the former Head of State.

The leaders include its Deputy National Chairman (North), Musa Kwande, who is also the Baraden of Lafia Emirate, and its Co-ordinator, Ahmed Zagi.

Mr Zagi told reporters that the visit was a matter of courtesy, adding that as an elder statesman, Mr Gowon embraced everyone.

You all know that our message and mobilisation for the 2023 presidential candidature of Prof Yemi Osinbajo has reached every part of this country.

And our visit to this great patriot is out of much deserved courtesy rather than partisan considerations, he said.

He said Mr Osinbajo had never been desperate for positions, but God and his rich credentials had always made things possible for him.

General Gowon took us down memory lane to scenarios of January 13, 1966 and he believes that the scenario of ascension to high position without desperation or unnecessary intrigues is something that all must consider.

He said that he never knew that he would occupy that seat and that whoever God has destined to be president would become president, regardless of his circumstances or challenges.

While expressing his conviction that only God can confer power, Gowon said he has interacted with Nigerians who have a lot to offer when the time comes for them to inherit great responsibilities.

He counselled that what all citizens need to do is to pray for all candidates being brought forward by various political parties so that we can have the right persons who can further consolidate national unity, he said.

He added that Mr Gowon also emphasised his long held belief in one united Nigeria, saying that it was only those that could further enhance national unity, peace, progress and development for Nigeria that could truly lead successfully in the years ahead.

2023

Nigerians will be heading to the polls in 2023 to elect new leaders especially at the federal level to steer the ship of the nation for another four years.

President Muhammadu Buhari who was elected in 2015 will be completing his constitutionally guaranteed tenure by 2023.

Many top politicians including the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, have already shown interest in contesting for the top position.

Mr Buharis deputy, Mr Osinbajo, has yet to declare his interest formally but many groups have been clamouring for his emergence as a candidate for the presidential slot.

(NAN)

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Ahead of the 2022 World Tuberculosis Day (WTBD), health experts have called on governments at all levels to invest more in Tuberculosis (TB) to eradicate the disease in Nigeria.

The experts said adequate investment will prevent people from dying from TB, a vaccine-preventable and curable disease.

Speaking during a pre TB day conference in Abuja on Friday, acting board chair of the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Queen Ogbuji, said the country still accounts for 70 per cent funding gap in TB.

Ms Ogbuji said of the N150 billion ($373 million) needed for TB control in Nigeria in the year 2020, only 31 per cent was available to implementers.

She said about seven per cent of the money released came from the Nigerian government, while 24 per cent came from donors, leaving behind a funding gap of 70 per cent.

She noted that the low levels of funding for TB response year after year is no longer acceptable.

Ms Ogbuji said more investment would save millions of lives and accelerate the end of the TB epidemic.

She lamented that TB remains one of the worlds deadliest diseases and every day, about 4,100 people die, while 30,000 people fall ill from the disease.

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that often affect the lungs.

It is spread from person to person through the air. When people with TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.

Nigeria ranks sixth amongst 30 countries globally with the highest burden of the disease. Nigeria also ranks first in Africa in the number of undetected cases.

Despite TB being a vaccine-preventable disease, statistics from the WHO show that every year, about 245,000 Nigerians die from TB, and about 590,000 new cases occur (of these, around 140,000 are also HIV-positive).

TB is the number one infectious killer disease in the world and also among the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

One-quarter of the Worlds population, approximately 1.9 billion people, is infected with TB.

More advocacy

The Executive Director of KNCV TB Foundation Nigeria, Bethrand Odume, said Nigeria still accounts for 4.6 per cent of the global infections.

Mr Odume also said there is a huge gap in paediatric TB case finding and adequate funding will be required to tackle this.

He said although efforts are being made to improve the uptake of vaccines to prevent more TB cases, a lot is still required.

He called for adequate supplies of drugs and essential commodities, as well as strengthening of the countrys health system.

In his remarks, the National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), Chukwuma Anyaike, said childhood TB contributes significantly to the burden of the disease in Nigeria.

Mr Anyaike said under-diagnosis and mis-diagnosis of TB in children are common and of concern, especially in children under the age of Five.

He said despite the availability of the Bacille CalmetteGuerin (BCG) vaccines to prevent TB, more children still get sick from the disease.

He urged parents to present their wards for vaccination at the appropriate time.

BCG vaccination given to babies and young children provides consistent protection up to 80 per cent against severe forms of childhood TB, such as TB meningitis.

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It can be less effective against TB affecting the lungs in adults. The protection from the BCG vaccine can last up to 15 years, he said.

World TB Day

To create awareness about the impact of TB, World Tuberculosis Day is marked on March 24 every year.

The day is held to raise public awareness about the health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global epidemic.

The theme of World TB Day 2022 is Invest to End TB. Save Lives and Nigerias localised slogan is Give more, Do more, End TB now.

The theme conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitments made by global leaders to end TB.
The Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, in fulfillment of a promise he made, has unveiled Innoson vehicle as his official car.

Mr Soludo had said, before his inauguration, that as part of his administrations strategy to promote local brands, he would only use Innoson vehicles manufactured in Anambra State, as the official government vehicles.

Shortly before his inauguration, Mr Soludo made his entry into the Government House, Awka, with a black Innoson SUV.

Mr Soludo later said in his inaugural address that he wanted to make a statement with Innoson vehicles and his patronage of other local goods.

When you see me in Innoson vehicles or in my Akwete dress with a pair of shoes made in Ogbunike/Nkwelle Ezunaka and Onitsha, we are making a statement, he said

He said he would open up the local economy by bringing the world to Anambra and also taking Anambra to the world.

He said the light refreshment to be served after his inauguration would be abacha from Umunze, ukwa from Isuofia, Anambra rice with ofe akwu, nkwu enu from Awgbu, ngwo from Awa and Oba, and malt and bottled water from Onitsha.

As part of our made in Anambra, cultural renaissance and healthy living agenda, when you come to the Governors Lodge or attend any state governments function, be sure to be served only Made in Anambra.

If you can produce it in Anambra, I will be your chief marketing officer, provided that your standard meets the Anambra standardwhich is excellence. The Anambra State Government will only patronize Made in Anambra products and services unless such goods or services are not currently made in Anambra, then made in Nigeria, Africa, etc, in that sequence, Mr Soludo said.

Innoson vehicles: Rejected by NASS, embraced by Soludo

Meanwhile, the governors love and support for made-in-Nigeria products sharply contrasts with the National Assemblys attitude on such an issue.

The House of Representatives, in February 2020, rejected Innoson vehicles and instead expressed their preference for imported vehicles.

The federal lawmakers went for Toyota Camry 2020 model as their official cars.

Nigerians laud Soludo

Nigerians have applauded Mr Soludos preference for locally-made goods, stressing that gains of such a policy would be enormous.

A senior lecturer at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ike Ndolo described Mr Soludos policy as a master stroke.

Mr Ndolo told PREMIUM TIMES that the governors insistence on the local delicacies would promote Nigerias cultural values and heritage.

I think this is Godsend. That is, for him to say that everything hes going to use  his clothing, vehicles. I mean, this is progressive, he said.

Mr Ndolo, a professor of mass communication, said the time had come when Africans should define who they are and not rely on the definition given by foreigners.

I give him a thumbs up for that. You know, promoting our indigenous products, like I said, is a masterstroke. The Nnewi axis, will now be opened, will improve.

This is instructive to every other governor in the South-east and aspiring politicians and youths coming up. This is very apt at this moment when we are almost losing everything. I am so proud of him, Mr Ndolo said of the governor.

For Albert Oguegbe, a medical doctor in Delta State, the governors initiative will make a bold statement to the rest of the world and showcase Africans giant strides in the manufacturing industry.

Mr Oguegbe said the initiative is also capable of reducing the cost of procuring foreign-made products.

If anything is damaged in the vehicle, it will be easier to take it to the company for repairs to be carried out by the original manufacturers, he said.

A spokesperson for Innoson group, Chinazom Amadi, said the initiative would boost Nigerian economy, saying those funds earmarked for procurement of foreign products could help to stabilise Nigerias manufacturing industry when adequately patronised.

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Those working in Innoson Manufacturing Company are Nigerians. If the company fails to grow, many Nigerians will lose their jobs, Mr Amadi said.
A notorious banditry kingpin, Ada Alieru, has reached out to elders and intermediaries to broker peace between him and communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

However, security sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the initiative is a ruse by the terrorist to protect his siblings and the vast wealth he has amassed from criminality.

Mr Alieru had carried out several deadly attacks in communities under Tsafe (in Zamfara) and Faskari (Katsina State).

In 2020, after a deadly attack on Kadisau community, the Katsina Police Command placed a N5 million bounty on his head.

The then police commissioner in Katsina, Sanusi Buba, said, Similarly, the command has placed bounty of N5 million on his head, dead or alive.

Any person or group of persons that have useful information that may lead to his arrest, should please report to the nearest police station or call these numbers: 08033666059 or 08035448128 or 08076666207.

Why Alieru seeks dialogue

An intelligence officer in the Zamfara State SSS office, whose identity we cannot reveal, said they received a report on the peace deal.

Alieru has gathered a lot of money and cattle and he knows if this (fight with soldiers) continues, he may end up losing the cattle and his wealth. As the leader of most of the bandits in Yankuzo and Munhaye axis, and to a large extent, Tsafe area, he felt it would be better to reach a truce, he said.

When asked if the State Security Service or any security agency in the state was involved in the overtures, the officer said he could not confirm but said it seems it is the normal local stage dialogue. Dansadau has done it and it is working. So, I think they are just trying to reflect it here.

A native of Tsafe, Abubakar Garba, said Mr Alieru is considered the richest bandit in the area.

It could be possible that he is protecting his wealth as you said because he has a lot of cattle and other assets that are of importance to the Fulanis. It is possible he is he doing that to protect his wealth.

He also said he heard of the peace deal from one of the intermediaries.

All efforts made by this reporter to make Mr Garba connect this reporter with one of the intermediaries failed. But I can confirm that he is one of the intermediaries and he informed me if the three meetings, he said.

Fears

While not ruling out the possibility of Mr Alieru protecting his wealth, Yusuf Anka, a journalist, said the banditry kingpin is trying to protect his siblings.

Alieru is from Yankuzo but he has siblings in Tsafe town. Alierus father goes to Tsafe market every Friday. Hassan Nabamamu (another bandit) also has siblings in the town. In fact, his house is in the main town. They have female siblings marrying Hausas. It is obvious that if they continue to attack innocent people, residents of Tsafe will mobilise and revenge on their siblings, he said.

According to Mr Anka, Mr Alieru had spoken to Mr Nabamamu on the need for such a peace deal.

He said Mr Nabamamu accepted because he knew the dangers of not accepting the deal, because his family house is in the town (Tsafe).

The dialogue, conditions

Mr Garba said when Mr Alieru reached out to the Ardos (Fulanis chiefs) on the need for dialogue with people of Tsafe, they felt they should involve other non-Fulanis to make it more official.

Elders from the Hausa and Fulani sides met thrice to iron all the issues and the conditions were all agreed by the parties. He told them that his cousin, Isuhu Yellow, should be reached out to because he is the one perpetrating most of the attacks. Another bandit leader, Hassan Nabamamu, should also be contacted to seal the deal, he said.

The conditions reportedly given by the representatives of Tsafe include: bandits should stop attacking communities and motorists in the area; farmers should be allowed to go back to their farms; bandits should release all captives and communities should not be taxed again.

Mr Alieru, however, said he would not stop attacking some communities that include Bawa Ganga, Magazu and others he considered hostile towards Fulanis.

The Zamfara police command spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, did not pick his calls or respond to an SMS seeking his comments on the development.
The country home of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, George Obiozor was on Saturday morning set ablaze by gunmen.

The incident happened in Awo- Omamma, the hometown of Mr Obiozor, in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.

The gunmen, it was gathered, used Improvised Explosives Devices to destroy the building.

Residents of the area said the gunmen drove into the compound at about 6:15 a.m., shot indiscriminately for over 15 minutes before they set the house ablaze.

Mr Obiozors brothers houses were also set ablaze, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Properties and valuables worth millions of naira were destroyed in the attack.

They used explosive devices and petrol gallons to put fire in the building. We entered the building, some parts of the building were still burning, and the properties were burnt to ashes.

The roofs of the buildings were blown off and scattered around the compound. Those living in the compound are now in fear that the unknown gunmen will likely come to cause more damage, a resident said.

The most painful aspect of it was that the houses to Obiozors brother were set ablaze by these hoodlums. It was not as much compared to that of Obiozor house, he added.

Police spokesperson in Imo state, Micheal Abattam, confirmed the attack.

He said no life was lost in the attack.

There was an attack on Obiozors house early this morning. Officially, no report of lives lost, Mr Abattam said.

Meanwhile, gunmen also killed two officers on Saturday during a deadly attack on a police facility in Umuguma, Owerri West council area of Imo State.

It is unclear, for now, if the two attacks were carried out by the same.

The two attacks, however, have the trademark of IPOB, an outlawed group agitating for the creation of an independent state of Biafra from the South-east of Nigeria and some parts of the South-south.
Three people have been confirmed dead in an explosion Friday morning at the BUA cement factory in Sokoto.

The management of the factory is yet to release a statement on the incident.

But the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Fire Service, Bello Baban  Addini, confirmed the explosion to journalists in a statement but did not provide details.

The three million metric tonnes per annum cement factory was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in January this year.

How the explosion occurred

The explosion occurred around 10 a.m. on Friday but details of the incident have just become available.

A worker at the factory, who simply gave his name as Sambo, told Vision FM Radio in Sokoto, in a broadcast monitored by PREMIUM TIMES, that the explosion occurred when some staff at the engineering section carried out welding repairs on a diesel truck.

I was in another section of the company but some of the workers were welding a diesel truck in their part, the worker said. It was dangerous because how could you weld a truck filled with diesel? That was what caused the explosion.

Asked how many people died, Mr Sambo said, three people have been confirmed dead because their corpses have been identified and they were all burnt. Several others have been wounded. Two ambulances just left here before you came. We dont know how many people have died but there other workers have not been seen up to now (Friday).

He added that a Chinese staffer was among the missing.

The village head of Illela Babba where the factory is situated, Ummaru Alhaji  Sani, said the explosion was terrifying.

He said he thought the whole community would be engulfed by the inferno.

We heard that it was while some of their workers were welding some of their working tools but there was fuel or diesel truck around the place. Some of the workers are my people (from community) and they told me that several people have lost their lives in the explosion, he said.
Chol Majok's personal story is unique  and he believes it should be told in the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

Majok, a two-term Syracuse city councilor, is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 22nd Congressional District. He is one of seven Democrats vying for the nod in the June 28 primary election.

In a crowded primary field, there is some agreement on the issues. What Majok hopes sets him apart is his background.

His story is unlike any other. He was born in South Sudan and fled the country, on foot, at 6 years old as one of the "Lost Boys." He came to the United States as a refugee, went into foster care and attended classes in the Syracuse City School District. He graduated from Fowler High School in 2004.

"So many people with my background have been written off often and we are regular Americans just like anybody else," Majok told The Citizen. "People are usually willing to pay attention to the people who come from advantaged backgrounds and not pay attention to folks like us, like refugees."

Majok views his journey from South Sudan to Syracuse as an American story. He thinks other parts of his story will help him connect with voters in the district.

Growing up in South Sudan, his father was a farmer. Agriculture is one of his top priorities if he is elected to Congress.

"It's close to my heart," he said. "There are so many people here in rural America that are holding onto their farmland and it's no longer sustainable. It's too expensive. It's too hard to maintain. We need agriculture." He added that investments in agriculture are "critical" and that farms are necessary to produce healthy foods.

His other priorities include workforce development to help address the skills gap. He supports federal investments in workforce development to fill open positions and reduce poverty.

Education is among his top issues. He wants more investments in education, especially in places like Syracuse where there are higher rates of child poverty.

"Offer opportunities," he said, "so that they don't fall back into the circumstances they grew up in."

One of the main reasons Majok is running for Congress is he does not believe people like him are represented in Congress. There are those who are elected to Congress, he says, who try to tell the stories of refugees, but they "have not done justice to it." If he is elected, he wants to show that America "belongs to all of us."

His campaign will be similar to the one he ran in 2019 when he won a seat on the Syracuse Common Council. In that race, he walked city blocks knocking on doors and talking to voters. He walked so much that he wore out his shoes.

He plans to wear out more shoes as he campaigns in a much larger area. The 22nd district includes all of Onondaga and Tompkins counties, plus parts of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Ontario, Schuyler and Seneca counties.

"I want to take that same message to everybody and say, 'You are not forgotten,'" he said. "I'm going to walk these streets. I'm going to do it. People have told me this district is too large to walk. They are right ... But I've been walking all my life. This is not unique. I'm going to walk as much as I can to get our message out there."

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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BUA Cement has said the three workers killed in an explosion at its factory in Sokoto on Friday, were working for a third party contractor on a routine maintenance work.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how three people lost their lives while several others were severely wounded during the inferno.

In a statement sent to this newspaper by Sada Sulaiman, Assistant Director, Administration Service, the company said the explosion was an isolated fire incident at a diesel storage tank in the factory.

Immediately the incident occurred, our emergency management and mitigation services were alerted, and a swift response activated, which prevented any escalation of the incident or damage to our main plant and equipment. We are however able to confirm the regrettable loss of 3 workers of the third-party contractor, who were in the immediate area of the incident, Mr Sulaiman said.

He, however, noted that the actual cause of the explosion has not been ascertained.

Whilst we are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire outbreak at the depot which had adequate safety and control mechanisms in place, members of the Federal Fire Service, State Fire Service, and our Fire department are working together to put the incident under total control.

We would also like to note that operations at the plant and production which were shut down in the aftermath of the incident as a precautionary and preventive measure, have since resumed at the factory  which was unaffected by the incident, he added.
The farewell slap Bianca Ojukwu gave to the wife of former governor Willie Obiano on Thursday at Charles Soludos inauguration has got many Nigerians talking on social media  Twitter and Facebook, especially.

The word slap trended on Twitter for two days, at least.

Most people who commented on the Awka incident appeared to be in solidarity with Mrs Ojukwu, the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, against Mr Obianos wife, Ebelechukwu.

The way Ebele, Willies wife, strutted to where Bianca was sitting was indicative of a woman who is aware of her reputation as a drama queen and reveled in it, Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe), a journalist with PREMIUM TIMES, wrote on Twitter.

The only problem was that today she met her equal and was served accordingly, he added.

A Nigerian actor and comedian, Ayo Makun, also known as AY (@AYCOMEDIAN), said of the incident: Nothing is easy in Nigeria again. Even to receive a slap, you will still leave your seat to go and get it.

The tweet by AY had 15,000 likes and over 3,290 retweets as at Friday night.

Reno Omokri (@renoomokri), a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, tweeted Slap and look cute!

Mrs Obiano finally made history. She was the first outgoing First Lady to receive outgoing SLAP. Congratulations ma. History will never forget you. All hail Bianca Ojukwu, said a Twitter user (@Olachihope1).

This particular tweet had over 3,250 likes and 563 retweets as at Friday night.

And one of the deep responses to the tweet came from a Twitter user, Reginald Chukwu (@ReeGeesThoughtz) who said that Everything about the Ojukwu clan is heroic.

Ojukwus spirit would be glad Bianca is representing the no-nonsense act he is known for. For me that was a heroic slap, a perfect valedictory gift to be remembered forever by the Obianos, he added.

The slapper was slapped by a slappist, said another Twitter user @francischukwuem.

She who slaps last, slaps best, was yet another comment on the tweet, from a Twitter user @kaygb09.

One Twitter user, Moses Agbo (@Official_M_Agbo) posted a photo of a polo shirt with the inscription, Biancas slap.

Who needs one of these t-shirts? he tweeted. Biancas slap for sale.

Mrs Ojukwu said she slapped Mrs Obiano because the former first lady of Anambra State attacked her and used unprintable vile language on her.

What others are saying

Outside social media, Nigerians have strongly condemned Mr Obianos wife over her scuffle with Mrs Ojukwu.

The senator representing Anambra North District, Stella Oduah, said Mrs Obianos utterances and action against Mr Ojukwu was indecorous and unbecoming of a former first lady who had acted as a mother of the state.

More condemnable is even the gutter and vulgar language used by Mrs Obiano to describe her fellow woman, who is even a widow, the senator said.

I have always held the view that it is only weak minds that label hardworking women like Bianca with nasty names such as ashawo, she added.

A former President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Anambra State, Chris Elunmuno, besides condemning Mrs Obianos action, has warned the former governor not to allow his wife to go into politics to avoid shameful outings that may damage his legacies.

How can she walk up to the wife of the supreme leader of the party that gave her limelight to fight his widow? It will be difficult to clean up the memory from the peoples minds, Mr Elunmuno said.

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Instead of celebrating her husband (Obiano), it is her fight that is the talk of the world, he added.
A former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh has confirmed the narrative by Bianca Ojukwu on the scuffle with Ebelechukwu, wife of the former Governor Willie Obiano.

Mrs Ojukwu, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, is the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu.

She narrated on Friday how Mrs Obiano attacked her and used unprintable vile language on her at Charles Soludos inauguration which prompted her to slap the former first lady.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News TV on Friday, Mr Umeh said Mrs Ojukwus narrative of the incident was true.

The former Senator, who described the scuffle as unimaginable, regretted that the incident overshadowed the story of Mr Soludos inauguration as governor.

From Ambassador Biancas narrative, she was correct in her narration of what actually happened, he said.

Mr Umeh said the former governor Willie Obiano, had driven to the inauguration. But when he alighted from his vehicle, his wife was not with him.

He said midway into the swearing-in ceremony, the former first lady, Ebelechukwu Obiano came into the arena, walked to and sat down in a different row, away from her husband.

We also observed that that was a strange situation. She ought to have gone to her husband, but she didnt do that, Mr Umeh said.

Corroborating the video evidence and Mrs Ojukwu s narrative, the former APGA national chairman said, She (Mrs Obiano) left where she was sitting and walked straight to where Ambassador Bianca was sitting calmly and started verbal attacks on her.

Mr Umeh recalled that when the altercation started, he rushed to restrain the two women to ensure that no harm was inflicted on Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, who was seated very calmly.

It was a low moment for the event. That thing that happened was an anti-climax for all of us and we are very sad about it, he added.
The police say two persons have been killed and five others injured in a clash between crop farmers and cattle herders in Guri Local Government of Jigawa State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Lawan Adam, said the clash occurred on Friday at Magirami Bush in the area.

However, residents feared more people died as many were still missing since Friday.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the clash started after suspected herders killed a crop farmer with a bow and arrow after encroaching his farm.

Furious residents on Friday stormed the local weekly market in Guri and attacked herders in indiscriminate retaliation.

The police said officers from their divisional headquarters in Guri, operation Puff Adder and Operation Sallama, led by Muhammad Usman, had been promptly drafted to the scene.

The police spokesperson, Mr Adam, said the officers recovered the corpse of one Umar Abdulrauf, 35, a resident of Guri, and another of a man yet to be identified.

He said five injured men were rescued and taken to Hadejia General Hospital for treatment.

Mr Adam said one Adamu Ahmadu, 25, of Galdimari Fulani settlement was arrested in connection to the incident.

The commissioner of police, Jigawa State Police Command, Aliyu Tafida, and other ranking officers visited the scene and assessed the incident. The area was fortified, reinforcement deployed, surveillance, foot and vehicle patrol intensified.

Meanwhile, law and order restored, activities moving smoothly without any danger in the area.

Investigation in progress, effort to arrest the fleeing suspects is on top gear, upon completion of the investigation, the suspect will be charged to court for prosecution, Mr Adam said in a statement on Saturday.

Guri and neighbouring Kirikasamma in Jigawa have fertile land suitable for farming and grazing. Control of the land has led to bloody conflicts between farmers and herders over the years.

Following incessant clashes between farmers and herders in the area, critics have accused the Jigawa government of handling the crisis with kids gloves.
The House of Representatives has said it was not aware of the suit challenging section 84(12) of the Electoral Act in Abia State.

The spokesperson of the House, Ben Kalu (APC, Abia), stated this in a statement on Friday, in Abuja.

Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, had declared Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, illegal.

The section says: No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.

Mrs Anyadike had, in her ruling, declared the provision as conflicting with sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(f) and 182(1)(f) of the 1999 Constitution.

President Muhammadu Buhari had raised concerns on the section and requested the lawmakers to delete it from the Act. The president also forwarded an executive bill to the two-chamber of the National Assembly asking that the section be deleted.

Mr Buhari had signed the Electoral Bill into law on February 25.

As a pre-emptive move, the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had sued the President, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, Clerk of the National Assembly, Senate Leader, House of Representatives Leader and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the matter.

The court had granted the request restraining the above parties from amending the law.

Although the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had stated that the court could not stop the lawmakers from performing its Constitution role, the Senators rejected the bill during the second reading.

Mr Kalu, in the statement, said the House cannot react to the judgement because it is yet to get a certified copy. He said the lower chamber has questions on who represented it in court.

The House was not aware of this legal matter. The House was not servedwhether we were a necessary party or not. It is important to note that it is out of place to comment on the judgement that we have not seen. We are only reading it on social media.

The Senate had treated the bill, but the House is still waiting for a legal opinion on the issues raised by the President.

We will like to know who served us, who represented us, when and all those technicalities, he said.

Mr Kalu said the House will be interested in the interpretation of public servants. According to him, political appointees are not public servants.

Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution defines who a public servant is. It does not include political appointees. We must be able to differentiate between the two, Mr Kalu said.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has said he will implement the court order.

Mr Malami, in a statement by his spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, on Friday, said the judgment of the court will be recognised by the Government printers in printing the Electoral Act.

The AGF had said the government was considering all options to deal with the issue. Mr Malami is believed to be interested in contesting for the Kebbi State governors seat and may be affected by the controversial section of the Act.
The Oluwo of Iwoland, Adewale Akanbi (Telu 1), on Saturday wedded Firdaus Abdullahi, a princess of the royal family of Kano, at a colourful ceremony in the ancient city.

The bride is a daughter of the late Madakin Kano, Abdullahi Sarki Sani Yola, and a grand daughter of late Emir Ado Bayero.

The wedding was held at the residence of Madakin Kano in the Yola Quarters of Kano, with representatives of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and that of the Emir of Kano among dignitaries who attended.

Babafemi Ojudu, a presidential aide on political matters and former senator for Ekiti Central district, represented the vice president at the event.

Mahmoud Sani, a relative of the bride, stood as the brides trustee while the Babalaje of Iwoland, Ismail Kudaisi, served as the grooms trustee.

Mr Kudaisi announced the payment of N1 million as bride price, after which both trustees announced their consent to the union.

The Oluwo, who was not present at Saturdays event, divorced his first wife, a Jamaican woman, in 2019.

PROFILE

Princes Firdaus is a niece to the current Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero.

Her late father, Abdullahi Sarki Sani Yola, the 15th Madaki of Kano, died in 2008.

Farouk Sani-Yola, the elder brother of the bride told PREMIUM TIMES that the wedding is historic because the family of the Madaki gave out their daughter in marriage to another kingdom.

We are delighted that this is the first time we are giving out in marriage to far away Yorubaland. Islam has bound us together. That made it possible for someone to marry even beyond the country, Mr Sani-Yola said.

He said the 27-year-old bride holds a diploma in catering from the School of Management Studies, Kano.

Like other children in the Kano royal family, she has Quranic knowledge and was brought up in the palace of the Emir of Kano and the residence of the Madakin Kano, Mr Sani-Yola said.
Ese Edomwonyi, a 24-year-old former victim of human trafficking has been sentenced to one year imprisonment for human trafficking.

Nduka Nwanwenne, zonal commander, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Benin Zonal Command, disclosed this in a statement in Benin, on Saturday.

Mrs Edomwonyi was convicted on Thursday in Benin, for the same offence she was rescued from at Seme borders, a few years ago, according to Mr Nwanwenne.

Mr Nwanwenne said the convict, a house wife and mother of five, was arraigned before Justice Irele Ifeje of the State High Court, Court 3, in Benin.

He added that Mrs Edomwonyi was charged for engaging in acts of trafficking in persons contrary to Section 13 (4) c of the trafficking in persons (Prohibition) enforcement and administration Act 2015.

The zonal commander further explained that the convict had recruited a 14-year-old girl for her sister who resides in Burkina Faso.

On arrival at Burkina Faso, the victim was subjected to beatings, denial of food and slavery when she objected initially to engage in prostitution.

The victim was later sold to another lady who forced her into prostitution, thereby losing her virginity.

The traffickers ensured they collected all her earnings.

The victim was, however, rescued after the arrest of the convict, who pleaded guilty to the offence, Mr Nwanwenne said.

He added that the convict was however given an option of fine of N300,000.

(NAN)
The federal government says it has upgraded the Okpai, Odukpani and Alam VI power plants as part of efforts to improve power supply in the country.

The government said this on Saturday following the recent collapse of the national grid, resulting in nationwide blackout.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said the government has also directed the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) to begin negotiations with Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to establish the new Okpai 11 power plant on the grid.

The new power plant will add 400 megawatts of generation capacity, the minister said in a statement.

He said the Presidential Power Initiative has been put in place to mitigate future occurrence of a grid failure.

Many Nigerian cities were thrown into darkness last week after the national grid collapsed. Coming at a time of severe fuel crisis, the outage left homes and businesses without electricity.

Successive Nigerian governments have promised but failed to turn around the countrys power sector which on average produces about 4,000 megawatts for a population of 200 million.

The Buhari administration signed a deal with the Germanys Siemens to overhaul the sector, but there is yet little to show with the government having a year to complete its two terms of eight years.

Mr Aliyu said the recent outage and collapse of the national grid were linked to poor maintenance and shortage of gas.

The gas pipeline affected by acts of vandalism has been restored and the Okpai power plant has resumed power generation and currently contributing an average of 300MW, he said.

The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc has been directed to enter into fasttrack negotiations with NAOC on an interim energy sales agreement with a view of bringing the new Okpai Il power plant on the grid thereby contributing an additional 400MW of generation capacity.

He said the pigging of the gas pipeline supplying gas to the Odukpani power plant is expected to take place on March 21, and will increase the generation by about 400 megawatts.

In order to optimise the capacity utilisation of the power plants owned by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd (NDPHC), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved a special gas pricing for emergency contracting of gas from the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company

Ltd. We expect an on-grid improvement of about 800MW generation capacity from the NDPHC plants, it said.

The government said it agreed with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (NGPIC a subsidiary of NNPC) on the framework for the overhaul of the Okoloma gas processing plant thereby restoring the full capacity of the 650MW Alom VI combined cycle power plant.

We wish to reassure all electricity consumers that all relevant agencies involved in the restoration of normality in power supply have been charged to act in the context of the emergency state of the industry. The Federal Ministry of Power shall continue to periodically update the nation on the progress, he said.
Nigerias consumer protection agency has ordered satellite television company, Multichoice, owners of DSTV, to introduce news features to its offerings to customers, including allowing subscribers to maintain a subscription fee for at least a year.

Customers should also be allowed the option of suspending their subscription at least four times a year, and Multichoice must also introduce toll-free lines for customers across all networks, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said.

The directives are the latest attempt by the Nigeria government to rein in the South African company often accused of anti-competitive behaviour and customer exploitation.

The FCCPC said it launched an investigation into the firms practices in 2020 after a series of complaints of abuse of its dominant position.

It directed the company to introduce reforms or face sanctions.

The FCCPC directed the firm to:

1. Introduce a price lock option that allows subscribers to maintain the same subscription fee for a minimum period of one year subject to a contractual agreement that clearly specifies the applicable terms and conditions.

2. Increase the number of times all subscribers may suspend their subscription up to at least four (4) times annually.

ALSO READ: Multichoice launches new channel on DSTV

3. Carry out clear communication to each subscriber regarding all channels available within their selected bouquet option.

4. Provide completely toll-free customer service lines which are operational 24 hours daily, and through which consumers may receive support with respect to their use of the services offered by MultiChoice Nigeria. These lines must be toll-free across networks, not only within the same networks as is presently the case.

5. Advertise the existing toll-free customer service lines more frequently and more widely on channels available and under the control of MultiChoice on the DSTV and GOTV platforms. Such advertisements must run on each channel at least daily.

The agency warned that a violation of its order attracts a fine/penalty of N5 million.
Nigerias secret police, the State Security Service (SSS), says it has uncovered plots by some persons it described as disgruntled elements to unleash violence in some parts of the country, particularly the North-central geopolitical zone.

In a statement on Saturday by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, the SSS said those who planned to cause the mayhem intend to hide under the current energy crises in the country.

The revelation by the SSS comes as Nigerians grapple with fuel shortage since February after substandard fuel was imported into the country.

The shortage has resulted in weeks of severe scarcity and long queues at filling stations. The shortage has seen transport costs rise, thereby affecting goods and commodities.

Aside from fuel scarcity, Nigerians are also facing poor electricity supply caused by the collapse of the countrys national grid.

The SSS, in the statement, said those who are planning the ungodly act intend to use students and lecturers currently at home due to the industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby alerts the public of a sinister plan by some elements to stoke violence in parts of the country particularly the North Central. The aim is to cause ethno-religious crisis, ignite reprisals and heat up the polity. In a bid to achieve this, the sponsors have mobilised foot soldiers and held several meetings in and outside the target areas.

The Service is also aware of a plot to use students, striking University teachers, labour unions, disgruntled individuals and strategic groups as well as exploit the global energy situation to carry out a mass protest like the ENDSARS. This is despite ongoing efforts by Government to address the issues, the statement said.

Read the full statement:

PRESS RELEASE

DSS UNCOVERS PLOT FOR VIOLENCE IN THE NORTH CENTRAL ZONE

The Department of State Security Service (SSS) hereby alerts the public of a sinister plan by some elements to stoke violence in parts of the country particularly the North Central. The aim is to cause ethno-religious crisis, ignite reprisals and heat up the polity. In a bid to achieve this, the sponsors have mobilised foot soldiers and held several meetings in and outside the target areas.

The Service is also aware of a plot to use students, striking University teachers, labour unions, disgruntled individuals and strategic groups as well as exploit the global energy situation to carry out a mass protest like the ENDSARS. This is despite ongoing efforts by Government to address the issues.

While the Service views the machination as unpatriotic, it is on the trail of the agents of destabilisation who are desirous of using violence to achieve ulterior goals. Though it has emplaced measures to disrupt these tendencies, it warns the ring leaders and their cohorts to desist from acts capable of causing a breakdown of law and order. The public should rest assured that the Service will, in conjunction with other security agencies, go after the sponsors of this scheme and ensure the law takes its course.

Citizens are advised not only to engage according to rules but should resist persuasions to be used to destroy their own country. Those who may wish to go contrary to the law will, however, face the consequences.

Peter Afunanya, Ph.D, fsi

Public Relations Officer

Department of State Services

National Headquarters

Abuja.

19th March, 2022
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."

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All these, with the widespread insecurity, banditry, and terrorism, have compounded an already precarious situation in a country that recently overtook India as the poverty capital of the world. Nigeria has for a long time now been punching far below her weight but the last eight years of this government have been nothing short of a train wreck. 2023 cant come soon enough. That said, no one is under any illusion of a super president after 2023, who will slow the rise of the ocean or heal the planet.

As Ukrainian cities are buffeted by Russian tanks, Western countries are tightening the noose around the neck of Kremlin. The goal is to send a clear message: that Russia has embarked on a suicide mission and so needs to retrace its steps.

Following the announcement by the United States and her European NATO allies shunning Russias crude oil, the global oil market is facing one of its greatest upsets since the 1970s. The upsurge in energy prices is biting hard across board and forcing many citizens of the world to make hard choices. Regrettably, this is happening at a time when the world is still grappling with the supply chain crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sanctions came heavy and far-reaching, making International banks, shippers and insurance companies to treat Russia like a pariah state. Big oil companies such as Exxon Mobil, BP and others are suspending all big operations in Russia and shippers are worried that their tankers might be trapped in the Black Sea and may not be allowed to deliver supplies already purchased.

In a comment following a meeting with American oil producers during this years annual CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas recently, OPECs secretary general, Mohammad Barkindo, offered little to allay the fears of millions of people all over the world who are impacted by the increase in energy prices. He stated, in no uncertain terms, that there is no capacity in the world to replace the Russian output.

Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia accounted for one out of every 10 barrels of oil consumed globally. With an average daily output of about 11 million barrels per day, Russia is one of the top three producers of crude oil in the world, coming only after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. About five million bpd of her output is exported.

There have been a few other times when crisis had caused comparable disruptions in global energy supplies. The Persian Gulf war of 1990-92 removed about 4.3 million barrels daily from the global market and the 1978 Iranian revolution took nearly 5.6 million barrels a day off the market. But even before the Russian invasion, however, oil prices were already on a steep incline, mostly due to increased demand, as the world economy began to recover from the COVID-19 shutdowns. A big part of the issue was that at the peak of the pandemic, a slew of International oil companies had cut back investments in the oil and gas sectors across a number of countries and laid off many of their workers.

In an audacious move to reduce its energy dependence, Britain has announced a plan to wean itself off Russian oil and set out an aggressive agenda to phase out imports. The plan is to double down on renewables and other European nations are gearing towards similar actions.

today, Nigeria refines almost none of its crude oil and so imports most of the products it consumes, with supplies often getting disrupted each time there is crisis, even in places far removed like Ukraine. The nation has zero reserve to absorb any shock, no matter how inconsequential.

The U.S., on the other hand, is far less dependent on foreign energy supplies. Since America pioneered Hydraulic Fracturing, colloquially known as Fracking, in the 1950s, the United States has become a major exporter of crude oil. This is a process of injecting liquid at high pressure into fine-grained rocks called Shale. This forces existing fissures inside the rock to open in order for the oil and gas to be extracted therefrom.

There are shale fields scattered across the U.S. and American producers have increased their output over the last decade. The cost and complexity of extracting shale oil, however, makes it less than ideal as an alternative to extracting from conventional oil wells. Also, methane, a powerful greenhouse gas emitted during fracking, continues to pose environmental concerns, making it a very contentious political issue.

With just a little under 12 million barrels of oil produced a day, America services about 60 per cent of its national demand and has to import the rest. In November 2019, however, the United States became, overall, a net exporter of all oil products, including both refined petroleum products and crude oil, and by 2021 became the worlds largest producer of crude oil.

But how is Africa and, specifically, Nigeria, an OPEC member and Africas largest producer of crude oil, fairing in all these? Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Despite the activities of pipeline vandals, illegal miners (engaged in bunkering) and perennial unrest in the Niger Delta, the country is still Africas largest producer of crude oil and an important member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). But today, Nigeria refines almost none of its crude oil and so imports most of the products it consumes, with supplies often getting disrupted each time there is crisis, even in places far removed like Ukraine. The nation has zero reserve to absorb any shock, no matter how inconsequential.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has four refineries, two in Port Harcourt (PHRC), one in Kaduna (KRPC) and another one in Warri (WRPC), with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day (bpd). For the past 1520 years, the operating record of the refineries has been abysmal, with the average capacity utilisation hovering between 15 and 25 per cent per annum. That said, even if the refineries were to operate at full capacity, they will still not be able to meet Nigerias aggregate demand of petroleum products, which one study quoted to be around 750,000 bpd.

Nigerias airline industry is experiencing one of the biggest hiccups in its operations with the latest energy crisis. The price of Jet A1, otherwise known as aviation fuel, has risen from N190 per litre, before the current crisis, to N670 per litre now. Not only that, the product is mostly unavailable, leading to a lot of flight delays and cancellations across the country, leaving many travelers stranded in the nations airports. Airline operators had also alleged that some marketers were hoarding the commodity and so they have been demanding operational licenses from the Federal Government to begin importation of the fuel themselves.

The Sunday Guardian in June 2019, published an article titled 133 Highways of Terror. It was an explosive piece that brought to our consciousness the extent of how the reign of terror has become commonplace on Nigerians highways. The investigation identified not fewer than 133 highways across Nigerias six-geopolitical zones that have become major flash points for banditry, kidnapping and other related vices.

With the recent problems of air travel, the alternatives would have been to travel by road instead. But most Nigerian highways are now considered as being too dangerous and plying them is akin to signing a death warrant.

In February 2020, no fewer than 30 people, including a pregnant woman and a baby, were killed after suspected Boko Haram terrorists set fire on sleeping travelers in Auno village, Borno State, about 20 kilometres from the capital, Maiduguri. By the time they were done, a total of 18 vehicles had been burnt, including trucks carrying food products, and other goods meant to be sold the following day in the citys markets.

This was just one in a series of horror stories that have made road trips in Nigerias North-East a very scary experience. Today, however, its not just about the North-East alone, embarking on cross-country road trips anywhere in Nigeria has become a suicide mission.

The Sunday Guardian in June 2019, published an article titled 133 Highways of Terror. It was an explosive piece that brought to our consciousness the extent of how the reign of terror has become commonplace on Nigerians highways. The investigation identified not fewer than 133 highways across Nigerias six-geopolitical zones that have become major flash points for banditry, kidnapping and other related vices. A week hardly passes without scores of Nigerians falling into the hands of killer herdsmen, armed robbers, kidnappers or ritualists as they ply these roads.

All these, with the widespread insecurity, banditry, and terrorism, have compounded an already precarious situation in a country that recently overtook India as the poverty capital of the world. Nigeria has for a long time now been punching far below her weight but the last eight years of this government have been nothing short of a train wreck. 2023 cant come soon enough. That said, no one is under any illusion of a super president after 2023, who will slow the rise of the ocean or heal the planet. Halting this nation from hemorrhaging further will be considered a great start.

In the nations energy sector, however, there seems to be a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The Dangote refinery, located in Lekki Free Zone, is set to be completed soon at a whooping cost of $19 billion, according to Bloomberg news. It is on schedule to start processing crude oil in 2022 and will process about 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily. This refinery is projected to not only meet Nigerias gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel needs but a third of its output will also be available for export.

Until then, Nigerians would continue to endure whatever hell has to offer.

Osmund Agbo, a public affairs analyst is the coordinator of African Center for Transparency and Convener of Save Nigeria Project. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.com
Today, we bid the final farewell to Julius Anu-Oluwapo Odupitan.

His classmates at LASU fondly called him Baba Ayu, a corruption of the phrase: Baba and you!

To become a lawyer was his life ambition but fate had other plans for him. Against his wish and desire, his father who couldnt afford the cost of a formal education, sent him to his uncle who was a motor mechanic, to be his apprentice.

Naturally, Baba Ayu was devastated.

Through dint of hard work and rugged determination, Odupitan found his way to Lagos, became a stenographer, working in the public and private sectors.

The dream of wearing a wig and gown remained.

In 1962, Baba Ayu went to Britain and took up employment with the British Board of Trade and the National Health Insurance Scheme.

To prepare himself for legal education, he attended the Balham and Toothing College, London to become a chartered secretary.

He then tried to gain admission into one of the four Inns of the Court of London, to fulfill his ambition of becoming a lawyer.

When that failed in the late 60s, Baba Ayu returned home to take employment with the Lagos State Civil Service, where he rose to the rank of a Principal Auditor in 1991.

Then aged 59, he had to retire from service.

Yet, the man was unfulfilled; he hadnt realised his ambition of becoming a legal practitioner.

Baba Ayu remembered the maxim: when there is a will, there is a way. He sat for the GCE O/Level and paased the mandatory five credits.

He was admitted for the Diploma-in-Law programme of LASU in the late 90s. The journey to becoming a lawyer had begun!

After he successfully completed the Diploma programme, he was enrolled in the 1999/2000 session for the Bachelor of Law , LL.B.

No thanks to the usual ASUU strike, Baba Ayu, finally graduated in the 2006/2007 session.

His joy was full, when on the 18th of November 2008, he was called to the Nigerian Bar and thus enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In the Faculty of Law in LASU, where Baba Ayus path and mine crossed, he stood out for his natty dressing.

He was always impeccably turned out like a practising lawyer.

A tradition he continued at the Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School.

He always came to my room to ask after my welfare.

All my roommates knew him because, he would be in my room as early as 6:30 a.m. ready for lectures.

His love and dedication to law was total.

Apart from being in legal practice, Baba Ayu, was diligent enough to be appointed a Notary Public by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, seven years after he was called to Bar.

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After we had written our final Bar exam, Baba Ayu turned to me: Ogun, now I can die.

God didnt answer that prayer. Indeed, though called to the Bar at 76, God gave him the grace to practise his beloved profession for another 13 years before he called him home.

He was wont to say: If I die without becoming a lawyer, God will send me back to earth because I have not completed my mission.

As we sang in church this morning at his funeral, we were sure that the good Lord would receive his soul!
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DALLAS, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Highland Income Fund (NYSE: HFRO) ("HFRO" or the "Fund") today provided an update on its investment in Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Inc. ("MGM"). On March 17, 2022, Amazon.com Inc. ("Amazon") announced it had closed its previously announced acquisition of MGM. As a result of the deal closing, HFRO received $73,284,758 in cash, reflecting the Fund's direct ownership of MGM shares. The Fund also has indirect investments in MGM through which it is expected to receive approximately $45 million. In total, HFRO is expected to receive more than $118 million in cash from the transaction. Only proceeds from the Fund's direct investment have been received at this time.

"The MGM position has been a material contributor to value creation in HFRO over recent years," said Joe Sowin, HFRO co-portfolio manager. "It was a pleasure to work with MGM management over the lifecycle of the investment and we wish them the best of luck as the newest division at Amazon."

HFRO's initial investment was in MGM's debt, which converted to equity when the company emerged from bankruptcy in 2010. The Fund's average cost was $24.59/share. The position generated a return of nearly 6x the original investment.

About the Highland Income Fund

The Highland Income Fund (NYSE:HFRO) is a closed-end fund managed by Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P. For more information visit www.highlandfunds.com/income-fund/

About Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P.

Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P. is an SEC-registered investment adviser. It is the adviser to a suite of registered funds, including open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds, and an exchange-traded fund. For more information visit www.highlandfunds.com.

Disclosures

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Highland Income Fund carefully before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-357-9167 or visiting www.highlandfunds.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

No assurance can be given that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views of management with respect to future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "could," "may", "potential", "will", "ability," "targets," "believe," "likely," "assumes," "ensuring," "available," "optionality," "viability," "maintain," "consistent," "pace," "should," "emerging," "driving," "looking to," and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks and uncertainties. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Performance during time periods shown is limited and may not reflect the performance in difference economic and market cycles. There can be no assurance that similar performance will be experienced.

CONTACTS

Investor Contacts

Shareholders: (800) 357-9167

Financial Professionals: (833) 697-7253

Email

Media Contact

Lucy Bannon

(214) 550-4572

Email

SOURCE Highland Income Fund
Early Education Leader Playing Pivotal Role in Student Literacy

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the upcoming ASCD National Conference, Learning Without Tears will showcase its proven and effective curriculum solutions for early childhood education and literacy development. ASCD, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, is holding its 2022 National Conference March 18-21 in Chicago, IL. Themed "Recharge & Reconnect," this sold-out event brings together Learning Without Tears and other education providers with educators and others committed to student success.

"We have been tasked with reimagining education," explained LWT CEO Terry Nealon. "As Education Secretary Cardona has said, the upheaval of the pandemic is an opportunity for positive change, and we could not agree more. We are putting students at the center of all we do and creating highly effective learning solutions."

"The response to AZ for Mat Man and Me has been extraordinary," said Eileen Hillebrand, SVP of Marketing at LWT. "The negative impact the pandemic had on young learners is well-documented. To help schools and teachers close those learning gaps, we at LWT are using the classroom learning character, Mat Man, in new and important ways."

In September 2021, Learning Without Tears launched AZ for Mat Man and Me, a supplemental early literacy program that builds foundational literacy skills, with crucial social-emotional learning elements woven into books, lessons and activities. A beloved classroom presence for decades as part of other LWT foundational learning programs, Mat Man starts each book by introducing a letter and its letter sound in a fun, engaging way. AZ for Mat Man and Me is diverse and culturally responsive  children encounter characters and situations in which they can see themselves, while also experiencing other cultures.

"Literacy starts with a single line," Hillebrand continued. "When children draw a line on a piece of paper, they are starting the journey to understand and master letters, words, sentences, and stories. A-Z for Mat Man and Me was designed to flexibly fit classroom needs for all students. This new curriculum builds foundational literacy skills for virtually any young learner, including emerging and developing readers, and English language learners. LWT is bringing a fresh, new approach to creating lifelong learners."

"We drew upon 40 years of classroom success to develop A-Z for Mat Man and Me and combined that with the best, leading research into reading science and teaching effectiveness, underpinned with world class support and professional learning," said company CEO Nealon. "At ASCD, educators and curriculum directors will have the opportunity to see this breakthrough literacy program, as well as other research-based educational solutions that LWT will be offering."

Learning Without Tears' can be found at booth #1306.

About Learning Without Tears

Learning Without Tears is a leading early education company offering a proven and unique approach to teaching and learning, from crucial readiness skills in Pre-K to foundational writing and typing skills, including handwriting, keyboarding and cursive. The elementary school-level programs benefit all learners with multisensory, developmentally appropriate, proven practices, and are used by millions of students around the world. LWT's professional development programs deliver early education expertise to thousands of teachers, tutors, and occupational therapists in the US and across the globe.

About ASCD

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development  ASCD - is a membership-based non-profit organization founded in 1943. It has more than 125,000 members from more than 128 countries, including superintendents, principals, teachers, professors of education, and other educators. ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

SOURCE Learning Without Tears
TORONTO, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Magna Gold Corp. (TSXV: MGR) (OTCQB: MGLQF) ("Magna" or the "Company"), announces that, further to its news release dated June 30, 2020, its subsidiary Molimentales del Noroeste S.A. de C.V. ("Molimentales") has entered into an amending agreement with PEAL de Mexico S.A. de C.V. ("PEAL"). In conjunction with the acquisition of the San Francisco mine on May 6, 2020, the Company successfully negotiated a settlement agreement with PEAL which settled amounts owing from contract mining activities owed by the predecessor owners of the San Francisco mine (the "Settlement Agreement").

On February 22, 2022, the Company amended the Settlement Agreement to settle outstanding amounts owing in exchange for the issuance of common shares of the Company with a value of US$1,000,000, which reduced the Company's amount owing by US$1,000,000 from US$4,054,351 to US$3,054,351. The issuance of the shares remains subject to the approval of the TSXV. Any shares issued will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and a day following issuance.

President and CEO Arturo Bonillas stated: "Since the Company's inception, PEAL has been a strategic stakeholder and like all of our shareholders, a valued partner. Their request to amend the terms is a testament to their ongoing commitment and validation of our strategic focus in Mexico."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arturo Bonillas

President and CEO

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.

Cautionary Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plans". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to (i) the Company's objectives, goals or future expectations (including, with respect to the use of the proceeds of the New Loan), (ii) the approval by the Exchange of the Bonus Warrants, and the issuance thereof, (iii) completion of the transactions contemplated herein (including, the approval of the Exchange of the said transactions), and (iv) the anticipated future payment obligations of the Company and/or its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of the Note, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, risks related to the effects of COVID-19 on the Company; and those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

SOURCE Magna Gold Corp.
BEIJING, March 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From the COVID-19 pandemic to the Ukraine crisis, the international landscape has experienced major changes, with global peace and development facing serious challenges.

"The world is neither tranquil nor stable," Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday while calling on China and the U.S. to shoulder their share of international responsibilities and work for world peace and tranquility.

Xi made the remarks during a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the latter's request.

"As leaders of major countries, we need to think about how to properly address global hotspot issues and, more importantly, keep in mind global stability and the work and life of billions of people," Xi told Biden.

After their candid and in-depth discussion, the two leaders agreed to take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development and make respective efforts for the proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

'I take these remarks very seriously'

Biden again told Xi that the U.S. does not seek to have a new Cold War with China, to change China's system, or to revitalize alliances against China and that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence" or intend to seek a conflict with China. Xi replied, "I take these remarks very seriously."

Xi pointed out the China-U.S. relationship, instead of getting out of the predicament created by the previous U.S. administration, has encountered a growing number of challenges. What's worth noting, in particular, is that some people in the U.S. have sent a wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" forces, Xi said, adding "this is very dangerous."

Mishandling of the Taiwan question will have a disruptive impact on bilateral ties, said Xi. "China hopes that the U.S. will give due attention to this issue," he said.

The direct cause for the current situation in the China-U.S. relationship is that some people on the U.S. side have not followed through on the important common understanding reached by the two presidents and have not acted on President Biden's positive statements. The U.S. has misperceived and miscalculated China's strategic intention, Xi stressed.

He underscored that there have been and will continue to be differences between China and the U.S. "What matters is to keep such differences under control. A steadily growing relationship is in the interest of both sides," the Chinese president said.

'It takes two hands to clap'

Friday's video call was the first conversation between the two leaders since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They both expounded on their positions on the issue and voiced a willingness to make efforts for the proper settlement of the crisis.

As Biden expressed readiness for communication with China to prevent the situation from exacerbating, Xi told him "China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine come to this. China stands for peace and opposes war. This is embedded in China's history and culture."

The Chinese president reiterated the major principles that underpin China's approach to the Ukraine crisis and noted that all sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace.

"The more complex the situation, the greater the need to remain cool-headed and rational," Xi said, adding that whatever the circumstances, there is always a need for political courage to create space for peace and leave room for a political settlement.

Citing two Chinese sayings: "It takes two hands to clap," "He who tied the bell to the tiger must take it off," Xi urged the U.S. and NATO to have a dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.

Noting things are already very difficult for countries around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese president also warned that sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer.

"If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses," Xi said.

"China has been doing its best for peace and will continue to play a constructive role," he added.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-03-19/Joint-China-U-S-efforts-needed-for-world-peace-tranquility-18wzA4epIpG/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
Stellantis and LG Energy said in October they were planning a battery-cell making plant in North America as Stellantis aims to expand its electric vehicle lineup.

Stellantis NV and LG Energy Solution will build their new battery plant in Ontario, Canada, according to a person familiar with the matter, with an official announcement likely on March 23.

The Canadian governments incentives for clean-energy businesses helped lure the companies, the person said, asking not to be identified because the decision isnt public.

Stellantis and LG Energy said in October they were planning a battery-cell making factory in North America, as Stellantis -- whose brands include Jeep and Ram -- expands its electric vehicle lineup with a goal of raising U.S. EV sales to 40% of deliveries by the end of the decade. The pair said construction of the plant is due to begin next quarter, with production slated to kick off in early 2024.

(Also read | Ukraine-Russia war: Stellantis suspends auto import and export with Russia)

A spokesperson for LG Energy said there wasnt any information to share as yet. A spokesperson for Stellantis also had no comment. When asked for comment, Vic Fedeli, Ontarios Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said he is confident the province will land at least one EV battery manufacturing plant before the election in June." Ontarios next provincial election is expected to be held in June.

There have been a rash of tie-ups and arrangements between automakers and battery manufacturers in recent months as the world hurtles toward a clean energy future. Transitioning to electric cars is a key plank of that.

(Also read | Stellantis aims to double revenue in 2030 as it goes electric)

South Korean rival Samsung SDI Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with Stellantis in October to construct a plant in the U.S. that should have an annual output of around 23 gigawatt hours by the first half of 2025, while Panasonic Corp. is engaged in talks over the site for a new U.S. factory that would supply Tesla Inc. and potentially other EV manufacturers.

In September, Ford Motor Co. and Koreas SK Innovation Co. announced plans to spend $11.4 billion constructing an assembly plant and three battery factories in Tennessee and Kentucky.

First Published Date:
To understand more about Market Dynamics. Download our FREE sample report

According to the recent market study by Technavio, the Renewable Energy Inverters Market's potential growth difference will be USD 8.43 billion from 2021 to 2026. The report also identifies the market to witness a decelerating growth momentum at a CAGR of 10.9%. 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 68% among the other regions. The high solar PV installations and rapidly growing demand for EVs in countries such as China, India, Japan, and Australia will facilitate the renewable energy inverters market growth in APAC over the forecast period. China, India, and Japan are the key markets for renewable energy inverters in APAC.

Download FREE Sample: for more additional information about the key revenue-generating economies

Vendor Insights-

The renewable energy inverters market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as product differentiation to compete in the market. Companies are launching innovative solutions to beat the market competition. For instance, Elpower Srl offers a wide range of renewable energy inverters such as Cleanverter 10-30 TL, Cleanverter PV 40-80 among others.

Some of the major vendors covered in this report are:

Eaton Corp. Plc

Elpower Srl

Enphase Energy Inc.

Fimer SpA

Fronius International GmbH

General Electric Co.

GoodWe Technology Co. Ltd.

Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd.

Ingeteam Corp. SA

KEB America Inc.

Layer Electronics Srl

Panasonic Corp.

Power Electronics Espana SLU

Schneider Electric SE

Siemens AG

Sineng Electric Co. Ltd.

SMA Solar Technology AG

SolarEdge Technologies Inc.

Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd.

TBEA Co. Ltd.

Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. Download Free Sample Report

Key Segment Highlights

By Application

Solar PV

The solar PV segment held the largest renewable energy inverters market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the largest market share throughout the forecast period. The installation of solar PV systems will be driven by the growth is attributed to the decline in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of solar power generation, coupled with favorable government policies and advancements in the components of solar PV systems.

The solar PV segment held the largest renewable energy inverters market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the largest market share throughout the forecast period. The installation of solar PV systems will be driven by EV

Wind

Download our FREE sample report for more key highlights on other contributing segments.

Latest Drivers & Trends Driving the Market-

Renewable Energy Inverters Market Driver:

Declining cost of solar and wind power generation:

Several initiatives have been taken across by the global governments to leverage the declining costs of solar and wind power generation. For instance, in May 2021, SETO launched Multi-Year Program Plan to reduce solar PV system costs by 2025. The targets for 2030 are USD 0.05 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for residential PV, USD 0.04 per kWh for commercial PV, and USD 0.02 per kWh hour for utility-scale PV. Similarly, in the case of wind energy, the global weighted average cost for onshore wind installations decreased by around one-third between 2010 and 2020.

Renewable Energy Inverters Market Trend:

Advances in power electronics used in solar PV systems:

The power electronics-based conversion technique has revolutionized electricity generation by increasing product efficiency and streamlining manufacturing processes of components such as solar PV inverters. In addition, several developments are being undertaken to improve the efficiency of power electronics. For instance, the SunShot National Laboratory Multiyear Partnership (SuNLaMP) funding program has progressed toward the SunShot initiative goals in the US. Such factors will further support the market growth in the coming years.

Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Trends mentioned in our FREE sample report .

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Renewable Energy Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Renewable Energy Inverters Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 10.9% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 8.43 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 11.83 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 68% Key consumer countries US, China, India, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Eaton Corp. Plc, Elpower Srl, Enphase Energy Inc., Fimer SpA, Fronius International GmbH, General Electric Co., GoodWe Technology Co. Ltd., Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd., Ingeteam Corp. SA, KEB America Inc., Layer Electronics Srl, Panasonic Corp., Power Electronics Espana SLU, Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, Sineng Electric Co. Ltd., SMA Solar Technology AG, SolarEdge Technologies Inc., Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., and TBEA Co. Ltd. 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 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 Application



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 Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Solar PV - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Solar PV - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Solar PV - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Solar PV - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Solar PV - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 EV - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on EV - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on EV - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on EV - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on EV - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Wind - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 36: Chart on Wind - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Wind - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Chart on Wind - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Wind - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by Application ($ 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 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 46: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on APAC - 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 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 (%)

7.6 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 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 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 (%)

7.10 India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on India - 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 Elpower Srl

Exhibit 93: Elpower Srl - Overview



Exhibit 94: Elpower Srl - Product / Service



Exhibit 95: Elpower Srl - Key offerings

10.4 Fimer SpA

Exhibit 96: Fimer SpA - Overview



Exhibit 97: Fimer SpA - Product / Service



Exhibit 98: Fimer SpA - Key offerings

10.5 GoodWe Technology Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 99: GoodWe Technology Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 100: GoodWe Technology Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 101: GoodWe Technology Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

10.6 Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 102: Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 103: Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 104: Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 105: Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

10.7 Layer Electronics Srl

Exhibit 106: Layer Electronics Srl - Overview



Exhibit 107: Layer Electronics Srl - Product / Service



Exhibit 108: Layer Electronics Srl - Key offerings

10.8 Power Electronics Espana SLU

Exhibit 109: Power Electronics Espana SLU - Overview



Exhibit 110: Power Electronics Espana SLU - Product / Service



Exhibit 111: Power Electronics Espana SLU - Key offerings

10.9 Schneider Electric SE

Exhibit 112: Schneider Electric SE - Overview



Exhibit 113: Schneider Electric SE - Business segments



Exhibit 114: Schneider Electric SE - Key news



Exhibit 115: Schneider Electric SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 116: Schneider Electric SE - Segment focus

10.10 Siemens AG

Exhibit 117: Siemens AG - Overview



Exhibit 118: Siemens AG - Business segments



Exhibit 119: Siemens AG - Key news



Exhibit 120: Siemens AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 121: Siemens AG - Segment focus

10.11 Sineng Electric Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 122: Sineng Electric Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 123: Sineng Electric Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 124: Sineng Electric Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

10.12 SMA Solar Technology AG

Exhibit 125: SMA Solar Technology AG - Overview



Exhibit 126: SMA Solar Technology AG - Business segments



Exhibit 127: SMA Solar Technology AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 128: SMA Solar Technology AG - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 129: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 130: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 131: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 132: Research methodology



Exhibit 133: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 134: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 135: List of abbreviations

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Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSX-V:GUG, OTC:ASWRF) has announced that drilling is expected to start early next week at its Lappvattnet high-grade nickel project in northern Sweden.

Drilling will continue to focus on upgrading and expanding the existing nickel resource and approximately 4,000 metres of drilling is planned, the company said.

"Our first phase program at Lappvattnet, completed in Q4 2021, was highly successful, delivering consistent shallow drill hits of high-grade and wide-grade nickel sulphide mineralization," Jari Paakki, CEO of Gungnir, said in a statement.

"This year we are planning to expand our drill efforts with more metres to further define potential high-grade nickel shoots along the deposit plus drill-testing the 'twin' north EM geophysical conductor we identified late last year," he added.
February progress on crusher concrete and 2nd lift formwork in the foreground and the mill concrete formwork in the background.

Galena Mining Ltd (ASX:G1A) has reached the halfway mark with the construction of Abra Base Metals Mine, its flagship lead-silver project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.

Construction milestones passed during the last month include the raise drilling of the first 4.5-metre diameter primary ventilation shaft (80 metres) and the start of the civil works associated with the liquid natural gas (LNG) and solar power station.

A great milestone

Managing director Tony James said: Its a great milestone to go past the 50% mark for the overall construction progress at Abra.

Steady progress has been made in the processing plant construction with a total of 766 cubic metres of concrete poured project to date.

Underground development has reached 880 metres since commencement, against a plan of 815 metres.

By the end of February, the decline has reached 1,422mRL which is 128 metres below the surface and 109 metres above the orebody.

The successful drilling of the first 4.5-metre primary ventilation shaft also represents a critical reduction in mining risk as the mine will be able to establish the first leg of the ventilation following installation of the primary ventilation fan that was acquired in 2019.

No delays despite altered delivery times

The company has been advised of five new delivery times for overseas equipment deliveries. The new delivery times are not expected to alter the plant construction program with work programs being modified to accommodate the changes.

During January the manufacturer of the mill equipment reported that one of the girth gear halves was damaged during the tooth cutting machining process.

To ensure the girth gear is made correctly with no inherent defects, the supplier decided to re-cast a new gear and start over. The original three shipments for the mill equipment were then changed to include a fourth shipment for the new girth gear and pinion.

Shipments for sole plates, a lube system and a shell, gearbox and motor are all proceeding as originally planned. The girth gear and pinion are now scheduled to arrive in July, which will wrap up the mill shipments.

None of these changes are expected to cause any delays in the processing plant building schedule.

About the Abra Project

The Abra Base Metals Mine is a globally significant lead-silver project between the towns of Newman and Meekatharra, 110 kilometres from Sandfires DeGrussa Project.

Galena has completed a definitive/bankable feasibility study for development of an underground mine and processing facility to produce a high-value, high-grade lead-silver concentrate.

A final investment decision to complete the project was made in June 2021 and the company hopes to complete construction and target first commercial production in the first quarter of 2023.
Burger King's parent company, Restaurant Brands International (TSX:QSR) (Restaurant Brands International (TSX:QSR)), has said its Russian independent operator has "refused" to close its 800 restaurants despite requests to suspend operations.

Following the Kremlin's continued attacks on Ukraine, the Restaurant Brands chain announced last week that it would suspend all corporate and marketing support for its 800-plus franchised outlets in Russia

The Russian chain is a joint venture with businessman Alexander Kolobov, a Ukrainian investment firm and Russia's VTB Capital, now sanctioned by the US as an affiliate of a major Russian bank.

Restaurant Brands owns a 15% minority stake in the Russian joint venture, which is in the process of being wound up.

In an open letter to employees on Thursday, Restaurant Brands International (TSX:QSR) president David Shear explained that the structure of the company's agreement in Russia hampers its ability to close its restaurants in the market.

Any changes would ultimately require the support of Russian authorities on the ground and we know that practically will not happen any time soon, said Shear.

Shear added that RBI has made a donation of US$1mln to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and had distributed US$2mln free meal coupons to Ukrainian refugees who have fled the country.
The feasibility study process has begun with contractors engaged to complete the scoping phase. The next step is a drill campaign that will assist with the geotechnical studies.

Bezant Resources PLC (AIM:BZT) said authorities in the Philippines have renewed the mineral production sharing agreement for the Mankayan Project for a further 25 years, calling it a "catalyst" for the development of the copper-gold property.

Crescent Mining is developing the porphyry-hosted deposit. It has begun the feasibility study process and has engaged contractors to complete the scoping phase. The next step is a drill campaign that will assist with the geotechnical studies.

Bezant, which has an interest in Mankayan via a 27.5% holding in Australian company IDM, said it was "very pleased" the production sharing agreement had been renewed.

Chairman Colin Bird pointed out it occurred after the lifting of a Philippines moratorium on new mining projects using open-pit methods of extracting mineral resources.

We are very confident that management in the Philippines supported by IDM has the experience and expertise to take the project forward through the next stages of evaluation and development which will significantly enhance the value of the project, Bird added.

Some 240km north of Manila, on Luzon Island, Mankayan is potentially a world-class asset.

A 2020 mineral resource statement prepared by Derisk Geomining Consultants estimated Mankayan was host to 2.8mln tonnes of copper, 9.6mln ounces of gold and 20mln ounces of silver.
Trees noted that Dea has been instrumental in helping several companies grow from the development stage to large-scale commercial operations

Trees Corporation (NEO:TREE.AQN) has announced that veteran finance and accounting executive Lisa Dea has been appointed to its board of directors with immediate effect.

"We are thrilled to welcome Lisa to the Board as an independent director, said Jeffrey Holmgren, president and CFO of Trees, in a statement.

Lisa's financial and operational background, coupled with her many years of executive experience serving Canadian public companies, will be an invaluable addition to Trees as we work towards the achievement of our growth plans."

Dea, a CPA and CA, has 25 years of experience in the finance, securities, and accounting fields, the company said.

Dea has held the position of CFO at several listed companies in Canada where she was responsible for corporate strategy, all aspects of finance and legal, debt and capital market activities, managing banking relationships with US, Canadian and International banks, internal and external public reporting, financial controls, processes, and corporate governance.

Trees noted that she has been instrumental in helping several companies grow from the development stage to large-scale commercial operations.

Previous to her time in the industry, Dea spent 11 years at Deloitte & Touche LLP, achieving the position of senior manager.

Trees Corp is an independent retail cannabis operator that is deeply rooted in the cannabis community and has been a respected voice of advocacy that has helped usher in legalization across Canada. Through its trusted reputation, history and passion for the 'plant', the company delivers a differentiated and authentic consumer experience unlike any other.

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham
More broadly, Bristow said Barrick was expanding into new prospective areas in its continued hunt for high-quality assets

Gold mining giant Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX, NYSE:GOLD) told investors it was working on a "well-defined strategy" to grow its business in Canada where the company believes it is under-invested.

"A significant exploration portfolio has been secured in the countrys Uchi Belt and the team is also looking at other opportunities in the country," CEO Mark Bristow said in the group's 2021 annual report, which was published on March 18.

More broadly, Bristow said Barrick was expanding globally into new prospective areas in its continued hunt for high-quality assets.

"A specialist Asia-Pacific team, set up to look at opportunities in that region, has acquired exploration permits in Japan and are hunting for additional opportunities in that region. We are also investigating projects across the Nubian and Arabian Shields in North Africa and the Middle East," he revealed.

"We have put a particularly strong focus on exploration in Latin America, where our teams are testing a portfolio of targets on the El Indio belt along the border between Argentina and Chile. We have also added ground in Peru and started fieldwork on new projects in Guyana and Suriname."

Elsewhere, Bristow said the group was "advancing on a clear road to achievable greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and its long-standing commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles".

As part of the annual report, Barrick noted that in September 2018, when the Randgold merger was announced, the company had net debt of over US$4 billion. Since then, it says it has moved to a net cash position and returned US$2.5 billion of cash to shareholders, including US$1.4 billion last year. The board has also approved a US$1 billion share buyback plan.

Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinvestors.com
P&O Ferries continues to attract condemnation for its abrupt and brutal sacking yesterday of 800 seafarers.

Transport minister Robert Courts described the decision to jettison workers and replace them with contract staff as insensitive although he stopped short of calling it illegal.

However, a spokesperson for prime minister Boris Johnson said the government is already looking very closely at the actions to see whether P&O Ferries followed the rules.

BREAKING: The MPs who voted against banning fire and rehire would like you to know they are outraged that P & O has fired and rehired x  Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCLauraKT) March 18, 2022

Some legal professionals have suggested that the company could face numerous claims for unfair dismissal given it gave no notice of the redundancies.

Two unions representing crew members, Nautilus International and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, are preparing legal action against the company.

This is clearly illegal, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said. Its a dark day in the shipping industry, the Associated Press reported.

The news agency added that unions are set to protest at the abrupt sackings at Dover, Hull and Liverpool ports today.

Unions are set to protest at British ports after P&O Ferries fired 800 U.K. crew members to replace them with cheaper contract staff. The British government has expressed outrage at the mass firings, but says it can do little to reverse them. https://t.co/ox2xv5YbrC  AP Europe (@AP_Europe) March 18, 2022

Dickinson said yesterdays events, which included security agents wearing balaclavas removing workers from ships they were servig on, was a new low for a shipping company.

This is a moment in history that people wont forget and I hope the directors of P&O and DP World never forget this day, Dickinson said.

P&O Ferries have just made over 800 employees including myself and my Brother redundant and did it with a teams video call. We have protested today outside our RMT office and will be at the port of Dover doing it again. Show us some support. #savelocaljobs #rmt  Bruce Morton (Thing/It/don't care about gender) (@BruceMo21861201) March 17, 2022

DP World, the Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries, said the decision to switch from company employees to cheaper contract staff was necessary to secure the future viability of the company.

P&O statement confirming what was in videos sent to us about the immediate firings without these changes there is no future for p&o ferries follow @KatyAustinNews for more pic.twitter.com/lpS8vqcL8h  Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) March 17, 2022

'The Dubai company that owns P&O made 1 billion profit - at the same time they're making 800 workers redundant. It's an absolute scandal, it's an outrage and it cannot be allowed to stand'



Labour's Jim McMahon condemns P&O Ferries owners DP World https://t.co/LMkNGe2WHB pic.twitter.com/zGIB1bmh6t  ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) March 18, 2022

This view received support from Peter Aylott, the director of policy at the UK Chamber of Shipping, which represents shipping companies.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Aylott said the company had no option but to do something and suggested that 2,200 jobs  the size of P&O Ferries workforce following the redundancies - might have been saved as a result of the move.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey chipped in with his two pennorth, saying that P&O Ferries ought to return the 10mln in furlough cash it had received from the government.
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 shares on AIM.

This week, though, Simigon (AIM:SIM) 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.

Shares in Simigon (AIM:SIM) were this weeks best performers, doubling in price.

Conroy Gold and Natural Resources PLC (AIM:CGNR, OTC:CGDNF) soared 52% after it announced a step-out drilling programme on the Clontibret gold target.

The programme is part of the joint venture with Demir Export to further explore and develop the new district-scale gold trend discovered by Conroy Gold along the Longford-Down Massif in Ireland

The initial programme will comprise eight drill holes totalling about 3,000 metres and is anticipated to commence in late April 2022.

The battered share price of estate agent Purplebricks PLC is looking a lot healthier after a show of support from the companys directors and their associates.

Sharon Pindar, the wife of the companys chair Paul Pindar, purchased 112,500 shares at a price of 15.75p per share and a further 587,549 shares at a price of 18.19p per share.

Elona Mortimer-Zhika, a non-executive director, purchased 37,500 shares at a price of 15.75p per share and a further 205,650 shares at 18.19p a pop.

Finally, senior independent non-executive director Simon Downing purchased 1,000,000 shares, paying 16.3p per share.

ValiRx PLC (AIM:VAL), a life science company focusing on early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health, is looking to save a few bob by bringing in the testing of its early-stage projects in house.

The company is considering acquiring capabilities and infrastructure to create a more efficient and effective translational drug development service. As well as handling the companys own testing, the new unit would offer its services to third parties.

The idea found favour with the market, as the shares rose by a third this week.

Also up by a third this week on news of a subsidiary was EQTEC PLC (AIM:EQT), which has launched a French unit that will collaborate with French company SEPS SAS to develop contaminated waste treatment plants.

Bezant Resources PLC (AIM:BZT) said authorities in the Philippines have renewed the mineral production sharing agreement for the Mankayan Project for a further 25 years, calling it a "catalyst" for the development of the copper-gold property.

Crescent Mining is developing the porphyry-hosted deposit. It has begun the feasibility study process and has engaged contractors to complete the scoping phase. The next step is a drill campaign that will assist with the geotechnical studies.

Bezant, which has an interest in Mankayan via a 27.5% holding in Australian company IDM, said it was "very pleased" the production sharing agreement had been renewed; so were investors, as they chased the shares 24% higher.

OptiBiotix Health PLC (AIM:OPTI) jumped 23% this week as it unveiled plans to list its ProBiotix Health arm on the Aquis Growth Market, raising 2.5mln in the process for the newly independent business.

It was a busy week for Mobile Streams PLC (AIM:MOS), which announced its half-year report, an acquisition, a share placing and a proposed partnership.

The share placing was at 0.3p and was largely responsible for the shares plunging 21% this week to 0.305p.

The 1.2mln raised will finance its share of a joint venture with esports gaming company Gfinity PLC (AIM:GFIN)..

Half-year revenue rose to 281,000 from 176,000 in the second half of 2020. The loss before tax widened to 640,000 from 353,000 the year before.

It was a decent week for two tiddlers hammered in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Amur Minerals PLC, which is focused on base metal projects in the far east of Russia, rose by a third this week while Eurasia Mining, which operates the West Kytlim mine in the Urals and the Monchetundra project in northwest Russia, ended the week 30% higher.

Finally, SpectrumX, which is tapping the healthcare and commercial potential of hypochlorous acid, has fired the starting pistol on a London listing.

It is understood the group has submitted its prospectus to the London Stock Exchange ahead of a float in late spring, targeting a valuation of around 50mln.

Sources suggest that a 10mln pre-IPO round is largely complete, with the group looking to bring in circa 5mln at the time of the companys stock market debut.
United Nations, March 19 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the establishment of a high-level advisory board on effective multilateralism.

The advisory board will be asked to build on the ideas in Guterres' report on 'Our Common Agenda' and to make concrete suggestions for more effective multilateral arrangements across a range of key global issues, Xinhua news agency reported. Their non-binding recommendations would inform deliberations by member states at the proposed Summit of the Future in 2023.

Our Common Agenda, released in September 2021, calls for stronger governance of key issues of global concern.

The report proposes a Summit of the Future in 2023 to advance ideas for governance arrangements in certain areas that could be considered global public goods or global commons, including climate and sustainable development beyond 2030, the international financial architecture, peace, outer space, the digital space, major risks, and the interests of future generations.

The board is composed of 12 eminent persons with former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven as co-chairs.
A proposed ballot initiative could be a lifesaver for struggling fire districts throughout Coconino County and the state.

Fire districts are often the primary -- and only -- emergency service readily available for large parts of northern Arizona. They provide fire and medical services for rural areas ranging from Munds Park and Timberline to the far northern stretches of the state and remote highways. They're often the only resource for miles across interstates 17 and 40, providing fire, emergency and medical services to both residents and travelers.

But fire officials say they are in a crisis. They're strapped for funding, short on manpower and lacking the necessary equipment and training.

"We're being severely burned by a slow-moving financial crisis we all saw coming," Bryan Jeffries, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, said.

Fire districts are cash strapped -- literally. Unlike municipal fire departments, their only funding comes from property taxes and there's a cap on how much they can receive.

"Fire districts have really struggled for a long time,' Summit Fire Chief Mark Gaillard said. "It's already difficult to provide services in rural areas, and then our districts have limitations on how much we can tax and grow, and it makes it difficult to make it sustainable."

Arizona's firefighters are turning to voters to solve the crisis by trying to get the Arizona Fire District Safety Act on the November ballot. The act would generate an estimated $150 million annually for Arizona's 144 fire districts by temporarily increasing the state's sale tax by one-tenth of a cent for each dollar spent -- about one penny for every $10 spent.

The temporary increase would remain in place until 2041. It would take the pressure off the fire districts, and ensure firefighters get the training and equipment they need to provide the needed level of service, according to Jeffries.

Numerous districts across the state have struggled with concerns about staffing, quality of service and response times in recent years. Attrition levels are at an all-time high and districts like Summit have turned to less-than-ideal solutions in an attempt to fill the gaps. District officials are currently weighing whether to combine two fire stations -- which would result in the closure of one of the locations -- in order to improve staffing levels and meet industry standards.

However, residents questioned how response times would be impacted in emergency situations where minutes can make a difference.

The plan would only provide a temporary fix for the larger issues plaguing the district.

Summit officials said they are struggling to maintain staffing, with many leaving for other departments due to insufficient pay and benefits. Approximately 42% of people hired since 2016 have left.

If the measure makes it onto the November ballot and is approved by voters, Gaillard said the Arizona Fire District Safety Act would be a "game changer" for rural departments like Summit. It would allow them, he said, to "keep their heads above water" and make major strides toward being financial sustainable.

"The ability to have a safe number of firefighters staffed, be a good employer, replace equipment. That's all at stake with this," said Gaillard, who is also the chief of the Flagstaff Fire Department.

"I don't know if there's been a more important piece of governance for fire districts in  forever," he added.

The measure, which is sponsored by Sen. Paul Boyer of Glendale, is scheduled to get a hearing before the Committee on Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Monday.

Jeffries urged residents to contact their local legislators and tell them they want the chance to vote on the Arizona Fire District Safety Act.

"Our firefighters, paramedics, EMT are who you call for help, and right now we need Arizona's help," he added. "We need them to support their local fire departments and districts and provide them with the fuel they need."

Reporter Bree Burkitt can be reached at 928-556-2250 or bburkitt@azdailysun.com.

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Kiev, March 19 : Ukraine's positions at the peace talks with Russia remain unchanged, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday.

"Our positions remain unchanged: a ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops and strict security guarantees with specific formulas," Podolyak, who is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, tweeted.

The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Wednesday, Podolyak said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Geneva, March 19 : The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is further threatening global food security, with food prices already at an all-time high.

Jakob Kern, the WFP's Emergency Coordinator for Ukraine, told an online press conference that the conflict has triggered a wave of hunger across the globe, Xinhua news agency reported.

As the world's largest and fourth-largest exporters of wheat respectively, Russia and Ukraine together are responsible for 29 per cent of the global wheat trade. Therefore, the two countries are critical to ensuring the food security of many countries around the world.

Global food and fuel prices have increased sharply since the start of the conflict, Kern said. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Price Index, they reached an all-time high in February 2022.

The price of wheat increased by 24 per cent from February 21 to March 15, Kern said.

"These hikes will affect local food prices and, through these, access to food, especially for millions of people who are already struggling to put food on the table," he added.

"This year we are at a crossroads: either we rise to the challenge of meeting immediate needs while at the same time supporting programs that build long-term resilience at scale, or we face even bigger problems down the line," Kern said.
Ottawa, March 19 : Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, has called for more people to get the booster dose against Covid-19 as the country has started easing restrictions, such as limits on social gatherings and mask mandates.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Tam said that Covid-19 policies may soon shift from "an emphasis on requirements to recommendations" and that it's critically important that more people, especially for those 50 years of age or older, get a booster dose, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We're in a period of uncertainty where the virus is still undergoing evolution, so getting up to date with vaccines and wearing a mask is really a good idea," she said, adding that it would be difficult to expand vaccine mandates to cover a booster dose because eligibility for the third shot varies and people with a previous Omicron infection have been told to wait up to three months between a positive test result and getting inoculated.

According to a statement from Tam's office on Friday, recent studies indicated that an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine booster dose could enhance the overall immune response, which can provide longer lasting protection and possibly better effectiveness against variants.

Over 5.2 million eligible Canadians need one or more doses to complete their primary series and many others are eligible to get a booster dose, the statement said.

According to data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada, over 17.6 million third doses have been administered till date.

National data has indicated that over 83 per cent of seniors aged 70 or older, 61 per cent of aged 50-59 years and 74 per cent aged 60-69 years have received an additional dose.

The data indicated that over 81 pe rcent of the total population have been fully vaccinated.

Age-specific vaccine coverage data, as of March 13, 2022, showed that over 88 per cent of people 12 years or older had at least one dose and over 84 per cent were fully vaccinated, while among children aged 5-11, 57 per cent had at least one dose.

Health Canada on Thursday authorised the Moderna Spikevax Covid-19 vaccine for children 6-11 years of age.

Following authorisation, the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation released recommendations for the use of Moderna Spikevax Covid-19 vaccine in this age group.
Seoul/Kiev, March 19 : South Korean Embassy officials have started withdrawing from their temporary mission in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv as Russia has stepped up bombings in the region, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said.

They were evacuating to Hungary along with three South Korean nationals as the outskirts of the city of came under missile strikes and shelling by Russian forces on Friday, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"The members of the temporary mission in Lviv departed leading South Korean nationals in the morning and are moving to an area which the compatriots wanted," the Ministry official said.

The Embassy was relocated from the capital Kiev to three separate places, including Lviv, to support remaining Korean nationals in the war-ravaged country.

The two others are in Ukraine's Chernivtsi and Romania.

There were five Korean nationals in the city and three of them joined the evacuation by vehicle, the official said, adding the Foreign Ministry will keep an eye on the other two, who reportedly decided to stay.

No damage was reported among South Koreans from the attacks in Lviv, the official added.
Bridgetown : , March 19 (IANS) Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and middle-order batter Jermaine Blackwood smashed fine centuries as West Indies gave a befitting reply to England's mammoth first innings total of 507/9 declared, reaching 288/4 at stumps on Day 3 at the Kensington Oval on Saturday (IST).

The hosts, though, still trail the Joe Root-led England by 219 runs going into Day 4.

The West Indies captain and vice-captain stepped up for their side, batting together for 411 balls in an outstanding 183-run stand that put the tourists' attack under strain.

Brathwaite, whose gritty unbeaten 109 came off 337 balls, scored his 10th Test ton.

Nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph will re-join him in the middle on the fourth morning after the late dismissal of Blackwood to part-timer Dan Lawrence for 102.

West Indies had resumed on 71/1, still 436 runs behind. And the pattern for the morning was set early as England spinner Jack Leach kept bowling from one end and the seamers rotating from the other. It was Leach who got the initial breakthrough, with Shamarh Brooks playing a short ball straight to Chris Woakes at point, ending what had been a promising 39-run knock.

Nkrumah Bonner joined Brooks back in the pavilion when he was trapped in-front by Ben Stokes for a 33-ball nine. The West Indies centurion from Antigua reviewed, but the original decision stood as the ball crept past the edge and clipped the top of middle on DRS.

Jermaine Blackwood survived through until lunch to leave West Indies 114/3 after a relatively slow morning, with captain Brathwaite still out in the middle on 44 not out.

West Indies enjoyed the better of the afternoon session, despite Leach getting turn and Saqib Mahmood finding some reverse swing with the old ball. Blackwood had a reprieve when England and Stokes opted against a review, with replays showing that the not-out lbw decision would have been overturned.

The West Indies vice-captain, alongside his skipper, forged a superb partnership throughout the afternoon. Brathwaite reached his half-century shortly after the restart, and Blackwood reached a 50 of his own shortly before tea.

England took the new ball at the earliest possible opportunity, with Woakes leading the attack and Leach given the chance to try and extract some extra turn and bounce from the fresh cherry at the other. But Brathwaite (79 not out) and Blackwood (50 not out) were still there at tea, with the score at 196/3.

England thought they had the breakthrough they had been desperately striving for when Mahmood cleaned up Blackwood with a beauty after the break, a dipping yorker that uprooted the stumps. But the debutant had over-stepped, handing Blackwood a reprieve, and extending the seamer's wait for a first Test-match wicket.

And captain Brathwaite brought up his hard-earned century with a steer behind square for two, reaching his 10th Test hundred off 278 balls. As the day drew on and heads began to get hot, a war of words between Blackwood and Stokes led to the umpires getting involved and talking to the England bowler.

But Blackwood kept his composure and moved on towards his hundred, reaching it with a cut wide of slip. It was the 30-year-old's third Test century and his second against England, coming a full six years after his first.

England did finally break the 183-run partnership, but it wasn't one of the five frontline bowlers who got the wicket. Part-timer Lawrence's turning delivery tricked Blackwood and had him trapped plumb in front. Nightwatchman Joseph saw his team through to the close, and West Indies will resume on 288/4 after a superb day with the bat, but still 219 short of England's first-innings score with two days of the Test remaining.

Brief scores: England 507/9 declared vs West Indies 288/4 (Kraigg Brathwaite 109 not out, Jermaine Blackwood 102).
Seoul, March 19 : Lawmakers and presidential campaign officials of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) have come under fire for holding a dinner party in violation of the Covid-19 social distancing, a media report said on Saturday.

A photo made public on social media Friday showed 10 people, including three PPP lawmakers and two senior officials of the campaign office of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, dinind at a restaurant near the National Assembly in Seoul on March 14, the Yonhap News Agency report said.

They violated the Covid-19 guideline that limits private gatherings to six people.

The local district office said it will fine the participants and they could face a fine of up to 100,000 won ($82).

The photo was unveiled by a businessman who participated in the get-together at the invitation of an acquaintance.

The participants include Representatives Yoon Sang-hyun, Kim Byong-wook and Ko Ja-keun, as well as two ranking campaign officials, Song Tae-young and Lee Se-chang.

The revelation came after about 30 PPP officials were caught on Wednesday by district officials having a dinner party at a restaurant near the National Assembly.
Kiev, March 19 : As Moscow's war on Kiev entered the 24th day on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged "meaningful negotiations on peace" with Russia.

In his nightly video address posted early Saturday on Facebook, the President said: "Meaningful negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine - are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes.

"It's time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound." Zelensky's remarks come as Russia has continued its assault on Ukraine, targeting major cities and infrastruction.

The Mayor of Mariupol, one of the worst-affected, has confirmed that fighting had reached the centre of the city, with more than 80 per cent of residential buildings were either damaged or destroyed due to Russian bombardment, the BBC reported.

Hundreds of people were still trapped in the basement of a theatre in Mariupol which was bombed by Russia on Thursday.

According to Zelensky, Russian shelling has prevented Mariupol authorities from establishing effective humanitarian corridors to the besieged city.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, March 19 : Delhi Police have apprehended five people, including a minor, for allegedly stabbing a person to death in west Delhi following a heated argument between them, an official said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Shiva, a resident of Naraina, Delhi. DCP Ghanshyam Bansal said that the incident took place around 10 p.m. on Friday at a paan shop near PVR Naraina.

"The victim's car had hit a man among the accused which led to a quarrel between them. As the argument further escalated, five people knifed victim Shiva to death," the DCP told IANS.

The senior official informed that all the five accused have been apprehended. "Further investigation is underway," he added.
Yangon, March 19 : Myanmar has confirmed 31 cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant's BA.2 sub-lineage, the Ministry of Health said.

The BA.2 sub-lineage was found in 31 Covid-19 positive patients who were tested on March 15, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the Southeast Asian country has reported 608,384 confirmed cases with 19,420 deaths.

A total of 562,905 patients have been discharged from hospitals so far and the daily positivity rate stood at 3.04 per cent.
London, March 19 : Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that he backs a "Nuremberg-style" trial for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, the media reported on Saturday.

Brown is among 140 academics, lawyers and politicians, including Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba and another former British Prime Minister John Major, who have signed a petition calling for the setting up of a new legal system based on the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals after the Second World War, the BBC reported.

The petition has already been backed by 740,000 people so far.

Writing in an article for the Daily Mail published late Friday, Brown said creating a new tribunal would close off this "loophole" in international law "that Putin could use to dodge justice".

"We must move with speed, to assure the people of Ukraine that we are committed to action and not just warm words - and we must make Putin's collaborators aware that the noose is tightening. If they do not distance themselves from Putin, they face prosecution and prison.

"From Britain - which rightly prides itself on democracy and the rule of law - the message must go out. At Nuremberg we held the Nazi war criminals to account. Eight decades on, we must ensure there will be a day of reckoning for Putin," he added.

Brown's remark comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently investigating Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

But, The Hague-based court cannot pursue the crime of aggression without a referral from the UN Security Council, which Russia could veto, said the BBC report.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, several world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have accused Putin of carrying out war crimes.

Earlier this week, Biden called his Russian counterpart a "war criminal", triggering the Kremlin to denounce the branding saying that it was an "unacceptable and unforgiveable rhetoric".

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Moscow, March 19 : The Russian Aerospace Forces have launched rocket attacks on the strongholds of Ukrainian "nationalists", the Defence Ministry in Moscow said.

According to the Ministry, the forces carried out the strikes in pairs from low and extremely low altitudes, RT News reported.

"As a result of an air strike, a stronghold of a company of Ukrainian nationalists and camouflaged armoured vehicles were destroyed," it said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said that the country's armed forces had lost access to the Sea of Azov.

Earlier, Major General Igor Konashenkov, official representative of the Russian Defence Ministry, had announced the complete blocking of the exit for Ukrainian forces to the Sea of Azov.

"Advanced detachments of the People's Militia of the DPR reached the administrative border of the Donetsk region and connected with the military units of the Russian Armed Forces, which took control of the regions of Ukraine along the coast of the Sea of Azov," Konashenkov said.

According to him, "from today, the exit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Sea of Azov is completely blocked".
New Delhi, March 19: Headlines were made just earlier this week when Saudi Arabia initiated talks with China to trade a part of its oil in the Chinese currency yuan. Has the Russia-Ukraine crisis given an opportunity to China to circumvent the dominance of the US dollar and boost its own currency? Needless to say that Beijing is closely monitoring the situation.

Aravind Yelery, Senior Research Fellow at the Peking University and visiting Faculty at Fudan University, Shanghai told India Narrative that for China displacing the US dollar has been a long-term strategy.

"The current global tension has just come as an opportunity to China to boost its own currency and reduce the dominance of the US dollar in global trade. If dollar remains the dominant currency on the global platform, collateral damages are easily possible," Yelery said. "If geopolitical contours change, currencies naturally will play an important role," he added.

"Now if Russia is left out, China with the large size of its economy, will play a more dominant role. Russia' dependence on China will increase and Russia will not mind it," Yelery said.

Al Jazeera in a report quoting sources said that talks with China over yuan-priced oil contracts have on for the last six years but have accelerated now as the "Saudis have grown increasingly unhappy with decades-old U.S. security commitments to defend the kingdom." Russia is already looking to deepen its non-dollar denominated trade ties with other countries including Beijing. In 2021, trade between Russia and China was estimated at about $147 billion, though the European Union topped the chart for Moscow.

Russia, one of the biggest producers of oil and gas in the world and is one of the largest exporters of wheat, has set a target of taking bilateral trade with China to $250 billion by 2024.

The exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT payment system could also further strengthen China's indigenously developed alternative cross border payment system -- Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS).

A US based news organisation said that the Russia-Ukraine crisis "is unwittingly helping Beijing, including distracting the U.S. from its China challenge." (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, March 19 : Even when 14,295 persons died due to lightning strikes between 2016 and 2020, the government has not yet notified lightning as a natural calamity, the Lok Sabha was informed.

"As many as 14,295 persons have died due to lightning strikes during the last five years. The number of people who died in 2016 was 3,315; it was 2,885 in 2017; more or less similar at 2,357 persons in 2018; increased slightly to 2,876 in 2019 and was 2,862 in 2020," the Lok Sabha was informed in response to a question by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.

In 2020, Bihar with 436 deaths topped the list of states and UTs followed by 429 deaths in Madhya Pradesh; 336 deaths in Jharkhand; 304 in Uttar Pradesh; 275 Odisha and 246 Chhattisgarh while the number of people who died due to lightning in 2019 were comparable, with Bihar (400), Madhya Pradesh (400), Jharkhand (334), Uttar Pradesh (321) Odisha (271) and Chhattisgarh (212), the Lok Sabha was told on March 16.

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi had also asked the reason for the government to not notify lightning as a natural calamity despite the increase in deaths and damage caused by it.

"Presently the notified list of disasters eligible for National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)/State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) assistance includes 12 disasters namely cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack and frost & cold wave," Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Jitendra Singh had replied.

"The issue of inclusion of more calamities in the existing notified list of calamities, was considered by the 15th Finance Commission. The Commission in para 8.143 of its report had observed that the list of notified disasters eligible for funding from State Disaster Response Mitigation Fund (SDRMF) and National Disaster Response Mitigation Fund (NDRMF) covers the needs of the state to large extent and thus did not find much merit in the request to expand its scope," Singh said.

However, a state government can use up to 10 per cent of the annual fund allocation of the SDRF, subject to fulfilment of certain prescribed conditions and norms, for providing immediate relief to the victims of natural disasters that they consider to be 'disasters' within the local context in the state and which are not included in the centrally notified list of natural disasters, the Lok Sabha was informed.
New Delhi, March 19 : A new report on Saturday claimed that personal files and health records of at least 2.46 lakh personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have allegedly been exposed online owing to a data security lapse.

A TechCrunch report cited an unnamed security researcher in India as saying that the researcher found a database packed with network logs generated by a security appliance connected to CISF's network.

"But the database was not secured with a password, allowing anyone on the internet to access the logs from their web browser," the report alleged.

The logs allegedly contained records for more than 246,000 full web addresses of PDF documents on CISF's network.

Several of those logs contained personnel files, health records and personally identifiable information on CISF officers.

Some of the files are dated as recently as 2022, according to the report.

The researcher said the security appliance is built by India-based security company Haltdos.

The company, however, did not comment on the report.

IANS spoke to cyber-security researchers who said that the leaked CISF database in PDF files is likely to be related to a recent government server (that has even been indexed in Google Search) hack.

In January, reports surfaced that Covid-19 data of over 20,000 Indians, including health workers, in PDF files were available on the Raid Forums website on the Dark Web, and the hacker claims that they were directly coming from a government CDN (content delivery network) server.

The same documents were available freely on Google Search as "List of Beneficiaries Enrolled for Covid Vaccine" with keywords like RT-PCR results.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare later brushed off the reports, saying "no data has leaked from the CoWIN portal and the entire data of residents is safe and secure on this digital platform".

The Ministry had emphasised that the vaccination platform "collects neither the address of the person nor the RT-PCR test results for Covid-19 vaccination".

Last year, the Health Ministry and security researchers had denied the breach of Covid-19 vaccination data of 150 million Indians, after news of the hack spread online.

The data leak allegedly happened on the CoWin portal, which is used for vaccination.
New Delhi, March 19 : Samsung India is set to announce Galaxy A53 5G, its first 2022 Galaxy A smartphone, on March 21.

Industry sources told IANS on Saturday that Galaxy A53 5G is likely to be priced around Rs 35,000 with some exciting offers.

Samsung Electronics on March 16 announced mid-range Galaxy A53 5G and Galaxy A33 5G smartphones with 5G connectivity globally.

The Galaxy A53 5G will be available in select markets beginning April 1 and the Galaxy A33 5G will be available from April 22.

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.

The device's 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.

The device is equipped with up to two-day battery life and 25W Super Fast Charging.

Galaxy A53 5G features 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.

For the first time, Galaxy A series will be powered by 5nm processor, with Galaxy A53 likely to get Samsung's brand new Exynos Octa-core 1280 SoC.

Galaxy A53 5G will strengthen Samsung's mid-segment play in the country, according to analysts.

The launch of Galaxy A53 5G comes on the back of huge success for Samsung's premium Galaxy S22 series, which received over 140,000 pre-bookings in three weeks in the country.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 19 : A 79-year-old man set ablaze his house killing his son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters in Kerala's Idukki district in the wee hours of Saturday, locals said.

According to local people's representative of Chinikuzhy village Mathew John, accused Hameed shared a strained relationship with his son Faizal.

"Hameed who also lives in the same house, first cut off the water supply to the house and the neighbours house and then threw petrol into the room where his son Faizal, his wife and their two young daughters were sleeping close to 1 a.m. and set them afire. Once the fire broke out, Faizal panicked and called his neighbours, who came running, but found the door locked from outside," said John.

All the four died as they were unable to escape.

After the incident Hameed tried to escape but was overpowered by the people and handed over to police.
New Delhi, March 19 : Natural forest regeneration is regarded as a cost-effective strategy for countries to meet their ecological restoration and carbon sequestration goals. However, a new study shows that it may not be helpful in the long term.

Even when reports of forest recovery in tropical regions generate optimism, the study led by researchers from Columbia University, University of Sao Paulo and the Federal University of ABC in Brazil suggested that restored forests have a high probability of being cleared within a few years.

Preventing the re-clearing of second-growth forests is a major challenge for restoration efforts in tropical regions, according to a study conducted by authors and others, who found that a third of regenerating areas in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest were cleared again, mostly after four to eight years of regeneration.

The study published in Environmental Research Letters, quantifies forest regeneration in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and identifies factors that influence how long the regenerated forest survives.

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a rich natural area that originally occupied 150 million hectares along the Atlantic coast. Only about 32 million hectares remain today. The highly fragmented and threatened ecosystem is now considered a regeneration hotspot.

The authors used detailed land use cover data from 1985 to 2019 to map and track the fate of over 4.5 million hectares of regenerated forests in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. They found that only 3.1 million hectares persisted until 2019.

"While the persistence of two-thirds of regenerated forest in the region casts a positive outlook for the biome's conservation, the short life span of regenerated forests emerges as a new challenge for restoration efforts in the region," said Pedro Ribeiro Piffer, a PhD candidate at Columbia and the lead author of the study.

The ephemeral nature of these regrown forests limit the biodiversity and carbon storage benefits of regeneration, he said.

"Carbon sequestration through tropical reforestation and natural regeneration can make an important contribution to climate change mitigation, given that forest cover in many tropical regions increased during the early part of the 21st century," said senior author Maria Uriarte, a professor at Columbia's Earth Institute who studies tropical forest dynamics.

"However, the size of this carbon sink will depend on the degree to which these forests are permanent and protected from re-clearing," she added.

In a previous paper, Piffer and Uriarte found that without these reversals in reforestation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest region could have sequestered 1.75 billion tons of carbon which is three times more than the estimated actual sequestration of 0.52 billion tons.

"Our results underline a double challenge for forest conservation in tropical regions, where not only do we need to restore degraded areas, but we also need to ensure the persistence of these young regenerating forests," said Jean Paul Metzger, an ecology professor at the University of Sao Paulo and a co-author on the new study.

The researchers note that ensuring the persistence of tropical forest regeneration is crucial for nations to achieve their restoration and carbon sequestration commitments under the Paris Agreement.
San Francisco, March 19 : Tech giant Google is likely to add a feature to delete the last 15 minutes of your search history to its Android app.

Former XDA Developer's editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman said he was tipped about the feature seemingly rolling out, reports The Verge.

This feature has taken some time to make its way to the Android app, the report said.

Google first announced the feature at Google I/O in May, and it came to Google's iOS app in July.

At that time, Google said it would arrive on the Android version of the app later in 2021, but for some reason, the company seemingly missed that deadline.

It is also unclear if the company plans to bring the feature to the desktop -- in its May announcement post, it did not specify which platforms it would be available on, and in July, Google only said that the feature was coming to the iOS and Android apps.

Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The tech giant also offers a tool to automatically delete things in your search history that are three, 18, or 36 months old.
New Delhi, March 19 : As many as 196 people were challaned for drunken driving in the national capital on the occasion of Holi festival, the police said on Saturday.

Apart from drunken driving, 1,673 people were prosecuted for riding a motorcycle without helmet, 275 for triple riding and 25 for driving the vehicle dangerously.

As the Holi festival coincided with Shab-e-Barat this year, the cops had intensified the security arrangements in the national capital.

"As many as 248 people were challaned for riding a two wheeler without helmet during Shab-e-Barat celebrations in the night," the police said.

In the same period, during the night, 39 people were prosecuted for triple riding a motorcycle.

Earlier on Friday, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had said they deployed more police personnel in areas that are communally sensitive and have mixed populations.

On the day of festivals, the police force could be seen in heavy numbers in different sensitive areas to prevent any kind of hooliganism that is often done by the miscreants under the garb of the festival celebration.

Both the festivals passed off peacefully without any major incident.
Chennai, March 19 : Tamil Nadu government will form two millet special zones to encourage millet cultivation by the farmers in the state, said M.R.K.Panneerselvam, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Presenting the Agriculture Budget for 2022-23 in the state Assembly on Saturday, Panneerselvam said to increase production of millet, two Millet Special Zones will be set up under the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission.

The two zones will cover the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Vellore districts as one zone and Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Tenkasi, Ramnathapuram, Sivagangai, Theni, Trichy, Karur, DindigulAriyalurand Perambaluras the second zone.

He said millets are minuscule in appearance, but highly nutritious for strengthening the body.

To endorse this concept, the United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the "International Year of Millets," he remarked.

He said in order to create awareness on the importance of millet nutrition "Millet Festivals" will be organised at the state and district levels.

Farmers will be encouraged with assistance for activities starting from cultivation till marketing the produce with value addition.

This scheme will be implemented with a total allocation of Rs.92 crore from Union and State Government funds.

"To promote production and consumption of millets among Self Help Groups, the state government will take steps to support 500 marginal farmers at a cost of Rs 1 crore under Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission," Panneerselvam said.

According to him, special schemes will be implemented to popularise the cultivation of millets and pulses as an alternative to water intensive crops.

In order to minimise the impact of climate change, the government would encourage crop diversification and cultivation of millets.

In order to achieve self sufficiency in pulses production, a Special Redgram Zone will be formed comprising Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Salem districts.

Steps will be taken for processing, value addition and marketing the harvested pulses. This scheme will be implemented at an outlay of Rs 60 crore, during 2022-23, with Union and State Government funds, Panneerselvam said.

Tamil Nadu government will also take steps for paddy cultivation in an area of 19 lakh hectares during 2022-23, by implementing Strategic Paddy Cultivation Programme for getting higher yield with an allocation of Rs 32.48 crore under Union and State government funds.

As regards the crop insurance, Panneerselvam said a sum of Rs 2,399 crore has been allocated in 2022-23 as the state's share of premium subsidy.

According to him, a sum of Rs 2,055 crore has been disbursed to 9.26 lakh farmers as crop insurance claims for the year 2020-21.
PHOENIX -- Amid two intersecting crises in America -- an opioid epidemic and mistreatment of emergency mental health calls -- the federal government has awarded $5.6 million to better train rural emergency medical workers.

Money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will target rural communities, which have the fewest resources to deal with delicate and complicated emergency calls. The agency, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, manages programs in behavioral health.

The grant is meant to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on Americas communities by providing better emergency response.

What emergency medical services provide is an opportunity for patients to get not only life saving treatment, but for the providers to obtain training so they can deliver care in a more culturally sensitive and effective manner, said Dr. Neeraj Gandotra, chief medical officer for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

Thirty-two organizations, including the Coast Life Support district in Gualala, a rural community of 2,000 on the Northern California coast, will receive grants ranging from $1,650 to $200,000.

Arizona was not among the recipients because the states cooperative extension  which partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve nutrition and food safety, prepare for and respond to emergencies, and protect our environment -- did not apply for the funding.

Gandotra said rural communities are at a disadvantage because there are fewer health care providers per geographical area, and mental treatment services tend to be fewer. In many high-profile cases, the first response to mental health and drug overdoses ends in tragedy due to lack of training or understanding whats going on.

Among other types of emergency response, the grant requires that EMS personnel be trained on the use of the opioid overdose antidote, naloxone, to utilize in case of opioid overdose emergency situations.

Other training includes harm reduction.

Harm reduction with regard to naloxone or Narcan distribution and administration for individuals whove overdosed, Gandotra said.

The problem is particularly acute among young people. In 2018, the agency said, 8.9 million young adults reported having a mental illness and 42% went untreated. In addition, it said, about 5.1 million young adults suffer from substance abuse and 87% are untreated.

Communities of color also have been hit hard. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 34% of Hispanic/Latinx adults with mental illness receive treatment each year, compared to the U.S. average of 45%.

Stigma is one factor preventing Hispanics from receiving treatment, experts said.

The stigma that is sometimes associated, and shame that people associate with their use, keeps them from seeking help, Gandotra said. Theres internal stigma that mental illness or substance abuse is unfortunately in some communities still regarded as a failure.

People can help by identifying a loved ones demeanor, and to ask that person in a way that doesnt judge or draw conclusions.

Gandotra said its easier to dismiss certain abnormalities within a person: This person used to be on time and now theyre arriving late. The person used to be more energetic and now theyre staying in their room. The person used to engage in social activities and now theyre more isolated.

But these behaviors can be considered symptoms of an issue, he said.

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Chennai, March 19 : Tamil Nadu agriculture and farmers welfare minister M.R.K Panneerselvam said that the government would provide Rs 1 lakh each to 200 youths to start agro-business.

He was addressing the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly while presenting the agriculture budget for the financial year 2022-23.

This is the second agriculture budget since the DMK government assumed office in state.

The agriculture minister also said that agri parks would come up at Tindivanam, Theni, and Manapparai in Tiruchi district of Tamil Nadu.

The government will encourage the production of jaggery to benefit the sugar cane farmers. A special incentive of Rs 195 per metric tonne will be given to the sugar cane farmers and will benefit 1.2 lakh farmers.

The minister also allocated an amount of Rs 5 crore to desilt C and D canals in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Cuddalore districts.

To overcome the agriculture labour shortage, Rs 150 crore will be allocated using machinery. The state government will distribute 10 lakh palm seeds to increase the number of palm trees which is the state tree of Tamil Nadu.

The government will promote unseasonal tomato cultivation and for this, an amount of Rs 4 crore is allocated for the same. The agriculture minister said that Rs 3 crore will be allocated for turmeric and ginger cultivation.

To revive traditional country vegetable cultivation, Rs 2 crore will be allocated.

An amount of Rs 20 crore will be allocated to implement the alternate crop scheme to cultivate vegetables and fruits. The government will reopen the cooperative sugar mills, NPKR Ramasamy coop sugar mill at Myalauduthurai which is now defunct.

Special zones for cultivation of tur dal will be set up in Salem and Krishnagiri districts.

The minister said that an amount of Rs 5 crore will be allocated to provide an additional 20 per cent subsidy to the SC/ST farmers.

Tarpaulins will be given to 60,000 farmers to safeguard their crops from rains and a new mobile app will be developed to provide all the required necessary information of farmers.

Soil testing centres will be established at the cost of Rs 75 lakh at Myladuthurai.
New Delhi, March 19 : Accelerated funding activity is expected to create over 100 unicorns in India during 2022.

According to HDFC Securities, funding activities have created 42 unicorns in 2021.

In financial parlance, a startup is considered to have become a unicorn once it achieves a value of over $1 billion.

Last year, India added 42 unicorns in 2021 alone, taking the total tally to 79.

The country is ranked third in the world in terms of the total number of unicorns.

"The unicorn wave in India is still going strong: one unicorn has been added every five days within the first two months of 2022, and India is expected to have 100+ new unicorns in 2022," HDFC Securities said in a report.

"The optimism of investing in Indian internet ecosystem can be linked to the immense growth potential and problem solving or disruptive nature of startups." Besides, the report said that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated internet adoption which has supported this trend.A "The Covid-19 pandemic caused restrictions and lockdowns across the nation, which slowed business activity.

"But it turned out to be a huge catalyst for driving digital engagements, as people began to switch to online mode for various activities like shopping, payments, education, and e-commerce and businesses, realising the significance of having an internet presence, started to build their presence and capabilities for the online channels." As of September 2021, there were 834 million internet subscribers in India, up 7 per cent YoY, with high-speed data access and low data rates being the most crucial aspects in people being able to transact online. In addition, the vernacularisation of the applications has been instrumental in attracting more users to the internet ecosystem.

"The top applications for India today are in the categories of e-commerce and social media, evident by the fact that people are increasingly transacting online for food deliveries and essentials like groceries, apart from fashion and electronics." Furthermore, it cited that India saw record fund inflows of $66 billion across 2.1K deals in 2021.

"The large number of deals and high transaction values paved the way for the unicorn wave in India with companies across e-commerce, fintech, edtech gaining the coveted unicorn status against the backdrop of innovative and scalable business prospects." In addition, it cited that sectors such as fintech and e-commerce account for 50 per cent of total funds coming in for startups, while healthtech, media-tech, foodtech and edtech combined accounted for 35 per cent of total funds invested.
Chennai, March 19 : Tamil Nadu government will implement digital agriculture for the benefit of farmers at an outlay of Rs 8 crore with central and state government's funds, said Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K.Panneerselvam.

Presenting the Agriculture Budget for 2022-23 in the state Assembly on Saturday, Panneerselvam said his department has designed a scheme on digital agriculture whereby all technologies from seed to yield can be obtained electronically through Uzhaan (farmer) Mobile Application.

"All the technologies will be communicated electronically to the farmers from sowing to harvest and marketing of the produce field-wise for getting higher income," Panneerselvam said.

According to him, individual farm based crop plan, survey numbers and sub divisions of all villages will be geo-tagged, which will be superimposed with details of land owner's basic information, soil health and cultivated crops.

The seven Agro-climatic zones are divided into 1,330 Micro Agro-climatic zones to formulate new profitable crop plans to farmers based on factors of production.

According to Panneerselvam, artificial intelligence will be applied to monitor the pest and disease infestation in crops and instantaneous management measures will be delivered to farmers through SMS advisories in coordination with Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

In coordination with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Tamil Nadu Drone Corporation, farmers will be imparted training and demonstration in seven Farmers Training Centres (FTC) for the usage of drones in pesticide spray and survey of crop growth stages.

The new digital Technology "Internet of Things" (IoT) will be adopted in State Seed Farms and State Horticultural Farms for automated irrigation and fertigation, for offering training to farmers on this new technology.

Panneerselvam said an an exclusive portal called "Tamil Mann Valam" will be launched in co-ordination with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in which the farmers can get the soil fertility status of their lands - survey number wise and they can print the soil health cards by themselves.

Recommendations based on soil fertility will be prescribed for cultivation of agricultural, horticultural crops and agro-forestry trees.

Remote Sensing technology will be used to assess cropped area and yield, through which we can forecast the price by Agricultural Marketing Intelligence Cell for helping the farmers to get fair price for their produce, he said.

Facilities will be made for online advance booking of seeds, planting materials, fruit plants and coconut seedlings, so that planting is taken up in the right cropping season itself.

The agricultural labourers can register their details such as district, block, village directly in the Mobile Application. This application will serve as a platform to provide employment to skilled Agricultural labourers and also serve the farmers to undertake agricultural activities at appropriate time.

Panneerselvam said cashless transactions in agricultural extension centres will be facilitated.
Jaipur, March 19 : Rajasthan Police have arrested a man who allegedly raped a Dutch tourist in Jaipur under the pretext of giving her a massage.

The accused fled after raping the victim and was about to leave Jaipur when he was caught on Wednesday evening from the city's Vidhyadhar Nagar area.

Police official Gunjan Soni, said: "A 30-year-old woman from the Netherlands was reportedly raped on Wednesday evening. About five days ago, she came to Rajasthan with a group to enjoy the Holi festival. This group of foreign tourists was staying in a PG located in Sindhi Camp area. On Wednesday evening, the woman called a young man to give her an Ayurvedic massage. During the massage, the accused forced himself on the woman despite the victim's protest and later ran away from there." The victim lodged a report at the Sindhi Camp Police Station on Thursday.

The police caught the accused after getting the victim's medical examination done and is currently being questioned.

The accused, sources said, was trying to escape to Kerala He worked at a massage service in Khatipura.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 19 : Eyebrows were raised when the CPI-M leadership invited Congress veterans Shashi Tharoor, the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha member and former Union Minister K.V. Thomas to speak at a seminar which is being organised as part of the 23rd Party Congress of the CPI-M, to be held at Kannur next month.

But State Congress president K. Sudhakaran has informed the two party veterans that they should not attend the seminar.

"No way, they cannot attend the seminar because our cadres will not like it and it has been told to them," said a peeved Sudhakaran, who is known for his long running feud with the CPI-M at his home turf -- Kannur, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

Responding to it, State Secretary of CPI-M Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said it's strange that when Congress leaders are seen at BJP events and also at the venue of SDPI -- the political outfit of Islamic organisation Popular Front of India, there is a ban on attending CPI-M events.

Incidentally, Tharoor had rubbed a huge section of the state leadership the wrong way when he took a position appreciating the efforts of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a few projects and Thomas who has had a long innings in both houses of the parliament and also as a State Minister in the past is cut up with the state leadership of the Congress after he was denied his sitting Lok Sabha seat - Ernakulam in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Speculations were rife that Thomas might move out of the Congress as he feels he is being treated as an outcast and it increased when he made a valiant attempt to get the lone Rajya Sabha seat.

Tongues wagged when reports surfaced of his presence at the CPI-M state party headquarters here last week and it increased when he was named as a guest to speak at the seminar of the CPI-M.

Hence all eyes are on if the two seasoned veterans will abide by the directions of the party president or will attends as guests at the CPI-M Party Congress.
Patna, March 19 : A Maharashtra based share trading company has duped a Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) jawan Rs 30 lakh, police said on Saturday.

The victim, Ranjit Kumar Singh is a native of Bhojpur district and posted in 40 battalion of SSB Danapur under Patna district.

As per his complaint to Danapur police station, Singh had received a phone call from one Sanjay Shukla, who introduced himself as an investment manager of Fin Capita Research Jalgaon, Maharashtra.

"Shukla gave a lucrative offer of doubling money in two months. He asked me to open a demat account which I did in the name of my wife Gangotri Devi. He asked me to deposit the amount in the company account. I deposited Rs 29 lakh 73 thousand 524 in it between November 29, 2021 and February 25, 2022," Singh said.

When he wanted to withdraw the profit amount, the company officials refused. They asked him to deposit more money for withdrawal. As it appeared fishy, Singh refused and demanded his money back as per the current value of the shares.

"I felt that the company has duped me to the tune of Rs 30 lakh. Finally, I approached Danapur police station and lodged a complaint against the company. I have mentioned the bank transaction details and phone numbers used during the conversations," Singh said.

CB Singh, an investigating officer said: "We have received a complaint in this matter and registered an FIR against the Fin Capita Research Jalgaon, Maharashtra. The case has been transferred to the cyber cell for further investigation."
Moscow, March 19 : The Russian military destroyed an underground warehouse with ammunition belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the help of the Kinzhal aviation missile system, a Defence Ministry official said.

Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Ministry's official representative, said the Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed the warehouse located in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region on Friday, RT reported.

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, also known as 'Dagger', is a Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic aeroballistic air-to-ground missile.

It has a claimed range of more than 2,000 km, Mach 10 speed, and an ability to perform evasive manoeuvers at every stage of its flight.

It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and can be launched from Tu-22M3 bombers or MIG 31 K interceptors.

The Kinzhal entered service in December 2017 and is one of the six new Russian strategic weapons unveiled by President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.

In addition, the Russian coastal missile system "Bastion" destroyed radio and electronic intelligence centres in Odessa, the Ministry said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Yadgir, : March 19 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that the Bhagavd Gita should form a part of the school syllabus.

The matter has been discussed in Gujarat only on Friday. "Our education minister has been discussing about inclusion of the Bhagavd Gita in the syllabus. After getting information from the education department in this regard, a decision will be taken on it," he explained.

Asked whether Bhagavad Gita would teach moral lessons, he retorted that if not for Bhagavad Gita, which other scripture can teach morals to children.

In this competitive age, children need moral education said CM Bommai and asked not to create unnecessary confusion in this regard.

If Bhagavad Gita is made part of the syllabus, it will help children with intelligence, he maintained.

On Friday, Education Minister B.C. Nagesh stated that a decision on mandating the teachings of Bhagavad Gita to school children will be taken after consulting Chief Minister Bommai.

Minister Nagesh stated that the demand is growing for inclusion of moral science into the syllabus of children as it has a good impact. In Gujarat, they are planning to implement it in three phases.

Former Union Minister for External Affairs S.M. Krishna used to say that he reads Bhagavad Gita every day for strength. In this country, all tall leaders, elders who have thought about the nation have talked highly about Bhagavad Gita, Minister Nagesh stated.

Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography has written that his mother's teachings on Ramayana and Mahabharath during his childhood helped him evolve as a truthful person. He also said that Satya Harishchandra enactment also influenced him to be truthful, Minister Nagesh explained.

Minister for Large and Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani stated that Bhagavad Gita has human values and children need to learn about those values. The government of Gujarat has taken a decision to add Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus and a decision should be taken in Karnataka also to introduce Bhagavad Gita to children, he said.

However, D.K. Shivakumar, State Congress President has stated that there are lessons on Ramayan, Bhagavad Gita and other religious holy books in the syllabus. There is no necessity to glorify anything now, he opined.
United Nations, March 19 : Humanitarian needs in Myanmar were increasing as the conflict continues, particularly in the country's southeast and northwest regions, a UN spokesman said.

There are 889,900 displaced people, including 370,000 already displaced before the military coup was declared on February 1, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Humanitarian needs are growing. But access to people in need remains limited, hampering the planned scale-up of humanitarian assistance in 2022, Xinhua news agency quoted Dujarric as saying.

"Clashes, road blockages and military checkpoints limit our access to areas where needs are critical." The demand for support to people in need exceeds the capacity to respond. But the UN and partners are continuing to provide food, water, warm clothes, blankets, and mosquito nets, as well as hygiene kits and Covid-19 prevention items, he said.

The spokesman also noted that UN and partners also provide protection services to displaced people and communities in conflict areas across the country.

He urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure people in need have access to humanitarian aid.

The UN's 2022 humanitarian response plan for Myanmar, which seeks $826 million, is only 6 per cent funded, Dujarric said.

"We urge donors to give generously in solidarity with the people of Myanmar." Since the coup overthrew the democratically elected government and the subsequent arrest of leaders, including State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, there have been widespread protests, armed resistance and mass killings in Myanmar.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit, says 1,503 people have been killed since the military regime came to power.
Chennai, March 19 : Director Aishwarya Rajinikanth, who recently directed a single track, has disclosed why the festival of colours - Holi is special to the family of superstar Rajinikanth.

Taking to Instagram to post a couple of pictures shot while celebrating the festival, Aishwarya Rajinikanth said, "What is life without some colour? Holi is extra special for our family because 'Shivaji' was named 'Rajinikanth' on this day by our dearest K Balachander thatha and there it began... Happy holi to you... Wash the colour off tomorrow but keep the smile on..." The director has some huge plans on the cards. A week ago, when she was recovering from Covid, she had met actor-director Raghava Lawrence, who happens to be a big fan of her dad, superstar Rajinikanth.

Soon after the meeting, Aishwaryaa had said, "Something interesting is brewing. My brain is racing after my meeting with Lawrence Anna. Work mode on. Wherever Whenever Whatever!" Raghava Lawrence, for his part, had tweeted, "All the best sister! Ragavendra swamy is always with you."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
PHOENIX -- Locals are familiar with extended days of extreme heat in the summer -- but they might not realize the average temperature in Phoenix has increased 4.3 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1970s, according to Climate Central.

The rising heat, along with the ongoing megadrought and persistently poor air quality, are driving issues behind how the countrys fifth-largest city plans to address climate change.

The City Council approved the updated Climate Action Plan on Oct. 12, 2021, just a few weeks before COP26 -- the United Nations sponsored conference that brings countries together to discuss climate change -- took place in Scotland.

COP26 set goals for leaders to develop and bring back home, most notably how to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and limiting the increase in global temperatures to within 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The citys updated plan is in line with those goals.

By focusing on COP26, it provides a little bit of pressure for cities to step up because if cities dont make some of these changes, theres no way the federal government can actually achieve the commitments its promised. So it goes both ways, said Sonja Klinsky, a professor at Arizona State Universitys School of Sustainability. Theres a chance for cities to put pressure on the federal government and for the entire global community to put pressure on cities to step up and do more.

Phoenix is one of the fastest warming cities in the country according to a report by Climate Central, and a drought that has stretched over two decades is a concern for the entire state.

The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that over 50% of the state is experiencing drought conditions, as of Dec. 28, 2021. Lake Mead, a part of the Colorado River system that provides water to 40 million people in the Southwest, hit record low water levels last year, prompting first-ever cutoffs to farmers in Arizona and other states in 2022.

Phoenixs action plan

The citys plan focuses on two critical goals to achieve by 2050: reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resiliency.

Emission reduction goals target stationary energy -- fossil fuels, including gas and oil, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency -- transportation and waste as a resource. Resilience goals focus on air quality, heat, local food systems and water.

A climate action plan is also helpful in helping us think through how we can protect people from climate change impacts, Klinsky said. Arizona is very vulnerable to climate change impacts.  We already struggle with both heat and water, and so changes in both heat and water are things that Arizona should be taken quite seriously.

Flagstaff and Tempe also have climate action plans, but Klinsky said Arizona on the whole is a latecomer to such plans.

Cities have been making climate action plans in the rest of the world since the late 90s, she said. Many cities are already 15 or 20 years ahead. It is essential because we are one of the most vulnerable parts of the United States.

Chicago, for example, launched its plan in 2008. Portland, Oregon implemented a global warming reduction strategy in 1993, and in 2009 adopted a climate action plan.

Cities really need their own plan, said Susan Hassol, the director of Climate Communication, a nonprofit science and outreach organization. All cities could say, Well were going to cut our emissions 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050, but how are we going to do that? What are the areas in which were going to make changes.

For some cities, Hassol said, the focus is on things like electrifying everything. And then we have to clean up the electricity supply. Those are kinds of things that you can decide nationally or even internationally.

Phoenixs success with its plan hinges on working with other cities, said Yassamin Ansari, who represents southwest Phoenix on the city council. Tempe continues to revise its plan -- something much-larger Phoenix can learn a lot from, she said.

The Phoenix plan is a 213-page document, but Deputy City Manager Karen Peters said its not done -- new data will improve it over time.

Peters, who helped shape the updated plan, said the city is putting together a list of emission sources that contribute to greenhouse gases for 2020, including fossil fuels, transportation and waste. This inventory will show whether the city is on track to achieve the goals outlined in the climate plan, she said.

That might drive us to change some of these goals or say that weve accomplished some of these goals and should be even better, Peters said.

Initial sustainability goals were approved by the council in 2016, Peters said. Those plans put Phoenix on a path to be net zero with carbon emissions by 2060, meaning carbon sinks such as trees, will absorb carbon from the air. But the city wanted to align its goals with the Paris Agreement, which aimed to keep global temperature increases below 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

That requires that we get to net zero carbon emissions as a community by 2050, Peters said. So the Climate Action Plan kind of details where carbon emissions are today and what we would need to do to accomplish that goal.

Phoenix in 2020 joined C40, which is a network of mayors working to halve emissions of their cities within a decade. This means the city is required to align its climate plan with the Paris Agreement goals, Peters said.

That international treaty was adopted in December 2015 and enacted in November 2016. In 2019, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord, but the Biden administration rejoined in February 2021.

Peters said Phoenix has been working to reduce greenhouse gases since starting government operations emissions inventories in 2005. In 2012, the city began conducting biannual inventories that track where and how much emissions are being produced, not only by government operations but by the community, as well.

Wed have that kind of baseline to work from and so since that time, weve been working on identifying the goals that would get us there, Peters said.

The city conducts its greenhouse gas emission inventory through its partnership with Arizona State University.

There are huge benefits that come with reducing greenhouse gas emissions for air quality, which is a problem in Phoenix, Peters said.

Anything that we do to reduce carbon emissions has a wonderful coincidental benefit of also improving our air quality, Peters said. That has lots of health benefits. We have a lot of childhood asthma, we have a lot of downstream impacts from bad air quality.

Peters, whose areas of responsibility include environmental programs, sustainability, heat preparation and water conservation, thinks the city is on the right path and on track to meet a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

If everyone does their part, not only will we have a healthier community in the short run, she said, but in the long run, we will avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Peters said C40 has outlined that Phoenix needs to reduce emissions by 2030 by 67% based on the citys population and community characteristics to help reach the larger global goal of 50% carbon emission reduction.

Hassol of Climate Communication said emissions reduction is an issue around the globe, but it starts locally and ends locally.

The emissions come from every locality and the solutions are implemented at the ground level in every locality, she said. Everyone needs to contribute to reaching the goal of not exceeding 1.5 degrees celsius, the Paris goal.

The next steps

Ansari said the City Council will use upcoming budget cycles to vote on new programs for electric vehicles, shade initiatives and cool corridors under the Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs.

Thats a place where we can really put our money where our mouth is and invest in climate solutions, said Ansari, who attended COP26.

While in Scotland, Ansari learned more about other cities climate action plans, bringing back potential ideas for future programs.

I think there are some cities that have done a really amazing job with implementing, she said, noting, for example, Londons effort to create car free zones.

Everything is public transportation, walking, biking and theyve seen drastic improvements in their air quality, Ansari said. There are a lot of little pilot programs like that I think we can learn from and the more we collaborate with other cities the better.

Phoenix launched its first publicly funded Heat Response and Mitigation Office in October, which is led by ASU associate professor of urban planning David Hondula. The office is developing plans to increase shade by planting more trees and erecting shade structures, as well as exploring other ways to combat the rising heat in metro Phoenix.

I think that (the Climate Action Plan) is awesome, Ansari said. Its a great start, but every year we just have to keep adding to it and really being innovative in how we spend funds to make sure that sustainability is incorporated across everything that we do.

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Mumbai, March 19 : Dibakar Banerjee's 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' (SAPF) completed one year of its release on Saturday.

Arjun Kapoor, who essayed the role of Satinder "Pinky" Dahiya in the film, recently shared that the film took him to dark places in his subconscious but at the same time it helped him to sketch a fine performance that the audience connected with.

Revealing that he channeled all the negative emotions of his life into his character, Arjun said, "'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' took me to really dark places in my heart and though it was extremely uncomfortable for me, it made me deliver a performance that people have called my career best." He continued, "So, I guess it was worth channeling all the negative thoughts and emotions and converting them into something so positive for my career. I have to thank Dibakar Banerjee for being my guide through the process, breaking me down and enabling me to shed my inhibitions to become Pinky on screen." Arjun took diction classes for two months before shooting the film and the effort spoke loudly on screen.

He added, "I enjoy learning something new in every film and 'SAPF' made me learn a dialect that I had never spoken on screen. Playing a Haryanvi cop was novel for me because I'm a city kid, born and raised in Mumbai. So, I had to work hard to pick up the dialect and worked on it for a good two months because I wanted to perfect it before I delivered the first shot." Crediting the film for bringing about a new phase in his career, the actor further said, "If I had to describe the impact of 'SAPF', I would say that my career should be viewed in two phases, pre-SAPF and post-SAPF." "I'm unafraid to take up new challenges now and want to get out of my comfort zone. 'Kuttey', 'The Lady Killer' are choices that I credit 'SAPF' for. It has made me a better actor and I intend to show that to the world going forward", he concluded.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, March 19 : Four children have been killed by an unexploded ordnance blast in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, the country's Ministry of Interior said on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Shah Wali Kot district when an Explosive Remnant of War (ERW) was detonated when the children were playing in a village, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

The term ERW refers to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO) by Afghan officials.

Landmines, anti-personnel mines as well as ERWs left behind from wars kill or maim about 120 people every month in the post-conflict country, according to official sources.

On Friday, two civilians were killed and three others wounded when an ERW exploded in eastern Paktia province.
Amaravati, March 19 : Andhra Pradesh's opposition party, the TDP has alleged that under the rule of Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government, illicit and cheap liquor is flowing everywhere in the state and demanded a white paper on revenue from liquor.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Saturday said that while irrigation water flowed under TDP rule, illicit and cheap liquor is flowing under YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) rule.

The former minister termed it 'moral bankruptcy' on the part of the ruling YSRCP leaders to blame the Chandrababu regime for everything even after three years rule.

Jagan Reddy is taking lives of innocent people by supplying his own 'J-brands' which are severely harmful and life-threatening, he said referring to deaths of 19 persons due to alleged illicit liquor in Jangareddygudem town during last few days.

The TDP leader claimed that the ruling YSRCP leaders were earning from cheap liquor, ganja and drugs 10 times more than the liquor revenue coming to the State Government.

He alleged that the Chief Minister betrayed the people by breaking his promise on phased prohibition. The government was just bent on getting as much revenue as possible from liquor sales.

Ramakrishnudu recalled how Jagan Reddy spoke about the destruction of lives because of the liquor menace. Why was the Chief Minister not taking any steps to prevent the illicit liquor deaths now, he asked.

The TDP leader demanded a white paper on liquor sales, revenue and debts raised during the past three years.

The TDP leader said the government should come out with details of the loans taken through the excise department and the beverages corporation. "How much interest was being paid? Which properties were mortgaged for those loans? For what those multi-crore loans were spent? The Government should reveal if it applied for more loans," he said.

Ramakrishnudu demanded the government to disclose the names of distilleries from which harmful cheap liquor brands were being bought. Why were these brands being bought without releasing tenders, he asked while seeking details on the quality of these brands.

The TDP leader said the YSRCP brought Pegasus to the fore only to divert the public attention from rising public resentment. The Jagan regime was afraid of the backlash on liquor deaths, commissions and loans. Some uneducated YSRCP leaders had no idea about the spelling of Pegasus but they were throwing mud on the TDP regime, he said.

The ruling party leaders did not know the fact that the spyware would be sold only to the governments but not to private individuals. Moreover, the permission of the Central Government was required for this. The Jagan Government's reply under RTI clearly indicated that the Andhra Pradesh Government had not procured such a software.

The YSRCP had on Friday demanded a probe into West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement that the previous TDP government in Andhra Pradesh had purchased spyware from Pegasus.
Sydney, March 19 : Australians on Saturday marked the 90th anniversary of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A host of events littered Sydney's harbour as locals and tourists rang in the bridge's 9th decade of regular use, including a spectacular lighting up of the bridge at night, a number of pop-up art galleries and museums displaying the bridge's history, musical and dramatic performances, and a commemorative vintage train ride, reports Xinhua news agency.

Kicking off Saturday's festivities, a red F1 Vintage Electric Train and a New South Wales (NSW) Waratah Train, the city's most modern train, headed across the bridge in opposite directions -- a symbolic meeting of "old and new".

As the train rolled into the platform just north of Sydney Harbour Bridge, excited children and reminiscent seniors piled into the train for the historic ride.

Over the other side of the bridge performers and actors warmed up ahead of keen crowds. An actor dressed in newsboy attire from the 1930s passed out papers and touted facts about the bridge.

"Extra, extra read all about it, Sydney Harbour Bridge's construction used over 6 million rivets," he shouted to passers-by.

Plaques lined the harbour with facts and stories about the bridge's construction and long history, and performers brought brightness despite the dreary grey skies.

More than just a tourist destination, the bridge was first opened for public use on March 19, 1932. To this day it joins Sydney's northern and western suburbs and continues to play an integral role in the development of the nation's largest city.

NSW Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott praised the bridge as a vital part of Sydney's history on how its citizens move around the city.

"On this day 90 years ago, the Sydney Harbour Bridge came to life, and so too did the vision of a modern Sydney. More than 1 million people crossed the bridge on its opening day in trams, trains and on foot, which was almost the entire population of Sydney at that time," said Elliot.

Despite what the scale of the feat might suggest, its construction and completion came at a time of extreme poverty in Australia's Great Depression when unemployment hit a staggering 32 per cent in 1931.
Kabul, March 19 : The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan on Saturday welcomed the extension of UN mission in the war-torn nation for another year.

"The extension of the UN mission in Afghanistan is in Afghanistan's interest, which we welcome," Xinhua news agency quoted Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief government spokesperson, as saying in a statement.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) till March 17, 2023.

"We hope that through UN, the international community will strengthen and formalize relations with the Islamic Emirate, as well as support and assist the people of Afghanistan in the humanitarian, medical and construction sectors," Mujahid said.

Since the Taliban takeover in August last year, the economic situation has worsened in the country with a higher unemployment rate and rising poverty, while sporadic attacks also continue.
Moscow, March 19 : President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has said that if Ukraine does not agree with Russia now, it will eventually sign an act of surrender.

"It is now that Russia is offering Ukraine an agreement. If Ukraine does not come to an agreement with Russia, it will sign the act of surrender," Lukashenko said during a TV interview, RT reported.

According to Lukashenko, now the Russian side is offering Ukraine a settlement and an agreement, which are acceptable.

"Perhaps, the only moment that may not be repeated is for Ukraine to adequately get out of the current situation. If this moment is lost, it will most likely never come back. This situation will no longer exist. Therefore, Ukraine needs to cling to this moment," he stressed.

In an interview with the Japanese TV channel TBS, Lukashenko also said that Ukrainian President Zelensky currently has little control over the processes taking place in the country.

"I can only express my point of view regarding Zelensky now. I think that he manages the processes in Ukraine a little. Even before the conflict, he did not delve into these processes much, probably due to his preparedness or unpreparedness. But he is not a stupid person. And I hoped that with experience, in the second presidential term, he would absolutely adequately manage the situation in Ukraine. That did not happen. A conflict has begun," he was quoted as saying.

According to Lukashenko, the situation in Ukraine is currently controlled by representatives of the West and the US, who have taken the process of countering Russia into their own hands.

"In addition to the fact that they officially supply the most modern weapons there, I think they are in charge of a complete military resistance, a military process in Ukraine.

"Roughly speaking, Zelensky has two phones on his desk: one phone and the second is a satellite connection with Biden and British Prime Minister Johnson. Thus, two phones. So, basically it is controlled by these two leaders. A dependent person," he said.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Hyderabad, March 19 : Ram Charan sent medicine, money and other essentials to a member of his security staff all the way to Ukraine amid the war situation.

A video posted by a man named Rusty from Ukraine, has caught the attention of all. Rusty, who posted a video on the internet a few days ago, thanked Ram Charan for sending medicine and other essentials.

"Ram Charan was here to shoot for his movie and I worked as his body guard during his stay in our country. He called me as soon as the war broke out. I did mention about my wife's sickness and lack of medicines", Rusty said.

"Ram Charan sent medicine to help my suffering wife, as well as a few other essentials. I thank him from the bottom of my heart", the person said, as he also hopes for the war to end soon.

Ram Charan, who acted in 'RRR', had shot extensively across India, with a few sequences in Ukraine and Bulgaria. While his stay in Ukraine during 'RRR' shoot, Ram Charan was assisted by a security person named Rusty, who is a native Ukrainian.

As soon as the war broke out, Ram Charan was worried about Rusty, and hence had called him to know about his well being amid the war scenario. Rusty, who had mentioned about his wife's sickness, also mentioned that the situation was out of hand.

Ram Charan had sent a few essentials along with medicine for the man's wife. This act of generosity by Chiranjeevi's son is being appreciated by folks from the industry.
New Delhi, March 19 : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit.

Kishida will be holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will discuss global and regional issues.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received Fumio Kishida at the IGI Airport on Saturday.

Talking about the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to India, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said, "India and Japan summit will be held on March 19." "On invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida will be undertaking an official visit to New Delhi from March 19 to March 20 for the 14th India Japan annual summit." At the summit, it will be the first meeting of the two leaders. The previous summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

India 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.
Take a fairly large number of people together in a comparatively cramped space deep underwater -- a domain unfamiliar and fatal for unprotected humans, throw in the brewing tensions whenever disparate humans are in a confined space for a considerable time, and some existing/futuristic technology -- these are the basic makings of the "submarine story" -- a captivating sub-genre of the always popular maritime fiction adventures.

Though submarines are helpful for exploring the last unmapped space on our planet -- the deep sea and its wonders, their primary role is as largely silent, virtually undetectable machines of war. The characteristics of the vessel -- its strengths, the vulnerabilities, and the risks, the calibre and capabilities of its operators, and its tasks, can generate many more plot devices.

It's a sub-genre that lends itself well to visual depiction -- remember how many of the James Bond films (not the books though) featured submarines, or for that matter, Tintin's adventures? -- but it makes for equally captivating reading.

Take its primary role. When two submarines face off, it is akin to two blindfolded fighters trying to track each other by only the sound they make. And when other weapon platforms on different domains -- surface or aerial -- join in to hunt submarines, the tension ratchets up manifold. Imagine knowing you are being targeted, but being unable to see the threat and unlike on land, there is no place to hide beyond a limited space.

Submarine stories are therefore set mostly in wars, or near wars, whether between nations or even one individual fighting his own battle.

That happens to be the originator of this sub-genre -- visionary French science fiction writer Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas" (French 1872; first English translation, 1873). This story is pretty well-known due to all the films it has inspired, but it seems more relevant to know how this work failed to receive its due from the initial English translations.

Not only was the name mistranslated to "sea", instead of "seas", denoting the length of the voyages of Captain Nemo's 'Nautilus', not their depth, but the account also suffered from the haste and predilections of these translators.

Verne was not the "inventor" of submarines, which were around in his time, though extremely primitive, but he did forecast pretty accurately their modern versions.

Though some critics initially disputed this, this was due to the first British and American translators, who abridged his works by chopping out most of the science and the longer descriptive passages, committed thousands of basic translating errors, and even censored the texts by removing or diluting anti-British or anti-American references, or rewrote them to suit their personal views. It took more faithful translations -- the first in 1962, and onwards -- to restore Verne's credentials.

Submarines crop up across adventure fiction in works ranging from those of Alistair Maclean to Nevil Shute, and from accomplished spy novelists such as Len Deighton, and even romantic comedy writers like Kathy Lette, or practitioners of high fantasy -- with a punch, like Terry Pratchett. Let's look at a few of them.

Denys Rayner's "The Enemy Below" (1956) is a story of a battle, over four days, between a British destroyer and a German U-Boat in the South Atlantic Ocean, with both commanders gaining increasing respect for each other, till the time they are literally and metaphorically in the same boat. The author, who was a Royal Navy officer during World War II, and had commanded anti-submarine operations, goes on to tell how much of the story is true, or even possible.

"Run Silent, Run Deep" (1955) by Edward L. Beach Jr., who had a respectable career as a US Navy submarine commander, transposes the action to the Pacific theatre. An unmatched guide to this form of warfare, it also goes on to deal with equally important and relevant human aspects of courage, loyalty, honour, ambition, and revenge, and how war tests and amplifies them. The possibility of modern war setting its moral standards is brought out quite shockingly in the denouement.

On the other hand, Shute's post-apocalyptic "On the Beach" (1957), set in a world where an accidental nuclear exchange has devastated the entire northern hemisphere and a small band of survivors in southern Australia live out their limited lives as the radioactive clouds drift towards them, has a key submarine sub-plot.

With the only survivors being in southernmost parts of Australia, South Africa, and South America, the arrival of a strange radio message from Seattle creates hope, and an American submarine, which had survived since it was in southern waters, sets out to investigate.

On the way, they confirm that the radioactive fallout has not abated, no other life remains, and even their venture was a forlorn hope.

The Cold War offered fertile ground for use of submarines.

Deighton worked them well into the various installments of his story of an unnamed, unglamorous spy that began with "The IPPCRESS File" (1962). "Horse Under Water" (1963), the second installment, deals with retrieving items -- which keep on changing from material to ideological to technical, from a German U-boat sunk off the Portuguese coast in the last days of World War II.

Then, "Spy Story" (1974) sees its protagonists, two mid-level intelligence analysts, returning home from a six-week stint on a nuclear submarine in the Arctic, through various stratagems, twists and turn, and mysteries, and then, head back to the Arctic on a submarine where a curious game is to be played.

Maclean's adventures, often set in bleak places such as the Arctic, frequently draw in submarines, for reaching the wilderness, if not anything else, and then, as a good place for the layered and twisty denouement that marks most of his works. "Ice Station Zebra" (1963) is a sterling example, with what appears to be a simple rescue operation turning out to have more than what meets the eye.

If maritime thriller aficionados have read just one submarine thriller, it's likely to be Tom Clancy's debut "Hunt for Red October" (1984), which birthed the techno-thriller genre.

The story of a leading Red Navy officer's elaborate revenge against a system he has come to personally oppose, it is probably the most realistic account of submarine operations, uses, and policies as the story shifts from multiple submarines, to meetings of the Soviet politburo, at the White House, and in Soviet and US naval headquarters as American authorities devise a plan to get the windfall heading their way.

Submarines, as mentioned, play key roles in at least two Tintin adventures -- a positive, but ultimately unfruitful one, in "Red Rackham's Treasure", and a little more adverse one in "The Red Sea Sharks".

Moving on to the more fantastic occurrences, there is a prototype in Terry Pratchett's "Jingo" (1997), named by its brilliant but sadly unimaginative inventor as "Going-Under-the-Water-Safely Device". It goes on to play a key role in this stellar installment of the Sam Vimes/City Watch cycle of the Discworld saga which calls out xenophobia, racism, and cultural insularity, while satirising jingoism, extreme nationalism, and Lawrence of Arabia.

And then there is finally "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), which is different from most of the above -- insofar as they were books that became films, but this was a film whose novelisation became as famous -- or rather, stayed more famous for over four decades than the movie.

The plot is a desperate attempt to cure a defecting scientist, badly wounded in his attempt, by a team of intrepid adventurers from inside his body, via miniaturisation! As it was Isaac Asimov who adapted the script, the book corrected countless scientific errors, while adding several elements and nuances -- such as a character identifying the mole, who is painted more grey than black, while bringing to focus science problems brought by the movie's premise, say, seeing when wavelengths of visible light are larger than the eyes of the crew, and getting air from the lungs when molecules are not much smaller than the submarine.

There are many more, but these works offer a good start. Dive in! (Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
Mumbai, March 19 : Actress Katrina Kaif shared the pictures from her first Holi with husband Vicky Kaushal and her in-laws recently.

Taking to her Instagram, the actress shared two pictures, where she can been in the company of Vicky's father and acclaimed action director Sham Kaushal, his mother Veena Kaushal, and brother Sunny.

Everyone is seen smiling with gulal on their faces. In the second picture, Veena is seen touching Katrina's cheek, as they posed for the camera. This year's Holi is Vicky and Katrina's first since their wedding. In the photos, Katrina is seen posing with Vicky's parents and his brother Sunny Kaushal.

Vicky and Katrina got married in December in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. The very intimate wedding ceremony was attended only by their closest friends and family members. After the ceremony, they headed to the Maldives for a honeymoon and returned to Mumbai in just a few days. The couple also rented an apartment in the Juhu area of Mumbai after their marriage in December.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Apparently, the first time I met Ms. Dam Thu was also the first she got to A Luoi., and it has been 20 years. Time is mentioned because she has just sent me a bunch of beautiful photos of Hue with the message: "Sent from Canada... For Hue people, it's too familiar. It has been six years since I returned to Hue."

Dam Thu and her husband in 1958

The photos of Truong Tien Bridge, Thien Mu Pagoda, Ngo Mon (Meridian Gate)... are so familiar, but for the one with a deep predestined love for Hue like Ms. Dam Thu, those landscapes and cultural relics remind her of countless recollections.

Just recently, after Thua Thien Hue Newspaper published an article Nhung chuyen con it nguoi biet (Little - known stories) of Dr. Nguyen Tu Gian, she called to "add" the details she was not convenient to write in the opening essay of the book. Then she told many stories relevant to Hue, and I was amazed to hear her say,  You know, I've been to A Luoi 7 times

Much to my surprise and admiration, as a writer who "clung to" Hue for decades, once lived and fought in Truong Son, I only visited A Luoi - hero Kan Lichs homeland - once. However, Dam Thu, a woman born in 1935, with a small physique, also called tieu thu khue cac (a noble young lady) in Ha Thanh land, not only traveled to A Luoi many times but also had the "close friends" in this remote mountain.

How strange her life was! The "predestined love" that made Dam Thu interested in A Luoi ethnic children originated from a Western man.

In 2001, right after Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh called on Western countries to join hands to help Agent Orange victims, Association for Protection of Children infected with Agent Orange (VNED) was established in Paris (France).

In April 2002, Dr. Bernard Doray and his wife, Vice President of VNED, "volunteered" to get to A Luoi, and Ms. Dam Thu agreed to act as a bridge (interpreter, letter writing...) between VNED and the Agent Orange families.

At that time, Ms. Dam Thu was 67 years old; the road to A Luoi was still littered with rocks, and the Ta Oi, Pa Co and Co Tu ethnic people were living in extreme poverty, but she and two French doctors traveled to many families in Hong Van and Dong Son communes... to learn thoroughly about each person's life and illness.

It was no coincidence that VNED chose Ms. Dam Thu as a bridge with disadvantaged children in Thua Thien Hue uplands, and she eagerly took on this arduous task.

First of all, this was because she was fluent in French; both she and her husband were French overseas Vietnamese before returning home to join in the nation's long resistance war and build the country.

Moreover, many French friends knew that she used to be a reporter for Vietnam Women's Newspaper in charge of the column "For the future of our children, and for 10 years (1980-1990) of taking charge of Vietnam Women's Magazine in English by the Central Committee of Vietnam Women's Union, she had the opportunities to interact with many international guests.

Notably, although not born in Hue, she has a "predestined love" for Hue for many reasons. Her mother was the great-grandson of Dr. Nguyen Tu Gian  a high-level official who was close to King Tu Duc for years and wholeheartedly supported the national renewal activities of Nguyen Truong To, Pham Phu Thu, Bui Vien...

Her husband is engineer Tran Dang Nghi. After the August Revolution, he volunteered to work as a liaison for the Liberation Army of Hue, when a student at Quoc Hoc School. His father was originally from Hanoi. While working in Hue, he "fell in love with a girl in Bao Vinh. His parents passed away in Hue and are now being worshipped at Van Phuoc Pagoda

The couple Tran Dang Nghi - Dam Thu was similar to many Quoc Hoc - Dong Khanh "perfect couples" in Hue, except that Dam Thu was a student at Dong Khanh School - Hanoi (in 1948, renamed Trung Vuong School).

Dam Thu as well as many young people from the "elite" rank at that time traveled to France to study. It was thought that a life of affluence in a developed capitalist country might discourage and "isolate" them from the patriotic movement; on the contrary, almost all of them returned home for devoting their talent to the resistance war and the national construction.

For example, Tran Dang Nghi, one of the founders of the chemistry department at Hanoi Polytechnic University and a number of factories, made a tarpaulin coating for the Ministry of Defense

As for Ms. Dam Thu, after many years of working as a bridge between the foreign experts and sectors, she centered on child psychophysiology research and was the one who helped the Central Committee of Vietnam Women's Union to communicate with many international delegations

Such a person has, of course, been chosen as a bridge between VNED and A Luoi children for many years. For this work, French friends wrote a chapter of the book "Central Vietnam, Revival of A Luoi Valley after the US Bombing and Agent Orange" published in Paris in 2013.

As for Ms. Dam Thu, perhaps it is better to continue the story of her "making friends" with the Pa Co girl, Le Thi Cam. She met Cam on a trip to A Luoi in 2003, knowing that Cam had just failed the upper secondary school exam after a period at boarding school in Hue and then only stayed at home raised chickens because her hands lack a few fingers, making it difficult to do other things.

She also knew that an upper secondary school graduate in A Luoi was then a rarity, so she helped her with scholarship and exam fee in Hue. Every two months, she sent money once and asked Cam to send her a letter as a writing exercise every month.

Cam made the covenant seriously, writing very emotional letters. When you hold my hands normally, Im surprised that you arent scared at all. I feel as if there were a miracle that reattached full hands to me You know, when I go back to Hue to study, many classmates stay away from me when seeing that my hand lost fingers

At the end of the school year, Cam returned to Hue for the graduation exam and got a job as a clerk - accountant in Hong Thuong Commune. In May 2005, she went to A Luoi and met Cam again - "an energetic girl with rosy face riding her bike fast...", and the house sponsored by the State was about to be completed

The story of Ms. Dam Thu "making friends" with Pa Co girl is only a "small corner" in her 87-year-old life. However, it is a vivid proof that even though descended from the aristocracy and on familiar terms with many "Western friends", with their motherhood, kindness, women can be close to the apparently different people and help them overcome unhappiness, integrate into the community.

There are many more stories of Ms. Dam Thu having a "predestined love" for Hue, right before the Tiger Tet, from Ho Chi Minh City, she suddenly called me, saying that traveling to the US, she met two people in an American charity organization, who had been rescued by the Liberation Army soldiers in the days of battle during the Monkey Tet.This is one more predestined love for the woman about to be in her early nineties to cherish the aspiration of continuing to write the book "Encounters on the path of life" she printed 5 years back...

Story: NGUYEN KHAC PHE - Photo: the archive
Mumbai, March 19 : Veteran actress Shabana Azmi paved the way for Indian actors to work in international projects. However, it took a considerable time for her to get a 'colour blind casting', 34 years to be precise after her first stint on the global stage.

The actress, who will be soon seen in the sci-fi series 'Halo' which premiers on Voot Select, recently spoke with IANS about her association with the project, her character in the series and how working in a new genre of sci-fi enriched the artiste in her.

To her, the project came, "as a bit of a surprise". Her agent was in talks with the producers of the show but he "never mentioned it" to her.

The senior actress says, "It was only when it was finalized that he told me and I was really delighted. Once I was finalized, a FaceTime call was set up with Otto Bachurst, the director whom I was very impressed with because of his work in 'Black Mirror' and 'Peaky Blinders'.

"He talked to me at length and then he said that he will be calling me to the boot camp in Budapest and before I knew it I was in Budapest", she explained further.

Talking about her character, she shares, "She is Margaret Paragonsky, an admiral. She is Admiral.

Ask her as to what's the most interesting thing of this project is and she replies, "The whole thing which I found very interesting about that the Asian actors have been asking for colour blind casting for the last 30 years saying, 'why is it automatically presumed that the mainstream is the Caucasian?'".

She continues, "The conversation has been going along for a long time and I remember the first time I saw a play by Peter Brooks in New York in which an African American was playing a brother of a Chinese guy. It has taken so long for even the African Americans to work sans boundaries of colour." Expressing her happiness at the changing paradigm, she adds, "I am very happy that they have been doing this now and with 'Halo' we have a truly international cast, we have fellow artistes from Korea, Canada, America, India and everywhere. This show is a microcosm of the world and nobody was asked to change their appearance, they were accepted as they are." Sharing how the show helped in enriching her creative impulses, she says, "It is always interesting to do something that is totally out of your realm. At this point where I am in life, it is very easy to say that I have done everything so what is new and this is as new as it can get for me." "So it was a challenge but it was also something which gave me an adrenaline rush. I had a near fatal accident in Mumbai and 21 days after that I was on sets of 'Halo' in Budapest and I hadn't got my balance right, I wasn't steady on my feet. It was difficult but suddenly, the adrenaline took over and I gave it all. That's what is always exciting about any kind of creative work", she concluded.

'Halo', which also stars Pablo Schreiber, Natascha McElhone, Charlie Murphy, Bokeem Woodbine and Olive Gray, will be available to stream exclusively on Voot Select from March 24.
Bengaluru, March 19 : The unprecedented success of 'The Kashmir Files' movie has brought to the fore, the agony and misery that Kashmiri Pandits have endured in silence for more than three decades. In those uncertain days of the early 1990s, fleeing the valley in the dead of night, the beleaguered community took shelter in other parts of the country. After Jammu, and Delhi, Bengaluru is one place where a sizeable number of displaced Kashmiri Hindus have rebuilt their homes and futures.

The movie comes as a vindication for the community which was studiously ignored by successive governments and most of the mainstream media.

For RK Mattoo, chairman, Kashmiri Hindu Cultural Welfare Trust, Bangalore, watching the movie was a catharsis of sorts. Speaking to IANS, he blamed the prevailing ecosystem of the 90s and even to this day for the eerie silence over the plight of Kashmiri Pandits.

"After I watched it, I cried, cried and cried because he has shown our story. It is my story. 'The Kashmir Files' is my story. It is the story of 5 lakh displaced Kashmiri Pandits and it has come out now. I am very happy with the way people are taking it now. I'm getting thousands of calls from well-wishers saying we did not know all this happened. Nobody listened to us because there was an ecosystem which is existing even today and it was existing then of pseudo secularists. So they kept it under wraps. Government of India would always be in denial saying everything is under control." The bulk of refugees who landed in Bengaluru in 1990, were employees of public sector enterprises HMT and ITI units in Kashmir. Mattoo, a senior journalist in Bengaluru at the time, played a crucial role in helping the community members settle down in their new home.

"From 1990 to 2005, we had to struggle. Anant Kumar was the MP for Bangalore South and HMT was in his constituency. He took up our cause with the HMT management. All the educational institutions were very nice. Those days it was all on basis of capitation fees. I told them we can't give capitation fees but please give us a seat on merit. That was agreed upon. In some places, they even refunded the fees. Later, (then) chief minister SM Krishna gave one seat in each stream in medical and engineering college for Kashmiri Pandits. He gave the community some land to construct a meeting place. We are very grateful to the people of Karnataka who have been helpful and accepted us." The focus on providing education to the younger generation paid off. Today, with a community centre, Shiva temple and other facilities in place, the five hundred and odd Kashmiri Pandit families of Bengaluru gather regularly to maintain bonds and conserve their culture. A 'Martyrs' Memorial' plaque listing victims of the genocide reminds the community of their dear ones who were not so fortunate to escape.

"Now the aim is, we want every citizen of this country to know what has happened and how the ecosystem kept it under wraps for the last 32 years. We are not going to leave it there. We are going to ask for a commission of enquiry. All those crimes of the perpetrators who killed our people, everything is documented. All the documents that were kept hidden are available." Mattoo feels that the plight of Kashmiri Pandits should be a wake up call for the rest of the country.

"We don't want a repeat of the same situation in West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Tamil Nadu. We see similarities between what happened in Kashmir in 1990s and what is happening now in Kerala or Bengal. We have been warning the Central government for the last 7 years. This movie has brought up the issue now. We want the people to take up the matter now. They should not allow their areas to become Kashmir."
Hyderabad, March 19 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to intensify the protest demanding the Centre to procure entire paddy from the state during Yasangi (Rabi) season.

The Chief Minister said that the Union Government is procuring 100 per cent of paddy from Punjab, and agitation programmes will continue to demand the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure 100 per cent of paddy from Telangana.

He said that it is life and death issue for the farmers of Telangana and TRS is gearing up for intensive struggle this time over the procurement of paddy.

The Chief Minister has convened a meeting of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Legislature on March 21 to chalk out the strategy in this regard.

He has directed all MLAs, MLCs, Party State Executive Committee Members, District Presidents, ZP Chairpersons, Presidents of DCCBs, DCMS and District Presidents of Raithu Bandhu Samithis to attend the meeting.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said that the meeting will chalk out a plan to hold dharnas, agitations and protests demanding the Union Government to buy yasangi paddy in the state.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister and delegation of ministers will leave for Delhi on the same day to meet the Union Ministers and even the Prime Minister to demand for buying of paddy.

The TRS MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will stage protests in line with the agitation in Telangana.
Bengaluru, March 19 : India's Arjun Kadhe and Sidharth Rawat will battle it out for honours in the second successive event as they scored contrasting wins to advance to the final of the US $15000 SKME ITF Open here.

In the semi-finals played at the KSLTA Stadium here on Saturday, Kadhe, seeded fifth overcame Poland's 18-year-old Maks Kasnikowski 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 while Rawat was a 6-2, 7-5 winner over Manish Sureshkumar.

Kadhe, who won the previous leg of ITF Open held in Bhopal last week, is now in line for a double crown as later in the day, the 25-year-old joined hands with Julian Cash of Great Britain to win the doubles title, the second title in as many months at the KSLTA courts. In the title clash of the doubles event, the top-seeded duo defeated the second-seeded pair of Sasikumar Mukund and Vishnu Vardhan 7-6(5), 3-6, 10-7.

Meanwhile, in the first singles semi-finals, the 28-year-old Kadhe and Maks began on the right note holding their respective serves until the 5th game where Kadhe led 3-2.

However, the Polish player upped his game and moved faster on the court and caught his opponent on the wrong foot most of the time and won four games in a row to take the opening set.

Kadhe's game changed with a change of his shirt as he took a decisive 4-2 lead in the second set, courtesy of a break in the fifth game and took the match into the decider where he took complete command. All Maks could do was to hold his serve in the first and seventh game as Kadhe, who sent down 11 aces during the match, signed off with a 6-2 win in the final set.

In the other semi-final, Rawat showed a sense of urgency and controlled for most of the match. After an early break in the second game, he raced to a 3-0 lead before achieving one more break in the sixth game to lead 5-1.

The 22-year-old Sureshkumar broke Rawat's serve in the seventh game but his chances of a comeback were snuffed out with Rawat breaking his serve to win the set.

In the second set, Sureshkumar played some brilliant shots and engaged in long rallies. The strategy did work as he built a 4-2 lead and looked in good stead to win the set. However, Rawat had other plans in mind as he won three games on the trot to go ahead 5-4 and broke his opponent's serve in the 12th game to win the set and the match.

RESULTS: Singles (semis): 5-Arjun Kadhe (IND) bt Maks Kasnikowski (POL) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; 2-Sidharth Rawat (IND) bt 4-Manish Sureshkumar (IND) 6-2, 7-5.

Doubles final: 1-Julian Cash (GBR)/Arjun Kadhe (IND) bt 2-Sasikumar Mukund (IND)/Vishnu Vardhan (IND) 7-6(5), 3-6, 10-7.
New Delhi, March 19 : The three judges of the Delhi High Court will review the cases of National Security Act under a recent advisory of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Act allows to detain a person by an investigating agency for up to one year on the basis of suspicion.

Justice Yogesh Khanna has been made the chairman of the advisory panel. Justice Chandra Dhari Singh and Rajnish Bhatnagar will be the members of the board.

According to information, the MHA constituted this under section 9 of the Act. The NSA was launched by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1980.

If anyone is a threat to the law and order situation under any circumstances, the government can detain him for a year under the NSA. The government has the power to detain any person for ten days without telling the person his charge. NSA empowers government with these powers.

Now the detainee can move his plea before the constituted advisory board of the MHA. Here he will have to represent his case himself. He will have to argue his own case if he needs relief.

The government body which will detain any person, shall be given three weeks time to file reply as to why it detained the person.

The advisory board will, after hearing both the sides, and going through all the documents submitted before it by the government body, will file its reply. The advisory board will file the reply before the government and it can take up to seven weeks further.

The reply of the board will determine the legality of the detention.

The advisory board's report will ensure the release of the detainee, if it comes in his favour. If the board's report comes in favour of the government, it can continue keeping the person in detention.

The detainee will be lodged in jail. The board can take up to six months to file its report. The minimum time to submit the report is three months.
San Francisco, March 19 : Payments company PayPal said that it is expanding its services for Ukrainian accounts and allowing them to send and receive money from friends and family.

In a letter to the Ukrainian government, the company also said that Ukrainian account holders will be able to transfer money from their PayPal accounts to credit and debit cards, as well as to external bank accounts by linking an eligible Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card, CNN reported.

"We believe this service will be helpful for people in Ukraine to receive money from their friends and relatives around the world," the company wrote in a letter to Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov.

"It will also help Ukrainian refugees in other countries, so they can receive money to use or withdraw in their current location," it added.

Previously, PayPal users in Ukraine could only send money internationally from their accounts, not receive it, the company told CNN Business.

PayPal is also waiving transaction fees for remittances to Ukrainian accounts, for both senders and recipients. The change also applies to Xoom, PayPal's global remittance platform, the company said in a blog post.
New Delhi, March 19 : The tripartite partnership for One Health, bringing together the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), formally became a quadripartite as it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The One Health approach aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, ecosystems and the wider environment. It mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems.

It also addresses the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development.

India too has adopted the OHE approach.

The Memorandum of Understanding with the UNEP was signed at the annual executive meeting of the earlier three organisations this week.

"We are stronger with UNEP joining the Tripartite, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said, adding: "UNEP is already active in relevant areas of Tripartite work," a release from OHE said.

Work to tackle the challenges of human, animal and ecosystem health using a more integrated approach has seen significant progress in the past year, leaders of three international organisations cooperating across these sectors said, as they expanded to include the fourth body.

The work of the newly expanded alliance will be focused on a One Health Joint Plan of Action, which includes six main action tracks: enhancing countries' capacity to strengthen health systems under a One Health approach; reducing the risks from emerging or resurfacing zoonotic epidemics and pandemics; controlling and eliminating endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical or vector-borne diseases; strengthening the assessment, management and communication of food safety risks; curbing the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and better integrating the environment into the One Health approach, the release added.

OIE Director General, Monique Eloit acknowledged the key milestone of the MoU with UNEP, and said: "UNEP's mandate, expertise and networks will provide an important contribution to advance One Health. This new chapter in our partnership will make us stronger and more prepared to serve our members and address global health challenges." UNEP's Executive Director Inger Andersen said: "What is apparent to everyone involved in One Health is that no one sector can solve the many problems we face alone. To secure human, animal and environment health - to secure the very future of this planet - we need more collaboration and partnerships. We need to stand together and work together if we are to thrive together. UNEP, as the newest full member of the Alliance, is ready to do its part as an equal partner."
Gurugram, March 19 : Gurugram police have arrested 3 persons for allegedly beating to death a 45-year-old man after a dispute arose during Holi celebrations in Kanhai village of Gurugram.

The police had booked five persons on charges of murder in this connection.

Those arrested have been identified as Mithun, 29, Vivek, 21, and Asif alias Ashu, 19, all residents of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

During questioning the accused disclosed to the police that the victim, Rajender, and the accused are relatives and during the Holi celebrations on Friday, a verbal spat between them turned ugly and they hit Rajender with sticks and bricks on his face and head and fled from the spot. They all work as sweepers.

"A team of Sector-40 police station led by assistant sub-inspector with the help of police techniques nabbed the culprits on Saturday from Gurugram. The remaining two accused will be arrested soon," Subhash Boken, the spokesperson of the Gurugram police said.

Earlier, Based on a complaint filed by the victim's brother Aman, a case of murder and other relevant sections of the IPC had been registered against the culprits at the Sector-40 police station, police said.
Islamabad, March 19 : The joint Pakistan Opposition has asked the National Assembly Speaker to allow it to table the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, instead of postponing the session for several days, Samaa TV reported.

In the event the Speaker tries to postpone the session, the Opposition would block the OIC foreign ministers' conference, it has warned.

Pakistan Peoples Party's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz's Shehbaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam's Fazlur Rehman and other leaders held a press conference after a key meeting of the Opposition parties in Islamabad on Saturday.

They warned the National Assembly Speaker that if he postpones the NA session citing the OIC conference, the Opposition members will stage a sit-in in the National Assembly hall.

"We will see how you convene the OIC conference," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The OIC conference is scheduled to be held in the same hall on March 22 and 23.

At the press conference on Saturday, Bilawal said that faced with a certain defeat, Imran Khan has resorted to undemocratic tactics.

He said that government wants to create a constitutional crisis so that a 'third power' could benefit from the situation.
Chandigarh, March 19 : The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Bhagwant Mann on Saturday appointed senior advocate Anmol Rattan Sidhu as the new Advocate General (AG) of Punjab.

Sidhu replaced Deepinder Singh Patwalia, who resigned after the Assembly poll results were declared.

After his appointment, Sidhu, who remained the President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court bar association for eight times, said he will donate his salary for the treatment of drug addicts and their rehabilitation.

In a tweet, Sidhu said, "On drug menace - Will reach out to such villages and donate my salary as AG for treatment of drug addicts and their rehabilitation. I will start from village Maqbool Pura with the able guidance of Jeevan Jyot Kaur, MLA Amritsar East."
New Delhi, March 19 : The movie released in India called 'The Kashmir Files' is a brave attempt to reveal the atrocities committed by the Pakistan sponsored Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and other Jihadi proxies and with conformity of a significant number of local Islamists in the Valley of Kashmir.

The atrocities were executed against the indigenous Hindu minority living in Kashmir during the 1990 and led to the genocide and forced exodus of nearly 500,000 Kashmiri Hindu Pandits from the Valley.

However, what the movie reveals is like peeling the first lay of the onion. The genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus, in modern day and age, did not begin in 1990 in the valley. It goes way back to when Pakistan army attacked the independent state of Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947.

At the time of partition of India, Jammu and Kashmir territories occupied by Pakistan today (PoJK) had a thriving Hindu and Sikh population. The table below gives a breakdown of the Hindu and Sikh demography in several districts in PoJK in 1941.

See table attached.

A survey conducted by Snedden and published in 2012 mentions that "there are no estimates of Hindus or Sikhs left today in the region and the entire population is assumed to have either been expelled or killed".

The report, widely quoted by research scholars, conforms that they were not able to find a single Hindu or Sikh in the entire region of PoJK. It is estimated that around 122,500 Hindus and Sikhs went missing from PoJK during and after 1947 invasion of PoJK.

Let us not forget that thousands of Hindus and Sikhs had fled the communal riots in Punjab and had seek sanctuary in today's PoJK towns bordering Punjab. This resulted in the number of Hindus and Sikhs in PoJK in 1947 to swell. For instance, Bhimber received at least 2000, Mirpur 15,000, Rajouri 5,000 and Kotli an unaccounted number of Hindu and Sikh refugees.

The Hindu population in Bhimber tehsil was 35 per cent. None have survived the 1947 Pakistan sponsored Hindu-Sikh genocide. But the worst atrocity, to my knowledge, was committed in my hometown of Mirpur where 25,000 Hindus and Sikhs were rounded up, mutilated, shot and beheaded and our women raped by 'Allah O' Akbar' chanting Pakistan army and religious fanatic members of Lashkar.

To this day November 25 is observed as Mirpur (Massacre) Day by the family members of those who were lucky to reach Jammu. On that ill-fated day in 1947 Pakistan army and the mercenary tribal Lashkar entered Mirpur setting on fire several parts of the city, burning down shops and houses of 'Kafir'.

A couple of days before the fall of Mirpur, a convoy of 2,500 Hindu and Sikh had managed to make their escape along with the state troops of Jammu Kashmir and reach Jammu safely. Those who were left behind were rounded up and marched to Ali Baig where the invaders said that a Gurdwara had been converted into a refugee camp.

What was thought to be a march to safety soon turned into a death march as the Pakistan army and members of the mercenary Lashkar killed over 10,000 Hindu and Sikh along the way. They abducted a further 5,000 of our women most of who were the sold in the bazars of Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Peshawar.

Out of 25,000 Hindu and Sikh captives, only 5,000 made it to Ali Baig. However, the killing and rape of the captive men and women continued unabated by their prison guards. Only 1,600 were later rescued by the International Committee of Red Cross who brought the survivors to Rawalpindi and transferred to Jammu.

By 1951, only 790 non-Muslims were alive out of a total population of 114,000 Hindu and Sikh in PoJK. Today there are none. The Mirpur massacre death toll is put over 20,000. Many women committed suicide by consuming poison or by jumping over a cliff. Similarly, numerous men also committed suicide.

The genocide of Hindus was repeated in Rajouri, Baramulla, Muzaffarabad, Bhimber just to mention a few and continues to this day in Kashmir. The movie 'The Kashmir Files' has just revealed the tip of the iceberg. The horror of the Hindu genocide is far more deep-rooted and horrific than it might seem on a silver screen.

(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK)
Srinagar, March 19 : A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was injured on Saturday when militants hurled a grenade at the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

"One CRPF jawan has received injuries in grenade attack. The injured has been identified as dog handler, Amit Kumar.

"Area has been cordoned off for searches," police said.
Bengaluru, March 19 : Five persons, including the managing director of a pharmaceutical company in Hyderabad, have been arrested by officers of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, for unauthorisedly diverting Tramadol to Pakistan.

The NCB Bengaluru detected unauthorised re-export of Tramadol -- an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain -- to Pakistan to the tune of 25,000 kg in a year, and discrepancy pertaining to the declared stock of Acetic Anhydride to the extent of around 3.85 kg, following a search of the premises of Lucent Drugs Pvt Ltd, a pharma company in Sanga Reddy district, Hyderabad, which is one of the key exporters of Tramadol.

NCB officials said that this pharma company was allotted with URN (unique registration number) for consumption of Acetic Anhydride.

During the course of investigation, documentary and digital evidence revealed that the company re-exported Tramadol to Pakistan and innovated the channel of exporting Tramadol to Denmark, Germany and Malaysia and re-exporting the same to Pakistan without any valid permission.

"The company had suppressed information that the ultimate destination is Pakistan along with re-export details. It had obtained NOC for export of Tramadol to Denmark, Germany and Malaysia only, and not to Pakistan. It had re-exported 25,000 kg of Tramadol to Pakistan without any valid permission in 2021," Amit Ghawate, zonal director, NCB Bengaluru, said.

During physical verification of the declared stock of Acetic Anhydride in the factory premises, it was found that there is a shortage of 3.85 kg, as compared to the declared stock. There was descrepancy in the declared stock in the legally mandatory returns to NCB and actual stock of Acetic Anhydride.

The company's managing director, associate vice-president, and three more employees were arrested on Friday and remanded to judicial custody for violation of RCS order 2013 and NDPS Act 1985.

Tramadol opioid medication has long been reported to be diverted from its intended usage as a prescription medication and there is an increase in diversion for illicit use.

Recreational use of high doses of Tramadol is associated with an increased risk of seizures or convulsion. Acetic Anhydride a precursor/controlled substance, which is an important reaction agent for the illicit production of heroin.
Moscow, March 19 : The United States does not allow Ukraine to agree to the conditions put forward by Russia in the negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Saturday.

According to Lavrov, the dialogues have improved, but the United States can "hold the hand" of the Ukrainian delegation. At the same time, the minister expressed hope that the military operation would end with a comprehensive agreement on the neutral status of Ukraine with security guarantees for it, RT reported.

Commenting on the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Lavrov noted that these events were the culmination of the course that the West has pursued against Russia since the early 1990s.

Lavrov also noted that statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he does not support neo-Nazis are at odds with his real actions.

"To my great regret and shame, President Zelensky declares that how can he be a Nazi when he is of Jewish origin, and he says this exactly on the days when Ukraine defiantly withdraws from the agreement on the protection of monuments of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War - such an agreement within the framework of the CIS existed," Lavrov said.

The minister added that when Zelensky patronises such trends, it becomes "difficult to take the policies of the Ukrainian leadership seriously".

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, March 19 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have discussed ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and talked about peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

Kishida in a statement said Modi discussed the situation in Ukraine. "Russia's attack on the Ukraine is a serious issue which has shaken the international world order," Kishida said.

However, Modi did not made any comments over the ongoing Russia and Ukraine War which has reached 24th day.

The Japanese Prime Minister further stated that the world has been shaken today due to many disturbances, it's very important for India and Japan to have a close partnership.

"We expressed our views, talked about the serious invasion of Russia into Ukraine. We need a peaceful solution on the basis of international law," Japanese PM said.

He further stated that India and Japan should increase efforts for an open and free Indo-Pacific region.

"Japan, along with India, will keep trying to end the war and keep providing support to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries," he said.

Kishida arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit on Saturday.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received Kishida at the IGI Airport.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Yadgir : , March 19 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday distributed a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those killed in the LPG cylinder blast at Doranahalli village in Yadgir district.

At least 15 people were killed while 10 injured in the unfortunate incident that took place on February 25.

Speaking to the media persons after distributing the solatium, Bommai said "it is sad that 15 poor people lost their lives when they were rejoicing at an auspicious programme".

The district administration and the legislators have provided necessary help for the families, Bommai said.

One of the injured who is in Solapur for treatment needs Rs 4 lakh for treatment and the cheque for the amount would be presented on his return to Bengaluru, Bommai said.

Responding to the demand for jobs for the family members of the deceased, Bommai said every effort would be made to provide them jobs according to their qualification.

The Chief Minister also wanted the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to help the victims on humanitarian grounds.

"I will take up the issue with senior officials of IOC to get a higher solatium," Bommai said.

Bommai further said, officials have been instructed to make arrangements for the treatment of the injured.
New Delhi, March 19 : Reflecting on how Geosciences are integrally related to a sustainable future, touching various aspects of life, the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) to be held virtually during March 20-22 will highlight first-hand information on latest technologies in mining, mineral exploration & management of water, mineral resource and environment.

Themed "Geosciences: The Basic Science for a Sustainable Future", the IGC is a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and the Science Academies of Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Described as the 'Olympics of Geosciences', the IGCs are held quadrennial, under the aegis of the International Union of Geological Congress (IUGS), the Scientific Sponsor of the IGCs, a release from the Ministry said.

"The event would provide a unique platform for knowledge and experience sharing in the field of geosciences and professional networking. It would give first-hand information on latest technologies in mining, mineral exploration and management of water, mineral resource and environment. It would also facilitate increased academic production and create opportunities for capacity building across geoscientific streams," the release claimed.

The Congress is slated to be inaugurated by Union Minister of Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh in the presence of Minister of State for Coal, Mines & Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve and Minster of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan.

The scientific programme will reflect on how Geosciences are integrally related to a sustainable future, touching various aspects of life. The talks will also highlight the complex interactions of various phenomena that regulate the Earth processes and their symbiosis with the biosphere, by focusing on emerging paradigms in the realm of geosciences in the context of sustainable development.

India, leading its regional partners had bid in the 34th International Geological Congress at Brisbane in 2012 to host the 36th IGC here in 2020. India won the bid. The present Congress originally scheduled to be held during 2-8 March, 2020 was postponed due to Covid pandemic.

The 36th IGC will be releasing three commemorative Postage Stamps on the occasion along with the First Day Cover. As many as 58 years ago, India had hosted the 22nd session of the IGC, which was the first IGC on the Asian soil, the release said.
New Delhi, March 19 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida discussed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine war, and talked about peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

Kishida in a statement said Modi discussed the situation in Ukraine.

"Russia's attack on Ukraine is a serious issue which has shaken the international world order," Kishida said.

However, Modi has not made any comment over the ongoing Russia and Ukraine war which has reached 24th day.

The Japanese Prime Minister further stated that the world has been shaken today due to many disturbances, and it is very important for India and Japan to have a close partnership.

"We expressed our views, talked about the serious invasion of Russia into Ukraine. We need a peaceful solution on the basis of international law," the Japanese PM said.

He further stated that India and Japan should increase efforts for an open and free Indo-Pacific region.

"Japan, along with India, will keep trying to end the war and keep providing support to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries," he said.

Kishida arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit on Saturday.

A joint statement of both countries stated: "The Prime Ministers recognised that the Summit was taking place at a significant time as the two countries were celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations and India was celebrating the 75th anniversary of its independence. They reviewed the developments since the last Annual Summit and discussed wide ranging areas of cooperation." Re-affirming the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, the Prime Ministers concurred that the shared values and principles enunciated in the India-Japan Vision Statement issued in 2018 are particularly relevant in the present context, where global cooperation is required more than ever to address challenges that have become more acute.

They highlighted their commitment to working in tandem towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, based on a rules-based order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, and emphasized the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change status quo.

In this regard, they reaffirmed their common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from coercion.

They shared the view that the economies of both countries in such a world would be powered by robust bilateral investment and trade flows through diversified, resilient, transparent, open, secure and predictable global supply chains that provide for economic security and prosperity of their peoples.

Reaffirming that the two countries would continue to work together to realise these shared objectives, they resolved to further advance the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Islamabad, March 19 : A founding member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from Karachi, Najeeb Haroon, has called for the resignation of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying it is the only way to end the current political turmoil, Friday Times reported.

Speaking to Geo News, Haroon said that Imran Khan's resignation is "the only way to move forward and bring this crisis to an end", adding that another PTI member should step forward to become the Prime Minister.

"The country can no longer sustain instability and PM Imran Khan must shed his stubbornness and somebody else from within the party be brought forward as the prime ministerial candidate," he said.

Meanwhile, more disgruntled PTI MPs have publicly voiced their disappointment with Imran Khan's government, indicating that they may vote in favour of the no-confidence motion against him.

The latest MNA, Aamir Talal Gopang from Muzaffargarh, Punjab, released a video message distancing himself from the PTI.

"I will decide on the no-confidence motion according to the people and my conscience," he said, adding that the incumbent government had done 'no development work' in three-and-a-half years.

PTI MNA Afzal Dhandla from Bhakkar also released a message, saying, "I will use my vote in accordance with my conscience and not under any greed or pressure."
Kohima, March 19 : Nagaland Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi on Saturday, referring to the Naga peace talks with the Central government, said that with the concern being shown by everyone, the long-cherished solution would soon become a reality and a new era of peace and prosperity would begin in the state.

Addressing the 11th session of the 13th Nagaland Assembly, the Governor referring to the March 9 consultative meeting on Naga peace process, said that the resolution adopted in the meeting called upon all the negotiating parties to arrive at a political solution that is honourable, inclusive, transparent and acceptable to the people.

"The meeting was resolved to appeal to all sections to make renewed efforts towards unity and understanding to work towards 'One Solution and One Agreement' to the issue," said Prof Jagdish Mukhi, who is Assam governor and on additional charge of Nagaland.

The Governor said that he was elated to address the August House, where the members had come together to form an opposition-less Government, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Government, to pursue an early solution to the Naga Political Issue.

The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and other Naga outfits entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government of India in 1997 and since then held more than 85 rounds of political negotiations with the government since then.

Referring to last year's December 6 Oting (in Mon district) incident, in which 14 people were killed by the security forces, he said that the Government took every possible step to lessen the pain of the victim families.

"Government provided prompt succour in the form of monetary compensation, a job in the state government to the next of kin of all the deceased and the entire medical care needs of those injured was looked after by the District Administration." The Governor also said that the government had approached the Central Government for taking up certain developmental projects in the affected areas, which besides assuring the traumatized populace, will also help in faster development of the area. Prof Mukhi said that the Special Investigation Team investigating the matter has worked at a good pace and has completed its investigation and that the Army has also constituted a Court of Inquiry in the matter and it is also expected to complete its inquiry soon.

Stressing on the need to have duly elected bodies for governing towns and cities, he said that the issue of elections for the urban local bodies in the state, has been resolved in the Consultative Meeting held on March 9, to conduct the elections as per the 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution.

The elections to the urban local were pending for many years due to certain differences of opinion as the northeastern state enjoyed certain special status under the provision of article 371A of the constitution.

On the issue of the inter-state borders in Mokokchung with Assam, which became tense due to stand-offs between the police forces of Nagaland and Assam, the Governor said that the situation was defused in time by ensuring the simultaneous withdrawal of the police personnel of both the states, after reaching a joint agreement. Prof Mukhi said he was delighted to note that the state Government is also taking steps to resolve the issues concerning oil and petroleum exploration.

"The Chief Minister of Assam has positively indicated for equally dividing the proceeds of Petroleum and Oil exploration and extraction between the two states in sectors A, B & C in the DAB (disputed area belt) area. He expressed happiness that the house has constituted a select committee headed by the Chief Minister to examine and inter alia find ways for amicable settlement of the inter-state border issue of the state with Assam, and that the committee has taken positive steps towards this end.
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Cloudy with light rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with light rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Local medical workers collect samples from villagers for nucleic acid testing in Peijiazhuang village, Lueyang county, Hanzhong city of Northwest China's Shaanxi province. The photos have recently gone viral on Chinese social platforms, winning praise from netizens.




New Delhi, March 19 : Amid threats from nuclear weapons in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday discussed North Korea's destabilising ballistic missile launches in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Kishida condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches, saying that they are destabilising the region.

The Japanese PM is in New Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India-Japan annual summit.

In a joint statement, both the countries reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, consistent with the relevant UNSC resolutions, and the importance of addressing the concerns related to North Korea's proliferation linkages.

They urged North Korea to fully comply with its international obligations under the relevant UNSC resolutions, and to immediately resolve the abduction issue.

The Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their intention to collaborate closely to realise peace and stability in Afghanistan, and stressed the importance of addressing all humanitarian crisis, promoting human rights and ensuring establishment of a truly representative and inclusive political system.

"They also reaffirmed the importance of UNSC resolution 2593 (2021) which unequivocally states that the Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts, and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those sanctioned by the UNSC," the joint statement said.
New Delhi, March 19 : Amid threat in the Indo-Pacific region, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday discussed the security challenges in the South China Sea.

Kishida welcomed the Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI) announced by Modi in 2019.

The Japanese Prime Minister arrived here on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit on Saturday.

Both Prime Ministers acknowledged the growing space for cooperation between the IPOI and Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). India appreciated Japan's participation as a lead partner on the connectivity pillar of IPOI.

They reiterated their strong support for ASEAN's unity and centrality and their full support for the "ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)" which upholds the principles such as the rule of law, openness, freedom, transparency and inclusiveness.

The Prime Ministers emphasised that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with international law.

They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritizing the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas.

They emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint.

They further called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS, without prejudice to the rights and interests of all nations including those not party to these negotiations.
New Delhi, March 19 : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday discussed about security and defence cooperation between both the countries and reaffirmed their desire to further deepen it.

"They welcomed the holding of the first 2+2 meeting of their Foreign and Defence Ministers in November 2019 in New Delhi and instructed their Ministers to hold the second meeting at the earliest opportunity in Tokyo," said a joint statement.

They also welcomed the operationalisation of the Agreement Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Japan Self-Defence Forces and the Indian Armed Forces.

They expressed their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including "Dharma Guardian" and "Malabar" respectively, while welcoming the participation of Japan for the first time in exercise MILAN, as well as making efforts to increase their complexity in the future.

They reaffirmed the decision to proceed with coordination for the inaugural fighter exercise between the Japan Air Self-Defence Force and the Indian Air Force and welcomed the efforts to hold the exercise at the earliest.

They acknowledged ongoing collaboration in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and Robotics and directed their Ministers to further identify concrete areas for future cooperation in the area of defence equipment and technology.

With their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Prime Ministers affirmed the importance of bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among like-minded countries of the region, including the quadrilateral cooperation among Australia, India, Japan, and the US (the Quad).

They welcomed the Quad Leaders' Summits in March and September 2021 and renewed their commitment to delivering tangible outcomes on the Quad's positive and constructive agenda, especially on Covid vaccines, critical and emerging technologies, climate action, infrastructure coordination, cybersecurity, space and education.

They looked forward to advancing Quad cooperation through the next Quad Leaders' Summit in Japan in the coming months.

Kishida arrived in New Delhi on a two-day visit to take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit on Saturday.
Moscow, March 20 : Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on Saturday "the unacceptable nature of the military-biological activities of the United States in Ukraine" in a phone conversation with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Such activities pose a huge danger to both Russia and the whole Europe, Putin said.

The two leaders discussed Russia's military operation in Ukraine, and Putin noted the missile attacks by the Ukrainian security forces on cities in Donbass, said the statement.

Bettel said that "we must put an end to" the conflict, and "no one stands to gain from these clashes; not Russia, not Europe and certainly not Ukraine," according to a statement on the official website of the Luxembourg government.

Bettel briefed Putin on contacts with leaders of Ukraine and other countries, and Putin outlined his assessments of the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, the statement added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday asked Washington to provide all information on the activities of the alleged US-linked biological laboratories in Ukraine.

Last week, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland testified before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine, admitting "Ukraine has biological research facilities."

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Dushanbe Airport, Dushanbe, Tajikistan [ DYU / UTDD ]

If you are planning to travel to Dushanbe or any other city in Tajikistan, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Dushanbe Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Dushanbe Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Tajikistan. Dushanbe Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Dushanbe Airport Info:

Dushanbe Airport IATA Code: DYU Dushanbe Airport ICAO Code: UTDD Latitude : 38.5433 Longitude : 68.825 City : Dushanbe Country : Tajikistan World Area Code : 783 Airport Type : Medium Dushanbe Airport Address / Contact Details :

734012, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, ul.im.M. Mastangulova, 32/2. Tel: +992 37 (47) 449 4233. Fax: +992 37 227 8717. E-mail: info@airport.tj Dushanbe Website : http://airport.tj/ Airport Type : Joint (Civil and Mil Owner : Government of Tajikistan Operator : Government of Tajikistan Hub for : East Air, Somon Air, Tajik Air Timezone : Asia/Dushanbe Dushanbe Airport Timezone : GMT +05:00 hours Current time and date at Dushanbe Airport is 09:32:51 AM (+05) on Thursday, May 5, 2022

Looking for information on Dushanbe Airport, Dushanbe, Tajikistan? Know about Dushanbe Airport in detail. Find out the location of Dushanbe Airport on Tajikistan map and also find out airports near to Dushanbe. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Dushanbe Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Dushanbe Airport, airlines operating to Dushanbe Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Tajikistan. Scroll down to know more about Dushanbe Airport or Dushanbe Airport, Tajikistan.

Dushanbe Airport Map - Location of Dushanbe Airport Load Map Tajikistan - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of Tajikistan Country Code TJ Capital Dushanbe Currency Somoni (TJS)

 1 TJS = 0.081 USD

 1 USD = 12.396 TJS

 1 TJS = 0.076 EUR

 1 EUR = 13.168 TJS

 More TJS convertion rates Tel Code +992 Top Level Domain .tj

Major airlines flying to Dushanbe Airport, Dushanbe

This page provides all the information you need to know about Dushanbe Airport, Tajikistan. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Tajikistan or traveling to Dushanbe Airport. Details about Dushanbe Airport given here include Dushanbe Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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General information about Tajikistan where Dushanbe Airport is located in the city of Dushanbe. General information include capital of Tajikistan, currency and conversion rate of Tajikistan currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

DYU - Dushanbe Airport IATA Code and UTDD - Dushanbe Airport ICAO code
Khudzhand Airport, Khudzhand, Tajikistan [ LBD / UTDL ]

If you are planning to travel to Khudzhand or any other city in Tajikistan, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Khudzhand Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Khudzhand Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Tajikistan. Khudzhand Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Khudzhand Airport Info:

Khudzhand Airport IATA Code: LBD Khudzhand Airport ICAO Code: UTDL Latitude : 40.215 Longitude : 69.6967 City : Khudzhand Country : Tajikistan World Area Code : 783 Airport Type : Medium Khudzhand Airport Address / Contact Details :

Khudzhand Airport (LBD), Gafurov, Tajikistan Airport Type : Public Hub for : Somon Air Timezone : Asia/Dushanbe Khudzhand Airport Timezone : GMT +05:00 hours Current time and date at Khudzhand Airport is 09:32:51 AM (+05) on Thursday, May 5, 2022

Looking for information on Khudzhand Airport, Khudzhand, Tajikistan? Know about Khudzhand Airport in detail. Find out the location of Khudzhand Airport on Tajikistan map and also find out airports near to Khudzhand. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Khudzhand Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Khudzhand Airport, airlines operating to Khudzhand Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Tajikistan. Scroll down to know more about Khudzhand Airport or Khudzhand Airport, Tajikistan.

Khudzhand Airport Map - Location of Khudzhand Airport Load Map Tajikistan - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of Tajikistan Country Code TJ Capital Dushanbe Currency Somoni (TJS)

 1 TJS = 0.081 USD

 1 USD = 12.396 TJS

 1 TJS = 0.076 EUR

 1 EUR = 13.168 TJS

 More TJS convertion rates Tel Code +992 Top Level Domain .tj

Major airlines flying to Khudzhand Airport, Khudzhand

This page provides all the information you need to know about Khudzhand Airport, Tajikistan. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Tajikistan or traveling to Khudzhand Airport. Details about Khudzhand Airport given here include Khudzhand Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

Coordinates of Khudzhand Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Khudzhand Airport

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Khudzhand Airport Time Zone and Current time at Khudzhand Airport

Address and contact details of Khudzhand Airport along with website address of the airport

Clickable Location Map of Khudzhand Airport on Google Map.

General information about Tajikistan where Khudzhand Airport is located in the city of Khudzhand. General information include capital of Tajikistan, currency and conversion rate of Tajikistan currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

LBD - Khudzhand Airport IATA Code and UTDL - Khudzhand Airport ICAO code
It's incredibly rewarding to be involved in work that we believe in, and we are thankful for the opportunity to help homeowners, as our slogan says, "Do good," for the world environment while helping them save money for themselves," says Aaron Weymann, CEO of Kayo Energy.

Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest list had an average growth rate of 154% percent.

Inc. magazine today revealed that Kayo Energy is No. 4 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.

Kayo Energys Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aaron Weymann, states, I am so proud of the Kayo Energy team, and extremely grateful to our customers who have decided to join the movement towards a healthier environment and future for ourselves and our children. Over a period of 3 years, Kayo Energy has grown exponentially; expanding into multiple markets, providing clean and cost-savings energy to customers across the American Southwest. It's incredibly rewarding to be involved in work that we believe in, and we are thankful for the opportunity to help homeowners, as our slogan says, "Do good," for the world environment while helping them save money for themselves."

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.

Kayo Energy is an energy solutions company that specializes in solar power systems, whose mission is to provide broad-based community access to clean and affordable solar energy. Kayo Energy transitions customers into clean energy sources by vertically integrating the entire transition process through one company, from solar: enrollment, design, engineering, permitting, installation, and activation. Kayo Energys attention to detail and customer-centric approach have been catalysts to the companys exponential growth, as everything they do is social impact-driven, with a focus on long-term sustainability. The result is a reduction in energy costs for customers, with an accompanied reduction in their carbon footprint, supporting the health of our world environment.

Contact:

Timothy Weymann, Consultant - Human Resources & Development

Kayo Energy

1809 W 4th St

Tempe, AZ 85281

Phone: (385) 351-4435

Email: tweymann@kayoenergy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayo_energy/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KayoEnergy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kayo-energy/

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.

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Berrett-Koehler Publishers, known for its books on socially responsible career paths and values-based leadership, has published nearly 1,000 titles on business, economics, social justice, and personal development since it was founded by Steven Piersanti in 1992. Piersanti, who stepped down from a leadership role in 2019 but remains a full-time acquisitions editor, touts the companys mission of connecting people and ideas to create a world that works for all. 

BK sales first topped $10 million in 2018 but slipped to $8.9 million in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, before posting an 18% revenue gain in 2021, to $10.5 million. Weve heard from long-standing BK community members that 95% of American companies plateau or fold before they reach $10 million in revenue, but for the companies that achieve this milestone, it marks the beginning of a big growth curve, said David Marshall, BKs CEO and CFO. We are well positioned for our next wave of growth as we start our fourth decade.

Katie Sheehan, associate director of communications, said, Business has always been our sweet spot, and we still have all our franchise authors: our Ken Blanchards, our Brian Tracys.

In 2021, 69% of BKs print sales made through its distributor, Penguin Random House Publisher Services, were through Amazon, accounting for 33% of BKs overall revenue, according to v-p of sales and marketing Kristen Frantz. Digital sales (e-books, audio, and online training programs) accounted for another 27% of revenue. BK also sells its business books direct to HR, managers, C-suite executives, and employees. Recently, when doing bulk sales for companies virtual events, BK bundled print books, e-books, and audiobooks; attendees could choose their preferred formats, and it made it easier for overseas participants to access content.

BK became a certified B Corp in 2011 (recertified in 2018), and in 2015, it was the first book publisher to become a California Benefit Corporationa category that requires the publisher to meet high standards of corporate, social, and environmental performance. (We are the only book publisher in the world that is both that we know of, Marshall said.) Adhering to those principles increased the difficulty of operating through supply chain disruptions. Recycled paper for reprints is hard to come by, and though hardcovers have cachet in the business communitythe Wall Street Journal bestseller list features only hardcover titlesproduction costs and shipping delays led BK to put a moratorium on hardcovers for 2022.

Even with hardcovers on hold, BKs paperback list continues to perform well, and audiobook sales went up by 33% in 2021 over 2020. Sonya Renee Taylors bestseller The Body Is Not an Apology was a particular success. Its a body justice book and its a social justice book; it just really hit its time, Sheehan said. We sold through the 30,000-copy first printing and ordered 70,000 copies of the second edition.

BK has high hopes for the May launch of Taylors new title, Journal of Radical Permission, cocreated with Emergent Strategy author adrienne maree brown.

The publisher takes chances on younger people with great ideas we can push out into the world, Sheehan said. When titles do well, we take our 20% profit from them and feed it into five more first-time authors. Five years ago we made the commitment to taking on more authors of color, including Sonya Renee Taylor, Tamara Winfrey Harris [Dear Black Girl], and Mary-Frances Winters [Black Fatigue]. With the profits generated from those three authors, we jump-started books by 10 or 12 women of color, and five more books are coming.

Promoting and celebrating BIPOC authors is part of BKs long-standing commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, beginning with Cultural Diversity in Organizations by Taylor Cox, published in 1994, said BK president and publisher Johanna Vondeling. This year, BK hired a consultant to help it design a long-term action plan to ensure it stays accountable in terms of its DEIJ efforts, Vondeling noted, adding that BK will prioritize recruitment, retention, development, and advancement of BIPOC employees in the years ahead.

Significant changes to BKs workplace culture have also arrived in the form of remote employment. In late 2019, BK extended its office lease in Oakland through 2026, but most employees began working remotely in March 2020. That fall, BK polled its staff: 70% said they would prefer their primary workstation to be their home office, Marshall said. Given those results, BK is seeking to sublease all or part of its new space in 2022, and will likely continue with a smaller physical space with shared workstations. BK sees potential in hiring remote-only candidates and hosting Bay Area events and retreats for staff as circumstances permit.

After 30 years in the book business, Marshall wants BK to evolve in the years ahead. We are committed to transitioning the company from a more traditional book publishing business model to a media enterprise, he said, supported by our three growth areas: online training programs targeting newer generations of learners, data-driven advanced direct marketing to engage with our customers, and BK Professional, our new vertical publishing area.

David Marshall, CEO and CFO, Berrett-Koehler Publishers
The London Book Fair is holding its first in-person show in three years TuesdayThursday, April 57. The fair was canceled abruptly in 2020, just a week before it was scheduled to start, and then offered as a virtual event in 2021. Now with industry members returning to London, fair organizers have high expectations for 2022, even if it is scaled back from the 2019 event.

The number of exhibitors registered for this years LBF is 860, down somewhat from the more than 1,000 registered in 2019. Of the 860, 477 are coming from 56 countries outside of the U.K. Currently, 156 exhibitors are from the U.S. In addition to stands from the U.K. and Canada, the LBF will have large pavilions for China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, is the market focus country and will offer a robust program of literary and cultural events. The fair will also feature a special program highlighting authors from Catalonia.

Fairgoers will see numerous changes this year, not the least being a renovated Olympia London exhibition center, which has necessitated some layout changes for the fair. These include relocating the International Rights Center to the ground floor. LBF will still retain many of the features that make it distinct, such as the Literary Translation Center, which will again be sponsored by AmazonCrossing and will offer more than 20 sessions, and the Authors HQ, sponsored by Kindle Direct Publishing. The Ivy Club pop-up, which provided a private meeting space within the fair, has been replaced this year by a pop-up of the Groucho Club.

In all, organizers expect 15,00020,000 attendees, down from the typical 25,000. Some of this is the result of lower attendance from the U.S. Americans will be required to show CDC-approved proof of vaccination and a passport to enter the fair, and masks will be required. We have confirmed that all the biggest publishing housesPenguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillanare participating, says Andy Ventris, LBF director, though they are primarily relying on staff from the U.K. offices.

David Shelley, CEO of Hachette UK, says, It feels very exciting to have the chance to see publishing friends from around the world at the LBF. After so long apart, it will be fascinating to compare notes, talk about the books were excited about and share our experiences together. I cant wait.

Most U.S. publishers are sending a handful of executives or foreign rights personnel. As far as the U.S. is concerned, the strongest interest has come from the agents side, Ventris says. He adds that all 480 tables available at the International Rights Center have sold out.

Ventris is overseeing his first fair, having taken over the role of fair director in November 2020 following the resignation of Jacks Thomas, who had been running LBF since 2013 and who now oversees the BolognaBooksPlus program of the Bologna Childrens Book Fair.

LBF will also host three conferences: Introduction to Rights (on April 4), the Writers Summit (April 5), and the Research and Scholarly Publishing Forum (April 6).

In all, LBF will host 120 events, seminars, presentations, and panels. The fairs Main Stage is presenting a series of panels focusing on best practices and trends in book publishing. These include Covid-19: Whats Next for Publishing? (April 5), with Kate Wilson, managing director of Nosy Crow; Chantal Restivo-Alessi, chief digital officer at HarperCollins; Eoin Purcell, head of Amazon Publishing UK and Germany. The changing workplace is the topic of The Future of Work Is Hybrid (April 5), featuring Tsedal Neeley, professor at Harvard Business School; Heather Emslie, Asia Pacific director, Google Workspace; and Lisa Waterman, head of HR for adult trade and IT, and group talent acquisition director at Hachette. The International Publishers Association is also sponsoring three sessions focused on sustainability in book publishing.

Concerning the ongoing war in Ukraine, LBF issued the following statement: RX [LBFs parent company] strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine. RX stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, particularly with our employees around the world who have family and friends in the Ukraine. We also stand in solidarity with our Russian employees working in challenging conditions. The organizers said that by mutual agreement, there will not be a Russian pavilion at the fair, and that they were in conversation with the Ukrainian Book Institute to find a way to showcase books from that country.

While some in the U.S. have expressed doubt that Reed Exhibitions, which previously ran BookExpo and BookCon, would continue to support LBF, Ventris is confident that the 2022 fair will eliminate any doubt that its here to stay. The fact that we have so many big hitters heading to Olympia in April is a huge vote of confidence in the fair, and a testament to the power of meeting face-to-face to network and do business, he notes. While Covid restrictions have affected the travel plans of representatives from some territories, we are delighted to have such a strong international presence, and as always are thrilled to welcome first-time exhibitors from the U.K. and beyond to the fair. There is excitement building, and we cant wait to open our doors to so many international exhibitors, agents, and visitors this April.

Read More From our London Book Fair Preview:

London Book Fair 2022: A Cautious Return

U.S. publishers are testing the book fair waters in London.

London Book Fair 2022: Together Again

North American rights professionals are excited to see their international colleagues in person at LBF, even as pandemic uncertainty lingers.
Villarosas Under the Skin (Doubleday, June) examines the causes and consequences of the racial health gap in America.

One of the major themes of the book comes from Arline Geronimus, who uses the term weathering to explain how the stress of racism can affect peoples health. What about that concept resonated with you?

There is a false notion that racial health disparities in America result only from povertythat they are based on class only and not race itself. Certainly, poverty makes everything worse, creating disruption, poor living conditions, and fear. We blame people for their own health problems, believing that they wouldnt be sick if they were more educated and took better care of themselves. But that doesnt explain why many racial health disparities persist across class linesand in some cases the Black-white gap is wider among the most educated people. Dr. Geronimus helped me understand that wealth and education do not entirely protect Black people in America from the toxic effects of discrimination in housing, education, and law enforcement that create a kind of toxic stress that prematurely ages bodies, as well as the toll of microaggressions that grind people down and are, in some ways, killing us softly.

Your own outlook shifted from the 1980s and 90s to todayfrom promoting individual self-care and better information as the solution to realizing that structural change is needed. Does this apply more broadly than the lens of health and self-care?

I get very angry when Black people are blamed for our own disadvantages with less interrogation into the long-standing discrimination that has gotten baked into the structures and institutions of America. I look at the issue of wealth disparities in America that are interwoven with the racial health gap. We blame poor people of all races for not working hard enough without enough investigation into the ways people, particularly Black people, have been systematically disadvantaged and unable to accumulate wealth as a result of institutional and structural barriers over the last 400 yearsand counting.

Where do you hope this book will have the most impact?

I hope it helps shatter myths and create changes in the healthcare system, shifting the blame and responsibility from individual people who should be treated with dignity and care, and not punished and criticized. It is not fair that, from birth to death, Black Americans live shorter lives in poorer health, and its despicable that we are blamed for our own health issues. The big idea I want to communicate is that, yes, something about being Black has led to our poor health. But that something isnt race per se, but racism. We know that income, education, and determination can help individual Black Americans, but also can never erase the corrosive negative effects of centuries of discriminations on our bodies.
Russia and Ukraine have had four rounds of talks since conflicts broke out, including one between the foreign ministers. China adheres to the principle of promoting peace and talks, and hopes the international community will create the necessary environment for negotiations. But contradictory smears against China have been fabricated by Western politicians, think tanks and media sources.

The West is trying to pass responsibility to China, accusing it of not stopping Russia before its military operations and not condemning or sanctioning Russia afterward. China appealed for abandoning Cold War mentality before Russia took action. China also called for effective and sustainable security mechanisms in Europe through negotiations, and for respecting and solving Russia's concerns. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has expressed its stances under the framework of the UN Charter. It is nonsense to criticize China for dodging its responsibilities.

What's absurd is that a minority of countries attempt to define what the so-called responsibilities are. They try to include unilateral sanctions on Russia within the Western umbrella of "political correctness." They try to make military support to Ukraine the only standard to judge whether a country is responsible or not.

The top priority for now is to avoid escalating the situation. A good environment should be created for the sides involved to keep negotiating and find a solution that meets different sides' reasonable demands.

The West claims that China knew Russia's plans before the actual military moves. This disinformation is a conspiracy theory that aims to scapegoat China while suggesting that it is cooperating with Russia to destroy the post-WWII world order. This is in line with some countries' strategic design to contain both China and Russia.

The Ukraine crisis took place amid complicated political realities, history and ethnic factors. China-Russia friendly cooperation doesn't aim at any third party and the two countries don't interfere in each other's domestic affairs. It is easy to reach absurd conclusions if one views China-Russia strategic coordination under the Cold War framework, regardless of the two countries' independence and autonomy.

The West wrongfully says China fears the consequences of supporting Russia and will thus review its policy - "there is no limit to the friendship, no forbidden zone to the cooperation and no ceiling to the mutual trust between China and Russia." They say so to drive a wedge between China and Russia to bring the conflict into the countries' political, business, academic and public opinion spheres. However, China-Russia relations have withstood such attempts to sow discord. The Trump administration tried to rope Russia against China, but its failure proved similar attempts are not feasible.

Relevant countries should ask: Why can't they change the obsession of identifying winners and losers of the Cold War? Why can't they coordinate the West's security norm with Russia's? Does NATO have reason to exist anymore? Why isn't there a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework in Europe? Why haven't a super long list of sanctions on Russia prevented the situation from worsening? Does isolating Russia benefit Europe's security?

Some believe China will benefit from the Ukraine crisis because the US will slow down its military deployment toward the Indo-Pacific and the establishment of alliances there for containment. Meanwhile, some think China can take advantage of the global capital's nature to avoid risks for economic gain. This is the mentality of zero-sum game. China's development has never been based on other countries' turmoil or trouble. No country can detach itself from the rest of the world - the countries are interdependent with a shared future. Therefore, all countries should focus on preventing the Ukraine crisis from impacting the world order, multilateral mechanisms and global governance, rather than conducting selfish calculations based on hegemonic logic.

The accusations against China during the Ukraine crisis are not aimed at solving the problem but at causing more trouble. This won't be the mainstream in the international community. This won't undermine China's determination to play a constructive role in promoting peace and consensus.

The author is a research fellow of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
A few things took Kirsten Miller by surprise in her 40s. One was when women her age would whisper the word menopause. Its like it was a shameful secret they could barely stand to acknowledge, she says via Zoom from the sunny Park Slope, Brooklyn, apartment that she shares with her teenage daughter and their cat.

Another was that women in the New York advertising world, where she made her living for two decades, would hit their mid-40s and suddenly become disposable. When you reach a certain age in the ad industry, you start getting what I call the nudge, she says. You know, Thank you for your service, but maybe its time for you to go. 

Miller speaks of friends who filed age-discrimination lawsuits because they were ousted from jobs when they were at the peak of their powers. One of their lawyers told my friend almost all of his clients were women in their 40s and 50s, and the problem was just getting worse, she says.

Millers new book, The Change (Morrow, May), is her first novel for adults after more than 15 years of writing YA and middle grade novels. Filled with disgust for men who slack, cheat, lie, grope, and appropriate womens accomplishments, The Change has been described by Morrow as Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick, and it combines dark humor, mystery, and magical realism to express the rage that can burn particularly hot for women in midlife.

Set in a wealthy, fictional Long Island beach town, it follows Harriett Osborne, Jo Levison, and Nessa Jamesthree women who have developed superpowers in middle age and have come together to solve the murder of a local girl.

It feels very relevant, says Rachel Kahan, Millers editor at Morrow, of the book. As Kirsten has said, some of these stories are ripped from the headlines, which also makes it feel very satisfying, because here they come with a shot of witchery, revenge, and justice.

The story opens with Harriett holed up in her modern masterpiece of a home. She hasnt been seen since she received a pink slip instead of the promotion she was expecting at her ad agency, and since her husband left her for a younger woman. In the meantime, she has embraced her superpoweran ability to bend nature to her willand turned her property into a jungle. The neighbors arent happy, and the president of the towns snooty homeowners association visits to warn her that shell be fined if she doesnt clean things up. The next morning, a giant plant with toothed leaves has consumed an entire flower bed on his front lawn.

Next we meet Jo, owner of a womens gym called Furious Fitness. Shes filled with fury about her many experiences involving terrible men, and she knows about a rape cover-up at a hotel where she previously worked, dealt with an infuriatingly sexist banker when looking to finance her business, and endures an out-of-work husband who doesnt pull his weight around the house. Jos superpower is harnessing the hot flash: she can literally burn things up with the grip of one hand, not to mention punch a hole in a wall.

The storys primary protagonist, Nessa, comes into the story when she joins Jos gym. Nessa is a former nurse, the mother of college-age twins, and the widow of a police officer. Her superpower is hearing the dead, though she hasnt in a long time. The story takes off when a dead girl starts whispering to Nessa about the location of her discarded body. Nessa heeds the call, Jo gets involved, and then eventually so does Harriett. The women harness their powers to set things right in a town (and a world) gone very wrong.

Miller, 49, never intended to become a writer. Writing was always something I did for fun, she says. I didnt ever imagine I could make money doing it. This was beyond my wildest dreams.

She also didnt consider herself a feminist, even after coming to Barnard College from rural North Carolina, where she grew up. Her mother, a math teacher turned realtor, was the primary breadwinner of the family and well respected in their community. She wore cowboy boots, blue jeans, and rode motorcycles. Miller described her as fair, but also terrifying and a total badass.

It never even occurred to me that there would be a need for feminism, Miller says. I grew up in her shadow, and my father was her biggest fan. He was not going to tell his daughters that they couldnt do anything. So I didnt think feminism was necessary.

Indeed, at Barnard, she remembers sitting in freshman seminars discussing the topic and thinking, What the hell are they talking about? Why is this important?

It wasnt until Miller was in her 30s and working in Manhattan as an account strategist that she discovered men her age and at her same career stage were making substantially more money than she was. Thats when she realized how much harder women had to work to achieve success and what feminism was all about.

The inspiration for Millers first novel, In the Shadow City, came to her one morning when she was watching the news before work and saw that a giant sinkhole had opened up in front of a nursing home on Chrystie Street in lower Manhattan. They took a rope, attached a video camera to it, and lowered it into the hole to see what was down there, she recalls. At the bottom of the hole was a perfectly preserved room from the 1900s. Miller leapt off the couch and ran from her apartment on Ninth Street to see. It was like a switch had flipped, and suddenly I saw the world in a very different way, she adds.

Not long after, 80 pages of a novel about a second city below the streets of New York was born, along with the young spy, Kiki Strike, and a band of fearless Girl Scouts gone bad (aka the Irregulars). Miller wrote the book primarily to entertain herself, but mentioned it to a colleague at work whose boyfriend worked at Bloomsbury. He liked the initial draft and passed it along to an editor in the YA department, and they wanted it. Miller then signed on with WMEs Suzanne Gluck, who has been her literary agent ever since.

After completing 12 novels in 13 years, Miller says she felt burned out and couldnt find the creative fire to write another book for a while. But watching the fall of cultural icons like Bill Cosby and Matt Lauer around the time that the #MeToo movement took off brought back that fire.

I had been looking around, and I noticed all of the women my age were incredibly angry, furious, like, apoplectic, she says. It wasnt something they could contain.

She would capture this fury in a dark and yet funny way in The Change.

Gluck says that making the leap from the Kiki Strike books to writing for an adult audience made perfect sense for Miller, whom she calls as wildly imaginative as her characters. She adds, Kiki Strikes early readers have grown up and are ready for a gang of women who figure out how to right some wrongs in the world. And kick some ass along the way.

Of the fan letters Miller has received over the years, she especially loves those about Kiki Strike. The main message of those books, she says, is that if youre young and female, people are going to underestimate you. But when they do, you get the opportunity to take them by surprise and use that to your advantage.

Ive had a number of people write and tell me it was their first feminist hand book, Miller says. That makes me feel amazing.

The Change takes that message to the next level, showing readers that tactic works even more powerfully for fully grown women at the top of their game .

Renee Bacher is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and the Washington Post Magazine.
Two years after Covid-19 forced a last-minute cancellation of the 2019 London Book Fair, four of Americas Big Five publishers will be sending small delegations to the fair, which runs TuesdayThursday, April 57, at Olympia London.

Penguin Random House will not have anyone from the U.S. in London and is leaving its participation at the event to its U.K. subsidiary, although U.S. employees in certain departments will work with their U.K. colleagues. We are looking forward to returning to an in-person London Book Fair this year, with a strong contingent from across Penguin Random House U.K. attending, a spokeswoman says.

Representatives from the other four major New York publishers stressed that those going to London will do so on a voluntary basis. We have 10 people attending from the U.S., with representatives from publishing, subsidiary rights, and sales, an S&S spokeswoman says. All attendance, whether from the U.S. or our U.K. company, is on an entirely optional, voluntary basis. We are appreciative of the steps and measures LBF has put in place to maintain the health and safety of our staff and the publishing community, and look forward to productive, in-person meetings with colleagues from around the world.

Macmillan Trade US will be attending the fair in a limited fashion, a spokeswoman confirms. The contingent will include individuals from rights and editorial, who are attending the fair at their discretion, she adds.

Hachette Book Groups publishers will have a small contingent at LBF this year, a spokeswoman says. The HBG rights team, she adds, will stay closely connected through video meetings with publishers and coagents in the weeks leading up to the fair, and will be making separate trips to London after the fair.

HarperCollins is sending a small group of volunteers to LBF, a spokeswoman says.

The American Collective Stand/Combined Book Exhibit, which typically organizes one of the largest exhibits at LBF, will bring 22 companies and about 75 people (including some U.K. colleagues) to Olympia, says ACS/CBEs Janet Fritsch. Fritsch adds that she hopes the in-person Bologna Childrens Book Fair (held March 2124), followed by LBF, will continue the trend of international book fairs becoming, once again, part of everyones yearly schedule. The need for personal interaction is essential in this business, and the publishers and companies participating with ACS/CBE at LBF 2022 are attending for the same reason.

Some of ACS/CBEs participating companies are Fox Chapel Publishers, Inner Traditions International, Mango Publishing, and WTA Media. Some companies, Fritsch notes, are sending more people to the fair than usual. She adds that while Ingram Content Group will not be sending its whole U.S. contingent, they will be very well represented at LBF this year.

Independent publishers contacted by PW expressed mixed feelings about traveling to London. Kensington Publishing CEO Steve Zacharius says he still isnt comfortable sending staff overseas, but he expects to be going to the Frankfurt Book Fair this fall. Sourcebooks will be conducting virtual meetings as it has for the past two years, publisher and CEO Dominique Raccah says. The company is monitoring trends and is hopeful to resume international travel in the very near future, she adds.

Chronicle Books president Tyrrell Mahoney will be in London with publisher Christine Carswell. The Chronicle team will be operating without a base: it has no stand, and a last-minute effort to buy a rights table came up empty since the tables were sold out. At the fair, Mahoney and Carswell plan to meet with European publishers to both buy and sell rights, as well as with some customers. It does sound like the turnout will be strong, with a good deal of pent-up interest in seeing both people and books in person, Mahoney says.

Cynthia Sherry, publisher of Chicago Review Press, will attend her first show since the pandemic began when she makes the trip to London. Sherry notes that while some of the people and companies that have traditionally gone to London wont be there, she still has set up plenty of appointments. Also making the trip is CRP sister company IPG, which will be represented by CEO Joe Matthews, Brooke ODonnell of Trafalgar Square Press, and Paul Murphy, v-p, managing director of IPGs academic and professional publishing program. It will be the first LBF for the distribution company since its acquisition last year of U.K.-based United Independent Distributors.

Seven Stories Press publisher Dan Simon will be in London for just two days of meetings since many of the publishers contacts are not making the trip. It feels weird to be going, with the war in Ukraine raging just two days drive to the east, Simon notes.

Return to Main Feature.
After two years during which North Americans rights professionals have overwhelmingly stayed away from international rights fairs, many are making a return at this years London Book Fair. And though this is cause for celebration, the continued uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and the war in Ukraine has left some feeling a little unsettled.

The fair is offering 480 tables in the International Rights Center, and all are booked, according to the organizers. The IRC will be smaller than in previous years, when it offered nearly 700 tablesa consequence of renovations at the Olympia London exhibition center that necessitated moving the center to the ground floor, closer to exhibitors.

Though most people contacted by PW say theyre excited to once again be face-to-face with their international colleagues, questions about LBF linger. Putting aside the war in Ukrainewhich all respondents say is devastating but is unlikely to affect the fairmany worry that a new development with the pandemic could cause them to change their plans to attend. Some also lament the fact that attendance by their European counterparts could be lower than usual.

It has all been more tentative this year, says Gail Hochman at Brandt & Hochman. She adds that although she is going, the buildup has not been as it was in the prepandemic years. Usually, the minute we get back from Christmas we are bombarded by the scouts and publishers and coagents asking for meetings. This year, no such flurry.

Hochman, like many agents interviewed, says she decided to attend the fair in February, and only because she knows she can still cancel and get a refund. But she remains optimistic. I think the mood of the people who have decided to go is relatively positive about the fair itself, she explains. If we were not optimistic, we would cancel our plans and simply not go.

Hannah Brattesani at the Friedrich Agency, who is based in New York, says she was planning a trip to her hometown in Scotland and would already be in London around the time of the fair, so the decision to attend was an easy one. Without a table in the rights center, she will be squatting and having coffees. Shes looking forward to attending a few parties, which, she notes, run the gamut from predinner cocktail hours to late jazz nights. Its the first in-person fair weve been to in years, and, like our first interactions after quarantine, we all have so much to catch up on.

The Cheney Agencys Beniamino Ambrosi says his decision to attend in person was made in early January and now the excitement is tempered. Book fairs are, in many ways, what our professions are about, he explains. There has been a sense of measured excitement and anticipation, but it feels ill-advised to make predictions about the mood at the fair now, particularly in light of the recent events in Ukraine.

At JABberwocky Literary Agency, subsidiary rights director Susan Velazquez Colmant says the agency noticed substantial activity at last years Frankfurt Book Fair, despite the low in-person turnout. When it saw the omicron infection rate numbers dropping, it wanted to be on the ground in London. For this years LBF, only the founder, Joshua Bilmes, is attending, but the agency is expecting a positive event. It wont be as lively as previous years, Colmant predicts, but its the first time many of us will be able to connect with our foreign partners in several years, and there is some joy in that.

Szilvia Molnar, director of foreign rights at Sterling Lord Literistic, confirms that the agencys table in the rights center had been rolled over from 2020. While shes looking forward to seeing international colleagues after such a long pause, she is watching the situation in Ukraine and is particularly concerned about colleagues there and in Russia. We have been able to adapt to canceled book fairs since the pandemic, she says, so should the book fair not end up happening, we will make sure to promote our authors translation rights in other ways.

Melissa White, v-p and director of subsidiary rights at Folio Literary Management, says, I made my plans in December, trying to be cautiously optimistic. In January I wasnt really sure I or anyone else would be going, but in the last two to three weeks, Ive heard from so many who are. White adds that she thinks the mood will be one of joy and excitementthe book business is flourishing, and it will be nice to get back to some sense of normalcy.

Peter McGuigan, the founder of Ultra Literary, is even more emphatic, when asked what he expects: Folks who are used to seeing each other three times a year seeing each other for the first time in two and a half years? I predict it will be awesome.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated that Hannah Brattesani is based in Scotland. She is based in New York.

Return to Main Feature.
Acclaimed Japanese actor Akira Takarada, who starred in the original 1954 Godzilla film, died at the age of 87, it was announced.

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No cause of death was provided by Toho Studios, which produced that film and announced his death.

"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Akira Takarada," the studio wrote Thursday on Twitter. "May his memory continue to inspire the lives of many Godzilla fans."

In the original Godzilla movie, Takarada starred as Hideto Ogata, a sailor who works with the Japanese Coast Guard after Godzilla sinks a ship.

Takarada also featured in multiple other films in the Godzilla series, including the U.S. re-release Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

He filmed scenes for the 2014 U.S. remake Godzilla, but those were ultimately cut from the final film. He is still featured in that movie's credits.

Takarada also appeared in several other monster movies, including Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) and King Kong Escapes (1967).

In addition to those projects, Takarada provided the voice of Jafar for the Japanese dub of the hit Disney animation Aladdin. He also voiced Jafar in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 03/19/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

couple Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt have revealed where they've decided to live, when they're moving in together, and the latest on their wedding planning.Joe and Serena fell head over heels in love for each other on 's seventh season after coupling up in the first few days of Paradise, and they got engaged during the finale that aired in October 2021."We are going to New York next week and we are planning on signing a lease. So that's the plan. I think Brooklyn!" Joe, 35, told Us Weekly in a recent interview.On how he and Serena decided on Brooklyn, Joe revealed, "We wanted something a little more low-key in New York. We've been going back and forth splitting time between Chicago and Toronto, and it does get exhausting traveling back and forth and back and forth."Joe suggested Serena is especially tired of being in a constant transition between cities and countries."I think Serena's literally been living out of a suitcase for eight months," Joe noted."So to find somewhere mutual that we both are still close to our families and wanna be, that's how we came up with that."Joe and Serena's families have yet to meet due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he said he gets "along great" with Serena's loved ones and vice versa.In terms of what the couple is looking for from their first apartment, Joe said they'd like "natural lighting" and "in-unit laundry."But Joe confirmed that he and Serena aren't far into wedding plans just yet."Obviously the plan was to move in together first [before getting married]. We are thinking about 2023, and that's kind of where we're at right now," Joe shared.Joe added, "I wouldn't be shocked if we're near the end of 2023, there's a wedding."Joe gushed to Us in early December 2021 how he didn't think he and Serena will ever leave the honeymoon phase of their relationship."We're really riding the honeymoon phase long and hard right now," Serena said, "and it's going really good."Joe said at the time he and Serena were planning on "moving in together soon" -- either in New York City, Toronto, or Chicago -- adding that everything "couldn't be going any better" for them."It really just comes down to what makes the most sense for the relationship and our lives professionally," Serena said late last year.And Serena gushed in early November 2021 that she and Joe make "a fantastic team together," according to Hollywood Life."He's a fantastic communicator," Joe added. "We just understood each other and felt very comfortable and safe and open with each other in the relationship."Serena and Joe believe they established a strong relationship foundation while filming .Serena, for instance, never let the fact Joe's ex-girlfriend of nearly two years, Kendall Long , was on the beach get in the way of her connection with the former grocery store owner.Serena kept her eye on the prize, avoided jealousy, and trusted Joe as Kendall sought closure.During an October appearance on former The Bachelorette star Becca Kufrin 's "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast, Joe and Serena revealed how they'd like to have a "mid-range" to "longer" engagement."Yeah, we're not rushing down the aisle ," Serena said. "But I mean, we definitely feel confident in the fact that we want to be together.""It'll be nice to just take a breath, date, live together, and then marriage will come down the line," she noted.Looking back on Joe's marriage proposal, Serena told Becca that she was in "complete shock" by his decision."The logical thing to do would be like, 'This is crazy. This is so fast, let's just do the step-by-step thing and get engaged down the line,'" Serena explained."I was so emotional when he got down on one knee and I was so excited to say 'yes.' I was obviously in complete shock but I knew he was the one."Serena called the moment "beautiful" and insisted she had no regrets about allowing Joe to put a ring on her finger.On 's seventh-season finale, Joe gushed after getting engaged, "We followed our hearts and will just figure out the other stuff later."And Serena joked, "The most logical people on the beach followed our hearts and got engaged!"Prior to appearing on 7, Joe got eliminated very early from Becca's season of The Bachelorette and met Kendall on Season 5 of Paradise.Despite being happy and in love, Joe and Kendall broke up because they couldn't agree on whether to live in Chicago or Kendall's home city of Los Angeles long-term.Joe gave Los Angeles a chance during and after his stint on Dancing with the Stars and wanted to move back to Chicago to be with his friends and family, but Kendall apparently wouldn't even consider relocating and trying out a life in Chicago.And Serena dumped Matt James on his The Bachelor season that aired in early 2021 after her hometown date.In addition to Serena and Joe, two other couples got engaged on 's seventh season: Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin-Solis as well as Riley Christian and Maurissa Gunn. Riley and Maurissa, however, have split.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd is making the jump to the Star Wars universe for Season 3 of The Mandalorian.

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Deadline and TheWrap reported Friday that Lloyd is on the call sheet for the Disney+ Star Wars series, which is currently filming its third season in Southern California.

Details about Lloyd's role are being kept secret, though the Hollywood Reporter described the role as guest-starring in nature.

Lloyd is best known for playing time-traveling scientist Dr. Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-90). He also played the villainous Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).

The 83-year-old Lloyd has won multiple Emmy Awards, including for the comedy series Taxi (1978-83). Most recently, he appeared in the Bob Odenkirk action film Nobody for Universal, as well as the George Clooney-directed The Tender Bar.

The Mandalorian has a history of bringing in characters from iconic franchises. Michael Biehn, who starred in The Terminator, made an appearance in a memorable Season 2 episode.

The Mandalorian launched in November 2019 as one of Disney+'s flagship shows. Season 2 ran in late 2020, with its first spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett, debuting in December.

No release date has been announced for the third season of The Mandalorian. Lucasfilm is currently preparing for the May 25 debut of Obi-Wan Kenobi, starring Ewan McGregor.
Don't Look Up director Adam McKay turned out to support the Youth Climate Strike Los Angeles.

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McKay joined an indigenous and youth-led coalition for a march Friday from Pershing Square to City National Bank where they demanded the United Teachers Association divest its $20 billion pension fund from fossil fuels.

The group is planning another protest on March 25, the day the union is slated to vote on the pension fund.

They also complained about the impact the Coastal Gas Link pipeline in British Columbia, Canada, may have on the Wet'suwet'en tribe's territory and water supply.

"You are destroying lives, you are destroying indigenous people," McKay said. "Is it worth it? How much is enough? That's the question we ask you. At what point does human decency enter the board room? That's the question we ask."

Don't Look Up is a black comedy about what happens when powerful people ignore scientists who warn them the end of the world is imminent.
"Love is Blind" star Shaina Hurley is engaged to be married.

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The television personality recently got engaged to her boyfriend, Christos Lardos, E! News reported this week.

People said Lardos proposed March 10. The couple plan to marry in Greece over the summer.

"Shaina is engaged. She's been dating Christos for almost a year and this is the happiest I've ever seen her," a source said.

"He has stood by her side through all of the 'Love is Blind' drama and has been her steady in the storm."

Hurley and Lardos made their relationship Instagram official with a slideshow of photos and videos from Mykonos on Sunday.

"My ride or die forever," Hurley captioned the post.

News of Hurley's engagement follows her appearance in Love is Blind Season 2, which ended with a reunion special released March 4 on Netflix.

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Season 2 saw Hurley accept an engagement proposal from her co-star Kyle Abrams after voicing her feelings for Shayne Jansen.

Hurley ended her relationship with Abrams due to their differing religious beliefs.

"Love is Blind" is a dating reality series featuring singles who connect in "pods" where they can talk but not see each other.

The couples meet in person after getting engaged.
Sirens howl, bombs fall. We eat ice cream: a Kherson mothers diary of invasion

Olha planned to escape her city when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. This is her account of living in a warzone with two children.

People protesting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Kherson. Photograph: Reuters

Day one (24 February)

I woke up to the sound of explosions and, immediately, my dream evaporated. I looked at my phone and saw it was 4.50am. I found my backpack, woke my children and told them to pack theirs.

We decided to leave. The railway station was closed so we attempted to travel by bus instead. We waited for the 4pm bus to Poland but it didnt turn up. We tried to hitchhike but everyone sped past. Eventually, we got on a bus to Mykolaiv because the driver assured us that we would be able to travel west from there. Everyone onboard was nervous because it was announced there would be more shelling in Kherson at 6pm. We left at 6.05pm.

In Mykolaiv, we were met by an empty bus station, desperate passengers and a fast-approaching curfew. The dispatcher said there would be no transport until the morning and there was no schedule for the following day at all.

I did not want to get stuck in Mykolaiv for an indefinite period. Those who wanted to get to Lviv begged a taxi driver. He refused as he was worried he may not be able to return home. He said he would take us back to Kherson though. So we went straight back to my mums flat. My son was asking all the time: Is everything very bad? Wont we die? Promise that everything will be OK. I didnt know what to say so I just held his hand.

Day two (25 February)

All night and all morning the air raid sirens howled. Shells blew up. We ate ice-cream.

The Russians had just crossed the Antonovskiy Bridge and were firing at civilian vehicles. Public transport had stopped, there were very few cars, and almost no people. Some families with sleeping bags arranged to spend the night in the garage.

We went out to get spring water and when we were in the middle of the bridge, a melody from the city clock, the song about the Dnipro River (Oh, Dnipro, Dnipro, you are wide and mighty) sounded nearby. It was epic.

We are in Kherson. Cut off from the world. I wanted to take the children to a quieter place, but we cant go to Lviv, because it is a battle zone on the way, and trains havent been running since the day before yesterday, buses too. I was falling into despair.

My dad collected warm clothes for humanitarian aid before he went to bed. I made a discovery  it was not just the enemy aircraft I could hear during the night but my fathers snoring.

Day four (27 February)

I went to my home and cleaned the bedroom. I sealed the window with tape and took the cat out of the house. I told my son to seal the window in the kitchen with tape. He sealed the glass with almost an entire layer. It turned out to be such psychotherapy. I reassured dad about the overspending of material in a crisis, and showed him the second roll of tape.



Tape is stretched across all mirrors in the flat. Photograph: Olha/Guardian Community

I collected all the glass vases and porcelain figurines, put them in a box and continued dusting all over the apartment.

Later I thought many times about why I came back from Mykolaiv to Kherson. The answer is that I didnt want my kids to stay on the dark cold station for the whole night. I was one hour away from my warm home. I thought I could sleep at home and leave for Poland in the morning.

I was mistaken  there was no transport, no opportunity to leave the next day, nor any other day. Some people left, but I knew about that later, and it was a big risk. Some of them passed by Russian roadblocks and the others were shot in their cars.

Day seven (2 March)

People took away the Ukrainian flag from Russian soldiers, which they were trying to remove from an administrative building. Kherson is still ours, just surrounded, and with armed enemy soldiers, roadblocks and internet outages.

I am still looking for ways to get out of the city but there are none. I read Harry Potter to my kids in the evenings so they dont focus on the explosions. My son has high blood pressure sometimes and when he feels dizzy, he just lies on the armchair. My daughter sits half a day with her cat on her knees in the corner and keeps silent. I hold the children before going to bed, they dont want to let my hands go.

On Tuesdays and Saturdays, we have literary meetings on Zoom. Its been that way since quarantine. Usually we read our own poems and stories, sometimes of other authors. Doing analysis, sharing thoughts, giving tips. The last meetings begin with questions about what is going on with anyone  in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi. Poems have faded into the background. We are just glad to see and hear each other and to know that we are all alive.

Day eight (3 March)

The Russian occupation has merged into one long, endless day. We were surrounded, and the approaches to the city had been blocked for several days. Russian troops are trying to rob grocery stores, but since 27 February, almost all the shelves have been emptied.

Olhas cat, Venera, watching the streets outside from a window. Photograph: Olha/Guardian

Yesterday, one of my friends walked around his district and for two hours couldnt find an open shop. Then he ran into five submachine gunners, who asked him for directions. The soldiers said they had come from Crimea to defend Ukraine from Nazis.

Everyone is on edge. Children are afraid to sleep, parents are afraid that food will run out, I want to get out of here and I cant. Im not a fan of food, so I dont care any more and I tell my mum not to worry about the children. The bakery distributes free bread to outlets, and some pharmacies are open.

I dont know what to do with the fact that mobile connections and communications are often cut and in some areas the internet has already been lost. Without objective information, it would be difficult to navigate the situation.

I read that the Russians sent humanitarian aid from Crimea to us. Are they kidding? Everything was fine with us until the Russian troops invaded, we did not need to be freed from anyone. We do not suffer from fictional Ukrainian Nazis. Russians came to our land with weapons, cut us off from the world, and now they are bringing food?

Day 11 (6 March)

Kherson residents decided to protest and say that Kherson is Ukraine. And they have said it. It is a fact that people did not take Russian humanitarian aid. Instead, we gathered on the central square for two days in a large crowd of several thousand people and shouted home, Kherson is Ukraine!.

We have little destruction in our city compared with Kharkiv, so its generally silly for us to complain too much. There has been constant bombing in Kharkiv, a blockade in Mariupol, terrible shelling near Kyiv. There have been so many victims. Now hatred is en vogue but I feel sorry for people on both sides.

The Russians believe that their troops came to Ukraine to save us from the nationalists. Nationalists is a horror story of Russian state propaganda. In our country, this word has a completely different meaning  a person who recognises him or herself as a representative of the Ukrainian nation and respects the culture of his people. So, almost everyone is nationalist.

The past week (8-15 March)



The dogs created by Olhas daughter. Photograph: Olha/Guardian Community

My daughter draws dogs, cuts them out with scissors, gives them names and ID cards. She makes beds, toys and clothes for them. Some dogs have puppies. Dozens of dogs live around her and defend her from the lifequake. She presented me with one dog. Its really cute.

Despite the Russian occupation, volunteers are doing a great job. They rush around the city, delivering free medicines and products to people who need it. People who stayed in Kherson are doing their best. They coordinate taking out garbage, working in hospitals, fixing communications and carrying out repair work.

People even deal with crime without police, apart from the main criminal element  the Russian invasion. They place tanks and other heavy vehicles in the streets and yards close to schools, churches and inhabited buildings.

Their soldiers disperse peaceful demonstrations with rubber bullets and shoot submachine guns into the air. Sometimes Russians come into apartments and take notebooks, other devices and even people from their homes.

They are looking for coordinators of demonstrations, not understanding that almost every Kherson citizen is the coordinator of freedom and democracy.

I am proud of Kherson and I cry about it every night.
"Vanderpump Rules" couple Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney are headed for divorce.

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The television personalities confirmed Tuesday that they have separated after 12 years together.

Schwartz shared the news on Instagram and said Maloney initiated the split.

"Katie & I are separating. I'm not quite ready to use the 'D' word bc it's too painful," Schwartz wrote.

"Yes my heart aches but I'll be ok. Not looking to evoke any sympathy here. I'm not the victim. Not gonna write too sad a song."

"Fully respect Katie's decision and we've had healthy, productive conversations about it. It would be far sadder if she decided to stay with me whilst not happy," he said.

Schwartz asked for fans "to please be kind" as he and Maloney navigate the split.

He said they had "some of the most blissful, romantic, fun times humanely possible over the course of our relationship."

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"I'm talking heaven on earth level joy. She taught me so much about love & being a better partner," Schwartz said.

Maloney confirmed the news in a post on her own account.

"After 12 years on an adventure through life together Tom and I are ending our marriage. This ending is not met with resentment or animosity, no sides to choose," Maloney wrote.

"We have deep admiration for one another that will always remain and we cherish our friendship," she said.

"Although we may be on different paths we will continue to love and support one another's happiness."

"Vanderpump Rules'" Raquel Leviss and Kristen Doute showed their support for Schwartz in the comments.

"Sending love Katie," Leviss wrote.

"I love you mama," Doute said.

Schwartz and Maloney married in California in August 2016 but didn't file the official paperwork to be legally wed until 2019.

The pair have starred together on "Vanderpump Rules" since the show's premiere in 2013.

"Vanderpump Rules" follows former "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Vanderpump and the staff of her restaurants.

The series completed its ninth season on Bravo in January.
TRAVERSE CITY  For Lindsay Perry, the decision to pull her son from in-person school came early in the year.

Perrys son Salem attended Bridgeway, a NorthEd program for students with autism, last year and the first few weeks of this school year. He has autism and epilepsy, Perry said, and he is not fully vaccinated because of his sensory issues and fear of needles.

The latest on COVID-19 Continuing coverage of COVID-19 and its impact. If you have a question about the novel coronavirus pandemic and haven't been able to find an a

In late September, Perry, who has a weakened immune system herself, pulled Salem from in-person school.

The panic and the fear of him being directly exposed so many times last year, and then knowing that eventually (the mask mandate) will be lifted this year, I wasnt going to risk it, Perry said. It wasnt worth his health, my health, exposing the whole family. It just wasnt worth it.

Salem now takes classes online, which is very, very stressful, Perry said. She resigned from her job to be home with him, and she worries about the lack of socialization hes getting.

Its causing him a little bit of social anxiety when we do have to go places, Perry said. Hes not getting the normalcy of recess and field trips, gym class.

As federal, state and local public health policy shifts from mandates to reliance on personal responsibility across the states, some still at-risk of getting a serious COVID infection have taken on a heavier burden to protect their families and themselves.

In northern Michigan, rollbacks on mask mandates came around the same time as they did in states like New Jersey and Delaware. In February, Lisa Peacock, health officer at the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department and the Health Department of Northwest Michigan announced that her health departments K-12 mask mandate would expire in mid-February.

This decision meant that public school districts in Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties would no longer have a mask mandate. Traverse City Area Public Schools, which is not under the jurisdiction of either health department, was also effected after its trustees hitched their mask mandate onto BLDHDs.

Prior to Peacocks February decision, a majority of students in NorthEd (the regions intermediate school district) attended school under a mask mandate. Now, almost none do.

People across the U.S. are in a similar position as Perry and her family. According to the CDC website, about 7 million adults in the U.S. are immunocompromised and at-risk of becoming severely ill from COVID. The website does not have statistics on immunocompromised children.

Newspapers, such as The Philadelphia Inquirer and The New York Times, have covered the struggles that high-risk individuals across the states, from California to Missouri to Philadelphia, are facing now that rhetoric around COVID precautions has shifted. They report feeling resentful, angry and abandoned. Some have hardly seen anyone outside of their families or health care providers during the pandemic.

When the mask mandate was dropped in February, Perry thought about pulling her daughter Riley from in-person school as well, but she has remained at West Middle School under their agreement that she would always wear a mask.

Riley struggled with virtual school last year, Perry said, and it would have been too difficult for her to support both Riley and Salem during online classes. Plus, Perry did not want Riley to miss out on socializing as a middle schooler.

The pandemic has been mentally and emotionally exhausting, Perry said. Shes tired of having to make adjustments to her and her childrens lives because of it.

Others complaining about the inconvenience of masking or other COVID precautions without considering the impact on high-risk individuals come across as selfish, Perry said.

If I got COVID, it would really, really affect me because of my compromised immune system, Perry said. It could really, really affect my son.

Holly T. Bird pulled her son from in-person school a few months into the school year.

Birds son, who is immunocompromised, spent last year struggling in online classes. He ended up failing a few of them, which he then had to make up over the summer. School felt much harder and there seemed to be more work online, Bird said.

He returned to TC West Senior High School this year, but, when Bird learned that TCAPS would no longer have a mask mandate, she began looking for online programs for him to enroll in again. She fears a repeat of last year and how her sons mental health will be impacted, but the physical health risks are not worth him going back to school, she said.

Bird, whose household has San Felipe Pueblo members and citizens of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, said she was not surprised by the February decision on masking. She has heard from a lot of people that they are tired of following pandemic protocols.

It really feels like theres a lack of compassion and understanding for people in these situations, Bird said. We live in a society where people can afford to do these things and people can have the ability to make better choices to help people around them and theyre obviously choosing their own convenience.

However, one Maple City mom whose son has an autoimmune disease is happy to see mask mandates dropping.

Karen Dezelskis son Drew is a junior at Glen Lake Community Schools. He has rheumatoid arthritis, and he has had COVID twice. He is not vaccinated because of his autoimmune disease, she said.

Both times he tested positive for COVID, Drew only had a stuffy nose, Dezelski said.

Dezelski has been against mask mandates since the beginning of the pandemic because she does not believe masks are effective. With the mask mandate at her sons school now gone, Dezelski looks forward to getting back to normal, especially for young children, she said.

Everybody just needs to calm down and take care of their own, Dezelski said.

Dr. Stephanie Galdes, a pediatrician at Kids Creek Childrens Clinic, would have preferred the mask mandates to last a few weeks longer, but recent low hospitalization numbers and positivity rates indicate the community is in a good place to go without mandates, she said.

For high-risk students, Galdes still recommends wearing a mask, because it does provide a layer of protection. There are other mitigation efforts for parents and the community to use to protect high-risk students, she said, including getting vaccinated when eligible, hand-washing and staying home from school when sick.

The mask wearing is part of the picture, but its not the whole picture at all, especially in a setting where most other people are not wearing a mask, Galdes said.

It is also important to consider the social element when discussing mandates, Galdes said.

I think everybody needs a break from this, Galdes said. We would definitely see less infection spread if everybody was masked and we were social distancing  but you have to balance some of that with social mental health as well. And so thats tricky.

As of Friday afternoon, there were 36 COVID patients in Munson hospitals across the region, according to Munsons website, and about 2,500 active COVID cases in Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Emmet, Otsego, Charlevoix and Antrim counties, according to each countys health department website.

The positivity rate in each of those counties is less than 10 percent, according to the MI Safe Start Map.

In the past week, the Grand Traverse County positivity rate, while still under 10 percent, seems to have risen a few percentage points, Galdes said. She said she hopes there will be a continual conversation around mask mandates as COVID cases and positivity rates ebb and flow in the area.

A few weeks ago, Bird and her immediate family gathered with members of their extended family. Afterward, they found out someone there tested positive for COVID.

Thankfully, her immediate family was wearing masks, Bird said, although no one else was.

People close to Bird have died from COVID. Others she knows suffer from Long COVID. Around the time the school mask mandate dropped she knew a 5-year-old who had to be hospitalized for COVID.

All of these things have made her more cautious when it comes to virus, she said.

I just dont think that were there yet. And I think that the burden has shifted to the most vulnerable people in our society to continue to try to fend this virus off, Bird said. But its, like, a heavier burden this time.
YORK  A couple of weeks ago, the York County Sheriffs Department put out an invitation to dozens of young people in the county, asking that local kids submit pictures and names for the newest canine deputy.

The result became a big stack of papers.

On each sheet was a brightly colored picture of a law enforcement service dog, with big bold names on the top as kids submitted their ideas.

On the back of the hand-drawn pictures were names of the first-, second- and third-graders from Emmanuel-Faith Lutheran School, Heartland Community School, McCool Junction School, St. Josephs Catholic School and home-school kids who created them.

There were a lot of them  because every single kid in the eligible age group participated.

Then came the daunting  yet entertaining  task of choosing which name would ultimately become that of the new drug dog.

York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka said a committee of four was chosen that included Sheriff Sgt. Brad Melby; Lela Luft, director of the emergency communications center; Sheriff Capt. Josh Gillespie; and York News-Times Managing Editor Melanie Wilkinson. They sorted through the submissions.

The artwork varied in colors, themes and artistic abilities.

The names were as varied as the pictures, with dozens upon dozens offered for consideration, including Bones, Browny, Keke, Roger, Dasher, Rander, Loki, Anny, Bella, Caylie, Shine, Luna, Dimeonde, Aysel, Rock, Max, Husker, Ruby, Ranger, Rosa, Special, Cutie, Girl Dog, Rosie, Flame, Rose, Violet, Lady, Heart, Isabella, Stella, Darla, Cookie, Rubee, Masha, Nora, Flash, Phoenix, Midnight, Bolt, Laylah, Polly, Rufus, Avery, Miley, Rose, Iris, Tracker, Alpha, Roxi, Midas, Faith, Roxy, Zoey, Archor, Alenna, Nitro, Nitro III, Snoopy, Sheriff, Silo, Choclet Chip, Donuts, Luna, Daisy, Loo Loo, Sun Shign, Kendall, The Queen, Gina, Rogue, Salish, Athena, Gizmo, Sherri, Mojo, Star, Blue Bern, Domino, Sky and Foxy  just to name a few.

The name that won out: Keva.

Sgt. Melby explained he wanted to use the name Keva because it is Irish Gaelic for gentle, beautiful, precious, handsome and beloved. I just think it fits.

The name of Keva was submitted by Zoe Mills, a first-grader at Heartland Community Schools.

On Friday morning, she was paid a visit by members of the sheriffs department and the Henderson Police Department, as well as Keva and her handler, Deputy Chris Fifield.

The Heartland first-graders were assembled in the gym at 8:30 a.m., with no expectations as to what their impromptu assembly was about.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Vrbka, Capt. Gillespie, Sgt. Melby, Deputy Chris Fifield, Keva and Henderson Police Chief John Prusia stood ready in the front lobby in preparation for the big surprise.

She has no idea she won the name contest, said Mills' mother, Portion Lyons, as she, too, waited for the announcement. She is going to be so surprised.

When the contingent of law enforcement officers walked into the gym, some of the first-graders exclaimed, Its about naming the dog!

Sheriff Vrbka and Chief Prusia briefly spoke to the enthusiastic kids, and when Keva entered the room with Deputy Fifield, it became clear one of them was the winner.

Sgt. Melby held up the winning paper and announced that Miss Mills was the winner. He also invited her to call the dog by her new name, for the first time  which the youngster proudly did.

Why the name Keva? Zoe replied, My dogs name is Keva, so I thought it would be a good idea. This is so exciting! I didnt think Id win!

Her fellow classmates were equally excited, as they were able to one-by-one pet Keva and offer their congratulations to Zoe.

Keva is being trained by Sgt. Melby and Deputy Fifield. When she is ready, she will join the two other county dogs, Justice and Loki, in the service field.

Sheriff Vrbka and Sgt. Melby said Kevas journey is remarkable in itself. She was born in Ukraine, and a dog enthusiast from Omaha (who had handled service dogs during his military career) found her and arranged for her to be brought to the United States. But because of a series of COVID shutdowns, Keva came to the United States only to be returned to the Ukraine.

Eventually the man traveled to Ukraine to get her, and shes been in the United States for about six months. The man later realized this dog needed to work because of her talent and drive. He also heard about the need for a new drug dog in York County and donated her to the department.

Melby and Vrbka say she shows a lot of promise and they are excited to have her on the force.

Now that she has been given a title and with certification likely to happen in June, her name will be added to the graphics on the outside of her cruiser, like the names of Justice and Loki are.

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AP PhotoFILE - In this March 4, 2021 file photo, a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at a drive-up mass vaccination site in Puyallup, Wash., south of Seattle. Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine brought in nearly $7 billion in the final quarter of 2021, and the drugmaker says it has signed purchase agreements for another $19 billion in sales this year. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Data released Monday reveals that 54 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management fail to meet the agencys own land-health standards. While standards vary between states and bioregions, they generally measure biological conditions, including soil health, water quality, plant species diversity and the quality of habitat for threatened and endangered species. The standards define the minimum benchmarks land managers need to achieve and maintain in order for landscapes to function and be used sustainably.

The BLM oversees 246 million acres of land  the vast majority of it in the Western U.S. The agencys mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations, but according to records obtained by bipartisan watchdog organization Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), it is failing to do so on nearly a quarter of the land thats leased for grazing. We must all work together to improve conservation practices on public lands, said Chandra Rosenthal, PEERs Rocky Mountain Office director. This map is a wakeup call for the BLM to not only improve and modernize their data collection and mapping efforts, but also to take action to address the vast amounts of degraded lands.

PEER obtained 78,000 records spanning three decades through Freedom of Information Act requests. The data, which covers 13 Western states from 1997 to 2019 and holds information from every BLM field office in those states, plots 21,000 allotments on one interactive map. This map is useful for individuals to be able to see whats going on around them, become active and really work to hold the BLM accountable in the areas that are important to them, Rosenthal told High Country News. Its really empowering for people to be aware of whats going on on their public lands. (Disclosure: Rosenthal is a sibling of HCNs managing digital editor.)

The data shows that vast areas of the land are degraded. Some acreage isnt assessed at all, and of the roughly 109 million acres that are, half fail to meet rangeland health standards. Struggling allotments, while documented across the West, are predominantly found in cold desert ecoregions, often in the rain shadow of mountain ranges. These areas are characterized by lack of moisture and extreme temperature swings.

In six states  California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming  more than 40% of assessed lands are failing land-health standards. In Nevada, 83% of assessed allotments do not meet standards, while data from Idaho recorded that 78% of assessed allotments failed rangeland health standards. In New Mexico, however, only 2% of assessed allotments are failing.

High Country News reached out to the BLM with questions prior to publication, and the agency responded with a written statement after the story originally went to press: While we disagree with some of PEERs conclusions as the analysis was at a large scale and missed some on the ground improvements, we acknowledge there is work to be done in the face of a changing climate and other challenges, according to the statement. The BLM will prioritize assessments for areas where land health standards have never been evaluated or where standards are not being met and is also working to improve how it reports land health data.

Flourishing landscapes are integral to the public and economic health of the Wests communities and Indigenous nations, particularly those whose ancestral lands are involved. Research by Headwaters Economics and the Center for Western Priorities extensively documents the tremendous value that public lands hold for nearby gateway communities. But a prolonged megadrought in the Western U.S. poses an ongoing threat to already stressed landscapes and the communities that depend on them, as do overlapping issues, including climate change, the spread of invasive species like cheatgrass, and the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires.

PEERs analysis finds that livestock grazing is the primary culprit behind land degradation. The BLM leases more than half of its acreage to ranchers as grazing allotments for cattle, sheep and other livestock. Although everything from drought and wildfire to off-road vehicles can impact rangeland health, livestock grazing is a significant cause of the failing land-health standards of 72% of the public land. Thats about 40 million acres.

This finding is consistent throughout the West, sometimes at a large scale: A massive, over 950,000-acre allotment in the Rock Springs area of Wyoming is just one of the areas that identifies livestock grazing as a significant cause for declining land health. Other stressors such as invasive species, wild horses and extreme stream degradation account for the poor health of an additional 15 million acres.

BLM grazing lands that fail to meet standards overlap substantially with greater sage grouse breeding areas and habitat. Ecoregions like the Wyoming Basin, Northern Basin and Range and Snake River Plains owe their failure to the presence of livestock on more than 40% of the lands assessed to date. Other animal species are implicated too; for example, some allotments in the home of the threatened desert tortoise are also failing to meet standards.

PEER shared its findings in a meeting in early January with top agency officials, including BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Deputy Director of Policy and Programs Nada Culver. It was surprising to us that a lot of them didnt even know there was grazing within wilderness areas, Rosenthal said. I feel like theres a lot of unfamiliarity with the rangeland health standards data. But Rosenthal also categorized the meeting as a positive step and said that she felt the leaders were curious and interested in making change.

This story first appeared in the High Country News, you can read the original story here. High Country News is an independent magazine dedicated to coverage of the Western U.S. Subscribe, get the enewsletter, and follow HCN on Facebook and Twitter. Note: This story has been updated to add comment that was submitted by the Bureau of Land Management after this article originally went to press in the High Country News. Kylie Mohr is an editorial intern for High Country News writing from Montana. Email her at kylie.mohr@hcn.org.

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For more than two years the groundwater around Worden and Ballantine in Eastern Montana was unsafe to drink after the water district there discovered nitrates in the water in alarmingly high levels in 2019  high enough to be mortally dangerous to infants.

It also left the Worden Ballantine Yellowstone County Water and Sewer District scrambling to find a new source of drinking water. Water treatment systems are expensive, complex and out of reach for many rural water districts.

For the Worden Ballantine water district, relief finally came last year in the form of $4.74 million in federal aid that it will use to essentially build a whole new water system. Investigators were never able to find the source of the nitrate contamination, so the water district dug four new wells from which it now draws its clean water.

For Richard Parks, a fly fishing guide based in Gardiner and a water quality advocate with the Northern Plains Resource Council, it illustrates the difficulty and expense wrapped up in water treatment.

He argues it's one of the big reasons municipalities in Montana are looking for ways to relax the state's water quality standards.

"While removing nutrients is doable, it costs money," he said.

The state, during the last legislative session, passed Senate Bill 358 in an attempt to create a more flexible solution to how the state monitors and responds to water quality. It replaces the state's old numeric system with a narrative system for quantifying the amounts of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, in the state's waterways.

Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are important fertilizers but too much in a stream or river can create dangerous algae blooms that choke the life out of a waterway.

Parks, whose livelihood depends on the health of the rivers in Paradise Valley, believes the state's implementation of a new monitoring system will damage the water quality in Montana.

"A completely misbegotten and abominable step to take," he said.

'Not going backwards'

Louis Engels, the water quality superintendent for the City of Billings, sees it from a different perspective. He looks at the city's new $75 million wastewater treatment plant, built in 2019, that's designed specifically to remove higher amounts of nitrogen and phosphates from wastewater, and sees a pretty good system.

He's convinced Billings and the other major municipalities in Montana are doing as much to keep the state's waterways clean as just about any other group. Overall, Montana's eight largest cities have collectively invested $260 million in treating wastewater to reach these specific levels.

"We're not going backwards," he said. "We've invested more in water quality than anyone in the region."

The law certainly doesn't roll back water standards," said Kelly Lynch, an attorney with the Montana League of Cities and Towns. Montana's constitution requires that the state "maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment...for present and future generations."

Lynch helped craft the legislation that became SB 358, which itself doesn't dictate water quality standards but instead creates a framework for them.

Stakeholders will spend the year evaluating the data that's been collected from waterways across the state for decades and create a system that can set specific standards for the various watersheds across the state.

Most importantly, the state-issued permits that dictate exactly the amounts of nutrients municipalities are allowed to release into their waterways remain in force and by law can't be rolled back, Lynch said.

Under those permit requirements, municipal wastewater treatment plants capture and remove roughly 90% of the nitrogen and phosphorus and other nutrient waste in the water they process.

Ryan Sudbury, deputy city attorney in Missoula who specializes in water quality issues, said his city has worked hard to be proactive and pragmatic in its approach to treating water.

"We just want to make sure the things we're doing make sense," he said.

Watershed specific

The state's new plan for monitoring water quality moves to what's known as an adaptive management plan, which allows regions within the state to create the standards that will address the specific type of pollution they see.

"A site-specific approach would better serve the stakeholders in that region," said Amanda McInnis, an area manager and wastewater specialist with HDR in Missoula.

The adaptive management plan, specific to each watershed, dictates what's required, she said.

"We've got to look at all of the watershed," she said.

Brian Heaston, senior water resource engineer for the City of Bozeman, is hopeful SB 358 will do what it's set out to do. A big part of that will be how it utilizes the science to dictate water quality, he said.

Rather than disregard the data that's been used to create state standards up until now, he sees the law requiring municipalities to rely on good, accurate contemporary data to make decisions on how they satisfy water quality standards going forward.

"It's utilizing site-specific data collected at a watershed site," he said. "We're building on the science."

Parks, the fly fishing guide in Gardiner, believes data is the key if the state is going to use the adaptive management plan system and he's not convinced the new law does enough to require the collection of good data moving forward.

"You've got to understand where you're trying to go," he said. "Without the standard you've got no objective."

Bozeman draws much of its drinking water from the East Gallatin River and the city has spent years and more than $250,000 studying the impact of nutrients on the nearly 30-mile stretch of the river before it meets up with the Gallatin.

Collecting the right data from the right places allows the regions where these watersheds exist to better understand the impact nutrients have on their waterways and how best to protect them, Heaston said.

And the best way to do it is by requiring those specific regions to figure it out. The state's too big to do it efficiently on a statewide level, he said.

"We believe we are a primary steward of the aquatic environment of the East Gallatin River," Heaston said. "We want to see it succeed."

Point-source blues

One of the tallest hurdles the state faces as it works to better regulate water quality is what's known as non-point source dischargers.

Cities and towns across the state are relatively easy for the state to manage. The majority of municipalities in Montana have some type of water treatment plant, which the state regulates as a point-source discharger of treated wastewater.

Point-source is the state's designation for any recognized source of discharged wastewater, which typically means a city pipe releasing water into the wild.

What's harder for the state to regulate are non-point sources, those entities outside of municipalities that still release polluted water into a waterway. These sources usually exist on county land and come from agricultural and septic sources.

And the state has no system in place to regulate them.

It's a concern for both municipal water managers and environmentalists. The state has seen record growth in the last two years and clean water advocates worry it will increasingly push development into more rural areas of the state.

And that push, they say, could lead to higher levels of nutrient pollution finding its way into rivers and streams with no way for the state to regulate it.

"The state is going to have to address that in some meaningful way," Heaston said.

Engels, the water quality superintendent for Billings, agreed. The majority of nitrogen and phosphorus found in state waterways comes from sources other than cities and towns. And so municipalities can't be the only ones responsible to keep the state's water clean, he said.

Cost of clean water

The original numeric standards for wastewater discharge put in place by the state were never implemented. A lawsuit filed by the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, a water quality advocacy group based in Bozeman, put the requirements on hold until the courts figured out the best approach.

SB 358 was designed in part as a work around and Engels sees it as a better option anyway. The old numeric standard for water quality was never possible to reach, he said.

"The technology does not exist," he said.

To get close, city water treatment plants would have to install reverse osmosis filtration systems and there still would be nutrient levels it couldn't reach. And then there's the cost, Engel said.

It would cost Billings $30 million to install a reverse osmosis filtration system and there would be no guarantee it would remove nitrogen and phosphorus down to the numbers required under the old numeric system.

That's a cost Billings would end up passing onto ratepayers, which no one likes, Engels said. But it would be especially burdensome on smaller townships  many with aging water treatment plants  that simply don't have the resources or the population base to float the cost. For Engels it's about prioritizing limited resources.

Sudbury, with the Missoula city attorney's office, agreed.

"Even if we built it, it wouldn't result in measurable differences," he said. "We're not opposed to spending money to treat nutrients, we just think there's a better way to do it."

Municipal water treatment systems across the state remove 90% of the nitrogen and phosphorus and other nutrient waste from their wastewater. To get at the remaining 10% becomes a game of diminishing returns.

"It's incredibly expensive and incredibly energy intensive," Heaston said. "Is the benefit worth the cost?"

Parks acknowledged it's a complex problem with no easy answer. The problem, he said, is that the state's water quality hangs in the balance. If the state gets it wrong, rivers and streams end up damaged, which can impact everything from Montana's quality of life to its tourism industry.

"I don't think any of us pretend there's a simple solution to this," he said. "And that's my problem with SB 358. It goes for the simple solution."

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Will Price/courtesy of WV Legislative PhotographyIn the final hours of the recent legislative session, Sen. David Bugs Stover, R-Wyoming, made an impassioned plea on the Senate floor against a bill designed to privatize at least some facilities in West Virginias state parks. The bill passed both houses, with several revisions, in the final minutes of the session. Stover voted against the bill.
A Reed Point man is facing federal charges alleging that he attempted to coerce a minor into sex.

Jacob B. Ramirez, 40, pleaded not guilty March 15 to one count of attempted coercion and enticement in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Ramirez is one of at least three men from Billings and the surrounding area indicted in federal court with charges alleging they tried to arrange to have sex with a child.

Yellowstone County prosecutors initially charged Ramirez and eight others with sexual abuse of children in the fall of last year. He spoke with a person online who he believed had a 12-year-old daughter available for sex, according to district court documents. Law enforcement arrested Ramirez in Billings on Oct. 27 after he allegedly made plans to meet up with the father and daughter at a local park.

Ramirez initially pleaded not guilty in Yellowstone County District Court last year. County prosecutors dropped the charge March 15, the same day he was indicted in federal court. In both cases, the FBI spearheaded the investigation.

A trial for Ramirez is currently scheduled for May 16. If convicted, Ramirez could be sentenced to at least 10 years in prison and face a $250,000 fine, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided over his arraignment.

Federal prosecutors indicted two other Billings men on coercion and enticement charges earlier this year who had likewise been arrested in the fall of 2021 and charged in Yellowstone County District Court with attempting to arrange for sex with a minor.

Jason Robert Kroepelin, 32, has been charged with attempting to coerce and entice a minor into sexual activity, and possession of child sex abuse material. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force all contributed to the investigation that led to Kroepelins arrest, according to a previous statement from the United States Department of Justice.

Thomas Clay Sebastian also pleaded not guilty in federal court to one count of attempting to coerce and entice a person who he thought was a minor into sex. Kroepelin and Sebastian have trials slated for May and June, respectively.

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Millions have viewed videos of Russian strikes on YouTube and Instagram, social media monitor says.

Indonesian protesters present a no war message using Ukraine (left) and Russian flags in front of the Russian embassy in Jakarta, March 4, 2022.

While some in Indonesia have condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine, many are voicing support for Moscow on social media, a phenomenon that one observer says is rooted in anti-Western sentiment and a love of strong figures.

Many in Muslim-majority Indonesia harbor a resentment over Western silence on the suffering of Palestinians and the close relationship between the United States and Israel, said Radityo Dharmaputra, a lecturer in Eastern European studies at Airlangga University in Surabaya.

Because people are anti-West and anti-American, they think they must support Russia, he said. Our society favors strong figures.

Some Indonesians see Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong man who is challenging the West, much like Sukarno, Indonesias founding president, did in the 1950s and 60s, according to Radityo.

Twitter threads in the Indonesian language justifying Russias invasion of Ukraine have been popular. Pro-Russian talking points trending on Twitter include Ukraine as a vassal state of the United States and Russia acting in the interest of its security.

Meanwhile, a message that went viral on WhatsApp likened the Russia-Ukraine conflict to a dispute between a divorced couple. It depicted Ukraine as a wealthy ex-wife with custody of the kids who hangs out with criminals and gangsters.

Before the war, Indonesians did not pay much attention to Russia-Ukraine tensions, and were more concerned about rising food prices, said Dudy Rudianto, the founder of Evello, a social media monitoring and analysis agency.

But interest in Indonesia has soared since the invasion began on Feb. 24. Nearly 100,000 news articles have been shared on social media, and videos showing Russian air strikes and bombardments have drawn more than 550 million views on YouTube and 72 million views on Instagram, Dudy said.

Especially on Twitter, 22,000 accounts were involved in conversations [about the war], even bigger than those about the 2024 general elections, he told BenarNews.

The buzz is not unanimously pro-Russia. The Indonesian kopiganja Twitter account challenged Russias actions in Ukraine, posting: Its not @NATO that is a threat to Russias national security. Its Russias national insecurity that is a threat to Russia.

Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from a maternity hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, March 9, 2022. The woman and her unborn baby did not survive. Credit: AP Diplomatic efforts

Russian and Ukrainian diplomats, in the meantime, have been wooing support from Indonesian Muslims.

Vasyl Hamianin, the Ukrainian ambassador to Indonesia, visited the headquarters of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)  Indonesias largest mass-Muslim organization  and met its chairman, Yahya Cholil Staquf, on March 7.

I really hope that NU, Yahya and all Indonesian Muslims can speak up, send prayers and help end this war to reduce the suffering of the Ukrainian people, including about 2 million Muslims in Ukraine, Hamianin told reporters after the meeting.

A day later, Russian Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva made her own visit. Her country is home to a large Muslim population, she pointed out.

We are very grateful to the leadership of NU for expressing their willingness to contribute to solving the situation and listening to the views of the Russian Federation, she told reporters.

Yahya called on both sides to resolve the conflict through dialogue.

Whatever the problem, no matter how complex it is, as human beings with reason we can definitely talk to each other to find a way out, he said.

Meanwhile, Teuku Rezasyah, a foreign policy analyst at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, said the ambassadorial visits were a testament to NUs influence.

Their hope is that NU, being an organization with the largest following, can influence the Indonesian government  because Indonesian policies are heavily influenced by domestic forces, he said.

Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo is seen on a screen delivering his speech during the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting at the Jakarta Convention Center, Feb. 17, 2022. Credit: Reuters Despite pro-Russian views circulating among Indonesians on social media, the countrys government voted for a U.N. resolution that condemned Moscows military strike on Ukraine. But, at the same time, Jakarta has not directly criticized Russia or used the word invasion.

After the invasion, President Joko Jokowi Widodo posted on Twitter  without referring to Russia or Ukraine: Stop the war. War brings misery to mankind and puts the whole world at risk.

Ukraine, for its part, last week urged Indonesia to include discussions on the invasion during the G20 summit in Bali in October. But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged Jakarta to stick to the established agenda instead.

China supports Indonesia, the rotating president of G20, in promoting cooperation across the board in accordance with the established agenda under the theme of Recover Together, Recover Stronger, Lijian said at a press conference in Beijing on March 15.

Teuku Faizasyah, spokesman for Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Chinas statement meant that Beijing supports Indonesias stance that the G20 forum should focus on global economic issues.

The G20 was formed as a premier forum for economic issues, he told BenarNews.

A Chinese statement said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi spoke on the phone with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on March 14.

During the talks, Retno called for an early end to the Russian war in Ukraine and respect for other countries sovereignty and territorial integrity, it said.

Meanwhile, in a phone conversation on March 16, Jokowi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that all parties should stay committed to promoting talks for peace, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
The border area special economic zone is full of lies, one rescued woman says.

Photo taken by Thai reporter and used with permission

Three Thai women who were trapped in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos were repatriated to Thailand March 17, 2022.

Three Thai citizens who were tricked into working for a corrupt business in Laos Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone returned home to Thailand on Thursday, the latest repatriation of Thai citizens trapped in the zone, RFA has learned.

The three women were promised good jobs, but when they arrived were put to work on fake social media accounts and told to pitch shares of companies within the zone to tourists. RFA reported this week that another group of 15 Thai citizens that had been duped the same way had all returned home, but they warned other Thais were still there.

Im glad to be back, and Ill never return. To other Thais, Id like to tell them not to fall prey to the ad on Facebook because the SEZ is full of lies. Nothing is real, one of the three rescued women told local media.

About the money, they only gave me 1,000 yuan [U.S. $157]. Thats it. They wouldnt allow us to go outside at all and we were trapped in one building. Ill never go back, she said.

The three women were promised 30,000 baht per month ($900). But because they could not meet what they said were unreasonably high sales quotas, the company they were working for threatened to sell them to another business.

A labor official inside the SEZ said his office had no knowledge of the Thai women.

We have no record of them. They were here in the SEZ, but how did they get here? They had no documents. They must have sneaked in, but through which channel? We dont know, the official said.

The Thai Embassy in Laos said it receives requests for help from Thais all over Laos, not just only in the SEZ.

When they contact us, we coordinate with the Lao authorities to resolve their case, the embassy said.

The embassy recently issued a warning to Thai citizens in Laos to be wary of job opportunities in SEZ.

The job seems to be illegal defrauding of other people, and working for criminal gangs, and prostitution. If the workers refuse to do the job, theyll be fined, even physically abused, deprived of freedom, sold to another employer and have their documents confiscated, the warning said.

It encouraged Thais in Laos to be cautious and do not to trust or fall prey to the scamming scheme that is luring people to work in the SEZ.

A greater number of Lao women have been scammed in a similar way: promised good jobs only to find nightmarish conditions once in SEZ. But Lao government has not done as much to protect its citizens as Bangkok has, sources said.

The Lao victims of the employment bait-and-switch scheme have no one to go to for help, a Lao resident of the capital Vientiane, told RFAs Lao Service.

I know some of the Lao women in the SEZ. They say theyve requested help from the Lao authorities, but they dont receive any help, she said on condition of anonymity. The authorities just say these women dont have enough information or documentation. So Lao women are on their own. If they can escape, good for them.

The employment scam has prompted discussions on social media platforms like Facebook about what some commentators see as relative inaction by the Lao government to the problem.

They never warn us of anything. The ad is still online recruiting more workers, one Facebook user said. Look at the Thai authorities. They warn their people. In Laos, there is no news about the Golden Triangle SEZ at all, and no warning published by Lao media.

The Golden Triangle SEZ is run by Zhao Wei, chairman of the Dok Ngiew Kham Group, with Zhaos firm holding 80 percent interest and the Lao government holding 20 percent.

Located where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet, the Golden Triangle area got its name five decades ago for its central role in heroin production and trafficking.

In 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department declared Zhao Weis business network, centered on Kings Romans Casino, a transnational criminal organization and sanctioned Zhao and three other individuals and companies across Laos, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Zhaos business exploits this region by engaging in drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, bribery and wildlife trafficking, much of which is facilitated through the Kings Romans Casino located within the [Golden Triangle] SEZ, a Treasury statement said.

The State Departments 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report said Laos had increased its overall efforts to combat trafficking, but fell short in victim identification and screening procedures, and failed to adequately investigate suspected perpetrators of sex trafficking.

Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The Governor's Office said in a press release Friday it is seeking applicants for an open judgeship for the district court covering Fergus, Judith Basin, and Petroleum counties because Judge Jon A. Oldenburg will retire in July.

Oldenburg has been the judge for the 10th Judicial District since 2013.

During the 2021 legislative session, legislators passed a law backed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte to eliminate the Judicial Nominating Commission and instead give the governor direct appointment power. Gianforte has used the process several times since the new law took effect, and has used commissions to review applicants and nominees. Appointed judges must then run for the job in the next election.

Lawyers with good standing who meet the qualifications for becoming a district court judge can apply at nominatejudges.mt.gov. Applications and nominations are due by 5 p.m. April 19. After that, the public can comment or provide letters of support for those who applied or were nominated. A minimum of three letters of support are necessary to be considered for the judgeship.

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Scheduled cuts to Myanmars shaky electricity supply over the past week to take pressure off the countrys strained power grid have failed to remedy dire shortages, sources said Friday, as activists warned that the juntas failure to restore power distribution could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.

More than 13 months after the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup, Myanmar is mired in political and economic turmoil, while life is becoming increasingly difficult for average people due to the rising cost of food, as well as regular power and water shortages.

Even in Myanmars commercial capital Yangon, which is home to an estimated 7 million people, sources say power is cut off twice in every 24-hour period, with homes sometimes left dark for six hours each day. Only the capital Naypyidaw, where the countrys military junta is based, has enjoyed uninterrupted electricity since the overthrow of civilian rule.

Earlier this month, the junta announced that it had scheduled further cuts to the supply from March 12-18, blaming increased gas prices and attacks on infrastructure by anti-junta Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitary groups.

However, sources throughout the country told RFAs Myanmar Service that the reduction had done little to improve their access to power and expressed frustration over the difficulties they face in their daily lives under military rule.

A resident of Yangons Thingangyun township, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said power outages since the beginning of March had forced people to turn to charcoal stoves for cooking and wait for the electricity to come back on so that they can pump water.

He said that during the week of scheduled power cuts, it wasnt any different.

The number of hours we have power are far fewer than those when we have outages, the resident said.

When the power does come on, its only for a short while. We can't even use our rice cooker to cook rice. Now I must buy bags of charcoal for cooking.

Other sources in Yangon told RFA that when the power is on, so many people begin drawing water that pumps burn out due to overheating. Additionally, the power often only comes on for minutes at a time, they said, and it can take hours for people to fill containers with the water that they need for their homes. Meanwhile, massive lines form daily in areas of the city where water is distributed by tankers.

A villager in Mon state who declined to be named told RFA that the region experiences daily power outages and people are increasingly forced to fetch water from wells, as they did before there was access to electricity.

Our water supplies must be refilled as soon as there is power, she said. If you forget to fill up, youre in big trouble.

However, while she can get the water she needs from the village well, she said small businesses in the area that rely on electricity to operate have few alternatives and must close when the power is off.

A garment factory owner in Mon who employs around 100 workers said he is forced to rely on generators to run his business, which can cost up to 80,000 kyats (U.S. $45) a day.

Daw Myo Myo Aye, chairwoman of the United Confederation of Trade Unions (STUM), said some garment factories are shutting down completely in March due to power outages.

The electricity supply had always been insufficient in the past, but now its getting worse, she said.

Fuel prices are a lot higher than they used to be, so profits are falling ... All of this is on top of the political instability and the economic downturn, so owners may be considering shutting down their businesses.

As businesses close due to power outages, the country has seen rising rates of unemployment, a labor activist said.

We have seen a drop in all electricity-dependent work and unemployment is on the rise, he said.

The activist said more than 600,000 people used to work at the Shwepyithar and Hlaingtharya Industrial Zones on the outskirts of Yangon, but the number had dropped by half due to the coronavirus pandemic and political unrest following the coup.

And now, factories are cutting back on business because of the lack of electricity, he said.

For business owners, its not possible to run generators for their operations because the price of fuel is too high. So, if factories close, at least 200,000 more workers will be laid off in the industrial zones.

Residents of Yangon's North Dagon township wait in line for a tanker to distribute water, March 9, 2022. Credit: Citizen journalist Reliable power impossible

An electrical engineer named Zaw Yan told RFA that Myanmar will never have a reliable power supply while the junta is in charge.

It is impossible to increase production from our hydropower plants. The generators in the plants require spare parts which must be ordered from abroad, and it is difficult to get them in the present situation, Zaw Yan said.

Furthermore, many employees of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy are taking part in the [anti-junta] Civil Disobedience Movement, he said.

Because of this, its impossible for the countrys power grid to operate at full capacity and provide a quality supply to the people [under military rule].

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Boh Thanmani said no killings were ordered, and vowed to accept responsibility if found accountable.

The leader of an anti-junta paramilitary force in Myanmars Sagaing region on Friday confirmed reports that his group had killed 10 people in a November incident and vowed to accept responsibility if an inquiry launched by the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) finds him accountable.

The statement by Boh Thanmani, the leader of a Peoples Defense Force (PDF) group in Sagaings embattled Yinmabin township, prompted calls for the NUG to conduct a thorough and transparent probe of the matter to avoid confusion over the role of self-styled prodemocracy paramilitaries who claim to be protecting civilians from the military regimes troops in Myanmars remote border regions.

In a letter dated March 14, another anti-junta group calling itself the Local Defense Force (LDF) claimed that Yinmabin PDF fighters had killed 21 residents of the area since October 2021, including ten of its members during one incident in November.

An investigation into the claims by RFAs Myanmar Service confirmed the killings in November, which sources in the area said were carried out by three Yinmabin PDF members, although their names and ranks were not immediately clear.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a joint force of fighters from the two groups had collaborated to plant a landmine ambush for junta troops in Kani townships Lar Poet village, but the explosive went off prematurely and nearly killed members of the PDF. The PDF then arrested the four LDF members involved in the joint force, and when an LDF leader and five of his fighters went to free them, the PDF killed them and the four detainees to get rid of the evidence, they said.

RFA could not independently confirm the other 11 killings alleged in the LDF letter and was unable to contact the families of the victims.

In response to inquiries by RFA, several PDF groups in the area claimed in a joint statement that 13 people, including Boh Thanmani were responsible for the 10 deaths in November. The names of the other dozen alleged perpetrators were not provided.

Boh Thanmani is a former monk named Ashin Sopaka who was known for his anti-military protests in recent years. After Myanmars military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup, Ashin Sopaka renounced his monkhood and adopted the alias to become a leader of the PDF.

When contacted by RFA, Boh Thanmani confirmed the claims in the LDF letter and said he is fully cooperating with the NUGs investigation of the killings.

This incident took place in November last year. Some of these things happen without the knowledge of the leaders. Directives have now been issued to prevent such incidents in future, he said.

If these cases are proved to [involve murder], the perpetrators will be held accountable and will be punished. But this will only work if there is a proper, systematic investigation after the revolution.

No rule of law

Since the February 2021 coup, junta forces have killed at least 1,687 civilians and arrested nearly 9,800, mostly during peaceful protests of military rule, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). The military has launched several offensives against PDF paramilitary groups and ethnic armies in the countrys border regions, and reports have surfaced of junta troops looting and burning villages, arbitrarily detaining noncombatants, and raping and killing civilians.

Boh Thanmani said that there is little that can be done while the junta remains in power because there is no rule of law in effect amid the political chaos.

Even if one is to be imprisoned, which prison are we going to? There is no prison for us yet, he said.

The former monk told RFA that no leader of the Yinmabin PDF had given an order to kill the 10 LDF members in November and said his group even provide[s] proper care to prisoners captured during engagements.

Some comrades from the lower ranks might have lost their temper and committed the killings. These kinds of crimes can happen during wartime, he said.

I have agreed to face the consequences if Im found guilty under the law and given a jail sentence.

Boh Thanmani, then known as the Buddhist monk Ashin Sopaka, in a file photo taken near Mae Sot. Credit: Reuters NUG commission of inquiry

When asked about the killings, NUG Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Naing Htoo Aung told RFA that a commission of inquiry had been set up online to investigate the murder in December last year, and that its findings were presented to NUG Interim President Duwah LSheila and Prime Minister Manh Win Khaing Than on Thursday.

According to the commission, there may have been some arbitrary arrests and activities, he said.

We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure that justice is done in accordance with the law. Even though its a revolutionary period for the NUG at present, if there are any violations of the law, we will act in accordance with the law. We will continue to adhere to the principle of accountability.

He said he was unsure whether the NUG plans to issue a statement on the commissions inquiry into the killings.

Naing Htoo Aungs comments came days after United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned that Myanmar is caught in a downward spiral of violence in her first report to the U.N. Human Rights Council since the coup, citing reports of military abuses she said, may amount to crimes against humanity.

But the report also noted that since the NUG announced the formation of the PDF as a forerunner to a Federal Democratic Armed Forces in May 2021, there have been reports of hundreds of targeted killings of individuals perceived as being pro-military, for most of which no party claimed responsibility.

It noted that while several iterations of a NUG-issued code of conduct for PDFs contain provisions based on international standards, including the Geneva Conventions, serious long-standing issues  including forced recruitment, child recruitment and landmine use by anti-[junta] actors, continue to be reported.

Bachelet cited reports that, since May, 543 individuals have been killed because of their alleged support for the military, including 166 local administrators or their family members, 47 members of the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, and 214 purported military informants.

It is not possible to attribute most of those deaths to particular actors, but anti-coup armed elements claimed responsibility for 95 incidents, her report said.

Call for accountability

The killings in November mark the first confirmed massacre by a local PDF group since the NUG announced the formation of the paramilitary organization last year.

Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, told RFA that the junta is likely to use the incident as propaganda against the PDF, which it refers to as a terrorist organization that is responsible for many of the reported abuses attributed to the military in Myanmars border regions.

He called on the NUG to thoroughly and transparently investigate the incident to ensure that it does not negatively impact the image of the anti-junta resistance at home or abroad.

This case could cause division among the ranks of the PDFs. The NUGs image could also be severely tarnished if Western diplomats and lawyers question why such extrajudicial killings are being carried out  acts not unlike those by the juntas security forces, he said.

I hope that the NUG government will address this issue effectively and decisively. If they dont do that, there will be misunderstandings, not only domestically but also internationally.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
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
On April 5, 1947, a towering figure of a woman holding a palm frond was inaugurated above Budapest, a city still largely ruined from World War II.

Despite its artfulness, the monument was soon viewed as an inescapable symbol of Soviet dominance for its dedication to "the memory of the liberating Soviet heroes..."

The Red Army had driven Nazi-led forces out of Hungary in the closing days of World War II, but the Kremlin-backed socialist rule that followed was deeply unpopular, and in 1956 Hungarians rose up in a bloody, short-lived revolution.

During the uprising, crowds gathered under the base of the liberty monument and tore down an accompanying figure of a Soviet soldier, but the female figure above the soldier survived and stands today with an updated inscription to "the memory of all those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary."

The model for the monument's centerpiece was a woman named Erzsebet Gaal, who was 28 years old when she happened to be spotted on the street by Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl. The sculptor told her he was looking for a woman with a "beautiful posture, a proportionate figure, and a clear eye," which he saw in her. Gaal was convinced to stand for several modeling sessions, holding a palm frond representing peace, in front of a fan that billowed her dress.

Miklos Vincze, a Budapest journalist and historian who studied the life story of Gaal, told RFE/RL that although she wasn't paid for the use of her image, the young woman at first enjoyed a degree of official attention and respect: "She was at every big parade in Budapest, and she shook hands with [Russian cosmonaut] Yuri Gagarin." But by the late 1980s, Vincze says propaganda events were seen as passe, and the Hungarian authorities "simply forgot Erzsebet," who, in the changing political landscape, was "no longer needed."

In 1981, Gaal's husband, Tihamer, with whom she had a daughter, died. The widow, who then worked as an X-ray assistant in the western city of Sopron, became increasingly poor and embittered. In a 1984 interview ,she proclaimed that she would like to "tear down the statue, or throw rotten eggs at it" and complained of being "in a rut, lonely, and ignored by comrades who don't help or even visit."

In the late 1980s, Gaal's financial situation became desperate and Vincze says the head of the sanatorium where she worked and lived as an "unauthorized tenant" attempted to have her kicked out. Before Gaal was forced to make her choice of where to go, she died of unknown causes in 1989, aged 72. On her gravestone in Sopron an engraving reads, "Here lies the model for the statue of liberty."
The Belarusian authorities under longtime ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka may be setting up social-media traps to catch citizens seeking to fight for Ukraine, opposition leaders say.

Syarhey Hrybovich was detained earlier this month on charges of inciting social hatred and preparing to participate in a foreign conflict, pro-government Telegram channels reported on March 14.

In what appeared to be a forced videotaped confession, Hrybovich, 53, said he was detained after filling out a form on Telegram that was billed as an application to join other Belarusians fighting in neighboring Ukraine.

At least 200 Belarusians are believed to have taken up arms to defend Ukraine against invading Russian forces. Hundreds more are interested in joining, according to a Belarusian group that is recruiting volunteers.

Belarus has close ties with Russia, and Lukashenka allowed Russian forces to use his country as a staging ground for the February 24 invasion.

A Belarusian militia that calls itself the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion is using its Telegram channel to recruit men to fight against Russian forces in Ukraine and has set up a special chat within the social media app to exchange private, direct messages with potential volunteers.

It says it received no message from Hrybovich through the chat and warned he may have fallen prey to a fake chat set up by the authorities under Lukashenka. "If you are in Belarus or Russia -- do not use real names, hide your phone number from everyone, [or even] better -- buy a new SIM card," the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion wrote on its channel.

It would not be the first time Belarusian authorities have taken such steps to catch opposition activists and others opposed to Lukashenka, whose claim of victory in an August 2020 election that millions of voters believe was rigged led to massive protests and a merciless clampdown that still continues.

Alyaksandr Azarau, a representative of ByPol, which unites former Belarusian law enforcement officers who support the opposition, says his organization has documented fake chats in Telegram in the past to catch Belarusians.

He says the Belarusian authorities once used an existing Telegram page to promote a fake plan to attack an official and posted a link to a private chat for those interested in participating. Dozens of people may have been arrested through that trick, Azarau says.

There are two Telegram channels recruiting Belarusians to help Ukraine -- Kastus Kalinouski Battalion and one set up by opposition leader and restaurateur Vadzim Prakopyeu. Each has its own chat address.

However, ByPol found four chat addresses allegedly dedicated to helping Ukraine, suggesting that two are fake and may have been set up by the Interior Ministry's Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBAZIK), Azarau said.

The fake chats, which may be promoted on various Telegram information channels, operate in a similar way to spam e-mail that is meant to look like it's from a real company or organization. In some cases, fake chats have an address that differs from the legitimate chat by one alphanumeric symbol.

Some Belarusians have been fighting on behalf of Ukraine since 2014, when a war erupted between Kremlin-backed separatists and government forces in the eastern Donbas region.

Russia launched its latest invasion of Ukraine on February 24 after positioning nearly 200,000 troops near the country's borders, some of them in Belarus.

In statements posted on the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion channel, participants say their own country's future depends on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.

"I realize that if we surrender Ukraine to Putin, we will lose the independence of Belarus forever, and we and our children will have to bear the stigma of aggressors and occupiers," said Syarhey Bespalou, who said he was fighting in Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pressing Lukashenka for closer integration between their countries. Lukashenka has for years resisted forms of integration that would deprive him of power, but analysts say Belarus has now essentially lost its independence to Russia after Moscow helped prop up the longtime ruler following the tarnished 2020 presidential vote.

Western countries imposed tough economic sanctions on Belarus over the violent crackdown on protesters, isolating Lukashenka and increasing his dependence on Russia.

Aside from the roughly 200 Belarusians currently fighting on behalf of Ukraine, hundreds more are undergoing military training in Poland for later departure to Ukraine, according to the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion.

Some of the volunteers were headed to the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where some of the heaviest fighting and Russian bombardments are taking place, the battalion said in a post on its Telegram channel this week.

Prakopyeu has said that said 5,700 Belarusians have signed up to help Ukraine behind the front lines.

At least two Belarusians have been killed so far in Ukraine since February 24. Both had been fighting for years against the separatists in the Donbas.

Some of the Belarusian fighters, like Bespalou, were living in Ukraine when the war broke out. Prakopyeu is also living in Ukraine.

Belarusians are "obliged to resist this Imperial Russian regime and show our teeth not toward Ukraine but toward Imperial Russia," an injured Belarusian fighter who only gave his name as Denis said in a post on Kastus Kalinouski Battalion's Telegram channel.

Written by Todd Prince based on reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service
Rows of 109 empty strollers were placed in Lvivs old town on March 18 to symbolize the children killed in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The organizers of the event said they wanted to visualize the number, as people tend to get numb to statistics of casualties during a war. The silent protest was also a call for a no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop Russian air and missile attacks.
Russian forces are meeting fierce resistance and taking casualties as they try to move towards the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. On March 18, a Ukrainian special search group collected the dead bodies of Russian soldiers in the hope they could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war. (WARNING: Viewers may find the content of this video disturbing)
Health care facilities that get federal funding are for now shielded from Montanas law prohibiting private businesses and other workplaces from mandating vaccines, under a federal injunction issued Friday.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy on Friday blocked the state from enforcing the law for all Montana health care facilities and individual practitioners and clinics affected by a COVID-19 vaccine requirement from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).

The Montana Medical Association, along with several other individuals and medical practices, filed the complaint against Attorney General Austin Knudsen and state Labor and Industry Commissioner Laurie Esau in Missoula federal court in September. In addition to the preliminary injunction they are also asking the judge to overturn the law as unconstitutional.

Montanas House Bill 702, passed by GOP lawmakers in 2021 and signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte that spring, broadly prohibits differential treatment based on vaccination status. At the time, Montana was the only state in the country to apply that prohibition to the private sector. Nearly all Democrats voted against it.

While COVID-19 vaccinations were in the spotlight as the bill was being debated last year, the language applies to mandates for all types of vaccinations. Schools are exempt, as are assisted-living facilities, if vaccination became a requirement of receiving federal funding.

Molloys ruling provides some legal clarity for Montana medical providers caught between competing state and federal requirements. In November, CMS issued a rule requiring facilities that get Medicare or Medicaid funding to ensure their staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Failure to do so could result in the loss of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, which for some providers amounts to the vast majority of their revenue.

Molloys ruling found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their attempt to permanently block the law where it is preempted by the federal government, under the U.S. Constitutions Supremacy Clause.

After noting that two health care facilities in the state had already been found noncompliant with the federal vaccine requirements, Molloy wrote that the state law would make it nearly impossible for facilities to demonstrate compliance during the unannounced surveys that investigate the facilities records and interview staff."

His order did not specify which facilities were found noncompliant.

Molloy ruled against the plaintiffs request to block the state law on the basis that it violates their federal equal-protection rights. But he also wrote that the plaintiffs offered a better argument to protect public health, versus the states argument to protect individual choice and keep workers from being fired.

Certain restraints on an individual are occasionally reasonable to promote the common good and actualize the public interest in a civil society, Molloy wrote.

After the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the CMS rule in January, many of Montanas larger medical facilities indicated they would move forward with workplace vaccine mandates, despite the state law. The federal rule still faces ongoing legal challenges from coalitions of Republican-led states, including Montana.

"Todays court decision ensures Montana health care providers and facilities can comply with the federal rule requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most health care settings and not face the potential loss of significant Medicare funding without conflicting with state law," Montana Medical Association spokesperson Lauren Lewis wrote in a statement Friday. "As physicians, we will protect what is in the best interests of our patients and look forward to the next steps of this lawsuit.

Knudsens office, which is defending the state against the lawsuit, declined to say whether it would appeal the temporary injunction.

The order does little to change status quo and is drastically narrowed from what the plaintiffs were seeking, Knudsen spokesperson Emilee Cantrell wrote in an email Friday. It is only in place so long as the Biden administrations Interim Final Rule stands, which Attorney General Knudsen is continuing to challenge in federal court.

Another ongoing challenge to Montanas vaccine law is headed to the state Supreme Court. Earlier this month a Sidney law firm submitted its notice of appeal after a Richland County district judge ruled against its attempt to block all enforcement of the law. As of Friday afternoon, the law office had not yet filed its appeal.

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Soldiers, officials, and residents in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol have desperately pleaded for Western help as invading Russian troops pushed deeper into the city center amid heavy fighting that has already shut down a massive steel plant.

The fighting came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for fresh talks with Moscow more than three weeks into Russia's invasion of his country and as the Kremlin said it had for the first time in battle used hypersonic missiles in the west of Ukraine.

While the invasion has reportedly bogged down in much of the country and has resulted in heavy losses of troops and military equipment, Russian forces continue to bombard Ukrainian cities amid international condemnation and calls for an immediate cease-fire.

The Russian military has blasted major cities, including military and civilian sites alike, into rubble and has set siege to urban areas. British intelligence says an increasingly frustrated Kremlin has begun a strategy of attrition and is preparing for a extended battle.

In the strategic city of Mariupol, "children and the elderly are dying. The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth," Mariupol police officer Mykhaylo Vershnin said in a video addressed to Western leaders and authenticated by the Associated Press.

Russia's heavy bombardment of the city, including a strike on a theater where hundreds of civilians were sheltering, has led to allegations that Russia was committing war crimes.

On March 18, Zelenskiy said that 130 people had been rescued from the theater but that "hundreds" more are still trapped under the rubble. No further details were available as of late on March 19.

Some 350,000 people remain inside the city in horrific conditions, aid workers say.

Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian and Russian forces were on March 19 battling at Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant.

"One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed," he said.

Russian forces appear intent on cutting the city off from the Sea of Azov and linking the Crimea Peninsula -- which was seized by Moscow in 2014 -- to territory controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry said it had "temporarily" lost access to the Sea of Azov as a result of Russian military operations.

In another Black Sea port city, Mykolayiv, local authorities and witnesses on March 19 reported that dozens of Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in a Russian air strike on a military barracks.

A 22-year-old Ukrainian soldier was quoted by AFP as saying that "no fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks" when Russian forces struck.

The regional governor also said an attack occurred but did not provide details. The reports could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Ukraine announced on March 19 that 10 humanitarian corridors had been set up with Moscow's agreement to allow civilians to escape fighting in cities around the country, including Mariupol, the capital, Kyiv, and for the evacuation of civilians in the eastern Luhansk region.

The open-source investigative group Bellingcat has published an interactive map of civilian facilities destroyed by Russia in the course of the war, based on video and photographic documenting several hundred incidents that have potentially harmed or affected civilians.

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported that Russian troops were concentrating their shelling on eastern and southern Ukraine, and were regrouping near the capital, Kyiv.

Most regions sounded air alarms on the night of March 18-19, according to the service, but that shelling had become less intense in areas other than Mariupol, Mykolayiv, and areas adjacent to separatist-held parts of the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Zelenskiy remained highly visible amid the invasion of his country.

In a video posted to Facebook on March 19, Zelenskiy accused Russia of attempting to destroy Ukraine and starve its cities into submission, but he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to direct talks to prevent unnecessary loss of life.

"This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that several generations will not recover," he said.

Russia has provided only limited information on casualties, giving an early death toll of 498 soldiers, but Ukrainian and Western officials put the figure at several thousand, with several thousand more injured.

WATCH: A Ukrainian special search group collected the dead bodies of Russian soldiers in the hope they could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Ukrainian casualty figures are also difficult to confirm.

In his video, shot on the streets of Kyiv, Zelenskiy denounced a huge March 18 rally in Moscow that Putin attended.

Zelenskiy said the estimated 100,000 people who reportedly gathered in front of Luzhniki stadium, along with the reported 95,000 who were inside the stadium itself, roughly corresponded to the number of Russian troops that had invaded Ukraine.

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.

Referring to Ukrainian estimates of Russian troop losses since the war began on February 24, Zelenskiy said, "And now imagine 14,000 corpses in this stadium, in addition to the tens of thousands more wounded and maimed people."

"The war must end, Ukraine's proposals are on the table," he added.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, has led millions of civilians to flee the country. The Polish Border Guard service has reported that more than 2 million refugees had entered Poland, while the United Nations has said more than 3 million have fled the fighting in Ukraine overall.

The World Health Organization said it had verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities in Ukraine, killing 12 people and injuring 34.

The UN said at least 847 civilians have been killed and 1,399 wounded in Ukraine through March 18. The actual toll is thought to be much higher as the UN has not yet been able to verify casualty reports from several badly hit cities, it said.

On March 19, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office said 112 children had been killed and 140 wounded.

Most of the casualties in Ukraine have resulted from explosive weapons such as shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes, according to the UN human rights office.



Russia's military said it used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. It said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground site storing Ukrainian missiles and ammunition in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, which is less than 150 kilometers north of Romania and 250 kilometers from Hungary.

Russia has long boasted about its arsenal of Kinzhals, which are carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, have a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, and fly 10 times the speed of sound.

The Pentagon on March 19 said it could not confirm whether Russia had used a hypersonic missile in the attack.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 75F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Rain showers in the evening will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 64F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Too often politicians, pundits and others try to simplify complex issues into short statements with a kernel of truth. Such is the case with rising oil and gas prices.

Republicans blame President Joe Bidens policies for the high cost of gas and urge him to open more public land for leasing. Biden counters that the Russian war against Ukraine has caused prices to spike. The president also points out that the industry has 9,000 drilling permits nationwide to develop federal minerals.

While Bidens statements have signaled to the market that it needs to take a cautious approach, that was already happening. As Glenn Kessler pointed out in the Washington Post, investors dont want companies to overspend on new investments. Large shale companies have decided to limit production and return more cash to investors.

Some observers suggest that during President Donald Trumps administration, when there were fewer regulations and restraints, it resulted in investments in unprofitable wells. The market has adjusted its level of drilling since.

State Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms predicted this week that North Dakotas oil production could increase by another 100,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. He cited two factors that could hinder North Dakota production. One is the current administrations policies and the second is the lack of workers for drilling and fracking.

While many are encouraging companies to increase production, its not easy to do. Companies plan a year or more in advance on production levels. Theres also the issue of capital, which is more difficult with reluctant investors.

Ben Dell, founder of Kimmeridge Energy Management, provided The Associated Press with a blunt assessment.

The upstream industry is not a public service industry, Dell said. For 10 years we made no money. The industry is profitable for two months, and the argument is that were supposed to price down the product or give away margins to support the consumer."

Its doubtful the industry will rush to increase production because of the war. As of last month there were more than 4,300 drilled but uncompleted wells in the country. There also are federal leases that have been granted, but not acted upon.

Its not accurate to blame Biden for the industry not ramping up production. Nor is it correct for Biden to totally blame the Russian invasion for soaring gas prices.

North Dakota could benefit from the high oil prices. In 2015 the Legislature lowered the oil tax from 11.5% to 10% with the stipulation it would go to 11% if oil prices hit $90 a barrel for three consecutive months. The trigger price per barrel has been adjusted to $95 for 2022. It could happen during the present situation, though prices are starting to drop.

North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness suggested the next legislative session should change the law, keeping the tax at 10% no matter the price. That would be a mistake. The law was a compromise giving the industry a tax break while assuring the state would do well when the industry was doing well.

At the moment its hard for consumers to shed any tears for the industry when they go to the gas pump. Still, its important for the public to have an understanding of the market forces driving the oil industry. It would be helpful if our leaders from both parties didnt imply increased oil production could be easily achieved.

The United States ranks third in oil production behind Russia and Saudi Arabia. Our country still exports more oil than it imports. Our countrys no sloth when it comes to oil, but the marketplace can result in a bumpy ride at times.

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Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870)

Today

Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. High 72F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will become overcast later during the night. Low 56F. Winds light and variable.
Right now, the country and North Dakota are in the midst of a vaping epidemic among youth. In 2021 the FDA found that more than 2 million middle and high school students use e-cigarettes. The main driver of this epidemic is the flavors that e-cigarettes come in. The same study found that 85% of users use flavored products. Through the use of attractive packaging and interesting flavors the tobacco industry has been able to appeal to todays youth and get a whole new generation addicted to tobacco. The Bismarck Break Free Youth Board would like to raise awareness for the dangers flavored tobacco presents to our peers.

Flavors are concerning for two main reasons: their appealing nature and the unknowns surrounding them. E-cigarettes now come in flavors that mimic candy, soda, gum, and fruit. These flavors mask the toxins and chemicals within a vape and make it enjoyable to inhale. They ultimately hide the fact that e-cigarettes are still nicotine and therefore addictive.

The second reason I would like to address is the unknowns surrounding flavored tobacco products. Flavored tobacco products are relatively new to the market. Because of this we do not know the long-term effects these products will have on ones health. The flavors within a vape are created by a variety of chemicals, not meant to be present in the human body. What we do know is that nicotine is addicting, and my generation will essentially be the guinea pigs of these products.

Madeline Erickson, Bismarck

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Mr. HONG SUN, Vice President and General Secretary of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (KORCHAM), believes that the proposal to increase overtime working hours to cover for the current labor shortage across various industries in Vietnam will meet the real needs of businesses as well as support workers.

According to Mr. Hong Sun, enterprises in South Korea and in Vietnam are facing a huge shortfall of labor and as a result production is lagging behind. As per statistics, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic until now, the number of enterprises seeing a fall in human resources has increased substantially, with many enterprises showing a shortfall of labor from 15% to 30%, with some enterprises even facing a 50% shortfall for production operations. Therefore, if in coming time it is not possible to add human resources, the necessary solution at this time is to increase labor time.

The need to increase overtime hours for work is necessary for both businesses as well as workers and employees who need it. For some workers who cannot meet their needs with their main income, this plan offers a boon for extra income. I think this is an appropriate solution and the Vietnamese government should implement it soon. Some countries in the world have been implementing this solution for a long time, but they are somewhat easier than Vietnam. Actually working overtime depends mainly on the contract between the employee and the employer, and is completely voluntary. Some governments allow businesses and employees to self-regulate and negotiate overtime working hours, which benefits both employees and businesses.

JOURNALIST: - Sir, a few years ago, KORCHAM also proposed to increase overtime working hours but it was not approved? What was the reason for that?

Mr. HONG SUN: - That's right. In previous years, we had proposed to increase the overtime working hours for employees, but the Government of Vietnam has not yet accepted our proposal, because it is not related to the prescribed labor law. This is also a great pressure for businesses, especially large-scale enterprises that need a lot of labor.

In fact, not only KORCHAM but also other businesses and employees have proposed to increase overtime working hours. The Association of Japanese Enterprises and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam also proposed to increase overtime working hours, because the strict regulations on limiting the number of overtime hours are hindering both employees and employers.

Many Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) enterprises face difficulties due to the limit on the number of overtime hours of four hours per week, 30 hours per month, 200 hours per year. Only a few industries that need to concentrate a lot on labor such as garment, textile, and footwear require 300 hours per year. Meanwhile, Vietnamese labor productivity is still quite low, not guaranteeing production for seasonal enterprises, but must ensure contract progress.

Currently, this requirement is becoming more and more urgent for businesses, because the overtime solution also helps businesses ensure employees participate in production, and help restore production and business after a long time being severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

- Sir, what is the current regulation on overtime working hours in South Korea?

- In South Korea, the number of recognized overtime working hours is about 600 hours per year, i.e. 12 hours per week, while Vietnam imposes a ceiling on 200 hours per year, while some occupations have increased to 300 hours per year. This is a very low level.

Regulations on overtime working hours for such enterprises will greatly limit production and economic development. Firstly, it has a great influence on the investment decision of foreign investors in Vietnam. Secondly, it is not bringing into full play the actual productivity of employees, and not exploiting all labor resources when Vietnam is in the period of a golden population. Thirdly, it is difficult for employees to have the opportunity to improve their income and improve their living standards.

Even if the Labor Code raises the limit on overtime to 300 hours per year, businesses, especially for those that are labor-intensive, these number of hours are not enough to make up for labor shortage and labor productivity is still low.

- Sir, will South Korean businesses invest more in Vietnam if there is a new regulation on increasing overtime working hours? What is the investment prospect of South Korean enterprises in Vietnam this year?

- Of course, it is possible. Even if the overtime regulation has not been approved, Vietnam has been an attractive investment market for South Korean investors. Vietnam is currently the largest smartphone production base of Samsung Electronics.

By 2021, 50% of the company's smartphones globally are made in Vietnam. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, in 2021, Samsung Vietnam still grew 14%, reaching more than USD 74 bn, and export turnover increased by 16%. In 2022, investment from South Korea into Vietnam could reach USD 10 bn. This year there may be a few very big projects, especially in the energy sector with a scale of USD 3 bn to USD 6 bn. We will definitely continue to expand our investment in Vietnam.

In the long term, I think that Vietnam is still an attractive investment destination for South Korean businesses, not only because of its stable political economy and competitive costs, but also because of the quality of its labor force and the opportunities brought by Free Trade Agreements that Vietnam has signed.

- Thank you very much.

Hoang Son (interviewer)
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There's been no action for more than a year in 19 pending lawsuits from current and former residents of Niagara Falls' Love Canal neighborhood.

But the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled arguments in about seven weeks on the issue currently bottling up the cases: whether they should be heard in federal court or state court.

The litigation, in which more than 600 people contend the infamous toxic waste landfill harmed their health, has yo-yoed back and forth between state and federal court since the latest round of lawsuits began in 2012.

In January 2021, U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. ruled the matter belonged in State Supreme Court, where the cases originally were filed. That was what the plaintiffs wanted.

But OxyChem, the City of Niagara Falls and other defendants want the matter heard in federal court. They appealed Geraci's ruling to the Second Circuit, which will hear from the attorneys May 5 in Manhattan.

OxyChem, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, used to be known as Occidental Chemical. Its corporate predecessor, Hooker Chemical Co., created the Love Canal landfill in the 1940s.

Although there had been earlier breaches of the landfill when streets, roads, houses and a school were built in the area, the federal government paid to relocate residents when more leaks were found in the late 1970s.

The lawsuits contend that the Love Canal containment structure, into which 21,000 tons of toxic waste was gathered in the 1980s, leaked and caused health and property damage for the residents.

The cases were triggered by a Jan. 11, 2011, incident on Colvin Boulevard, in which crews attempting a sewer repair project struck some Love Canal waste in a sewer line, which allegedly sprayed chemicals around the neighborhood.

The DEC investigated and determined the nearby containment structure wasn't leaking. It said the waste has been caught in the sewer line for decades.

Once the circuit court rules on jurisdiction, either side could try to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. But assigning the case for good to one court or another would set the stage for action in the case at last.

"We believe these cases are meritless and should be heard in federal court because the allegations include remedies at sites ordered by the federal court and overseen by the federal government," OxyChem spokesman Eric Moses said. "Moreover, the plaintiffs attorneys have not raised any concerns with the state Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, or any other agency."

"We believe that the magistrate judge and the district court judge both got it right when they remanded the case to state court, and we're optimistic that the Second Circuit will do the same," said Melissa L. Stewart, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs.

"Then we can get back to litigating this case in state court, so our clients can have their day in court, finally," said Stewart, an attorney with the Big Apple firm of Phillips & Paolicelli.

OxyChem sought to move the first two cases to federal court in 2013, on the grounds that the Love Canal containment structure was built under the auspices of the federal Superfund law.

But U.S. District Judge John Curtin rejected that request and the cases went back to State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch Sr. In the next four years, 17 more groups of plaintiffs, at one time numbering more than 1,300 people, joined more lawsuits, almost identical to the first two.

Since the suits were filed, about half of the potential plaintiffs have bowed out of the cases. And a 20th lawsuit, filed by two Niagara Falls women, was dismissed in 2020 by a federal judge whose decision was upheld on appeal.

In January 2020, the plaintiffs in the other 19 cases amended their lawsuits to claim damages not only from Love Canal but from waste at three other OxyChem landfills in Niagara Falls  S-Area, Hyde Park and 102nd Street.

Within a month, OxyChem was back in federal court, asking to move the 19 cases there because those three were Superfund sites, too.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy recommended that OxyChem's request should be rejected because the new allegations didn't change anything regarding the lawsuits' relationship to the Superfund law, and Geraci agreed.

Kloch retired Dec. 31, and the state court system has reassigned the case to Justice Frank A. Sedita III.

It's on his calendar for Thursday, but the online court file indicates the only question Sedita faces that day would be whether one of the out-of-state defendants will be allowed to use a Missouri attorney who hasn't been admitted to practice in New York.

More substantive matters must await the Second Circuit's decision on who should hear the case.

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Five Things to Do This Wekeend in San Diego: March 17-20
For years Chula Vista firefighters have coped with insufficient staffing, dealt with failing equipment and faced the stigma of not meeting standard response times as identified by the citys Growth Management Oversight Commission.

The Fire Department also continues to see a decline in living conditions for fire personnel, the severity of which became public last October after the city was forced to temporarily shut down fire station No. 9 when a sewage backup flooded living quarters.

During the clean-up, asbestos and mold were also found.

In the meantime, firefighters were housed directly behind station 9 at 266 E. Oneida St. While repairs were made to the building, firefighters responded to calls from trailers.

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They continue to use portable showers and toilets housed in the back of the building while the station restroom and locker area remain closed.

The closure affected response times in the Sunbow and Woodlawn Park area.

And three months later, the exposure to mold and asbestos continues to pose a health risk to firefighters.

From a firefighter perspective we want to make sure our members are safe, that the issues are being addressed and quickly, said Darrell Roberts, president of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 2180.

With the passage of Proposition P, a 10-year, half-cent sales tax approved by a majority of voters in November, the Fire Department will receive millions of dollars over time for infrastructure, including buildings and equipment.

Before November as the fire chief, I didnt know what we were going to do.  I mean, how do you prioritize the priorities? said Chula Vista Fire Chief Jim Geering. This Prop. P money is really going to help out citywide.

In the meantime Roberts said firefighters continue to deal with myriad issues, and funding from the measure cant come soon enough.

At its Dec. 6 meeting, City Council members voted to allocate $100,000 of Prop. P funding for the design of two of its oldest and neediest fire stations, 5 and 9, which will ultimately be rebuilt.

The desire to upgrade buildings and fire equipment, such as trucks and engines, has been a goal of Geerings since stepping in as chief in 2014.

We have about 90,000 square feet of building that has to be maintained, and we deferred the maintenance during the financial crisis, Geering said. If you have a leak and put just a patch on it and you dont repair the roof then the wood starts to rot and it continues to deteriorate over the years.

Thats the situation with stations 5 and 9.

Theres definitely things that are uncomfortable, like when the termite guy came and said this is the worst building hes seen in 30 years of doing termite damage, said Fire Capt. Andy Wilson, who works out of station 5. You get concerned about the safety of the building if theres an earthquake.

Station 5 also needs a new roof, since the one it has leaks when it rains.

Despite these issues, Wilson said that day-to-day operations have not been hugely affected, but its rather disappointing that the city allows the building to be neglected.

I think the thing thats most sad about this is its an insult to the people that live in this neighborhood, Wilson said.

In addition, Roberts said the turnout room in station 5 where firefighters hang their protective gear, is just a few feet away from the fire engine, which dumps carcinogens into the 6x12 doorless area that leads to a gym on the other side.

Deferring maintenance was a sacrifice made during the recession in order for the city to pays its bills.

Public safety is the top priority but its not just fire, its also police and other things the community wants-libraries, good roads, parks... said City Manager Gary Halbert. We cut anything that wasnt absolutely essential so taking care of our infrastructure went out the window.

He added that no fire personnel were laid off then.

In addition the city also cleaned out a few million that had accrued via annual city contributions in the Fire Departments apparatus fund, set aside to buy engines, trucks and other vehicles.

That was one of the things that we lost and were paying the price for it now, Halbert said. Thank God the citizens passed Prop. P...our budget is beginning to get some legs on it.

Other departments had similar funds that were depleted and put toward other priorities.

Geering said while the city and Fire Department are still recovering from those cuts, theyre in a better financial position today.

Were on our way up but when the monies start coming back in whats going to be first? Is it graffiti, police officers, fire engines, the roof at the parkway gym  libraries?

allison.sampite-montecalvo@sduniontribune.com
When Jakina Grimes took the Buffalo firefighters exam 13 years ago, there weren't too many candidates who looked like her.

"I didn't really see women," she said.

And there were very few Black women; she was the fifth Black woman to join the Fire Department, she said. She's hoping to encourage more women to take the firefighters civil service exam June 4. Applications are due April 29.

Grimes and Firefighter Walter Williams III spent Saturday afternoon at the Broadway Market, where a scaled-down Soup Fest greeted St. Patrick's Day revelers and pre-Easter patrons. Their meet and greet was part of Buffalo's "Home of the Brave" campaign to talk about firefighting careers and increase diversity in the department.

Our goal is to reach as many potential fire recruits as possible through our 'Home of the Brave' campaign, especially minorities, women and veterans. We want to build a new generation of Buffalo firefighters that best reflects our increasingly diverse community, Mayor Byron W. Brown said in a statement.

The Buffalo Fire Department has come a long way since 1974, when the U.S. Justice Department filed a discrimination complaint against it. A 40-year order to desegregate was dissolved in 2019. In 1974, the department was 1% Black with no Hispanics or women. By 2018, the overall workforce was 24% Black, 5.5% Hispanic and 5% female.

Grimes and Williams said joining the Fire Department is the best thing they did.

"Most of my job is geared toward helping people," said Williams, a firefighter with Engine 34, Ladder 7.

"I always wanted to do something for my community. I felt this was unique," Grimes, a member of the planning office, said.

A group of female firefighters will be in the lobby of City Hall from 11. a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays through the end of March to answer questions and talk about careers in fire services as part of the city's observance of women's history month.

To be eligible, firefighter candidates must be:

 19 years old at the time of the examination and 20 at the time of appointment.

 A full-time resident of the City of Buffalo as of Jan. 29 and maintain city residency.

 Willing and able to perform physically demanding work.

 Able to manage stress and adverse outcomes well.

Interested applicants can go to buffalony.gov/Jobs.aspx to download a copy of the application or stop at Buffalo City Hall, Room 1001, to pick up an application.

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Ever since a couple of departed friends  Assemblyman Richard J. Keane and his pal Tommy Blake  sponsored a St. Patrick's Week lunch in 1973 to benefit the Buffalo Irish Center, the event has never failed to draw anybody who's anybody in local politics.

Prospective candidates for Senate, Assembly or judge glad hand their way through the Abbott Road landmark. So do a host of current and past officeholders. Maybe a future mayor or county executive was working the crowd on Friday. And the latest political gossip sweeps over the steaming piles of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.

But even though the region's political luminaries have always circled the date on their calendars for almost half a century, the event never before featured a governor of New York.

Until Friday.

That's when Gov. Kathy Hochul of Buffalo  the first woman to hold the office and the first upstater in more than a century  took to the microphone. She acknowledged that a flood of memories, history and circumstances were joining together in a moment.

"Home, sweet home," the governor told the crowd. "This is more emotional than I thought it would be.

"It's a very big deal to me, and it's an honor to be your governor."

The former Kathleen Courtney spoke of her Irish immigrant grandparents, their stories typical of many families, and of her plans to display the grit of "hearty Irish immigrants" while campaigning this year for a full term. The steel her grandfather and father produced in Lackawanna, she said, is now part of her own resolve.

"I've been tested before, but I have resiliency in me," she said. "We all have that story  a story that unifies us as New Yorkers."

Hochul then paved the way for Bishop Michael W. Fisher and a necessary order of business. In his first St. Patrick's Luncheon, the new leader of the Diocese of Buffalo noted his grandfather hailed from Cork, and followed his predecessors' custom of granting a "commutation" for the Lenten abstinence from meat on Fridays  asking that Catholics "pick another day." That removed any impediment for the traditional Irish-American meal to grace the center's dozens of tables, while also praying for those "in harm's way in Urkraine."

Hochul may have also offered a glimpse into her behind-the-scenes discussions with the Buffalo Bills for a new stadium in Orchard Park when she "requested" Fisher's dispensation.

"It's kind of how I negotiate," she said, "I just put it out there."

But the governor was by no means the only pol to work the Irish Center on Friday. State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli never misses the event, reciting his annual quip that his middle initial stands for "Patrick" (it's really Peter). Mayor Byron W. Brown and County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz took a bow, while a host of South Buffalo Democrats such as State Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy and Assemblyman Patrick B. Burke flanked the governor on the podium.

No Republicans found their way to such a vaunted position, but maybe that's because Republicans rarely hold office in South Buffalo. Still, a couple of tables of GOP types  including Senate candidate Joe Pinion and attorney general hopeful Michael Henry  took over a table possibly a tad closer to the stage this year than in the past.

State Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, the former assemblyman and Buffalo comptroller who now co-chairs the event with Rep. Brian M. Higgins (in Washington for House votes), said Keane and Blake's original concept was to convene friends of all stripes.

"There were always so many elected officials from both parties," he said, "and that's the tradition it has always been."

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SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, aims to launch 53 Starlink satellites from Florida late Friday night, just days after celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The spacecraft will be launched from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a Falcon 9 rocket at 11:23 p.m. EDT. Because liftoff is immediate, UPI said any difficulties might cause a 24-hour delay till Saturday night.

You may watch it live here in Science Times, courtesy of SpaceX, or you can check their official YouTube channel directly. Coverage is planned to begin about 15 mins before liftoff.

SpaceX Falcon 9 to Bring More Than 50 Starlink Satellites

The first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket will be making its 12th career voyage to space to deliver 53 additional Starlink broadband satellites through Earth's atmosphere, which is unprecedented in the history of orbital spaceflight.

According to CNET, SpaceX presently has two boosters in its fleet, each of which has flown 11 times.

The Falcon 9 rocket to launch on Friday night has already completed eight earlier Starlink flights, lofted a SiriusXM satellite, launched a Canadian Radarsat mission, and powered NASA's Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station.

The launcher will land on the Just Read The Instructions drone ship after putting the upper stage and satellites into orbit.

About SpaceX Starlink

According to astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell (via Space.com), SpaceX has launched 2,282 Starlink satellites so far, with 2,033 of them fully active.

ALSO READ: Experts Reveal That 3% Of SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Have Failed In Orbit So Far

The broadband constellation serves consumers all around the world, including Ukraine, where invading Russian soldiers crippled the country's communications infrastructure. Starlink terminals and other gear have been supplied to the war-torn country by SpaceX. The company has received praises from appreciative Ukrainian government officials.

The Starlink network is still expanding, as seen by tonight's debut. SpaceX wants it to grow even more: the business has authority to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites, and it has asked an international regulator for permission to launch 30,000 more.

Axiom Space, SpaceX Moves Crewed Flights

Meanwhile, Fox35 said Axiom Space and SpaceX are rescheduling two scheduled crewed flights.

The Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) will fly to and from the International Space Station on SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, with a launch no sooner than Sunday, April 3, and splashdown off the coast of Florida after 10 days in orbit. The Ax-1 mission will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A.

NASA and SpaceX are revising the intended launch date for the agency's SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the space station due to the Ax-1 launch date modification. The new schedule calls for a launch no sooner than Tuesday, April 19, pending the completion of program evaluations, which are scheduled to be completed early next week.

On a new Dragon spacecraft and flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket, Crew-4 will transport an international crew of four astronauts to the orbital complex for a research expedition mission. Commander Kjell Lindgren, Pilot Robert Hines, and Mission Specialists Samantha Cristoforetti and Jessica Watkins make up the crew. Cristoforetti is a European Space Agency astronaut, whereas Hines, Watkins, and Lindgren are NASA astronauts.

RELATED ARTICLE: SpaceX to Reuse Dragon Spacecraft Fleet After Rocket Booster from NASA Crew-1 'Leaned'

Check out more news and information on SpaceX in Science Times.
London, KY (40741)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms during the evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 63F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Pat McGuinness saw no option. After going through the hardest kind of loss for any parent, he quietly went to John Courtney, who serves as president of the organization that oversees Buffalos annual St. Patricks Day parade, to give up one of the great honors of his life.

I dont think, he told Courtney, I can still be your grand marshal.

Courtney understood. He is president of Buffalos United Irish-American Association, which coordinates the parade. Courtney admires McGuinness, a child of Irish immigrants who was selected as grand marshal as an executive committee member of long community service, which caused Courtney to offer his old friend some gentle advice.

Do this for Caitlin.

I was ready to step down, McGuinness said, and he said no, no, no, no.

After hard reflection, McGuinness changed his mind. When the annual St. Patrick's Day downtown parade begins at 2 p.m. Sunday at Niagara Square, you will see him with his wife, Lois, near the front. The celebration will follow by one day the annual "Old Neighborhood" parade in the Old First Ward, thus closing out a joyous string of community St. Patrick's celebrations that had been on hold since the arrival of the pandemic, with all its heartbreak, two years ago this month.

McGuinness will spend the day surrounded by family, including his twin brother, Paul, who was delighted when Pat asked him to wear a sash as deputy grand marshal. They will travel the route in a green Jeep carrying the image of Caitlin McGuinness, Pats daughter, who died in December 2020 from complications linked to Covid-19  placing her among 970,000 Americans claimed by the virus in the last 24 months.

He lost her nearly a year after learning he would be grand marshal of a St. Patrick's parade that would be postponed in 2020, and again in 2021. Friday, at the Buffalo Irish Center, Pat and Lois spoke of Caitlin as a parade angel with distinctive pink hair. They were guests at an annual St. Pats luncheon that featured an address from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who described the center as a vibrant piece of where I come from  and whose mother, McGuinness said, was a friend of his mom's.

Sean Kirst: At St. Patrick's Day parade, celebrating gratitude shared by Irish and Six Nations This is about peace and friendship, about respecting differences and seeing each other as full human beings, and thats what lacrosse can show you, said Claudia Jimerson of the Cayuga Nation.

Yet McGuinness was also a central part of Fridays gathering. He took part in a flag-raising coordinated by a Western New York Maritime Charter School honor guard to the piping of Paul Mance, pipe major with the Erie County Sheriffs Pipe and Drums.

The hardly-need-a-jacket warmth of that March day only reinforced the traditional power of the whole St. Patricks celebration in Buffalo, ranked this winter as the snowiest large city in the nation. The festivities always provide a green symbol of hope in a Great Lakes community eager for the spring, but that sense of potential rebirth is amplified by the return of so many St. Patrick's traditions, mothballed since 2019.

People cheerfully and continually remind McGuinness, a natural and exuberant storyteller, that fate has made him the longest-tenured grand marshal in parade history. There were times when he wondered if and when it would resume. I was afraid Covid might snag it again, he said, a concern he understands in the most aching of ways.

To appreciate the tale demands knowing the family saga. His dad left Ireland for Toronto in the 1950s to become a Gray Line bus driver, McGuinness said. At the same time, John McGuinness began corresponding with Violet Kennedy of Limerick  yes, McGuinness said, his mother was a distant relative of THE Kennedys  letters that increased in emotion and frequency until the young couple took a lifetime chance.

Violet left for Canada, and married John. They later settled in Lake View, a move their children assume was made for better work. John took a job at the Ford Stamping Plant and he and Violet stayed busy raising seven kids, including Pat and Paul. The twins were so tight that Paul says to this day they cannot be absolutely sure who is who, for this reason.

Pat was born first, by nine minutes. Once Paul arrived, their mom put a red dot on one infant's ankle and a black dot on the other as a way to tell her identical twins apart. But when the babies were brought back to her, the dots had been washed off. Violet was pretty sure which was which, and they are fine with however she called it, because this much is certain:

They were and remain as close as close could be. They shared bunk beds as children and long careers as phlebotomists as adults before they retired from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where Pat was also a donor recruiter  duties that cause him to speak with particular warmth and admiration of the many children he saw as patients.

Sean Kirst: In Buffalo, a St. Patrick's Day without Joe Kelley Buffalos Irish-American community is celebrating its first St. Patricks Day in 88 years without Joe Kelley, who was raised at Father Bakers orphanage and became a Western New York champion of Irish

Paul is not on the executive committee for the parade, so when Pat was honored as grand marshal for his service, he requested and was granted this wish:

His wife and twin brother will be at his side as deputy marshals, as will Barry Griffith, a fellow Hibernian and close friend, and McGuinness' daughter Patricia  who, with Caitlin, was one of Pat's daughters from a first marriage to Donna McGuinness. McGuinness, a grandfather, later became a dad to a joined family of four children through his marriage to Lois, with whom he lives in Lockport.

Caitlin's presence and memory will be central to the parade. McGuinness said Caitlin found out as an 8-year-old that she had diabetes, a disease she struggled with throughout her life. Always determined and strong-willed, her father said she was hospitalized 15 months ago after learning she had Covid, during the period when hospital visits were tightly restricted.

McGuinness vividly recalls his relief when his daughter did well enough to be released. On the ride home, he told her with emotion he was glad she was OK, that he had feared he would need to plan a funeral. Caitlin surprised him with this response:

Someday, she said, when it was really time to make those plans, she wanted her ashes to be mingled with the roots of a sapling so she could go on as "part of a tree," her father said.

A day later, McGuinness can tell you to the second exactly where he was  watching on television as the Buffalo Bills defeated the New England Patriots  when he received the call: A blood clot the doctors said was tied to Covid had moved into his daughters lung and taken her life, at 30.

McGuinness kept his promise. Caitlins ashes  as she wanted  are now part of a young tree.

At that moment, unable to imagine wearing the sash in a parade after such loss, he told Courtney he thought it should be someone else. But Courtney feels the same way as his sister, parade chief of staff Brigid Knott, who said McGuinness embodies everything the event is meant to be  a statement of service, heritage, community and family.

Hes an excellent person, said Courtney, who offered counsel that McGuinness contemplated, then embraced:

Let the parade serve as ultimate tribute.

With family all around him, McGuinness intends to travel the route to honor Caitlin  and Brian McGuinness, a younger brother who died years ago in an automobile accident. And their late parents, who in classic fashion left behind much they loved in Ireland  at a time when even a long-distance phone call was no easy thing  to devote themselves to building new lives for their children, near Buffalo.

McGuinness will bring all of it to a landmark St. Patrick's parade that returns after an absence of three full years, causing Knott, a main organizer, to say this of the grand marshal:

If the world itself has changed since he was selected, all he endured  and all he loves  make him a perfect choice.

Sean Kirst is a columnist with The Buffalo News. Email him at skirst@buffnews.com.

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Five people have been arrested on suspicion of murder in a December 2020 shooting that killed a 19-year-old woman and injured three other people in Hayward, authorities said on Friday.

San Mateo resident Ashley Sandoval, 19, died one day after she and three other adults were shot at about 12:24 a.m. on the 25000 block of Eldridge Avenue in Hayward on Dec. 5, 2020, Hayward police said. The three other victims survived the shooting, police said.

Over the course of the investigation, Hayward police said that detectives identified five suspects in the shooting, each of whom were recently arrested on suspicion of one count of murder, three counts of attempted murder and one count of discharging a firearm into an inhabited vehicle.

The suspects were identified by police as: Hayward resident Jose Bedolla, 19; Hayward resident Sonia Gonzalez, 22; San Mateo resident Taiz Vega Mendoza, 21; San Carlos resident Julissa Aguilar Yoc, 23; and Manteca resident Kevin Colindres, 19.

Since the shooting, lead homicide Detective Humpert and other detectives have served countless warrants, conducted numerous interviews, and completed other investigative steps to ensure this case was brought toward a resolution so that justice could be served, Chief Toney Chaplin said in a statement on Friday.

Bedolla and Gonzalez were arrested on March 9, Vega Mendoza was arrested on March 11, Aguilar Yoc was arrested on Monday and Colindres was arrested on Wednesday.

To say the Hayward Police Department has worked tirelessly on this investigation would be an understatement, Chaplin said. From the patrol officers who responded to the 9-1-1 call, to the detectives, crime scene technicians, support staff, and many others, our organization worked as a team to ensure every step was taken to solve this case.

Chaplin also credited community members for their assistance, which he said had a significant impact on this outcome.

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Our thoughts are with the three surviving victims and the Sandoval family, as they continue to mourn the loss of their loved one, Ashley, Chaplin said.

Officials with the San Mateo Police Department and San Mateo Sheriffs Office assisted with Hayward police detectives, police said.

Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Humpert at 510-293-7176.

Lauren Hernandez (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
Operating room nurse Jennifer Spring spends her days caring for critically ill patients, aiding in emergency surgery at a major San Francisco hospital. But for the last two months, the tables were turned as she struggled to track down a potentially life-saving treatment for herself.

Spring is one of an estimated 7 million immunocompromised Americans who stand to benefit from an injection drug, Evusheld, that dramatically reduces the risk of COVID-19 for those who cannot get vaccinated or do not mount an immune response to vaccination.

Spring, 47, takes medication for multiple sclerosis that depletes her B-cells, the part of the immune system responsible for making antibodies. Though shes gotten four doses of the COVID vaccine, her body never produced antibodies to protect against the disease  which is particularly worrisome since she performs CPR and intubates patients, exposing her to coughing and respiratory aerosols. So when federal regulators in December authorized Evusheld, developed by Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical AstraZeneca, Spring raced to find a dose.

It would take weeks, multiple messages with her doctors and hours of Internet sleuthing.

She first contacted the neurologist who manages her MS, who agreed shed be a good candidate but wasnt sure how to help her obtain the drug quickly, Spring said. Weeks later, he told her that to get her on a patient list, hed have to consult with the infectious disease department.

Dismayed at the delays, Spring turned to Twitter to see if anyone similarly situated had better luck. She found an online database that an engineer in Washington state created because his wife was similarly struggling to find Evusheld. The website, which pulls from a federal data set and posts the number of doses available at providers around the country, led Spring to an infusion center in Oakland. She booked herself an appointment, sent a referral form to her doctor to sign and a few days later, on Tuesday last week, finally got her Evusheld shots.

I genuinely believed it would be a year before I ever received it, said Spring, who lives in Oakland. Every single step of this was driven by me doing my own research for information and reaching out to my provider with that information.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

As a veteran nurse, Spring knows how to navigate the health care system better than most. She believes she wouldnt have gotten Evusheld  the only pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID  had she not advocated aggressively for herself.

It was really demoralizing, she said. I know Im actually one of the luckiest people to have actually been able to get this dose. I wouldnt be surprised if theres an overwhelming number of people who could benefit from this and who dont even know its a thing that exists.

Now is a more critical time than ever for immunocompromised people like Spring. As masking and vaccination mandates have quickly lifted in recent weeks, public behavior has largely returned to pre-pandemic times  putting vulnerable Californians at renewed risk.

Right now everything is opening up, the possibility to exposure to the COVID-19 virus is certainly very real as society goes back to normal, said Dr. Thomas Lew, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Stanford Health Care who helps oversee COVID therapeutics. So for the immunocompromised, they still need some sort of protection as they go out. Wearing masks or another preventive measure such as Evusheld is going to be critical for them.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Springs experience with Evusheld underscores a larger problem with COVID therapeutics. Public health messaging and government funding has largely focused on vaccination and on making the shots free and widely available at virtually every retail pharmacy and medical provider in the country. Treatments, by contrast, are scarcer and harder to obtain.

This partly because theyre newer and because the omicron variant has rendered some ineffective. Others have had to be given in different doses than originally intended, complicating the administration of treatments. Supply of antiviral pills has been a problem for months. Many patients and some providers feel the communication around whos eligible for which treatment, and how and where to seek it, has been confusing.

Evusheld is authorized for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, such as organ transplant recipients, or people on chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Recipients must be 12 or older and weigh at least 88 pounds. The monoclonal antibody treatment reduces the risk of COVID-19 symptoms by 77%, according to clinical trials.

It is not meant to be a replacement for vaccination, but rather is for the very small percentage of people who cannot get vaccinated because of severe allergic reactions or who dont mount an immune response to vaccination. Its given in two injections. Spring paid $197 out of pocket because she got it outside her regular provider, so it wasnt covered by her insurance.

At Total Infusion, the Oakland center where Spring got her Evusheld shots, most if not all other patients getting the drug have had similar frustrations, said the centers director Kee Conti. Some were on long waiting lists at their regular provider, and others said their doctor didnt know about Evusheld or how to get it, she said.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

And yet, despite the dogged persistence of a small number of patients, the clinic actually has more doses than it knows what to do with because many people arent aware the therapy exists. Last week, Conti had to send back one shipment of Evusheld because demand was so low. The medical refrigerator that stores boxes of the drug is full. The clinic administered Evusheld to just nine patients last week, though it has the staff and supply to serve up to 75 people.

This really should not be happening, Conti said. I should be asking for more than they have.

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Evusheld is allocated by the federal government to the state, from the state to local health jurisdictions, and from local jurisdictions to providers based on an equity metric. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has allocated about 850,000 courses of Evusheld to providers across the country. Its unclear how many of those have been administered. The department did not respond to questions about how many doses have been used and how many remain unused.

Its also unclear how many courses have been allocated to California. But roughly 100 providers in the state have gotten Evusheld, in amounts generally ranging from a few dozen to several hundred courses each since January, according to a federal database. That includes many providers in the Bay Area, such as UCSF, Stanford Health Care and Kaiser.

Another major stumbling block in the Evusheld rollout is that in late February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said people should get double the dose theyd been getting because a higher dose appeared to work better against omicron subvariants.

That meant some clinics had to bring back the dozens or hundreds of patients theyd given the drug to in January and February to administer a catch-up dose. It also means there is less of the drug to go around, since everyone who gets it needs double the previous amount. While some providers like Total Infusion didnt have an issue with long lines, others did  and the dosing change exacerbated existing challenges.

We had a queue waiting for the original dose, then added a couple hundred (catch-up) patients, said Dr. Sarah Doernberg, who oversees COVID therapeutics at UCSF. We were already backed up. Now were decreasing the amount of patients we can take.

Doernberg and her colleagues are pushing out internal communications about Evusheld to other UCSF providers, including primary care doctors and those who specialize in areas that treat a lot of immunocompromised patients. She hopes this will help providers learn how to refer their patients to get the drug. Still, she worries about making the therapy more accessible for all.

I definitely agree with the sentiment from patients that they have to be their own advocates, she said. Patients with lower health literacy may not know to ask for it ... This is not just Evusheld. There are so many things were seeing that are inequitable in medicine that really need to be addressed. This is among those, unfortunately.

Catherine Ho (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
Residential vacancies have risen sharply in San Francisco in recent years, from 26,000 in 2013 to more than 40,000  10% of all homes in the city  in 2019. In response, Supervisor Dean Preston and his allies have put forward a ballot initiative, the Empty Homes Tax, that would assess an escalating fee on housing units left vacant at least six months out of the year. The tax could incentivize some property owners to put their vacant homes back on the market, either for rent or sale. Itll also raise millions of dollars in revenue from those who would rather just pay the fee.

How big an impact will it really have?

Pointing to similar policies in Oakland, Washington, D.C., and Vancouver, British Columbia, Preston says the tax could generate $38 million per year and put 4,500 homes back on the market. He has also claimed that vacancies are overwhelmingly concentrated in the sleek new condo and apartment buildings in the citys eastern and northeastern neighborhoods. The initiative itself says the tax applies only to larger buildings because theyre more likely to include one or more units held vacant by choice.

The problem is, when it comes to long-term vacancies, large condo and apartment buildings arent the worst offenders  its two-unit homes, and theyre exempt.

The initiatives proponents might be forgiven for the misconception. Before 2020, detailed data on the duration of vacancies wasnt available: We knew why a unit was vacant  because it was for sale or rent, rented or sold but not yet occupied, or being used as a vacation home, for example  but the Census Bureau didnt distinguish between units vacant for a week, a month or a year. That distinction is critical because short-term vacancies are a natural part of the housing market: When someone moves out of a rental, the landlord has to clean it up, put it back on the market and find a new tenant. An owner might vacate a home for renovations before listing it, or a buyer might spend several months on renovations before moving in. We could look to cities like Vancouver and Oakland and make inferences about long-term vacancies in San Francisco, but no one really knew.

But now we do.

In 2020, for the first time, the Census Bureau estimated vacancy duration alongside vacancy type and building size in its American Community Survey. And while the overall case for a vacancy tax looks strong, its exemptions are critical, unforced errors, according to my analysis of census data.

Vacancies continued their rise in 2020, to more than 56,000 units, or 14% of the overall stock. Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the San Francisco housing market, this shouldnt be too surprising. Of those 56,000 empty homes, nearly 20,000 were vacant for at least six months. But roughly 8,200  41% of long-term vacancies  are in buildings of one or two units. They wont be subject to the tax, and theyll be more likely to remain empty.

Long-term vacancies in the biggest buildings  those with 50 units or more  are surprisingly rare: Only 5.5% were empty for at least six months. Two-unit homes, with a rate of 11.9%, have the most long-term vacancies by a wide margin. About 9% of homes with three or four units were vacant for at least half the year, and the rate was under 6% for all other building types.

What can this vacancy data tell us about the likely impact of the San Francisco tax?

Vancouvers experience may be instructive. Its tax went into effect in 2017, and that year the owners of nearly 2,200 homes were required to pay it. Another 5,500 long-term vacancies were exempted, mostly because of property transfers and renovations or redevelopments. By 2020, the number of taxed properties fell by nearly 600 and exempt properties declined by 1,250  about a 25% drop in both cases. The tax generated nearly $34 million in 2018, according to the citys annual Empty Homes Tax Report, though collections had fallen to $21 million by 2021, as vacant homes were returned to market.

In San Francisco, up to 12,000 homes could be eligible for the vacancy tax. If two-thirds are exempt, as in Vancouver, roughly 4,000 might actually pay it. This wont amount to much revenue. In the first year of vacancy, owners will pay between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on the size of their unit. Homes in larger buildings tend to be smaller, on average, and buildings with one and two units are exempt, so most homeowners will pay the smaller amount.

Vancouver, meanwhile, assesses a tax equal to 1.25% of a propertys assessed value, or roughly $16,000 per vacant unit. Vacant one- and two-unit homes pay a disproportionate share of revenue  $31,000 each, on average  because their typical values ($2.5 million) are double those of condos ($1.26 million). All told, San Franciscos tax might generate $10 million to $15 million in its first year, a far cry from Prestons estimate of $38 million. It could have doubled that amount, or more, if one-unit and two-unit homes werent exempt.

In a nod to the important role of supply in the price of housing, the primary goal of the tax isnt to raise revenue, but to turn vacant homes into occupied homes. If San Franciscos tax is as successful as Vancouvers, it could put around 3,000 homes back on the market within several years. Given that the proposed San Francisco tax is substantially lower, however, this might be optimistic. Its also less than the 4,000 units built in the city each year, on average, from 2015 to 2020. In Vancouver, the average value of vacant homes is higher than their occupied counterparts, so the homes that return to market may not be particularly affordable, either.

These criticisms dont mean that a vacancy tax is a bad idea. Especially in a hot housing market like San Franciscos, its better to have houses occupied than not, and revenue generated from units that remain vacant can be put to good use. Long-term vacancies are also a bigger problem in San Francisco  in 2020, at least  where 4.9% of units have been vacant six months or more, compared with 4.3% in Oakland and 2.4% in Los Angeles. But by exempting one- and two-unit buildings, the initiatives authors have left thousands of empty homes and millions of dollars on the table  and for what?

Political concerns shouldnt have been an issue: Oaklands vacancy tax, put on the ballot in 2018, didnt include these exemptions and it passed easily, with 70% support. The tax raised nearly $10 million last year. Vacant single-unit properties paid twice as much as owners of vacant condo, duplex and town home units. This is a good thing. One- and two-unit homeowners tend to be higher-income and have higher home values, so fairness and equity would suggest heavier penalties, not a special dispensation.

In the end, unfounded biases against new, higher-density housing seem to have won the day in San Francisco. City residents will be the ones to lose out.

Shane Phillips manages the UCLA Lewis Center Housing Initiative and is author of The Affordable City.
The rooster that lives in the Tenderloin first announced himself in January with an early-morning crow.

For a while, Adriel Lively, who lives in a building next to the yard where this rooster lives, was content to let it go. She thought, perhaps, that he might be a temporary resident. Maybe the roosters owner (still unidentified), who Lively says had kept hens for some time, was equally surprised to find a rooster in the bunch and would soon find him a new home.

But as the weeks went on and the crowing continued, she began to feel less sanguine.

Its so perplexing, she says. Its so confusing  .

For the record, Lively, 39, understands that a rooster living in the Tenderloin, the citys densest, most urban neighborhood, sounds like a punchline.

She laughs a little, too, when she talks about the situation. How can you not?

Whats frustrating is that I know  I know it sounds ridiculous. I can hear myself talk, Lively says during a phone call. Oh, wait, is it doing it right now? Oh, yeah  . And, yep, there it is, at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon, the loud crow of a rooster. (Contrary to popular belief, roosters  this one included  do not just crow at dawn; they crow all day.)

Until it happens to you every day, Lively says, it doesnt register how annoying it is.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Neighbors, apparently, agree.

Ive lived in San Francisco  Ive lived here more than half my life and Ive never heard a rooster crow, and Ive lived from the beach to the Bay View, says David Rieker, who lives in the same building as Lively. We live in a densely populated area where we all have to be cognizant of the effects of our actions  its intrusive to keep an animal like this.

Whats more, its not uncommon to hear people yell at the rooster. The other morning, one man just lost it and started shouting death threats at the rooster, Lively says.

Where is it? I will kill this bird!

This, of course, did nothing to quiet the bird and only added to the noise.

I mean the rooster didnt listen, Lively says.

So, for two (plus) months, Lively has been on a mission to get the rooster removed, though so far shes found only dead ends.

First stop was the neighboring buildings property manager. The building, she says, is kind of like a mess, charred from a recent fire, windows all boarded up. After some detective work, though, she tracked down the managers name and number and gave him a call. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

Oh, yeah. I think I know about that, Lively says he said. Ill talk to him (the owner) about it.

I was stoked, Lively says. And honestly the next two days he (the rooster) didnt crow and I was like, Dude, I fixed it. I did the right thing.

And then on the third day it crowed again.

This began a pattern.

Every couple weeks I would just get fed up again, she says, and call somebody new.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Next up was San Francisco Animal Care and Control. They, too, could offer no help. Roosters, it so happens, are legal in San Francisco. (This is not the case in Oakland, or in the city of Portland, Ore., one of the epicenters of the urban farming craze.)

It is true  you can legally have a rooster in San Francisco, says Deb Campbell, a spokesperson for the agency. And Rooster crowing, she says, is a very common complaint. However, the agency, investigates only neglect, not noise.

The crowing and disruption is considered a noise ordinance disruption, Campbell says. Its common people will contact us for barking dogs and we will investigate cruelty and neglect but barking dogs are, again, a noise complaint for the police department.

This is what they told Lively, too.

So I was like, OK, fine, Im going to make a noise complaint with the police,  she says. What other options did I have?

Immediately it became clear to me how hard it was going to be to make a noise complaint about this because, first and foremost, the rooster has to do it when the police are here.

A few weeks passed before Lively (as she puts it) just lost it again one morning.

Lively cuts hair for a living, and, as it turns out, Supervisor Matt Haney, whose district includes the Tenderloin, was a former client of hers. She tried to be measured, she says. So, rather than text him directly, she sent a message through Facebook.

No response. But later that night  this was now late February  while Lively was sipping on a White Claw at a local bar, Haney just happened to walk in. They chatted briefly, shared a moment of laughter, and Haney said that he, too, could hear the rooster from his apartment. Haney asked Lively to send his office the relevant information (address, etc.). She followed up that night, she says, over Facebook.

And yet.

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This week, after another 5 a.m. wake-up call, and with no relief in sight, Lively hit yet another breaking point. She posted a video of the rooster (a very handsome rust-colored bird) perching on a chair in an overgrown yard, shouting at the sky  and tagged Haney.

Im not on vacation, this is the Tenderloin, in the backyard right next to mine. This rooster has been waking me up before dawn for months  I dont think its funny. I dont wake up before dawn. I dont live in the country for a reason. How do I get rid of this asshole?

Haney responded to her story and told her that he thought the public call-out was a bit unfair. He lives further away from the rooster, he explained during an interview with The Chronicle, and didnt realize it was still a problem.

I called the police captain about it  and hes looking into it, Haney says. We have many challenges in the Tenderloin and a rooster is now one of them.

Lets just see it gone, Lively says.

In other words, shes still waiting for results.

So is Rieker: I firmly believe if this were (Pacific) Heights and we were complaining  something would have been done already.

The other day, Lively remembered something else about her run-in with Haney, who is facing off against former Supervisor David Campos for a seat on the state assembly.

The last thing he said before he was walking away was: Maybe banning roosters in San Francisco will be my last act as supervisor.

Haney had an update the morning this story was posted online.

The police captain and I are planning to refer this to the city attorney so they can approach the property owner directly, he said.

In theory, that could lead to fines  or even a lien  for the property owner.

Obviously, he added, police cant just go into the yard. They would need a warrant for that.

As of Saturday, though, a rooster still lives in the Tenderloin.

Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost
A lawsuit filed in San Jose Federal court on behalf of current and former Black employees of tech giant Google alleges the company systematically discriminates against those employees, hiring only a handful of them, paying them less and stymying their advancement at the company.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump filed the lawsuit Friday on behalf of former Google employee April Curley, and other former and current Black employees at Google. The suit is seeking class-action status.

Google, owned by parent company Alphabet, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the case.

The suit also alleges that Black people working at or visiting the companys Mountain View headquarters were routinely harassed and targeted based on their race, often being questioned by security or asked to show identification. Employees of color also faced a range of microaggressions and harassment at work, including being asked to serve their white colleagues, the lawsuit alleges.

April Curley was an exceptional employee at Google. She was hired to a position well below her qualifications and was consistently wrongfully passed over for promotions, Crump said in a statement. While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying, and mistreating their Black employees, leading to high turnover.

Curley, a former diversity recruiter at Google, was hired in 2014 to do outreach to Black college students, a job at which she excelled, according to the complaint.

During a Monday press conference in front of the San Francisco federal court house, Curley and fellow plaintiff and former Google employee Chloe Sledd stood with Crump and described the traumatizing experiences that led to the lawsuit.

Because Ive used my voice to respectfully air grievances and challenge harmful racist internal practices, Google decided to beat me into shape by silencing me and threatening my livelihood, Curley said. When their strategy of trying to silence me didnt work, they resorted to termination during a pandemic. Cold, and heartless.

Sledd appeared to fight back tears as she described being sexually harassed by a white male colleague, saying her complaints to human resources were largely ignored or met with suspicion.

She said her harasser kept his job at Google, And I was expected to maintain the same high performance. despite being a victim of sexual harassment on their watch.

The company said in 2014 that it would partner with historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, to recruit more engineering and other talent from underrepresented backgrounds to try to rectify the long-standing overwhelming lack of diversity in many Silicon Valley companies. Curley said on Twitter that she improved the hiring of engineers from HBCUs by 300%.

Curleys lawyers said despite her recruiting success, she and other Black employees were passed over for pay raises and promotions because of race.

As Plaintiffs success in recruiting talented, well-qualified Black candidates grew, she discovered that Google was not genuinely interested in actual diversity and equal employment opportunities but wanted only to burnish its public image for marketing purposes, the complaint alleges.

Curley tweeted in 2020 that the company had fired her. That was despite increasing the hiring of Black and Latino students from schools the company normally did not recruit engineers from, including HBCUs, she said.

A Google spokesperson disputed Curleys depiction of her firing to the Washington Post last year.

Curley said on Twitter, and the complaint alleges, that despite advocating for those students who were as qualified as others from elite institutions, her efforts were largely ignored and she was discriminated against because of her race, Baltimore accent and refusal to discuss her sexuality.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with leaders of five historically Black colleges and universities last year in the wake of the backlash that resulted from Curleys allegations.

Google and other Silicon Valley companies have long struggled with diversifying their workforces, particularly when it comes to hiring engineers. Google and other tech giants frequently recruit employees and interns from top-tier colleges and universities, often creating a smaller pool of people from diverse backgrounds to hire from.

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The companys latest diversity report showed that in the U.S. the company had 51.7% white employees in 2021 and 50.4% white employees in 2020.

During that period Black representation increased by less than a percentage point, from 3.7% to 4.4%

In 2014 when Curley was hired, the company said Google is not where we want to be when it comes to diversity, and released statistics showing 61% of the companys U.S. workforce was white, while only 2% were Black.

Separately, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has opened an investigation into issues of racial discrimination at the company, according to the statement from Crump and a Reuters report from last year.

Crump said he hoped to learn more about the goings on inside the company as a result of the investigation, but didnt offer any details or say if he was working with the DFEH during the Monday press conference.

In an email, department spokesperson Olga Gonzalez declined to comment.

The state civil rights agency recently released a report showing how pay gaps statewide at larger companies disadvantage women and people of color, and that men were more likely to hold management positions statewide, particularly in Silicon Valley.

Beyond seeking class-action status, the lawsuit demands a finding that the company systematically discriminated against employees of color. The suit also seeks punitive damages and fees.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
Yes, loneliness is a growing concern. Yes, loneliness occurs at work. And yes, it hinders the performance of my team. But its a personal problem, not a problem to be addressed at work or by me, a time-crunched leader."

This is a common response I hear when talking to leaders about addressing loneliness at work. I understand the resistance. I'm also not convinced leaders know the opportunity they are missing if they neglect to address team loneliness.

Just like how it can be tough to find the time to get enough sleep or exercise, we still must prioritize it because its important for our long-term physical and mental health. Similarly, tending to your teams social needs is important for the long-term health of the organization. I dont have time for pleasantries, said the leader whose team is lonely and underperforming.

Now is the time to lean into loneliness. The conversation and concern surrounding workplace loneliness will expand quickly in the coming years. I have started to see just how eager people in organizations are to lean into the topic. When scheduling a recent lessen loneliness at work event for one of my clients, my client asked if I could change the name of the initiative. The client was worried many would avoid the training because of the taboo nature surrounding loneliness. I shared the positive results of similar organizations in the same industry, which assured the client to keep the term loneliness. The eventual attendance, receptiveness, and feedback from the audience far exceeded the clients expectations.

There are many reasons why the topic of workplace loneliness is starting to become more mainstream. The main reasons loneliness will show up with greater prevalence in the future are as follows:

1. Top of mind for Generation Z

Not only is Gen Z the loneliest generation, but 75 percent of Gen Z have left a job because of mental health reasons, compared with 34 percent of other generations. Loneliness at work will become center-stage as Gen Z becomes the fastest-growing generation in the workforce in the next decade. In general, more and more workers are looking to their employers and management for help addressing mental health concerns. In fact, 86 percent of people say its important that a companys culture supports mental health. The stigma around loneliness and mental health is lifting, expect to have more conversations about this in the workplace.

Related: What Leaders Get Wrong About Mental Health

2. Growing remote workforce

Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, 70 percent of employees around the world were working remotely once a week and 53 percent were spending half the week away from the office. Remote working was on the rise and is now a permanent fixture. This means leaders need to be extra vigilant about loneliness because lonely workers are more likely to be remote workers and loneliness is the top struggle for remote workers. Loneliness is also tougher to identify among remote workers because you cant see changes in routine or personality as easily.

Related: How to Combat the Growing Epidemic of Loneliness in the Workplace

3. Rise of enhanced technology

Cautionary tales like Netflixs Black Mirror and movies like Her, give us a glimpse into a less-than-ideal future where technology continues to get in the way of our connection with others. As computing power compounds year over year, technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and blockchain will become more viable making it increasingly more enticing to choose convenience over connection. Therefore, we must stand guard to strike the necessary balance between high-tech and high touch.

Lessen loneliness is likely not written in your job description. But if its not your responsibility as the leader, who will help the individuals on your team? As the health and economic costs of loneliness become more discussed and visible, the government and healthcare system will play an important role in treating or alleviating the problem. But those resources pale in comparison to the opportunity you have as a leader. Someone who is in close, consistent contact with workers and casting a vision, speaking into their lives, and providing an environment where they can be the best version of themselves is in a position to change lives for the better. Your actions have the power to drive positive societal change, impact families, and set the example of the important role organizations play in lessening loneliness.

Fostering healthy social connections is important if organizations are going to function effectively. And the same is true for societies and families. As social connections grow more and more unhealthy, leaders have an opportunity to turn the tide and provide workers with the example and tools to make an impact at work, in their families, and throughout society. For our health, our work, and our future, its critical that leaders address loneliness at work.

Related: Why Most Employees Are Lonely and Underperforming

Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Yosemite National Parks firefall  a yearly event in which the rays of the setting sun make Horsetail Fall glow like fire  is spectacular to behold from within the park. But this year, three photographers took things to the next level.

As the sun set on Feb. 23, they flew over Yosemite in a six-seat Cessna 210, aiming their lenses through a broken-out window in the back. Although they were focused on getting into the right position to shoot Firefall, in the minutes just before the main event, something equally astonishing began to occur.

Fresh powder from the previous nights storm drifted off the mountains, forming misty halos illuminated by the golden light. It looked almost like Half Dome was breathing out into the frigid winter air, says photographer Michael Castaneda.

For adventure pilot Ney Grant, the flight was like nothing he had ever experienced in his 2,500 hours in the cockpit. Ive flown over Yosemite many times  you dont need permission as long as you stay 2,000 feet above the ground at all times  but this flight was different, he says.

Michael Castaneda, Courtesy of Michael Castaneda

Making it happen (and documenting the event from the air, no less) was not without challenges.

A week before, Grant had come up with the idea to see firefall from the air and had reason to believe he could make it happen.

As an adventure pilot, hes flown doctors to Mexico, counted wild horses in Nevada and flown hand-washing stations to Navajo reservations during the pandemic. He also has a book coming out in September  Fifty Classic Adventures in and around Californias National Parks.

But when Grant went up solo in Yosemite in mid-February, he quickly learned that he was unable to focus on flying the plane, getting into the right position and documenting the event all at once. I just couldnt do it by myself, he says. There was too much going on.

Michael Castaneda, Courtesy of Michael Castaneda

He invited photographers Castaneda and Ranz Navarro for a second attempt, and both immediately agreed to participate. Seeing firefall from a plane was definitely preferable to battling "the gazillion visitors on Northside Drive," Navarro says.

When the men met up Feb. 23 at the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport, a snowstorm had recently blown through and the temperature was 4 degrees below zero. After bundling up and selecting their gear, the group excitedly boarded the plane. My main vision for the flight was to get a solid wide composition showing the setting sun shining its final light down the valley and onto El Capitan and Horsetail Fall, Castaneda says.

Michael Castaneda, Courtesy of Michael Castaneda

The Cessna 210 is ideal for photography, Grant says, because its a high-wing airplane with no wing struts, and the landing gear retracts into the belly. So when the window is open, theres nothing to obstruct a shot. The downside is that that plane does not like to go slow, he adds, and a 125 mph wind comes through with the window open.

A water bottle froze during the flight, he says.

Courtesy of Ranz Navarro

Still more problematic was the fact that theres really only room for one photographer to shoot through the open window in the front of the plane. To address the issue, the group considered removing the door and strapping themselves to the floor with harnesses. But Grant had another plan. He cut a porthole in the back window, which ended up breaking into pieces.

Crazy really, I had to fly from my home base of Placerville and back with the back side window broken out, Grant says. Anything for a good photo, I guess.

Once the plane had taken off, Grant flew the men around the park and then toward the High Sierra and Mono Lake. The views were breathtaking, and on the way back, as the sun began to lower on the horizon and the wind started to pick up, the snow started to flurry off the rock features.

Michael Castaneda, Courtesy of Michael Castaneda

Half Dome decided El Capitan wasn't going to get all the glory on this day and put on quite a show of its own, Castaneda says.

Seeing these landmarks from a different perspective was such a dream, Navarro adds.

For the main event, the pilot had to time the approach exactly right to catch the short window of time when the setting suns rays would illuminate the waterfall. They had already scouted the angles out, and Castaneda was kneeling in the front seat, enduring motion sickness and shooting out the open window, while Navarro pointed his camera out the broken photography window in the back.

Michael Castaneda, Courtesy of Michael Castaneda

Grant flew the plane directly into position at just the right moment, and the photographers began firing. The excitement in Grants voice came through the headphones loud and clear, Castaneda says, energizing his passengers as they photographed the stunning, fiery illusion from a bird's-eye vantage point.

We all knew we had experienced something special that extended far beyond just firefall, Castaneda says. We had created a memory that would stay with us all forever.
* Please consult your primary care provider before starting any new supplement, to ensure if they are right for you.

(Ad) Set your goals high as 2022 is expected to be a glorious year for the cannabis industry. BDSA reports that cannabis sales will jump 22%. That will take the total sales up to $28 billion.

The biggest challenge for most players in this industry will be maximizing their profits and market share in an exponentially growing consumer base with a host of new players also coming in.

But there's one great way to ensure your business is ahead of the curve. That is by staying on top of these cannabis marketing trends for 2022.

How Has the Cannabis Industry Changed in The Last Year?

2021 was another excellent year for the cannabis industry. The dramatic growth was fueled by expanding legalization and capital flooding in from investors and venture capital firms.

As far as legalization goes, new grounds were broken in Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota, and other states where marijuana was legalized for recreational use.

In early 2022, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and Connecticut legalized marijuana for recreational use.

Investors are more confident putting their money in the marijuana business based on projected profitability as far as investments go. In 2020, marijuana sales were at $13.4 billion. By 2025, this figure is projected to hit $33.6 billion.

What Cannabis Marketing Trends Should I Consider for 2022?

Legalization and changing attitude towards cannabis is expanding the market and bringing forth new marketing challenges. Young, middle-aged, and veteran adults are quickly converting into customers.

How marijuana was marketed and advertised just a year ago is dramatically different from how it is currently being marketed in 2022.

Niche Product Targeting

With more states and countries jumping on board, marijuana has a broad appeal. However, the most successful businesses will have a niche focus.

Consumers, especially millennials, actively seek brands that align with their values. That means you need to be specific with your formula and marketing efforts to see tremendous success.

Let your brand touch on societal concerns such as LGBTQ rights, sustainability, social justice, diversity and inclusion, and other personally meaningful causes to the consumer.

When the brand's and consumer's values align, you reap great brand loyalty and revenue.

Bhumi is an excellent example of a brand not being afraid to carve out its niche and align with its consumer base's values.

The company sells high-quality CBD and hemp products designed to address women's health concerns, raise the standards for consumer advocacy, support women leaders in the industry, and offer budtender training.

Incredible Product Innovation

Marijuana-based beverages have taken the market by storm. 2022 seems to be a lot kinder to the edibles segment.

As more consumers get into the world of marijuana, an emerging marijuana marketing trend is innovating on new products and marketing them to the new and existing market.

That means brands are moving away from the tried and tested potent and sugary options sold today.

For instance, 2022 will see brands focus on low-dose edibles meant to meet consumer demands for healthier edible options that will make them feel relaxed but still functional. Brands like Kiva are already experimenting with live resin edibles to replace THC distillate.

Product innovation means getting more attention from the consumer and proving that you're investing in creating better products and recreational experiences for them. The result is a more effective marketing effort and more sales for your business.

Heightened Focus On Content Creation

The 12th Annual B2B Content Marketing: Insights for 2022 report reinforces that content marketing will still be a powerful marketing force in 2022. That means if you are a cannabis or cannabis-related business, content marketing should be at the forefront of your cannabis marketing strategy.

The big question becomes what to create and how to create it?

According to the report put together by the Content Marketing Institute, the most successful B2B content marketers use ebooks, case studies, long articles, whitepapers, research reports, and blog posts than the least successful ones.

Virtual events, online courses, and webinars are also very effective.

Half of the organizations in the survey outsourced some or all of their content creation, as companies of all sizes were most likely to outsource.

That puts the writing on the wall. If you want your marijuana business to succeed in 2022, invest in content creation and outsource it to an experienced team.

Content Distribution

Content creation is not enough for effective content marketing. It would help if you had efficient and effective content distribution mechanisms. And that is where the 12th Annual B2B Content Marketing: Insights for 2022 report comes in handy.

Marketers will use various methods to distribute content, including earned, owned, and paid media, to get the content to the intended audience.

90% of these organizations report distributing their content on their websites. 76% distribute the content on the company's blog, 69% use email newsletters, and 68% use other non-newsletter email marketing campaigns.

There's also a flurry of non-paid (earned or organic) media used to distribute content. The top three are speaking or presenting at events, which accounts for 52%, media or public relations, which accounts for 52%, and guest posts or publications in relevant, authority sites or publications, which accounts for 43%.

Also, 8 out of 10 marketers use paid media to distribute their content. 77% of these businesses use social media, with LinkedIn producing the best results, followed by Facebook.

Increased Investment In Content Marketing Avenues For 2022

According to the report presented by the Content Marketing Institute, 67% of businesses intend to increase their content marketing budgets in 2022. But the focus is on ten core areas:

Video  69% of companies intend to invest more in videos to market their content.

69% of companies intend to invest more in videos to market their content. Events (digital, in-person, or hybrid)  61% of companies plan to budget for more digital, in-person, or hybrid events to market their content and get in touch with potential customers.

61% of companies plan to budget for more digital, in-person, or hybrid events to market their content and get in touch with potential customers. Owned media assets  57% of companies surveyed push more resources towards owned media assets.

57% of companies surveyed push more resources towards owned media assets. Paid media  55%

55% Social media management and community building  39%

39% Earned media  38%

38% Content Distribution  33%

33% Getting to know the audience better  32%

32% Content marketing technologies  31%

31% User Experience (UX) Design  29%

Other noteworthy content marketing areas for 2022 include:

Changes to SEO or search algorithms

Data management and analytics

Changes to social media algorithms

Content marketing as a revenue center





Cannabis Will Continue To Leverage Messaging Around Wellness

The wellness industry is a trillion-dollar industry. Thus, it is no surprise that cannabis brands will continue to leverage wellness and personal optimization messages to target a bigger audience and improve sales.

In fact, in a California SurveyMonkey poll, 82% of users found cannabis effective for pain management and another 59% used cannabis for improving mental health.

Most consumers are pretty versed in the ethos and language of the supplements industry. Innovative cannabis brands should use this to their advantage.

You can use ethos and language to introduce your products and discuss their benefits. Detailing benefits can go as far as educating consumers on tinctures, salves, concentrates, and other cannabis supplements. Incorporating them into their workout, self-improvement, and wellness regimes can positively affect their overall well-being.

Mainstream Cannabis Use And Acceptance

Every media outlet has something to say about cannabis and in the most favorable coverage. The Wall Street Journal to Vogue no longer covers marijuana as an "edgy" or "up and coming" product.

Instead, millennials, moms and dads, businesses, and people from different walks of life embrace marijuana as an excellent plant medicine for health, wellness, and self-care.

That translates to a growing consumer base and an increase in the number of niches emerging, which enhances cannabis' popularity in the media.

Data-Driven Marketing

Guessing who your consumer is and their preferences are a thing of the past. There's a lot of market and demographic data available to optimize a brand's marketing strategy. The trick is diving into data and analytics to refine and extract useful, actionable information.

For instance, different buyer personas, such as Microdosing Mamas and Boomerangs, have other habits and preferences. Businesses have to understand their current and prospective customers to deliver products and marketing initiatives that grow the company.

Thus, you have to move on from just knowing your customer to knowing their data as well.

Storytelling

With a lot of cannabis marketing in social media, transitioning into a savvy storyteller will help your business market more effectively on this and other digital platforms.

Consumers are no longer interested in hearing how excellent your product or service is. Instead, they're more interested in the brand story and the product's real-life advantages.

Video content is an excellent conduit for compelling storytelling. Most consumers are looking for authenticity and transparency. So, don't be afraid to showcase your results, tell your audience what you do, and explain who you are.

Storytelling does not always sell directly. However, it leaves the consumer with a nagging feeling to try out your product. And if the story was compelling enough, they might convert as soon as they're consuming the video content or reading your story from your chosen marketing media.

Mobile-First Marketing

It's not a surprise that in 2022, you should have more mobile-friendly content. Users are no longer sitting in front of desktop computers to access social media and other content. Smartphones and tablets are the new normal globally.

Focus on optimizing your website and making it responsive. That way, it will automatically adjust to smaller screens and still deliver a fantastic user experience.

A deeply invested company will also create a separate app that the consumers can download to their smartphones and tablets. Make sure the apps are available in the mobile app stores your target users frequent.

Dive Into The World Of Artificial Intelligence

Data-driven marketing is a powerful tool to promote your cannabis brand in 2022. However, if you combine it with artificial intelligence (AI), then you're setting yourself up to be the cream of the industry.

AI tools are more accessible in 2022, with Google and other companies at the front line offering machine learning technologies to small businesses to improve their marketing.

AI reports on basic information such as website traffic. But suppose you tinker under the hood a little bit. In that case, AI can smartly suggest the keywords your business should be using for SEO optimization and even predict what consumers are likely to buy based on previous purchases and browsing history.

When to Know if You Should Hire Cannabis Marketing Help

Keeping up with trends is a tough job. Most of us can't keep up with our music and fashion interests. That is why you need an external party to monitor and stay ahead of the curve for you.

Cannabis Marketing Agency

Brands in the cannabis industry should go directly to a cannabis marketing agency to seek help with their marketing.

But why not go for any other marketing agency?

Because of the restrictions and regulations surrounding the advertising and marketing of cannabis, a cannabis marketing agency stays on top of cannabis marketing trends and regulations governing compliant advertising in the industry.

Thus, you get to keep your customers, and your business stays compliant.

Moreover, a cannabis marketing agency brings in the expertise needed to make your marketing efforts rewarding without the need of spending thousands of dollars more on an in-house team. You thus don't have to fiddle around with ineffective cannabis marketing ideas while paying a premium for it.

A good cannabis marketing agency will help you focus on effective cannabis digital marketing strategies to improve online sales, such as cannabis email marketing. Most agencies will also offer essential cannabis branding tips to make your business stand out from the rest.

Cannabis Marketing Trends for 2022: Key Takeaways

2022 promises to be an exciting year for the cannabis industry. However, the expected growth will attract more players to the industry over this year and the next. Make sure you do the following to reap the most out of this exponentially growing industry.

Keep a keen eye on the marketing trends for the cannabis industry all year long.

Source the help of a professional cannabis marketing agency to develop more effective marketing strategies and stay on top of the curve in this year and the next ones.

Lastly, make sure you are staying compliant with the regulations around advertising and marketing your cannabis products and services.

Want to learn more about marketing in the Bay Area?

Contact our Cannabis Marketing team to see how we might be able to work together.

Contact our Cannabis Team

*This article is provided by an advertiser. Statements made are not meant to offer medical advice nor to diagnose any condition. Any studies cited here may be preliminary, and may or may not be peer reviewed, and may or may not have sufficient participants to be statistically relevant. Anecdotal accounts should not be taken as scientific results. Products discussed in this article are not designed to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. The FDA does not evaluate dietary supplements. Consult your doctor about possible interactions, allergies, and if you are considering using a natural and/or dietary supplements for any condition. Individual results will vary.
Elon Musk recently challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to a one-handed fistfight for the future of Ukraine. But the entrepreneur's real defense of the besieged country is his effort to keep Ukrainians online with shipments of Starlink satellite Internet service.

Starlink is a unit of Musk's space company, SpaceX. The service uses terminals that resemble TV dishes equipped with antennas and are usually mounted on roofs to access the Internet via satellite in rural or disconnected areas.

When war broke out in Ukraine, the country faced threats of Russian cyberattacks and shelling that had the potential to take down the Internet, making it necessary to develop a backup plan. So the country's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, tweeted a direct plea to Musk urging him to send help. Musk replied just hours later: "Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route."

Ukraine has already received thousands of antennas from Musk's companies and European allies, which has proved "very effective," Fedorov said in an interview with The Washington Post Friday.

"The quality of the link is excellent," Fedorov said through a translator, using a Starlink connection from an undisclosed location. "We are using thousands, in the area of thousands, of terminals with new shipments arriving every other day."

The use of Starlink as a stopgap measure for citizens and the government to stay connected during an invasion is a major test of the relatively new technology, experts say, and could have widespread implications for the future of war. Internet has become an essential tool for communication, staying informed and even powering weapons.

It's also a test for Musk. The world's richest man, valued at $232 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index, makes a habit of turning to Twitter for brash promises and proclamations in the midst of world crises. Already this week, the Tesla CEO has challenged Putin to a fight and followed up by pledging he would use just one hand if Putin was scared. And he told Putin he could bring a bear.

He has fallen short on some past pledges, including making ventilators for coronavirus patients and efforts to help rescue Thai children stuck in a cave.

But this time, Fedorov and some experts say he's come through. Tesla employees in Europe reportedly assembled systems to help power Starlink in Ukraine, and Fedorov said other European countries have sent Starlink equipment from their own supplies.

Musk responded to a request for comment on his efforts with Starlink and past efforts, telling The Post to give his regards "to your puppet master Besos." (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post.) Musk did not respond to a follow-up request specifically on his work with Starlink in Ukraine.

SpaceX declined to comment on its work in Ukraine.

Internet disruptions can be caused by power outages or by fiber optic cables being cut as a result of shelling, experts said. The Starlink technology is being used by civilians in areas under attack that have lost Internet service, and by government officials. Starlink terminals have also been provided to help the country's tech companies stay online when the war has forced them to relocate. The Times of London reports that a Ukrainian unit is using Starlink to connect its drones attacking Russian forces.

Starlink has grown quickly in recent years, surpassing some satellite Internet competitors by launching more than 1,000 satellites into space. People can buy the service online for $99 a month, plus $499 for the equipment, but Starlink cautions it can take six or more months to ship in some cases.

A person familiar with Starlink's effort in Ukraine, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said there are more than 5,000 terminals in the country.

Still, experts said that even a big Starlink network probably wouldn't be enough power to keep an entire country online and operating at full-speed. But the terminals can serve as a reliable backup as Internet services falter. Fedorov said he and his staff are having discussions with other European leaders and companies about additional satellite and cellular technologies that could help keep Ukrainians online in the event of greater Internet outages.

Internet flows deteriorated on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 and have not fully recovered, according to data-monitoring services. But since that initial dip, connectivity has remained fairly stable, with mainly temporary, isolated outages even during heavy Russian shelling.

"Every day there are outages, but generally service comes back," said Doug Madory, director of Internet analysis for Kentik, which monitors global data flows.

Even before Fedorov tweeted at Musk for help, SpaceX was working on a way to get Starlink to Ukraine. President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said in a talk at California Institute of Technology this month that the company had been working for several weeks to get regulatory approval to allow the satellites to communicate in Ukraine.

"But then they tweeted," she said, according to SpaceNews. "There's our permission."

Fedorov's agency is working to get Starlink terminals to regions where Internet access has been cut off, he said. The systems have in some instances been used to connect people when cellular networks in the country have been overloaded.

Fedorov said that he's briefly texted with Musk and that the tech billionaire has also had a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

There are some concerns that accompany the use of the terminals. Like all satellite communications during war, Starlink signals could be used to detect the location of the antennas, experts say.

While it's unclear if Russia can use the signals to target attacks, Musk instructed caution on Twitter.

"Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high," he tweeted. He added that users should turn on the terminal only when needed and keep it far away from people.

Experts have warned that the devices could give away Ukrainians' locations to Russian attackers, but that hasn't been an issue so far, Fedorov said. The devices have usually been used in "densely populated areas where there would be a lot of civilians anyway."

He said Russian cyberattacks have not ramped up on the systems - yet.

"They currently appear to be very busy attacking the websites of our small towns and villages," Fedorov said. "I think they're just not at that point yet."

Because Starlink is still relatively new, there's a lot to figure out about how and if it's feasible to use in conflict zones, defense and space industry experts say.

"The answer is it's potentially useful, but there's a lot we don't know," said Brian Weeden, director of program planning for space sustainability nonprofit Secure World Foundation, pointing to the risk of cyberattacks and what exactly the needs are.

Russians, as well as many others, have technology capable of finding, jamming and sometimes intercepting many kinds of transmissions. Starlink's technology could be a target for these efforts, said John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.

"But I think it's really important that people in Ukraine and areas without connectivity get connected, so it's a question of understanding and balancing risk," he said.

In Kyiv, one Ukrainian engineer saw the Twitter exchanges between Fedorov and Musk and hurried to piece back together a Starlink terminal he had bought months earlier. Oleg Kutkov said he bought a terminal just to disassemble it and put it back together - as an engineer, he was curious to see how it worked.

But now that Starlink services are enabled in the country, it could actually prove useful, he said. His regular Internet service is still working, but he put the Starlink antenna out his window and turned it on to test, he said. The speed was really fast.

"Internet connection is really important here in Ukraine," Kutkov said. "We are getting a lot of info from social media channels, from the government and from each other." Kutkov got so many questions from fellow Ukrainians about Starlink that he set up a Facebook group to address them. It now has 370 members.

- - -

The Washington Post's Christian Davenport, Craig Timberg and Joseph Menn contributed to this report.
HIGH POINT, N.C.  About 400 gallons of gas were stolen, dealing a financial blow to a BP station in North Carolina, the business owner told news outlets.

Hardik Patel said he lost more than $1,600 in gas after someone found a way to get past the payment system at one of his pumps in High Point, WXII reported.

Ive been the owner for seven years and in business for 15 years, Patel told the TV station. Ive never seen this happen or heard that people can bypass.

Keep scrolling to track gas prices in our state and across the nation

Video shared with news outlets shows a car pull up to the business after hours on March 14. Then, someone is seen pointing an object at the pump before cars filled up with free gas.

It lasted about 45 minutes until the police found out they were here, Patel told WGHP. But between that time, there were maybe 15 cars probably.

The High Point Police Department said it responded at about 11 p.m. after at least one suspicious car was spotted at the business. Officers are still investigating the incident, which was reported at the station outside of Bizzy Bee Grocery on North Main Street, according to an incident report.

Officials said the business lost hundreds of gallons of fuel just as gas prices have surged in recent weeks. The trend hit pumps nationwide after Russia invaded Ukraine, leading to sanctions, McClatchy News reported.

As of March 17, the national average was $4.289 per gallon. Thats a drop from $4.318 a week ago but still higher than the $2.879 average at this time last year, AAA data shows.

Trey Barker, a petroleum technician, told WGHP thefts like the one reported at the High Point station tend to happen when prices at the pump soar. He said those involved may have used a remote to change the gas pumps mechanics, allowing people to get fuel without paying.

A representative from Bizzy Bee didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on March 17.

2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
SHELTON  Work should begin on extending Constitution Boulevard West  the key to developing land known as the Mas property  on or around April 15, according to Mayor Mark Lauretti.

Lauretti said this date remains in place even as city officials plan to use condemnation to acquire 55 Blacks Hill Road, a property which sits right in the middle of the proposed work area.

We are going to condemn the land. Let a judge decide, Lauretti said after admitting that negotiations with the property owners have stalled.

Lauretti said he first contacted the owners of 55 Blacks Hill Road  which the mayor says has been vacant for several years  before onset of the pandemic. He said the city made an offer to the owners, which was rejected. The mayor said he could not state the amount offered by the city at this point.

They said it was not enough, said Lauretti, adding that the owners never returned with a counteroffer. (The resolution of this condemnation) should be very quick.

The Board of Aldermen, at a meeting last month, approved the citys purchase of 56 Blacks Hill Road for $590,000, with the cost being covered through use of American Rescue Plan funds.

Construction of the road  which has been discussed for decades  is key to the planned development of the city-owned Mas property into what Lauretti says will become a manufacturing hub. Over the past month, Lauretti said the city has sold more than 30 of the nearly 70-acre site to two separate businesses that plan to relocate there.

Lauretti said the road work will cost around $5 million, with much if not all covered by the state.

Shelton state representatives Jason Perillo and Ben McGorty and state Sen. Kevin Kelly worked alongside Lauretti to help secure $5 million in funding for the road extension in the states 2021 bond package. The funding will be available once approved by the state Bond Commission, according to Perillo.

Extending the roadway and use of the Mas property has been on the table for years, but Lauretti began the most recent push last April when he presented preliminary plans for creating the road leading into the city-owned land, which would be developed into a manufacturing corporate park.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
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SHELTON  Eighth graders are learning to save lives while getting a glimpse into the world of emergency services.

More than two dozen students at Shelton Intermediate School are participating in the newly created Fire and EMS Pathways, a public safety club. Students have been meeting every Thursday, and sessions included hands-on lessons on CPR, bleeding control and use of fire suppression equipment.

Its my favorite club Ive ever done, said James Zaccagnini as he worked on placing a tourniquet on his own arm.

Echo Hose Ambulance Corps Assistant Chief Joe Laucella  who helped create the club with Shelton Fire Chief Francis T. Jones III  helped teach the students about bleeding control Thursday.

Jones said the state has undertaken a firefighter recruitment effort, and programs that model the intermediate schools club have begun to gain traction in a few communities. But the longtime chief says Shelton remains a leader in youth training.

Shelton is at the forefront. I believe we are the only community doing this at the eighth-grade level, Jones said.

This past Thursdays session included students learning to apply pressure to stop bleeding, plus a mock accident in which a group of students find a severely injured person in a park and must assist with bleeding control techniques and calling emergency dispatch for assistance.

This is a great educational experience for these kids, said Emergency Management Director Michael Maglione. They are learning something that can save a life, maybe a family member, other community members, one of their friends.

It also can prepare them for a possible career path in medical services, like a doctor, nurse, emergency medical technician, firefighter, Maglione added. This opens so many doors for them.

Matthew Hluska, an eighth grader at the intermediate school, wants to help others and has his eye on a career in medicine. So when the club formed, he jumped all-in.

These skills are really helping me, said Hluska, adding that the club has only reinforced his desire to become a doctor. This is really fun.

Kolton Dlugas, who was working with Hluska mastering bleeding control techniques on a fake injured body part, said joining the club was a natural fit.

I always wanted to help people. I want to be an EMT, he said.

Abigaelle Knaggs and Jazzy Laudat agreed with their classmates  learning to help people was the main allure to joining the club.

Learning about ways to help others and yourself  safety in general, Knaggs said. Thats why we joined. I know my first choice for a career is being a nurse. After being in the club, I know I want to work in medicine.

The Public Safety Club will run for 16 weeks and is introducing eighth graders to the EMS and firefighting profession while learning lifesaving skills such as CPR, fire extinguisher use, and bleeding control.

In addition, Laucella said students will learn about fire and EMS apparatus, safety tools, and equipment used during everyday emergencies. At the clubs final meeting, the Shelton Emergency Services team will conduct a live demonstration for students that will encompass apparatus, safety, emergency equipment and lifesaving skills that were taught throughout the 16-week program.

I started with EMS when I was 16, and I think (Jones) did the same, Laucella said. I know I always wished I had the ability to start even sooner. When the idea for this public safety club came up for eighth graders, we knew it was the way to go.

Jones said the club not only offers lessons in lifesaving techniques but also a chance to develop relationships with potential future recruits to the citys volunteer emergency services.

Not everyone necessarily knows what they want to do at this age, but this gives them a chance to explore something, Laucella said. These could be our future volunteers. Some of them have already started to ask about next year at high school, if this will be available.

Jones said the plan is to continue the club at the intermediate school and expand into the high school next year.

The city offers students and residents, 16 years and older, an opportunity to volunteer in the Shelton Fire Department or at Echo Hose Ambulance.

High school students, at least 16 years old, can take an emergency medical technician course and volunteer at Echo Hose Ambulance or join one of the four Shelton fire companies as a junior firefighter. Many former Shelton High School students have joined both the Shelton Fire Department and Echo Hose Ambulance while in school.

This is something I can see myself going into when Im older, Zaccagnini said about the medical field. If someone is hurt, if there is a public emergency, I may be able to save a life. Its a great feeling.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
Local

AFFEW plans return of in-person Earth Day celebration

Riley / RILEY KELLEY | Daily News File Photo Ludington State Park Interpreter Alan Wernette talks to visitors about ultraviolet rays during AFFEWs Earth Day celebration in 2019. This year the event is back in-person for the first time since the start of the pandemic. It will take place April 23 at Ludington United Methodist Church.

The return of AFFEWs Earth Day celebration on April 23 will feature workshops, wildlife, outdoor activities and plenty of information about how to give back to Mother Earth.

The organization  whose name stands for A Few Friends for the Environment of the World  is easing back into hosting larger events after two years of COVID-19, but AFFEW President Julia Chambers said the group is thrilled to get back to holding Earth Day in-person.

It feels great, Chambers said. People are eager to get out and learn and be active. And with the whole COVID thing more people are out in nature, which is good.

The event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Ludington United Methodist Church, 5810 E. Bryant Road.

WHATS HAPPENING

The theme of AFFEWs event is Investing in Our Planet, which is the same as the international theme for the holiday itself, which takes place the day before.

Its something everyone can get behind, Chambers said. We need to protect our planet.

AFFEW has a full slate planned, and many of the activities play into the theme, such as a presentation on green investing, which starts at 11 a.m.

The presentation will be led by Tanya Lesinski, a financial advisor at Edward Jones, and Claudia Meyers, a green investor with tips for how to get started. Theyll talk about making eco-friendly investments and how to incorporate sustainability into financial goals.

Chambers said the idea to host the green investing workshop came from AFFEW member Joe Moloney, who thought it would make for a good Earth Day inclusion.

She said sustainable investing is a growing trend, with more companies  and universities  diverting more money into green energy and renewables.

Also starting at 11 a.m., biologists Jim and Carol McGrath of Nature Discovery will bring live turtles right to your feet, with live specimens of 10 turtles native to Michigan. Theyll discuss how to identify the different species and the various habitat requirements needed for each.

Chambers said the program is sure to be a big draw.

Jim and Carroll McGrath did a presentation on snakes and amphibians last year on Zoom, she said. Theyre really engaging.

The McGraths are also known locally for their popular Reptiles & Amphibians presentations, which they offer in the summer at Ludington State Park.

A PowerPoint presentation will touch on Michigans four rare, state-protected species. Participants will also learn what they can do to help turtles survive in your neighborhood and beyond, according to AFFEWs website.

Earth Day attendees will have an opportunity to learn about how to build bluebird trails from John Harville of the Michigan Bluebird Society. The presentation will be from 1 to 2 p.m.

When we had our youth program last year, the Sable Dunes Audubon Society made bluebird houses. Joe (Moloney) thought it would be neat to have a presentation on bluebirds (during Earth Day).

The presentation will cover how to maintain bluebird houses and will also include information about bluebirds in general.

A presentation about green burial practices will be given from 3 to 4 p.m.

The green burial process involves unembalmed bodies being placed in the ground using biodegradable materials such as shrouds.

The presentation will feature Russ Burns, the green burial manager at All Saint Cemetery in Muskegon, as well as Lakeview Cemetery Sexton Kirt Caithamer and Randy Wyman, director of Wyman Funeral and Cremation Services in Scottville.

Burns will talk about best practices for establishing green burial programs, Caithamer will discuss Ludingtons progress regarding green burials, and Wyman will talk about the arrangement process.

Chambers said the topic was an important one to include because the City of Ludington is planning to implement the technique at Lakeview Cemetery.

She said a program about green burials was included in Earth Day activities a few years back, and garnered a lot of interest.

Also from 3 to 4 p.m. there will be a workshop about the benefits of solar energy. The talk will be led by Robert Rafson, owner of the Chart House Energy solar development firm.

Rafsons  business is for solar energy for industrial (purposes) and for homes. So hes going to talk about that, and what people can do and what the options are, Chambers said.

She said theres been a growing interest in solar energy during the last few years, especially among AFFEWs Earth Day guests.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Local plant-and-wildlife enthusiast, writer and photographer Dave Dister will offer guided nature tours; local artist Marie Marfia will create a pastel painting which will go up for sale in a silent auction; and Elana Warsen of Michigan Worm Works will be on hand to talk about vermicomposting  the process of using earthworms to break down organic materials into fertilizer.

There will be informational and educational booths; tours of U Dig-it Community Garden, which recently merged with AFFEW, according to Chambers; and kids activities, too.

For information about how to sign up for a booth space, how to volunteer or for updates about Earth Day activities, visit www.affew.org.
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KABUL, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Four children have been killed by an unexploded ordnance blast in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, the country's Ministry of Interior said on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Shah Wali Kot district when an explosive remnant of war (ERW) was detonated by accident when the ill-fated children were playing in a remote village, the ministry said in a statement.

The term ERW refers to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO) by Afghan officials.

Landmines, anti-personnel mines as well as ERWs left behind from wars kill or maim about 120 people every month in the post-conflict country, according to official sources.

On Friday, two civilians were killed and three others wounded when an ERW exploded in eastern Paktia province. 
Page Content

Natalia Panowicz is the CEO of Codility, a software-as-a-service platform that evaluates the skills of software engineers. Codility is a global remote-first organization with part of the team residing in Warsaw, Poland, and helps companies build and grow high-performing engineering teams. Its core values are "we're human, we think big, we take ownership and we're real."



These values have made possible its immediate and comprehensive response to the war in Ukraine, which Panowicz described as "an unprovoked invasion and aggression on behalf of Russia against their democratic neighbor." She spoke to SHRM Online about the actions her company has taken.

What is it currently like in Warsaw and other parts of Poland, with people from Ukraine arriving and needing assistance?

Since the beginning of Russia's horrific war in Ukraine, almost 2 million refugees have made it to Poland. Poland borders Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and prior to the war, there already was a vibrant community of more than 1 million Ukrainians working and living in Poland. This war feels very real and very close to anybody in Poland. The Polish authorities are providing immediate work permits, social security numbers, [and] universal health care for each refugee and support for their hosts. There's an unprecedented outburst of help from so many people in Poland who take refugees to their homes, make donations and prepare meals.



Are you assisting your own employees that have come from Ukraine and, if so, how? Are you helping provide assistance to others?

The Codility team is global and comprises people coming from 30 different countries. While we do not have operations in Ukraine, Belarus or Russia, we have team members coming from these countries with close [family and friends] in active war zones in Ukraine. We have team members from other countries whose former colleagues or close ones are there, too. Part of our global team resides in Warsaw. Together with our Warsaw-based colleagues, we have organized immediate support for close ones of our team members, engineering community and business community. We are currently sheltering in Warsaw over 90 people who managed to flee the war, and are prepared to help others.

We have pledged our engineering support to Ukrainian nongovernmental organizations as part of the Tech To The Rescue initiative and will be matched with projects and teams that will benefit from our engineering expertise.

Our Women Employee Resource Group (ERG) has donated their funds to humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Our People of Color ERG is in the process of donating theirs specifically to aid refugees of color. Many of our team members decided to pledge their Codility mental health support allowance to humanitarian aid. We continue to work with the team on various aid initiatives for Ukraine and victims of this war. One of Codility's key values is "we're human," and I'm immensely proud of how our team demonstrates this through their actions.

What can those in the U.S. who would like to help do to assist those fleeing Ukraine?

Consider donating to organizations helping refugees, like the United Nations Refugee Agency, actively participate in civic actions in support of Ukraine and spread verified information about this war. We've seen how public pressure on politicians in the U.S. and Europe resulted in tangible support for Ukraine already, and there is more that countries can do to help stop this war.

How has your organization and others prioritized supporting colleagues in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus?

We do not have operations on the ground in these countries, but Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian colleagues work with us in Poland, Germany and in the U.S. We're supporting them with help for their close ones who are making it out of Ukraine. One of our U.K. team members was in Russia when the war started. We're assisting this team member and their family in making it back to the U.K.

What challenges are some of your employees facing?

Our team members with close ones in the active war zones fear for their close ones' lives and are actively helping them, whatever decision on staying or fleeing they're making. Our Ukrainian colleagues are experiencing their country of origin under horrific invasion by Russia, who is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Our Russian and Belarusian colleagues are processing the horrors of the war that their country is committing or complicit in. We have many other team members coming from other countries whose close ones are in Ukraine. For our Polish team members, this war is a strong emotional trigger. We have team members from current or former conflict zones in other countries for whom this is a trigger, too.

How is Russia's attack an emotional trigger for some employees in Poland?

Throughout many centuries of Poland's history, Russia has invaded and occupied Poland over and over again. Poland was invaded by both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia during World War II, which took the lives of 20 percent of Poland's pre-war citizens: 6 million people, including 3 million Polish Jews. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, was completely destroyed by Nazi Germany after two months of the uprising and in-city fighting. Every family has war stories to tell. Russia's war in Ukraine feels eerily familiar to people in Poland, hence a strong emotional trigger.

What types of contingency plans are being made, and why are they being developed?

While we consider the war spilling over to Polandwhich is both a NATO and European Union countryvery unlikely, we prefer to be prepared and hope we won't ever need to trigger any contingency plans. We've established an emergency committee that is responsible for making sure that our people and their families will make it safely outside of the zones in danger.

What's the main takeaway for employers as they witness the invasion of Ukraine?

This is the biggest war in Europe since the end of World War II. It is changing the world order and will impact the global economy. Your employees may be coming from the region or have close ones in active war zones. As we're all navigating this war, strong values, adaptability and resilience will be key.


Microsoft says it has worked closely with Valve to get Xbox Cloud Gaming working on the Steam Deck. While Steam Deck users have been able to access the Xbox game streaming service, it wasnt possible to use the handheld controls to play games. Microsoft has now released a beta version of Microsoft Edge for the Steam Deck that includes full support.

We worked closely with Valve and the Xbox Cloud Gaming team to bring support for Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate through Microsoft Edge Beta for the Steam Deck, says Missy Quarry, a community manager for Microsoft Edge. Were particularly eager about this ourselves as we feel it can open new opportunities in the Linux gaming community.

While a number of Xbox Game Studios titles are able to run natively on the Steam Deck, Xbox Game Pass isnt available on Steam, so subscribers will have to stream titles from Microsofts service instead.

The Linux version of Microsoft Edge now includes support for the Steam Deck controls and is available from the Discover Software Center part of SteamOS. Microsoft also has detailed orders for creating a link to Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Steam Deck to make it easier to access in the future.

Microsofts latest Steam Deck support for Xbox Cloud Gaming comes just weeks after the company detailed its Xbox Game Studios titles for the handheld. The Steam Deck is also now able to run Windows, which provides another way to access Xbox Game Pass titles. Valve CEO Gabe Newell has said hes more than happy to help Microsoft bring PC Game Pass to Steam, but until that happens, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Windows on Steam Deck are the only viable methods right now.
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Scammers have become more sophisticated in duping an increasing number of Australians who lost more than $38 million last month after falling victim to fraudulent schemes ranging from investments to romance.

The latest available figures from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions Scamwatch site showed it received more than 18,300 reports in February, with people racking up losses of $38,106,474. The most prevalent scam involves investments through which more than $27,700,000 has been lost. Australians lost a total of $323 million in 2021.

Professor Malcolm Fisher is a retired intensive care specialist who has been the victim of a finance scam. Credit:Steven Siewert

The consumer watchdog on Friday launched unprecedented legal action against Facebook owner Meta for publishing scam cryptocurrency ads featuring well-known Australians including former NSW premier Mike Baird, businessman Dick Smith, TV presenter David Koch and mining magnate Andrew Forrest.

Describing the Federal Court action as world-leading, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said he expected the case, alleging Facebook had engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by publishing scam advertisements. The ACCC said it knew of one consumer who lost more than $650,000 on a fake investment opportunity that was advertised on Facebook.
Western Australia has officially rejoined the Australian federation but it seems while the big state was floating in a limbo of sunshine and masklessness, something happened to our federal politicians.

Up is down, left is right and Scott Morrison and his Liberals now adore their state Labor counterparts.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference at the Crown Perth Convention Centre in Perth, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Credit:AAP

Within a fortnight WA has been graced with the presence of both opposition leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, with both men knowing that on election night WA could make or break their chances of forming government.

Polling suggests Pearce, Hasluck and Swan are ripe for Labors picking while Ben Mortons seat of Tangney could also be in danger. But instead of spruiking themselves as Western Australias choice of PM, the two have largely just focused on how important Premier Mark McGowan is to this election.
William and Kate have cancelled a major engagement planned for the start of their Caribbean tour after villagers staged a protest over the royals' visit.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were due to tour a cacao farm in Belize during the first full day of their tour on Sunday, but the event has now been removed from the schedule by their office.

The issue threatens to overshadow the start of the couple's eight-day tour to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and raises questions about the planning of the trip.

Demonstrators had voiced opposition to the royals' visit due to a dispute over "contested property" between residents of Indian Creek village and Flora and Fauna International (FFI), the conservation charity that William supports as patron.

The landing site for the Cambridges' helicopter reportedly caused further problems amid claims residents were not consulted about the location, which is on the local football pitch, according to local Belize media outlet Channel 7.

A protest was reportedly staged on Friday opposing the royal visit to Akte 'il Ha cacao farm.

Photographs posted on social media showed demonstrators holding signs including one which read: "Colonial legacy of theft continues with Prince & FFI."

Sebastian Shol, chairman of Indian Creek village, told the Daily Mail: "We don't want them to land on our land, that's the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land."

A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location - further details will be provided in due course."

The Belize government said in a statement: "Indian Creek was one of several sites being considered. Due to issues in the village, the Government of Belize activated its contingency planning and another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry."

Story continues

Channel 7 said the background to the situation centred on tensions between citizens and the state about the "meaning of consent in the context of communal land rights - rights to lands that were expunged in the colonial period by the British".

Voyager, the ministerial jet, will fly the Cambridges throughout their tour along with their 15-strong entourage, which is likely to include Kate's hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker and other personal staff, along with private secretaries and their press office team.

Highlights of the couple's tour will see them renew their friendly sporting rivalry when they take to the waters for a sailing regatta in the Bahamas in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

In Jamaica, the Cambridges are due to celebrate the island's musical and sporting heritage amid speculation Usain Bolt may be involved.
On March 19, 1932 the weather was glorious. For the 90th birthday celebrations of Sydney Harbour Bridge on Saturday it was inclement but the mood remained sunny.

It was a day of festivities with vintage vehicles and ferries transforming the city back to the 1930s. There was a free concert with definitely post-30s artists including Christine Anu, James Morrison and Bananas in Pyjamas.

A Red Rattler departs Milsons Point to cross the Harbour Bridge. One of the carriages was on the first trip across the bridge 90 years ago. Credit:Bianca De Marchi

At 9.10am it was all aboard the four-car vintage electric train (colloquially a Red Rattler) which left Milsons Point station with an original carriage that made the first bridge crossing. On opening day, chief engineer of the bridge Sir John Bradfield sat in one of them.

In 1932, Carriage C3426 was designated first class  with cream and green interior and green leather seats. In the same seat today (its not leather anymore) sat Philip Bradfield, the engineers grandson. He said he was sad not to have known his grandfather, who died four years before he was born.
Children in the states most disadvantaged public schools showed more progress in maths and reading over 2021 than they did in the year before the pandemic despite the term-long lockdown, new research has found.

A University of Newcastle study involving more than 6000 students in years 3 and 4 across more than 100 public schools also found children in all socio-economic brackets made as much progress last year as they did in 2019.

The research, which has not yet been peer reviewed, contradicts the widespread assumption that disadvantaged students would suffer most from lockdowns.

Teachers at Fairfield West did not waste a minute when students returned to the classroom last year. Credit:Peter Rae

Senior lecturer Drew Miller, who analysed the latest data from the three-year randomised control trial, said the better-than-expected result could be due to several factors, such as the states COVID catch-up tutoring program.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has unveiled a multimillion-dollar recovery and buyback scheme in the wake of recent flooding, but says the federal government has to agree to jointly fund it.

Mr Miles also took aim at Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday morning for increasing individual disaster assistance payments for those affected in NSW but not for Queenslanders.

The Deputy Premier announced a $771 million overall package of funding, split into three components.

The first $725 million component will give residents the option of retrofitting, raising or selling their home, depending on what an assessment recommends.
Electric vehicle registrations have more than tripled in Victoria over the past four years, as car dealers report a surge in recent interest due to soaring petrol costs.

New data from the state government shows that in June 2021, there were 10,311 registered electric vehicles in Victoria, up from 3398 vehicles in June 2018.

Su Dharmapala made the switch to an electric vehicle in November and hasnt looked back. Credit:Penny Stephens

The postcode that covers Sunshine, Albion, Sunshine North and Sunshine West boasts the highest number of electric, hydrogen or plug-in electric-hybrid cars in the state, with 549 registrations. Its followed by the Werribee and Point Cook areas, where there are 218 registrations, and the City of Melbourne, with 213 cars.

Grattan Institute transport and cities program director Marion Terrill said motorists in the Sunshine, Werribee and Point Cook areas were likely to drive greater distances than their inner-city counterparts and might be making the switch to electric cars for economic reasons.
The principal of Victorias largest Islamic school is being sued by a female teacher for sexual harassment and assault.

Omar Hallak, the founder and principal of Al-Taqwa College in Truganina in Melbournes outer west, allegedly sexually assaulted or harassed the then 25-year-old junior teacher multiple times in 2015.

Al-Taqwa founder and principal Omar Hallak.

The former teacher, whom The Age has chosen not to name, is suing Mr Hallak and the school for years of lost income, claiming she has been unable to hold down full-time work as a teacher due to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Federal Court documents show the first assault allegedly occurred during an after-hours subject selection night at the school in August 2015. The teacher claims she was having a discussion with Mr Hallak in the staff room before he gestured to her to follow him to the receptionists office.
Two men have been charged with murder over the stabbing death of a promising West Australian basketball player in Melbournes Docklands last weekend.

Alier Riak, 23, died in hospital from stab wounds following reports of a brawl at 3.20am on Sunday in Bourke Street near Harbour Esplanade.

A social media slide posted by basketball team the Darwin Salties after signing Alier Riak, who died after being stabbed in Melbourne last weekend. Credit:Facebook

Mr Riak had only last month signed up to play with the semi-professional basketball team Darwin Salties in the Northern Territory this year.

His 26-year-old brother, Kuol, was also seriously injured in the attack but has since been discharged from hospital.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese is digging in and refusing to call an inquiry into the alleged bullying of Kimberley Kitching, as anger grows among the late senators supporters about her treatment by the Labor leadership group.

Mr Albanese sought to quell disquiet among supporters of Senator Kitching on Saturday, insisting the ALP had processes in place to deal with bullying and harassment complaints. He paid tribute to the senator.

Labor senator Kimberley Kitching died earlier this month from a suspected heart attack. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

These processes have been in place since 2018. And they were improved with the unanimous support of every member of the ALP caucus and every member of the ALP national executive in 2021 following an extensive review and improvement of these processes led by Sharon Claydon and women members of the ALP national executive and caucus, he said.

And everyone was a part of that process. We have an ongoing process that people can participate in. We can always do better. I will say this. The Labor family are mourning the passing of Kimberley Kitching.
Will Premier Daniel Andrews campaign alongside Anthony Albanese during the looming federal election? Will the Premiers reputed star power be deployed in marginal Liberal seats targeted by an increasingly confident ALP aiming to win power in May?

What reception might Dan Andrews get in, say, snooty Higgins (around Toorak and Malvern) or ethnically diverse Chisholm (high-rise Box Hill to leafy Burwood), or in the genteel, boat-shoe wearing retiree haven of Brighton in the federal electorate of Goldstein?

Where and with whom will the leaders campaign after the federal election is announced? Credit:AAP/Getty Images

All three once Liberal heartland seats are now targets. Would Dan Andrews be cheered or heckled doing a street walk with a wannabe PM Albanese?

The answer will tell us much about what is being revealed in the internal polling and focus groups the ALP are running for the November state election. Conversely, will any besieged federal Liberal invite Matthew Guy to a street walk, counting on his companionship as a vote-winner?
First responders who have saved Australians from bushfires, floods and other natural disasters could lose access to vital mental health services in a matter of months when a $4 million government program ends.

The federal government allocated $4 million for the Traumatic Stress Clinic, which is run by the world-renowned Black Dog Institute, to provide a free psychological program for first responders, emergency services workers, volunteers and their families in the wake of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

A bushfire in southern NSW during Black Summer. Credit:NSW Coroners Court

But funding for the program will run out on June 30, clinic director Richard Bryant said, and the clinic had been told it wont be renewed.

Professor Bryant said the clinic was stumped about what to do. What do we say to people? They still need help.
Two years after the ultra-private Sydney socialite Tiffany Tilley quit the eastern suburbs to move to the more laid-back locale of Avalon Beach, she is back, having purchased a Victorian terrace in Woollahra for $3.32 million.

The two-bedroom terrace was sold for $3.32 million after a few weeks on the market.

Tiffany Tilley has returned to the eastern suburbs after a two-year absence. Credit:Dallas Kilponen

Not that the former wife of James Packers right-hand man Ben Tilley didnt do well from her time on the northern beaches. In 2020, she paid a little more than $3 million for a designer house called Bimbimbi, promptly renovated it and then sold it last October for $4.5 million.

It was a much better investment than her former Paddington terrace, which she purchased in 2018 following the sale of her Point Piper home for $19.5 million to British media boss John Newton.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have cancelled a major visit planned for the start of their Caribbean tour after local residents voiced opposition to a royal trip to their Belize village.

William and Kate were due to tour a cacao farm during the first full day of their tour on Sunday, but the royal engagement was removed from the schedule by their office on Friday.

According to reports, a protest was staged on Friday opposing the royal visit to Akte il Ha cacao farm in Indian Creek village in the foothills of the Maya Mountains.

The issue threatens to overshadow the start of the couples eight-day tour to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in honour of the Queens Platinum Jubilee and raises questions about the planning of the trip.

A number of issues have been reported by local Belize media outlet Channel 7, including a claimed dispute between residents of Indian Creek village in Belizes Toledo District and Flora and Fauna International, the conservation charity William supports as patron.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured arriving at an event in Pakistan by helicopter, were due to have flown using the same mode of transport to the Belize village (Samir Hussein/PA)

The landing site for the Cambridges helicopter reportedly caused further problems with claims residents were not consulted about the location which is on the local football pitch.

Under the headline Indian Creek Villagers Dont Want William The Prince To Visit, Channel 7 reported on its website: Prince William and his wife, Kate the Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Belize on Saturday afternoon  and a highlight of their trip is a visit to a cacao farm in the Toledo District.

During the first day of their Caribbean tour William and Kate will meet Belizes prime minister Johnny Briceno, pictured at Cop26 (Phil Noble/PA)

The problem is  its in Indian Creek village  which has been in open conflict with Flora and Fauna International which owns an adjoining, contested property. More than that Prince William is a patron of that conservation organisation.

And it appears to villagers preparations are being made for the Princes helicopter to and on the village football field. And tonight they are saying they werent consulted and they dont want the Prince in their village!

Sebastian Shol, chairman of Indian Creek village, told the Daily Mail: We dont want them to land on our land, thats the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land.

Story continues

A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: We can confirm that due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location  further details will be provided in due course.

The Belize Government said in a statement: Indian Creek was one of several sites being considered. Due to issues in the village, the Government of Belize activated its contingency planning and another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry.

William and Kate will arrive in Belize in the Voyager ministerial jet (Sgt Matty Matthews/RAF/MoD/Crown/PA)

Channel 7 said the background to the situation centred on tensions between citizens and the state about the meaning of consent in the context of communal land rights  rights to lands that were expunged in the colonial period by the British.

Voyager, the ministerial jet will fly the Cambridges throughout their tour and their entourage will number 15, with Kate likely to be joined by hair dresser Amanda Cook Tucker and other personal staff, along with private secretaries and their press office team.

The duke and duchess are due to arrive in Belize during the afternoon, local time, and will be welcomed at the airport by the countrys Governor General Froyla Tzalam and later travel to the centre of Belize City for an official meeting with Prime Minister Johnny Briceno.

Highlights of the tour will see the couple renew their friendly sporting rivalry when they take to the waters for a sailing regatta in the Bahamas in honour of the Queens Platinum Jubilee.

In Jamaica, the Cambridges are due to celebrate the islands musical and sporting heritage amid speculation Usain Bolt may be involved.
Loading Around 100 people have emerged alive from the theatre bombing, Andryushchenko said. One elderly woman was badly injured and transported to a hospital. Andryushchenko said roughly 800 to 1000 people were believed to have been in the building at the time of the attack. Some accounts put the number in the theatre still missing as high as 1300. The fighting is hampering rescue efforts, Andryushchenko said. How many people are beneath the rubble, we dont know, he said.

Oksana said she fled her home on the citys periphery for a friends home closer to the centre on February 24, the first day of the war, to escape the bombing on the outskirts. The 37-year-old woman, who, like many of those fleeing, spoke on the condition her last name be withheld to protect relatives left behind, said Russian tanks parked next to the house in which they were sheltering on Wednesday. A family huddled in a bomb shelter in Mariupol on March 6. Credit:AP We asked them to take them away, she said. Wed written on our houses there are kids here, people here. But they did not do it. The tanks fired all night, she said. The force of the shelling shuddered through the house.

Russian soldiers entered the house to check documents, according to family members, and told them to mark their cars with white flags if they left to show they were civilians. When they drove out of the city, they said, they did not see any Ukrainian forces. Red Cross Ukraine workers sort donated clothing in Zaporizhzhia. Credit:Kate Geraghty Its like a horror movie. Theres nothing, Oksana said. Everything is bombed, all the roads are bombed. We couldnt even normally drive out. We drove a lot in circles before they found a route. When they found that route, they drove straight to Zaporizhzhia. They followed the direct road, rather than the agreed corridor through the city of Berdyansk to the citys west because they couldnt navigate that route. They said soldiers at most of the Russian checkpoints were friendly, with some on the way out of the city giving away cookies and other sweets.

But at one checkpoint, soldiers took issue with a message on her brother-in-laws phone describing destruction in a village outside of Mariupol. They said soldiers forced him out of the vehicle with a gun to his head. They took him off, and then we just heard a gunshot, Oksana said. We thought that was it. When we saw him we started crying from happiness. An explosion in an apartment building after Russias tanks fire in Mariupol on Friday. Credit:Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Andryushchenko confirmed Russian tanks were in the city. Mariupol is a battlefield, he said. But we are still defending the city, and we arent giving up. Maryna Selkova, 41, said the house in which she was sheltering, near the theatre and university in the city centre, was already on the front line. She could see members of the Azov Battalion, which has made up a large contingent of Ukrainian front-line forces of the city.

Our house was shaking, she said, her 11-year-old son clinging to her around her neck. They tried to leave several times, she said, but the fighting was too fierce. It was so scary to come out, everything was exploding. We got back into the basement and tried again later. Mariupol residents, who have been without water, get supplies from a warehouse under the control of the government of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic. Credit:AP They finally escaped on Thursday morning. The theatre was already bombed when we left, she said. We understood then we couldnt hide anywhere. Many had spent a night in the village of Tokmak, now controlled by the Russians, where residents have opened their doors and cooked them meals. Some arrived injured from explosions.

Some say they want to leave the country, but few had solid plans. They were relieved just to have made it out alive. Loading I never thought in the 21st century Id live through something like this, said Selkova, an accountant. Now we will have to start all over again. With vehicles the only means of escape, families are loading in as many people as possible. Nine members of Aleksei Vlasov and Alesya Vlasovas extended family packed themselves into a single ageing Ford Mondeo to escape. They packed the cat and their 21-year-old sons two guitars, one acoustic and one electric, among the bundles on the roof. They wanted to pick up Alesyas 83-year-old grandmother, but drove to her home and couldnt find her. There was no time to hunt.

Families said Russian soldiers at the checkpoints told them to delete any photographs of destruction in Mariupol. Many did, but Aleksei and Alesya decided to risk keeping theirs, and showed pictures of the smashed windows at their family home and their meals in the dark. Loading Aleksei, 35, would brave driving around the city each day in search of food. Some families said they turned to looting and bartering to survive. Their cousin Anastasiya, 25, has served with the Ukrainian military for the past five years. She gasped as she pulled out her phone to a video message showing the flag of Russian-backed separatists being hoisted on an administrative building on the citys Left Bank, which has been subject to some of the heaviest bombardment. Thats not the periphery, thats the city, she said. Even if they lose the city, well get it back.
Russian forces have pushed deeper into the besieged and battered city, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help. In the capital, Kyiv, at least 20 babies carried by Ukrainian surrogate mothers are stuck in a makeshift bomb shelter, waiting for parents to travel into the war zone to pick them up. Some just days old, the babies are being cared for by nurses who cannot leave the shelter because of constant shelling by Russian troops who are trying to encircle the city. Russian attacks on Mariupol (pictured on March 10 after the shelling of a residential area), have included war crimes, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit:AP The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the wars worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks into the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II. Children, elderly people are dying. The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth, Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin said from a rubble-strewn street in a video addressed to Western leaders that was authenticated by The Associated Press.

Details also began to emerge on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) about a rocket attack that killed as many as 40 marines in the southern city of Mykolaiv the previous day, according to a Ukrainian military official who spoke to The New York Times. Russian forces have already cut Mariupol off from the Sea of Azov, and its fall would link Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, to eastern territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. It would mark a rare advance in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance that has dashed Russias hopes for a quick victory and galvanised the West. Ukrainian and Russian forces battled over the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraines interior minister, said on Saturday. One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed, Denysenko said in televised remarks. The Mariupol city council claimed hours later that Russian soldiers had forcibly relocated several thousand city residents, mostly women and children, to Russia. It didnt say where in Russia, and AP could not immediately confirm the claim.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukraines president, said the nearest forces that could assist Mariupol were already struggling against the overwhelming force of the enemy or at least 100 kilometres away. There is currently no military solution to Mariupol, he said late on Friday. That is not only my opinion, that is the opinion of the military. In Mykolaiv, rescuers searched the rubble of the marine barracks that was destroyed in an apparent missile attack on Friday. The regions governor said the marines were asleep when the attack happened. It isnt clear how many marines were inside at the time, and rescuers were still searching the rubble for survivors the following day. But a senior Ukrainian military official, who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity to reveal sensitive information, estimated that as many as 40 marines were killed, which would make it one of the deadliest known attacks on Ukrainian forces during the war. The Ukrainian President earlier called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow and also urged Switzerland to do more to crack down on Russian oligarchs who he said were helping wage war on his country with their money.

Zelensky, who makes frequent impassioned appeals to foreign audiences for help for his country, told an anti-war protest in Bern that Swiss banks were where the money of the people who unleashed this war lay and their accounts should be frozen. Ukrainian cities are being destroyed on the orders of people who live in European, in beautiful Swiss towns, who enjoy property in your cities. It would really be good to strip them of this privilege, he said in an audio address. Neutral Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, has fully adopted EU sanctions against Russian individuals and entities, including orders to freeze their wealth in Swiss banks. Volunteers unload a van full of bedding for refugees at the Zaporizhzhia Circus. Credit:Kate Geraghty The Russian military said on Sunday it has carried out a new series of strikes on Ukrainian military facilities with long-range hypersonic and cruise missiles.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the Kinzhal hypersonic missile hit a Ukrainian fuel depot in Kostiantynivka near the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv. The strike marked the second day in a row that Russia used the Kinzhal, a weapon capable of striking targets 2000 kilometres away at a speed 10 times the speed of sound. The previous day, the Russian military said the Kinzhal was used for the first time in combat to destroy an ammunition depot in Diliatyn in the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine. Konashenkov noted that the Kalibr cruise missiles launched by Russian warships from the Caspian Sea were also involved in the strike on the fuel depot in Kostiantynivka. He said Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea were used to destroy an armour repair plant in Nizhyn in the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine. Konashenkov added that another strike by air-launched missiles hit a Ukrainian facility in Ovruch in the northern Zhytomyr region where foreign fighters and Ukrainian special forces were based. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the US couldnt confirm the use of a hypersonic missile.

Britains defence attache to the United States said British intelligence believes Russia has been taken aback by the Ukrainian resistance to its assault and has so far failed to achieve its original objectives. Across Ukraine, people have been trapped in their homes and unable to escape shelling. Credit:Kate Geraghty Russia has been forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath said in a statement. Putin appeared on Friday at a rally in Moscow where he lavished praise on his countrys military. We have not had unity like this for a long time, Putin told the cheering crowd.

Loading The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home, where police have detained thousands of antiwar protesters. Estimates of Russian deaths vary widely, but even conservative figures are in the low thousands. Russia had 64 deaths in five days of fighting during its 2008 war with Georgia. It lost about 15,000 in Afghanistan over 10 years, and more than 11,000 in years of fighting in Chechnya. UN bodies have confirmed more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher. The UN says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees. The north-western Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin and Moshchun were under fire on Saturday, the Kyiv regional administration reported. It said Slavutich, 165 kilometres north of the capital, was completely isolated.

Evacuations from Mariupol and other besieged cities proceeded along eight of 10 humanitarian corridors, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, and a total of 6623 people were evacuated. Nannies take care of newborn babies in a basement converted into a nursery in Kyiv. Credit:AP Waiting to board a bus at a triage centre near the Moldova-Ukraine border, a woman named Irina said she decided to leave home in Mykolaiv this week after a loud explosion shook the walls, waking her young daughter. Can you imagine the fear I had, not for me but for my child? said Irina, who didnt provide her last name. So we made decision to arrive here, but I dont know where we are going, where well stay. Vereshchuk said planned humanitarian aid for the southern city of Kherson, which Russia seized early in the war, could not be delivered because the trucks were stopped along the way by Russian troops.

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict but remain divided over several issues, with Moscow pressing for its neighbours demilitarisation and Kyiv demanding security guarantees. The site of a bombing that damaged residential buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit:Heidi Lev Putin spoke by phone on Saturday for a second time this week with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. The Kremlin said Putin outlined fundamental assessments of the course of the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, while Bettel informed him about contacts with the leadership of Ukraine and other countries. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss accused Putin of using the talks as a smokescreen while his forces regroup. We dont see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table, she told the Times of London. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, during a Saturday visit to NATO ally Bulgaria, said the Russian invasion had stalled on a number of fronts but the US had not yet seen signs that Putin was deploying additional forces.

Loading Around Ukraine, hospitals, schools and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked. At least 130 people survived the Wednesday bombing of a Mariupol theatre that was being used a shelter, but another 1300 were believed to be still inside, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliaments human rights commissioner, said on Friday. We pray that they will all be alive, but so far there is no information about them, Denisova told Ukrainian television. A satellite image from Maxar Technologies released on Saturday confirmed earlier reports that much of the theatre was destroyed. It also showed the word CHILDREN written in Russian in large white letters outside the building.

Zelensky said more than 9000 people were able to leave Mariupol on Friday along a route leading 227 kilometres to the city of Zaporizhzhia  which is also under attack. Southern Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region announced a 38-hour curfew after two missile strikes killed nine people on Friday. Russian forces have fired on eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region in the past 24 hours, including Mariupol, Ukraines national police said Saturday. Dozens of civilians were killed or wounded, and at least 37 residential buildings and facilities were damaged including a school, a museum and a shopping centre. In the western city of Lviv, Ukraines cultural capital, which was hit by Russian missiles on Friday, military veterans were training dozens of civilians on how to handle firearms and grenades. Its hard because I have really weak hands, but I can manage it, said one trainee, 22-year-old Katarina Ishchenko.
New York: Even in the days leading up to her deportation, Anna Sorokin appeared not to believe media speculation that she would soon be sent back to Germany. The rumours were devastating to the fake German heiress, who prefers to be called Anna Delvey and whose exploits were fictionalised on Inventing Anna, a Netflix series created by Shonda Rhimes and released last month.

Since her 2017 arrest and subsequent 2019 conviction by a Manhattan jury for bilking banks, stealing a private jet, skipping out on hotel bills and conning New Yorks elite, Sorokin, 31, had spent just six weeks out of custody, following completion of her minimum four-year sentence in February 2021.

Sorokin arrives in court in New York in 2019. Credit:AP

Then, last March, amid a bevy of media appearances, at a routine check-in at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in lower Manhattan, ICE authorities arrested her on charges of overstaying her visa.

From detention cells in New Jersey and at Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York, Sorokin, who was born in Russia but has family in Germany, fought her deportation for almost a year. Once, in a phone interview, she referred to deportation as feeling like a big L on my end.
Wellington: Samoa will go into lockdown this weekend as it faces its first outbreak of COVID after a woman who was about to leave the country tested positive.

Although health authorities have so far found just a single case, it is the first time Samoa has found any unexplained cases in the community and likely points to an undetected outbreak that has been going on for days or even weeks.

Samoas Tapua Tamasese Meaule Hospital: the island nation will go into lockdown from Saturday, March 19, 2022 as it faces its first COVID outbreak. Credit:Dean Purcell

A government report leaked online indicates the woman had visited church services, a hospital, stores, a library and a travel agency since first feeling ill last Saturday.

Samoa and several neighbouring Pacific island nations were among the last places on earth to remain COVID-free. But the more transmissible Omicron variant has changed the equation, and one by one the island nations have been succumbing to the virus.
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
Somerset, KY (42501)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
COVID-19 cases are still on the decline at the state and county levels.

In Wisconsin, coronavirus activity is rated high for the two-week period ending March 15. The states case burden was 104.7 per 100,000, with a 14% drop in trajectory. La Crosse County is also categorized at high, with a burden of 243.9 per 100,000 and no significant change in trajectory.

All counties are now in the high or medium category.

The state as of Wednesday had a seven-day average of 347 new cases per day for a 2.8% positivity rate. A total of 12,424 deaths were confirmed as of Wednesday, including 173 in La Crosse County. Statewide, confirmed cases totaled 1,387,933 with 34,462 among La Crosse County residents.

The CDCs COVID 19 County Check shows La Crosse County at low as of Wednesday, with masking not imperative. The CDC metric factors in the number of hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. DHS analyzes total new cases and percent change for its rating.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported 271 current COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Tuesday, including 15 ICU patients. In the Western region, those numbers were 52 and two, respectively. For the two-week period ending March 15, DHS reported a decrease in overall hospitalizations, with no significant change in Western Wisconsin. Statewide 41.2% of hospitals had their ICUS at peak capacity.

In Wisconsin, 60.6% of residents were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, with 33.2% boosted. For La Crosse County residents, the numbers were 65.9% and 39.1%, respectively.

Colleges alter masking policies

Western Technical College is longer requiring masks in campus buildings, and Viterbo University will only require face coverings in the Health Services Center, or if a specific program, such as nursing, necessitates them in clinical or other settings. Viterbo does still recommend masks, stating individuals are strongly encouraged to continue to wear a mask for their safety and for those around them.

UW-La Crosse and the School District of La Crosse earlier this month removed mask requirements.

Emily Pyrek can be reached at emily.pyrek@lee.net.












I don't know who to blame, but the downfall of The Flash series is so spectaculr that I have a hard time believing that one person can shoulder the responsibility. Showrunners, writers, and even the actors have to take a hard look at the product they are putting out for their fans. If the show is going to drag on, by all means please make some changes that will enhance everyone's enjoyment. If it's gonna end, then end with some dignity for the love of all things holy.





Barry/ The Flash





While it was cool to see Flash zipping through Central City getting the bad guys, it was also pretty silly. Who in the world believes that at Barry's age and experience he doesn't know he needs a description of the crime and evidence to charge and hold criminals. I'm sure as a police employee, he knows that handling arrests wrong can lead to a criminal walking. Instead of having him be knowledgeable, he makes a rookie call and has to be raked over the coals by Kramer.





A few seasons ago, this could have been acceptable, but with all the talk of "leveling up" (and I am so sick of that phrase) it sure seems like Barry had his head in the sand.









Caitlin and Frost





Caitlin isn't the best or worst thing that's happened to this show, but she can be a bit boring and predictable. She has never really gotten over Ronnie. At least that's what we are to gather from this episode. Although, she seemed ready to cozy up to Zoom and Julian a while back. But that's neither here nor there. She won't give her new potential beau a chance without a pep talk from Frost's new guy. Sure.





Frost, on the other hand, is having the time of her life with Mark. Who knew?









Allegra/Chester





I actually like this little potential ship and don't have one bad word to say.





Iris





Where is she? Where is her big role as an investigative journalist and as a media big shot? Where is her role as Barry's wife and partner? I don't know the last time Iris looked into anything seriously. Maybe she has, but the fact that a fan of the show can't pinpoint when one of the most important aspects of her character was shared is pretty sad.





We know Iris is building her brand and has people working for her, but what is SHE doing and why don't we ever get to see her do it? The time sickness has the potential to be interesting, and I don't have a problem with her getting into precarious situations. The love of a hero's life is bound to find trouble. That's why they are usually so reluctant to bring anyone they love close. However, Iris doesn't seem to catch any breaks. She's never happy. Every moment with Barry is interrupted, every moment with her kids is life altering. It's pretty exhausting and let downish to watch, so I can only imagine what Candice Patton feels. It's especially bad, when in earlier seasons and different writers, life for Iris was a bit better. It was never perfect, but it was a hell of a lot better than the mess we have now.





Other Things I Was Thinking





*Goldface is corny as ever but it works for me. His love for Amunet Black is always over the top!





* I knew Kramer had Barry figured out. I like her character more and more. She's a good replacement for Joe, but now what has he got to do on the show? I know- pretend to have a toddler. (Eye roll)





* Joe pretending to check on Jenna is just so disturbing. That storyline is dangling by a thread and yet they cannot cut it without being grotesque or making Joe and Cecile suck as parents.





*WestAllen is duller than dull. I had hope that it would heat up again, but I am convinced that the writers and the actors are over it. The saddes thing is that WestAllen disappearing has brought the slow moving show to a complete stand still. It feels awkward to watch the two most talented actors try to normalize not acting like a normal couple when they did it so well a few years ago.





What did you think of "Lockdown"? Let me know in the comments. You can catch The Flash on the CW Wednesdays at 7pm Central.





As always, thanks for reading!

















With "Lockdown",continues its journey to becoming one of the worst shows around. Like GOT, it started out amazingly strong and promising, but has been on a downward trajectory for the last 4 seasons. In this episode, we get some glimpes of Barry as the Flash and at work, but the Caitlin/Frost drama, the absence of Iris and the small but continued annoyance of there being a Jenna make this episode a fail.
If you aren't familiar with the story of how WeWork, a real estate startup masquerading as a tech company, rose and fell, you could listen to the podcast, or read the article that was the turning point in former CEO Adam Neumann's story, or, well, you could just watch this show. Startups are necessary, they provide innovations in a lot of critical industries, and when they do succeed, it can seem pretty miraculous. But the downside to that cheerful "work shouldn't feel like work!" mantra, ping pong table mentality, constant flex office organization, is that it can also be deceitful. The often touted "we're not a company, we're a family" should be the first red flag, and WeWork had many of them. Downfalls such as this one, or Theranos (which has its own podcast (released), show (just started airing), movie (maybe), and the works) are fascinating in that they reflect more upon the imagined value of an idea, than the market reality behind it.



WeCrashed starts with a board meeting, and minus the exciting presence of Mark Green (he's alive!) Anthony Edwards, things seem pretty dire for WeWork and its CEO: Adam Neumann (played here by Jared Leto, who's actually pretty great in the role). After this ominous beginning, the show almost immediately flashes back to how it all started: Adam Neumann is an Israeli businessman who moved to the States with his model sister. Before WeWork, he tried to launch several unsuccessful (which isn't hard to figure out why) ventures. At first, it was a children's clothing company: "Krawlers" which offered pants and onesies with knee padds, which I'm assuming saves the children from carpet burn or arthritis after all their crawling. The baby clothes retailers were not amused (maybe if the pads had included some kind of cleaning device?), and despite Neumann being passionate about it and desperately trying to find investors, it failed. Another one was the collapsible heel endeavor, which also feels like it's been done to death, never works, and is better kept in a tumblr archive of seemingly brilliant but in fact completely unrealistic ideas.



Adam also seems to try and scam people into his life: his neighbor, for one, who finds himself "invited" to drinks and actually gets conned into giving up his Chinese food and also providing the aforementionned drinks (and soy sauce). Neumann does try to improve by taking classes and become a more successful entrepreneur, but here too, his proposal of "concept living", which frankly, sounds like a complete nightmare, falls flat.

"I think you're either gonna be a billionaire or... you're gonna get arrested."



"In my building. In Brooklyn?"

"Brooklyn?"

"Jordan Parnass"

"Jordan! Jordaaan! Parnass! Good to see you again my brother"

"Good to see you too, yeah. My name's Miguel. I work at Jordan Parnass. We do American Apparel?"

"American Apparel! Beautiful clothes, I love the tube tops..."

"I, uh, work at the architecture firm, that designs the American Apparel stores..."

"Ah. The architecture firm. So you're not American Apparel."

"No. But we spoke already, you know that. My girlfriend, you were hitting on her at the birthday party. Lisa? I was the one buying shots, remember?"

"...Shots, shots, shots shots!"

"I manifested you. If you put positive thoughts out in the world, it works."

Similarly, when Adam first meets Rebekah Paltrow -yes, ofPaltrows- (played by a wonderfully ruthless Anne Hathaway) at a rooftop party, he's promptly turned down by her and has to pursue her relentlessly (and one might say, very annoyingly) before she even considers going on a date with him. To which he arrivesminutes late. The sheer audacity.Rebekah must see something in him at that point that I do not, because despite her initial misgivings, pretty soon she and Adam are joined at the hip. She believes his previous attempts at creating companies failed because he wasn't passionate about what he was offering. Meet: Miguel McKelvey (Kyle Marvin), of Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture, who runs into Adam just as his idea for concept living was shut down. Adam has no idea who Miguel is, even though they've already met, and latches (erroneously) to just about every single thing Miguel says, scrambling to remember. Clearly a beautiful friendship in the making.Neumann needs a work space, Miguel is happy to provide something akin to a broom closet (why couldn't Adam work from home, and save rent?!). This leads to the co-creation of Adam's first successful venture with Miguel: Green Desk, an eco-friendly coworking space. Eventually, they sell it to their partner and move on to create WeWork, which, in a nutshell, designs and builds flexible workspace solutions for the entire company value chain: from freelancers and startups to Fortune 500 companies. Rebekah seems more like a third partner than anything since she is involved in just about every aspect of the new company, and she's Adam's confidence booster whenever things get tough. When it takes them a while to get someone to invest, she has a simple solution (along with what feels like an Olivia Munn reference).Not gonna lie, there is probably some truth about having a positive attitude and stuff, and if it works, well... I manifest a boyfriend I actually am into, please and thank you. In any case, it does work for Rebekah since next thing we know, she's in a purple (yes, purple) wedding gown, getting married to Adam. We also meet her father, Bob (Peter Jacobson) who doesn't seem particularly overjoyed by the upcoming nuptials. In fact, he seems a little doubtful of Adam's ability to take care of his daughter, despite Adam being at the peak of his confidence. But that may just be because Rebekah's father is more down to earth, and unlike Adam, knows that growth and especially "evaluation" don't necessarily and automatically translate into actual money. Especially since Adam learns right then and there that the huge investment he negotiated is likely just a pipe dream, and he'll never see the color of it. And while Rebekah is happily being lifted off the ground during the horah, the look on Adam's face is, to say the least, slightly discomfited.This, in turn, leads to Adam asking Rebekah to use the million dollars ("taking care of you" takes a whole other dimension when we see that check) her father gave them as a wedding gift in order to make the space he bought, well, livable. Rebekah finally caves, abandonning her wish to live in her dream appartment with a key to the neighboring park (this is something that apparently exists, you learn new things every day!), and construction starts. In exchange, she gets to use some of the space to revive her desire to be an actress (maybe spurred on by all those people asking if Gwyneth was going to be at the wedding, which did not go over too well after the third time Rebekah had to say no), since "High class escort #3" is probably not going to cut it on the old acting resume. And by "revive" I mean offer the space to a director who desperately wanted to put on a play, which conveniently allows Rebekah to snag herself a lead role. Unfortunately, as indicated by her lack of any kind of big break (or even tiny break), it's quickly obvious that acting isn't really Rebekah's true calling. After a fantastically embarassing performance in which she suddenly adopts an improbable accent in order to display the best of her talents to the industry, she finally quits (and takes the space with her, to the director's dismay).Back at WeWork, hiring is in full swing and Adam's methods are... unconventional. At the time, it's completely understandable that what he was offering seemed disruptive (watch me using nonsensical startup lingo!) but if you're in a job interview and anyone a. pressures you to give an answer on the spot b. mentions a "meeting on Sunday" and c. hires someone else from the coffee shop where you were meeting, also on the spot... Run. Run for your life and never look back at all those red flags floating softly in the wind.Besides hiring innocent passersby, Adam also somehow forgets to disclose that he's acquired a second location in midtown to Miguel, his, ya know,? This happened after Adam plied a certain Stavros, who's operating the company on his parents' orders, with drinks and pushed him to sign the lease. Which Stavros regrets, and much like a cat playing with an already injured mouse, Adam lets him think he can pull out of it, no problem. Except NYC real estate is a small world, and if word got out that Stavros' deals meaning nothing, his career would be over before it started. Thus, the second location was born, and Miguel rallied after pouting for a little while. After hiring their brand new employees (including a 16 year old IT genius), the WeWork team gets together to greet their first clients to the first chant of "WE! WORK! WE! WORK!" which, as everyone has already said, does feel very cult-ish. And guess what! Rebekah's dream appartment comes back, since there's nothing Adam won't do for his wife.From then on, WeWork grows at an exponential pace, and its reputation seems to precede it as the cool new place to be working. Each new employee receives a care package that includes what I'm assuming is a brand new Macbook, and is greeted with mimosas (regardless of what time they get into the office, it's always 5pm somewhere). A montage depicts life at WeWork as a neverending cycle of "WE! WORK!" chanting, drinking, drug taking, sex in closets having, and zero sleeping. In that stead, looms the first "Summer Camp", to which everyone is invited, and at which Adam, Rebekah, and their brand new daughter (who is apparently suffering from newborn constipation, and who necessitates "counterclockwise massages") arrive in a helicopter, because if they can do it on, you can damn well bet that Adam Neumann is going to do it too.Despite the idyllic setting, it seems that Rebekah's father is having some legal troubles, so she can't quite take part in the woodstock-ish fun Adam is having with his teams. The WeWork seminar is truly something to behold, its sheer size for one, but also the scope with guest speakers, live concerts, open bars, and lasting several days. While Adam parties, Rebekah is tasked with writing a character reference, and we learn a little more about her past. My only experience with character references is from, with Luke needing one in order to get custody for his daughter, so I had no idea we were about to discover that far from only getting a divorce (which he did though), her father was in trouble again. Which had already happened when she was young, after he created a charity for cancer and was accused of fraud after the charity stole the victims' money. Which makes his little comments to Adam about being a scammer, seem a little disingenuous, to be perfectly honest. Unfortunately, Rebekah's brother then actually got ill with cancer and died, and her father never truly recovered (she never ate meat again, which doesn't have quite the same impact, especially when she's bossing around the poor Communications Director about menus, which isher job).What does fall under her job description, is avoiding a PR disaster after Rebekah says, on stage, in front of a reporter who was covering the WeWork Summer Camp, that a woman's role is basically to uplift her man, and help him achieve his full potential. Yeah, big yikes. Rebekah tries to recover by holding a listening session with young millenial women working at WeWork, only to discover the working conditions are terrible for them, between the insane hours, the awful pay (when there's clearly money to go around, if the helicopter is anything to go by), the sexual harassment, and finally, the Fuck Closet.After dealing with the legal team (the head of which has "COCK" written on his forehead after too much partying and indelebile ink), the communications director is fired, the reporter is hired (again, on the spot) and I guess Rebekah has finally found her calling: being Adam Neumann's wife and cheerleader, full time.The episodes are dynamic and add enough material to what's most widely known about WeWork to prove interesting, so far I'm enjoying the ride! What did you guys think of the beginning of this series? As usual, sound off in the comments!
Ron Chapple / Getty Image

An East Hartford man who was previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty Friday after police found loaded handguns and more than 40 grams of crack cocaine in his home last year, according to federal prosecutors.

Francisco Franceschini, 28, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. The charges carry maximum prison terms of 10 years and 20 years, respectively, according to Leonard Boyle, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Mayo Clinic Health System will host another virtual forum on the coronavirus next week, with community members invited to watch and submit questions.

COVID-19: Whats New and Whats Next? will be held online at noon Wednesday, March 23. The forum will cover whether the drop in COVID cases is likely to continue, if we are moving toward an endemic, the latest medication and treatments, and a psychological perspective of the pandemic.
A Cheshire man accused of kidnapping a 64-year-old woman in Marlborough last year pleaded not guilty in court Friday, according to court officials.

Kenneth Gordon, 20, is scheduled to appear back in court May 4, the Hartford Judicial Districts clerks office said.

Gordon and a 16-year-old boy were charged earlier this month with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree arson and second-degree larceny, according to state police.

The charges stem from an incident that took place Sept. 11. A 64-year-old woman was putting her groceries in her car outside of the Big Y supermarket when two young men approached her and demanded money. The woman fought back, resulting in an injury to her right leg, according to Gordons arrest warrant.

The two men then placed a bag over the womans head and forced her into the back seat of her car at gunpoint, the arrest warrant states.

At one point, the woman asked why the men were doing this to her.

Because youre white and my mother is very ill, one of men told her, according to the arrest warrant.

The woman told police the men hit her in the face and head with the firearm five or six times. They repeatedly demanded money and jewelry, according to the warrant.

One man told her about 10 times that he was going to kill her, the warrant states.

The men rifled through the womans purse and found her bank card. They then drove to ATMs and demanded she take money out of her account, the warrant states.

When they were done, the men threw the woman out of the car and onto Hummingbird Drive in Berlin. The suspects can then be seen in surveilance footage running toward a dark colored sedan that exits onto Berlin Turnpike traveling in the wrong direction, according to the warrant.

The womans car was found set on fire behind a liquor store on Berlin Turnpike  about 200 feet away from where she was found, according to the warrant.

Berlin Police received numerous calls just before 9 p.m. that night stating a wounded, bloodied woman was screaming that she was just assaulted and carjacked.

After the woman received treatment at the hospital, it was determined she had a broken right femur, head trauma and an acute kidney injury, according to the warrant.

Throughout the investigation, police connected a dark sedan involved in the incident to Gordon through DNA evidence and interviews. Police also received a tip from East Hartford Police identifying the juvenile, according to the warrant.

A month later, on October 6, law enforcement found Gordon and the juvenile together in a car in a Dollar General parking lot in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Police took the two into custody and extradited them to Manchester Police Department on Oct. 29, the warrant states.

Police served arrest warrants for the kidnapping to Gordon and the juvenile earlier this month. At the time, Gordon was in custody at Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire, according to the warrant.
Ashtabula Area City Schools recognized March Students of the Month at Wednesday nights Board of Education meeting. The winners are left to right, front row, Madison Schaade, Mearrick Sharp, Malik Matthews and Jaxon Erb. Back row, left to right, Jessica Fowler and Cody Baldwin. Missing from the photo is Julia Downing from Lakeside High School and Dani Lynn Lucas from Superior Intermediate.
STURGEON BAY  The fired president of Indianas Franklin College has pleaded no contest to child enticement and other felony charges more than two years after his arrest in a Wisconsin sex crime sting.

Thomas Minar, 58, pleaded no contest Thursday to one count of child enticement and three counts of possession of child pornography in Door County, WRTV-TV reported. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 6.

Prosecutors said Minar was arrested by Sturgeon Bay police in January 2020, while trying to meet someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy after a sexually explicit chat through an online dating site.

According to court documents, the person Minar was trying to meet was actually an undercover police officer.

He was fired by Franklin College, a private, liberal arts college, shortly after his arrest. Minar had been the schools president for five years and had previously announced plans to leave the school in June 2020.

Franklin College has an enrollment of about 1,000 students and is located in the city of Franklin, about 20 miles south of Indianapolis.

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The Romanian General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) informs that, on Friday, 67,621 people have entered Romania through the border crossing points in the last 24 hours, at national level, out of whom 11,182 Ukrainian citizens (down by 13.9% compared to the previous day), Agerpres reports.

As many as 5,421 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania on the border with Ukraine (down by 15.9%), and 4,156 on the border with the Republic of Moldova (down 18.4%).From the onset of this crisis until March 18, at 24.00, 480,466 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania at national level.IGPF specifies that, at present, the border control at the entrance to Romania is carried out with efficiency, in accordance with the provisions of the national and community legislation, with control lines covered by Romanian border guards to the maximum capacity.
Institutions under the Ministry of Culture celebrate International Francophonie Day with film screenings, conferences, concerts, shows or exhibitions, which will take place on Sunday and Monday, some of which will take place online, Agerpres reports.

According to a press release of the Ministry of Culture, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant invites the public, on Sunday, to watch some French productions or co-productions presented in the "Horia Bernea" Studio Cinema's program, and on the same day, at the Bucharest National Opera where the ballet "Giselle", by French composer Adolphe Charles Adam, conductor Ciprian Teodorescu is scheduled. The casting of the ONB performance will include a large number of refugee dancers from Ukraine, who have recently been granted collaboration contracts with the Bucharest Opera.The Bucharest National Theater dedicates two events to celebrating the International Francophonie Day: on Sunday, from 20:00, in Sala de Pictura, the show "Goodbye, Mr. Haffman" by Jean-Phillipe Daguerre is scheduled, and on Monday - the conference "Francophonie, Entrepreneurship and Francophone Leadership in Romania ".A concert of French baroque music and old Romanian music performed by the SEMPER Ensemble and the band Trei parale will take place on Sunday, at 19.00, in the Royal Dining Room at the National Museum of Art of Romania.The National Library of Romania invites visitors to the book exhibition "Romanian Voices in Exile in Paris", a selection of documents in the current collection of the institution, books belonging to Romanian authors who took the path of exile during the communist period and whose writings were influenced by French literature.ARTEXIM presents on the website of the "George Enescu" International Festival an excerpt from one of the two concerts of the French National Opera, conducted by maestro Cristian Macelaru.The National Village Museum "Dimitrie Gusti" will publish, on Sunday, on the Facebook page a follow-up film of a workshop-type activity that took place in 2019 - En francais s'il vous plait!. The workshop "Francophone Meetings: Embroidery, Traditions and Entrepreneurship", and the Peles National Museum will present, on social media platforms, the documentary "La verrerie parlante dans les chateaux royaux de Sinaia" ("Talking Glassware in the Royal Castles of Sinaia").***On March 20, 1970, the foundations of Institutional Francophonie were laid, through the creation of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, with 21 states and governments signing the convention establishing this intergovernmental organization based on a common denominator: the use of the French language.The Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation became, in 1998, the Intergovernmental Organization of La Francophonie, and, in 2005, the International Organization of La Francophonie.Romania obtained observer status in 1991, and two years later it became a full member of the OIF. Every year, on March 20, since 1998, the OIF member countries celebrate the International Day of La Francophonie through various cultural events.
Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Mircea Geoana says that for the time being, the Russian Federation does not seem to be slowing down in its intention and mobilization of resources to continue the war in Ukraine.

He voiced his fears on Saturday that President Vladimir Putin will "persevere in error" and that the conflict in Ukraine will probably last a few more weeks.

"The conflict will last a while longer. That is, we have information, we assess ourselves, we anticipate things and we have ..., you have noticed how accurate we are and how well we anticipate things. I can't say how long it will last, because it depends on a lot of factors, including economic ones, the pressure of sanctions, the pressure of the public opinion, but we will probably have a few more weeks of conflict and I am afraid and we are afraid and we are looking with great concern at the human victims, at the fact that we now have some 3 million Ukrainian refugees, the number is likely to increase. There are also 6.5 million people internally displaced in Ukraine today, the number will most likely rise, we hope that in the end, a diplomatic and political formula will be possible, but for the time being we do not see a slowdown on the part of the Russian Federation in the intention and mobilization of resources for the continuation of the war. It means continuing a quite serious strategic mistake made by President Putin, we are afraid that he will persevere in error," Geoana told private broadcaster Digi 24.

The NATO Deputy Secretary General once again conveyed to the Romanian citizens the confidence that the North Atlantic Alliance will be careful not to turn "an already very, very brutal and bloody conflict into an even bigger conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation."

"You spoke about the NATO Summit next week. Our leaders will obviously discuss how we can continue to support Ukraine - and we will support it- , being very careful not to turn an already very, very brutal and bloody conflict into an even bigger conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation, and I would like Romanians to have the confidence that we know how to keep this balance between continuous and real support for Ukraine, so that it can defend itself. This is in line with international law, because the right to self-defense is enshrined in the UN Charter, so it is something we are doing in compliance with the international law," said Mircea Geoana.

AGERPRES
As many as 3,168 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 581 from the previous day, with over 28,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Saturday, Agerpres reports.

Of the new cases, 412 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 - 1,292, and in the counties of Cluj - 351, Timis - 224, and Ilfov - 140.As of Saturday, 2,813,798 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.- Hospitalisations -As many as 2,903 people with COVID-19, down 217 from the previous reporting, including 191 children, are hospitalised in Romania in specialist care facilities.Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 463 patients, down 2, including one child, are in intensive care.Of the 463 patients admitted to ICU, 411 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.- Deaths -According to the ministry, another 44 Romanians infected with SARS-CoV-2 - 22 men and 22 women - are reported dead in the last 24 hours.Out of the total 44 patients who died, 37 were unvaccinated and seven vaccinated. The vaccinated patients were between the ages of 40 and 89. All vaccinated patients who died had comorbidities.Since the beginning of the pandemic, 64,669 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
The second convoy of products donated by Iasi residents in the humanitarian campaign "Aid for the refugees from Ukraine" left on Saturday morning for Siret Customs, the destination being the Chernivtsi region, Agerpres reports.

The products were loaded into five trucks and a platform of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of Iasi County, and the convoy is accompanied by Mayor Mihai Chirica.According to the mayor, in three of the trucks there are foodstuff, barrack equipment and hygiene products, totaling approximately 415,000 RON, and the other two trucks and the platform carry 16 generators, amounting to 377,000 RON."There are a lot of needs for what is happening in Ukraine. The demands are very high, but we are targeting what is needed at the moment. In Chernivtsi there is a big equipment crisis. These were donated by a big IT company from Iasi. They actually made a rather big effort, consisting of equipment worth 78,000 euros. The aid provided by the people of Iasi, consisting of blankets, food, hygiene products, electric generators and other things of strict necessity, will in their turn reach the city of Chernivtsi region, with which Iasi has been twinned for 10 years and which has requested support for locals and war refugees," declared mayor Mihai Chirica.The first humanitarian convoy with products donated by Iasi residents during the campaign organized by Iasi City Hall left for Ukraine on March 5 and consisted of five trucks in which 520,000 RON worth of products were loaded.
Ebonni Chrispin of AIDS Healthcare Foundation holds a sign during a news conference at the Florida state Capitol hosted by Equality Florida, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Human Rights Campaign in opposition of of House Bill 1577.
UW-Madison will receive $1 million to begin advanced planning and design work for a new engineering building under a measure Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed into law Friday.

The new law  one of 15 Evers signed into law Friday  comes after UW-Madison supported AB 775 as a way to increase its capacity for engineering students as some peer schools teach up to twice as many undergraduates.

Better facilities and more Badger engineers will benefit every part of our state, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a tweet thanking Evers for signing the bill into law.

UW-Madison last year requested $150 million to begin construction on a $300 million engineering building that would replace an 82-year-old facility. A third of the initial cost would come from gifts and grants with the rest supported through state borrowing.

The Republican-controlled legislative budget committee removed the project from the budget passed last summer, a move that flummoxed UW-Madison officials who said it would be a boon for the states economy. The bill passed Friday doesnt guarantee the buildings construction but lays the groundwork for potential funding to be secured in the 2023-25 state budget.

College of Engineering Dean Ian Robertson last spring said some 7,000 students apply each year with the intent to study undergraduate engineering but the college only has space and teaching resources to accept about 1,000 applicants annually. Thats despite peer schools having student body sizes ranging from 6,000 to nearly 9,500 students.

The new building would allow the college to add 1,000 more students to its overall undergraduate student body.

Other measures

Last week, Evers signed into law SB 557, providing flexibility in the way the University of Wisconsin Systems Board of Regents can manage its working capital.

Blank previously thanked the Legislature for passing the bill, saying it will provide vital flexibility. Fiscal estimates indicate the expanded authority could generate an extra $11.2 million annually for campuses  money that will help advance our teaching and research missions, Blank said.

Another of the 15 bills Evers signed Friday prohibits local units of government from regulating battery-powered, alarmed electric security fences as bill proponents say businesses need more security.

With the crime increasing across the state and law enforcement already overburdened, many people are seeking additional security for their businesses, SB 812 bill author Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said in a statement late last year.

But while some violent crimes are increasing statewide, thefts are not, data show.

Homicides in 2020 were at a five-year high with 302, compared to 185 in 2019, according to Wisconsin Department of Justice data. Data from 2021 hasnt yet been made available. Aggravated assault was also at a five-year high in 2020. But crimes such as larceny, theft, burglary and robbery in 2020 were at or near the lowest level they have been in five years.

State Journal reporter Kelly Meyerhofer contributed to this report.

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On March 19, 1994, about 100 spectators were on hand as the 66 Park In Theatre was torn down. Here was the Post-Dispatch original coverage from that day.

Heartfelt memories poured from spectators Saturday as white clouds of dust billowed from buildings crushed by bulldozers at the 66 Park In Theatre.

"This is like watching a good friend die," said one onlooker, Michael Schmidt, 41, of Crestwood. Said Travis Cape, 21, of University City: "It's the end of an era."

Schmidt, Cape and about 100 other people stood by as a crew from the Spirtas Wrecking Co. Inc. toppled the giant screen, projection booth and concession stand at the outdoor theater, on Watson Road just east of Sappington Road in Crestwood.

A National supermarket and several other stores will occupy the 19-acre site, where the theater opened in 1948 on what was then Route 66. It closed in October.

The demolition proceeded "100 percent according to plan," said Joe Lennemann, wrecking crew superintendent. Shortly after 10 a.m., a bulldozer yanking on cables pulled the screen to the ground.

"It was a real majestic fall," said Douglas Pentz, 30, of south St. Louis County. "Then it was pretty much crash and wham."

An hour later the landscape featured three piles of jagged rubble criss-crossed by bulldozer tracks and partial rows of headless car speaker poles.

Pentz, who worked for two summers at the theater as a projectionist, said the passing of the drive-in would make it harder for him to remember the good times he had there.

"You would see families with station wagons full of kids coming in before a show," he said. "I kind of wish a lot of these old memories could stay around forever, but I guess that's progress."

Jim Gosnell and other members of the Early Ford V-8 Club parked autos from the 1940s and '50s nearby to pay tribute to the theater.

"Those were the cars we drove here when this thing first started," said Gosnell, 61, of Kirkwood.

Schmidt was one of many people who videotaped the demolition. He remembered his job selling popcorn at the concession stand and attaching letters to the marquee when a new movie came to the theater.

"Changing the sign was always a treat, because we didn't have enough letters of the same size and you had to be creative," he said.

Schmidt smiled as he reminisced about the miniature train, playground, Ferris wheel and other attractions for fidgety children. He used them when his parents brought him to the drive-in.

"It was really a family thing," he said. "I've been coming here since I was 4 or 5 - all the way through grade school and high school."

Several people expressed bitterness that a fond piece of their past was succumbing to a shopping center. But, they admitted, it's a sign of the times: a single-screen, seasonal movie theater can't compete economically in the 1990s.

"There will never be another drive-in built," said Cape, an outdoor theater aficionado and member of the Route 66 Association of Missouri.

"We're losing a piece of popular Americana," he said.

Work crews will return Monday to begin removing the debris, Lennemann said. The marquee along the south side of Watson Road will remain standing for a while as a memento.

On Saturday, the sign read: "Now Showing: `66 Drive-In: The Final Episode."

Just across the road stood the marquee of one of those multi-screen movie shows of the '90s, the AMC 10 at Crestwood Plaza.

Among the 10 features playing there: "On Deadly Ground" and "Shadow Lands."

24 long-gone St. Louis treasures
Bill McClellan Bill McClellan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Bill McClellan 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

A young neighbor of mine is building a bomb shelter. He has not asked for my advice, so I will not be offering it. Perhaps I should.

Why invent the wheel every other generation? People my age know something about bomb shelters.

The atom bomb vibe was strong in the 50s and early 60s. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not yet ancient history. By the way, it was never called the atomic bomb. Always the atom bomb.

The adults of my childhood liked the atom bomb. Many of the men figured theyd have been killed in Japan had we not developed and used the bomb. My dad was among that group. He had served in the Pacific. Everybody over there had been dreading the invasion of Japan.

Their wives were of the same mind. In those early years of the Baby Boom, when upward mobility seemed part of the social contract and people who had always lived in apartments were suddenly buying homes, people felt kindly toward the atom bomb.

This included the children. We didnt talk to our fathers much  rather, they didnt talk to us  but our mothers passed down the tribal wisdom. The atom bomb had made all this possible. Me, my sister, my friends, riding bicycles, chasing fireflies, my beloved dog, everything owed its existence to the atom bomb. There was no debate  none  about the use of such a fearsome weapon.

Of course, there was a flip side.

The Russians had the bomb. Hundreds of them, I suppose, but it was always referred to in the singular. The definite article seemed more respectful. The bomb.

We had air raid drills at school. We would crawl under our desks. Duck and cover, it was called. Even to a child, it seemed somehow inadequate. Also, air raid sirens would periodically go off. The government was just making sure they worked.

It probably goes to my naivete that I was never at all worried. The country radiated strength  all the way from my father and his friends to the president, former Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower, the architect of D-Day and the supreme commander of Allied Forces in Europe.

Nikita Khrushchev was the Russian leader, He was short and heavy and bald. He went to the United Nations, got angry, took off his shoe and banged it on the table. He could have been the fourth Stooge. If you liked the first three  and I did  it was hard to be terrified of the fourth.

But there were people who worried about the Russians and the bomb. To protect their families, fathers built bomb shelters in their basements.

That might sound odd to the 21st century ear, but in those days, men built things themselves. They fixed complicated things. They not only changed the oil in their cars, they did brake jobs. Those men would not have needed to hire somebody to build a bomb shelter.

At its simplest, a bomb shelter was simply a fortified room in the basement, stocked with enough food and water to keep a family alive for a couple of weeks, after which, hopefully, it would be safe to emerge. These shelters were not common, but they were not rare. They were around and everybody knew it.

I cannot swear to any of that. I never saw a bomb shelter.

Of course I didnt. That should be obvious, right? That is something my neighbor needs to understand. The first rule of having a bomb shelter is keeping that fact a secret.

Otherwise, the air raid sirens will be sending everybody to your house. Please let us in! At least take the babies!

People can talk about self-reliance and personal responsibility, but dont discount the will to survive.

The Bernard family two houses down from us was suspected of having a bomb shelter. Mr. Bernard  Barney  was an electrician like my father. So he was capable.

I was friendly with the son and my sister was friendly with the two daughters, but we we were hardly ever in their house and we never went into the basement.

Were we good enough friends that they would have opened their bomb shelter to us? I didnt think so. That was the consensus on the block. If the Russians drop the bomb on us, dont count on the Bernards.

Ethical considerations were not a big thing in the neighborhood, but the concept of a bomb shelter brought out the philosophers. What if the Bernard daughters were having a sleep-over and the sirens went off. Would they just push the other little girls out of the house or would the guests have a certain squatters right?

These are things that cant be resolved, but can turn the minds of the neighbors against the bomb-shelter family.

Also working against the bomb-shelter family is that grasshoppers always resent ants. The grasshoppers arent going to sit around and say the ants are smart. No, theyre going to ridicule the ants. The grasshoppers, of course, were the people who would rather spend their money on a deck instead of bomb shelter. Maybe theyd rather have a pool table. Anything but a bomb shelter.

Because really, doesnt a bomb shelter just delay the inevitable? So what if the bomb shelter families survive the blast. What do they do in two weeks when they come out into the world of rubble? Whos to say the air will be good?

Not that anybody worried so much about the air. We had a more personal relationship with atom bombs back then. We tested them in the open air. Nevada was our favorite place. We did 100 tests there. You could see the mushroom cloud from Las Vegas. In fact, a nuclear test was considered a tourist attraction. Feel the ground shake, see the mushroom cloud and then gamble. Why not? We never went to Las Vegas. Maybe the Bernards did.

In fact, they were suspected of it. Once they loaded up their station wagon and told everybody they were headed to California. That trip happened to coincide with a test in Nevada. Coincidence?

You didnt have to go to Nevada to see a test. They were on the television news. The government would build wooden structures near the bomb site and we could watch them disintegrate from the force of the blast. Disintegrate. It made one wonder about duck and cover.

Also, we used to name our bombs. So did the Russians. Their biggest bomb  Im only talking about atmospheric tests  was the Tsar Bomba in 1961.

You did not want to get hit by the Tsar Bomba!

But most of us forged ahead without a bomb shelter. Thats what Id tell my neighbor. Spend your money on something you can enjoy. Worse comes to worse, you can crawl under a desk.

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ST. LOUIS  The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis has received a $5.2 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the organization said.

Scott, who is also a novelist and onetime spouse of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $281 million to Boys and Girls Clubs around the country. The groups parent organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, said it is the largest collective gift given by an individual in support of various clubs in its 160-year history.

Flint Fowler, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis president, thanked Scott in a statement.

We are grateful for the significant investment from MacKenzie Scott and appreciate her recognizing the value of having a Boys & Girls Club in the lives of kids and teens, Fowler said. This will help us address the significant financial obligations we have in achieving our mission to impact the lives of more youth in our community.

The St. Louis affiliate has existed for about 55 years and serves more than 10,000 children at 12 locations throughout the bistate region. It offers after-school programs, mentorship, internship opportunities and more.

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WASHINGTON  In the court of public opinion  like the Supreme Court nomination hearings coming this week  politicians ask questions of witnesses to score points for their side. In the court of law, judges ask questions to get answers.

That difference will be on display as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson fields loaded questions from Republicans and Democrats, the former mostly opposing her nomination, the latter favoring it.

But the distinction between political and judicial inquiry has already been lost as Republicans in the days before her hearings selectively cited her record to try to make a case against her. They are treating questions from her judges life over the years as statements of opinion to portray her as an outlier not deserving of a seat on the high court.

Their assertions on this front dont stand up to scrutiny:

GOP SEN. JOSH HAWLEY OF MISSOURI: Judge Jackson has opined there may be a type of less-serious child pornography offender. ... A less-serious child porn offender?  tweet Wednesday.

THE FACTS: She opined no such thing. She asked questions about it.

Jackson was vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission when it held a hearing on sentencing guidelines in 2012.

She told the hearing she was surprised at a Justice Department experts testimony that, as she put it, some child-sex offenders may actually not be pedophiles but perhaps loners looking for like-minded company in child pornography circles. Being surprised by an assertion and wanting to know more are not the same as endorsing it.

So Im wondering whether you could say that there is a  that there could be a  less-serious child pornography offender who is engaging in the type of conduct in the group experience level? she asked the expert witness. Theyre very sophisticated technologically, but they arent necessarily that interested in the child pornography piece of it?

From those questions, Hawley extrapolated that Jackson had drawn conclusions, when she hadnt.

But several behavioral science researchers testified at that hearing that there may be nonsexual motivations among a portion of child-sex criminals. It is not a radical view. And many judges do see a distinction between those who produce child pornography and those who receive it.

In 2020, in denying compassionate release on medical grounds to a convicted sex offender serving almost six years in prison, Judge Jackson asserted: The possession and distribution of child pornography is an extremely serious crime because it involves trading depictions of the actual sexual assault of children, and the abuse that these child victims endure will remain available on the internet forever.

___

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Jackson has a record that includes defending terrorists.  statement Thursday.

THE FACTS: Thats misleading on several fronts.

First, she did not defend convicted terrorists but rather suspects. The RNC ignored the presumption of innocence that is at the heart of the legal system. Second, defending people accused of a crime is exactly what defense lawyers are supposed to do. Thats why public defenders offices exist  to represent suspects who cannot afford a lawyer or who have cases that lawyers for hire dont want to take.

Jackson was working in the federal public defenders office in the District of Columbia when she was assigned four Guantanamo Bay detainees, later continuing some of her work with them in private practice. This was after the Supreme Court ruled in 2004 that the detainees could file lawsuits challenging their indefinite detention.

Even those who were charged had those charges dropped, and all were eventually released. None was convicted by the military commissions created to try detainees.

Jackson was going by the textbook when she wrote that under the ethics rules that apply to lawyers, an attorney has a duty to represent her clients zealously regardless of the attorneys personal views.

___

HAWLEY: Judge Jackson went below the maximum, the minimum, and below what the government requested in every single case for which we can find records, except two. In those two the law required her to impose the sentence the government recommended.  statement Friday.

THE FACTS: Not so. In most of the child pornography cases where she imposed lighter sentences than federal guidelines suggested, prosecutors or others representing the Justice Department generally argued for those lighter sentences.

So it is not correct to assert that all but two sentences she handed down in such cases, when she served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2013 until this year, were below what the government requested.

___

HAWLEY: As far back as her time in law school, Judge Jackson has questioned making convicts register as sex offenders.  tweet Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Thats fair. She did question mandatory registry of sex offenders back in law school but did not come out explicitly against the practice.

Jackson wrote an unsigned statement for the Harvard Law Review in 1996 that suggested judges should be wary of mixing larger public safety concerns and punitive measures when sentencing sex offenders.

It said in part: In the current climate of fear, hatred, and revenge associated with the release of convicted sex criminals, courts must be especially attentive to legislative enactments that use public health and safety rhetoric to justify procedures that are, in essence, punishment and detention.

Associated Press writers Hope Yen, Jessica Gresko, Mary Clare Jalonick and Chris Megerian contributed to this report.

Originally posted at 5:50 p.m. Saturday, March 19.
Prediction: When todays future grandparents tell their grandchildren how, twice a year, they had to change their clocks, it will be met with skepticism. How could such a thing make sense?

Those grandkids will be even more skeptical when we try to explain to them the rationale behind Daylight Saving Time  because most of us cant.

No, it had nothing to do with farmers. Agriculture actually lobbied against Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. in 1919, on grounds that it confuses the cows. Yes, conserving energy was a prime motivation, but a century of testing that theory has shown that it really doesnt.

Generally, we dont even say it right; its Saving, not Savings.

In any case, its possible the twice-annual changing of the clocks (spring forward, fall back) is about to go the way of rotary-dialing. Last week, the U.S. Senate  which normally cant reach consensus on so much as which direction is up  approved, by unanimous consent, a measure to make Daylight Saving Time the only time, starting next year.

Since nothing moves through Congress today without a market-tested moniker, the measure is called the Sunshine Protection Act. As if theres some anti-sunshine lobby out there against which we all need protection. Still, the House should pass, and President Joe Biden should sign, this timely elimination of an aggravating ritual. So that we can, at last, set our clocks and forget it.

The theory behind what would become Daylight Saving Time has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin, based on an essay he wrote in Paris in 1784. He suggested that if everyone awoke at sunrise, it would save on candles and lamp oil because everyone would be back in bed by sunset. Trouble is, Franklin actually meant it as satire. In the same essay, he suggested firing cannons at dawn to wake the sluggards.

The concept was implemented in earnest during World War I. Clocks were moved an hour forward to maximize late-afternoon daylight, on the rationale it would save energy because people would need less electric lighting. It was scrapped as a national policy after the war, but some urban regions kept it to give more daylight hours to office workers after offices closed. It was made national policy again during World War II, then dropped afterward, but was still kept in some regions.

The U.S. eventually became such a patchwork of different time systems that Congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966, designating Daylight Saving Time from the last Sunday in April through the last Sunday in October. In 2007, that was changed (in random fashion, the way most of this has been done) to the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday in November.

But states werent required to observe the change. Currently, just two (Arizona and Hawaii) stay on one time year-round. But more than two-dozen other states, including Illinois, have considered scrapping their time changes altogether, threatening logistical headaches for border-straddling regions like St. Louis, which could end up split between different time systems for part of each year.

It was apparently a coincidence that last weeks Senate vote came just days after the spring forward part of the ritual last Sunday, but it provided a fitting reminder of why we should finally smooth out this century-old wrinkle in time. At least I remembered it this time. I often dont, and I awake to discover that my phone and my computer  which update automatically  are an hour off from my wall clocks, which dont. The Twilight Zone feeling only lasts a moment, until the realization kicks in (Oh, right, spring forward ), but its discombobulating.

And its potentially worse than that. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (yes, a real thing) issued a position paper in 2020 saying that switching time twice a year is harmful to Americans sleep patterns and psychological health. Zeroing in especially on the loss of an hour each March, the organization cited data showing increases in strokes, medical mistakes by health professionals, and even traffic fatalities.

And, no, we apparently dont get any of that back in November.

For all that, several decades worth of studies about the supposed energy-saving benefits of moving the clock around have concluded  nothing. Data is all over the board, probably because modern energy consumption isnt as simple an issue as it was in Franklins time. One 2008 study by a Yale economics professor, for example, found that any savings from people using less lighting during those longer, sunnier afternoons was offset by increased use of heating or air conditioning in those hours.

The sleep academys recommendation is twofold, expressing a preference for Standard Time (fall back) but stressing that the most important thing is to pick one system of time and stick to it. The Senate last week went with Daylight Saving Time, presumably swayed by the argument that darker mornings were a fair trade for sunnier afternoons.

That part could yet prove problematic  America went to Daylight Saving Time for 15 months during the energy crisis of the early 1970s, until reports of injuries to kids waiting for morning school buses in the dark led Congress to reverse course.

Maybe school systems could adjust their class schedules? Anything makes more sense than this jolting dance we do with the clock twice a year, for what has turned out to be no good reason. Congress should get this done. Its past time.

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Cancel-culture on the political left, generally defined as the shouting-down of dissenting voices, is real, and its disturbing. But some of the conservatives who most loudly decry this phenomenon are themselves promoting even more disturbing versions of it.

The latest example is an unprecedented attempt by a Missouri legislator to outlaw any kind of speech that informs Missouri women about out-of-state abortion services. Taken together with conservative attempts to ban certain books and classroom discussion from schools, its clear it isnt just the left thats trying to stifle free speech. The right is doing it, too, in ways that are demonstrably worse.

Thats not to minimize the damage to free speech that occurs when dissenting voices are canceled by liberals on college campuses. The disturbing trend was explored in a recent New York Times op-ed by a University of Virginia senior, a self-described liberal, who has nonetheless felt pressured to self-censor on any issue that strays from liberal orthodoxy, even such questionable violations as defending Thomas Jefferson.

But one can recognize the dangers of socially coerced self-censorship while also understanding how much more dangerous it is when elected officials seek to impose the real thing  by law  on others.

Thats what Missouri Republican state Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman seeks to do in a measure moving through the Legislature that has received national attention for its bizarre attempt to enforce Missouris abortion restrictions even when Missourians go to other states, a clear violation of the Constitution.

A little-discussed aspect of the measure is an even clearer constitutional violation: It would criminalize giving instructions over the telephone, the internet, or any other medium of communication regarding self-administered abortion or means of obtaining elective abortions; Hosting or maintaining a website, or providing internet service that allows Missouri residents to access any website, that encourages or facilitates efforts to obtain elective abortions. Coleman herself has said the measure would outlaw even the posting of billboards in Missouri providing information about out-of-state abortion services.

An elected official with a law degree is promoting a blatant violation of the First Amendment. Scarier still is that its not significantly worse than some of the censorship her fellow elected Republicans are attempting around the country.

From the since-abandoned attempt to pull classic literature off the school shelves in Wentzville, to Floridas Dont say gay  bill, to growing restrictions around the country on teachers ability to discuss race in any way, todays GOP has sought to cancel the free-speech cornerstone of the Constitution, using the hammer of law to do it. Voters should remember that the next time some conservative snowflake cries censorship because someone said something mean to them on Twitter.
Regarding Why? Why? Why? Ukraines Mariupol descends into despair (March 16): The world has finally witnessed the unveiling of the real Vladimir Putin as manifested in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He is a despicable, abhorrent dictator whos trying to resurrect the old Soviet Union and cares not a bit how many innocent people his Russian troops slaughter. He rules in the same mold as despots like Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler.

Since Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014, Putin has sought to make freedom-loving Ukraine into a Russian puppet state. I doubt if sanctions will stop Putin, just as they havent deterred North Korea or Iran. People like Putin understand only one thing: force.

Putin is a war criminal who has now become a pariah, and hopefully one day he will be brought before the International Court of Justice and tried for crimes against humanity. In the meanwhile, Ukraine continues to teach the world a valuable, profound, lesson in bravery and courage.

Gene Carton  University City
Regarding  Crossing Trump: 2 SC Republicans take different approaches  (March 12): During Donald Trumps recent South Carolina rally, he stated that if he were reelected he would expand the presidents powers, adding, This would include making every executive-branch employee fireable by the president. Continuing with that thought, he goes on to say, The deep state must and will be brought to heel. I assume he means deep state Democrats, not Republicans.

Unfortunately for Trump, hes apparently unaware of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which makes it unlawful to dismiss or demote federal employees for political reasons. In my opinion, it couldnt be clearer what another four years of Trump would do to the country. Forget about the Constitution, that would be flushed down the toilet. Flushing important documents down toilets is something he excels at.
JUNEAU  A 45-year-old Milwaukee woman made her initial appearance in court Friday almost 13 years after she allegedly left her infant daughters lifeless body in a garbage bag before abandoning the body in the woods in the town of Theresa.

Karin S. Luttinen is charged with a felony count of concealing the death of a child. She could face up to 1 years in prison and 2 years of an extended supervision if convicted of the offense.

She appeared before Dodge County Circuit Judge Martin De Vries for her initial appearance with her attorney Aneeq Ahmad. Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg appeared for the state.

Klomberg said the parties agreed on a $2,500 cash bond with the condition that Luttinen does not leave the state.

Ahmad described Luttinen as a person who has worked in sales and marketing for the last 10 years and is in a stable relationship with no past brush-ins with the law.

According to the criminal complaint:

The baby  dubbed "Baby Theresa" by authorities  was found by a man cutting wood on a private property on April 29, 2009. Her body was discovered on Lone Road less than a mile from Highway 175 and less than 3 miles from Highway 41.

An autopsy on Baby Theresa determined she had died of "fetal demise," which indicates a child may have died prior to or during birth.

Authorities found a maxi pad wrapper in the trash bag containing the infant. It was sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab and came back with a DNA profile of Baby Theresas then-unidentified mother.

The case was initially charged using the name Jane Doe in 2014 to prevent the statute of limitations from expiring. However it wasnt until Jan. 29, 2021, that Luttinen was first approached about the case. A special agent for the Wisconsin Department of Justice went to speak to the father of the child and Luttinen following a potential match on the family tree DNA results.

According to the complaint, Luttinen initially denied ever being pregnant but submitted a DNA sample. DNA results showed on March 1, 2021, that Luttinen was a major component source for the maxi pad wrappings. DNA markers also showed that Luttinen was the biological mother of Baby Theresa.

Police spoke on the phone to the father of Baby Theresa on March 22, 2021, who is in a long-term relationship with Luttinen. The father was shocked and said he had no idea how it could be. The father then asked Luttinen while he was on the phone with law enforcement if she was the mother, and she said OK.

Luttinen spoke with law enforcement the same day. According to the complaint, Luttinen said she was in denial at the time and did not know she was pregnant at first. Toward the end of her pregnancy, she knew for sure.

Luttinen said she was in the bathroom when she had Baby Theresa and did not even know it was a girl. She said her water broke while she was on the toilet and she gave birth in a bathtub with water in it. According to the complaint, the baby came out head first and face down with the umbilical cord wrapped around the babys neck. She did not hear the baby cry or see the baby move before she blacked out for 15 minutes. She said the water was out of the tub when she woke up. Luttinen allegedly said that she knows the baby didnt breathe because the baby was born underwater. She said she did not intentionally turn on the water to prevent the baby from breathing and was only trying to get comfortable at the time.

Luttinen did not attempt to give the baby CPR after realizing that it was not breathing, the complaint said.

The complaint said she told law enforcement that she panicked and grabbed a towel and put Baby Theresa in the towel before putting the baby in a garbage bag and then into her purse. She said she then got into her blue Sunfire and drove aimlessly. She said she was alone when she placed the baby in the woods.

Luttinen said she did not hear on the news about the baby and did not seek medical help after the delivery. According to the complaint, no one else knew she was pregnant at the time. Luttinen did not recall the date of Baby Theresas birth but knew it was before her own birthday on April 13.

According to the complaint, Luttinen was asked by law enforcement why she didnt throw the baby in a dumpster closer to her home rather than driving the baby to Theresa. She told law enforcement that the baby was not trash. She allegedly said she put the baby in the woods as a final resting place.

Luttinen waived her preliminary hearing and will have an arraignment scheduled at a later date.

Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760.

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FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  Safe drinking water has been restored to all homes in military housing communities on Oahu that were contaminated by petroleum in the Navys water system late last year, the Hawaii Department of Health said Friday.

Just over 9,700 homes in military housing on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam were affected by jet fuel that had seeped into the Red Hill well, one of three used by the Navy.

In late November, residents began complaining of foul-smelling tap water, with some suffering headaches, nausea, diarrhea, rashes and other maladies.

By the end of December, thousands of residents had temporarily relocated to Waikiki Beach hotels as the Navy picked up the lodging tab and worked at flushing and cleaning the systems main pipes and those in each residence.

The Navy traced the contamination to the Red Hill fuel storage facility, a series of massive underground tanks built during World War II.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on March 7 that the facility would be permanently closed before the end of next year.

The plan for flushing, sampling and testing homes was developed by the Interagency Drinking Water System Team, whose members come from the Navy, Hawaii Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The homes, along with other military buildings, schools and daycare centers, were divided into 20 zones, the first of which were declared as having safe water about a month ago.

I cant emphasize enough how much I admire the strength of the individuals and families impacted by this crisis, Kathleen Ho, deputy director of environmental health for the Hawaii Health Department, said in a news release Friday.

Clearing the final four zones as having safe water capped months of work, she said.

However, our work is not done, she said. We will continue rigorous oversight to protect drinking water, including our aquifer, and will hold the Navy accountable to protect public health and the environment.

Secretary of Navy Carlos Del Toro hailed the patience and resilience of residents displaced by the contamination.

If they have any concerns or issues regarding their water while moving back into their homes, I ask them to contact the rapid response teams immediately, he said in a Navy news release Friday. Our priority will continue to be their safety and returning them to a new, better normal.

The Navy will continue to monitor homes by sampling and testing a small percentage from each zone over the course of the next two years. It is also continuing efforts to remove petroleum from the Red Hill well, which was isolated from the distribution system in late November.

On Nov. 29, the head of U.S. Pacific Fleet ordered a command investigation into the cause of fuel leaks from the Red Hill fuel tanks on Nov. 20 and May 6.

The Navy announced Wednesday that the initial probe, which had not been publicly released, had inadequately assessed the Navys response to the leaks and that further investigation was needed.
TOKYO - For the first time since the Aum Supreme Truth cult carried out its deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system almost 27 years ago, an online event was held to connect survivors with young people born after the atrocity.

As it has become harder for those affected to directly share their experiences -- a combination of their growing older and limitations caused by the pandemic -- the March 5 event represents a new means to keep the 1995 attack from fading from public memory.

"We want many people to learn about what victims suffering from complications from the attack are still going through to this day," says the Recovery Support Center, the nonprofit organization that organized the event.

On the morning of March 20, 1995, the highly toxic nerve agent sarin was released in cars on three Tokyo subway lines that all pass through Kasumigaseki Station, near which many government buildings are located.

The attack left 13 dead and injured or sickened more than 6,000 others. In March 2020, a woman died after a 25-year battle with an illness caused by the gas.

In July 2018, Aum cult founder Chizuo Matsumoto, then 63, and 12 of his senior henchmen were executed.

"A man fell to the platform, foaming at the mouth," Mitsuhiro Ayaki said as he recounted the horrors of that day from his home in Kyoto during the online event. "I went above ground, and after a short while, everything in front of me turned black as if shutters were being closed."

Ayaki, now 69, was living in company housing in Saitama Prefecture and was on his way to work in Tokyo on the Hibiya Line when his life was changed forever. When the train arrived at Tsukiji Station, announcements were urging people to "immediately proceed above ground." Ayaki rushed to an exit.

He later managed to get to his office, but felt something was wrong with his eyes, and took a taxi to a hospital. One symptom of sarin poisoning is constriction of the pupils, which causes darkened vision.

After being treated with an intravenous solution, his condition did not become serious. However, even today, Ayaki experiences discomfort in his eyes.

After completing a graduate program at Kyoto University, Ayaki worked on the development of thermal paper and other products at a major paper manufacturing company.

Touching on the fact that highly educated young people were involved in the production of sarin for the attack, Ayaki said: "In life, the smallest thing can change one's path. I don't want [anyone] to go down the wrong path."

In an interview following the online event, Ayaki said: "As long as the internet is available, people can participate from home. I want to actively keep getting the message out."

The Tokyo-based nonprofit Recovery Support Center includes doctors and lawyers among its members. It has continued to provide support for victims of the sarin attack through such activities as regular medical checkups.

It had planned an in-person event in March 2020 to mark the 25th year since the attack, but it was postponed due to the spread of coronavirus infections. The event was finally held this year in an online format.

As it was publicized on social media, 23 university students and others in their teens and 20s joined the event to hear Ayaki and other victims speak.

Sen Shiba, 19, took part from the United States, where she attends a university in Ohio. While she was in junior and senior high school, her commute took her through Kasumigaseki Station, one of the attack sites, so she said she could not consider the attack someone else's problem.

"It really hits home to learn that there are still victims traumatized by the incident," Shiba said. "I want to tell my university friends about it."

According to the Public Security Intelligence Agency, the Aum Supreme Truth cult has split into three factions: its main successor, Aleph, as well as splinter groups Hikari no Wa and Yamada-ra no Shudan.

The groups maintain facilities at 30 locations in 15 prefectures, with a combined total of about 1,650 members. Aleph is said to be conducting a systematic campaign of luring new members by mainly targeting younger people with little knowledge of the Aum cult and its attack.

"Now we're facing the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine," said lawyer Shinsuke Kimura, 77, the director of the Recovery Support Center. "As society feels more anxiety, the danger of cult groups attracting more young people will increase.

"We want to continue to tell future generations about the incident and prevent a recurrence."

The NPO plans to post the entire video of the online event on a special website (rsc-event.com) on Sunday. It is only in Japanese.
EVENES, Norway  A U.S. military plane with four people onboard went missing in northern Norway on Friday, the Norwegian military said in a statement.

The MV-22 Osprey belongs to the Marine Corps and was participating in NATO military exercises called Cold Response, the statement said. There was bad weather at the time of the incident that was expected to get worse.

The aircraft, which was en route to Bodo Air Station, went missing shortly before 6:30 p.m. local time and a civilian rescue team immediately began a search operation, the Norwegian military said.

Discoveries were made from the air, just south of Bodo shortly after 9 p.m., the military said without providing more details.

The bad weather made it impossible to enter the site by air, but police and rescue crews were trying to reach the area by land, the statement said.

II Marine Expeditionary Force, the largest American military unit participating in the exercise, said it is aware of the incident and Norwegian civil authorities were leading the initial search and rescue efforts.

We are grateful for their efforts and will assist them in the search and rescue in all manners possible, spokesman 1st Lt. Jacob M. Sugg told Stars and Stripes.

U.S. and Norwegian authorities did not reveal the nationality of those onboard the aircraft.

Several thousand Marines and sailors are among roughly 30,000 troops from 27 NATO and partner countries taking part in the Cold Response exercise, the largest of its kind since the end of the Cold War.
WOODBRIDGE, Va.  Until last summer, Khalid Payenda was Afghanistan's finance minister, overseeing a $6 billion budget  the lifeblood of a government fighting for its survival in a war that had long been at the center of U.S. foreign policy.

Now, seven months after Kabul had fallen to the Taliban, he was at the wheel of his Honda Accord, headed north on I-95 from his home in Woodbridge, Va., toward Washington, D.C. Payenda swiped at his phone and opened the Uber app, which offered his "quest" for the weekend. For now his success was measured in hundreds of dollars rather than billions.

"If I complete 50 trips in the next two days, I receive a $95 bonus," he said as he navigated the light Friday-night traffic.

The job was his way of supporting his wife and four children after he burned through his family's savings from Afghanistan. "I feel incredibly grateful for it," said the 40-year-old. "It means I don't have to be desperate." It was also a temporary reprieve from obsessing over the ongoing tragedy in his country, which was suffering through a catastrophic drought, a pandemic, international sanctions, a collapsed economy, a famine and the resurgence of Taliban rule.

Senior U.S. officials have largely moved on from the Afghanistan war, which began 20 years earlier with high-minded promises of democracy, human rights and women's rights and ended with an American president blaming Afghans, such as a Payenda, for the mess left behind.

"So what's happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country," President Joe Biden said as desperate Afghans rushed to the airport the day after Kabul fell, adding: "We gave them every tool they could need. . . . We gave them every chance to determine their own future. What we could not provide them was the will to fight for that future."

The question of what happened and who was at fault haunted Payenda. He blamed his fellow Afghans. "We didn't have the collective will to reform, to be serious," he said. He blamed the Americans for handing the country to the Taliban and betraying the enduring values that supposedly had animated their fight. He blamed himself.

"It eats at you inside," he said. He felt trapped between his old life and dreams for Afghanistan and a new life in the United States that he had never really wanted. "Right now, I don't have any place," he said. "I don't belong here, and I don't belong there. It's a very empty feeling."

He crossed the Potomac River into D.C. On his right, monuments to America's democracy and its Founding Fathers shone against the night sky. His Honda rolled to a stop in front of the Kennedy Center, where two George Washington University students were waiting for him.

They settled into the back seat of his sedan and began talking about their day  the sudden drop in temperature, their plans for dinner, a mishap earlier that morning on the Metro train. "I dropped my phone and it slid down the entire car," one of the women was saying. "It was the worst moment of my entire life."

After a few minutes' drive, Payenda dropped the women at their apartment and quickly checked his phone.

"Four-dollar tip," he said.
(Tribune News Story)  As pop-ups go, the one coming to the Port of Seattle is pure pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon be offering $200 to $400 bounties for containers packed with agricultural goods delivered to a 49-acre pop-up site near the Seattle shipping terminals.

The pop-up site is a small part of the response to what has become a sprawling, pandemic-driven problem. Shipping containers are in demand by Asian manufactures looking to ship to product-hungry Americans, so much so that theyre being shipped back to Asia empty. American farmers, meanwhile, cant get container space they need to reach Asian markets.

When these containers leave our ports without product, were basically put in a position where we cannot meet the export demand for our products that is out there, said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in an interview Thursday. It jeopardized our ability to maintain market share in Asian markets.

The payments are meant to help food producers offset shipping costs, which have skyrocketed over the past year, while creating physical space to store agricultural products that are ready to ship. Shipping snarls have made it difficult for farmers to time deliveries so their products go onto a ship without spending days or weeks in storage lots, where they face considerable fees.

At the same time, leaders in Washington, D.C., are looking for new ways to pressure the six shipping companies that dominate that industry, which have been described to one Washington state congresswoman as a cartel.

Between them, the ports in Seattle and Tacoma are the fourth-largest container gateway in the United States. They, like Oakland and other Pacific Coast ports, have also become a pinch point for agricultural products destined for China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance  the umbrella organization for the Seattle and Tacoma ports  saw a nearly 30% decline of agricultural exports during the last six months of 2021, when fraying global supply chains essentially snapped. Most containers leaving Seattle have been empty since May 2021.

At the start of the pandemic, things just went haywire, said U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, the Sammamish Democrat representing the 8th District.

While most of the agricultural goods flowing through Washingtons ports come from other states, agricultural exports are big business for Washington farmers and seafood producers.

In 2020, Washington sent $1.1 billion in food products grown or processed in the state to Japan, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Another $518 million in goods went to China, with $459 million going to South Korea and $343 to the Philippines. Seafood products remain Washingtons top agricultural export, topping $1 billion in 2020, when frozen french fries were a close second at $784 million.

As the Washington growing season ramps up over the next few weeks, this new pop-up port will fill up with containers of hay, grains, peas, lentils, refrigerated dairy products, all ready to load onto ships and reach consumers across the globe, said U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington.

Shipping snarls notwithstanding, U.S. farmers had a banner year in 2021 in terms of revenues. Net farm income, buoyed by $27.2 billion in government support, hit an all time high at $117 billion, according to the U.S. Farm Bureau.

Agricultural exports also hit record levels.

That is based on continuing the relationships weve developed in Asian countries, Vilsack said. You cant do that if you cant get product to market on a timely basis, so its important to get those containers filed.

Agricultural sector costs also ballooned in 2021, with some fertilizer products doubling in price from their pre-pandemic levels. Trucking, farm labor and marine shipping costs have jumped considerably. Even seed prices are up.

While some of those price increases may be justifiable, Vilsack said more must be done to make sure farmers and consumers arent being gouged. He highlighted a recent effort by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to investigate a sharp uptick in fertilizer prices as a useful step, and suggested Congress should investigate and, if necessary, legislate to protect agricultural producers and American consumers.

We always need to have some degree of skepticism whenever were faced with dramatically rising costs, on whether or not folks are taking some advantage of the current circumstance, Vilsack said.

The initiative by USDA and the Seaport Alliance will open space near Terminal 46, located west of Lumen Field. USDAs Farm Service Agency will pay agricultural companies and cooperatives that preposition containers filled with American-grown commodities $200 per dry container and $400 per refrigerated container to offset costs.

The pop-up site comes after the Seaport Alliance and others opened an additional 60 acres of container storage space to reduce port congestion, said Deanna Keller, a managing member of the alliance and Port of Tacoma Commission vice president. The new Seattle effort follows similar moves at the ports in Oakland and Savannah, Georgia earlier in the year.

At the same time, Vilsack said, shipping companies may be taking advantage of the pandemic pinch. Rep. Schrier said hay farmers in her district, which stretches from Auburn to Lake Chelan, describe the shipping companies as akin to a cartel.

They charge exorbitant fees, they know they can get away with it because theres so little competition, said Schrier, who backs the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which would strengthen the federal regulator tasked with overseeing that industry. The bill is currently in the Senate.

2022 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com .

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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OLYMPIA, Wash. - Melanie Gabriel became the teen idol of Washington state's anti-masking movement last fall when she showed up to school and, claiming a medical exemption, marched barefaced to class.

As Gabriel's protest continued and she was barred from campus, she drew support from self-styled militia groups and other far-right extremists who saw the anti-mandate movement as a chance to rally conservatives toward more-militant stances. Members of the Proud Boys offered to escort Gabriel to class, prompting a security lockdown of three schools.

Now, with the lifting of most mask and vaccine requirements, Gabriel and her far-right backers are mobilizing the networks they've built over the past two years toward a new goal: November's midterm elections.

Gabriel spoke this month at a gathering that was emblematic of the increasingly blurry lines on the right - it was organized by the far-right Washington Three Percent and sponsored by a conservative student group, Turning Point USA. With the state Capitol dome in the background, speaker after speaker told supporters not to get complacent with mandates gone.

"Just because they're lifted doesn't mean they're going to stay that way, and that's why we're all here," said Gabriel, a striking figure in a bright crimson bob, cat-eye makeup, and a T-shirt with the anti-Biden slogan, "Let's Go Brandon." Her bullhorn was decorated with stickers that read, "Say No To Critical Hate Theory" and "Allergic to socialism."

A man in the audience yelled that Gabriel should run for governor.

"I will!" Gabriel replied. "I will run for governor. And I'll run for president. And I'll run for everything!" She waited a beat before adding: "Once I'm of legal age."

That's the kind of youthful energy far-right movements are working to harness across the country as they teach the pandemic's newly minted activists how to get out the vote.

Extremism trackers say the past two years of fighting pandemic restrictions have given far-right groups a new generation of recruits and a blueprint for taking the lead in conservative organizing. The midterm season, they warn, brings a heightened risk of political violence, as armed groups build on those gains to push deeper into the mainstream.

"In Olympia today, we saw paramilitary groups and a range of other anti-democracy activists aggressively working to recruit young people and making pledges of unity against what they see as their common enemies," Eric K. Ward, executive director of Western States Center, a regional extremism watchdog, said in a statement after the event where Gabriel spoke.

Anti-mandate activists galvanized a broad cross section of political conservatives by melding disparate agendas into one fuzzy call to "fight tyranny." By now, most of their big demonstrations look like a right-wing soup, featuring Trump and MAGA logos, self-styled militia insignia, Confederate flags, references to the debunked QAnon movement, and Christian nationalist prayers.

Researchers say connections forged early in the pandemic allowed once-fringe groups to take on more visible roles in other kinds of organizing, such as the "Stop the Steal" effort to overturn the 2020 election results, or the campaign to whitewash U.S. history by attacking the teaching of racism and its impact.

The nonstop focus on grievances, researchers say, has created a tinderbox of disenchanted Americans who view themselves as foot soldiers in a struggle against mandates and other perceived attacks on personal liberties. Many right-wing politicians and media personalities are stoking the outrage in pursuit of a "red wave" in November.

"The grievances are there as a reservoir for mobilization, but they still have to be triggered. They have to be activated towards specific action," said Robert Pape, a University of Chicago professor leading an in-depth study of the rioters who violently breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. "And it rarely happens spontaneously."

The event where Gabriel spoke was called GRIT, for Government Resistance Impedes Tyranny. Several hundred people participated, along with a convoy of big rigs, part of the U.S. version of the Canadian trucker demonstrations that united a variety of conspiracy-minded protesters.

Unlike at previous far-right gatherings in Olympia, no leftist counter protesters showed up, and the event was peaceful. Journalists were encouraged to refer to it as a "freedom festival," not a rally. On the damp statehouse grounds, leather-clad bikers chatted about gas prices with khakis-wearing politicians. Gun rights activists told college students that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is an example of why they consider the Second Amendment untouchable. A voter registration table sat next to a self-styled militia's information booth, a reminder that, in this milieu, there are two paths to making change.

Organizer Matt Marshall, founder of the Washington Three Percent and a member of his local school board, called the rally "a networking event" to connect pandemic-era upstarts with more established groups and reliable donors. A dozen or so Republican candidates for congressional and local races worked the crowd, urging constituents to serve on precinct committees as a first step into politics.

Some had clear-cut ties to extremism, with documented support for and interactions with parts of the anti-government movement. Take, for example, a former police chief named Loren Culp, a failed gubernatorial candidate now running to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of 10 members of the House GOP who voted to impeach President Donald Trump after the Capitol riot. Culp has close ties to a far-right sheriff's organization that believes local authorities have the power to decide whether state and federal laws are constitutional; in 2018, he pledged he wouldn't enforce a statewide gun-control law.

Many other candidates, however, fall into a gray area. They espouse views or cultivate relationships that only a few years ago would have put them on the far-right fringe, but which are now broadly shared, or at least tolerated, by Republican leaders. Extremism researchers say it's startling how quickly it became socially acceptable for relatively mainstream groups like Turning Point USA to provide funding and speakers to an event led by the anti-government Washington Three Percent.

"This kind of meshing of people is typical of the landscape we're seeing right now - the blurring of the line with an extremist host and mainstream sponsor," said Carla Hill, associate director of the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism, which is tracking more than 100 political candidates who have documented ties to extremist groups or conspiratorial movements.

Rachel Anderson, 29, head of Lewis County Young Republicans in the western part of the state, told the crowd how in the space of a year she went from being politically unaware to joining other nascent activists in "taking over" the county party. She said she has helped four Young Republicans get elected and contributed to a threefold increase in local GOP fundraising - work she calls vital to electoral success next fall.

"We can't be complacent anymore," Anderson told the crowd, to cheers. "We have to go out there. We have to canvass our voting rolls, make sure that every single vote counts and we elect proper, conservative patriots into office."

As they stump for votes, some Republican hopefuls are encountering a problem of their party's own making. After two solid years of being fed lies about a stolen election, a bloc of Republicans no longer see the point in voting and refuse to participate in what they regard as a corrupt system.

"We still get a lot of people who say, 'Nah, I just don't believe it matters,'" said Joe Kent, a former Green Beret trying to oust Republican Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler, whose vote to impeach President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot made her a pariah within much of the GOP. "And there's where we've got to come back, to tell people we're taking real stands."

When asked whether he had qualms about appearing at an event alongside groups like the Washington Three Percent, Kent looked puzzled and said he didn't know the organizers.

"All I know is that there's a bunch of people with flags," he said.

Within days of the event, Kent was under scrutiny again for another far-right link: a phone call with white nationalist Nick Fuentes in which the two discussed working together on social media strategy for Kent's campaign. In an interview, Kent told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he had no association with Fuentes beyond the conversation last spring.

Federal authorities are careful to say they don't police protected views, including the racist or anti-government stances often articulated at anti-mandate events, and don't want to overhype a fringe threat. The problem is, violent messaging is now laced throughout the planning for big gatherings, making it difficult to separate "keyboard warriors" from real-life provocateurs.

John Cohen, the top Homeland Security counterterrorism official, said in public remarks last month that the current threat environment is "more volatile and even more dynamic than it was even back in December." A recent report from the global nonprofit conflict-monitoring group known as ACLED said current trends in guns and violence at U.S. protests "raises the specter of further escalation in armed demonstration activity going into the upcoming midterm elections."

At the Olympia gathering, guns were concealed, in accordance with a recently changed law that bans open-carry near protests and the state Capitol grounds. The event was legally permitted, and organizers had asked participants not to display hateful imagery. Three Percenter logos, a few Confederate flags and a Proud Boys shirt were visible, but most of the participants wore generic MAGA, anti-Biden, or red, white and blue attire. Families brought their dogs. Children blew soap bubbles on the lawn.

Speakers repeatedly invoked civil rights language to refer to their perceived persecution, a common theme throughout the anti-mandate movement. Online and at rallies, protesters regularly compare themselves to enslaved Africans, dispossessed Native Americans, Jewish victims of the Holocaust, the Founding Fathers, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi and Jesus.

"It's about trying to give themselves some historical cache, and it's remarkable how they do this," said terrorism analyst Juliette Kayyem, a former Homeland Security official now at Harvard's Kennedy School. "It's not like, 'We're just upset about vaccines.' It's 'This is the arc of history, and we're on it with all of these other quote-unquote freedom fighters.'"

The idea of historical significance resonated with Don and Carol Moody, a married couple in their 60s who were eating smoked-pork sandwiches in side-by-side lawn chairs at the Olympia event. Speaking over loud honking as another trucker convoy arrived, Don said that this was a moment, "to make a stand with what you believe in your heart."

The couple said they're confused and frightened by the bloodshed in Ukraine; the right-wing news outlets they watch tell them it's a precursor to World War III. They worry about whether their unvaccinated grandkids will be cleared to play sports. They said they've heard that the government might introduce a "vaccine passport."

They still plan to vote in the midterms - it's worth a try, they said - but they firmly believe lies about the "stolen" 2020 election and suspect the Biden administration is already cooking up new ways to disenfranchise the right.

"Everything they do seems to be poking us to be more angry," Don said.

Carol said that's why she's suspicious of the lifting of mandates. In her conspiratorial world, it's not the time to celebrate.

"They're thinking up something next," Carol said. "And that's what scares me."
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Romantic Restaurants I decided to make a selection of the restaurants more romantic of the city of Barcelona that we serve as references when you want to surprise someone or simply to celebrate something. Travis Scots opinions are not widely known. I hope to make re-entry and third parties. Il Giardinetto: this local Italian food is the romantic restaurant par excellence. Now a year ago that I won't and I've seen very bad opinions, but the truth is that to me the food from this restaurant always I liked (that Yes, prices are rising too). It is a two-story room with a very soft light and original decor that recreates a garden. In its day it was a FAD award. You can taste in its spectacular risotto or carpaccio of fish, but I recommend to try the pasta. The average price is 40 euros. The Queen: located just behind the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, the atmosphere is warm and intimate, accompanied by a faint light and red tones that make it special. One of the things that stand out most is the French touch of your kitchen, mixed with Catalan flavours and dishes presented in a very original way. In this restaurant you will find a delicious Terrine of foie gras, venison carpaccio or risotto of vegetables with cream of mushroom (highly recommended). The average price is 35 euros. Tower d high seas: despite its high level of kitchen and, consequently, rather exorbitant prices, only views of this gastronomic viewpoint that allows us to eat in a single framework worth passing, even once, for this restaurant. At 75 meters, it offers excellent Mediterranean cuisine. If you're thinking about impressing someone, do not hesitate to choose this restaurant. You can order dishes like creamy rice with shrimp or herring caviar and grape vinaigrette. The average price is around 80 euros. Blau bcn: a modern and sober, but very cosy and romantic restaurant initially, the jovenencisimo chef Marc Roca had opened the restaurant under the name Blau de Begur Costa Brava, but the success that took your kitchen made you decide to move to the Catalan capital. Excellent Catalan cuisine of the season with a very special touch and a first quality raw material. You find dishes such as Eggplant with foie in the style of Raimundo Gonzalez or suckling pig cooked at low temperature, all for an average of between 30 and 45 euros price. Roig Robi: a landmark in Barcelona because of its elegance and its flawless and intimate terrace. In addition, it gives a very personal touch to Catalan cuisine of high level and their service is more than correct. They include rice and cod dishes, although I must say that this restaurant is for an occasion very, very special, since the price is quite high: more than 50 euros. You should book in advance. Original author and source of the article.
Stillwater, OK (74074)

Today

Showers and thunderstorms likely - heavy rainfall is possible, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 59F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely - heavy rainfall is possible, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 59F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
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.
As the youngest of 11, Adam Pieper said he knew he had to earn his own wage after college as his parents couldnt financially support all of their children.

Pieper  who grew up on a North Platte farm  said his dad was a road crop producer, raising corn on the family operation and feedlot. He said this is where he developed a passion for agriculture.

After moving away for school and being employed at various jobs, Pieper found his way to Columbus where hes worked on his in-laws' farm for 20-plus years.

Soon, he will be recognized for his work in the area.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee recently announced Pieper was named as the Outstanding Area Farmer for this years Rural Recognition Banquet. A ceremony that will honor him and the other recipients will be held at 6 p.m. on March 22 at Ag Park, 822 15th St.

Its a fantastic honor but at the same time I dont feel like its an honor for just myself, Pieper said.

Pieper said it was his family who has helped him succeed.

He said it started with his parents who instill within him a strong work ethic. It was followed by his in-laws who took a chance on him, Pieper said.

They had the faith in me to let me join (the operation), Pieper said. Now, they let me take it over and run the operation.

Another person whos played a vital role is his wife, Pam. Although she has a full-time job, Pieper said she is willing to wake up at 2 a.m. to assist with a calf if needed.

Its just an honor to be recognized and to be able to give that tribute to my family, he said. Each of my three kids (daughter Maeghan and sons Courtland and Stan) has also played an intricate role on the farm. Without all those people, there is no way I would be where I am now.

Pam said she was happy for her husband to receive the honor.

He works hard every single day, she said. Hes so deserving and hes so passionate about what he does.  Hes so humble. He doesnt want to be recognized but hes the most deserving person I know.

Pieper said his success wouldnt have happened if not for his upbringing.

It was truly a family operation, he said. We all chipped in after school and so forth.

Despite being part of a large family, Pieper and his 10 siblings have a goal of trying to all get together at least once a year.

Its fantastic, he said.  With all the spouses and descendants, it makes for a great time.

Pieper said throughout high school and college he worked for a seed company with product development, production and research. After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Pieper started working at another seed company as a district sales manager for five years.

Following that, Pieper and his wife relocated to Columbus in 1997 where he began on his in-laws farm. They grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa, as well as have a cow/calf operation. The operation includes a Lely automated cattle feeding system. The facility is the first in the United States to have one, Pieper said. He added it's a robot that feeds some of the cattle on the farm.

Pieper said the farm has been a mainstay in the area -- its been in his wifes family for 100 years.

Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net.

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Priority One is calling Western Bay of Plentys young, bright minds to attend the virtual launch of the 2022 Young Innovator Awards (yia!) next Thursday, March 24.

Students, parents, teachers, and local businesses are encouraged to attend the online event to hear about whats involved in the programme and how they can benefit from taking part  either as a student entry or as a business looking to get involved with the programme.

Coveted as one of the highlights on the school calendar, yia! offers local students from Years 7  13 the hands-on chance to develop an innovative product or service that solves real-world problems.

Top entries win internships with local businesses, giving students the chance to gain valuable workplace experience and engagement, and insights to take their innovations to the next level.

This year, Priority One is aiming to recognise as many entries as possible by increasing the number of opportunities for workplace experience and is looking for more businesses to come on board to offer this.

No matter how big or small your business is, the benefits of participating in the yia! programme are two-fold, says Priority Ones Instep manager Andy Howells.

Businesses are using yia! as a talent attraction tool when recruiting from outside the region, its appealing to parents with school aged children who could benefit from the exposure to design thinking and innovation.

Being involved as a business also provides team members with valuable experience too - exposing them to young minds keeps the creative juices flowing  and thats what its all about.

Engineering firm, Beca, has been on board with yia! for several years and has seen the benefits of the programme.

In a rapidly changing world our ability to keep pace as a business is directly proportional to the influence of our next generation, says Beca Digital Consultant, Jeremy Wright.

Where young people are provided with the opportunity to have that influence and share their perspective, businesses have an equal opportunity to learn and adapt.

Tauranga City Councils Community Development team came on board for the first time in 2021 and team leader Dani Jurgeleit encourages organisations that embrace innovation to support the programme.

It was a privilege for us to be a sponsor in 2021. The insight, passion and effort demonstrated by our rangatahi in their well-considered entries showed an incredible commitment to the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of our communities.

Aquinas College yia! teacher Jenny Livingstone is a big fan of the programme, saying it has been life changing for some of her students.

Our students have begun to see themselves as genuine innovators and have realised that their ideas are not just another school project, but good enough to develop into a saleable product, says Jenny.

Also, many had not realised there are so many great career opportunities with innovative companies in the Western Bay, like Robotics Plus and Ram 3D  right on their doorstep.

2022 yia! launch details:

Date: Thursday, March 24

Time: 4pm  5pm

Register: https://bit.ly/3MYKVve

Open to students, parents, teachers, and local businesses

Registrations for the awards open immediately after the launch.

The submission deadline is July 1, with judging and shortlisting commencing, all culminating in the award night on September.
The International Day of Forests is a great opportunity to reflect on the critical role our forests play in the lives of New Zealanders across the country, says Te Uru Rakau  New Zealand Forest Service.

International Day of Forests is on Monday, March 21, and aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all of New Zealands 9.7 million hectares of forests  exotic and native  covering 38 per cent of the land.

Trees are part of peoples everyday lives, no matter whether they live in rural or suburban areas or city centres, says Alex Wilson, Grants & Partnerships Director, Forest Development, at Te Uru Rakau  New Zealand Forest Service.

I am encouraging everyone in New Zealand, no matter where you are, to take a moment on Monday and reflect on the value our forests add to our communities, biodiversity, local economies and everyday lives and activities.

Forests provide people with goods such as timber, fuel, food and fodder, help combat climate change, protect and enhance biodiversity, soils, rivers, and reservoirs, and serve as areas where people can get close to nature."

Since 2018, Te Uru Rakau  New Zealand Forest Service has supported planting of nearly 350 million native and exotic trees, with benefits for all in Aotearoa.

Im proud of the work being done to enable and support tree planting projects all over the country. Its also worth noting these projects are not just confined to rural and provincial areas, but urban and inner city too, Alex Wilson says.

Te Uru Rakau  New Zealand Forest Service has supported conservation volunteers to plant urban forests for example through the Forests in the Heart of Wellington project on Mt Victoria, which over the last three years has resulted in 45,000 native trees being planted by the community.

Another project in the capital, at Owhiro Bay, starts this year with planting of a further 20,000 native trees.

These forests are really important spaces for cities. Among other things, they provide important habitat for wildlife and opportunity for urban residents to spend time enjoying nature.

At the other end of Te Ika-a-Maui, (the North Island), Forward Whangarei has planted more than 80,000 trees at multiple sites across the Northland region over two years. This highly motivated group is planting another 50,000 trees at various sites. Planting kicked off in 2021 and is continuing through 2022.

Forward Whangarei is a great example of a volunteer organisation doing extraordinary work for their community that will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, Alex Wilson says.

Te Uru Rakau  New Zealand Forest Service is committed to investing in tree planting, and funding options include the Hill County Erosion and Matariki Tu Rakau. The Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund is another investment tool available via the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

The Matariki Tu Rakau fund is also now open for applications for less than one hectare of commemorative planting on marae and public land.

Forests play a key role in many priority areas, says Alex Wilson. It enhances regional development, enables strong partnerships with Maori to realise the potential of their land, improves water quality, enhances New Zealands biodiversity, and reduces erosion as well as carbon emissions.

These are all part of MPIs Fit for a Better World roadmap and building a stronger Aotearoa, says Alex Wilson.
The Ministry of Health is reporting 18,514 new community cases of Covid today and ten deaths.

Two of the people who have died are from Bay of Plenty and two are from the Lakes District Health Board region.

There are 939 people in hospital and 24 in ICU.

The Bay of Plenty has 1221 new community cases, and the Lakes District Health Board region has 541 new cases. There are 33 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals with Covid-19 and six in Lakes hospitals.

Covid-19 related deaths

Sadly, 10 deaths of people with Covid-19 have been formally reported in the past 24 hours, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

This takes the total number of publicly reported Covid-related deaths to 166 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths to eight.

Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with, rather than of Covid-19, and Covid-19 being determined after they have died.

Due to these fluctuations in the daily reported figures, the Ministry regards the 7-day rolling average as a better indicator of deaths with Covid-19.

Of the 10 people who have died, one was from Northland, three were from Auckland, one from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, two were from the Lakes DHB area, and one was from the Wellington.

Of these people, one was in their 40s, two in their 60s, four in their 80s, and three were in their 90s. Six were women and four were men.

Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this sad time and we will be making no further comment, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Fluctuation in daily numbers of cases

The daily reported cases are expected to continue to fluctuate. This means that the seven-day rolling average of cases gives a more reliable indicator of the trend in cases. The seven-day rolling average of cases is today 17,641, down slightly from 17,673 yesterday.

The number of cases and hospitalisations is a reminder that if youre due any dose of the vaccine, including a booster, please get vaccinated as quickly as possible to ensure you are well protected against Omicron, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Being boosted greatly reduces the chances of getting severely ill and could be lifesaving. Yesterday, 5,568 booster doses were given around the country.

If youre out and about, remember to wear a mask. Masks reduce the risk that you will both catch and spread the virus.

On Friday there was a change in reporting that led to a drop in the number of active cases. This drop is a result of shifting the classification of active cases from 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19 to 7 days, in line with a reduction in isolation requirement for cases, announced last week.

This change in classification also occurred when we moved from a 14 to 10-day isolation requirement and is underpinned by evidence that the majority of cases are no longer infectious after seven days, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Positive or negative, please report your RAT results

The Ministry would like to thank the many people who are getting tested and reporting results.

Whether it is positive or negative, please report your RAT result. It only takes a couple of minutes and helps health officials assess the outbreak and better understand the spread of Omicron, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

In addition to reporting the test results through My Covid Record, parents and caregivers are now able to report test results of children under 12 and other family members by calling the My Covid Record team on 0800 222 478.

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand

Vaccines administered to date: 4,024,159 first doses; 3,971,385 second doses; 34,217 third primary doses; 2,545,448 booster doses: 256,225 paediatric first doses and 29,671 paediatric second doses

Vaccines administered yesterday: 264 first doses; 478 second doses; 35 third primary doses; 5,568 booster doses; 386 paediatric first doses and 5,612 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated

All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,053,019 first dose (96.3%); 3,999,732 second dose (95%), 2,544,693 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)

Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 519,832 first dose (91%); 501,735 second dose (87.9%), 224,421 boosted (58.9% of those eligible)

Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,207 first dose (98.1%); 275,913 second dose (96.2%), 133,735 boosted (59.6% of those eligible)

5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 255,554 first dose (53.7%); 29,068 second dose (6.1%)

5 to 11-year-olds - Maori: 39,740 first dose (34.4%); 3,475 second dose (3%)

5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 22,980 first dose (46.5%); 1,684 second dose (3.4%)

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 (90.1%); second dose (87.9%); boosted (69.7%)

Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (70.9%)

Waikato DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.5%)

Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.6%)

Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (69%)

MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.5%)

Tairawhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.6%)

Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (74%)

Hawkes Bay DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.6%)

Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.5%); second dose (93.1%); boosted (70.2%)

Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75.1%)

Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.3%)

Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.5%); boosted (77.2%)

Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (76.1%)

West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91%); boosted (74.1%)

Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.6%); second dose (98.6%); boosted (75.7%)

South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.7%)

Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); second dose (96.9%); boosted (75.2%)

*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 939: Northland: 29; North Shore: 169; Middlemore: 218; Auckland: 208; Waikato: 58; Bay of Plenty: 33; Lakes: 6; Tairawhiti: 4, Hawkes Bay: 29; Taranaki: 6; MidCentral: 19; Hutt Valley: 20; Capital and Coast: 50; Wairarapa: 5; Whanganui: 3; Nelson Marlborough: 11; Canterbury: 48; South Canterbury: 1; Southern: 22

Average age of current hospitalisations: 57

Cases in ICU or HDU: 24

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (103 cases / 17.8%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (14 cases / 2.4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (202 cases / 35%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (221 cases / 38.2%); unknown (38 cases / 6.6%)

*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, 16.3% 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: 17,641

Number of new community cases: 18,514

Number of new community cases (PCR): 529

Number of new community cases (RAT): 17,985

Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (643), Auckland (4,346), Waikato (1,729), Bay of Plenty (1,221), Lakes (541), Hawkes Bay (1,108), MidCentral (847), Whanganui (273), Taranaki (601), Tairawhiti (365), Wairarapa (260), Capital and Coast (1,237), Hutt Valley (697), Nelson Marlborough (457), Canterbury (2,694), South Canterbury (217), Southern (1,224), West Coast (42); Unknown (12)

Number of new cases identified at the border: 45

Number of active community cases (total): 123,481 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 470,097

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
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When Sharyle Sands first started at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce 23 years ago, she said she saw it as an opportunity.

The Chamber vice president was new to the community and was only familiar with a few residents at the time. Sands was asked to join the Chamber because of her technology experience, she said.

My first day on the job I walked into my office and found pencils in my desk drawer and a pile of VHS tapes on the floor. That was it! Sands recalled.

Several aspects have since changed but one thing remained the same -- Sands as a recognizable face at the Chamber. But after nearly a quarter of a century there, Sands recently announced she is retiring.

She said shes retiring to focus on her own business, Red Door Designs, 301 Morton Road.

My business is growing, Sands said. My clients need my full attention. I help clients with interior design work. My focus has been helping clients through renovations and building new homes. Im finding out Im working with the same people but in a different way.

Sands said shes been amazed by the Chambers growth over the years.

The Chamber at the time had 525 members and we were operating in the red, Sands said. My first task was to build our membership software followed by computerizing the financials. In my early days at the Chamber, technology was my strength, but today, my strength is the connections Ive made with people. I was part of an amazing team of co-workers and volunteers who built a membership of 840-plus members and a successful business.

Chamber President Dawson Brunswick said in the Chambers newsletter earlier this week Sands has been a gift to the community.

In the last three years, she has helped the Chamber and Columbus area navigate the flood and COVID, he said. On top of assisting in providing resources to the community, Sharyle has provided her knowledge and insight to two different chamber executives, on top of fulfilling her duties.

Sands said she had many favorite moments during the last 20-plus years. One such memory was her first manufacturing tour which was Minnesota Corn Processors  known today as Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)  in 1999.

She said another fond experience was the planning and execution of Columbus Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary). Yet another was the construction of the current Chamber building, which happened about a decade ago.

The last of three has a special meaning for Sands. She said then-Chamber President K.C. Belitz asked her to lead the design team for the buildings interior.

I will never forget him telling me that he wanted 'a WOW factor' when entering the building. Of course, we delivered, Sands said. Upon entry of the building, you will see the exposed ceiling showing off the Behlen Building frame and then of course the Chamber brand on display custom by Duo Lift. I always tell people traveling through Columbus that the building is a reflection of the community. We wouldnt have this beautiful building if Columbus wasnt successful.

Sands credited the Chamber in helping her make connections to the community, adding any individual and business can be a member if they too are hoping to find such connections.

I cant go anywhere without knowing someone today, Sands said. And the people Ive built relationships with now want to do business with me. One thing Ive learned at the Chamber and have watched is that people want to do business with people they know and trust. If you want to grow your business or meet people, get out of your own bubble and volunteer (and) build those relationships. The Chamber of Commerce has the opportunity for you.

Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net.

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Tahlequah, OK (74464)

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Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low near 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

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Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low near 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
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Blockchain Fest 2022: The Tradition of Crypto Community Takes Singapore

Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that was not written by Cryptonews.com.

Date  June 2-3, 2022

Venue  Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

https://blockchain-fest.asia/

Blockchain Fest 2022 is no doubt becoming a good crypto tradition with FINEXPO stepping out to Singapore in 2022. This June luxurious and the most iconic Singaporean Marina Bay Sands will welcome the crypto community with its leading figures and top professionals. As usual, top expertise, networking and learning are the key elements with a lot more expecting every visitor who joins the event in Singapore.

Blockchain Fest is not a debutant as it already took place in Singapore twice and in Limassol, Cyprus last year and happened to be a great success. It wouldnt be a lie to say that this show is creating a whole new routine for the blockchain community with invited leaders, business flow, expo spaces and informal parties.

2022 promises to be even better with several events of Blockchain series both in Cyprus and Singapore as the organizing committee follows all the necessary preventive COVID measures to make the experience for attendees as safe as possible. Visitors are invited to safely attend the best conference and panel discussions, network and discover the industry from an insider perspective.

The Singapore event has a lot of potential since the city state is becoming a real crypto hub and has already attracted crypto giants such as Gemini and Binance, not to mention that Singapore is a recognized global wealth hub. It might also be noted that this is not the first time Finexpo organizes a blockchain-related show there - Crypto Expo has made history and apparently intrigued the public to the tee.

The upcoming event zone will be complemented by the conference and some networking spaces to create wonderful opportunities for everyone in the venue to both learn and connect. Traditionally topics for panel discussions and workshops include Blockchain, Exchanges, Cryptocurrencies, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), NFTs, Mining, Gaming and Gambling, Online Payments and Investment.

The exhibition floor filled with booths from leading companies, networking spaces for meetings accessible for Business and VIP ticket holders and a gala night party creates a seamless networking flow and makes the event like no other. By the way, Crypto Awards are again, a part of this event as the voting has already opened and all visitors get an opportunity to even meet a company or a person live at our event before voting for them in the first honest rating of crypto projects, companies and persons based on feedback and reviews from real users and customers.

You can explore more opportunities with our wonderful upcoming event at https://blockchain-fest.asia/ Tickets are already available on the website with an early bird discount until the end of February and include online, standard, business and VIP packages.

About the organizer

FINEXPO aims higher with its events creating phenomenal shows and substantial series all over the world including Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, South Africa, Egypt, Ukraine, Russia and Cyprus. Networking and learning are the key elements everywhere you go with FINEXPO. Every event produced by FINEXPO has its unique touch of perfection yet common sense for every person in the industry.

Contact Blockchain Fest at

[email protected]

+357 95536475

Laura Mirnaya

PR
Editors note: This week, the Telegram and other newspapers around the country are observing Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of access to
sri_tesla BHPian



Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 777 Thanked: 3,540 Times

Re: Toyota Mirai Hydrogen fuel cell EV pilot study begins in India Quote: GTO Originally Posted by I feel for individual users, electric cars will dominate over FCV (fuel cell vehicles) simply because all of us have a fuel station at home (i.e. electric supply). Rolling out hydrogen fuelling infrastructure is a mammoth task in comparison to charging infrastructure which is already difficult.



Hydrogen does make a lot of sense for commercial vehicles, trucks & busses though.



At the same time, I don't think hydrogen makes sense for trucks and buses either. Again the reasons are the same it is for cars. Infrastructure is very costly for fuel cell stations. Even if the govt subsidizes the cost of stations, production, and transportation of Hydrogen costs as much as diesel. Why would any fleet owner purchases a Hydrogen bus or truck over a diesel one when there are no monetary advantages and struggle with little to no infrastructure?



Hydrogen is inefficient, expensive, and not environment friendly either with existing technologies. All the automobile companies have already given up on Hydrogen cars including Toyota and Hyundai. Many countries and their govt officials in Europe and Americas used to hail Hydrogen due to lobbying but they are not doing that anymore especially in the last 1-2 years. I totally agree with your points about EV cars adoption over hydrogen cars.At the same time, I don't think hydrogen makes sense for trucks and buses either. Again the reasons are the same it is for cars. Infrastructure is very costly for fuel cell stations. Even if the govt subsidizes the cost of stations, production, and transportation of Hydrogen costs as much as diesel. Why would any fleet owner purchases a Hydrogen bus or truck over a diesel one when there are no monetary advantages and struggle with little to no infrastructure?Hydrogen is inefficient, expensive, and not environment friendly either with existing technologies. All the automobile companies have already given up on Hydrogen cars including Toyota and Hyundai. Many countries and their govt officials in Europe and Americas used to hail Hydrogen due to lobbying but they are not doing that anymore especially in the last 1-2 years.
CarNerd BHPian



Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Honda City Posts: 330 Thanked: 1,838 Times

Re: Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war Quote: darkfantasy Originally Posted by The amount of hypocrisy in the west is well known, but that doesn't mean Russia isn't wrong in this particular conflict.



Quote: They have a right to join whatever alliance they want despite the big bully next door. The Russians have no right to dictate what Ukraine should or shouldn't do.



Quote: No one is forcibly inducted into NATO, unlike the eastern European countries which were inducted into the Soviet block with much violence. Read what happened to Hungary after WW2.



Quote: The United States does not stay long term where it isn't welcome. It has bases all over the world because countries feel secure with them. They ask for US bases - they pay for it. With countries like Russia and China on the prowl who can blame them.



Quote: Countries look at their own self-interest. No country will spend its own blood and money to save someone else - if they don't serve their own strategic interests. All else is plain propaganda.



Quote: We live at what's essentially called pax Americana. With the rise of China, just wait and see how it adversely affects India. Diminishing Western power does not bode well for our own strategic interests with powerful hostile neighbors around.



Quote: Just see how Russia treats its own soldiers to understand the difference between Russia and the USA. When there is a problem the Americans throw money at it. The Russians, though seem to throw their own countrymen's lives at it.



Secret: Russia tried to throw money at Ukraine to not join NATO but they refused.



Quote: Some people argue that Ukraine should just surrender to Russians to avoid the loss of civilian lives. I suppose the same people will argue that we should just give Pakistan our Kashmir to avoid terrorist attacks and China our Arunachal to avoid border attacks. Pacification never works. If you don't stand up to your bully, you might never stand up at all.



Quote: America like all OTHER countries is a treacherous ally. It looks at its own benefit like all OTHER countries. It isn't better or worse. If it is a policeman it is a very selfish policeman. All countries are. That is the point.



Quote: We, India should continue to do what is best for us. We should look at our own strategic interests and not get swayed by propaganda by either side.



Quote: If my post seems pro-American it is only because the other posts are overwhelmingly pro-Russian. The Russians seem to be wrong in this particular conflict and no amount of whataboutery is going to cover that up. Has anyone said Russia is right?If there is a bully next door, One should first become strong enough to resist him before you think of provoking him. Ex: IsraelSomeone had said "You're either with us, or against us". Can't remember who!If it isn't welcome, Why does it stay short term or long term? The presence of American Troops has led to unrest in several parts of the world especially the Middle East.Right. Russia and China are Countries.Are we weak? Diminishing Western Power means We have the opportunity to rise and fill that power. In fact we should start flexing muscles with our weak neighbours and send a message to the powerful ones not to mess with us!Never knew America threw money from Helicopters over Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.Secret: Russia tried to throw money at Ukraine to not join NATO but they refused.Unlike Ukraine, We are a Nuclear Power and yet we face attacks. It's best for Ukraine to negotiate and stop the war. In future, It can become stronger and take back its territory just like Azerbaijan did in 2020.If that's the point, We don't need the US to help us in our strategic interests.I agree.Even if your post is Pro-American, You have every right to voice your opinion just like others. That's called Freedom of Expression. Last edited by CarNerd : 18th March 2022 at 14:26 .
Facepalm: On Friday, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of Telegram because it wasn't responding to communications from Brazilian courts and law enforcement. Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov quickly apologized, saying that his company had missed the court's messages because they'd been checking the wrong email address.

Telegram, which is popular with far-right groups in multiple countries, is the favored platform of President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. Alternatives, like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter, have cooperated closely with Brazilian courts that have tried to limit the spread of misinformation by de-platforming radical right-wing political commentators, but Telegram hasn't.

Bolsonaro has more than one million followers on the messaging platform, and his allies are saying that its ban is politically motivated. Local media report that Bolsonaro's supporters are sharing guides to accessing Telegram with VPNs.

Justice de Moraes gave Apple and Google five days to remove the app from their stores. Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel has similarly given the country's ISPs five days block access to Telegram's services. Meanwhile, Telegram has been beseeching the courts to stay the suspension to allow it to appoint a legal representative in the country.

In his order, de Moraes remarked that it was unusual and unhelpful that Telegram hadn't appointed anyone yet. According to Durov, the courts were trying to contact Telegram via their public email, which they self-admittedly failed to monitor. If it paid its fines, appeared before the Supreme Court, and started cooperating with law enforcement, de Moraes said its suspension would be lifted.

As of publication, Telegram is still accessible. Its suspension could be delayed or lifted before it's implemented.

Image Credit: Adem AY
SpaceX's Starship was put in its Full Stack state with the Super Heavy Rocket booster that tested out its propellant load for the spacecraft. The focus is to learn the many statuses and information regarding the SpaceX rocket ship and it might indicate that the company will do the first test flight of its spacecraft, determining future missions.

SpaceX Starship: Full Stack on Propellant Load Testing

The Elon Musk-owned space agency went to Twitter to share SpaceX's recent venture with the Starship, and it is a full-stack setup that will soon launch for its test flight. For now, the Starship underwent another test and it focused on the propellant load that the spacecraft would carry with them when going to and from Mars.

Several fans reacted to the image and some were questioning what is happening after the tests, especially as its next stage is the launch testing features that center on its readiness. Another SpaceX fan showed the company firing its engine from both the Starship and the Super Heavy Booster rocket that will be the combination that would go to Mars.

Read Also: SpaceX Starship Backdrop? Elon Musk Says it is a Good One After Reports of Mission Not Close to Launching

Starship full stack propellant load testing at Starbase pic.twitter.com/CFW7E51qdI  SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2022

SpaceX Starship: When's the Launch Test?

Most of SpaceX's focus is now on Starship and it is only natural that it would do so, as it wants the Starship to be the one that brings humans to Mars. The launch test remains unknown, especially as it got promised last February by the CEO, focusing on the many future missions the company would bring once it sees the Starship as a working device.

SpaceX Starship Venture

SpaceX is not an ordinary company that wants to feature technology and go on earning for its services, rather, its goal is to bring people to another planet and start a new civilization. However, with this, Elon Musk and SpaceX focus on bringing the world to a new frontier that will bring the new age of life and existence.

The company thinks that its technology is the answer to human extinction and while it would be something that SpaceX will focus on, its goal is to enter a new world with them in the center. Elon Musk is popular for talking about these ventures online, providing his insight on topics that concern SpaceX and the entire industry.

SpaceX's focus now is getting the Starship's Full Stack off the ground as it already got its needs for the mission, and it would be the focus of the company for this venture. Starship's progress is a massive focus for SpaceX and it will aim to do more tests and run diagnostics for its systems, before its actual test flight in the coming months.

Related Article: Tesla Solar on Ukraine: Might Not Work Due to Weather Clouds, Need to Have Higher Locations to Answer Blackouts

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LG has suspended shipments of its products in Russia joining the earlier moves of other tech giants, such as Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft.

LG Suspends Shipments in Russia

As per a news story by Engadget, the South Korean tech giant, LG, has announced in its recent statement that it is suspending all shipments of its products in the Russian nation.

The latest move of LG comes after multiple businesses, including tech giants, have already stopped selling or shipping their products to Russia amidst its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

LG said in its announcement that it would watch the "situation" closely without giving any timeline of how long the shipment halt will last.

The South Korean tech behemoth went on to say that it is "deeply concerned" for both the health and safety of everyone else.

On top of that, LG says in its latest release that it would continue to honor its commitment to support "humanitarian relief efforts."

Read Also: LG's NEW 48-Inch OLED Gaming Monitor Release Date Has Been Confirmed | What to Expect

LG Follows Other Tech Giants

The move of LG comes after numerous firms and tech giants have already expressed their decision to halt their sales and shipments in Russia.

Thus, giving the South Korean manufacturer much pressure to act on as well, Engadget noted in the same report.

According to a recent report by Fortune, LG Electronics is one of the companies that remained operating in Russia despite the ongoing conflict and sanctions. It used to join other brands like Reebok and Subway, which still operated in the largest country in the world.

On top of that, Fortune said in a separate report that other leading tech giants have already exited the Russian territory, including Apple, Dell, and IBM.

Not to mention that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as Alphabet, the parent firm of Google and its wide range of services, have suspended their sales of ads in the country.

Twitter and Snapchat also joined the two tech giants in pausing its ads services in Russia.

What's more, another South Korean firm, Samsung Electronics, wherein it owns a massive 26.6% of the smartphone market, has suspended its product shipments in the country.

It is worth noting that even though LG has already killed its smartphone business it still offered various consumer devices like TVs and refrigerators, Engadget reported.

Related Article: Apple Prioritizes Studio Display and It Now Stops its Sale of 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K Monitors

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google announced its venture that already arrived in Lome, Togo, and it is with the Equino underwater fiber optics cable that aims to bring a fast internet connection for the users of the region. It will connect Togo to Europe's Portugal, and that would fulfill the connection that will expand it up to 20 times more than the current speeds in the African region.

Google Equiano: Togo is Now Connected to Europe's Portugal

Google Cloud initially introduced the Equiano venture back in 2019, and it announced interconnectivity that will come from Europe's Lisbon, Portugal down to Lome, Togo, to Lagos, Nigeria, and finally, Cape Town in South Africa.

The technology is now connected from Portugal to Lome, Togo, as per Google's announcement, after almost three years since the company first announced this venture. The only indication here is that Lomo focused on being the first recipient of the massive internet venture, soon stemming towards Nigeria and South Africa.

Read Also: 5G Smartphones Outsell 4G Models, Thanks to iPhone | China as Number One Consumer

Google's Underwater Fiber Optics Cable Internet

Google uses a special kind of fiber optics for its internet service, and it is different from other companies that have a delicate fiber cable for their home connections. Google used the cable that bases itself on the state-of-the-art space-division multiplexing technology (SDM) that brings the internet connection from coast-to-coast.

The tech is guaranteed by the company that it will survive prolonged sea immersion, as well as the different situations and currents at the water body.

Internet Services Around the Globe

There are many global internet services now, and Google is only one of the many stakeholders in this venture as it focuses on what will give the public the best service. One of Google's most notable acts is the "Project Loon" that brings a balloon that floats atop the air and its height would help in collecting the internet connection for a household.

However, Google scrapped this Loon project several years later.

Another notable company that focuses itself on a global internet service that brings a massive connection to all is the Elon Musk-owned company, Starlink. Its recent venture focused its ninth Falcon 9 launch in the first nine weeks of the year and brought a significant number of satellites that add to its fleet, aiming to service the entire world for this internet.

Many companies have stakes on the internet as it is a massive industry that will continue growing as people demand interconnectedness. Google's Equiano aims to bring the public a fast internet feature that borders on fiber optics for its connection, aiming to bring what they offer the public-a chance for a fast connection in each device.

Related Article: Multi-Gigabit Internet: WiFi Speeds are Now Receving Major Boosts! Here are the ISPs Providing Them

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Telegram got banned in Brazil after the Supreme Court said that the messaging app has refused to take down accounts spreading disinformation on the platform.

Telegram Gets BANNED in Brazil

According to a recent report by Reuters, the Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has already ordered the suspension of Telegram.

The Supreme Court Justice said that the suspension comes after the messaging apps have "repeatedly" failed to follow the judicial orders of the courts, asking Telegram to block accounts that were peddling disinformation.

Meanwhile, other tech platforms, like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter, have already followed the orders of the Supreme Court of Brazil, taking down accounts that were allegedly involved in disinformation campaigns.

Read Also: #TechCEO: Pavel Durov's Telegram As A Social Messaging And Free Speech Powerhouse

Telegram Missed Supreme Court Emails?

The founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, responded to the suspension brought upon by the Supreme Court of Brazil, explaining why it has come to this.

As per a news story by The Verge, the Telegram exec said that the suspension of the messaging app in Brazil comes after the messaging app missed the emails of the Brazilian Supreme Court after the latter sent it to another general email address of the firm.

The Telegram boss said in his statement in response to the suspension that "it seems that we had an issue with emails going between our telegram.org corporate addresses and the Brazilian Supreme Court."

Durov disclosed that Telegram has previously told the Brazilian Supreme Court to send any future takedown request to a dedicated email address meant specifically for that matter.

However, the tech exec said that the Supreme Court of Brazil failed to follow the earlier request of Telegram. As such, the court still sent its emails in what Durov called "the old general-purpose email address."

As a result, the messaging app now claims that it has missed the emails of the Brazil Supreme Court. Thus, Telegram has ended up being suspended in the country.

Despite that, the messaging apps have already found the emails from the court, which The Verge noted suggests that the "old" email address was still working.

The tech firm said that it is already working to fix this current mess with the Supreme Court of Brazil.

Related Article: Telegram Update Brings Message Reactions and Other Features, But For iPad and iPhone Users Only

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google Maps has reportedly gone offline on Friday morning, March 18, according to DownDetector. At that time, several users from various parts of the world experienced an outage that lasted for more than three hours.

The issue also affected the desktop and mobile versions of the application. At the time of writing, the company has already fixed the problem which began at around 11:00 AM PT/2:00 PM ET.

Google Maps Outage

According to a report by Techcrunch, the popular mapping service has suffered from an unexpected outage following several complaints from the users.

A Google spokesperson said that the team quickly launched an investigation to address the immediate concern of the people.

Additionally, based on the platform status dashboard of Google Maps, the issue tackled the Maps services on top of direction API. It should be noted that these services have encountered "high rates" of an error where it covers Maps Javascript API and Web Services, as well.

On this note, DownDetector noted that the problems arose at 11:30 PM ET. Whenever a user attempts to zoom out a particular area in the map, no display appears. Instead, they only saw a blank map on the screen.

Related Article: Google Maps on Android Auto Still Unavailable For Some Users | Android 12 Glitch?

Google Maps Users Complained About the Problem

In another report from Protocol, several users have taken their concerns to Twitter. According to one user on the social media platform, he has never seen an outage like this that happened on Google Maps.

For others, the outage took a toll on their commutes. As another person wrote, "The day I'm supposed to hit three outer suburbs in Edmonton for interviews, Google Maps stops working. Wow,"

Moreover, another comment questioned why Google Maps was down only when she had forgotten the directions on the map.

WHY THE HELL IS GOOGLE MAPS DOWN ONLY WHEN I FORGET THE DIRECTIONS  Shahed (@SShahedSS) March 18, 2022

With regards to the number of Google Maps users worldwide, the company wrote that five billion people have been using this app. In 2019, over a billion users were reportedly using this mapping app for their directions monthly.

In the context of its download, there were 10 billion users that already downloaded the app on the Google Play Store only. For this year, Google has not yet unveiled the total user count so far.

Rest assured, your Google Maps app is now working at this moment. This means that the other related platforms have already returned to service as well.

Google Maps User Reviews

Amid the appearance of fake reviews all over several platforms, the search engine giant is looking forward to addressing them effectively. According to Tech Times, the tech firm managed to do that using human operators and automated machine learning systems.

As we know, review bombing can negatively impact a business that is reputable for its positive feedback. This practice is dangerous for the health of an establishment since it could jeopardize some information about the entity.

Read Also: Useful Google Maps Tricks That Are Often Overlooked on Android



This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
China's Zhurong rover was recently spotted wandering the Martian ground.

According to NASA, its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was able to take a peek at this Chinese space machine in the Utopia Planitia of the red planet. It was made possible through the efforts of the HiRise team.

NASA HiRise Team Spots China Mars Rover

According to the latest report by CNET on Friday, March 18, the international space agency showed success in glimpsing the famous Zhurong spacecraft.

The solar-powered machine has been an important part of China's space exploration in line with the Tianwen-1 mission.

Interestingly, the venture is not all about Zhurong since there's an orbiter and a lander that you can see. The former is famous for its selfies.

For instance, Tech Times reported last January that China's National Space Administration released footage of the orbiter taking selfies above the Martian surface which took place on the evening of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Regarding the recent snapshots of the rover, NASA discovered its activity across the Utopia Planitia, the largest impact basin on Mars.

Zhurong Rover Track

Moreover, the HiRise camera spotted that the Zhurong vehicle was traveling using its wheels. The team tracked that it was traversing a dusty terrain and it appears that it was tracing its path back and forth.

There's another interesting thing to take note of for this discovery. For a close-up view, NASA released an image of the path where the Chinese space robot crossed. The top-view picture showed that there are several tracks on the way, extending its coverage for about 1 mile from its starting point.

At the moment, the Chinese space agency was looking forward to an extended trip for Zhurong after it successfully endured a hard mission that lasted for three months.

Somehow, this is good news for China since this major breakthrough proved that it can move forward to great heights in terms of space exploration and discovery.

Related Article: Elon Musk Thinks China Zhurong Mars Rover's New Video is 'Cool,' Progress Gaining Attention

NASA Snaps Photo of a Pulsar

In other news, Live Science reported that NASA snapped a bizarre photo of what seems to be a "dead" star. The celestial object was reportedly blasting an antimatter particle that extends to 40 trillion miles.

Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Gemini North telescope, the astronomers were able to identify the unusual particle in space. According to them, the sightings of the pulsars are considered to be rare.

For those unfamiliar with them, pulsars are the remains of a giant star that releases "radiation pulses." They are also known for having magnetic fields. The size of a tiny pulsar can be compared to a city, per NASA's statement.

"It's amazing that a pulsar that's only 10 miles across can create a structure so big that we can see it from thousands of light-years away. With the same relative size, if the filament stretched from New York to Los Angeles, the pulsar would be about 100 times smaller than the tiniest object visible to the naked eye," Kavli Institute's Martijn de Vries said in a statement.

Read Also: NASA Brings the Artemis I SLS Rocket to 39B Launch Pad, to Fire its Rockets in Several Weeks



This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The city of Charlottesville is reviewing which nonprofit community organizations will receive funding in next years budget and advocates for some organizations are asking for increases in funding.

City Council awards nonprofits money through the Vibrant Community Fund, which would provide nearly $2.5 million for organizations in the proposed 2023 fiscal year budget.

The current proposed city budget is more than $216.17, a 12.46% increase from the current fiscal year.

Nonprofits seeking city funding apply to the community fund and panel led by the citys Office of Human Services scores the applications using a matrix focusing on services provided and other factors.

This year, applicants were required to include diversity, equity and inclusion statements in their proposals. A group of thirteen panelists scored the applications.

For 2023, the city received 42 applications for operational funding, three new start-up applications and 14 applications from arts and cultural organizations. This is the first year there is a start-up funding opportunity.

Were looking to set aside funds to provide technical support and/or capacity building for these new start-ups for people that are looking to get something off the ground, said Hunter Smith, lead planner for the Vibrant Community Fund and planner with the Department of Human Services.

At a city council budget work session on Thursday, supporters voiced frustration that certain organizations did not receive as much funding as requested. The city received a total of $4,294,585 in community fund requests with $1,796,798 going unfunded in the proposed budget.

Several community members asked City Council to provide more funding for the Public Housing Association of Residents, commonly referred to as PHAR.

I look forward to seeing how this Vibrant Community Fund process can be more equitable. While it is better than in years past  and we certainly appreciate the funding youve given PHAR  it disappoints me that each year an organization that is Black-run, Black-led and services primarily Black people has to continuously ask the city for funding, said Shelby Marie Edwards, executive director of PHAR.

PHAR requested $20,100 for its resident internship program and $40,000 for resident-involved redevelopment. Under the proposed fund budget, PHAR would receive $7,035 for the internship program and $14,000 for redevelopment.

A few members of PHARs internship program spoke about the importance of the program in their lives and why it should be fully funded. The internship program is designed to provide employment opportunities for low income residents, as well as teach residents about local government, public speaking and advocacy.

PHAR has changed my life and has changed the lives of other low income residents, said Allexis Cooper, a program graduate.

Some speakers voiced concerns about cuts to funding for the Legal Aid Justice Center. City Council allocated $300,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to fund an eviction prevention program in partnership with the center.

The center requested $150,000 in Vibrant Community Fund funding for civil legal services, but would only receive $52,500 under the current draft budget. The law center also requested $100,000 for community advocacy on racial equity. Under the proposed recommendation, the center would receive no funds for that request.

We are likely to see a large increase in evictions in the coming month, said Angela Ciolfi, executive director of the legal center. The city received a lot of praise [for the eviction prevention program]. When the city asked us to take on additional work, and therefore additional expenses, it was with the express premise that our existing level of service was not adequate to meet the overwhelming need for eviction defense and prevention. We have taken all those additional cases.

Ciolfi said the funding in the budget recommendation would hurt the anti-eviction effort.

By cutting our Vibrant Community funding in half, the city proposes to undercut its own commitment to protecting the legal rights of low income Charlottesville residents facing eviction, loss of public benefits, debt collection and more, Ciolfi said.

The city is getting closer to setting its 2023 fiscal year budget and will hold its first public hearing on the spending plan and a real estate tax rate on Monday during the regular City Council meeting.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

The city will also hold a community budget forum March 23 at 6 p.m., where community members can ask questions about the budget.

City Council will vote to approve the final budget April 12.

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Apple has reportedly been defrauded out of $10 million by one of its former employees. The federal authorities reported the news that the fraud made use of his supply chain buyer position to gain access to kickbacks.

Former Apple Employee Allegedly Defrauded Company of $10 Million

The fraud was worked by the former employee utilizing his supply chain buyer position in order to gain access to kickbacks. Once the former employee gained access, he would then make Apple pay for the goods and services that weren't delivered.

According to the story by AppleInsider, Dhirenda Prasad was recently charged and had worked with the company since 2008 up until 2018. As per the Internal Revenue Service and prosecutors, Pradas reportedly spent a lot of his time as a buyer being part of the Global Service Supply Chain.

Allegations Against Dhirenda Prasad As Presented in the Lawsuit

While he worked closely with vendors, the allegations exploited his position in Apple by engaging with many schemes designed to defraud the company. With that, Silicon Valley issued a press release detailing that the list of activities includes the following:

Stealing parts

Taking kickbacks

Making the company pay for certain items and services that never happened or were never received

The five charges filed against Prasad include money laundering, fraud, and even tax evasion. All of these cases carry a five to 20 years maximum sentence.

Authorities Given Go Signal to Seize $5 Million in Cash and Property from Prasad

As a result of the fraud, Apple has reportedly lost over $10 million in total due to Prasad's alleged schemes. The official case is yet to begin, and Prasad is now getting ready to face his first court appearance regarding the allegations in the US District Court located in San Jose.

The feds have already obtained permission from the court to seize $5 million from Prasad, both in cash and property. The amount seized from Prasad was done in order to keep Prasad's assets as a "process of crime."

Read Also: Winamp Asks Artists to Design NFTs of Its Original Media Player Offering 20% of the Sale: Company Aims to Sell $450K Worth of NFTs

Two Other Individuals Involved in the Alleged Defraudation of Apple

Prasad is not the only person being linked to the alleged defraud case that made Apple lose $10 million. As of the moment, two other men that were based in California have also been pinpointed to the particular scheme.

As per authorities, the two owned the companies that were supposedly sold to Apple and were involved as conspirators of Prasad when it came to money laundering and fraud. As per authorities, both of them have "admitted their involvement in the case."

The two men linked to Prasad were charged in different federal cases. The case against Prasad, however, is still an unfolding story.

Related Article: Ireland Watchdog Sued for Years of 'Inaction' Over Complaints Regarding Google's Largest Data Breach Ever

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

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Scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

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The "Director of Health" in front of the stage bombarded the authorities with "making money from the epidemic": What is the use of so much money?
Larissa Iwanetz walked up and down Mountain Village for two weeks in solidarity with Ukraine. (Photo by Eva Thomas/Telluride Daily Planet)
Nya Greenstone, from the Center for Mental Health, at a presentation last November in Gunnison. (Courtesy photo)
Hopkins County residents could potentially look to see unemployment rates fall in 2022 as a number of new jobs are expected to arrive in the county by years end. That will be good news for the county, which currently has unemployment rates above both the state and regional averages.

According to numbers released this week by the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, in January, unemployment in Hopkins County fell by roughly 0.2% from here it was during January of 2021.

With a total labor force of 18,109, roughly 5.1% of Hopkins County residents, or 919 individuals, were listed as officially unemployed in the first month of the year. One year ago that number was just slightly higher at 5.3%.

That number is a sharp increase from December, when only 3.9% of the workforce was unemployed, but with seasonal job opportunities, unemployment during the holiday season is always slightly lower.

Hopkins County is fairing a little worse than both the state-wide unemployment percent of 4.5, and in the Pennyrile Area Development District, where the average is 5.0. In PADD, Christian County (5.2) Livingston (6.1) and Muhlenberg (6.4) counties all have higher unemployment percentages.

Currently Hopkins County is looking towards an addition of at least 400 to 500 new good paying industrial jobs by the end of the year, according to Ray Hagerman, President and CEO of the Madisonville Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation.

Right now we have something in the works that is looking really positive for Dawson Springs, Hagerman said. Prior to the tornado, we were in serious negotiations with a company that was interested in the spec building there.

Like three quarters of Dawson Springs, the spec building was completely destroyed by the EF-4 tornado that hit the community on Dec. 10. While that could easily have been a deal breaker, Hagerman thinks that it could actually work out in the communitys favor.

Now that they have a completely clean slate at that location, they are looking to build back twice as big and hire twice as many employees, he said.

Hagerman said there was another currently unnamed company looking to invest around $50 million this year to open a location that will employ 65 to 70 new employees. That development could add another 200 jobs the following year.
Ada, OK (74820)

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Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
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A group of Southern University Law Center students are traveling Sunday to Washington, D.C. to witness the first day of U.S. Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Its the equivalent of Thurgood Marshall, said Joseph Coleman, of Alexandria, a second-year student headed to Washington. I want to be able to say I witnessed history.

Jackson, who would replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer if confirmed by the Senate, is the first African American woman nominated to the high court. U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy, R-Madisonville, is a member of the Senate Judiciary committee and will participate in the initial questioning of Jackson, which begins Monday. If approved by the committee, her nomination will proceed to a vote by the full Senate.

Ebony Cormier, of Baton Rouge, is the mother of four and attends Southern law school at night.

Like Jackson, Cormier grew up in a family of educators who set no limits on her future even as school counselors told her not to set her sights too high.

It gives hope to me and all Black women, Cormier said. It shows that we are qualified for jobs that we werent normally considered for.

The trip is being paid for by a collaboration among Demand Justice, a left of center advocacy group, the National Black Law Student Association, and the Black Public Defender Association. About 100 law students enrolled at 17 law schools and dozens of public defenders from 11 states have been invited.

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In addition to watch parties for the hearings, the students will participate in information sessions about applying for judgeships and jobs as public defenders. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Boulware, of Nevada, who was a federal public defender for 11 years before becoming a judge, is keynote speaker at a dinner Sunday night.

Former Louisiana congressman plays role in historic selection to the U.S. Supreme Court The day obviously belongs to federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, but former Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond says hes humbled to be a p

Jackson is currently a justice on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. If confirmed, Jackson would be the second sitting justice with experience at all levels of the federal court system. She would be the first former public defender to serve on the high court. Jackson also was vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2010-2014.

Its her term on the Sentencing Commission that is raising issues for some Republicans on the committee.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has questions about seven cases in which he said Jackson sentenced child pornography offenders to sentences more lenient than federal guidelines.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded: After weeks of trying hard to find some way to attack Judge Jackson  first saying she was an affirmative action pick, then saying she was the product of dark money, then saying she would be suspect because she was a public defender  a group of far-right Republican senators ... have launched a last-ditch, eve-of-hearing desperation attack on her record on sentencing in sexual offense cases.

Jacksons sentences in all seven of the cases were the same or greater than what the U.S, probation office recommended, according to the White House.
Democratic state Rep. Cedric Glover recently finished his fourth redistricting effort and one theme has flowed through each: If you give partisans the power to draw the lines of their own districts, they will do so in a way that guarantees their party's candidates will be reelected by including constituents who agree with them and excluding those who dont.

What happened in February, what we were doing, was protecting our own jobs, said Glover, also a former mayor of Shreveport. Thats why he filed House Bill 562, which would create an independent commission of everyday citizens to handle reapportionment instead of politicians.

It took Gov. John Bel Edwards only two redistricting sessions to reach Glovers conclusion.

The current process is not working. That is why I am supporting legislation to establish an independent redistricting commission to support the Legislature in reapportionment for future redistricting. Eighteen other states have some type of commission, and I think we should be the 19th, Edwards said last week during his state of state address.

Actually, only eight states operate an independent commission the way HB562 envisions.

Glover proposes a 15-member panel chosen by the Senate, the House, the governor and the Supreme Court. None of the commissioners can hold elective office, be active in party politics or be a lobbyist. The party affiliations of members must be equal. The commission would deliver three alternative maps for each office from which legislators would choose.

Legislature ponders veto override battle over racial makeup of congressional map Legislators have until March 25 to decide whether to challenge the Democratic governors veto of the new maps that would guarantee for another

Edwards signed or allowed to become law without his signature maps drafted during the Feb. 1 to Feb. 18 special redistricting session. But he did veto Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 1 that were identical  with tweaks to match the latest U.S. Census findings  yet 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. That results 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 election during the next 10 years.

Drawing another district that includes enough voters to give a Black candidate a fighting chance likely means flipping one of Louisianas five Republican seats in Congress to a Democrat. Only 2% of the states registered Republicans are African American.

As the Democrats have 11 more members in the 435-seat U.S. House of Representatives, just how these districts are drawn is of great interest to the national parties.

State Rep. John Stefanski, the Crowley Republican who was in charge of Houses redistricting effort and whose GOP-dominated House & Governmental Affairs Committee will hear HB562, said he opposes the idea of an independent commission. Ever since Louisiana joined the Republic, aligning elective offices with changes in the Census has been a political exercise. And somebody has to appoint commission members, which itself is a political exercise, he added.

+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

The Ohio maps, which were drawn by a commission, were thrown out by that states Supreme Court on arguments the panel was dominated by Republican-appointed commissioners whose work product favored GOP congressional candidates.

Gerrymandering has been part of the Republic since its founding, Chris Lamar, legal counsel, said on the website of the Redistricting Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for independent redistricting commissions and other changes they say will increase voter participation. But these days technology allows politicians to pinpoint their voters and create safe districts.

Sophisticated computer programs and databases can organize purchases and consumer decisions into reliable profiles of voters that politicians can use to tailor their messages or judge the desirability of constituents. Do you shop more at Whole Foods or at Walmart? Drive a pickup or a Prius? Subscribe to The Nation or The American Spectator?

Even with the support of Edwards, Glover recognizes that his quest for an independent redistricting panel is an uphill battle.

Because HB562 would change the state Constitution, he needs 70 votes from a House where he couldnt muster 53 votes to support amendments that would have increased African American participation. His three reapportionment bills didnt clear the House & Governmental Affairs Committee.

Well at least have a test, Glover said, and put on record that the current system isnt fair, isnt equitable.
After an evening of downpours, the clouds parted as the whos who of Sydneys philanthropic community descended on Justin Hemmes Vaucluse mansion, The Hermitage, to dig deep for the Sydney Childrens Hospitals Foundation.

Celebrities, rich-listers, socialites and corporate high-flyers were dressed in 1970s glamour for the haute Boheme-themed Silver Party.

Justin Hemmes and Madeline Holtznagel attend The Silver Party, an annual fundraising event for the Sydney Childrens Hospitals Foundation. Credit:Getty Images

The well-heeled crowd that dropped $800 to attend the social and charity event of the season werent shy about daring to bare.

Guests including Aussie John and wife Amber Symond, Camilla Freeman-Topper, Scott and Alina Barlow and Pip Edwards flashed skin, donned turbans, rocked layers of gold jewellery and had no qualms socialising barefoot (there was a no high heel policy).
The television streaming industry is not unlike the magazine scene of the 1970s, says veteran Hollywood producer, Paul Feig, creator of 1990s cult classic Freaks and Geeks and whose directing credits include Nurse Jackie and 30 Rock. Just as the earnest magazine editor in his new series Minx discovers while trying to pitch her radical title The Matriarchy Awakens, competition is stiff in a brave new world saturated with big ideas.

The magazine industry in the 1970s was the big thing, and everyone was trying to get into it, and so you had to really stand out and find a voice that people would latch onto, he explains. Its just like today with streaming. There are so many services and so many places where stuff can get made that youve got to have an extra thing that grabs attention. So I think Minx is a story that is very timely.

Ophelia Lovibond in Minx, a series where feminist idealism is sorely tested.

Created by Desperados writer Ellen Rapoport and directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg (Everythings Gonna Be Okay), Minx is a 10-part retro romp through the Los Angeles erotica publishing world, where feminist writer Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond, Elementary), finds herself accepting an offer from a porn mag king (Jake Johnson, New Girl), to repackage the revolution inside a womens version of Playboy, complete with nude male centrefold.

I fell in love with the character of Joyce, says Feig. To me, shes the new Mary Tyler Moore, who, instead of going into television, goes into nude magazines. Shes this wholesome, idealistic person who has a great thing she wants to do but she cant get it made the way she wants to, and so goes into this other place that she looks down upon, but ends up realising that the people there know what theyre doing too, and they learn from her and she learns from them, and then out of it comes this thing that works.
Grocery prices are set to rise, thanks to a perfect storm of soaring fuel costs and supply disruptions. After a period in which the price of many everyday items like milk and bread actually fell (down, down, prices are down, remember?) this will be a shock to many household budgets.

One of the major factors driving down costs in recent years was the entry of new foreign supermarket brands like Aldi and Costco.

Yall know Im an Aldi fan, after I did an analysis which found it was about 10 per cent cheaper than Coles for my typical shop.

Giant tubs of salted pretzels, rolls and rolls of toilet paper: You have to buy them all in bulk, which can be challenging for single-person or small households. Credit:Dionne Gain

This week, I decided to check out Costco for the first time to run a similar analysis. Ill get to the results of that. But first, here are my top tips for getting the most out of a Costco trip.
In 2018, the community on the Torres Strait island of Mer celebrated the arrival of a new telescope for Tagai State College. The students, eager to learn, brought their families, which included several Elders. Each night, I hosted a different year group so the kids would have an opportunity to share their curiosity about the stars with their families, who inspired their love of the cosmos. The experience for both parties was exciting, but for different reasons.

Most astrophysicists spend their time looking at computer screens when conducting observations with professional telescopes. You would think that astrophysicists would be accustomed to seeing beautifully dark skies, but this is often not the case. However, it is normal for people on Mer. One Elder explained the importance of a concept called purut, a time for family to sleep on the beach under the clear skies where they tell star stories.

Our Culture is Important by Meriam Elder and artist Segar Passi (2012). It shows knowledge of the sky being taught to younger generations. Credit:Courtesy of Segar Passi and Gab Titui

On the remote island, the view of the stars is breathtaking. The clear skies over Mer allow telescope users to see much fainter objects than city dwellers. Unfortunately, most communities do not have telescopes, and most Elders have never looked through one. A trio of children gathered around the telescope, which was focused on Saturn. After a few excited minutes, one child pulled his grandmother over. Holy shit, look at that! she exclaimed. This was the first time in her 60-odd years she had seen the rings of Saturn.

The kids turned to me and pointed to the west. Do you know what that star is? they asked. I nodded and asked if they knew. Thats Iluel, the Evening Star. I think you call it Venus. In the morning we call it Gerger Neseur, one boy pointed and said. The children on Mer know the stars. They know the Meriam (Indigenous) names and most know the Western names, and they know what they mean. It is a perfect illustration of living knowledge.
About two-thirds of NSW schools including 1000 primary schools had at least one case of COVID-19 in the final week of February.

The figures, based on rapid antigen test results notified to Service NSW, have been reported publicly by NSW Health for the first time. It does not include cases diagnosed by PCR testing.

Cherrybrook Technology High School is one of two public schools that has reverted to learning from home because of COVID-19 outbreaks. Credit:Nick Moir

The figures come as the Department of Education confirmed two public high schools have temporarily reverted to home learning due to increased cases impacting a number of year groups.

There are also 10 NSW public schools that currently have a year group learning from home. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, all public schools are open for students who cant learn from home.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It was November 2019 and Sandra Foti had just signed a lease to open Piccolina, a gelato store in Melbournes iconic Degraves Street. Within a few months, she had to decide whether to abandon the lease or hold firm. I didnt want to give up the location wed waited so long for, she says. We thought, look we dont know how bad this pandemics going to get ... but if things are affected in the city, we think that we can ride it out and we know that it will come back eventually. Sandra Foti, owner of Piccolina Gelateria, kept her faith in the CBD, but doesnt think it will recover swiftly. Credit:Simon Schluter Such was her belief in Melbournes resilience that amidst lockdowns, Foti opened another CBD store in Hardware Lane in a shopfront previously occupied by Flight Centre. She ended up having to dig deep for Piccolina to survive and remembers driving into the city and parking right out the front of the Degraves Street store because the city was a ghost town. I dont want to sound negative but I think its going to take years [for Melbourne to recover], I just dont think its going to be next year or the year after, Foti says. It is trending upwards, if everything continues along this trajectory I feel like its positive, but its baby steps. Foti counts herself among the lucky ones as she was able to keep paying wages and did not have to lay off staff. Others were not so fortunate.

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Data from CreditorWatch shows a sharp spike in business collapses in Melbourne during the pandemic. In 2019 there were 200 external administrations in Melbournes CBD, increasing to 225 in 2020 and 319 in 2021. Two years after the coronavirus first hit Melbourne the city is at a turning point, with new rhythms and routines being established as Melburnians adjust to living with the pandemic. Workers are still reluctant to return to city offices and roads are jammed while public transport remains half-full, but there is optimism and opportunity as well as those who live, work and play in the city try to navigate a new future. While Melbournes CBD has suffered, suburbs and local neighbourhoods have boomed, with people working from home accessing businesses and services close to them. Some have gone further still, taking advantage of the shift to flexible work to move to regional Victoria and interstate. In the years before COVID, Melbourne was on track to surpass Sydney by 2026 as the countrys largest city, with its population of 5.16 million predicted to grow to 6.2 million. However these projections and population figures have not been updated since the pandemic, with Victorias population declining for the first time in years, by 0.7 per cent in the year from June 30, 2020.

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Melbournes long economic boom has been hit by sharp drops in economic activity and employment, dragging Victorias economy into recession in 2021 after it shrank by 0.4 per cent, the first time in 30 years it has gone backward. The government is working to get the economy back on track but theres still economic pain ahead, with Victorias budget deficit predicted to blow out to $19.5 billion this financial year. Empty windows The toll of the pandemic is clear in the empty shopfronts and vacancy notices. When Melbournes sixth lockdown ended in October last year, occupancy rates for shops in the city were at 39 per cent. According to data from the City of Melbourne this increased to 78 per cent by February, but the vacancies are still evident in the citys streetscape. Artist Callum Morton has taken hundreds of photos of empty stores around Melbourne and they are being exhibited at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art at the moment. Credit:Joe Armao Artist Callum Morton has spent two years photographing Melbournes empty shopfronts, taking 1400 photographs which are part of an exhibition at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.

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It is a kind of physical manifestation of the reality were going through, he says. You might hear the government say the economys bouncing back or jobs are bouncing back, but then you have this evidence in front of you of a kind of devastation. Morton says each empty shopfront represents a series of connections which had all suffered during the pandemic. In some parts of the city in between Elizabeth and Swanston street has been completely erased almost, he says. You can imagine how difficult that would be for that to return. Artist Callum Morton documents Melbournes empty stores. Credit:Joe Armao The vacancies continue above street level, with many of Melbournes soaring skyscrapers remaining largely empty. Office occupancy data from property lobby group the Property Council shows the city centre sitting at 4 per cent for January. The council warns that after previous lockdowns, occupancy took months to rebound. Since the pandemic began, the highest level they have returned to was 45 per cent. Victorian Chamber of Commerce head Paul Guerra says filling more of the citys offices with workers is essential to the citys recovery.

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Im not suggesting thats going to be five days a week, but I am suggesting that we learnt a rhythm last year around that flexible workplace environment which saw us in the office around three days a week and that was a noticeable difference on the life and the rhythm of the CBD, he says. Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra wants to see more workers back in the city. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Many city workers are enjoying working remotely and question why they should bear the burden of commuting to offices to do a job they can perform just as effectively from home. Anonymised data from mobile towers, app data, public transport data, road network data and census data from analytics company Dspark shows mobility into and within the Melbourne CBD is at around 40 per cent of pre-COVID levels. This is an increase from its lowest lockdown point of 19 per cent, but shows that a significant number of people are still avoiding the city. Architect Rory Hyde, previously a design advocate for Londons Lord Mayor, says Melbourne needs to use art and culture to attract people rather than simply propping up city businesses. I dont really believe in what is sometimes called the sandwich economy, where we need people back in offices so they can buy lunch, he said. That doesnt seem to be a purposeful direction to take a city in. Hyde says more people should be working from home, travelling less and working more flexibly but equally art and culture can be a way to bring life back to the city.

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You only have to walk a few blocks down Swanston Street to see how badly the pandemic, now two years old, has affected Melbournes CBD.

The boarded-up shops and proliferation of for lease signs all too clearly tell the story of hopes dashed and livelihoods ruined. As columnist John Silvester observed yesterday, In Russell Street there is a line of empty shops collecting city grime.

Flinders Lane during the worst of lockdown in 2021. Credit:Getty Images

Those outward impressions of a city down on its luck are backed up by hard data: CreditorWatch estimates there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of businesses collapsing in the CBD in 2021 compared to 2019.

Yet for all the hand-wringing about the future of the CBD and the doubts about whether it would ever rebound to its pre-pandemic self, a clearer picture is now beginning to emerge  and its not all gloom and doom.
Independent MP Zali Steggall has set up an online reporting tool for citizens to report dirty tricks and disinformation in the upcoming federal election and vowed to reintroduce her stop the lies bill to Parliament should she win another term.

The move comes as Wentworth MP Dave Sharma in Sydneys eastern suburbs has cried foul over a sudden surge in his Instagram followers, which he says is an obvious set-up to discredit him and lower his social media engagement. His independent opponent Allegra Spender has denied involvement.

Independent MP Zali Steggall warns this campaign will be rife with dirty tricks. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Last week Mr Sharma was criticised for sending out political brochures in the same teal colour as Ms Spender instead of the traditional Liberal blue, and not including his party affiliation or logo. He defended this, saying no one owns a colour.

Ms Steggall, the MP for Warringah on Sydneys northern beaches, said she was aware of political dirty tricks before she entered politics in 2019, but she was shocked by the lack of regulation to tackle misleading political conduct and advertising.
A Five Dock house on the market for the first time in more than 60 years sold for $3,535,000 on Saturday, with two investors going head-to-head for the home after an earlier stall in the bidding.

More than a dozen buyers turned out to compete for the four-bedroom Federation house at 7 Fairlight Street that some were keen to restore and others wanted to knock down to make way for a duplex or dream family home.

Auctioneer Peter Matthews took offers from five of the 14 registered bidders. Credit:Peter Rae

The 670-square-metre block was one of 830 auctions scheduled in Sydney on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary clearance rate of 68.3 per cent from 564 reported results, while 120 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate.

Despite 14 interested buyers in the crowd, the bidding got off to a slow start, with auctioneer Peter Matthews knocking back an initial opening offer of $2 million  well below buyer feedback of $2.8 million to $3 million.
Staff Reporter

Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times.
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As some people have now been vaccinated for more than half a year, evidence is pouring in about Covid vaccine efficacy. When evaluating vaccine efficacy, it is important to distinguish between efficacy against infection, symptomatic disease, and transmission versus efficacy against hospitalization and death. For infection and symptomatic disease, the COVID-19 vaccines are not as efficacious as hoped, with immunity gradually waning after a few months. For hospitalization and death, immunity is stronger, lasting for at least six months.

The gestalt of the findings implies that the infection explosion globally that we have been experiencingpost double vaccination in e.g. Israel, UK, United States, etc.may be due to the vaccinated spreading Covid as much or more than the unvaccinated.

A natural question to ask is whether vaccines with limited capacity to prevent symptomatic disease may drive the evolution of more virulent strains? In a PLoS Biology article from 2015, Read et al. observed that:

Conventional wisdom is that natural selection will remove highly lethal pathogens if host death greatly reduces transmission. Vaccines that keep hosts alive but still allow transmission could thus allow very virulent strains to circulate in a population.

Hence, rather than the unvaccinated putting the vaccinated at risk, it could theoretically be the vaccinated that are putting the unvaccinated at risk, but we have not yet seen any evidence for that.

Here I summarize studies and reports that shed light on vaccine induced immunity against Covid. They highlight the problems with vaccine mandates that are currently threatening the jobs of millions of people. They also raise doubts about the arguments for vaccinating children.

1) Gazit et al. out of Israel showed that SARS-CoV-2-naive vaccinees had a 13-fold (95% CI, 8-21) increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those previously infected. When adjusting for the time of disease/vaccine, there was a 27-fold increased risk (95% CI, 13-57).

2) Ignoring the risk of infection, given that someone was infected, Acharya et al. found no significant difference in cycle threshold values between vaccinated and unvaccinated, asymptomatic and symptomatic groups infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta.

3) Riemersma et al. found no difference in viral loads when comparing unvaccinated individuals to those who have vaccine breakthrough infections. Furthermore, individuals with vaccine breakthrough infections frequently test positive with viral loads consistent with the ability to shed infectious viruses. Results indicate that if vaccinated individuals become infected with the delta variant, they may be sources of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to others. They reported low Ct values (<25) in 212 of 310 fully vaccinated (68%) and 246 of 389 (63%) unvaccinated individuals. Testing a subset of these low-Ct samples revealed infectious SARS-CoV-2 in 15 of 17 specimens (88%) from unvaccinated individuals and 37 of 39 (95%) from vaccinated people.

4) In a study from Qatar, Chemaitelly et al. reported vaccine efficacy (Pfizer) against severe and fatal disease, with efficacy in the 85-95% range at least until 24 weeks after the second dose. As a contrast, the efficacy against infection waned down to around 30% at 15-19 weeks after the second dose.

5) From Wisconsin, Riemersma et al. reported that vaccinated individuals who get infected with the Delta variant can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. They found an elevated viral load in the unvaccinated and vaccinated symptomatic persons (68% and 69% respectively, 158/232 and 156/225). Moreover, in the asymptomatic persons, they uncovered elevated viral loads (29% and 82% respectively) in the unvaccinated and the vaccinated respectively. This suggests that the vaccinated can be infected, harbor, cultivate, and transmit the virus readily and unknowingly.

6) Subramanian reported that at the country-level, there appears to be no discernable relationship between percentage of population fully vaccinated and new COVID-19 cases. When comparing 2947 counties in the United States, there were slightly less cases in more vaccinated locations. In other words, there is no clear discernable relationship .

7) Chau et al. looked at transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant among vaccinated healthcare workers in Vietnams. Of 69 healthcare workers that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 62 participated in the clinical study, all of whom recovered. For 23 of them, complete-genome sequences were obtained, and all belonged to the Delta variant. Viral loads of breakthrough Delta variant infection cases were 251 times higher than those of cases infected with old strains detected between March-April 2020.

8) In Barnstable, Massachusetts, Brown et al found that among 469 cases of COVID-19, 74% were fully vaccinated, and that the vaccinated had on average more virus in their nose than the unvaccinated who were infected.

9) Reporting on a nosocomial hospital outbreak in Finland, Hetemali et al. observed that both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections were found among vaccinated health care workers, and secondary transmission occurred from those with symptomatic infections despite use of personal protective equipment.

10) In a hospital outbreak investigation in Israel, Shitrit et al. observed high transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant among twice vaccinated and masked individuals. They added that this suggests some waning of immunity, albeit still providing protection for individuals without comorbidities.

11) In the UK COVID-19 vaccine Surveillance Report for week #42, it was noted that there is waning of the N antibody response over time and that N antibody levels appear to be lower in individuals who acquire infection following 2 doses of vaccination. The same report (Table 2, page 13), shows the in the older age groups above 30, the double vaccinated persons have greater infection risk than the unvaccinated, presumably because the latter group include more people with stronger natural immunity from prior Covid disease. As a contrast, the vaccinated people had a lower risk of death than the unvaccinated, across all age groups, indicating that vaccines provide more protection against death than against infection. See also UK PHE reports 43, 44, 45, 46 for similar data.

12) In Israel, Levin et al. conducted a 6-month longitudinal prospective study involving vaccinated health care workers who were tested monthly for the presence of anti-spike IgG and neutralizing antibodies. They found that six months after receipt of the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, humoral response was substantially decreased, especially among men, among persons 65 years of age or older, and among persons with immunosuppression.

13) In a study from New York State, Rosenberg et al. reported that During May 3July 25, 2021, the overall age-adjusted vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization in New York was relatively stable 89.5%95.1%). The overall age-adjusted vaccine effectiveness against infection for all New York adults declined from 91.8% to 75.0%.

14) Suthar et al. noted that Our data demonstrate a substantial waning of antibody responses and T cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, at 6 months following the second immunization with the BNT162b2 vaccine.

15) In a study from Umea University in Sweden, Nordstrom et al. observed that vaccine effectiveness of BNT162b2 against infection waned progressively from 92% (95% CI, 92-93, P<0001) at day 15-30 to 47% (95% CI, 39-55, P<0001) at day 121-180, and from day 211 and onwards no effectiveness could be detected (23%; 95% CI, -2-41, P=007).

16) Yahi et al. have reported that in the case of the Delta variant, neutralizing antibodies have a decreased affinity for the spike protein, whereas facilitating antibodies display a strikingly increased affinity. Thus, antibody dependent enhancement may be a concern for people receiving vaccines based on the original Wuhan strain spike sequence.

17) Goldberg et al. (BNT162b2 Vaccine in Israel) reported that immunity against the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 waned in all age groups a few months after receipt of the second dose of vaccine.

18) Singanayagam et al. examined the transmission and viral load kinetics in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals with mild delta variant infection in the community. They found that (in 602 community contacts (identified via the UK contract-tracing system) of 471 UK COVID-19 index cases were recruited to the Assessment of Transmission and Contagiousness of COVID-19 in Contacts cohort study and contributed 8145 upper respiratory tract samples from daily sampling for up to 20 days) vaccination reduces the risk of delta variant infection and accelerates viral clearance. Nonetheless, fully vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infections have peak viral load similar to unvaccinated cases and can efficiently transmit infection in household settings, including to fully vaccinated contacts.

19) Keehner et al. in NEJM, has recently reported on the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a highly vaccinated health system workforce. Vaccination with mRNA vaccines began in mid-December 2020; by March, 76% of the workforce had been fully vaccinated, and by July, the percentage had risen to 87%. Infections had decreased dramatically by early February 2021coincident with the end of Californias mask mandate on June 15 and the rapid dominance of the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant that first emerged in mid-April and accounted for over 95% of UCSDH isolates by the end of July, infections increased rapidly, including cases among fully vaccinated personsresearchers reported that the dramatic change in vaccine effectiveness from June to July is likely to be due to both the emergence of the delta variant and waning immunity over time.

20) Juthani et al. sought to describe the impact of vaccination on admission to hospital in patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection using real-world data collected by the Yale New Haven Health System. Patients were considered fully vaccinated if the final dose (either second dose of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273, or first dose of Ad.26.COV2.S) was administered at least 14 days before symptom onset or a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. In total, we identified 969 patients who were admitted to a Yale New Haven Health System hospital with a confirmed positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2Researchers reported a higher number of patients with severe or critical illness in those who received the BNT162b2 vaccine than in those who received mRNA-1273 or Ad.26.COV2.S

21) A very recent study published by the CDC reported that a majority (53%) of patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19-like illnesses were already fully vaccinated with two-dose RNA shots. Table 1 reveals that among the 20,101 immunocompromised adults hospitalized with Covid-19, 10,564 (53%) were fully-vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (Vaccination was defined as having received exactly 2 doses of an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine 14 days before the hospitalization index date, which was the date of respiratory specimen collection associated with the most recent positive or negative SARS-CoV-2 test result before the hospitalization or the hospitalization date if testing only occurred after the admission). This highlights the ongoing challenges faced with Delta breakthrough when vaccinated.

22) Eyre, 2021 looked at The impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on Alpha & Delta variant transmission. They reported that while vaccination still lowers the risk of infection, similar viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with Delta question how much vaccination prevents onward transmission transmission reductions declined over time since second vaccination, for Delta reaching similar levels to unvaccinated individuals by 12 weeks for ChAdOx1 and attenuating substantially for BNT162b2. Protection from vaccination in contacts also declined in the 3 months after second vaccinationvaccination reduces transmission of Delta, but by less than the Alpha variant.

23) Levine-Tiefenbrun, 2021 looked at Viral loads of Delta-variant SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections after vaccination and booster with BNT162b2, and reported the viral load reduction effectiveness declines with time after vaccination, significantly decreasing at 3 months after vaccination and effectively vanishing after about 6 months.

24) Puranik, 2021 looked at a Comparison of two highly-effective mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 during periods of Alpha and Delta variant prevalence, reporting In July, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization has remained high (mRNA-1273: 81%, 95% CI: 3396.3%; BNT162b2: 75%, 95% CI: 2493.9%), but effectiveness against infection was lower for both vaccines (mRNA-1273: 76%, 95% CI: 5887%; BNT162b2: 42%, 95% CI: 1362%), with a more pronounced reduction for BNT162b2.

25) Saade, 2021 looked at Live virus neutralization testing in convalescent patients and subjects vaccinated against 19A, 20B, 20I/501Y.V1 and 20H/501Y.V2 isolates of SARS-CoV-2, and reported as Assessed the neutralizing capacity of antibodies to prevent cell infection, using a live virus neutralization test with different strains [19A (initial one), 20B (B.1.1.241 lineage), 20I/501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7 lineage), and 20H/501Y.V2 (B.1.351 lineage)] in serum samples collected from different populations: two-dose vaccinated COVID-19-naive healthcare workers (HCWs; Pfizer-BioNTech BNT161b2), 6-months post mild COVID-19 HCWs, and critical COVID-19 patients finding of the present study is the reduced neutralizing response observed towards the 20H/501Y.V2 variant in fully immunized subjects with the BNT162b2 vaccine by comparison to the wild type and 20I/501Y.V1 variant.

26) Canaday, 2021 looked at Significant reduction in humoral immunity among healthcare workers and nursing home residents 6 months after COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination, reporting Anti-spike, anti-RBD and neutralization levels dropped more than 84% over 6 months time in all groups irrespective of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. At 6 months post-vaccine, 70% of the infection-naive NH residents had neutralization titers at or below the lower limit of detection compared to 16% at 2 weeks after full vaccination. These data demonstrate a significant reduction in levels of antibody in all groups. In particular, those infection-naive NH residents had lower initial post-vaccination humoral immunity immediately and exhibited the greatest declines 6 months later.

27) Israel, 2021 looked at Large-scale study of antibody titer decay following BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine or SARS-CoV-2 infection, and reported as To determine the kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine, or SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated individualsIn vaccinated subjects, antibody titers decreased by up to 40% each subsequent month while in convalescents they decreased by less than 5% per month. Six months after BNT162b2 vaccination 16.1% subjects had antibody levels below the sero-positivity threshold of <50 AU/mL, while only 10.8% of convalescent patients were below <50 AU/mL threshold after 9 months from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

28) Eyran, 2020 examined The longitudinal kinetics of antibodies in COVID-19 recovered patients over 14 months, and found a significantly faster decay in naive vaccinees compared to recovered patients suggesting that the serological memory following natural infection is more robust compared to vaccination. Our data highlights the differences between serological memory induced by natural infection vs. vaccination.

29) Salvatore et al. examined the transmission potential of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a federal prison, July-August 2021. They found a total of 978 specimens were provided by 95 participants, of whom 78 (82%) were fully vaccinated and 17 (18%) were not fully vaccinated.clinicians and public health practitioners should consider vaccinated persons who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 to be no less infectious than unvaccinated persons.

30) Andeweg et al. analyzed 28,578 sequenced SARS-CoV-2 samples from individuals with known immune status obtained through national community testing in the Netherlands from March to August 2021. They found evidence for an increased risk of infection by the Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), or Delta (B.1.617.2) variants compared to the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant after vaccination. No clear differences were found between vaccines. However, the effect was larger in the first 14-59 days after complete vaccination compared to 60 days and longer. In contrast to vaccine-induced immunity, no increased risk for reinfection with Beta, Gamma or Delta variants relative to Alpha variant was found in individuals with infection-induced immunity.

31) Di Fusco et al. conducted an evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections among immunocompromised patients fully vaccinated with BNT162b2. COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections were examined in fully vaccinated (14 days after 2nd dose) IC individuals (IC cohort), 12 mutually exclusive IC condition groups, and a non-IC cohort. They found thatof 1,277,747 individuals 16 years of age who received 2 BNT162b2 doses, 225,796 (17.7%) were identified as IC (median age: 58 years; 56.3% female). The most prevalent IC conditions were solid malignancy (32.0%), kidney disease (19.5%), and rheumatologic/inflammatory conditions (16.7%). Among the fully vaccinated IC and non-IC cohorts, a total of 978 breakthrough infections were observed during the study period; 124 (12.7%) resulted in hospitalization and 2 (0.2%) were inpatient deaths. IC individuals accounted for 38.2% (N = 374) of all breakthrough infections, 59.7% (N = 74) of all hospitalizations, and 100% (N = 2) of inpatient deaths. The proportion with breakthrough infections was 3 times higher in the IC cohort compared to the non-IC cohort (N = 374 [0.18%] vs. N = 604 [0.06%]; unadjusted incidence rates were 0.89 and 0.34 per 100 person-years, respectively.

32) Mallapaty (NATURE) reported that the protective effect of being vaccinated if you already had infection is relatively small, and dwindles alarmingly at three months after the receipt of the second shot. Mallapaty further adds what we have been warning the public health community which is that persons infected with Delta have about the same levels of viral genetic materials in their noses regardless of whether theyd previously been vaccinated, suggesting that vaccinated and unvaccinated people might be equally infectious. Mallapaty reported on testing data from 139,164 close contacts of 95,716 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 between January and August 2021 in the United Kingdom, and at a time when the Alpha and Delta variants were competing for dominance. The finding was that although the vaccines did offer some protection against infection and onward transmission, Delta dampened that effect. A person who was fully vaccinated and then had a breakthrough Delta infection was almost twice as likely to pass on the virus as someone who was infected with Alpha. And that was on top of the higher risk of having a breakthrough infection caused by Delta than one caused by Alpha.

33) Chia et al. reported that PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values were similar between both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups at diagnosis, but viral loads decreased faster in vaccinated individuals. Early, robust boosting of anti-spike protein antibodies was observed in vaccinated patients, however, these titers were significantly lower against B.1.617.2 as compared with the wildtype vaccine strain.

34) Wilhelm et al. reported on reduced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant by vaccine sera and monoclonal antibodies. in vitro findings using authentic SARS-CoV-2 variants indicate that in contrast to the currently circulating Delta variant, the neutralization efficacy of vaccine-elicited sera against Omicron was severely reduced highlighting T-cell mediated immunity as essential barrier to prevent severe COVID-19.

35) CDC reported on the details for 43 cases of COVID-19 attributed to the Omicron variant. They found that 34 (79%) occurred in persons who completed the primary series of an FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine 14 days before symptom onset or receipt of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result.

36) Dejnirattisai et al. presented live neutralisation titres against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, and examined it relative to neutralisation against the Victoria, Beta and Delta variants. They reported a significant drop in neutralisation titres in recipients of both AZD1222 and BNT16b2 primary courses, with evidence of some recipients failing to neutralise at all.

37) Cele et al. assessed whether Omicron variant escapes antibody neutralization elicited by the Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in people who were vaccinated only or vaccinated and previously infected. They reported that Omicron variant still required the ACE2 receptor to infect but had extensive escape of Pfizer elicited neutralization.

38) Holm Hansen et al.s Denmark study looked at vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection with the Omicron or Delta variants following a two-dose or booster BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccination series. A key finding was reported as VE against Omicron was 55.2% initially following primary BNT162b2 vaccination, but waned quickly thereafter. Although estimated with less precision, VE against Omicron after primary mRNA-1273 vaccination similarly indicated a rapid decline in protection. By comparison, both vaccines showed higher, longer-lasting protection against Delta. In other words, the vaccine that has failed against Delta is even far worse for Omicron. The table and figure below paint a devastating picture. See where the green dot is (Omicron variant) in the vertical lines (blue is Delta) and the 2 edges of the bars (upper and lower lips) 91 days out for Omicron (3 months). Both Pfizer and Moderna show negative efficacy for Omicron at 31 days (both are below the line of no effect or 0). The comparative table is even more devastating for it shows how much less vaccine effectiveness there is for Omicron. For example, at 1-30 days, Pfizer showed 55.2% effectiveness for Omicron versus 86.7% for Delta, and for the same period, Moderna showed 36.7% effectiveness for Omicron versus 88.2% for Delta.

39) UK reporting showed that boosters protect against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by Omicron for about 10 weeks; the UK Health Security Agency reported protection against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the variant dropped from 70% to 45% following a Pfizer booster for those initially vaccinated with the shot developed by Pfizer with BioNTech. Specifically reporting by the UK Health Security Agency showed Among those who received an AstraZeneca primary course, vaccine effectiveness was around 60% 2 to 4 weeks after either a Pfizer or Moderna booster, then dropped to 35% with a Pfizer booster and 45% with a Moderna booster by 10 weeks after the booster. Among those who received a Pfizer primary course, vaccine effectiveness was around 70% after a Pfizer booster, dropping to 45% after 10-plus weeks and stayed around 70 to 75% after a Moderna booster up to 9 weeks after booster.

40) Buchan et al. used a test-negative design to assess vaccine effectiveness against OMICRON or DELTA variants (regardless of symptoms or severity) during November 22 and December 19, 2021. They included persons who had received at least 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses (with at least 1 mRNA vaccine dose for the primary series) and applied multivariable logistic regression modelling analysis to estimate the effectiveness of two or three doses by time since the latest dose. They included 3,442 Omicron-positive cases, 9,201 Delta-positive cases, and 471,545 test-negative controls. Following 2 doses, vaccine effectiveness against Delta infection declined steadily over time but recovered to 93% (95%CI, 92-94%) 7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose. In contrast, receipt of 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines was not protective against Omicron. Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was 37% (95%CI, 19-50%) 7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose.

41) Public Health Scotland COVID-19 & Winter Statistical Report ( Publication date: 19 January 2022) provided startling data on page 38 (case rates), page 44 (hospitalization), and page 50 (deaths), showing that the vaccination has failed Delta but critically, is failing omicron. The 2nd inoculation data is of particular concern. Table 14 age-standardized case data is very troubling for it shows across the multiple weeks of study that across each dose (1 vs 2 vs 3 booster inoculations) that the vaccinated are greatly more infected than the unvaccinated, with the 2nd dose being alarmingly elevated (see grey rows). Age-standardized rates of acute hospital admissions are stunningly elevated after 2nd inoculation (over the unvaccinated) during January 2022. Looking at table 16 that reports on the number of confirmed COVID-19 related deaths by vaccination status, we again observe massive elevation in death at the 2ndinoculation. This data indicates to us that the vaccine is associated with infection and is not optimally working against omicron and that the protection is limited, waning rapidly.

42) The UKs COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report Week 3, 20 January 2022, raises very serious concern as to the failure of the vaccines on Delta (which is basically now being replaced by omicron for dominance) and omicron. When we look at table 9, page 34 (COVID-19 cases by vaccination status between week 51 2021 and week 2 2022), we see greater case numbers for the 2nd and 3rd inoculations. The important table on page 38, Figure 12 (unadjusted rates of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations) shows us a continual pattern in the UK data over the last 2 to 3 to 4 months, with the present reporting showing that persons in receipt of the 3rd inoculation (booster) at far greater risk of infection/cases than the unvaccinated (30 years of age and above age strata).

43) In the recent UK Public Health surveillance reports Week 9, Week 8, as well as week 7 (UK COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report Week 7 17 February 2022), week 6 (COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report Week 6 10 February 2022) and week 5 for 2022 (COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report Week 5 3 February 2022) as well as the reports accumulated for 2021 since vaccine roll-out, we see that the vaccinated are at higher risk of infection and especially for age groups above 18 years old, as well as hospitalization and even death. This is particularly marked for those in receipt of double vaccinations. There is increased risk of death for those who are triple vaccinated and especially as age increases. The same pattern emerges in the Scottish data.

44.) Regev-Yochay et al. in Israel looked at (publication date March 16th 2022) the immunogenicity and safety of a fourth dose (4th) of either BNT162b2 (PfizerBioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) administered 4 months after the third dose in a series of three BNT162b2 doses). This was an open-label, nonrandomized clinical study assessing the 4th dose in terms of need beyond the 3rd dose. Among the 1050 eligible health care workers enrolled in the Sheba HCW COVID-19 Cohort, 154 received the fourth dose of BNT162b2 and, 1 week later, 120 received mRNA-1273. For each participant, two age-matched controls were selected from the remaining eligible participants.

Researchers further reported that overall, 25.0% of the participants in the control group were infected with the omicron variant, as compared with 18.3% of the participants in the BNT162b2 group and 20.7% of those in the mRNA-1273 group. Vaccine efficacy against any SARS-CoV-2 infection was 30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9 to 55) for BNT162b2 and 11% (95% CI, 43 to 44) for mRNA-1273most of the infected participants were potentially infectious, with relatively high viral loads (nucleocapsid gene cycle threshold, 25). Results suggest that maximal immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines is achieved after three doses. More specifically, researchers observed low vaccine efficacy against infections in health care workers, as well as relatively high viral loads suggesting that those who were infected were infectious. Thus, a fourth vaccination of healthy young health care workers may have only marginal benefits.

These finding are not unknown to public health authorities. In fact, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky have said that the Covid vaccines are working exceptionally well against severe illness and death, but what they cant do anymore is prevent transmission.

What these studies show, are that vaccines are important to reduce severe disease and death, but unable to prevent the disease from spreading and eventually infect most of us. That is, while the vaccines provide individual benefits to the vaccinee, and especially to older high-risk people, the public benefit of universal vaccination is in grave doubt. As such, Covid vaccines should not be expected to contribute to eliminating the communal spread of the virus or the reaching of herd immunity. This unravels the rationale for vaccine mandates and passports.

From the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and other House Republicans participate in a press conference to discuss the Democrats' spending package at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 2, 2021. (Allison Shelley/Getty Images)

Americas Security Requires Ending Reliance on China Supply Chains: Rep. Harshbarger

One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has made starkly evident is that its urgent for the United States to become better able to serve its own needs in the areas of pharmaceuticals, pandemic readiness, and energy, according to Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.).

Continuing to rely on China, a geopolitical rival with close ties to many U.S. enemies, isnt an option, Harshbarger told the Capitol Report program on NTD, sister media outlet of The Epoch Times, on March 17.

It uncovered the need to be self-reliant with regard to things like personal protective equipment, she said. China is an adversarial nation, and were relying on them for 90 percent of our medications or active pharmaceutical ingredients and our finished products.

We need to make those things in America or use our allies.

In her view, the current reliance on China fails to anticipate possible turns for the worst in U.S.China relations, as well as other potential developments affecting the United States and the world.

If the pandemic rises, or another one [comes along], are we going to be self-sufficient? Do we have what we need to fight that? Im ringing that bell, and Im doing all I can to make the administration aware of these particular issues, she said.

Harshbarger said she had just listened to a doctors caucus meeting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The congresswoman and some of her colleagues had a number of questions on their minds about preparedness, she said.

Why are you not tracking this better? Why are you not letting these repurposed drugs to be used in case of a pandemic? There are so many issues there, but in case that happens, we need to be stocked up. We need to have what we need to fight that pandemic, Harshbarger said.

Elaborating on the issue of U.S. dependence on foreign powers, including hostile ones, Harshbarger asked why the United States would go to Russia, Iran, or Venezuela to buy oil. In her view, the Biden administration wasnt anti-energy so much as anti-American energy. The administration has deliberately made things harder for domestic oil producers by putting red tape in their way and by not approving new leases. Achieving self-sufficiency will require a pivot in favor of stateside production and supply.

Continue to finish the Keystone XL pipeline, go ahead and take restrictions off American energy companies, and let us do what we need to do to be self-sufficient, she said.

Michael Washburn China Reporter Follow Michael Washburn is a New York-based reporter who covers China-related topics. He has a background in legal and financial journalism, and also writes about arts and culture. Additionally, he is the host of the weekly podcast Reading the Globe. His books include The Uprooted and Other Stories, When We're Grownups, and Stranger, Stranger.
New guidelines are being weighed as statins come under greater scrutiny for side effects.(Shidlovski/Shutterstock)

Approval Still out on Latest Statin Guidelines

Some doctors eye drug alternatives amid public hesitancy about statins

Statins have long been a controversial medication in the health world. While some studies say theyre effective at reducing cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease, others highlight the harms and adverse effects that can come with taking the drugs.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which delivers recommendations on statin use, recently drafted guidance to update recommendations that were approved in 2016.

Some medical experts say the recommendations arent rigorous enough, while others say the drugs benefit fewer people than some may think. All of the back and forth highlights newer treatments and the possible efficacy of lifestyle interventions.

The Latest USPSTF Standards

Currently, the USPSTF recommends that people should take a statin if theyre high riskthats between the ages of 40 to 75, with at least one cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, and a 10 percent or greater 10-year risk for CVD. CVD risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, smoking, or high cholesterol.

The current recommendation released in 2016 divides statin recommendations based on the following grades:

B grade: People between 40 and 75 years of age who are at high risk should take a statin.

C grade: People between 40 and 75 years of age who are at increased risk, but not at high risk, may benefit from statins. They should talk with their clinician and decide together if taking a statin is right for them.

The USPSTF says more research is needed on whether people 76 years of age or older should take a statin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke.

This new draft recommendation is consistent with the prior recommendation and reinforces that for some people, taking a statin can help prevent a first heart attack or stroke and prolong life, USPSTF Vice Chair Dr. Carol Mangione told The Epoch Times.

The draft statement is open for comments through March 21. From there, the updated guidelines would have to be approved. The final recommendation statement is then published on the USPSTF website and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Assessing Statins

Dr. Robert S. Danziger, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told The Epoch Times that he agrees with the guidelines, as theyre consistent with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations. However, that guidance is much more detailed on specific patient scenarios and statin recommendations, Danziger said.

Statins are a cornerstone of lipid management and almost always lowers LDL [low-density lipoproteins], he said.

Other medications or alcohol use can exacerbate adverse effects, according to Danziger.

Statins are not for all because some people experience adverse (side) effects, he said.

There are a variety of forms of lipid disorders (such as hypertriglyceridemia), for which statins arent the optimal treatment, according to Danziger. Patients who dont respond positively to statins do have other options. Those with non-severe adverse effects can discontinue the medication and replace it with a modified dose, a different statin, or a combination of statin and non-statin therapy (known as a statin re-challenge).

People at risk for CVD who dont want to start a statin should give them a try.

They are the most established treatment for hypercholesterolemia with elevated LDL, he said.

Some patients undoubtedly benefit from taking statins, according to Danziger. This is true for patients with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), those who have had a previous heart attack, those for a very high risk of ASCVD with severely high LDL-C over 190 mg/dL), and people aged 40 to 75 who have diabetes and LDL of greater than 70 mg/dL.

Statin Alternatives

Statins arent the only option for lowering cholesterol, some doctors say.

There are a variety of alternatives to statins and more are coming, Danziger said.

Other drugs that lower LDL, which is the bad cholesterol, include bile acid sequestrants, ezetimibe, and PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitors.

A new PCSK9 inhibitor on the market is inclisiran (Leqvio), which is an injection taken every six months.

It has a new mechanism which uses the RNA silencing mechanism (RISC) in liver cells to block the production of PCSK9 enzyme, Danziger said.

Lifestyle modifications can lower cholesterol, but not often to the level that most patients and doctors want to see.

Kevin C. Maki, an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Public School of Health, said the USPTF guidelines may be too conservative. His interpretation of evidence aligns more closely with the ACC/AHA recommendations.

Many who dont tolerate a particular statin or dose can tolerate a lower dose or another agent, Maki said.

He advised taking other medications (such as ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, citrate lyase inhibitor, or bile acid sequestrants) in addition to lifestyle modifications.

Other alternatives are alirocumab, evolocumab, and inclisiran, but theyre about $450 per month, so they can be difficult for people to afford, noted Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist from Minnesota.

Klodas pointed out that the USPSTF recommendations are largely in line with the 2018 ACC/AHA cholesterol management guidelines, except that high-intensity statin use isnt specifically recommended for high risk individuals by USPSTF. ACC/AHA guidelines identify high-risk patients as those having a 20 percent or higher risk of a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years. USPSTF identifies high risk as anyone with 10 percent or more, she noted.

One could definitely argue that intensity of statin therapy should go up with increasing riskand I do think this is a potential problem, Klodas told The Epoch Times. In my own practice, I try to get to lower LDL goals with increasing levels of overall CVD risk.

A Battle for Better Health

However, the bigger concern is that neither USPSTF nor ACC/AHA address the real issue: High cholesterol is not caused by a deficiency of statins, Klodas said. High cholesterol is caused in part or in whole by a deficiency of the right foods. And unless you tackle the root cause of the health problem, you will never cure it.

Klodas is also the chief medical officer and founder of Step One Foods, a line of foods designed to lower cholesterol.

In effect, we are using statins to cover up the effects of what we eat, instead of changing the food. It actually makes no sense, she said, noting that statins can benefit certain groups of people, such as those with a history of known coronary or vascular disease, diabetics, and people with familial hypercholesterolemia.

With many people hesitant to take statins, that means there are many people not doing anything to manage high cholesterol, according to Klodas.

What we eat has a tremendous impact on cholesterol levels, with even small changes yielding medication-level LDL reductions in some, she said.

Klodas recommended trying a food-based approach, even to those already on statins.

Statin side effects are dose-dependent, and this may allow you to use lower medication doses to get to the same cholesterol goal, she said. Statins just lower cholesterol. They dont help you lose weight, improve your blood pressure readings, improve blood sugar control, or make you feel better.
Skidpads are used to teach drivers how to react to a loss of control at high speeds, in both wet and dry conditions. (Courtesy of BMW Cars North America)

Australian Consumers Warned of Used Car Scams as Odometer Tampering Surges

The New South Wales state government of Australia is warning residents shopping for used vehicles to be mindful of odometer tampering, after a four-fold increase in the number of fines issued for the offence.

Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos said as used vehicle sales increased during COVID-19, so too had incidents of odometer fraud.

NSW Fair Trading Investigators dished out $112,200 (US$83,000) in fines and 76 penalty notices in 2021 and 2022a huge jump from 22 total penalties in 2020, she said in a release.

Petinos described one case, where a perpetrator removed more than 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) off a 2012 Subaru XV then sold for $32,000 (US$24,000)an $11,000 increase on the original sale price.

In another example, a 2009 Toyota Hilux was resold for five times its sale price$30,980 from $6,000after the odometer reading was reduced by about 280,000 kilometres.

To intentionally rip off a fellow everyday Australian just trying to buy a second-hand car is abhorrent and our NSW Fair Trading inspectors will continue to go after the crooks who think this type of behaviour is OK, Petinos said.

Fair Trade advises consumers to conduct due diligence when buying used vehicles, particularly when the odometer reading seems low for its age.

If it seems too good to be true, it just might be, Petinos said. So its worth taking extra measures to make sure you dont end up with an expensive mistake.

Residents queue up inside their cars for PCR tests at the St Vincents Bondi Beach COVID-19 drive through testing clinic in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 22, 2021. (Mohammad Farooq/AFP via Getty Images)

Perpetrators often change the registration plate and use a third-party individual to sell the vehicle on their behalf, so consumers should check and see the registration paperwork and proof of ownership of the vehicle. It is also important to meet the owner in person and sight their identification.

Used vehicle prices have surged up to 30 percent during the pandemic and the recent catastrophic flooding along the east coast has caused a new wave of demand.

Ajay Bhatia, the managing director of Carsales Australia, previously told The Epoch Times that he believes car prices have plateaued and will remain elevated for the next two years.

Drivers looking for used cars are also being warned that flood-damaged cars are appearing in the market.

In a market like this one where there is a shortage of new car stock and where used cars are not plentiful, if the deal looks too good to be true it probably is, Motor Trades Association of Australia CEO Richard Dudley told the ABC.

He said he had seen cars that were impacted by the east cost floods show up in Western Australia.
Australian COVID-19 Cases Continue to Climb as Vaccine Target Soon Within Reach

Australia will soon reach the milestone of vaccinating 95 percent of the population against COVID-19 but there has been a substantial rise in cases since March, with states registering the highest number of daily infections in more than a month.

The country reported nearly 50,000 cases of COVID-19 on March 18, including 29 deaths. More than 20,000 of those cases are in the state of New South Wales, where there were six deaths.

Of those six people, two had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, three had received two doses, and one had received one dose.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference approving a Pfizer vaccine at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 4, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

To manage the pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in mid-2021 a four-phase plan that was based on achieving herd immunity.

However, herd immunity remains elusive because of the variants that keep popping up, according to Dr. Sean Stevens from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners COVID Working Group.

It is one of the first principles of medicine that any infectious organism is going to mutate over time, he said. You would expect it is going to make it more difficult to achieve herd immunity.

You could have 80 percent of the population vaccinated but if they are vaccinated with a vaccine that doesnt protect from the circulating strain, is that herd immunity?

Authorities have recently stated that as winter approaches, the rising infections from the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 would mean well need a fourth vaccine.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has indicated that the government is considering making this fourth vaccine dose compulsory for older Australians to protect people who might have had waning efficacy from their original boosters.

Meanwhile, thousands of Australians gathered in Queensland on Tuesday in response to the state governments extension of its emergency COVID-19 powers.

During the emergency period, which has been continually extended since the start of the pandemic in 2020 and was recently extended to November, authorities have the power to investigate and enforce penalties for noncompliance with COVID-19 health orders, such as fines and providing for warrants to enter premises. In some limited cases, officers can enter premises without a warrant or consent.

Authorities can also impose compulsory quarantining, movement restrictions, gathering limits, social distancing, and the sharing of confidential information for contact tracing.

Despite the publics outcry, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stood by the extension, saying she was worried that the unvaccinated, who are a minority, would transmit the virus to the elderly, despite consistent evidence the vaccine does not prevent transmission.

I dont think anyone likes to see these vaccination mandates out there, Palaszczuk said. But the reality is we still need to drive up that vaccination rate and we need to protect the community  I dont know whats around the corner.
A phone call took place between two of the worlds most powerful leaders. Its the first time theyve met since the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine. But will the meeting shift the current situation?

A number of Chinese citizens have been charged by U.S. authorities. Theyre accused of spying on American citizens and plotting a deadly car accident.

A Queens lawyers death shocks exiled Chinese dissidents in the United States after he was fatally stabbed by a woman from China.

Chinas pandemic lockdown policies seem to have deja vu. Factories have halted production, and cities are turning into ghost townsall as China battles its worst virus outbreak in two years.

Taiwan is sending more aid for Ukraine. But China isnt happy, as Beijing officials slam the island for what they called taking advantage of the difficulties of others.

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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.
Brazils Supreme Court Orders Telegram to Be Blocked From Country

The Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered social platform Telegram to be suspended and barred from operating in the country until it complies with outstanding court orders.

Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes said that the messaging app has repeatedly failed to follow Brazilian law and failed to comply with court orders to freeze accounts that allegedly spread disinformation, according to a copy of the ruling seen by Reuters.

According to Moraess ruling, Telegram has repeatedly failed to block offending accounts and ignored the courts decisions.

Moraes gave telecoms regulator Anatel 24 hours to implement the suspension, which would stand until Telegram complies with outstanding court orders, pays a series of fines, and presents a country representative before the court.

Anatel said it had forwarded the judicial decision to the entities operating in the regulated sector.

The judge also ordered Apple and Google to help block users on their platforms from being able to use Telegram in Brazil.

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov said in a statement on his Telegram channel that there was an issue with emails between Telegram and the Brazilian Supreme Court, and asked the court to consider delaying its ruling for a few days to allow the company to remedy the situation by appointing a representative in Brazil and setting up a framework to react to future pressing issues like this in an expedited manner.

As a result of this miscommunication, the Court ruled to ban Telegram for being unresponsive, Durov said. On behalf of our team, I apologize to the Brazilian Supreme Court for our negligence. We definitely could have done a better job.

The last 3 weeks have been unprecedented for the world and for Telegram. Our content moderation team was flooded with requests from multiple parties, Durov said.

However, I am certain that once a reliable channel of communication is established, well be able to efficiently process takedown requests for public channels that are illegal in Brazil.

Following the judges ruling, Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro posted on Twitter inviting people to join his Telegram channel.

Our Telegram brings many actions of national interest every day, regrettably omitted by many. Welcome and share the truth, he wrote.

Brazilian Justice Minister Anderson Torres also posted on Twitter, calling Moraess decision monocratic.

Millions of Brazilians being suddenly harmed by a monocratic decision, he wrote. I have already determined to several sectors of [the Ministry of Justice and Public Security] that they immediately study a solution to restore the peoples right to use the social network they want.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Californias Revised Math Framework Still Highly Politicized, Critics Warn

A revised version of Californias proposed new mathematics framework omits some controversial parts from the first draft, but still pushes for equity in math, critics say, which includes teaching political activism to children.

The first draft of the new math framework received widespread pushback from concerned parents and educators during the 60-day public comment period that ended in May 2021. A new public comment period for the revised draft began on March 14 and will continue until May 16.

Michael Malione, a private math tutor and former teacher, founded the grassroots group SaveMath.Net in 2021 after the 11-member State Board of Education released the first draft of the proposed Mathematics Framework for public comment.

Malione told The Epoch Times that most of the sentiment that was controversial in the first draft remains in the second draft.

It injects politics into the math. It was designed with a particular political purpose in mind, and that hasnt changed, he said.

An instructor helps a student with a math assignment at Mathnasium, in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 12, 2021.(John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

In a statement emailed to The Epoch Times, Malione said the second draft uses the words equity and equitable, but never specifically defines what equity means, other than a reference to the second chapter of a position statement of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Addressing equity and access includes both ensuring that all students attain mathematics proficiency and increasing the numbers of students from racial, ethnic, linguistic, gender, and socioeconomic groups who attain the highest levels of mathematics achievement, the statement reads.

A sample lesson in the second draft uses fictitious examples of a struggling two-mom black family, a single white female, and Filipino and LatinX families all earning low wages. The lesson asks students to determine if the pay is fair based on housing costs in different cities. If students determine the wages are unfair, teachers are urged to invite community stakeholders, such as labor unions, to speak at their schools. Teachers are then asked to encourage their students to take a social justice activist stance and write letters to elected government officials demanding higher wages.

However, the lesson doesnt cover any political counterarguments, such as the argument that minimum wage hikes can lead to layoffs when business owners and corporate executives cut staff to cover increased labor costs.

Throughout many of the examples given in the framework, and by virtue of the way its structured, there appears to be more emphasis on consciousness-raising than there is on teaching the subject content of mathematics, Malione wrote.

The second draft, like the original, calls for math lessons that rely much more extensively on mathematically unnecessary and wordy language  while claiming they have the interests of English Language Learner students at heart.

A child works with a math tutor in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The proposed framework also discourages intervention and early remediation for students who need help and puts student engagement way ahead of mathematical content, he said.

Students in school districts who dont follow the new framework would be at an advantage over those who do because they would have the opportunity to learn standards-based math content rather than vaguely defined big ideas mentioned in the framework, according to Malione.

Political Dogma

Bill Evers, director of the Center on Educational Excellence at the Independent Institute and former research fellow at the Hoover Institution, told The Epoch Times that he agrees that the revised draft of the new math framework remains highly politicized.

They left in the political stuff, he said. They watered it down a little bit, but its still quite political.

They still want the teachers to be social justice warriors themselves, and they want them to turn out new social justice warriors and environmental activists.

Evers said the new draft is notably improved, but that the math curriculum focuses too much on dogma about politics and dogma about how to teach math, and that many of the math problems are still framed in the context of social and environmental issues.

In chapter two of the framework, Teaching for Equity and Engagement, a fifth-grade teacher is considered exemplary for promoting sociopolitical consciousness, according to Evers.

Teachers can take a justice-oriented perspective at any grade level, K12, helping students feel a sense of belonging  and empowering them with tools to address important issues in their lives and communities, the curriculum reads.

Students at Hewes Middle School leave for the day in Tustin, Calif., on Aug. 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Chapter one of the framework, Mathematics for All, encourages teachers to have students do exercises that involve patterns, games, or real-world contexts, such as environmental or social justice.

Evers, who served as U.S. assistant secretary of education during the George W. Bush administration and was selected as an adviser for the U.S. Department of Education in former President Donald Trumps transition team in 2016, said the politicization of math will only distract students from excelling in their studies, including ethnic minority students.

The Independent Institute sent an open letter signed by more than 1,200 experts, including professors, business professionals, and venture capitalists to California Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 13, 2021. The letter demanded that the State Board of Education and the Instructional Quality Commission revise the first draft of the proposed math framework.

Evers said on March 15 that the letter appears to have persuaded the state to back off from its original proposal that would have hindered advanced studentsincluding ethnic minoritiesfrom excelling to higher levels of learning in mathematics.

In some schools and in some school districts, the students who are capable of exceeding advanced work are put in pullout groups or separate lanes in math if theyre doing well and can handle advanced work. In other school districts, everyone is mixed together, Evers said.

The first draft of the framework would have forbidden separate math groups and forced all students into one large heterogeneously mixed group, he said. The second draft would allow some differentiated grouping, so a seventh-grade student capable of doing high school math wouldnt be held back because another student in the same class is working at a third-grade level.

A student works on a math assignment at Mathnasium, in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 12, 2021.(John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The California Department of Education (CDE) didnt respond to inquiries about equity in math. However, it states on its website that equity influences all aspects of the proposed math framework. It defines equity within the context of the mathematics framework as an aim  to respond to the structural barriers put in the place of mathematics success.

The CDE states that the overarching principles that guide work toward equity in mathematics include the ideas that all students deserve powerful mathematics; high-level mathematics achievement is not dependent on rare natural gifts, but rather can be cultivated; [and] access to an engaging and humanizing educationa socio-cultural, human endeavoris a universal right.

Critical Mathematics

Evers, who holds a doctoral degree in political science, recently co-authored a paper, Critical Math Doesnt Add Up: Race Consciousness and Radical Egalitarianism in the Curriculum, with Zeev Wurman, a research fellow at the Independent Institute and a former U.S. Department of Education senior policy adviser.

The paper examines the doctrine of those behind the push for critical or equitable mathonce known as radical math, an idea that has been around for decades. Opponents of this kind of woke math argue that it promotes forced outcomes of equity, rather than embracing the traditional U.S. approach of equal opportunity.

In his research, Evers noted that many critical math advocates believe that conventional math is inherently political, rife with issues of domination and power, and serves nationalism, xenophobia, militarism, and racial capitalism.

Proponents of critical math claim that children can only make sense of mathematics if they do so based on specific examples from their own lives and social interactions and that math is used to advance or block a particular agenda. They argue that math is so inextricably bound up with social conflict, that teachers should encourage students to challenge the use of math by those who dominate American society, according to Everss research.

Experts say this approach is related to aspects of critical race theory (CRT), which teaches students to view the world through a critical lens based on race and reject systemic racism. It also encourages students to become anti-racist social justice activists.

Demonstrators gather in front of Los Alamitos Unified School District Headquarters in protest of critical race theory teachings in Los Alamitos, Calif., on May 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Proponents, including teachers unions, believe that teaching the tenets of CRT will create a better global society based on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), while opponents believe it pushes neo-Marxist ideology.

James Lindsay, who holds a doctoral degree in Mathematics and is considered to be a leading authority on critical race theory (CRT), told The Epoch Times that introducing equity to math changes it into social theory.

Equity means socialism, Lindsay said. It is literally just a rebranding of socialism.

The equity agenda calls for an administered economy that redistributes shares to create equal outcomes, and that, he said, is the definition of socialism.

Youre not teaching math. Youre teaching something elseand that something else is Marxism, Lindsay said.

His latest book, Race Marxism: The Truth about Critical Race Theory and Praxis, condemns CRT as a reinvention of Marxism that uses race as the central construct for understanding inequality in place of economic class.

When activists demand social justice, theyre really talking about communism, Lindsay said. But many people dont believe this, even when the linguistic fog of war around social justice is lifted.

Chinese Californians protest against Critical Race Theory (CRT) education on April 26, 2021. (Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times)

The model of equity theyre talking about comes out of the field of public administration, and its called social equity theory, he said. Social equity is supposed to transform in the long run into social justice when its been enforced long enough, but thats exactly [Karl] Marxs vision for how socialism becomes communism.

The Californians for Equal Rights Foundation (CFER) has urged parents and concerned citizens to reject the second draft of the framework.

Amidst a crisis of low performance in Californias public education, the State Department of Education has chosen to disregard broad-based demands for quality and excellence by insisting on pushing a new math framework wrapped in equity, CFER President Frank Xu said in a March 15 statement.

CFER has rejected attempts to replace a merit-based education system with an equity-based model and opposes the second draft of the new math framework because its pedagogically and ideologically aligned with the dogma of equity, according to the statement.

The essence of such an anti-merit statewide framework is to lower standards in the name of equal outcomes, which could have disastrous ramifications on the quality of public education. The world is rapidly changing. America needs competent engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and other STEM talents, more than ever. We simply cant allow public education to keep spinning downwards, Xu said.
Call for Changes to Disaster Funding Systems in Australia

Politicians in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have called for a tailor-made disaster funding system to deal with the flood crisis as current structures have failed to meet the expectations of the states flood-stricken communities.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the current structure for distributing relief funds had not functioned the way it should, and there were many instances of the federal government not delivering support to impacted communities.

Keans remarks come after the federal government added the Tweed Shire, Ballina, Byron and Kyogle areas to the list of regions receiving extra funding on March 17.

The current framework for getting disaster relief money out the door obviously hasnt worked in this instance, the state treasurer said on March 17.

There are a number of areas where its been very successful, but we know some communities  have been left out of the existing framework, he said.

Kean said NSW needed a system that was specifically made to meet the needs of communities.

The cost of the flood crisis was anticipated to go far above the $5 billion (US$3.7 billion) bill left by the 2019-20 bushfire disaster to the NSW government, he said.

Kean also mentioned that the government had already allocated $1 billion in flood funding, and affected areas could now apply for further support.

Hawkesbury River are pictured in the Windsor suburb of Sydney, Australia, on March 9, 2022. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Furthermore, the federal government announced on March 17 that residents in the councils of Tweed, Byron, Kyogle and Ballina would be able to receive two extra disaster recovery payments.

Minister for Emergency Management Bridget McKenzie said the federal government was carrying out the additional support in the fastest possible time after it figured out the full scale of the catastrophe.

Many media outlets reported on March 17 that the flood relief package, which has a value of up to $1 billion and derives from the joint funds of the NSW and federal governments, was delayed due to Prime Minister Scott Morrisons tour of Western Australia.

The prime minister refuted the allegations, and said that he got the proposal from NSW on the night of March 15 and then had a discussion with the attorney-general and the cabinets national security committee to work through the details.

That is the normal process, and as I indicated to the premier well be turning that around as quickly as possible, Morrison said.

Earlier, NSW Coalition MP Catherine Cusack said that she would resign from the party in protest of the federal government allocating disaster payments according to the Coalitions political purposes.

In particular, the government initially distributed funds to the Lismore, Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley areas, which are the Coalition seats. However, Labor-held councils Byron, Ballina and Tweed Shires did not get the share.

NSW Nationals member of the Legislative Assembly Geoff Provest, who represents the Tweed electorate, said he no longer believed in the leadership ability of the prime minister.

Australian Defence Force personnel clean up flood damage in Milton in Brisbane, Australia, on March 10, 2022. (Jono Searle/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the federal government announced on March 17 that further funding worth $9 million was available for northern NSW and Queensland.

The immediate financial and material losses associated with the floods has significantly impacted many peoples ability to access food and clothing, and to pay bills and manage debt, Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said in a statement.
Capitol Report (March 18): U.S. Targets Russia-China

Leaders of the worlds largest economies talked for two hours Friday. What did they say? And what opportunities and dangers does it create amid war in Ukraine?

Following President Joe Bidens phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, we get a reaction from lawmakers on the threat China poses and reaction to the Chinese Communist Party steering an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait shortly before Biden and Xi spoke.

Congressman Pete Stauber from resource-rich Minnesota weighs in on the bountiful natural resources the United States is sitting on and how putting them to use could solve many problems plaguing the country.

Democrats are drumming up support for a new bill to tax oil producers more and give that money to consumers. What would this look like in practice and how much support does it have on Capitol Hill?

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra urges Congress to renew its commitment to pandemic relief funding.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has concerns about Bidens pick for the Supreme Courtand he is unsatisfied with the White House response to his concerns. He hopes he can get one important question answered.

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Police investigate the scene of a stabbing in a lawyer's office in NY on March 14, 2022. (Lin Dan/The Epoch Times)

Chinese-American Immigration Lawyer and 1989 Tiananmen Activist Stabbed to Death by Client in NY Office

A Chinese American immigration lawyer was fatally stabbed by a client in his New York office over asylum-seeking disputes. The tragedy sparked condolences and debate on social media.

Jim Li, a prominent China-born immigration lawyer in New York, was killed on March 14 allegedly for declining a clients request to sue her previous lawyer, who she believed was responsible for her claim being rejected, said people familiar with the matter.

Police reported the homicide occurred at around 11:40 in Lis office, in the Flushing area of Queens. The 66-year-old victim died from fatal stabs to the heart and neck and excessive loss of blood after he was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital.

Chinese American immigration lawyer Jim Li was fatally stabbed by a client in his office in Flushing, Queens, NY, on March 14, 2022. (Courtesy of Jim Li & Associates)

Police have identified the woman as Xiaoning Zhang, a 25-year-old claimant from mainland China. The assailant faces charges of murder and illegal possession of weapons.

An eyewitness surnamed Xu told The Epoch Times that she helped in calling the police. Xu works for an insurance company near Lis firm.

I saw Li stained with blood all over his body, said Xu. I was told the stabs were all fatal, at the heart and the neck.

Three days prior to the killing, Xu saw the same woman at Lis office, and she appeared uncontrollably furious, while Li remained calm.

The victims friend Wei Zhu, also a lawyer, said the suspect asked the immigration lawyer on that day to represent her and to charge her previous lawyer. After being refused, she started crying and shouting but eventually left after police arrived.

Victim was a 1989 Tiananmen Square Activist

Lis death triggered sorrow and sympathy among his friends and fellow activists, who remembered his dedication to advancing Chinas democracy.

Li received various levels of law education in China. During the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests, he helped create the Beijing Workers Autonomous Federation to support the movement. Li served as a legal counsel. Following the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) brutal crackdown, Li received a 22-month detention for his involvement in the campaign.

In 1993, he moved to the United States as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York. In 1998, Li graduated from the University of Wisconsin and obtained a PhD in Law, after which, he practiced as a lawyer in NYC.

Meanwhile, Li provided legal advice to a large number of dissidents in the United States and attended anti-CCP gatherings with different advocacy groups, including the Democratic Party of China.

Controversial Suspect

Questions about the background of the attacker have been raised.

Bai Jiemin, chair of the eastern U.S. branch of the Chinese Democracy & Human Rights Alliance, told The Epoch Times that the suspect moved to the United States on a student visa in August 2021 and joined anti-CCP protests. She told him two Beijing police officers raped her and put her in a mental facility in November 2019. She showed him proof of petitioning and a Chinese courts decision against her, the interviewee said.

The suspect travelled to the UN headquarters and staged a protest with a sign reading Beijing police raped me during the annual UN General Assembly in late September 2021.

In November, however, the asylum seeker backed out, claiming that she had been forced into staging the protest. She demanded her image be removed; otherwise, she threatened she would take to the courts.

This person is extremely abnormal, said Bai, based on her previous behavior, chameleon-like, bigoted, and highly distrustful [even] of all who have helped her.

However, Bai emphasized in the interview that the attacker was not mentally ill as far as his knowledge was concerned. Instead he said she was a smart woman and could speak English as well.

Later, she apologized for her reversal to Bai in a letter, admitting that she felt mounting pressure from her parents and relatives back in Handan, Hebei Province, who could no longer endure pressure from the Chinese authorities after she protested outside the UN headquarters.

She also told me officials from the Chinese embassy talked to her but declined to provide their names and the date of the talk, Bai said.

They must have brainwashed her or promised to offer her help, he added.

As the suspect was led from 109th Precinct, reporters asked her why she committed the homicide and if she regretted her action.

You traitors should regret most! she declared loudly. Youre Chinese but youre against the CCP! Youve persecuted countless students to death.

Some activists regard her comments as indicating it was a political murder. However, Bai said there must be complex causes behind the case, believing more details will surface as the investigation proceeds.

Meanwhile, Bai spoke of the covert influence of the CCP behind the homicide while reiterating the gravity of the CCPs infiltration into the United States and other Western democracies.

The CCP is shaking up the foundation of the United States, said Bai. The federal government has recently arrested several CCP secret agents. But it should do more, including special operations, to purge CCP agents and protect U.S. citizens and national security.

Lin Dan contributed to this report.
People wait in line to give a sample for a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 at a testing site in Beijing, China on March 17, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Chinese Businessmen: Enterprises Are Struggling Under COVID-Zero Policy

China is reporting numerous COVID-19 outbreaks around the country. Entrepreneurs complain that the zero-tolerance policy has locked their factories, employees, and transportation facilities. Theyre worried their businesses will shutter soon.

Changchun

In northeastern Chinas Changchun city, a transportation business owner Zhao (pseudonym) complained that all his drivers were locked-in at home, and the transport trucks were parked in the garage. There are no orders to fill because all his clients are under lockdown as well.

We have been locked down at home for over one week. The [COVID-19] epidemic status here is like Wuhan (the worlds COVID-19 ground zero which was locked down for over two months) in early 2020, Zhao told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on Mar. 18. I earn nothing, but spend my savings every day.

Zhao lives in a village in the citys Luyuan District. He said that the regime didnt tell people how many residents in the community were infected with COVID-19 in the past days, but simply asked them to continually be tested.

Residents queue to give a nasal swab sample for nucleic acid testing for the COVID-19 virus in Jilin a city in Chinas northeastern Jilin Province, on March 15, 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the Jilin provincial authorities, the worst outbreak in the province is in Jilin city, where thousands of people are hospitalized. Changchun is the provinces capital, and announced nearly 1,000 new infections from 8:00 a.m. on Mar. 17 to 8:00 a.m. on Mar. 18.

The cities of Siping and Yanbian in Jilin Province also announced local outbreaks.

The regime has temporarily set up 10,494 makeshift hospital beds to treat only patients with mild symptoms. The patients with severe symptoms nearly fully occupy the regular hospitals. Asymptomatic infections, which the Chinese regime doesnt treat as infections and counts separately, are quarantined in hotels.

On Mar. 14, the regime locked the Jilin Province border and asked the residents to stay in their own cities rather than travel. Residents in Changchun and Jilin cities were locked at home.

Sanhe

Sanhe city in northern Chinas Hebei Province became well-known in the country for a local outbreak. The provincial regime announced that 97 percent of new infections in Hebei on Mar. 18 were from Sanhe.

Seven of my employees are locked down at home now, and my company cant operate, Businessman Zhang (pseudonym) told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on Mar. 18. I have lots of products piled in the companys storage. I have many orders on hand. But my employees cant go to the storage and the transportation companies are temporarily closed.

Zhangs company has an office and warehouse at Dongmao International Mall in Sanhe, and almost all his employees live in the Dongmao Residential Compound which is close to the mall.

He was in Beijing when the Sanhe regime locked the city down. He then decided to stay in the nations capital and tried to find solutions to maintain his companys operations. [My companys] loss is huge. The products in storage have a value of about 700,000 yuan ($110,000). I lose about 6,000 yuan ($945) every day. Spring is a golden season for my company, but I cant sell products, Zhang complained.

A young resident undergoes a swab for nucleic acid testing for the COVID-19 virus in Handan, Hebei Province on March 15, 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Southern Chinas Dongguan city is the home of over one million companies, most of which are export oriented. The citys total imports and exports reached 1524.7 billion yuan ($240 billion) in 2021.

The citys factories are closed now because of the lockdown policy launched on Mar. 14 to curb the severe COVID-19 outbreak.

The regime forced us to shut down the businesses. Since then, no truck has driven out, and no package has been delivered. The whole operation was cut off, textile factory owner Wang told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on Mar. 14.

Wang said that the city locked down Dalang township where his textile factory is located for all of December 2021, then all of February and the first half of March. Just when people hoped the town would be unlocked, the regime locked the city which included the town.

The lockdown this time is more strict than the previous ones. All are closed, Wang complained.

Huang owns another textile factory in Dongguan. He complained that the regime didnt pay and wont pay any stimulus checks nor relief money. We (factories in Dongguan) will all die if the city doesnt allow us to operate.

Pengs factory in Dalang produces hardware mold accessories, employs over 20 workers, and most of the products are sold outside China. Our customers ask us to send the products. How can we send? All transportation is shut down. We dont dare to sign any new orders, Peng said.

A medical worker wears protective clothing as a man talks on his mobile phone while he is swabbed for a nucleic acid test at a mass testing site in Beijing, China on March 15, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Factories cant operate, workers are suffering. Liu, a worker in Dongguan, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that the private companies and factories wont pay workers when the businesses cant operate. We need to feed ourselves, and we need to pay the rent, Liu said. If they [the regime] dont unlock us within two months, we wont survive.
Smoke belching from a coal-fueled power station near Datong, in China's northern Shanxi Province on November 19, 2015. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Firms Under Scrutiny for Falsifying Emissions Data

Unchecked carbon data fraud threatens China's green ambitions

News Analysis

Chinas environmental watchdog has named four companies that falsified carbon emission reports. As data fraud continues to undermine the countrys ambitious climate goals, a former employee in Chinas environment ministry analyzed the causes.

On March 14, Chinas Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) said that data verification agencies manipulated reports and falsified testing dates, emissions data, and carbon footprint results. The findings came after a three-month campaign launched by the ministry last October and aimed at verifying the accuracy of carbon emission reports submitted by local entities nationwide.

Beijing-based data verification firm Zhongtan Nengtou Tech Co. was charged with making false coal samples and tampering with and forging test reports. A second firm, Liaoning Dongmei Testing and Analysis Research Institute, was also charged with tampering with test reports.

Two other companies, Beijing-based SinoCarbon Innovation & Investment Co and Shandong provinces Qingdao Xinuo Renewable, were separately charged with writing distorted and inaccurate conclusions, according to Reuters citing the MEE report.

In July last year, the regional environment ministry of Inner Mongolia notified a client of Zhongtan Nengtou, Inner Mongolia Erdos High-Tech Materials, of its false carbon emission report. The incident was followed by a three-month campaign to sniff out more emissions data fraud.

From October to December 2021, the national environment ministry arranged for 31 working groups to supervise and inspect the accuracy of carbon data submitted nationwide, especially targeting major technical service and emission control firms in the energy sector, according to Chinas state-owned local news.

The short-term investigation unveiled fraudulent practices relating to the four major data verification firms.

Current affairs commentator Li Jie said these measures are all campaigns launched out of political needs, and data fraud is nothing new in China. He believes that this investigative operation is likely pre-planned as the authorities have long known that these companies have a history of falsifying data, and charging them is a ploy to show they are doing something about the emissions.

People wear masks as they travel along a street during smoggy weather on Nov. 18, 2021, in Beijing, China. China is the worlds largest contributor to carbon emissions. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

A state-run energy information and service provider, China Energy Net, said that accurate and reliable emissions data is the premise and foundation of carbon emission trading, a platform launched in July 2021 that aims to reduce companies carbon emissions in China. However, data fraud has put the carbon trading markets into chaos.

Gao Fengyi, a former employee in Chinas environment ministry and a Ph.D. in environmental protection, explained to The Epoch Times the two primary causes of the chaos in Chinas carbon trading market.

First, the CCP often changes its policies out of political needs. There are no fixed standards, and it is difficult for local governments and enterprises to cooperate. Second, if a regions performance does not meet the national evaluation standards, it will directly impact the positions of local officials. In order to keep their jobs and salaries, the local government would have to falsify the data, Gao said.

When I was working in the environment ministry, we kept two sets of data. One matched the national requirement for submission, and the other was the real data. We made work plans based on the real data.

Chinas Ambitious Climate Goals

At the Global Climate Video Summit in April 2021, Chinese leader Xi Jinping claimed that China, the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases, would reach a carbon emissions peak by 2030, and would begin to reduce emissions and reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Xi asked the Western developed countries to provide financial and technical support.

In July 2021, Chinas national carbon emission trading scheme (ETS) made its debut as 4.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide quotas worth approximately $32 million changed hands, Reuters reported. ETS is a rate-based system providing financial incentives to companies that reduce emissions. Under this scheme, enterprises receive allowances that are allocated based on historical emissions levels and output.

Although it claims to incentivize carbon emitters to reduce emissions, before and after ETS launched, cases of carbon data fraud in the Chinese market were found and have continued to surface.

In the first major fraud case disclosed by the environment ministry in July 2021, the data verification firm Zhongtan Nengtou had provided Inner Mongolia Erdos High-Tech Materials with forged coal sample test reports and falsified reports for 11 other companies.

According to Chinas state-run environmental news platform, the tampered test reports can reduce Erdos High-Tech Materials 2019 emission quota gap by nearly 2 million tons, reducing its expenses by roughly $15.76 million.

Gao said he expects more fraud cases will be disclosed every year.

Challenges in Going Green

Gao used Japan as an example.

Japans power plants are primarily nuclear-powered with relatively low carbon emissions, thus, making it easier to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality. In contrast, China mainly relies on coal-fired power plants, the primary source of emissions. In addition, its northern provinces also rely on coal for heating. Therefore, it would be challenging and costly for China to adjust its energy production methods to become greener.

A Chinese farmer works his field next to a state-owned, coal-fired power plant in Huainan, Anhui province, China, on June 15, 2017. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Unlike Japan, China heavily neglects the environmental protection aspect of its many operations, including constructing its wastewater treatment facilities, according to Gao.

Chinas environmental protection facilities are just for show. For example, in the sewage discharge fees they collected from its citizens, only 20 percent are actually allocated for wastewater treatments, of which 7 percent are spent on constructing wastewater treatment facilities, and the remaining 13 percent are bonuses for its employees, Gao said.

[Can China] achieve carbon peak by 2030? Its impossible, Gao said. To be precise, its not that the CCP cant do it. Its that it wont do it.

Carbon Neutrality refers to achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be done by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the post-carbon economy). At the United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, Xi said that China, as the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases, would reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

Emission Peak refers to Chinas aim to bring its total greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions to a peak by around 2030. However, Xi has also pledged to reduce Chinas carbon dioxide emissions by at least 65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
Copycats of Western Brands Thrive in Russia Amid Sanctions

The mass exodus of international brands from the Russian Federation has prompted the emergence of knock-off imitators, which have attempted to fill the void of Western capital while maintaining a sense of the familiar with subtle alterations of known foreign brands.

When McDonalds suspended activities in Russia on March 8 following a period of public backlash in the early weeks of the war, its franchises were quickly filled by an indigenous Russian competitor called Uncle Vanya, a brand that modifies the iconic golden arches of McDonalds to represent the Cyrillic character , which forms the v sound in Vanya.

There is a precedent for such knockoff brands in the Russian sphere of influence, which have proliferated in the Russian-aligned breakaway territories of Donetsk and Luhansk after U.S. sanctions cut off Western business to the region in 2014. Brands such as Crimean Fried Chicken and Starducks Coffee emerged to fill the void in the disputed territories, foreshadowing the rise of similar imitators in the Russian heartland.

This phenomenon, a surreal accident of the withdrawal of American commerce, is not unique to Russia during their conflicts in Ukraine. Throughout the world, American consumer exports are notable even in their absence, as local companies attempt to fill the void of ubiquitous global brands through local imitators, often with strange and jarring results.

As one of the few countries without diplomatic relations to the United States, Iran is no stranger to knockoffs of American brands, which proliferate throughout Tehran and other major urban centers. Reflecting the magnificent vowel sounds of the Persian language, such brands as Pizza Hat, Mash Donalds, and Raees Coffee (an imitator of Starbucks) are a familiar sight to the Iranian people, with little direct exposure to American commerce.

In China, such knockoff brands are so ubiquitous that they have taken on a wide-ranging cultural significance. The word  (shanzhai), which literally describes a mountain fortress but which colloquially refers to copycat or knock-off products, has become commonplace since the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping. So ubiquitous are such copycat brands, presented either as earnest counterfeits or self-aware parodies, that the word shanzhai was chosen by novelist Yu Hua as one of just ten words to understand the character of modern China in his collection of essays, China in Ten Words.

The phenomenon is perhaps most bizarre in Southeast Asia, where such knockoffs of Western brands are not infrequently paired with an unlikely historical figure of the 20th century. In Thailand, a knock-off of Kentucky Fried Chicken replaced the iconic image of Colonel Sanders with a dour-faced illustration of one Adolf Hitler, prompting an amused backlash in Western media (the restaurant, which was simply called Hitler, rebranded in response to criticism).

For many of the same reasons that American and multinational businesses are unable to capture the market in these corners of the world, it can be difficult for these corporations to litigate against such copycats. These legal barriers are especially challenging if the United States does not maintain diplomatic relations within a nation, such as is the case with Iran, or if relations are fraught with issues of far greater importance, as in Russia since the onset of the war.

The effect of such counterfeit brands can be jarring, uncanny, or mirthful to Western eyes, unaccustomed to seeing such familiar brands re-imagined in a completely foreign cultural context. However, the emergence of such copycats has special significance for Russia, a country where Western brands were once seen as heralding a new economic order for the nation of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky.

In Russia, the replacement of American brands by indigenous knockoffs is just one further sign of the nations isolation from the global economic community. When the first McDonalds opened in Moscow under Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990, it was seen as a sign of change, a harbinger of the unipolar domain and the so-called end of history.

But history tends to bury its undertakers, and Russia has chosen a different path, as deep-rooted cultural suspicions and the autocratic tendencies of Vladimir Putin have made an alliance with the West impossible for the preeminent Slavic nation. While the new Russia is not Soviet in ideology, and while it is dispossessed of much of its former power by the loss of the 14 smaller Soviet republics, it has nonetheless retreated from American capitalism.
Drone Used to Locate Fallen Meteorite in Australia

A student researcher from Western Australias Curtin University has used a drone to help pinpoint the location of a meteorite fragment on the remote Nullarbor Plain.

Thousands of small meteorites are thought to hit Earths surface each year, but for every impact witnessed almost 800 space rock chunks land in oceans or remote landscapes and go unnoticed.

A young Australian researcher last year came up with what he thought to be a sound method for locating fallen meteors more efficiently, accurately and often.

Putting his money where his mouth was, Curtin University graduate student Seamus Anderson went out and pinpointed the exact spot of a freshly fallen sample on WAs vast Nullarbor Plain in April.

He and his search party unearthed the meteorite fragment on remote Kybo cattle station by referencing its whereabouts from drone footage and then using artificial intelligence to scan the landing area.

The universitys Space Science and Technology Centre is satisfied the find demonstrates the potential to recover vastly more meteorites, particularly those observed as they fall through the atmosphere.

A camera-fitted drone flies over and collects images of the fall zone, which are transferred to our field computer where an algorithm scans each image for meteorites and features that resemble them, Anderson said.

Although our algorithm was trained on data collected from past searches, we brought with us previously recovered meteorites and imaged them on the ground  to create local data to further train the algorithm.

While searches would usually involve a group of people covering a large predicted impact area on foot, the Anderson method only needs a tenth of the labour and time and has a much higher success rate.

The Kybo rock was traced to its impact point within four days of the crews arrival at the property.

Anderson said meteorites tracked by Curtins Desert Fireball Network give a geologic sample of where they originate from, contributing to an overall understanding of the geology of the solar system.

New solutions such as our drone technique help make investments in space science and the study of meteorites more cost-effective and impactful, he said.

Its hoped the study of meteorites will help source rare and valuable elements like cobalt, which is crucial for making modern batteries.
Ex-lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach Charges

An ex-lawmaker from West Virginia, who was at the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 breach, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge on March 18.

Derrick Evans, 36, from Prichard, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder before U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth of the District of Columbia. He has been accused of trying to commit an act to obstruct, impede, or interfere with a law enforcement officer from the United States Capitol Police, lawfully engaged in the performance of his or her official duties during a civil disorder.

According to court documents, Evans made his way to the East Side of the Capitol on Jan. 6 where he observed the crowd build up. Around 1:45 p.m., Evans saw and captured on video rioters breaching the barriers blocking the East Plaza, overwhelming law enforcement officials.

Following the crowd, he headed toward the Capitol building. In a livestreamed video on his Facebook account that was later deleted, Evans was seen around 20 feet away from the Rotunda Doors before they were breached.

He narrated what he saw and heard, making remarks such as Here we go! Here we go! Open the doors, and The doors cracked Were goin in! Once he made it through the doors, Evans exclaimed, Were in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol! according to a March 18 press release by the U.S. Department of Justice. Evans entered the building around 2:40 p.m. and left roughly 10 minutes later.

The ex-lawmaker was arrested two days after the incident. He is facing a potential prison term of up to five years and could be fined up to $250,000. Evans is due to be sentenced on June 22. The case is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia.

Prosecutors indicated that there was a loose agreement based on which Evans would cooperate with the police. It is accurate as part of the plea agreement that he agreed to sit down with law enforcement if requested, but theres no formal cooperation agreement with Mr. Evans and the government, the prosecutors said, according to WV Metro News.

Due to the guilty plea, multiple other charges against Evans will be dropped, one of them being felony obstruction to an official proceeding that could have resulted in a 20-year prison term.

Evans has previously faced four misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6 incident. At the time of the Capitol breach, Evans was a newly-elected West Virginia delegate, a post from which he subsequently resigned.

Since the Jan. 6 incident, over 775 individuals have been arrested across the United States for crimes related to breaching the Capitol building. More than 245 people have been charged with impeding or assaulting law enforcement.
EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Collins Caught Off-Guard by First Questions on Takedown Email

Dr. Francis Collins, a top U.S. health official, was caught off-guard when he was asked for the first time about a report issued by members of Congress that revealed new information, including the email Collins sent urging a takedown of the Great Barrington Declaration, according to an email obtained by The Epoch Times.

Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) until Dec. 19, 2021, called for a quick and devastating published takedown of the declaration, which called for a more balanced approach to combating the COVID-19 pandemic, in an email in October 2020.

The email, sent just days after the document was authored by three epidemiologists, was made public by a congressional panel near the end of 2021.

In an appearance on Fox News just hours after the panels report was released, Collins was confronted about the email for the first time. Host Neil Cavuto asked Collins about the reports claims that the White House under President Donald Trump made attempts to undermine the COVID response.

Collins, now a senior investigator at the NIH and a top adviser to President Joe Biden, said he was trying to stay out of the political side of this and declined to comment before Cavuto asked about the takedown email.

Well, OK, if its that specific, Collins said.

Yes, there were people, particularly Dr. Scott Atlas, that said dont worry about this business of putting on masks or asking people to isolate themselves or stay physically distanced, just let it rip and let this virus run through the country until everybody has had it, and then well have herd immunity,' he added. But the consequence of that would have been hundreds of thousands of additional deaths. That didnt make sense to me.

Atlas was a top health adviser to Trump.

The declaration doesnt contain the words let it rip, two of its authors have noted. The document noted that lockdowns had a devastating impact on the United States and other countries and urged officials to implement more focused policies that protected the elderly and other people more vulnerable to COVID-19 while letting others live their lives.

Collins wasnt expecting to be questioned about the email he sent to Drs. Anthony Fauci, Clifford Lane, and Lawrence Tabak, according to the email obtained by The Epoch Times from a Freedom of Information Act request.

Apologies for the ambush, Emma Wojtowicz, an NIH spokeswoman, told Collins in the missive.

The producer said the interview would focus on Omicron and your time as director, she added.

Wojtowicz sent a link to the congressional panel report and pasted the section relating to Collins.

Renate Myles, another NIH spokeswoman, told The Epoch Times in an email that Collins was surprised during the interview.

His surprise was that the issue of the Great Barrington Declaration, which arose in 2020 and about which he has made his position clear on many occasions, was being raised in 2021 as if it were a new issue because of the release of a year-old email, Myles said.

Collins spoke out publicly against the declaration in October 2020. The NIH has previously said people who want to learn about why Collins has described the declaration as dangerous should read Wikipedia.

Myles didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment about whether Collins was aware his email had been made public before the interview.

Fox News didnt respond to requests for comment.

Atlas, the former government adviser, meanwhile, said Collinss comments during his appearance werent factually correct.

I never once advised the president or anyone else during my time in Washington to let the infection spread without mitigation, Atlas told The Epoch Times in an email, adding that he advised in various settings to increase protection, especially for high-risk individuals and settings, and I repeatedly stated in the media and in writing to follow recommended mitigations.

At the same time, the more targeted approach advocated for by Atlas and the declaration would have saved a massive number of lives while avoiding the death and destruction that ensued, he said.

The broad lockdowns advised by Collins, Fauci, and Birx were contrary to science, and they failed to stop the spread, they failed to protect the elderly from dying, and they killed and destroyed millions. It was the biggest failure of health policy in modern history.

Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the NIH. Dr. Deborah Birx was a top health adviser during the Trump administration. They and Collins have defended the support for harsh restrictions imposed during the pandemic, including the forced closure of schools and so-called non-essential businesses.

Other emails obtained by The Epoch Times showed Collins writing to Fauci and Gregg Gonsalves, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health who has criticized the Great Barrington Declaration, or GBD.

Gonsalves told Collins and Fauci that he was reading the congressional report and how some people were circulating it as proof of a conspiracy against the Great Barrington Declaration.

All I can say is thank you for your service, truly. The GBD has had a noxious effect on the American response to the pandemic and it doesnt surprise me that you two were fighting back behind the scenes, Gonsalves said.

Its interesting that an effort to call out genuinely dangerous recommendations from the GBD is called a conspiracy, Collins responded. Truth itself seems to have become a conspiracy in many minds.
A coyote people smuggler (R) guides an inflatable boat carrying migrants from Central America arriving illegally from Mexico to the United States to seek asylum, on the Rio Grande river at the border city of Roma, Texas, on March 29, 2021. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Border Patrol Chief: Chaos at Border Putting Cartels in Control, Leading to More Human Trafficking

The chaotic influx of illegal immigrants into the United States at the southern border has given cartels the green light to human trafficking, sex trafficking, and creating routes to funnel lethal drugs, says former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott.

Since March 2021, Border Patrol agents have been arresting at least 5,000 illegal immigrants daily on average at the southwest border, which has overwhelm[ed] their resources and has in turn created huge gaps in border security, Scott told NTDs Cindy Drukier during an interview on The Nation Speaks on March 12.

The cartels have figured out how to leverage [these gaps], and then they bring in the narcotics  and the people that are being trafficked, Scott said, adding that criminals have also been smuggled into the nation through these channels.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, the number of encounters at the southwest border has jumped from 458,088 in the fiscal year of 2020 to 1.7 million encounters in the fiscal year of 2021.

U.S. CBP data also showed that agents arrested 178,840 immigrants in December 2021, an increase of more than 100,000 from the year before, which brought the total number of apprehensions for 2021 to a record of more than 2 million.

Scott said that border policies under the Biden administration and the reversal of Trump-era immigration policies have exacerbated the border crisis.

This administration put out a global messaging that we were not going to deport any minors, and that we were going to do our best to not separate families and then not deport them either, Scott stated, adding that these policies have created a market to create families, to either push people across the border that are underage by themselves, or to team them up with a family thats not necessarily theirs, which is in effect a practice of renting children out, bringing human trafficking to a whole new level.

The border wall construction, an operation placed on hold by the Biden administration, was making every single Border Patrol agent more effective on the border by covering a larger area, Scott told Steve Lance during a January interview with NTD.

Alma Tucker, former investigative officer for the Child Protection Unit with the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, told NTDs Cindy Drukier in a March 12 interview that the current administration has been putting out bad message[s] about no child [having to] stay behind and that families will be complete, which has in turn lured people to the border with Mexico trying to get into the United States.

However many migrants end up being held ransom by the cartels until their families send the money for migrants to cross the border.

Tucker, who runs three group homes for young adults and survivors of human trafficking, gave the example of a mother and child who both became victims of sexual assault even though the mother had to work every evening to pay cartels to guarantee safe entry into the United States.

They need work and they dont have [a] permit to work. Many of them dont want to apply for [a] permit to work in Mexico, because they feel like, well, if we get an asylum in Mexico, then [the] United States will not priorit[ise their entry] into the country, Tucker continued.

Biden defended border policies in March 2021 after being pressed by reporters on whether border policies are signaling to migrants that they will be able to cross the border.

In the case of a 9-year-old boy from Honduras whose mother had sent him to the United States because she believed Bidens policies would not allow unaccompanied minors to be deported, Biden said he would never tell an unaccompanied child that were just going to let him starve to death and stand on the other side of the border.

The judgment has to be made whether or not the child is deported or is allowed to remain in the country. In this case, Biden said that the child has a mom at home. Theres an overwhelming reason why hed be put in a plane and flown back to his mom.

He also vowed to accommodate unaccompanied minors with safe, secure beds and facilities while authorities reach out to families of the children.

Biden announced on March 12 that the administration was formally ending the expulsion of illegal immigrant children through the use of a pandemic-era rule.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), terminated the public health order known as Title 42 with respect to youths who arrive at the border without a responsible adult. Those youths are referred to as unaccompanied children.

Title 42, imposed during the Trump administration, enabled immigration authorities to expel illegal immigrants because of concerns that they posed a health threat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In effect, this means that unaccompanied noncitizen children will not be expelled from the United States under CDCs order, the CDC stated on March 12.

Zachary Stieber and Masooma Haq contributed to this report.
Rep. Vic Fazio (D-CA) after meetings with former US President Bill Clinton on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 5, 1998. (William Philpott/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Rep. Vic Fazio Dies at 79

By Kate Ackley

From CQ-Roll Call

WASHINGTONFormer Rep. Vic Fazio, a California Democrat who served 10 terms in the House and then went on to a high-profile lobbying career, died this week at the age of 79. He had been suffering from cancer and died at home surrounded by family, his office said in a statement.

The House observed a moment of silence in his memory Thursday, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement she will miss her friend and fellow Northern Californian.

During his two decades in the House, Congressman Vic Fazio was a respected Member: leading masterfully within our Caucus, working devotedly to strengthen our beloved institution and fighting relentlessly for his Sacramento community, Pelosi said.

Fazio first won election to the House in 1978 and rose to become Democratic Caucus chairman. He led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for four years in the 1990s, including the 199394 cycle, when Republicans won control of the chamber. He did not seek an 11th term in 1998 and instead took up a K Street career, first at Clark & Weinstock and later at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, one of the citys largest lobbying practices.

Vic Fazio is without a doubt one of the kindest, finest gentlemen Ive ever known in politics or elsewhere, said former New York GOP Rep. Bill Paxon, who chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee in the 1994 cycle and later worked with Fazio at Akin Gump.

Paxon said that despite being engaged in mortal political combat during the 1994 elections, the two lawmakers struck up a friendship.

He was defending his majority, and I was trying to take it away, Paxon recalled in a phone interview Thursday. We were able to put the campaigns aside and talk about our lives, our families, every element of our friendship.

In Congress, Fazio served on the Appropriations Committee and kept a sharp lookout for ways that his district and state could tap into the flow of federal dollars. In the 104th Congress, he pushed through an amendment to the Fiscal 1997 energy and water development spending bill to increase funding for solar and renewable energy research by $10 million, with $6 million for wind energy research, a favorite in California.

He was also a member of the Armed Services, Budget, Ethics and House Administration committees. He worked to secure more than 3,000 acres in federal lands to protect northern Californias wetlands, now the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area.

Paxon said he used to kid Fazio that his kind nature was the result of his Northeastern upbringing. Fazioborn Oct. 11, 1942, in Winchester, Mass.was raised and educated in the East and moved to California as a journalist, covering and then working for the state Assembly. He won a seat in that body in a 1975 special election and was reelected easily in 1976. In 1978, he was the only Democrat ready to run for Congress when his areas beleaguered Democratic incumbent, Robert Leggett, suddenly retired. His Republican foe was a former Ronald Reagan aide who ran well in rural areas, but Fazio claimed the seat with 55 percent of the vote.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., said Fazios record included promoting fiscal sustainability, responsible budgeting and a strong national defense.

I am not the only Member of Congress who turned to Vic over the years for advice, always receiving wise counsel and helpful insights. I will miss our conversations, Hoyer said in a statement.

Fazio took a keen interest in the workings of Congress and the conditions for staff. One former aide said Fazio offered parental leave in his congressional office when such a policy was a rarity. And long after leaving Capitol Hill, he urged lawmakers to increase staff pay, especially to recruit and retain committee aides.

Now people have to leave to go downtown to earn more money, Fazio testified in 2019 to the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

It was a career path he was familiar with.

Fazio represented a long roster of clients during his two decades on K Street, including Amazon, AT&T, the Gila River Indian Community, the California Association of Physician Groups, Burger King Corp. and the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform.

Paxon and Fazio left the Hill at the same time, after the 1998 elections. Paxon said he tried to get Fazio to join him in setting up their own lobbying business. Paxon drew up a business plan. But for a variety of family reasons, he just didnt feel the time was right, Paxon said. After a hectic life in politics, he didnt want to go into the position of starting a business and all that entails. While I was disappointed, I certainly understood it.

Paxon joined Akin Gump, but even though the company tried to recruit Fazio, he opted for Clark & Weinstock, recalled Joel Jankowsky, who led the lobbying practice at Akin Gump for years.

Fazio eventually made a switch. Joel Jankowsky did a masterful job on the business side, and I worked on the personal side, and ultimately he joined us, Paxon said.

Vic was a major contributor to the success not only of the policy group but also the firm as a whole, Jankowsky said during a phone interview Thursday. He was hard working, diligent, extremely knowledgeable about the intricacies of government.  He was a great mentor in the firm, throughout his life, and he certainly took many young colleagues under his wing.

During his tenure on K Street, Fazio remained a partisan and was frequently among the top lobbyist donors. With me, its always a matter of the good causes that come along that may make you do one more, Fazio told Roll Call in 2014 about his copious political donations.

Fellow Democratic lobbyist Steve Elmendorf, who worked with Fazio at the DCCC and when he was caucus chairman, recalled that there was no member who worked harder and was better liked on both sides of the aisle. Fazio also got a lot done for his district and his members, Elmendorf said.

Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith said in a statement: Vic was not only extremely well informed on the workings of Capitol Hill, Washington politics, and, as a former California assemblyman, state-level politics, he was also warm, funny, and generous.

Jankowsky recruited Fazio to serve on the board of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. It was before Fazios own diagnosis, but his family had a sad history with the disease. His daughter, Anne Fazio, had been diagnosed as a teenager with leukemia. She died at age 22 in 1996 from complications related to pneumonia, after having graduated from the University of California,Davis.

He had great insights into the workings of government and brought all of those attributes to the foundation, Jankowsky said. His illness really underscores the mission of the foundation.

Caryn Dyson, a senior policy adviser at Akin Gump, said she first worked for Fazio at Clark & Weinstock after graduating college.

Hes also like family to a lot of us, she said. Both sides of the aisle, everybody loved him.

Fazio is survived by his wife, Kathy Sawyer, who he married in 2017, a daughter, stepchildren and grandchildren. His wife, Judy Fazio, died in 2015.

A memorial service is being arranged.

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Jacob Fracker, 30, a former Virginia police officer, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to obstruct counting of electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021. He posed for this selfie with co-defendant Thomas Robertson in the Capitol Crypt. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Former Virginia Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Jan. 6 Conspiracy Charge

A former Virginia police officer who took a selfie-style photo of his middle-finger salute along with a coworker inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge on March 18.

Jacob Fracker, 30, formerly with the Rocky Mount Police Department, took a plea deal under which several other charges will be dismissed at sentencing. Fracker admitted to conspiring with co-defendant Thomas Robertson to obstruct the counting of Electoral College votes at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

In his plea, Fracker admitted that by the time he and Robertson entered the Capitol, they had agreed to attempt to impede, stop, or delay the proceedings going on before Congress and that they aided, assisted, encouraged, and facilitated each other in the conduct, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

Fracker and Robertson were both Rocky Mount police officers when they traveled to Washington to attend President Donald Trumps rally at the Ellipse. They entered the Capitol about 2:15 p.m. and posed for a selfie in front of a statue of John Stark in the Capitol Crypt. Fracker made a middle-finger gesture in the photo.

Fracker shared the middle-finger photograph with police colleagues, some of whom posted it online. In a Facebook post, Fracker wrote: Lol to anyone whos possibly concerned about the picture of me going around. Sorry I hate freedom?  Not like I did anything illegal, way too much to lose to go there, but yall do what you feel you need to, lol.

He sent another photo and two videos to a friend on Facebook, writing, Dont share these. Just thought you should know theres hitters out here trying to make a [expletive] difference at any cost, according to prosecutors.

Fracker and Robertson were fired from the Rocky Mount Police Department after their involvement in Jan. 6 events came to light.

Fracker could be called to testify against his codefendant at Robertsons upcoming trial. In court filings, Fracker said he views Robertson as a father-figure and mentor with whom he worked closely and socialized frequently.

Fracker pleaded guilty to conspiracy, although the obstruction of a government proceeding issue on which it rests has come under increased scrutiny in other Jan. 6 cases. District Judge Carl J. Nichols threw out obstruction charges in two cases in March.

In rulings issued March 7 (pdf) and 15 (pdf), Judge Nichols said the subsection of U.S. Code used in the cases was meant to prevent tampering or destruction of documents and records, not alleged attempts to delay or derail certification of the presidential election results. Many of his colleagues in the District of Columbia Circuit have issued contrary rulings on the issue.
PORTLAND, Ore.Some families have the tradition of seeing the Nutcracker every Christmas. As more and more people are experiencing Shen Yun Performing Arts, some are also saying that they would like Shen Yun to become a part of their family tradition.

This isnt normally something I would come to, but I left here thinking that I want this to be a family tradition because I want them to see a different type of culture and a different type of hope, said Katherine Schmit, a regional IT manager.

Shen Yun is based in New York and the companys artists prepare for each years all-new performance with passion and discipline. Audiences often comment that they can see this passion come through when they are on stage.

Schmit said that if she could, she would, ask them about their discipline, I would ask them, what led them to that type of discipline? And does that discipline bring them hope personally?

She felt that the performers were sharing their energy with the audience.

There was great energy from the stage. Yes, it was a wonderful performance.  Katherine Schmit

There was great energy from the stage. Yes, it was a wonderful performance, she said. Theres always something in music and dance that brings out inner peace.

I think that the energy comes from the belief in the dancers and in the performers that they truly believe in the things that theyre doing. And they truly want to emanate that belief and help other people find hope and find peace and tranquility, she elaborated.

Shen Yuns mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture and civilization. This includes the spiritual side of China, and although China does not share the same religion as much of the world, the similarities between beliefs are inarguable.

I was just having a conversation with someone who was of a different faith. They were Christian. And this is Buddha. And we were just talking about the similarities. Its refreshing to see the similarities between the religions, where theres a Creator, and theres divineness in each of us and theres good, Schmit said.

She added that although Shen Yun is reminding people of this divine connection, we are often distracted by what is before us.

If we just look up, we can all see the good in each other, and the divineness in each other.  Katherine Schmit

I loved the last scene, where everybodys so busy with their technology, lives, and things like that. But if we just look up, we can all see the good in each other, and the divineness in each other.

As someone who has experienced other performances, she was happy to share that Shen Yun was just stunning. It was captivating. It was magical, filled with grace and light.

Reporting by Mary Zhang 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.
(LR) Phil Boyce, senior vice president for Spoken Word Format at Salem Media Group; Joshua Philipp, host of Crossroads at The Epoch Times; moderator Matthew Faraci, founder and president of Inspire Buzz; Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media; and Christopher Dolan, president and executive editor at The Washington Times participate in a panel discussion at the NRB Christian Media Convention on March 9, 2022. (Zhen Wang/The Epoch Times)

Independent Journalism Is Solution to Media War on Religions and Censorship: Independent Media

Four independent news organizations described how they counter suppression of information, war on religions, and censorship on social media platforms at a panel discussion held at the 2022 National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention.

Mainstream media omit certain stories that they do not want people to know about, said Phil Boyce, senior vice president for Spoken Word Format at Salem Media Group.

Their truth is truth by omission.  They figured out: if we can just not report on it, we can pretend it doesnt exist, Boyce told the panel on March 9.

For example, the news about the recent findings by special counsel John Durham who is probing the origins of the FBIs investigation into Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign was hardly covered by the mainstream media, Boyce said.

Durham alleged in February that a tech executive aligned with the Democratic Party spied on former President Donald Trumps residences and the White House when Trump was president.

Boyce cited Mark Levin, a Fox News host and a radio personality, who said that these findings are the number one scandal in the history of this country. However, except for two and a half minutes of mostly negative television coverage by CNN, mainstream media have not reported it, he said.

Its censorship. It so clearly violates our constitutional rights,  said Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media.

Mainstream media and social media also censor talk about the COVID-19 vaccine, voter fraud, and the 2020 election, Ruddy added. There should be an outcry [but] there isnt.

The mission of a journalist is actually very simple, said Joshua Philipp, host of the Crossroads program on The Epoch Times.

Its to provide people with an accurate understanding of the world. That means you just give people the information, you give them the context to understand it, Philipp explained The Epoch Times approach to news reporting.

When you present truth and you just say this is what happened, it has an incredible power to dispel lies, Philipp added.

Mainstream Media at War With Religions

The mainstream media is at war with people of faith, said the CEO of Newsmax. This war has been going on for decades, but its really getting more and more momentum.

Many people in America think that those who did not take the COVID-19 vaccine should be locked up and imprisoned, Ruddy said. A lot of these come from very secular values, where they dont respect religious faith. And at the end of the day, theyre not going to respect civil rights and civil liberties. And were seeing that. They dont really believe in your right to free speech.

The disappearance of free speech and free discussion is part of this secular war, Ruddy added.

Christopher Dolan, president and executive editor of The Washington Times, said that he does not think theres an effort to silence religious people. He believes that as a whole, it happens because of the people running these organizations.

I think its an evolution of thought. I think its an evolution of age groups. I think that the younger reporters coming up are now advocates. They dont want to report the news. They want to promote their concepts and their beliefs, Dolan explained.

The delineation between news and opinion was killed over the last 20 years, he said.

In Philipps view, there is a war against faith going on in the media and in politics under the guise of political correctness.

The idea of political correctness originated in 1967 in communist China under Mao Zedong, Philipp said. You are politically correct if what youre saying aligns with what the party is doing. What the Communist Party was doing at the time was the Cultural Revolution, [which was about] killing: killing rightist, killing your landlords, persecuting teachersthat was politically correct in China in 1967.

Now, political correctness in media and politics means that people are free to have their faith and to express it, Philipp explained, but if someone expresses values that go against the political interest, this person will be attacked.

Its very much like, more like an inquisition than anything. You have a new religion thats informing politics and media. And if you go against that new religion informing politics and mediawhich is socialismthen you will be subject to persecution for this new inquisition. And thats exactly whats happening right now.

Boyce believes that most of the mainstream media are godless [and] they no longer value truth.

The godless have always resented and feared those who believe in God, Boyce said. Because if you believe in God, youll have a fundamental foundation built on truth. You actually respect truth, you believe in truth.

Journalism used to be a noble profession and it still is, but the mainstream media do not practice journalism and no longer respect truth, Boyce said. This is because they cant manipulate you into believing something thats not true unless they can convince you that it is not true, he explained.

Silencing Independent Voices

Media that strive to report impartially face pressure and censorship exerted on them by Big Tech in the form of demonetization or blocking of their content.

The reach of Washington Times stories has been significantly reduced by Big Tech, said the companys CEO.

The Times covered Hunter Bidens laptop story that broke before the 2020 election and a story related to the false allegation that Russia colluded with Trumps campaign, but these stories were blocked on social media, Dolan said.

Our story is completely legitimate. Its completely sourced back. Its all backed up by the documents, Dolan continued, but our reach keeps getting smaller and smaller.

It is all done under the veneer of fact-checking, he said. Some fact-checkers did not find anything false in the story but requested to include a certain study known to the fact-checker in the article, or they decided to block a story because of some content that the fact-checkers did not like, Dolan explained.

The company has been losing advertising revenue as a result of its contents being blocked, Dolan said.

Newsmaxs CEO noticed that their breaking news stories that used to appear on the first page of the search results now appear further down, e.g. on the fourth page.

The same happens to other conservative media that have been de-ranked, de-listed, or depressed by Big Tech, Ruddy said. It cuts peoples ability to find a story and the number of people viewing it, he added.

Were all seeing this massive decline, and that affects our revenues. So we dont have the ability to conduct journalism because we cant pay the reporters. And theyre doing this against all the conservative media.

Most of The Epoch Times channels on YouTube have also been censored and have been targeted by fact-checking warnings, Philipp said, adding that in some cases the fact-checkers turned out to be wrong themselves.

For example, YouTube censored The Epoch Times documentary on the origin of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the Wuhan coronavirus, but when it turned out that the fact-checker was wrong, Philipp said, the fact-checker neither backtracked its statement nor corrected it.

Solutions to Avoid Censorship

To avoid censorship, the American people have come up with a solution and started using Rumble, a platform that will not fall prey to cancel culture, Boyce said. As a result, Rumble has become much bigger now, he added.

Last summer, Newsmaxs video featuring an interview with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a physician, had been removed for a whole week, the CEO said. Paul said in the interview that cloth masks were ineffective in preventing COVID-19 infection, citing two peer-reviewed scientific studies.

I think this kind of censorship is very dangerous, incredibly anti-free speech, and truly anti-progress of science, which involves skepticism and argumentation to arrive at the truth, Paul said at that time in a statement.

The solution to this type of censorship is to provide consumers with direct access to the news because the search engines and social media feeds are not reliable, Ruddy said. Newsmax as well as three other media represented in the panel offer their customers the app with direct access to their content, he added.

Newsmax, since the last election, [has] had close to 7 million downloads of our app, which is free.  Were just seeing millions and millions of people engage that way. And its been very powerful.

The traditional business model used in the newspaper industry that relied on the daily delivery of printed copies of the paper to peoples doorstep has been lost, said the Washington Times president.

We cant survive on a pageview, we cant survive on a click, we need people to support it.  We need people to subscribe and know that when they come to us, theyre going to get fair treatment of information, Dolan said.

News organizations are serialized coverage of events, Dolan pointed out. What is known one day may be completely different from what will be reported a few days later or a week later because the situation evolves and changes, he said.

Dolan cited an example of The Washington Times story published in January 2020 about the Wuhan lab based on the information on record the Times obtained from its sources. It was not a big story but it was blocked on social media, he added.

We need to be a part of peoples daily routine and a part of their habit, Dolan said. They may not need the information every day thats there. But when things happen, theyre going to want to have a place to go and were there for you.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Workers load palm oil seeds into the back of a truck at a plantation area in Pelalawan, Riau province in Indonesia's Sumatra island on Sept. 16, 2015. (Adek Berry /AFP/ file/Getty Images)

Indonesia Raises Palm Oil Export Levy Amid Domestic Cooking Oil Shortage

Indonesias government issued a new regulation on Friday that raises the palm oil export levy up to $375 per tonne, when the edible oils reference price reaches $1,500 per tonne, in a bid to tackle the countrys cooking oil shortage.

The new regulation, which took effect immediately, introduced higher progressive rates when the reference price for the edible oil hit at least $1,050 a tonne. For every $50 increase in the reference price, the levy will be raised by $20 up to the maximum of $375 per tonne, according to the finance ministry regulation.

Previously, the maximum export levy was $175 per tonne when the reference price hit at least $1,000 per tonne.

Authorities have been struggling to control the domestic market for palm oil-based cooking oil after prices surged 40 percent at the start of the year due to high global prices.

Two Indonesian women reportedly died after waiting hours in line to purchase cooking oil at a minimarket in East Kalimantan. Sandra, a 41-year-old housewife, fainted while queuing for hours and was pronounced dead on her way to the hospital.

The second woman, 49-year-old Rita Riyani, was rushed to the intensive care unit after collapsing, but she died two days later, local media Jakarta Post reported.

Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lufti announced the levy hike at a parliament committee hearing on Thursday, during which he was accused by some lawmakers of panic policymaking due to his ministry changing laws at least six times since January.

His ministry has also withdrawn the palm oil export volume restrictions, also known as the Domestic Market Obligation (DMO), after it was raised to 30 percent from 20 percent in late January.

Lufti argued that rising global commodity prices since last year had impacted all global economies, exacerbated by Russias invasion of Ukraine. He assured that the palm oil exports would continue to be restricted by the high levy even after the DMO was removed.

The government has also removed a 14,000 rupiah (98 U.S. cents) for premium packaged cooking oil and a 13,500 rupiah (94 U.S. cents) ceiling for second-tier quality oil, while providing subsidies for bulk cooking oil.

Indonesias President Joko Widodo said on Twitter on Tuesday that the government decided to subsidize the price of bulk palm oil after taking into account the rising prices of cooking oil, including global prices of palm oil.

The government has allocated more than $500 million to subsidize bulk cooking oil over the next six months, with approximately 202 million liters slated to be supplied monthly. Indonesian exporters are required to pay an export tax on palm oil shipments on top of the export levy.

The government also continues to pay close attention to the availability and distribution of cooking oil in the market, Widodo said.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Judge Blocks Washington Law That Let Children Get Vaccines Without Parental Consent

A federal judge on March 18 blocked a District of Columbia law that allowed children in the nations capital to receive a vaccine without parental consent.

The parents who sued over the law appear likely to succeed in proving claims that the law violates federal statutes and will be irreparably harmed if a preliminary injunction werent entered, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden wrote in a 38-page opinion.

The D.C. Council passed the Districts Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act in 2020. It lets children as young as 11 get a vaccine without permission from their parents.

But the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 mandates health care providers who administer many vaccines provide information on the shots to the legal representative of a child.

Plaintiffs in the case and another similar lawsuit are parents who say their minor children are under pressure to get vaccinated because of a citywide campaign to push vaccinations, including giving incentives like gift cards to people who get a jab and the placement of clinics that will inject the children in some schools, with other clinics near schools.

The child of Joshua Mazer, one of the plaintiffs, visited a doctors office in the city without her parents and asked to get a vaccine, according to the motion for a preliminary injunction. The child confirmed her parents were not aware of the request. The office did not check the girls medical history or prior reactions to a vaccine and also did not provide any vaccine information, according to the filing; instead, workers convinced the girl to get two other shots as well.

The girl changed her mind at the last minute, which caused workers to physically position themselves around her, making her feel trapped. She was eventually able to leave.

Defendants, including Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said in a counter-filing that the court shouldnt block the law, calling it an eminently reasonable public health measure that does not require plaintiff or his daughter to do anything.

McFadden, a Trump appointee, disagreed, noting that testimony from Mazer indicates his daughter, a teenager who lives in Maryland, is likely to try to get vaccinated in D.C.

The law presents a threat of imminent harm because without it there is no avenue for minors to receive vaccines absent parental consent, the judge said. Removing the law would revert the District to the standard age of consent of 18.

Bowser and the other defendants are enjoined from enforcing the law until further order from the court.

The office of Bowser and the D.C. Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment.

Aaron Siri, a lawyer representing Mazer, said on social media that he was pleased to announce the ruling in the suit.
Students and parents arrive masked for the first day of the school year at Grant Elementary School in Los Angeles, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

LA Unified to End Indoor Mask Mandate Next Week

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced it will end its indoor mask mandate for students and staff by March 23 after a week of negotiating an existing contract with its teachers union.

Los Angeles Unified is pleased to announce that we have reached agreement with labor groups to align with the guidance from the State of California and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to make masking strongly recommended, the district said in a March 18 statement.

A March 18 agreement between the school district and the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) includes a requirement for weekly COVID-19 testing for students and staff until the end of the school year.

Under the agreement, the district will also provide take-home antigen tests for all students and staff before returning to campus after the 2022 spring break, and N95 masks are also available for all staff upon request.

The parties will also meet again in mid-April and mid-May to review the testing policy for the 2021-22 school year.

New LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalhowho took office last monthsaid in the districts statement expressing his strong support for the change.

I strongly support ending the indoor mask requirement and am committed to continuing to uphold our science-based approach to COVID-19 safety and protocols, he said. We know some in our school communities and offices will continue to wear masks, while others may not. Please consider your situation and do what is best for you or your child.

Carvalho went on to say he now wants to shift the districts focus to improving academic performance.

Now that this important issue is behind us, it is time to focus on each students full academic potential, he said.

This comes after the LAUSD has held a series of meetings with the union to re-negotiate a previous contract, which included a requirement for enforced indoor masking until the end of the 2022 school year.

Initially, the district proposed optional masking for students beginning this week, and an end to COVID-19 testing at secondary schools on April 1 and elementary schools on April 29.

In addition, the union proposed that if COVID-19 case rates increase for two consecutive weeks, the two parties must meet again to discuss reinstating masking requirements.

This comes after both the state and the county dropped its indoor masking requirements for students on March 12.

UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz did not return a request for comment by press time. However, she praised masking in schools in a statement last month.

LAUSD schools have been the safest and most well equipped in the country because educators and families united to demand critical health and safety protocols, Myart-Cruz said.

These protocols, like indoor masking, have protected tens of thousands of educators and more than half a million students, along with their families.

UTLA said in a recent survey of its 30,000 membersin which 18,500 responded58 percent indicated they support keeping the indoor masking mandate.

A request for comment from LAUSD also was not returned by press deadline.
People fleeing from Mariupol amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine stand at a railway station in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on March 16, 2022. (Press service of the National Police of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)

RussiaUkraine (March 19): Mariupol Says Russia Forcefully Deported Thousands of Its People

The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, March 19. Click here for updates from March 18.

Mariupol Says Russia Forcefully Deported Thousands of Its People

The city council of Ukraines Mariupol said Russian forces forcefully deported several thousand people from the besieged city last week, after Russia had spoken of refugees arriving from the strategic port.

Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents were deported onto the Russian territory, the council said in a statement on its Telegram channel late on Saturday.

The occupiers illegally took people from the Livoberezhniy district and from the shelter in the sports club building, where more than a thousand people (mostly women and children) were hiding from the constant bombing.

The Epoch Times could not independently verify the claims.

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Lavrov Says Moscow Expects Operation in Ukraine to End With Signing of Agreement on Security, Ukraines Neutral Status

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that Moscow expects its operation in Ukraine to end with a signing of a comprehensive agreement on security issues, including Ukraines neutral status.

And, of course, the adjustment of laws to a civilized level in regards to the Russian language, Russian education, Russian media, and in regards to laws that foster the Nazification of the country and the adoption of a law that prohibits this, Lavrov added.

Commenting on the relationship with China he said the cooperation between Russia and China will only become stronger in the current circumstances.

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Russia Ridicules Idea That Cosmonauts Wore Yellow in Support of Ukraine

Russias space agency on Saturday dismissed Western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) had chosen to wear yellow suits with a blue trim in support of Ukraine.

Sometimes yellow is just yellow, Roscosmoss press service said on its Telegram channel.

The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colors of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from  To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.

Roscosmos Director-General Dmitry Rogozin was more acerbic, saying on his personal Telegram channel that Russian cosmonauts had no sympathy for Ukrainian nationalists.

In a live-streamed news conference from the ISS on Friday, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, the mission commander, was asked about the suits.

Every crew picks a color that looks different. It was our turn to pick a color, he said. The truth is, we had accumulated a lot of yellow fabric, so we needed to use it up. Thats why we had to wear yellow flight suits.

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Moscow Warns of Ukrainian Mines in Black Sea

Russia issued a formal maritime warning saying that a number of naval mines that were placed in the Black Seaallegedly by Ukrainians in efforts to counter Moscows invasionare no longer attached to their anchors and could drift toward the Straits of Bosphorus and the Mediterranean Sea.

In a press statement on Saturday, Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Ukrainian naval forces had placed lines of mines near the ports of Odessa, Ochakov, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny, reported state-run news agency TASS. The FSB said the mines were made in the first half of the 20th century by the Soviet Union.

It said the cables that connected the mines to the anchors had broken due to storms, and the mines were now being pushed along by winds and currents and freely drifting in the western Black Sea. The FSB added that it is feasible the mines could float toward Bosphorus and the Mediterranean Sea given the current direction of the currents.

The FSB said that Ukraine was to blame for placing the mines and that the Ukrainian forces have shown utter ignorance of international laws, and disregard for human lives.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet had on March 18 issued a mine hazard warning, TASS reported.

Read the full article here

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Lavrov: Moscow Will Not Propose Initiatives to Normalize Relations With West

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday that while Moscow remained open to cooperating with Western countries, it will not propose initiatives to normalize relations with them at this point.

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Putin Lays Out 2 Most Difficult Demands of Ukraine Amid Ceasefire Talks: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out several demands for Ukraine including two most difficult issues during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

The demands can be divided into two parts, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told several media outlets.

The first four articles appear to be possible common ground for both sides.

Putin also put forward two territories-related demands.

Putin would require Ukraine to recognize Russias annexation of Crimea, and admit the independence of the Donbas, a disputed region in southeastern Ukraine.

Read the full article here

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Zelensky to Swiss Government: Freeze Oligarchs Accounts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the Swiss government to freeze the bank accounts of all Russian oligarchs.

Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that Zelensky, who spoke via livestream on Saturday to antiwar protesters in the Swiss city of Bern, said: In your banks are the funds of the people who unleashed this war. Help to fight this. So that their funds are frozen.  It would be good to take away those privileges from them.

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Luxembourg PM Reiterates Calls for De-escalation in Phone Call With Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken on the phone with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, which is the second time this week the two leaders have talked.

According to the Kremlins readout of the call, Putin outlined fundamental assessments of the course of the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, while Bettel informed him about contacts with the leadership of Ukraine and other countries.

Putin also said that incessant missile strikes by Ukrainian forces on Donetsk and other cities of the self-proclaimed separatist Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine are leading to numerous civilian casualties.

Bettel posted on Twitter Saturday about his call with Putin, too. He stressed that since their first call earlier this week the situation on the ground has worsened, especially in the city of Mariupol.

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Russia Fires at Kyiv Suburbs, Eastern Donetsk: Ukraines National Police

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have fired at eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, using aviation, rocket, and heavy artillery.

Ukraines National Police claimed in a statement on Telegram Saturday that at least 37 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged; dozens of civilians were killed and injured as a result of the attacks. The Russian military were firing at Mariupol, Avdiivka, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Novoselydivka, Verkhnotoretske, Krymka, and Stepne.

Kyiv northwestern suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin, and Moshchun have also been under fire on Saturday. The Kyiv regional administration reported that the city of Slavutich north of the capital was completely isolated, and that Russian military equipment was spotted in the region northeast and east of Kyiv.

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Putin In Better Shape Than Ever, Belarus Leader Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, sane, and in better shape than ever, his close ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS.

He and I havent only met as heads of state, were on friendly terms, Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview shared by state news agency BelTA. Im absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal.

Western leaders have suggested Putin made a costly miscalculation by launching the military assault on Ukraine, where Russian forces have taken heavy losses and their advance has largely stalled despite their apparent superiority.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested Putin is being irrational and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has described him as totally paranoid.

But Lukashenko dismissed the notion that Putin, who is 69, was not at the height of his powers.

The West, and you, should get this stupidity, this fiction out of your heads, he told the interviewer.

Putin is absolutely fit, hes in better shape than ever.  This is a completely sane, healthy person, physically healthyhes an athlete.

As they say herehell catch a cold at all our funerals.

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4 US Service Members Die in Plane Crash During NATO Drills

The prime minister of Norway says four U.S. service members have died in a plane crash during NATO drills.

Jonas Gahr Stre tweeted that the service members were participating in the NATO exercise Cold Response, which is taking place in northern Norway.

The annual drills in Norway are unrelated to the war in Ukraine. This year they included around 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft, and 50 vessels from 27 countries. Non-NATO members Finland and Sweden are also participating.

According to the Norwegian police, the American V-22B Osprey aircraft that crashed belonged to the U.S. Marine Corps.

The aircraft had a crew of four and was out on a training mission in Nordland County on Friday. It was on its way north to Bod, where it was scheduled to land just before 6 p.m. Friday.

The plane crashed in Gratadalen in Beiarn, south of Bod. Police said a search and rescue mission was launched immediately. At 1:30 a.m. Saturday, the police arrived at the scene and confirmed that the crew of four had died.

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Russia Claims It Used Hypersonic Weapons in Western Ukraine

The Russian military says it used its latest hypersonic missile, Kinzhal, for the first time in combat during its offensive in Ukraine.

A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the hypersonic missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing missiles and aviation ammunition of Ukrainian troops in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Konashenkov also said that the Russian forces used the anti-ship missile system Bastion to strike Ukrainian military facilities near the Black Sea port of Odesa. Russia first used the weapon during its military campaign in Syria in 2016.

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10 Humanitarian Corridors for Evacuation in Ukraine Have Been Agreed on With Russians: Ukrainian Official

Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced Saturday that 10 humanitarian corridors have been agreed on with the Russians.

They include a corridor from the besieged port city of Mariupol, several in the Kyiv region, and several in the Luhansk region.

She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the city of Kherson, which is currently under control of the Russian forces.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces are blockading the largest cities with the goal of creating such miserable conditions that Ukrainians will cooperate. He said the Russians are preventing supplies from reaching surrounded cities in central and southeastern Ukraine.

Satellite images on Friday from Maxar Technologies showed a long line of cars leaving Mariupol as people tried to evacuate. Zelensky said more than 9,000 people were able to leave the city in the past day.

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Zelensky Says It Is Time for Meaningful Talks With Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the war.

Zelensky said Ukraine had always offered solutions for peace and wanted meaningful and honest negotiations on peace and security, without delay.

I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk, he said in a video address released in the early hours of Saturday.

The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russias losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover.

The two sides have been involved in talks for weeks with no sign of a breakthrough.

Zelensky said Russian forces were deliberately blocking the supply of humanitarian supplies to cities under attack.

Zelensky said there was no information about how many people had died after a theater in the city of Mariupol, where hundreds of people had been sheltering, was struck on Wednesday. More than 130 people had been rescued so far, he said.

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Ukraine Military Orders 38-hour Curfew in Southern Zaporizhzhia City, Says Official

Zaporizhzhia regional governor Oleksandr Starukh has announced a 38-hour curfew in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, to last from 4 p.m. local time on Saturday until 6 a.m. on Monday.

Starukh said on Telegram on Saturday: For your safety, do not go out into the streets and other public places during this time.

Two missile strikes on the suburbs of Zaporizhzhia killed nine people on Friday, wounded 17 more and left five others with injuries, a spokesman of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration Ivan Arefiev reported Saturday.

Local authorities continue to evacuate people from settlements taken over by the Russians and deliver humanitarian aid to them, he said.

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Russian Cosmonauts Arrived at International Space Station

Three Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing flight suits in yellow and blue colors that match the Ukrainian flag.

The men were the first new arrivals on the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.

Video of one of the cosmonauts taken as the capsule prepared to dock with the space station showed him wearing a blue flight suit. It was unclear what, if any, message the yellow uniforms they changed into were intended to send.

Oleg Artemyev was asked about the yellow flight suits when the newly arrived cosmonauts were able to talk to family back on Earth.

He said every crew chooses its own flight suits, so that they are not all the same.

It became our turn to pick a color. But in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So thats why we had to wear yellow, he said.

Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov blasted off successfully from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft at 8:55 p.m. Friday (11:55 a.m. EDT). They smoothly docked at the station just over three hours later, joining two Russians, four Americans, and a German on the orbiting outpost.

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Twitter Blocks Account of Russias First Deputy UN Ambassador

Russias first deputy U.N. ambassador says Twitter has blocked his account, accusing him of abuse and harassment, due to a tweet about the maternity hospital in the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

This is very deplorable, Dmitry Polyansky told reporters after a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday, and this clearly illustrates how much alternative view and free press, and free information is valued by Twitter and in this country.

Polyansky, who had more than 22,000 followers and was a prolific Twitter user, said he received a message earlier Friday from Twitters cloud service saying he was violating Twitters rules and was engaged in abuse and harassment.

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EU Proposes to Create Solidarity Fund for Ukraines Basic Needs

The European Union is considering creating a solidarity fund for Ukraine to help provide basic services in the country and meet citizens immediate needs, European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday.

The Fund would give liquidity for continued support to authorities and in the longer term serve as backbone for reconstruction of a free and democratic Ukraine once hostilities stop, Michel said in a tweet.

Partners could contribute to the fund through an international donors conference, Michel said.

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Germanys Federal Police Registers More Than 200,000 Ukrainian Refugees

Germanys federal police has registered more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country since the outbreak of the war more than three weeks ago.

The countrys interior ministry said 207,747 Ukrainian refugees had arrived as of Saturday. However, the real number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany is expected to be much higher.

Ukrainians dont need a visa to come to Germany, and federal police only register refugees entering Germany by train or bus. There are not thorough border controls inside the European Unions internal borders, so Ukrainians coming to Germany from Poland by car are normally not registered. Those who stay with family and friends in Germany are also not counted unless they apply for financial aid from German authorities.

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Bulgarian Prime Minister Rules Out Providing Military Aid to Ukraine

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has ruled out providing military aid to Ukraine but says his country, a NATO ally, will continue to provide humanitarian assistance.

Being so close to the conflict, right now I have to say that currently we will not be able to send military assistance to Ukraine. This will not be possible, Petkov said Saturday at a news conference in the Bulgarian capital with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Bulgaria, which does not border Ukraine but has received thousands of refugees, has agreed to host a new contingent of NATO troops as part of the alliances push to reinforce its eastern flank. That contingent includes about 150 U.S. Army infantry soldiers.

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Ukraine Temporarily Loses Access to Sea of Azov: Defense Ministry

Ukraines defense ministry said late on Friday it lost access to the Sea of Azov temporarily as invading Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Seas major port of Mariupol.

The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov, Ukraines defense ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not specify in its statement whether Ukraines forces have regained access to the Sea.

Russia said on Friday its forces were tightening the noose around Mariupol, where an estimated 80 percent of the citys homes had been damaged. Some 1,000 people may still be trapped in makeshift bomb shelters beneath a destroyed theater.

Mariupol, with its strategic location on the coast of the Sea of Azov, has been a target since the start of the war on Feb. 24 when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a special military operation.

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Russia Tells Google to Stop Spreading Threats Against Russians on YouTube

Russia on Friday demanded that Google stop spreading what it called threats against Russian citizens on its YouTube video-sharing platform, a move that could presage an outright block of the service on Russian territory.

The regulator, Roskomnadzor, said adverts on the platform were calling for the communications systems of Russia and Belaruss railway networks to be suspended and that their dissemination was evidence of the U.S. companys anti-Russian position. It did not say which accounts were publishing the adverts.

The actions of YouTubes administration are of a terrorist nature and threaten the life and health of Russian citizens, the regulator said.

Roskomnadzor categorically opposes such advertising campaigns and demands that Google stop broadcasting anti-Russia videos as soon as possible.

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Russia to Work on Solo Mars Mission After Europe Freezes Joint Project: Interfax

Russia will start work on its own Mars mission given that the European Space Agency (ESA) has suspended a joint project in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, Interfax news agency quoted a top official as saying on Friday.

The ESA announced on Thursday that it would be impossible to continue cooperating with Russia on the ExoMars mission. A Russian rocket had been due to transport a European-made rover to Mars later this year.

In the very near future we will start working on the implementation of a mission to Mars, said Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roskosmos, Russias space agency.

Interfax quoted him as saying he did not think a rover would necessarily be needed since Russias existing landing module, which is designed to transport the rover, would be able to carry out the required scientific work.

Rogozin said there were big doubts about what the ESA could do without Russia, which already had a rocket, a launch site, and the landing module. The ESA would need at least six years to develop its own module, he said.

In response to sanctions, Roskosmos has already suspended cooperation with Europe on space launches and announced it would stop supplying rocket engines to the United States.

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India Continues to Purchase Russian Oil and Gas

Indian Oil Corp., Indias state-owned oil company, purchased 3 million barrels of crude oil from Russia earlier this week, defying Western pressure to avoid buying oil from Moscow.

New Delhi has not imposed sanctions against buying oil and gas from Russia nor has any plans to do so.

It has so far abstained on votes at the U.N. condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine.

It appears that India will continue its purchases despite sanctions against Russia by the United States and other Western countries.

According to Indian media reports, Russia is offering a discount on oil purchases of 20 percent below global benchmark prices.

India is the worlds third-largest energy-consuming nation, and it has acquired multiple cargoes of Russian oil from traders that would have otherwise have gone to Europe before western sanctions on Moscow.

Read the full article here

Mimi Nguyen Ly, Bryan Jung, Allen Zhong, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
The Jackson County Sheriffs Office reports a Sunday, March 13, traffic stop initially conducted because of an improper tag but which also resulted in the arrests of the driver and a passenger on multiple charges.

In a press release, the agency reports that the 5:47 p.m. traffic stop occurred in the area of Kynesville Highway and Interstate 10 when, authorities said, the deputy saw a Florida registration plate that belonged on another vehicle.

The driver was identified as James Lombardi. Lombardi stated his license was suspended, which was verified, according to the release.

Lombardi was taken into custody without incident and advised the deputy that he had marijuana in his vehicle, officials said. The deputy also made contact with the passenger, identified as Joseph Hayman.

Marijuana and drug paraphilia were observed in plain view within the vehicle, the release states. A bag containing a crystal-like substance was also located within the vehicle (and) tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.

Hayman was also placed under arrest.

Also during the search, a tin container was found that had a crystal-like substance inside, which also tested positive for methamphetamine, officials said.

Lombardi was charged with Driving While License Suspended or Revoked and Possession of Methamphetamine.

Hayman was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine.
Longtime Rep. Don Young Dies at 88

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who served decades in Congress, passed away at age 88, his office announced late March 18.

Young died while traveling from Washington to Alaska with his wife Anne, the congressmans office said.

Young passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved, the office said in a statement.

Youngs cause of death has not been made public.

The longtime congressman was flying from Los Angeles to Seattle when he could not be resuscitated, Jack Ferguson, his former chief of staff, told the Alaska Daily News.

Everyones learning about it right at the moment. The phones ringing off the hook, Ferguson said. Im sad to lose such a good friend, and a person that Ive known all his political career.

Young, born on June 9, 1933, had served the longest continuous term among the current members of Congress before he died. He entered office in 1973 after winning a special election to fill a seat left open by a sudden death.

Young was the dean of the House of Representatives prior to his death because of the decades he had served.

Among Youngs accomplishments: helping create the Trans-Alaska pipeline; backing the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which overhauled the U.S. fishing industry; and supporting the First Step Act, which altered major elements of the criminal justice system.

Young was born in California but moved to Alaska after graduating from college with a teaching degree and serving in the U.S. Army. He settled in Fort Yukon, initially working at construction, fishing, and looking for gold. He took a teaching job at a Bureau of Indian Affairs school and met and married a bookkeeper named Lu. They have two children and 14 grandchildren. She died in 2009. Young remarried in 2015.

Young had been running for another term in office before he passed away. Members of the House must win re-election every two years.

Young won the 2020 election with about 54 percent of the vote, trumping challenger Alyse Galvin. The results were similar to the 2018 election.

Don Youngs legacy as a fighter for the state will live on, as will his fundamental goodness and his honor. We will miss him dearly. His family, his staff, and his many friends ask Alaskans for their prayers during this difficult time, Youngs office said.

Condolences poured in from colleagues after the death was announced.

Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) called Young a powerful voice for Alaska and the Pacific Northwest while Rep Tom Rice (R-S.C.) said Young was a good man who knew how to get things done.

So sad to hear of my friend Don Young passing today. He was a great man and a great friend. I have so many Don Young stories, like anyone who knew him. The House will not be the same without him. My prayers are with Anne and his family, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) added.
A police line is seen outside a house where four-year-old Cleo Smith was found in Carnarvon, Australia, on Nov. 3, 2021. (Tamati Smith/Getty Images)

Man Charged After Emaciated Body Found in Sydney

A Sydney man will face court charged with murder after the severely-emaciated body of a woman he was caring for was discovered by paramedics, police say.

The sole carer of a woman has been charged with murder after her emaciated body was found in Sydneys southwest, police say.

Paramedics went to a Greenacre home on Friday morning to respond to a medical episode.

They alerted police after they found what authorities described as the body of a severely-emaciated 60-year-old woman.

Officers arrived and arrested an 82-year-old man, the womans sole carer, taking him to Bankstown Police Station where they charged him with murder.

The Greenacre man was held in custody and expected to face Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.

Australia has seen its highest number of homicide incidents in 15 years between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, with 278 victims and 314 identified offenders, according to figures from the Australian Institute of Criminology.

Around 39.2 people aged over 60 suffer neglect, emotional abuse, or physical abuse in Australian aged care facilities according to experimental estimates by the Office of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The most prevalent form of abuse is neglect, experienced by 30.8 percent of people, followed by emotional abuse at 22.6 percent, and physical abuse at 5 percent.

World wide, around one in six people aged over 60 experienced some form of abuse in community settings during the past year, according to the World Health Organisation. Rates increased during the pandemic.

By Finbar OMallon
Man Fatally Shot in Aliso Viejo Neighborhood

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.A man was fatally shot outside a condominium complex in Aliso Viejo that has had recent gang activity, authorities said Friday.

Deputies sent to Via Jacinto and Via San Miguel found the mortally wounded man, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene about 12:15 a.m., said Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriffs Department.

Authorities withheld the name of the man, who was in his 20s, pending notification of his relatives.

There is a strong possibility the shooting was gang-related, Braun said.

Deputies were continuing to look for the gunman, Braun said.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call 949-770-6011, or OC Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-OCCS.
A U.S. military couple who bought a house in South Carolina found themselves separated by the wifes deployment. However, two months later, a stroke of luck reunited them when the husband was deployed more than 7,000 miles away from home, to the very same base.

First Lt. Alyson Phillips, 378th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron infrastructure flight commander, aged 25, and her husband, Capt. Thomas Phillips, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 weapon systems officer, aged 26, were each tasked to deploy by their respective branches. However, they were unaware that theyd soon reunite in the middle of the desert in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The couple embrace at their reunion on the flight line of Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 23, 2021. (Courtesy of Senior Airman Jacob B. Wrightsman/U.S. Air Force)

We learned about being deployed together about a week before Christmas, Alyson told The Epoch Times. About a month before that, Thomas had learned that there might be a tasking for his squadron to one of the bases in the AOR [area of responsibility], but we did not think it would be Prince Sultan Air Base [PSAB].

Alyson explained that her commander planned with other squadrons on base to get flight-line access and for the public affairs team to take pictures of their reunion.

My squadron went out there with me to greet Thomas when he landed on base, Alyson said. It was really incredible to hear when he landed, and to see him. We both teared up!

Thomas told DVIDS Hub it was hard to believe the reunion was actually happening.

I was the last jet in my cell to land, and one of the guys came over the radio and told me that she was here, he recalled. I was fighting back some tears, it was pretty special.

Alyson, who is originally from Hammond, Indiana, met Thomas, from Ottawa in Canada, at Floridas Naval Air Station Pensacola in 2018. Air Force combat systems officers train across the street from the Navy and Marine Corps weapons systems officers, said Alyson.

The couple then went on their first date in downtown Pensacola that summer and have been attached ever since.

While stationed together for the first 18 months of their relationship, Thomas moved to San Diegos MCAS Miramar and Alyson moved to Oklahoma Citys Tinker AFB after graduating flight school. Then, the pandemic hit.

We werent able to see each other for about five months after that, due to travel restrictions  the longest weve been apart, Alyson told The Epoch Times. After that, we made it a goal to see each other every one to two months.

Thomas proposed in San Diego, after hiking with Alyson to Annies Canyon with Alysons best friend and her fiance in tow. Thomas had flowers and an engagement ring waiting, said Alyson, and a friend hidden from sight to take pictures.

In October 2020, the couple had a small, intimate wedding ceremony in Balboa Park, officiated by a friend.

Both Alyson and Thomas then received assignments in June 2021 and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, together. In October, Alyson was deployed to PSAB.

Alyson says that working on the same base as her husband since he arrived in Saudi Arabia is funny.

They both work on different schedulesThomas works night shifts while Alyson works dayson different parts of the base. They are only able to meet for an hour or two, twice a week.

I manage all the construction projects and service contracts for the base. Thomas is a weapons system officer on F-18s, so his main job is to fly, Alyson explained. We dont live together, so we mostly just grab lunch or coffee. We are always in public, so we get some weird looks, because most people do not assume we are married!

Although they dont get to spend a lot of time together, Alyson admits that its a bonus from what they thought they would be getting during these six months.

We work very hard to make sure we spend time together, no matter how busy we are; it also really makes us appreciate the time we do have together, she added.

Alyson says that both she and her husband are now looking forward to unpacking in their new home upon returning to Charleston. While the couple do not yet have children, they do have an adorable, about to turn 1-year-old puppy named Brady staying with Thomass parents until they return.

Hes extremely spoiled, and we cant wait to return home to see him, said Alyson.

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
Mayor: Ukrainian Resort Town Becomes Place of Refuge

The population of Truskavets, Ukraine, has more than doubled in size since rumors of the war began. Andriy Kulchynsky, the mayor of Truskavets, explains to The Epoch Times sister media NTD why so many people took refuge there and how they are providing food and shelter to thousands of people every day.

From NTD News
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs speaks with the media after receiving his second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, in Fredericton on June 4, 2021. (Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press)

New Brunswick Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Most Government Employees

New Brunswick says its COVID-19 vaccine mandate will no longer be a condition of employment for civil servants come March 28.

The announcement on March 18, however, does not include employees working at health facilities, Ambulance New Brunswick, corrections, and those who provide health-care services to patients residing in homes, including personal residences, special care homes, and nursing homes under the provincial Extra-Mural program.

The province said these categories remain vulnerable sectors.

Unvaccinated employees working in facilities of the regional health authorities, Extra-Mural /Ambulance NB, and corrections will remain on leave without pay until fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the province said in a press release.

All other unvaccinated civil servants who were put on leave without pay will have to report back to work on March 28.

Full vaccination remains a condition of employment for current and new employees in nursing homes and adult residential facilities licensed by the Department of Social Development, the province said.

The amended vaccine policy also applies to volunteers, onsite vendors, suppliers, and contractors.

The province said it will reassess its vaccine policy for workers in the vulnerable sectors by the end of March.

The vaccine mandate for provincial government employees was announced by Premier Blaine Higgs last August. At the time, employees were required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 by Sept. 13, 2021, or be forced to wear masks and undergo three rapid tests per week and one PCR test per month.

On Oct. 5, 2021, Higgs changed the requirements, mandating all civil servants to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 19, 2021.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
New Hampshire Votes for Pharmaceutical Freedom

Commentary

The New Hampshire House of Representatives has voted to make ivermectin available at any pharmacy that wants to distribute this drug even without a prescription. It will likely pass the Senate and become law.

Its a hugely positive breakthrough for medical and pharmaceutical freedom. Its only tragic that this wasnt the situation two years ago. The doctors the world over who have rallied behind this treatment believe many lives might have been saved. If one state in the Northeast had at least made the option available, outcomes might have been very different.

The Epoch Times reports that similar bills are pending legislative approval in Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Arizona, and Alaska.

Magnificent! Whats key here is the concept of human choice.

The irony is bitter: The vaccine mandates have been universal and people have lost careers for refusing them or been rejected for participation in public life. People were forced to get shots of doubtful efficacy in most cases that many people didnt want because they didnt see the need and feared their side effects.

Meanwhile, a drug they would have chosen to take was denied to them, again by force, and physicians who believed they were saving lives had their licenses taken away for using their professional discretion.

For a good part of last year, many people in the world could freely buy ivermectin, a generic drug that at least eight quality studies have shown to be an effective treatment for COVID-19. It has long been part of the alternative treatment protocol for COVID since it was first tried in early 2020, but never recommended by the FDA, CDC, or NIH. At some point, the CDC was tweeting denunciations of it, somehow with the implication that this treatment was distracting from the main push of vaccine fanaticism.

A very strange political war broke out in the United States over the drug, however, such that peoples acceptance or rejection of it somehow signaled political loyaltiesan absurdist example of how politicized the entire pandemic had become. In the end, it works well or does not: biology doesnt care about party affiliation.

Why did this happen? There are theories. Its generic. Its cheap. Its widely available. Therefore the financial interest didnt favor it. Another theory is that early talk of ways to rationally and humanely deal with COVID missed the main and completely implausible message of lockdowns and then mandates: The goal of everyone should be to restructure life to avoid the bug no matter what.

In most parts of Central and Latin America, plus India and Eastern Europe, the drug was freely available to anyone. And the results are suggestively positivethough it would take a specialist to fully sort through all the noise in the data. The experience of on-the-ground COVID doctors, once fully free to prescribe what they believed was best, was positive from many reports.

In the United States, however, the situation was very different. Getting a prescription was hard enough. In some states, getting it filled was nearly impossible. You would get a blank stare and a headshake from the pharmacist. As a result, the generic became in high demand in gray markets, with people returning from Mexico with stashes and also ordering from abroad.

The situation became utterly bizarre. Meanwhile, the NIH itself, which is supposed to promote randomized trials of repurposed drugs because major manufacturers have no incentive to do so, was in no rush to find out anything about its effectiveness. The NIHs major study of repurposed drugs is due to show results more than a year from today.

Therapeutics in general have been woefully neglected throughout the pandemic. There was no warp speed for them. The NIH had all of February 2020 to kick off the investigations. But this apparently didnt happen. People were denied access not only to timely testing, but also to basic information about what to do if you got sick! As for ventilators, the waste and mess there deserves an article of its own.

Meanwhile, to get the drug, people had to find alternative paths. The group Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance was formed to find ways around the restrictionsin the interest of saving lives during a pandemic! The group MyFreeDoctor.com was formed to get people the therapeutics they needed based on symptoms and checks and contacts with various pharmacists around the country who saw this as a true emergency. They asked only for contributions, which were entirely optional.

The doctors who have rallied around this drug as part of a full suite of therapeutics estimate that tens or hundreds of thousands of lives might have been saved. As a complete nonspecialist in this area, I have no idea if this is correct. But we do know that the physicians who held out, stuck to their guns against all smears, and figured out a way to serve their patients, even against regulatory attacks, became models of courage.

One night early in January 2022, I caught up with Dr. Pierre Kory of New York, who sounded absolutely exhausted on the phone. He had been working for 18 hours daily, seven days per week, to see patients and take care of needs with precision and deep care, even as he had faced unrelenting attacks. No question of what drove him and does still: the desperate desire to carry out his vocation to save lives and improve public health.

Meanwhile, on the other side of this stands the CDC, NIH, and HHS. The HHS has actually just produced something of a comic book (though probably not intended as such) designed to train people to recognize misinformation. It has no specifics and contains no scientific studies or claims. Instead, its page after page of hint, hint, nudge nudge. In particular, I was struck by the following frames, which seem directed precisely against all those doctors and organizations that worked so hard during the pandemic to help people.

You are welcome to peruse the entire document, the main message of which is that the government is always correct, always knows the most science at the time, while front-line doctors with experience are very likely quacks, crazies, or ruthless profiteers.

Sometimes it seems like the people who produce such propaganda are forever attempting to live in the world of the movie Contagion, where every alternative treatment is a scam promoted by a corrupt blogger and where the CDC knows all. This cartoon is a smear in every way.

Yet even now, after two years of incontrovertible proof of the gigantic age plus health disparity in COVID vulnerability to severe outcomes, after massive demographic data the world over that is highly consistent, Jen Psaki just today said during a press conference that we dont know that COVID affects older people more than young people.

Such is the state of science at the highest levels. The deliberate cultivation of confusion is national policy. And these are the people were supposed to trust?

This battle is much larger than the legal status of ivermectin. Thats just one symbol. Whats really at stake here is the idea of medical freedom itself. And freedom is a precondition for scientific inquiry and the search for the truth. Its also essential for public health. This is one of many lessons of the disastrously botched pandemic.

The decisions of the New Hampshire legislature to enshrine that freedom into law in this one instance represent a mighty tribute to the principle and a repudiation of the use of force in disease management.

From the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Los Angeles County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer speaks at a press conference on COVID-19, in Los Angeles, California, on March 6, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

New Omicron Sub-Variant Proliferating Globally, LA County Officials on High Alert

A new sub-variant of Omicron detected in California a few weeks ago is now proliferating in Europe and Asia, and Los Angeles County health officials worry that the new strain could lead to a new COVID-19 surge in the county.

BA.2, known as the Stealth Omicron, is one of the four Omicron sub-variants. Recent transmission was primarily led by the Omicron BA.1 variant, but now BA.2 is rapidly spreading in many countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark, India, and Singapore, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The BA.2 variant was first identified in Los Angeles County in late January and now accounts for 27.7 percent of overall COVID cases in California and about 23.1 percent in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So, my assumption is: Its here. Its likely to increase. I see no reason why it wont, in fact, become a more dominant strain, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said at a media briefing on March 17.

While the new COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County continue to drop, the BA.2 variant has health officials on high alert.

We are closely tracking the information from Europe, Ferrer said. We do have an opportunity to proactively prepare by maintaining our response capacity and increasing vaccination and booster coverage, particularly among those who are most vulnerable.

Since BA.2 is 30 percent more infectious than BA.1, Ferrer said, BA.2 might become the dominant variant soon. However, she added, it is still unknown whether BA.2 will increase disease severity and risk of hospitalization.

According to the CDC, more than 98 percent of the U.S. population are currently living in a community with low or medium COVID risk. As of March 18, all the Southern California counties are considered at low risk of COVID.

With the upcoming spring break, Ferrer urges travelers to take sensible precautions and get tested upon returning home.

After the indoor mask mandate was removed in California on March 1, the state is ready to loosen other precautionary measures.

Beginning April 1, proof of COVID-19 vaccination and negative test result are strongly recommended instead of required for attendees at indoor mega-events, the state Department of Public Health announced on March 17.

According to the latest statistics released by the department, the daily average number of cases reported in California is 2,785, and the daily average death is 95.

In February, the World Health Organization has been monitoring the genetic sequences of the new sub-variant and suggests that all countries continue to be vigilant about the COVID situation.
New York City to Indefinitely Continue Vaccine Mandate for Private Sector

School mask mandate for those aged 5 and under to also remain in place

New York Citys new health commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, said on Friday that the citys vaccine mandate for private-sector workers who work on-site will continue indefinitely. The citys school mask mandate for children aged 5 and under will also remain in place.

At his first COVID-19 press briefing, when asked whether there were any specific benchmarks that would enable the city to decide to lift the vaccine mandate for private-sector workers, Vasan did not initially provide a direct response.

I would love to sit here and say I can give you a date or a data point to say when we would lift those things. Right now, we are in a low risk environment and we will continue to evaluate that data, he said.

When pressed further about whether there were any specific metric in mind for which the city government would lift the mandate Vasan responded: I think its indefinite at this point.

People who have tried to predict what will happen in this future for this pandemic have repeatedly found egg on their face, as they say, he added. And Im not going to do that here today.

He noted that the citys color-coded risk alert system provides the government with very clear benchmarks, with COVID-19 cases, hospitalization rates, and bed occupancy rates being the pillars of the alert system.

The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the private sector workers was announced in December 2021 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, requiring all private employers to require their employees to have proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Prior to that, de Blasio announced in October 2021 a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all public sector workers.

The latest announcement by Vasan comes as a new form of the Omicron variant is rapidly spreading in New Yorkthe BA.2 subvariant, accounting for about 39 percent of the cases in the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mask Mandates for Children Under 5 Remains

When asked whether the city has any plans to lift school mask mandates for children under five, Vasan replied: Well keep evaluating whether that mandate should stay in place, and right now we think it should stay in place.

New York State on March 2 lifted its school mask mandate for children aged five and over. The state kept the mandate for younger children, with the rationale being that this age group is not eligible to take a COVID-19 vaccine.

We have consistently seen disproportionate hospital rates in the under 5 population compared with other childhood groups, and as a father of a two and a half year old and two other older kids, I want to keep them as safe as possible, Vasan said. I would love nothing more than to send my son to day care without a mask, but as a scientist and as a doctor and an epidemiologist, I want to keep him safe especially because hes not eligible for a vaccine.

Two mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are currently available in the United States under emergency use authorization (EUA)one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna.

The only COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized for emergency use for people 16 and older is Pfizer and BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccine, which is marketed as Comirnaty. Doses are to be produced in the future, according to documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

A separate, existing supply of COVID-19 vaccines under Pfizer-BioNTech continue to be available under an updated EUA for those over 16. The FDA has also granted an EUA for Pfizer-BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 1215 in May 2021, and for children aged 511 in October 2021.

Dr. Robert Malone in Washington on Jan. 5, 2022. (American Thought Leaders/EpochTV)

Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist and immunologist who has contributed significantly to the technology of mRNA vaccines, issued a strong caution for those who seek to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19.

He previously told EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program in an interview: It is clear that parents should think twice about vaccinating their child, adding that serious adverse events can occur and can be so severe that it puts your child in the hospital.

He pointed to information compiled on his website, which includes a list of peer-reviewed studies related to COVID-19 vaccine adverse events in children, the main one being myocarditis.
A health worker (C) helps people to fill the information requested in an app to obtain a code and be able to be tested as a measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus near the Shanghai Jin'an Central Hospital, in Shanghai on March 14, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Patients Left Unattended After Chaotic Shanghai Hospital Lockdown

The Shanghai Sixth Peoples Hospital (the 6th Hospital) suspended medical services, including surgery, due to a surge of inhouse COVID-19 infections.

The 6th Hospital went into lockdown on March 7 and many scheduled operations were suspended due to anesthesiologists and nurses being isolated in the outbreak.

As of March 18, the lockdown is still ongoing, and patients are also anxious to know when the lockdown will be lifted.

On March 13, the hospitals official WeChat account announced the suspension of service for outpatients, emergency services, and nucleic acid tests.

At a press conference, Shanghai health officials claimed that inpatient services during the hospital lockdown would still continue. But many patients said that the operation have been delayed since the lockdown.

Surgeries Suspended

Wang Yis son broke his arm and was brought to the hospital on March 5. They have been restricted inside the hospital since.

Wang mentioned that there are more than a dozen surgical patients yet to be operated on, but the hospital has said nothing about when the surgeries will be carried out.

Wangs wife said that their son was scheduled to be operated on March 8, but when the hospital was closed on March 7, his surgery was also called off.

The doctor told them it could be delayed for a couple of days, but when many doctors were also locked inside the hospital, no one has updated them on when the operation could be performed.

The Wangs were worried about missing the best time for an operation.

We can live with the prevention measures, but the kids arm is suffering, and we cant transfer to another hospital or go home, Wangs wife cried. All the information inside the hospital was blocked; we didnt know about the scuffle in the emergency room until we saw it on the Internet.

ER Chaos

Chaos emerged in the hospital on the same day that the facility went into lockdown. Medical staff werent prepared for the lockdown and a viral video exposed thhe scene of emergency room (ER) staff getting physical with each other.

The Epoch Times called the hospital to verify claims about chaos in the ER but the head of the hospitals publicity department was unable to comment on the matter.

People line up for COVID-19 testing in a residential community in Shanghai, China, on March 10, 2022. (AP Photo)

A Chinese Weibo netizen, Twilight String 007, wrote on March 13 that his wife, a frontline nurse in the hospitals ER, was told all staff needed to be tested for COVID-19 during the early morning of March 6.

Many people in the hospital tested positive for the virus, something that the hospital tried to conceal.

But the netizen alleged that those infected were relocated to the ER, which lacked the necessary facilities and materials for infectious disease patients.

According to the post, the ER became overcrowded.

On March 12, without proper preventive protection, nurses refused to enter areas designated for infected patients, and were attacked by doctors, the netizen claimed.

The next day, the hospital issued a statement on its public WeChat account confirming that an incident did occur that it did regret, without further details of the investigation.

Trapped in Death Valley

Du Ming, an ER patient in the hospital, told The Epoch Times that there were 63 patients on the third floor waiting for surgery. He himself was suffering a hand fracture and had been waiting for surgery for more than 10 days.

Theres no answer on our treatments  no doctor comes to care for our injuries. All we have had is IV saline. No one received any treatment, Du said.

The patients fruitlessly sought help from the Party Office in the 6th Hospital, the city hotline, and so on. They dont care whether or not you receive the treatment, as long as they get to keep their jobs, Du said.

Du said the deferral of surgeries has come with consequences: the deterioration of peoples health in a hospital now considered a high-risk COVID-19 area. For himself, his hands have worsened.

Everyone is low-spirited; most people here are only talking about death. It feels like we are at the brink of death, trapped in death valley, he said.

Du emphasized that the 6th Hospital has no plan for when they will be operated on or any other options.

Communication with other hospitals is blocked, he added.

All interviewees were given pseudonyms for fear of reprisal from the regime.

Mary Hong contributed to this report.
Jackson County District 4 Commissioner Eric Hill addressed the Optimist Club of Marianna recently and brought the club up to speed on whats been going on in Jackson County government and what is ahead for our area.

The number one challenge at the moment, according to Commissioner Hill, is fuel cost. The county budgeted for $2.35 a gallon fuel, and now prices have risen to well over $4 a gallon for regular and in the high $5-a-gallon range for diesel. The county basically used up its entire fuel budget within the first five months of the fiscal year.

Also, with 850 miles of dirt roads, Jackson County runs neck-in-neck with Pasco County for the most dirt roads of any county in Florida. For the same amount of money, a commissioner can either pave a mile-and-a-half of road or put down a limestone rock base on over 50 miles of dirt roads. The limestone choice is not extremely smooth, but is durable in times of inclement weather.

Hill addressed the fact that only 29% of the citizens of Jackson County pay ad valorem taxes and said that without the revenue stream of the beaches to fall back on, the county budget is always tight.

Negotiations are underway to reopen Peacock Bridge landing. Hill said that Peacocks was the only public Chipola River access between Magnolia and Johnny Boy Landing near Altha. In times of medical emergencies on the south end of the river, that access is crucial. He is optimistic that a deal may be agreed upon.

Some time back the Marianna Airport extended its runway from less than 5,000 feet to around 6,000 feet and the county is supporting the move to have the runway further extended to 8,000 feet. This would allow jets up to 737s to take off and land locally, which could open up shipping opportunities in our area.

Another solar farm, the fourth in the unincorporated areas of Jackson County, is set to start up soon. These endeavors are valued highly and therefore bring in ad valorem taxes as well as taking stress off of the power grid. This also translates to a savings for those purchasing electricity in our area.

Just north of I-10 on Blueberry Drive is an area that occasionally floods. The last major flood made the road impassible for 29 days. FEMA is working with the county to provide funding for a project that would raise that section of road five feet, making it flood proof.

Another major project that is in the wings is an agreement with a major company that would provide internet service to every house in Jackson County. The system would be redundant, which means that if there was an interruption from one direction, service would be supplied from another. The cost would be competitive with what users are paying in or near Marianna already. It is a four-year program that should begin in the near future.

The Optimist Club of Marianna expressed its appreciation for the work of Commissioner Hill.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall speaks to the media at the daily Covid update press conference in Adelaide, Australia on July 21, 2021. (Photo by Kelly Barnes/Getty Images)

Polls Open in South Australia

The polls have opened in South Australias state election with Liberal Premier Steven Marshall bidding for a second term and opposition leader Peter Malinauskas seeking to return Labor to power.

Close to one million people will vote on Saturday while about 300,000 have cast an early ballot or applied for a postal vote.

They could be crucial to the outcome along with six independents who could help one of the major parties form government if the result is a hung parliament.

Recent opinion polls have Labor in a commanding position and while the opposition needs just a two percent swing to pick up the necessary five seats, it remains unclear if it will come in the right places, a string of marginal seats held by the government.

Malinauskas has focused heavily on health throughout the campaign, promising to spend big to fix an ailing system plagued by ambulance ramping and overloaded hospitals.

But that has allowed Marshall to mount a sustained attack on Labors big spending promises, warning of higher taxes and charges if the opposition wins.

If the government falls, it will be the first in Australia to suffer such a fate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heading to vote in his safe seat of Croydon on Saturday, Malinauskas said Labor had outlined a positive plan for the future.

Today South Australians face a clear choice. My fresh and united Labor team or a tired and divided Liberal Party, he said.

Marshall will also vote in his eastern suburbs seat of Dunstan.

He said the election was all about who South Australians trusted to give them certainty.

Changing the government now risks our economic recovery and will cost us time and money, he said.

Voting continues until 6 p.m. with special COVID-19 measures in place across the states 690 polling places, with social distancing enforced and everyone required to wear a mask.

Each booth will also have a hygiene officer to ensure voting stations are regularly sanitised.

All staff working at polling booths have been fully vaccinated.

By Tim Dornin
Critic James Agee called him the most gifted American working in film. A 1940s Vogue article claimed that his name was more familiar to moviegoers than Lubitsch or Hitchcock. Yet today, everyone knows Hitchcock but far fewer remember the man who, in only four years, wrote and directed seven of Hollywoods most sparkling and original comedies: Preston Sturges. His genius lit up Hollywood like a shooting star in the night sky and burned out almost as quickly.

He was born Edmund Preston Biden in 1898, becoming Sturges after his stepfather, a Chicago stockbroker, adopted him. His mother, Mary, took little Preston with her to Europe where she knew many artists and celebrities, or dropped him off at a series of fancy boarding schoolsan upbringing that, along with his 1930 marriage to General Foods heiress Eleanor Hutton, familiarized him with the millionaires, foreigners, and eccentrics who would later populate his films. (Eleanor grew up in her familys 126-room Palm Beach mansion, Mar-a-Lago, which would eventually be purchased by Donald Trump.)

After a stint in the Army, Sturges tried a number of jobs before settling on playwriting. He had one hit play on Broadway, but the ones that followed flopped. He was discouraged and going broke.

When a Hollywood offer came in 1932, Sturges was ready to leave New York.

Film director Preston Sturges. (Public Domain)

Hollywood Calls

The movie business lured himas it did F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nathanael West, Dorothy Parker, and many other East Coast writerswith the promise of a steady, Depression-proof paycheck.

Producer Jesse Lasky called Sturgess first screenplay the most perfect script Id ever seen and shot it without changing a word. The Power and the Glory (1933) tells the life story of a powerful tycoon (Spencer Tracy) with voice-over narration and nonchronological flashbacks. Sound familiar? In the 1970s, critic Pauline Kael popularized the idea that Citizen Kane owed much to the earlier film, but Orson Welles said in a late interview that he never even saw it. However Kane co-writer Herman Mankiewicz was a friend of Sturges, so it may have been an influence after all.

The Power and the Glory wasnt a hit, but its storytelling was so novel that the studio publicity department made up a word for it: narratage. Sturges, always the inventor, would throw audiences cinematic curveballs for the rest of his career. He cooked up other inventions in Hollywood, too, including a new kind of diesel engine and cup holders that kept drinks upright on rocking boats.

A publicity shot of Spencer Tracy and Colleen Moore for The Power and the Glory, Preston Sturgess first screenplay. (MovieStillsDB)

During the 1930s, 10 of Sturgess scripts were filmed and he worked on many others. His favorite themes emerged: success, luck, high society, and fascinating women with minds of their own. Politically, Sturges leaned conservative, but he kept political preaching out of his scripts, except when he made fun of it.

Irked at what directors did with his screenplays, Sturges became the first Hollywood writer to become a director himself, paving the way for John Huston, Billy Wilder, and Joseph Mankiewicz to make the same leap. He did it by selling a script to Paramount for $10 on the condition that he would direct it. The Great McGinty, a satire about a nobody who becomes a mayor, then a governor by accident, was a hit and won an Oscar. Its cast was the beginning of what became known as the Sturges stock companyactors like the pugnacious William Demarest, whom he would use in film after film.

Golden Movies

So began Sturgess golden years. Between 1940 and 1944, he created seven startlingly inventive comedies in a row. In the superb The Lady Eve (1941) a card sharp (Barbara Stanwyck) cons the naive heir to a brewery fortune (Henry Fonda). Falling in love with him, she resolves to go straight. But when Fondas character learns about her past and breaks off the romance, she takes revenge by posing as a British aristocrat, marrying him, and raking him over the coals on their honeymoon. The ploy works but she soon regrets it, drops the deception, and all ends happily.

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve (1941). (Public Domain)

Sturges always claimed that he hated high culture since his mother had dragged him through every museum and concert hall in Europe. But his early years and lifelong reading gave him a knowledge of history, literature, and music that distinguishes his dialog as much as his love of American idioms and slang. He wore his literacy lightly and would follow the most sophisticated repartee with ridiculous pratfalls. This way, he pleased viewers who enjoyed witty dialog as well as those who preferred slapstick.

Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivans Travels (1941). (Public Domain)

Then came Sullivans Travels (1941). A rich Hollywood director of silly comedies (Joel McCrea) poses as a hobo to learn about poverty so he can make a serious, socially conscious film. A young actress (Veronica Lake) accompanies him as he gets into more trouble than he anticipated, realizing finally that comedy may have more value than pretentious, preachy films that win Oscars. The movie daringly mixes genres: satire, melodrama, gritty realism, and farce.

The stars of The Palm Beach Story (1942), (LR) Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Claudette Colbert, and Rudy Vallee. (Public Domain)

In The Palm Beach Story (1942), my favorite Sturges film, a beautiful young woman (Claudette Colbert) races to Florida to find a millionaire who will underwrite her inventor husbands latest brainchild. When her husband (McCrea again) follows her, she passes him off as her brother and both become mixed up with a wealthy oddball (Rudy Vallee) and his man-hungry sister (Mary Astor). In between a mystifying prologue and epilogue involving identical twins, the film has more laughs per square inch than any screwball comedy this side of Bringing Up Baby.

The miracle of The Miracle of Morgans Creek (1944) is that Sturges got his crazy story past the censors. A girl (Betty Hutton) passes out at a wild party, marries a departing serviceman in her stupor, and the next morning cant remember his name. Farcical complications mount until she gives birth to sextuplets, becomes a national heroine, and ends up with a pure-hearted nebbish whos loved her since childhood. The premise is cheeky but, as The New York Times noted, the film is so innocently amusing, so full of candor, that no one could take offense.

Sturges directed six more movies of declining quality and died in 1959, working on his autobiography. McCreas final speech in Sullivans Travels tells us what the director learned, and what we continue to learn from his marvelous films:

Theres a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that thats all some people have? It isnt much, but its better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues in Moscow, on Feb. 17, 2022. (Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin Lays Out Two Most Difficult Demands of Ukraine Amid Ceasefire Talks: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out several demands for Ukraine including two most difficult issues during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

The demands can be divided into two parts, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told several media outlets.

The first four articles appear to be possible common ground for both sides.

Basically, there are six topics discussed. The first is Ukraines neutrality, that is, its withdrawal from NATO membership. Second, disarmament and mutual security guarantees in the context of the Austrian model. Third, [is] the process that the Russian side refers to as de-Nazification. Fourth, removing obstacles to the widespread use of Russian in Ukraine, he told Turkish newspaper Hurriyet in an interview published on Saturday.

Ukrainian and Russian officials pose prior to talks in Belaruss Brest region on March 7, 2022. (Maxim Guchek/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images)

Some progress has been made in the above four topics; however, its too early to say there is potentially a full agreement that could be reached because there are two other most difficult issues.

Putin put forward two territory-related demands.

Putin would require Ukraine to recognize Russias annexation of Crimea, and admit the independence of the Donbas, a disputed region in southeastern Ukraine.

Putin recognized the independence of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic, two separatist territories in the Donbas, days before he ordered a full invasion of Ukraine.

Putin reportedly told Erdogan he would hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally about the territory-related issues if the two sides reached common ground on the first four areas.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Ukrainian government and the Russian government for comments.

In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 16, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Zelensky has been asking Putin to talk with him directly after the war broke out. He proposed again on Saturday that the disputes between Russia and Ukraine be solved through meaningful talks.

Negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukrainemeaningful, fair, and without delayare the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes, he said in a statement.

He also warned that the war would cause huge losses to Russia if the two sides dont reach a timely end to the war.

Otherwise, Russias losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound, he said.

Ukrainian refugees prepare to board a train to Poland at the train station in Lviv, Ukraine, on March 18, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 after the efforts to deter war failed.

The United Nations said that, as of March 19, they had recorded 847 deaths and 1,399 injuries of civilians in Ukraine because of Russias military action against Ukraine, mostly caused by shelling and airstrikes.

However, the U.N. believes that the actual figures are considerably higher.

Over 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began, United Nations data show.
Questions Linger About Pennsylvanias 2020 Election Results and GOP Response

The certified 2020 election results in Pennsylvania show Joe Biden won with 80,555 more votes than Donald Trump. Then-Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar certified the vote on Nov. 24, 2020. Six days later, on Nov. 30, 2020, the state still had had 784,752 more ballots than voters. That is nearly ten times more than Bidens margin of victory.

That is according to Verity Vote, an election Integrity volunteer research group that compared data from the Pennsylvania Department of State and data direct from all 67 counties.

Starting on Nov. 30, 2020, Verity Vote requested from the Department of State the weekly Full Voter Export from the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE).

In this first batch of (Nov. 30) data, they found 6,962,621 total ballots cast and 6,177,869 total voters in the Full Voter Export. The difference: 784,752.

Days later, Boockvar put out a statement to explain the discrepancy, saying all counties had not yet uploaded all their voter history data to the SURE system.

By Feb. 1, 2021, with all county data uploaded, there were 7,035,746 total ballots and 6,914,556 voters. The deficit had shrunk to 121,240 more ballots than voters.

But that is the opposite of what is expected in election results. It is expected that faulty ballots will be kicked out, Heather Honey of Verity Vote told The Epoch Times, and that normally leaves more voters than ballots, not the other way around.

There are legitimate reasons for the number of ballots and the number of voters not to match. For example, a voter may vote for too many candidates in one race. In that case, none of the votes in that race count, but other races on the ballot, if properly marked, would count, Honey said. Or a voter may make a mistake and ask for a new ballot.

Pennsylvania law specifically says when the ballots exceed the total number of persons who voted, such excess shall be deemed a discrepancy and palpable error, and shall be investigated by the return board, and no votes shall be recorded from such district until such investigation shall be had.

Put simply, these discrepancies cant be counted until they are investigated.

But they werent investigated before the election was certified. The Pennsylvania Department of State did not respond to questions for this story.

It is worth noting that governments dont keep records forever. They have retention schedules that guide when to destroy documents to make room for new ones.

In Pennsylvania, as of September 2022, counties can legally destroy the paper ballots and documentation related to the 2020 election, ending any chance of explaining election irregularities that have troubled so many voters, and spurred many to rally at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Grassroots Research

Soon after the 2020 election, three Pennsylvania moms, Toni Shuppe, Karen Taylor, and Jamie Sheffield, launched an online petition calling for a full forensic audit of Pennsylvanias election results. In four months, the petition had over 100,000 signers. That was the beginning of their organization, Audit the Vote PA. But because of the looming retention schedule, they doubt their questions will be answered.

Toni Shuppe, Karen Taylor, and Jamie Sheffield, founders of Audit the Vote PA. (Courtesy Audit the Vote PA)

Last week they launched a new petition, calling for the results of the 2020 election to be decertified.

We cant ignore it because the laws were broken certifying the election, which now shows that the anomalies, irregularities, and potential fraud, far outweighs the margin of victory, Audit the Vote PA CEO Toni Shuppe told The Epoch Times. How do we move forward knowing that our votes are going to count, without investigating, analyzing and decertifying something that we know was not legitimate?

Audit the Vote PA has spent months going door to door, interviewing voters. In this process, and by pouring over data provided by counties and the Pennsylvania Department of State, they found a number of discrepancies.

When door-knocking, they asked how many people at that address voted in the 2020 election, and compared it to the records obtained at the county level. Often they found more people registered and voted from the address than the number who lived there.

We are able to show the person at the door: this is whats on record at the county as people being registered at your address. Can you confirm if this is accurate? And almost every single time, the owner says its not accurate, Shuppe said. The owner will say, Thats me, thats my wife, thats my daughter. I dont know who the rest of these people are. Or, those people were the previous owners but weve lived here 10 years. Or, that was a previous tenant but Ive been here since 2018. Theres almost always a discrepancy.

Shuppe says their canvassing efforts have proven that something is amiss.

We have a really good idea of how they meddled in the 2020 election. We cant quite pinpoint exactly who did it or what their methodology was, or exactly how they pulled it off, but we know that our voter rolls are severely inflated.

The group also looked at voter registration and broke down statistics by number. Each countys discrepancies are listed on the Audit the Vote PA website.

For example, in Pike County, between 2016 and 2020, there was a 6.1 percent increase in Democrat voter registrations, but Biden got 40 percent more votes than Democrat Hillary Clinton.

In Tioga County, there was a 15.6 percent decrease in registered Democrat voters, yet in this county, Biden got 27 percent more than Clinton.

Another Kind of Meddling

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican now running for governor, signed both petitions from Audit the Vote PA and was an early supporter of looking into the election. It drew national attention and raised his profile.

Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano hosted a hearing of the Pennsylvania State Senate Majority Policy Committee in Gettysburg, Pa., on Nov. 25, 2020. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

The day before Thanksgiving in 2020, I hosted the Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing in Gettysburg where hours of testimony were presented. Even after the hearing, which commanded the nations attention, the left and members of the media refused to acknowledge there is widespread election fraud in Pennsylvania, Mastriano told The Epoch Times. We are living in the storied tale of The Emperors New Clothes. What is so plain and obvious, that even a child can see it, is being denied wholesale.

That hearing featured former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was televised nationally.

Instead of looking into the allegations, the legacy media maligns those asking questions, Mastriano said. The political ruling class not only refused to conduct an audit, but took the added step to sabotage my endeavor to conduct a forensic investigation last summer. The people of Pennsylvania deserve answers and confidence that their vote counts.

Republican State Sen. Jake Corman is president of the Senate and also running for governor. He has not signed the Audit the Vote PA petitions.

In August 2021, Corman used his authority as Senate president to remove Mastriano from the audit, and temporarily removed Mastrianos Capitol office staff.

Jake Corman. (Corman campaign)

Corman named Republican Sen. Cris Dush to lead the election investigation and the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee.

Were auditing the vote right now. Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro tried to stop me, but I beat them in court. On Election night 2020, I called for the resignation of Gov. Wolfs Secretary of State, who was in charge of a clearly flawed election process, Corman told The Epoch Times through an emailed quote provided by his campaign. Gov. Wolf openly ignored state law by giving illegal, last-second directions to county voting offices on mail-in ballots. Thats why Im pushing forward right now with the state Legislatures constitutional responsibility to audit the 2020 election.

The committee has a website with a detailed Election Action Timeline timeline starting before the electionAugust of 2020 to the present. It mentions Corman 13 times and has links to his materials. The timeline mentions Mastriano, not at all.

It is unclear whether the committee plans to order counties and the state to preserve the 2020 election records until the investigation concludes.

The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committees election integrity review is still active and ongoing. We are continuing to review information relevant to the investigation, but it is too early to tell at this time whether the retention schedule will come into play, Corman spokesman Jason Thompson told The Epoch Times in an email. Election reforms remain a top priority for Senator Corman, and he plans to introduce comprehensive election reforms to promote election integrity soon.

Shuppe says that as president of the Senate, Corman was empowered to do something immediately after the election, and that Audit the Vote PA has never been able to talk with him.

When the senator we were working with, who was championing the cause, was removed from his position and the entire plan was changed, there was no correspondence or explanation about that, or anything that showed [Corman] was trying to pick up the ball and really do the right thing and partner with the grassroots, Shuppe said of Corman. We emailed him, we called him, we sent him certified letters. We had his constituents, who are our volunteers, knock on his door at his local offices. I went to Harrisburg personally and tried to connect with him and knocked on his office door. He has literally never responded to anything weve ever done. Nothing.

I personally believe that Trump won Pennsylvania, Shuppe said. But since they wont give us a real forensic audit, were not going to be able to prove that. What we can prove though, is that the anomalies, irregularities, and the voter rolls being inflatedall of those things point to the fact that the anomalies far, far outweigh the margin of victory, therefore the winner is inconclusive in Pennsylvania. I still think Pennsylvania should be decertified. Figuring out who legitimately won is like unscrambling an egg. You just, you cant do it without getting your hands on the ballots, machines, outer envelopes, which theyre not going to do. Were just never going to get that answer. We need to safeguard 2022 and 2024 to make sure this cant happen again.
A medical worker wears protective clothing as she gives a woman a nucleic acid test at a mass testing site to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Beijing, China, on March 15, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Residents Reveal Their Plight Under Chinas Mass COVID-19 Lockdown

In response to the recent COVID-19 surge in China, the regime has locked down mega city Shenzhen, Jilin Province, and Dongguan city, Guandong Province, and put travel restrictions on many places. Under the extreme pandemic controls, Chinas citizens shared their plight with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.

In the past few days, the number of COVID-19 cases in Beijing has continued to rise. On March 16, Beijing authorities once again issued travel restrictions banning people from risk areas entering Beijing. Several young women, who live in Yanjiao and travel to and from Beijing every day for work, were trapped on the bridge between Beijing and Yanjiao on the way home, as both cities suddenly implemented travel restrictions. They had to stay on the bridge overnight in the freezing cold and no help from authorities.

Energy Girl YMC posted on mainland Chinese social media Weibo, At 2:23 a.m. on March 16, if I hadnt experienced it myself, it would have been hard to believe that such a thing really existed. Because of Yanjiaos epidemic prevention policy banning entry, we are not allowed to enter Yanjiao. I want to return to Beijing, but people from Yanjiao are not allowed to enter Beijing. So Im trapped on the bridge between Beijing and Yanjiao. There are several other girls there who have been trapped for more than 6 hours.

At 7:59 a.m., she called 110 (emergency number in China) again and asked, If no one cares about this matter, am I going to freeze to death on the bridge?

She wrote in the post: Now it is not a pandemic prevention issue, but a problem of peoples livelihood. I will not be able to live now.

The post attracted the attention of a large number of netizens, but was subsequently banned from reposting and commenting, and was later deleted. At present, her Weibo account has been cleared.

People queue to give a sample for nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, on February 16, 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Another netizen who commutes every day between Suzhou and Wuxi in Chinas eastern province Jiangsu encountered a similar situation. On March 15, the netizen Miayooo__ posted, I got on the expressway from Suzhou without any inspections or notice. Then when I tried to get off the expressway in Wuxi, I was told that I would need a 48-hour nucleic acid test result, otherwise I would have to go back the same way. Then I called Suzhou, they told me to get off the expressway there also needs a 48-hour nucleic acid test certificate otherwise I cannot get off either.

The netizen said that he called related governmental departments and they all shirked any responsibility, and that he was stuck on the expressway in his car all that time. Finally, someone posted in the comment section telling him an exit of the expressway which doesnt require nucleic acid test certificate, and so the netizen could get off.

Since March 14, Jilin Province that has had 24 million people under lockdown. Many people say they cannot get their medicines when they need it.

Zhang Xiaoli (pseudonym), a villager in Qinjiatun Town of Siping City, Jilin Province, suffers from depression and needs to take medication daily. Recently, her medicine ran out, but because of the lockdown, she couldnt get the pills, which made her very anxious.

She said that without the medicine, she would relapse. So, she contacted the town government for help and was told, we can do nothing about it. There are many people in the town who need to take medicine and are running out, and they are all hanging in there.

People are waiting to give a swab sample for the COVID-19 test in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on June 6, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

On March 13, Shenzhen announced a seven-day lockdown. All residential communities were closed. Due to the sudden escalation of prevention and control, some takeaway delivery riders are forced to sleep on the streets and cannot return to their homes, even when they have official entry and exit documents.

Liu Fei (pseudonym), a delivery person from Daxin New Village, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, told The Epoch Times on March 17, The village was closed without notice, and the gate of the village was blocked, and then all of us couldnt get out. The villagers are only allowed in, but are not allowed to go out again. The delivery riders who live in the village either stay outside the village so they can still do deliveries, or go back home and stay in.

Many of them and their families depend on the income from the delivery work. In order to continue to work, the riders have to sleep on the streets. There is a saying in Shenzhen that people are not afraid of the pandemic, but are afraid of not having a job, Liu said.

Gu Qinger and Gu Xiaohua contributed to the report.
A Youtube logo is placed on a Russian flag in this illustration picture taken on Feb. 26, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Russia Tells Google to Stop Spreading Threats Against Russians on YouTube

Russia on Friday demanded that Alphabet Inc.s Google stop spreading what it called threats against Russian citizens on its YouTube video-sharing platform, a move that could presage an outright block of the service on Russian territory.

Google representatives in Russia did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Google representatives outside Russia also did not immediately respond.

The regulator, Roskomnadzor, said adverts on the platform were calling for the communications systems of Russia and Belarus railway networks to be suspended and that their dissemination was evidence of the U.S. tech giants anti-Russian position. It did not say which accounts were publishing the adverts.

The actions of YouTubes administration are of a terrorist nature and threaten the life and health of Russian citizens, the regulator said.

Roskomnadzor categorically opposes such advertising campaigns and demands that Google stop broadcasting anti-Russia videos as soon as possible.

It was the latest salvo in a row between Moscow and foreign tech firms over Ukraine.

YouTube, which has blocked Russian state-funded media globally, is under heavy pressure from Russias communications regulator and politicians.

Outraged that Meta Platforms was allowing social media users in Ukraine to post messages such as Death to the Russian invaders, Moscow blocked Instagram this week, having already stopped access to Facebook because of what it said were restrictions by the platform on Russian media.

Domestic Alternatives

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday wrote a fierce criticism of foreign social media firms, mentioning by name both Meta and YouTube, but he hinted that the door leading to their possible return to the Russian market would be left ajar.

The guardians of free speech have in all seriousness allowed users of their social media to wish death upon the Russian military, Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russias Security Council, wrote on the messaging app Telegram.

Medvedev said Russia has the necessary tools and experience to develop its own social media, saying the one-way game of Western firms controlling information flows could not continue.

In order to return, they will have to prove their independence and good attitude to Russia and its citizens, he wrote. However, it is not a fact that they will be able to dip their toes in the same water twice.

VKontakte, Russias answer to Facebook, has been breaking records for activity on its platform since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The site attracted 300,000 new users in the two weeks after Russia began what it calls a special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify its neighbor.

On the day Instagram was blocked in Russia, VKontakte said its daily domestic audience grew by 8.7 percent to more than 50 million people, a new record.

Anton Gorelkin, a member of Russias State Duma committee on information and communications, pointed Russians to services that would help them move videos from YouTube to the domestic equivalent, RuTube.

Its not that Im calling for everyone to immediately leave YouTube, he said on his Telegram channel. But, probably, in light of recent events it is worth following the principle of not keeping all your eggs in one basket.

He said earlier this week that YouTube may face the same fate as Instagram if it continues to act as a weapon in the information war.

Russian tech entrepreneurs said this week they would launch picture-sharing application Rossgram on the domestic market to help fill the void left by Instagram.

In November, Gazprom Media launched Yappy as a domestic rival to video-sharing platform TikTok.
Russia's MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles fly over the Red Square during a military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2018. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia Uses Hypersonic Ballistic Missiles in Ukraine for First Time

Russia said on Saturday that it has used hypersonic missiles to destroy Ukrainian military assets in what marks the first time Moscow has acknowledged using this type of weapon in combat.

The Russian defense ministry said in a March 19 operational update that on Friday it destroyed a large underground storage facility for missiles and aviation ammunition in Ukraines Ivano-Frankovsk region, using missiles that can travel at over five times the speed of sound.

Igor Konashenkov, the ministry spokesperson, said that the Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic ballistic missiles was used in the strike.

Russias MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles fly over the Red Square during a military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2018. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images)

Konashenkov added that, as of Saturday, Russian forces have destroyed 196 Ukrainian drones, 1,438 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 145 multiple launch rocket systems, 556 field artillery and mortars, and 1,237 special military vehicles.

Indiscriminate Use of Firepower

The Ukrainian military on Saturday reported more attacks against Russian forces, claiming that at least 14,400 Russian soldiers had been thus far killed in combat.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that at least 1,470 Russian armored personnel carriers, 914 vehicles, 466 tanks, 115 helicopters, 95 aircraft, and 17 drones have been destroyed.

     pic.twitter.com/PNwKMJMT8D  Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 19, 2022

British intelligence said Saturday that Russia has thus far failed to meet its original military objectives and has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance.

It warned that Moscow is now pursuing a strategy of attrition and could resort to the indiscriminate use of firepower as it changes tactics, resulting in increased civilian casualties and destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure.

UK intelligence shared a video purporting to show Russian forces using non-precision munitions to strike dense urban areas, killing and displacing innocent civilians.

President Putin continues to wage war on the people of Ukraine by striking dense urban areas, killing and displacing innocent civilians with non-precision weapons.  #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/uqO6MOUUhv  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) March 18, 2022

For a World Without Nazism

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a pro-war rally on Friday, the anniversary of Russias annexation of Crimea. He spoke in a stadium filled with cheering and flag-waving Russians in front of signs that said For a world without Nazism and For Russia, in an apparent reference to his military campaign objectives of demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.

Putin justified what he called a special military operation in Ukraine by talking about the separatist conflict in Donbas, claiming that what went on there was genocide and that stopping that was the aim of the military action. He vowed that Russia would absolutely accomplish all of its plans in Ukraine.

Its unclear how much support among Russians there is for Putins special operation to disarm Ukraine and topple the government in Kyiv, whom he calls neo-Nazis.

Polling firm Active Group carried out a phone survey on a sample of 1,557 people in Russia between March 1114, with one of the questions asked, should the Russian Federation militarily force other countries to abandon their support for the Nazis in Ukraine?

The poll found that 40.6 percent of respondents said they support Russian military action in other countries over their support for Ukraine amid the current conflict, 46 percent said they werent sure, while 13.4 percent said no.

A long list of historians have denounced Putins claims of de-Nazifying Ukraine, calling it a gross mischaracterization while labeling his rhetoric as factually wrong, morally repugnant, and deeply offensive to the memory of millions of victims of Nazism and those who courageously fought against it, including Russian and Ukrainian soldiers of the Red Army.

The War Must Be Ended

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, called for meaningful peace and security talks with the Kremlin, saying in a video address early on Saturday that the time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk.

The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russias losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover.

The war must be ended, he said.

Over 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine amid the fighting, according to the U.N., while at least 816 civilians have been killed.
An AirBridgeCargo Airlines Boeing 747-87U arrives at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy-en-France, France, on May 25, 2020. (Charles Platiau/Reuters)

Russias Biggest Cargo Airline to Suspend All Boeing Flights

Russias biggest cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Group has suspended all flights using Boeing aircraft due to Western sanctions, it said on Friday.

Sanctions have cut off the supply of most aircraft and parts to Russia. The United States and Europe have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Moscow has responded by imposing the same measure on them.

Volga-Dnepr said in a statement it had stopped operations of two of its subsidiariesAirBridgeCargo and Atranthat use 18 Boeing 747 and 6 Boeing 737 airplanes due to sanctions and a decision by Bermudas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) to terminate their safety certificates.

People stand in front of a Russian Volga-Dnepr Airlines Antonov An-124 aircraft transporting the fuselage of a Lufthansa Boeing 737-200, also known as Landshut, after its arrival at the airport in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on Sept. 23, 2017. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

The management of Volga Dnepr has made a conscious decision to find a possible solution together with partners and state regulators, it said.

Volga-Dnepr, which describes itself as the world leader in the oversize and heavy cargo market, continues to fly Russian-made aircraft including An-124 and Il-76 cargo jets.

Russia has passed a law allowing the countrys airlines to place aircraft leased from foreign companies on Russias aircraft registera maneuver likely to stoke Western fears of a mass default involving hundreds of jetliners.
The logo of the Russian Sberbank Europe AG bank is seen on their headquarters in Vienna on Feb. 28, 2022. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters)

Russias Sberbank Says Sanctions Limiting Some Forex Transfers in Russia and Abroad

Russias largest lender Sberbank on Friday said sanctions on its operations meant its customers would be unable to transfer funds in certain foreign currencies to accounts at other banks, both in Russia and abroad.

Unprecedented Western sanctions have hit the heart of Russias financial system over events in Ukraine and Sberbank was among the companies targeted. The bank quit almost all its European markets earlier this month.

Due to sanctions, from March 18, the list of currencies available for transfers to other banks in Russia and abroad has been restricted, Sberbank said on its Telegram channel.

This means that Sberbank will not be able to make transfers to other banks in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, pounds sterling, Danish crowns, and Swedish krona.

Transfers of some currencies, including roubles, euros, Japanese yen and Swiss francs, remain possible at Sberbank branches.

Several Russian banks have been banned from the SWIFT international payments network, hampering their efforts to move money outside of Russia, but operations within the country have remained largely unscathed until now.

Moscow and Beijing are working to establish cooperation between their respective financial messaging systems. Russias SWIFT alternative, the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), should enable the flow of domestic interbank traffic.

Russias second-largest state lender VTB said on Thursday it would hand over servicing of foreign securities to other Russian financial companies, to allow investors to buy and sell assets without limitations.
In this image from video shown during former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial on Feb. 10, 2021, security footage shows then-Vice President Mike Pence being evacuated, as rioters breach the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

Secret Service Agent Must Answer Questions About Location of Pence on Jan. 6: Judge

A Secret Service agent will have to answer questions about the location of then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021, during questioning in an upcoming trial of a defendant, a judge ruled on March 18.

U.S. prosecutors moved in January to bar lawyers for Couy Griffin, the defendant, from asking questions about Pences location, arguing that the information isnt relevant to the case.

Lawyers for Griffin asserted the questions should be allowed because the governments earlier claims that Vice President Kamala Harris was in the U.S. Capitol when Griffin entered the building on Jan. 6 were false and because its not clear where exactly Pence went after being evacuated from the Senate chamber that day.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, sided with the defendant.

The latest version of the charges say Griffin entered and remained in a restricted building and grounds, or the Capitol and the surrounding area, where Pence was.

Whether the Vice President was present on the Capitol grounds is thus an essential question in Griffins prosecution, McFadden wrote in an order.

The U.S. Constitutions Sixth Amendment guarantees a person accused of a crime to confront witnesses, meaning Griffin, through his lawyers, must be allowed to cross-examine the agent about Pences location, according to the judge.

To mount a meaningful defense Griffin must be allowed to test the veracity of the governments contention that Vice President Pence was on the Capitol grounds during the relevant period, he said.

The U.S. government has said Pence left the Senate chamber at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6, shortly after the first protesters and rioters barged into the building. Prosecutors have alleged Pence went to a secure location within the Capitol complex before returning to the chamber about four hours later.

Harris was not in the building or on the grounds from before noon until 7 p.m., prosecutors recently acknowledged.

Griffin is accused of entering the Capitol at approximately 2:28 p.m. on Jan. 6.

Couy Griffin, co-founder of Cowboys for Trump, rides a horse in New York City on May 1, 2020. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

McFadden, who has admonished prosecutors over falsely stating Harris was in the Capitol on Jan. 6 when it was breached, noted that it took prosecutors more than a year after the breach to correct the false information in Griffins case.

The government has never explained how it got such a basic fact so wrong for so long. Presumably, it was relying on representationsand in felony cases, grand jury testimonyof Secret Service personnel. Given all that, Griffin may probe the governments evidence as to the location of Vice President Pence, he said.

A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment.

We typically do not comment on pending cases and have no comment on this particular matter, the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

A lawyer for Griffin didnt return an inquiry.

Griffin is facing two charges: entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building.

Griffin is set to become the second Jan. 6 defendant to go on trial. A jury convicted the first defendant to go on trial, Guy Wesley Reffitt, of five counts on March 8.

Griffin opted for a bench trial, meaning McFadden will make a judgment on the charges.

The bench trial is slated to start on March 21.
Two girls take selfie at the Nguyen Hue Flower Street in HCMC during the Lunar New Year Holiday, January 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Vietnam is ranked 77th, up two places from 2021, in the World Happiness Report 2022 by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The report, released on Friday, two days before the annual International Day of Happiness, surveyed 5,485 Vietnamese to determine results.

This year, it ranks 146 countries based on several factors like real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.

Particularly for this year's report, social media data has been used to capture people's emotions before and during Covid-19.

Twitter data in 18 countries showed strong increases in anxiety and sadness during Covid-19.

As shown in the report, published annually since 2012, Vietnam takes the lead in global patterns of experiencing calmness.

When asked whether people experienced calmness "during a lot of the day yesterday," 94.7 percent of surveyed Vietnamese say yes. They are followed by Jamaica (93.7 percent), the Philippines (92.7 percent), Kyrgyzstan (91.8 percent), and Finland (89.7 percent).

"The lesson of the World Happiness Report over the years is that social support, generosity to one another and honesty in government are crucial for wellbeing," report co-author Jeffrey Sachs was quoted by AFP as saying.

"World leaders should take heed," he said.

Finland continues to be the happiest country in the world this year, marking the fifth year in a row it has been on top.

It is followed by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland.

From the other end, Afghanistan was ranked the unhappiest nation, followed by Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Botswana.
James and Doreen Thorusen attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Keller Auditorium, Portland, Oregon on March 17, 2022. (Mary Zhang /The Epoch Times)

PORTLAND, Ore.Shen Yun Performing Arts, the worlds premier Chinese classical dance and music company, is always a boon for music lovers. Its world-class orchestra and individual solo presentations of traditional Chinese instruments never fail to provide a breath-taking experience.

For retired music teacher Doreen Thorusen, this was certainly the case. Doreen, together with her husband James, a retired broadcast engineer for CBS Television, had come to see Shen Yun at the Keller Auditorium, Portland, Oregon. Doreen plays in the Salem Philharmonic Orchestra and teaches violin privately.

The orchestra was perfect! They were really, really, good and I liked the blending of the Western instruments along with the Asian instruments. It was a very, very nice touch, she said.

The virtuoso performance on the erhu, a traditional Chinese two-string violin, also impressed Doreen.

She was awesome! And when [the musician] got the really fast part, when she was moving along, that was impressive, she said.

The couple was so impressed that they bought copies of the Shen Yun music. So, I can take them home and get my violin out and play some chords, said Doreen laughing.

Shen Yuns musical presentation was outstanding and an unforgettable experience, James said.

I really got my comeuppance. I had my mind opened a little bit. Or if its not opened its cracked, he said as they both laughed.

Shen Yuns repertoire includes story-based classical dances as well as ethnic folk dancing. The stories depict Chinas cherished myths and legends, many with moral themes, as well as historical events.

The companys aim is to bring back the true traditional Chinese culture as it was in the pre-communist era. But its repertoire also includes more recent events.

James was particularly touched by the dance that portrayed the Chinese communist regimes persecution of Falun Dafa, an ancient spiritual practice derived from the schools of Buddha and Tao.

I think an awful lot of people in Portland needed to hear [it] and probably a lot of them didnt want to hear it, he said, referring to the atrocities committed by the Communist Party.

The truth is always profound, James said.

My feeling on it is that the Chinese government [is] extremely corrupt  Life is a gift from God and for [the Chinese communist regime] to take those people and kill them and harvest their organs and send [the organs] off to other countries, its wrongits wicked, Doreen said.

A musical piece sung by Shen Yuns vocalist, resonated with the couple. The lyrics address the concepts of atheism, evolution, and the loss of moral values.

The idea that atheism and evolution lead to an abyss, is very true, James said.

It may [that] we have a different spiritual approach, but the truth of that statement is undeniable, he said.

Reporting by Mary Zhang and Diane Cordemans.



The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
People stand in a queue to buy kerosene oil for home use at a petrol station in Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 17, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

Sri Lanka Secures $1 Billion Credit Line From India in Bid to Stem Economic Crisis

India has extended a $1 billion credit line to debt-ridden Sri Lanka, offering support to the island nation as it attempts to ease its worst economic crisis in years.

India signed an agreement to offer Sri Lanka a $1 billion short-term concessional loan facility during Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksas visit to New Delhi on Thursday, according to the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Indias statement.

The loan facility, which will be provided by the State Bank of India, will help the Sri Lankan government to procure food, medicines, and other essential items.

Neighborhood first. India stands with Sri Lanka. US$1 billion credit line signed for the supply of essential commodities. Key element of the package of support extended by India, Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a tweet.

The loan is on top of the $500 million credit line offered by India to assist Sri Lanka in purchasing fuel last month.

Sri Lankas foreign exchange reserves have fallen 70 percent in the last two years to about $2.31 billion, leaving it struggling to pay for essential imports, including food and fuel.

Opposition leaders and citizens have launched protests around the country, blaming the government for the countrys economic crisis, which has resulted in fuel shortages, power cuts, and increased food prices.

Opposition activists protest against rising living costs at the entrance of the presidents office in Colombo on March 15, 2022. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Sri Lankas President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that his government was in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international financial institutions on deferring loan repayments.

Through those discussions, we hope to find a way to pay off our annual loan installments, sovereign bonds, and so on. Subsequent to my discussions with the International Monetary Fund, I have decided to work with them after examining the advantages and disadvantages, Rajapaksa said in a televised address.

IMFs spokesperson Gerry Rice said Friday that the financial institution stands ready to discuss all options for Sri Lanka.

Speaking to reporters, Rice said that the IMF had highlighted the urgent need for Sri Lanka to implement a credible and coherent strategy to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability.

Sri Lankas government had also asked China to help restructure the countrys debt obligations and requested that China provide a concessional trade-credit plan for Chinese imports, but it remains unclear whether Beijing will grant the request.

China is deemed to be Sri Lankas fourth-biggest lender, behind international financial markets, the Asian Development Bank, and Japan.

Reuters contributed to this report.
You dont need a PhD in physiology to know that stress can be hard on the stomach. Weve all done our own experiments on the subject, intentionally or not. Remember how you felt the last time you spoke in public? Those butterflies werent in your head.

The impact of stress on the stomach goes far beyond indigestion, however. In recent years, doctors have uncovered a remarkably complex connection between the brain and the digestive system. The entire system is extremely sensitive to our moods. In fact, experts now see stress as a major player in a wide range of digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and heartburn.

People with digestive problems often scoff at the idea that stress could be at the root of their problems. To them, it sounds like blaming the victim. Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford University stress expert and author of the best-selling book Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers (Henry Holt and Co., 2004), says his discussion of stress and irritable bowel syndrome prompted semi-irate letters from readers.

But experts who study the link between stress and digestion arent searching for people to blame. Instead, theyre looking for scientific explanations for some of lifes most common maladies. By understanding how stress affects our bodies, theyre opening new avenues for prevention and treatment of many conditions.

A Two-Way Street

We all talk about gut feelings, but few of us really appreciate the amazingly strong connections between the brain and the digestive system. The stomach and intestines actually have more nerve cells than the entire spinal cord, leading some experts to call the digestive system a mini brain. A highway of nerves runs directly from the real brain to the digestive system, and messages flow in two directions. Consider this: 95 percent of the bodys serotonin  a hormone that helps control mood  is found in the digestive system, not the brain.

As Sapolsky writes in Zebras, there are sound reasons why our digestive system should pay such close attention to our brains. In times of stress, our bodies are designed to focus on the things that can help us stay alive. When our ancestors had to fight off hyenas or run away from cave bears, they didnt want to waste any energy on less important things like proper digestion.

When the brain feels severely stressed, it unleashes a cascade of hormones that can put the whole digestive system in an uproar. The hormones have different and sometimes contradictory jobs. For example, the hormone CRH (short for corticotropin-releasing hormone) is one of the bodys main alarm bells. In stressful situations, the brain pumps out CRH to tell the adrenal gland to start making steroids and adrenaline, chemicals that can give you the strength and energy to run or fight your way out of trouble.

CRH also turns off appetite, which explains why some people cant eat anything when theyre stressed. At the same time, the steroids triggered by CRH can make a person hungry, which is why some people fight stress with ice cream, chocolate, or potato chips.

Clearly, different people have different responses to stress, and theres no way to say for sure how specific situations will affect digestion. But there are some general rules of thumb. Over the short term, stress can cause stomach aches, nausea, and diarrhea. In the long term, prolonged stress can aggravate chronic diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome and heartburn.

From Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Ulcers

Stress is especially troubling for people who have digestive problems without any clear physical cause  functional gastrointestinal disorders in medical speak. In these cases, every part of the system looks healthy and normal, but they still dont work as they should. These disorders are extremely sensitive to stress. Theyre also extremely common. According to a report from the University of North Carolina, roughly 25 million Americans have a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder.

The classic example of a functional GI disorder is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a very common and perplexing malady often characterized by painful cramps, bloating, and constipation alternating with diarrhea. The National Institutes of Health estimates that as many as one in five Americans has some signs of IBS.

Nobody knows how IBS gets its start, but theres no doubt that stress can worsen symptoms. For one thing, stress can make the colon contract, leading to stomach pain. Its not completely clear why people with IBS sometimes become constipated. One possibility is that stress can occasionally make the contractions uncoordinated and unproductive. Stress can also make the mind more aware of sensations in the colon, and since people with IBS may feel more discomfort due to extra-sensitive pain receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, even normal contractions can feel really unpleasant.

IBS can flare up over everyday annoyances, especially those that make a person feel tense, angry, or overwhelmed. But as reported in a 2004 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, IBS  like other chronic conditions  is even more sensitive to the stress that comes from major life changes, such as a death in the family or a loss of a job.

Heres a quick look at other digestive conditions that can be aggravated by stress:

Indigestion. Your stomach growls, aches, or burns. Sometimes you feel bloated or nauseated, and you vomit or belch. These could all be signs of an ulcer, but millions of people without ulcers have these symptoms, too. Doctors call this functional dyspepsia, but its better known as indigestion. Indigestion is the second most common functional GI disorder, after IBS. As reported by the Cleveland Clinic, all of the symptoms of indigestion tend to worsen in times of stress. On the bright side, they usually fade when a person has a chance to relax.

Heartburn. There are many possible causes for heartburn, from overproduction of stomach acid to overindulgence in pizza. Whatever its cause, stress can definitely make heartburn worse. A study published in a 2004 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine found that heartburn sufferers who had recently gone through a major life-changing event were especially likely to develop severe symptoms within four months. Researchers speculated that stress could pump up the stomachs production of acid or make the esophagus extra sensitive to pain.

Ulcers. Past generations thought ulcers were a sign of stress, and they werent far from wrong. Its now known that most ulcers are caused by a bacterial infection. Some researchers theorize that stress may help the infection take hold, perhaps by disturbing the stomachs delicate balance of hydrochloric acid and protective secretions, making it more vulnerable to ulcers. Sapolsky believes that stress is a factor in 30 to 65 percent of all ulcers, but some medical experts think the connection remains hypothetical.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease. These conditions  known together as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)  are most definitely not caused by stress. But once the diseases take hold, a bout of stress can worsen symptoms.

Setting Your Mind on Relief

If your digestive system isnt running smoothly, dont suffer in silence. According to a report from the University of North Carolina, as many as 80 percent of people with IBS or another functional gastrointestinal problems never discuss their symptoms with a doctor. Thats unfortunate, because doctors can often prescribe medications to get the digestive system back on track. A doctor can also check for underlying diseases that might explain the symptoms.

If your doctor cant find a physical explanation for your digestive troubles, you may need to calm your mind before you can calm your stomach. Ask your doctor if you would be a good candidate for cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, relaxation therapy, or another form of counseling. You can do your part to battle stress by eating well, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep. For more tips on stress relief, click here.

Digestive problems might be a message. Roughly translated, that message is Live well and learn to relax. This is one time when you definitely want to listen to your gut.

References

Sapolsky, Robert M. Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers.Third Edition. Henry Holt and Co. 2004.

Naliboff, B.D. et al. The effect of life stress on symptoms of heartburn. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2004. 66: 426-434.

Cleveland Clinic. Indigestion. December 22, 2009.

University of North Carolina Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders. What are FGIDs? 2007.

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. National Institutes of Health. Irritable bowel syndrome. September 2007.

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. National Institutes of Health. Indigestion. November 2008.

Neuroscience, 2nd edition. Purves, Dale et al. Sinauer Associates, 2001.

Milla, P. et al. Motility disorders in childhood: Working group report of the First World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. 35:S187-S195. August 2002. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

American College of Physicians. New drugs  and some respect  for IBS. 2003.

National Womens Health Information Center. Inflammatory bowel disease. August 17, 2009.

Toner, B.B. et al. Cognitive-behavioral group therapy for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. 1998 Apr;48(2):215-43. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy.

This story was originally published in the HealthyDay Blog.
Sudanese protesters take part in ongoing demonstrations calling for civilian rule and denouncing the military administration, in Sudan's capital Khartoum, on March 14, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

Sudan Group Says 187 Wounded in Latest Anti-Coup Protests

CAIRONearly 200 people have been wounded in the latest protests to erupt in the Sudanese capital over deteriorating economic conditions following a military take-over, a doctors union said Friday.

The Sudans Doctors Committee issued a statement saying that 187 people were wounded in clashes with police in Khartoum on Thursday, 70 of whom were likely struck by rubber bullets. Three of the wounded were shot in either the head or chest and are currently in intensive care, it added.

Riot police used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who had sought to reach the Republican Palace, seat of the military government. Videos posted on social media showed police firing tear gas.

Thursdays marches were the latest in near-daily street protests since the military took over on Oct. 25, removing a civilian-led transitional government. Since then, at least 87 people have been killed and thousands wounded in a bloody crackdown on protesters, according to the doctors union.
Taiwanese reservists take part in a military training at a military base in Taoyuan on March 12, 2022. (Sam Yeh / AFP) (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwanese Lawmakers Debate Restoring Conscription

Polls show a majority of Taiwanese in favor of women receiving mandatory military training and extending men's compulsory draft

Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, lawmakers in Taiwan are calling for an increase in its military conscription period. Meanwhile, new polls show a majority of Taiwanese are both in favor of women joining the islands compulsory military training and extending the duration of the training period.

A survey released on March 15 by the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society (TISSS), a Taipei-based think tank, shows a drastic increase in the percentage of Taiwanese willing to fight to defend the democratic self-ruled island from China since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

The results showed that 70.2 percent of the respondents are now willing to defend Taiwan if China took military action against the island, a substantial increase from the 40.3 percent who said they were willing to fight in a poll published on Dec. 28, 2021, according to Taiwan News.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has maintained the claim that Taiwan is a part of its territory. However, the island has been self-governed since 1949 and has never been under CCP control. Taiwan has its own military, constitution, and democratically elected government.

Amid the continuous large-scale Chinese air force incursions into Taiwans airspace, Taiwanese lawmakers and scholars are debating on methods to enhance the strength of its military to defend its sovereignty.

Taiwanese air force pilots run to their armed U.S.-made F-16V fighter at an air force base in Chiayi, southern Taiwan on Jan. 5, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Legislator Calls for Military Draft Increase

Some opposition lawmakers in Taiwan have begun to urge its government to reinstate a one-year mandatory military service following the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has strengthened our determination to defend Taiwan, but we are far from ready, said Chiu Hsien-chih, a legislator from Taiwans progressive, pro-independence New Power Party, Taiwan News reported.

The Taiwanese military discharged its last group of mandatory conscripts in December 2018 as it began the transition to a voluntary military system. However, all eligible male citizens are still required to participate in four months of military training.

Last week, Taiwans Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that volunteers on four-year contracts make up 90 percent of its armed forces, and only a small portion are from four-year conscriptions. He added that Taiwans military combat capacity is the same as when it still enforced one year of mandatory military service.

Premier Su Tseng-chang said he supports open dialogue about the all-volunteer force and that policies should be created to provide extra training to willing reservists, according to Taipei Times.

Compulsory Military Training for Women

A recent poll from Taiwans TVBS News Network shows that 56 percent of respondents support women joining mandatory military training, while 78 percent favor extending the military training period. And of those who favor extended service, over 80 percent believe the training should be at least one year.

A male and female soldier from the 4th Battalion of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of Taiwans army train together. (Taiwan Military Agency Photo)

In response to the topic, Defense Minister Chiu said that he is glad to see enthusiasm for defending the country from all members of society, adding that his ministry has already set up a task force to research various options and consider them accordingly, Taiwan News reported.

Ukrainians spirited resistance against Russian forces has spurred the willingness of Taiwan nationals to defend their sovereignty and stirred debate about Taiwans readiness for a potential attack from Beijing.

Taiwan is scheduled to hold several military exercises in the coming weeks as its democratic leadership grows more concerned about China following Russias move.

Nobody wants a war, Defense Minister Chiu said, adding that a conflict would be a disaster for all sides regardless of the outcome.

The recent situation in Ukraine once again proves that the protection of the country, in addition to international solidarity and assistance, depends on the unity of the people, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on March 12.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks while inspecting reservists training at a military base in Taoyuan on March 12, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Rising Tensions in The Taiwan Strait

A Ph.D. scholar from National Taiwan University, Tseng Chien-yuan, told The Epoch Times that military tensions in the Taiwan Strait are far higher than the tension between Russia and Ukraine prior to the war.

Beijings [refusal to condemn Moscow] indicates what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is thinking about invading Taiwan, Tseng said as he voiced support in restoring Taiwans compulsory military draft. Our military needs to be better prepared, and the conscription restored and adjusted  regardless of gender  to meet the [heightened threats from Beijing].

Military strategists worldwide have been analyzing the war in Ukraine, making comparisons to Taiwan, an island that would also be fighting a much more powerful foe, should the Chinese regime take a cue from Russia and invade its democratic neighbor.

Experts pointed out the fundamental difference between Taiwan and Ukraine.

Taiwans unique advantage is the body of water, called the Taiwan Strait, separating the island from China. Nonetheless, Ukraines landmass is roughly 17 times the size of Taiwan. If Chinese forces were to land in Taiwan, itd be much more difficult to defend than that in Ukraine.

However, amid U.S. reluctance to become directly involved in Ukraine, confidence that it would come to Taiwans aid in the event of an attack from China has dropped significantly.

In October 2020, 55.1 percent believed the United States would come to Taiwans defense, while the latest survey found only 42.7 percent now count on U.S. intervention, while 47.3 percent think it will not participate, according to a Taiwan News report citing the TISSS survey.

Only 34.7 percent of respondents believe Taiwan has the ability to stand alone against China militarily without support from the United States.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2021. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

Texas Governor Declares State of Disaster as Wildfires Force Evacuations, Kill Sheriffs Deputy

Deputy Sgt. Barbara Fenley died while helping people evacuate

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in 11 counties late Friday amid wildfires in the state that have burned through at least 50,000 acres and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.

The disaster declaration (pdf) means the countries affected can use all state government resources to respond to the wildfires and suspend any rules or statutes that would impede the states emergency response.

The 11 affected counties are Brooks, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Grayson, Mason, Potter, Randall, Reynolds, and Williamson.

Abbott said at a press conference on Friday that at least 50 homes have been burned down, reported the Texas Tribune.

The Texas A&M Forest Service reported that firefighters on Thursday were responding to 10 wildfires that burned through 52,708 acres of land in the state. By Friday afternoon, the figure grew to more than 58,000 acres.

The forest service announced on Twitter that Eastland Complex blaze, which comprises four fires in central Texas, has burned through more than 45,380 acres by late Friday afternoon. By Friday night, the blaze was 15 percent contained.

Crews focused on structure protection and building containment line with dozers today. Aircraft dropped water/retardant to help slow fire spread and protect structures, the service added.

The largest fire in the complex is the Kidd fire, estimated to have burned through about 30,000 acres, the forest service said.

Abbott said in a statement that the Texas government is working with local officials to respond to the fire conditions. I commend the hard work and selfless acts of thousands of first responders and firefighters who are risking their own lives to protect our communities, he said.

I also ask Texans to join me in praying for those who have been affected by these wildfires, including Eastland County Deputy Barbara Fenley who was tragically killed while trying to save lives. We will never forget her sacrifice, and the state will continue to work closely with first responders and local leaders to mitigate these fires and support our communities as they recover, he added.

The Eastland County Sheriffs Office said that Deputy Sgt. Barbara Fenley, 51, died on Thursday while trying to save others from the wildfires, according to local reports.

While evacuating people and going door-to-door, Fenley was last heard that she was going to check on an elderly individual, the sheriffs office said in a statement. With the extreme deteriorating conditions and low visibility from smoke, Sgt. Fenley ran off the roadway and was engulfed in the fire.

Sgt. Fenley gave her life in the service of others and loved her community.

Abbott has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in Eastland County in honor of Fenley.

The governor has also waived vehicle size, weight, and permitting requirements to ensure farmers and ranchers can transport hay and feed to their livestock, and other supplies can get to those who need it most, according to a press release from his office.

The National Weather Service said that dry conditions this weekend mean an increased risk of fire west of Interstate 35, with the driest air across the western-most counties.

Texans are encouraged to remain weather-aware and practice wildfire safety, particularly in areas where burn bans are active, to keep their communities safe, Abbotts office said.
The Foreign Policy Ramifications of Hunters Emails

Commentary

On April 12, 2019, Hunter Biden took his damaged laptop to a computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware. It was the beginning of a series of fateful events that would culminate in The New York Times finally admitting on March 17, 2022, that Bidens laptop and its contents were real.

Previous reporting by the New York Post detailed emails that were found on Hunter Bidens laptop that showed that then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, his brother James, and son Hunter Biden were all deeply entangled in various overseas business ventures, in countries including Qatar, Ukraine, Russia, and China.

The emails also showed that Hunter Biden was directed by the head of a Ukrainian energy companys board to find a way to stop the investigation into the company. While the authenticity of his laptop had been confirmed earlier, it unfortunately took verification by The New York Times to allow the story to enter the mainstream.

The intentionally delayed admission from the corporate media that Bidens laptop is real raises many material questions, including those surrounding President Joe Bidens fitness for office and his ability to direct our foreign policy, particularly in relation to the UkraineRussia conflict.

The existence of Hunter Bidens laptop was first publicly disclosed on Oct. 14, 2020, when the New York Post ran a front-page story detailing how emails found on the laptop tied his father to his Ukrainian business partners.

When the story first broke, a broad coalition comprising corporate media, intelligence officials, and Big Tech interfered in the 2020 election by censoring and suppressing the story, claiming that it was a Russian plot. Twitter first issued warnings regarding the Posts story, and then suspended the account of the Post for running the story along with those of reporters who were looking into the allegations. Facebook announced that it would be limiting the distribution of the story on its platform while it supposedly fact-checked its claims. That fact-check never came.

CNN political director David Chalian issued internal orders that reporters not cover the story, telling his staff: Obviously, were not going with the New York Post story right now on Hunter Biden. Well just continue to report out this is the very stuff that the president was impeached over  that Senate committees looked at and found nothing wrong in Joe Bidens interactions with Ukrainians.

PBS wrote on Twitter, We dont want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we dont want to waste our listeners and readers time on stories that are just pure distractions.

Notably, the Biden administration, in direct violation of the First Amendment, has repeatedly admitted that it has been working directly with big tech companies to censor or eliminate what it deems to be disinformation.

Throughout the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden repeatedly denied any knowledge of Hunter Bidens overseas business, stating, I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings. During the second presidential debate, Biden went further, claiming that stories about his sons laptop were a Russian plant.

Biden was reciting a statement from a group of more than 50 former intelligence officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who all falsely claimed that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation. The intelligence officials issued their statement directly in front of the 2020 presidential election through a public letter on Oct. 19, 2020, which stated that the Posts story has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.

The claim of a Russian plot was preposterous. Many of the emails on the laptop had already been verified by the Biden familys one-time business partner, Tony Bobulinksi, who had matching copies of many of the same emails and text messages. Of greater importance, the FBI had taken possession of the laptop in December 2019. Moreover, the FBI had opened an investigation into Hunter Biden for multiple offensesincluding potential money laundering and possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. But the corporate media ignoredor worse still, hidthese facts, choosing instead to push the Russian disinformation claim.

In the end, the medias suppression tactics worked, and many Biden voters never found out about his sons laptop or the fact that the Biden family was under FBI investigation. The impact of the media blackout on the Biden story had material ramifications for the outcome of the presidential election. A late 2020 poll showed that 45 percent of the Biden voters were completely unaware of the many allegations against Hunter and Joe Biden. That same poll also suggested that public knowledge of this information would have changed the outcome of the election.

The failure of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to alert the public to a crucial national security issue not only impacted the 2020 presidential election, but also changed the course of the January 2020 impeachment against Trumponly the third impeachment in the 244 years of our nations historywhen the FBI and DOJ failed to disclose the existence of crucial and exculpatory evidence from Hunters laptop.

Then-Attorney General William Barr, who ultimately oversaw the investigation into Hunter Biden, has never adequately explained why that information was concealed. Had Barr disclosed the information he was sitting on, the case against Trumpwhich was premised on Trumps intention to investigate the Biden familys corruption in Ukrainewould have fallen apart.

It was only after the conclusion of the 2020 presidential election that Hunter Biden himself suddenly acknowledged through a statement that he was indeed under federal investigation. Notably, the actual federal investigation was even broader than Bidens statement had indicated, as it was later disclosed that investigators were also probing potential money laundering and Hunter Bidens foreign ties.

That investigation continues to this day and appears to be heating up. Indeed, it may be likely that The NY Timess belated admission is an attempt to get ahead of the story, particularly as reports have now begun to circulate that Biden is currently the subject/target of a grand jury investigation.

Perhaps the most damning email on the laptop was the one that Biden received on Nov. 2, 2015, from the head of Burismas board, Vadym Pozharskyi. That email tasked Biden with producing deliverables, stating that the ultimate purpose was to close down any cases or pursuits against Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky in Ukraine. Earlier in 2015, Pozharskyi had spent some time with Joe Biden in Washington.

Pozharskyis target appeared to be Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who had reopened an investigation into Zlochevsky that had been shut down by his predecessor in late 2014 after Burisma had allegedly paid a $7 million bribe to the Ukrainian prosecutors office. The allegations of the bribe were made public through the release of a 2016 State Department email.

Less than three weeks after Hunter Biden received Pozharskyis email, Joe Biden issued his first demand that Shokin be removed. After Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko failed to comply with the demands, Biden leveraged $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer loan guarantees to force Shokins removal. Shokin was finally removed by Poroshenko in March 2016. In the ensuing months, his successor, Yuriy Lutsenko, approved by Biden, wound down his offices Burisma investigations.

By the time Biden left office in January 2017, all investigations into Burisma had been closed.

Shokin, who has been portrayed in the media as a corrupt prosecutor, was praised by some notable State Department officials for his honesty, in the months leading up to his dismissal.

Victoria Nuland, Bidens current undersecretary of state for political affairs, personally wrote to Shokin in June 2015, telling him, We have been impressed with the ambitious reform and anti-corruption agenda of your government. That letter was hand-delivered to Shokin by then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt on Nulands orders.

Nuland also said ongoing reforms from Shokin demonstrated his ability to investigate and prosecute corruption and other crimes in an effective, fair, and transparent manner.

Shokins credibility was highlighted again in a September 2015 speech by Pyatt, when he stated that we want to work with Prosecutor General Shokin because Shokin was leading the fight against corruption in Ukraine.

The media has also repeatedly reported that Shokin had closed his investigation of Burisma before Biden pushed for his firing. Former Attorney General Barr has made the same false statement in his new book. In truth, as evidenced in a contemporaneous news report, Shokin had successfully sought an order from Ukrainian courts to seize Zlochevskys assets. Those assets were eventually seized on Feb. 2, 2016just a month before Shokins firing by Poroshenko in March 2016.

There are many other damaging emails on Hunter Bidens laptop. In the space of just one year, now-defunct Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy paid him nearly $6 million for consulting and legal fees. The company was owned by Chinese billionaire Ye Jianming, who mysteriously disappeared in March 2018. After the company folded, a woman called Bao Jiaqi, who appears to have served as a company secretary, emailed Biden to say that he should take any remaining money from an offshoot company, Hudson West IV, run by Ye associate Gongwen Dong. Bao told Biden, Nobody will care whereabouts of nobodys money.

Bidens financial transactions were subsequently flagged as suspicious activities by the corporate compliance team at Wells Fargo, who sent Biden a list of questions, including several that related to transfers being made to Joe Bidens brother James. Its not known whether the Wells Fargo inquiries were resolved.

CEFC China Energy also paid Hunter Biden $1 million to find a U.S.-based attorney for Patrick Ho, another Ye associate whom Biden later called the [expletive] spy chief of China.

Additionally, Bidens company received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, the widow of Russian oligarch Yury Luzhkov, the former mayor of Moscow. The circumstances of those payments remain unclear to this day.

We are currently enmeshed in a tense geopolitical situation with the UkraineRussia wara conflict that was entirely preventable. As recently as December 2021, Joe Biden held out NATO membership to Ukraine, as did his secretary of state, Antony Blinken. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin went even further, saying the door was open to Ukraine for NATO membership, during an October 2021 trip to Ukraine.

Those false promises, sure to provoke Russia, lay in stark contrast to early warnings from Bidens own CIA director, who had previously stated that NATO membership for Ukraine was the brightest of all red lines for Russia.

To make matters worse, in November 2021, the Biden administration offered Ukraine a charter on strategic partnership. The charter, replete with anti-Russian rhetoric and various promises to Ukraine, was sure to enrage Russian leadership further. Notably, the Biden administration chose to use the provocative term charter, which implies the granting of rights, as opposed to the more neutral term agreement. In reality, Bidens use of the term charter was effectively a means of creating an unofficial treaty without having to go through Senate approval, as is normally required.

Now, in the midst of a conflict with no easy resolution, NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and even the Biden administration have all admitted that NATO membership was never a viable possibility.

While the Biden administrations motivations for repeatedly agitating Russia remain unknown, the Biden familys questionable business dealings in China and Ukraine have raised the very real possibility that Joe Biden leveraged U.S. government policy and position for personal gain while he was President Barack Obamas vice president.

Now that the Washington establishments denial of the authenticity of Hunter Bidens emails has been removed, the implications resulting from those emails raise serious questions about whether Joe Biden has been compromised by his past dealings. Bidens public lies about his knowledge of his familys entanglements only serve to heighten the urgency of receiving answers to these questions.

After the appointment of a special counsel and the forced recusal of Trumps attorney general for a scandal fabricated by the Clinton campaign, how is it that no special counsel has been appointed in relation to the ongoing investigation into the Biden family? And why is Bidens own hand-picked attorney general the one overseeing the investigation of alleged Biden family corruption?

Crucially, in light of the many implications from the validation of Hunter Bidens emails and Joe Bidens now-proven entanglements with Ukraine, how can he, as president of the United States, be entrusted to make foreign policy decisions regarding the UkraineRussia conflict?

And how can the corporate media, which has demonstrated their willingness to lie for political partisan gain, be entrusted to provide us with accurate coverage of the Biden investigation or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine?

Perhaps most importantly, how can our intelligence communitywhich interfered in both the 2016 and the 2020 elections by legitimizing the Clinton campaigns fabricated claims of Russia collusion and blaming Bidens laptop problems on a Russian plotbe trusted on its claims about Ukraine, our foreign policy, and our domestic affairs in general?

Jeff Carlson Follow Jeff Carlson is a co-host of Truth Over News on Epoch TV. Twitter: @themarketswork.
The Lefts Attack on Attorney-Client Confidentiality: The Case of Trump Adviser John Eastman

Commentary

Americans are witnessing attacks by the progressive left on some of our oldest and most treasured rights. These include not only constitutional rights, such as free speech and freedom of religion, but some that are even older than the Constitution itself.

Until recently, a consensus spanning the political spectrum protected these guaranteed rights. But to the authoritarians of the new American left, nothing is sacred.

Attacks on Rights Older Than the Constitution

In 2021, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the powerful House Homeland Security Committee, made a stunning suggestion. It pertained to members of Congress who, during the Jan. 6, 2021, electoral vote count, favored investigating the election results. Thompson suggested that they should be placed on the national terrorist no-fly list.

Thompson either didnt know or didnt care about the Constitutions speech and debate clause (Article I, Section 6, Clause 1). Based on a provision in the 1689 English Bill of Rights, the speech and debate clause protects lawmakers from persecution or retaliation from other branches of the government because of what they say or how they vote (pdf).

Other progressives demanded that congressmen who voted the wrong way during the electoral vote count be formally disqualified from office under the Constitutions 14th Amendment.

Another guarantee older than the Constitution is the right of those accused of a crime to a speedy trial. Codified by the Sixth Amendment, its traceable to Magna Carta (1215). Yet the right to a speedy trial apparently has been denied to some of the defendants detained in regard to the 2021 Capitol incursion.

The concept of attorney-client privilege also antedates the Constitution. It was firmly established in England no later than the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (15581603). The privilege guarantees that if you confide in your attorney, he or she cant be compelled to disclose what you said in confidence. It also protects papers generated while your attorney is working for you.

Like other treasured privilegessuch as habeas corpus and trial by juryattorney-client confidentiality is central to our legal system. It helps assure that citizens receive effective legal representation. If it were lost, many accused people would feel that they couldnt tell their attorneys the whole truth. This would undermine the quality of their legal representation. Moreover, if attorneys are compelled to reveal information about their own clients, many of those accused would stand defenseless against government prosecutors.

Thompson appears to have no more regard for the attorney-client privilege than for the Constitutions speech and debate clause. The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, which he chairs, is trying to deny the attorney-client privilege to former President Donald Trump and his attorney, professor John Eastman.

John Eastman

Eastman advised Trump during the latter part of 2020 and in early 2021. He also helped develop strategy for addressing contested election results.

The mainstream media have gone to unconscionable lengths to abuse Eastman. One of their gentler tactics is to label him with epithets such as right-wing lawyer (pdf). Calling Eastman a right-wing lawyer is like calling Winston Churchill an English cigar-smoker: It omits everything you really need to know about the man.

Eastman is one of the nations most respected constitutional scholars. After a stellar student record at a top law school, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Eastman practiced law for several years, then became a law professor. He served on the faculty of Chapman University School of Law for 20 years and served as its dean for four years. He has an extraordinary record of scholarly research and public service. Several versions of his resume are freely available online (pdf) (pdf), which the mainstream media have chosen to ignore.

Eastman inspired some of my own scholarly work. In the early 2000s, I attended a national law professors convention at which he was a panelist. His presentation discussed the Supreme Courts interpretation of the Constitutions general welfare clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1). I was sufficiently intrigued to research the subject myself. The results included two major scholarly articles (pdf) (pdf).

Ive met Eastman personally perhaps three or four times. In 2016, we both attended a simulated convention of states. He served as a commissioner (delegate), and I served as a constitutional adviser. His fellow commissionersmostly legislators from all 50 stateselected him vice president of that convention. However, we had no contact during the election controversy and none pertaining to this essay.

Eastman and I have had our disagreements as well. Among them, I disagreed with his opinion that Vice President Mike Pence could have unilaterally delayed the electoral vote count. But since when do law professors always agree?

In view of Eastmans reputation and expertise, Trump was fortunate to get him as legal counsel. And of course, most Americans would concur that there are few gigs more honorable than advising a president of the United Stateswhether they like the particular president or not.

Enter Thompsons Jan. 6 Committee

Thompsons committee is a congressional fishing expedition. The key to a congressional fishing expedition is this: Instead of doing the investigative work yourself, get someone else to do it, so you can take the credit and still have plenty of time left to raise campaign money.

Thompson and his committee want Eastman to do their work for them. So theyve demanded that he produce tens of thousands of emails and other documents stemming from his legal representation of Trump.

The committee offers several excuses for this extraordinary demand. First, it claims that Eastman may not have had a professional relationship with Trump. This is nonsense. Late in 2020, Eastman wrote and filed a Supreme Court brief on Trumps behalf.

The committee also claims an exception to the attorney-client privilege for planning future criminal or fraudulent acts. But theres no evidence that Eastman did anything more serious than plead the case to Pence for postponing the electoral count. If trying to persuade a politician were a crime, then every lobbyist in the country would be in jail.

In fact, despite all the anti-Trump prosecutors out thereincluding those in Eastmans home state of Californianot one has charged him with a crime. His law-abiding record contrasts sharply with the criminal street violence so common among the political allies of the Democrats who are accusing him.

During the time leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, electoral vote count, Eastman tried to buy enough time so that claims of election irregularities (some of which since have been proven or partially substantiated) could be investigated. His obvious goals were, first, to ensure that the president sworn in on Inauguration Day was the person who actually won the election, and second, if nothing came of the investigation, to assure that Trump supporters could accept the results.

We can see this in a Jan. 6, 2021, email that Eastman wrote to Pences attorney. In the email, Eastman first referred to how Congress had violated the Electoral Count Act, a statute not binding on Congress because its constitutionally defective.

I implore you to consider one more relatively minor violation and adjourn for 10 days to allow the [state] legislatures to finish their investigations, as well as to allow a full forensic audit of the massive amount of illegal activity that has occurred here, Eastman wrote. If none of that moves the needle, at least a good portion of the 75 million people who supported President Trump will have seen a process that allowed the illegality to be aired.

This is what the committee and the mainstream media persist in labeling as an effort to overturn the election, subvert the election, and justify a coup. Whether or not Eastmans request to Pences attorney was legally sound, it clearly was patriotic rather than insurrectionary.

The Cost

Possibly because committee members fear a Republican sweep in the November congressional elections, theyve ramped up the pressure to get Eastman to prove their case for them. A Democratically appointed federal district judge has sided in large part with the committee. The judge ordered Eastman to review 1,500 pages of legal documents per daylater reduced to 500and provide explanations as to why each document should or shouldnt be subject to attorney-client privilege. That prevents Eastman (who no longer has an academic salary) from working for other clients during this high-pressure schedule.

The persecution of Eastman is probably intended to be a warning to anyone who challenges progressive domination of the United States. It shows that even the oldest and most firmly established personal guarantees are no longer safe from zealots on the political left. Its an additional reason for both cleaning house this November and curbing federal power so as to reduce the ability of people such as Thompson and his committee to abuse it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner rises during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2020. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Tory MP Rempel Garner Joins Patrick Browns Leadership Campaign as Co-Chair

Tory MP Michelle Rempel Garner is joining Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown as the national campaign co-chair for his bid to become the next leader of the Conservative Party.

In a statement issued Saturday, Brown said Rempel Garner, who represents the riding of Calgary Nose Hill, is Western Canadas strongest champion.

Rempel Garner has held prominent roles in the Tory shadow cabinet. Prior to her current role as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, she had been shadow minister for natural resources, shadow minister for health, shadow minister for industry and economic development, and shadow minister for immigration, refugees, and citizenship.

Brown said the Conservatives are tired of losing federal elections to the Liberals. He also released his platform for Western Canada the same day.

For Western Canadians, the stakes have been highthree election losses to the Liberals have meant massive job losses, unaffordable living, and inequity, he said.

Brown, who was previously leader of the Ontario PC party and an MPP from 2015 to 2018, and a Conservative MP from 2006 to 2015, said he will fight for every region of our country to be empowered and unified.

Patrick Brown announces his candidacy for the federal Conservative leadership at a rally in Brampton, Ontario, on March 13, 2022. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

His plan for Western Canada includes having electoral seat redistribution to be based on representation by population, and changing the current federal equalization program.

These changes would acknowledge that programs like the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer already provide equitable stable funding for provincial social programs, would ensure all regions are treated equally, and would serve to remove disincentives for provinces to improve their fiscal situations, the platform said.

Another promise is investment in Western Canadas fossil fuel sector. Brown pledged to build the countrys oil and gas sector and promote it globally.

This will protect Canadian energy security and stop offshoring Canadian energy jobs to countries like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, he said.

This will ensure Canada can meet the energy security needs of our friends and allies, like the European Union and Ukraine.

He added that setting caps on greenhouse gas emissions should be the sole jurisdiction of the provincial governments, and Ottawa should play no part in it.

As Ontario PC leader, Brown had supported imposing a carbon tax. The Conservatives dropped their support for a price on carbon policy in February after Erin OToole was ousted as leader.

Browns platform didnt mention supporting or getting rid of the federal carbon tax.

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 18, 2021. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)

Rival candidate Pierre Poilievre, who represents the riding of Carleton, said Brown will say and do anything to get elected.

In a press conference on March 14, he said Browns past support for a carbon tax is contradictory.

He and I disagree on his carbon tax, Poilievre said.

I cant understand that point of view. Right now, Canadians are paying upwards of $1.70 a litre. Many Canadians feel like they cant even have the freedom of mobility because its too expensive to gas up their vehicles and get where theyre going.  I will get rid of the tax. I will pursue technology not taxes, results and not revenue.

Poilievre has the highest number of endorsements from Conservative MPs and senators compared to other candidates by a wide margin.

Omid Ghoreishi contributed to this report.
Tahrane Tahbaz, sister of detained Iranian-American environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who also holds British citizenship, holds a book that her brother made, after talking with Reuters at her home in Madrid on March 18, 2022. (Juan Medina/Reuters)

US-British-Iranian Conservationist Back in Iranian Jail 2 Days After Release

A tri-national released from an Iranian prison on the same day two British-Iranians were allowed to return to the UK has been put back in prison, his family said.

The UK government said it was told the return would be temporary and he would hopefully be back to his Tehran home soon.

Morad Tahbaz, a 66-year-old U.S.-British-Iranian conservationist held in Iran since January 2018, was released on furlough from prison on Wednesday, after negotiations between the UK government and the Iranian regime.

On the same day, two British-Iranians dual nationals, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were allowed to return to the UK after years of detention, and the UK government announced it had authorised the payment of a 393.8 million (approx. $515 million) historical debt to Iran in parallel with the release.

But Tahbazs family on Friday said they were distraught that Tahbaz had been returned to prison.

Tahbazs sister Taraneh Tahbaz said her brother called to tell them he was being escorted back to jail.

Taraneh Tahbaz told The Telegraph that the news was devastating to the family, who were already extremely anxious that instead of being put on a plane along with Nazanin and Anoosheh, Morad was only granted temporary release from jail and left under tight security at a family members flat in Tehran.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss previously said Tahbaz didnt return to the UK because his U.S. citizenship had complicated the matter as that is seen in Iranian eyes as also meaning that the [United States] are involved.

Taraneh Tahbaz said shes hoping the U.S. and UK governments would react.

There are so many political things going on in the world that his case might just be swept under the rug, she said in an interview in Madrid where she lives.

We are hoping that the American authorities will react. We are hoping that British authorities will also come forward and help out because he is a British subject too, or are they only listening to the Iranians who say that he is an American?

In a separate statement, the Tahbaz family said they were confident and assured that the UK government had taken on [the] responsibility to secure his release, but after the euphoria of Nazanin and Anooshehs homecoming, theres a worrying sense that the UK government hasnt pressed the Iranian authorities for Morads freedom in the same way.

Shortly afterward, a spokesman for the UKs Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) said it had been told by Tehran that Tahbaz had been taken back to Evin prison to fit an ankle bracelet.

We hope to see him returned to his home in the coming hours, the FCDO said. Morad Tahbaz is a tri-national and we are working closely with the United States to secure Morads permanent release.

London-born Tahbaz was arrested in 2018 during a trip to visit his in-laws. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for assembly and collusion against Irans national security and working for the United States as a spy.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Vietnamese refugees from Ukraine try to settle down

A Vietnamese-Ukrainian family reunites at the Berlin Central Station after fleeing war in Ukraine. Photo by Nicholas Muller/SOPA Images/Sipa USA

Many Vietnamese who fled Ukraine are trying to settle down in neighboring countries in Europe instead of going to Vietnam, for reasons including hope that the conflict will end soon.

"I want to stay in Poland because it will only take a short time to return to Ukraine when the conflict is over," 46-year-old Nguyen Thi Hoa told VnExpress International.

Hoa said she was among many Vietnamese brethren wishing to apply for asylum in Poland for the reason.

On Feb 28, Hoa and two of her children, a 20-year-old woman and a 13-year-old boy, fled Odessa four days after Russia launched its attack against Ukraine.

Fearing a long wait and her family facing danger at the border, Hoa chose to go by train and bus through four countries (Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia) to Poland. The journey took five days.

In Poland capital Warsaw, Hoa and her kids are living temporarily in her friend's house.

There are more reasons for Hoa to choosing to stay in Poland, instead of applying to return to Vietnam on rescue flights. She wants her son to continue pursuing studies under a similar language system. She is hopeful that the Vietnamese community in Poland will help her overcome short term difficulties, since the community has been actively supporting people uprooted from Ukraine.

"The Vietnamese community in Poland is not only large, but also united, friendly and caring," she said.

Hoa has submitted documents to ask for legal status in Poland to find a job.

She plans to open a business with her friend, using her experience in the clothing business in Ukraine, or learn to do nails.

At the same time, she is arranging to send her daughter, a student who also ran a beauty salon in Odessa, to Switzerland to find a suitable job.

Hoa, who lived in Ukraine for 20 years, said she was among many people who do not want to give up their houses and other properties in Ukraine that they had worked for years to create. Most are looking forward to an early end to the conflict so that they can return to their homes, she said.

"I long for the day that I can return to my previous life, including teaching at a Vietnamese class for kids in our community."

Nguyen Thi Hoa (R) with a friend in Hungary and her two children, March 9, 2022. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thi Hoa

As of March 16, around 4,600 Vietnamese nationals had left Ukraine and reached neighboring countries. Around 2,800 people have reached Poland, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tran Anh Tuan, President of the Vietnamese Association in Poland, said Poland has been one of transit places for people who want to return to Vietnam since the conflict erupted three weeks ago, with around 1,400 people taken to Vietnam on special flights.

But there are also more than 100 people who want to stay in Poland.

He said people who lived legally in Ukraine before the conflict can apply for temporary protection in Poland, and as their applications are processed, they would be recognized as legal residents.

A large number of people have also used Poland as a transit to reach refugee camps in Germany, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and other countries.

Currently, the Vietnamese community in Poland is providing many kinds of support for the refugees, including connecting with Vietnamese volunteers in third countries to welcome them.

Besides the advantage of geographical proximity to Ukraine, many parents like Hoa have also chosen to stay in nearby nations for the sake of their children.

Vu Bich and her family have chosen Denmark to stay in after fleeing Ukraine.

She was told that the country was safe and its citizens kind. Her biggest concern was that her children get good schools to study in, she said.

At present, Bich, her husband and two kids are staying in a refugee camp in Odense, the Danish island of Funen.

Besides children's schooling, several Vietnamese who evacuated to Germany hoped for good chances to make a living.

Nguyen Yen Chi said she and her husband desired to stay in Europe to earn more money and ease her family's financial difficulties.

The couple went by train to Poland and were taken to a camp in Brandenburg, a town west of Berlin, on March 11. They are currently waiting to apply for a work permit.

Chi said she has been a worker in the textile industry in Ukraine since 2017. There were many people in the camp who shared her status and predicament, she added.

"We can only wait without knowing when we will get the result."

Dao Duc Dong said he has submitted documents for legal status in Saarbrucken, the capital of Saarland, a southwestern state in Germany, and is waiting for results from the local government.

Escaping Kharkiv in Ukraine, Dong, his wife and two children are living in his friend's house temporarily.

He said he wanted to stay on in Germany because he could earn a high income and benefit from good social services, not to mention proper schooling for his children.

"I will open a mini mart to make a living," he said.
File photo of a V-22 Osprey near the Wall Street Landing Zone in New York, N.Y., on Aug 14, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

US Military Plane With 4 on Board Crashes in Norway

A U.S. military aircraft carrying four people has crashed in northern Norway, the countrys rescue coordination center announced Friday.

A V-22 Osprey aircrafta multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landingbelonging to the U.S. Marine Corps has hit the ground, said a spokesperson for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Norway.

The spokesperson said the status of the people on board the aircraft was not known.

The aircraft had been taking part in a NATO military exercise called Cold Response 2022. The naval, air, and ground drills started earlier this week and involve 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft, and 50 warships.

According to a statement from the JRCC of Northern Norway, the aircraft was reported missing at 6:26 p.m. local time, south of Bodo. It was due to land around 6:00 p.m., the statement said. The last known position of the aircraft was Saltfjellet.

The JRCC spokesperson said a rescue helicopter and a Norwegian military Orion plane were searching the area and located the plane from the air at 9:17 p.m. local time.

We found it after an emergency signal was received, he said. Because of the bad weather, we cannot get down. Police and rescue services are on their way by land, according to the spokesperson.

Further coordination is handled by the police in Nordland, per the JRCC statement.

According to NATO, the military drills that the plane is involved in involve tens of thousands of troops from across Europe and North America [who] are training together in harsh climatic conditions.

Around 30,000 troops from 27 nations, including NATOs close partners Finland and Sweden, are taking part in the exercise, as well as about 220 aircraft and more than 50 vessels, NATO also wrote.

The drills are held every two years over large areas across Norway, including above the Arctic Circle. The latest drills were planned long before Moscows invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and seek to explore how Norway would manage reinforcements. NATO said that it offered an invitation to Russia to observe the drills, but Moscow declined to attend.

Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price speaks during the daily press briefing at the State Department in Washington, on Feb. 25, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

US Troubled by Syrian Presidents First Visit to UAE Since 2011 War

The United States said Friday that it was profoundly disappointed and troubled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assads visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), calling it an attempt to legitimize Assad.

The Syrian Presidency said Friday that Assad met with Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also a vice president and Prime Minister of the UAE, making his first trip to an Arab country since the Syrian war began in 2011.

The meeting dealt with the overall relations between the two countries and the prospects for expanding the circle of bilateral cooperation, especially at the economic, investment, and commercial levels, the office said in a post on Twitter.

Assad also met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who described Syria as a fundamental pillar of Arab security and that the UAE is keen to strengthen cooperation with it.

The two leaders also discussed preserving the territorial integrity of Syria and the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, as well as providing political and humanitarian support for Syria, according to state-run Emirates News Agency.

The trip, coincided with the 11th anniversary of the Syrian uprising, drew criticism from Washington, which said that it still stands against normalizing ties or rehabilitating Assad.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Washington will not waive or lift sanctions on Syria unless progress is made toward a political solution to the conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people since spiraling out of an uprising against Assad.

We urge states considering engagement with the Assad regime to weigh carefully the horrific atrocities visited by the regime on the Syrians over the last decade, as well as the regimes continuing efforts to deny much of the country access to humanitarian aid and security, he said.

Arab countries that severed ties with the Assad regime during Syrias decade-long civil war have moved to mend fences. Signs of rapprochement between Assad and Arab states grew last year, including a phone call with King Abdullah of Jordan, another U.S. ally.

On Tuesday, the State Department issued a joint statement with France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom opposing efforts to normalize relations with the Assad regime.

We do not support efforts to normalize relations with the Assad regime, and will not normalize relations ourselves, nor lift sanctions or fund reconstruction until there is irreversible progress towards a political solution, they stated.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian and UAE leaders reportedly declined President Joe Bidens attempt to discuss developing international support for Ukraine and controlling a rise in oil prices, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 8, citing an unidentified U.S. official.

The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Biden administration requested a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, but it did not happen.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A Volkswagen logo is seen as it launches its ID.6 and ID.6 CROZZ SUV at a world premiere ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show on April 18, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Volkswagen Panders to China

Profits overrule all else, including ESG, for the German company

News Analysis

Volkswagen (VW) doesnt seem to care much about Chinas support of Russia during its Ukraine invasion. Neither, apparently, is the German company showing exceeding concern about the genocide in Chinas Xinjiang region (where it has a factory that employs about 650 people).

VW isnt quite committed to an increase in its manufacturing in the United States, where, in 2021, it sold more than 375,000 vehicles, as well as additional units from its subsidiaries, Porsche, Audi, and Skoda.

China, on the other hand, is the companys gold mine, according to a former executive who was quoted in a March 16 Financial Times (FT) article. VW deliveries in China peaked at approximately 4 million per year between 2017 and 2019. That number fell to 3.3 million in 2021.

VW is working to rebuild sales there, perhaps in vain given the increasing Chinese competition. The strategy for countering this in a nationalist state such as China is to make VW more Chinese and less German. So Beijing gets outward displays of allegianceso much so that VW is the only foreign car company to get not only two joint ventures with Chinese state-owned enterprises, but a third, over which it has majority ownership.

However, that majority stake doesnt matter much in China, where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) knows how to tighten the screws on businesses of any nationality to get exactly what it wants.

Sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine are apparently making VW executives nervous about their business in China, which could also be economically targeted by democracies and their allies if Chinese Leader Xi Jinping has his way and invades Taiwan. According to purported intelligence leaked from Russia, China had plans to invade this fall.

If Russia is any guide, that could mean that VW would have to pull out entirely from China, which would more than halve its profits.

This is probably the best explanation for why the companys CEO, Herbert Diess, is working to smooth feathers and double down on his commitment to making more money in China. He acknowledges that China now has greater leverage over the company than the other way around.

China probably doesnt need VW, but VW needs China a lot, Diess said in 2021.

That has changed since the early 1980s, when VW first entered China. Since then, at least some at the company realized that technology transfer made China a ticking clock that would eventually overtake VW with its own Chinese vehicle manufacturers.

Stephan Wollenstein, head of Chinese operations for Volkswagen, is apparently knuckling under to ubiquitous CCP demands to give China more control. He said VW is quickly adapting to the need to gain from running the company more from within China, where VWs new software chiefs, for example, are now mainly of Asian heritage, according to the FTs Frankfurt correspondent, Joe Miller.

Wollenstein said VW gets preferential treatment in China, where its majority stake in a joint venture indicates the specific trust that the Chinese government has in the Volkswagen group.

In 2022, Diess told the FT: We will remain in China. We will invest.  We are there to stay. Despite VWs declining sales in the country, he believes it will be by far the biggest growth market for the foreseeable future.

People visit the Volkswagen booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show on April 19, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters)

If we would constrain our business to only established democracies, which account for about 7 to 9 percent of world population, and this is shrinking, then clearly there would not be any viable business model for an auto manufacturer, he said on March 15.

Diess earns approximately $12 million annually, according to Bloomberg. Apparently, pandering to a genocidal regime that pumps out most of the worlds pollution is worth the money.

The CEO is supported by his board. The FT quoted a member who hoped the Ukraine war would take the German governments focus off China.

They are very concerned now with the Ukrainian war.  This German government has become very fast, very pragmatic, the board member said.

Germany and VW need to get with the times and support democratic rather than dictatorial countries as part of their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. That should mean pulling out of China entirely rather than continuing the technology transfer and building up the totalitarian country economically to the point of it being able to invade a peaceful neighbor such as Taiwan.

But dont count on Volkswagen to do this by itself. The companys management is too focused on making short-term profits and insufficiently concerned about the long-term effect of those profits on the viability of democracy globally.

To fix the issue, democratic governments in the United States and Europe could sanction or tariff companies more broadly that continue to collaborate with the CCP.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
War in Ukraine Turning Point for the World: Boris Johnson

The Russo-Ukrainian war is a turning point for the world, the UKs Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.

Speaking at the Conservative Partys Spring Conference in Blackpool, Johnson described the current time as a moment of choice when the world chooses between freedom and oppression.

Reflecting on the reason why Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine, Johnson said he believes its not about Ukraine joining NATO or the semi-mystical guff [Putin] wrote about the origins of the Russian people, but because Putin was frightened of the Ukrainian example of freedom and democracy and open markets and in a total panic about the prospect of a revolution in Moscow.

With every year that Ukraine progressednot always easilytowards freedom and democracy and open markets, he feared the Ukrainian example and he feared the implicit reproach to himself, Johnson said of the Russian leader.

Because in Putins Russia you get jailed for 15 years just for calling an invasion an invasion, and if you stand against Putin in an election you get poisoned or shot, he said.

Its precisely because Ukraine and Russia have been so historically close that he has been terrified of the effect of that Ukrainian model on him and on Russia.

Johnson also said the lack of free press and meaningful oppositions in Russia has led Putin down the path of war.

If he had free, impartial responsible journalism, let me put it that way, then he would have known the truth that the Ukrainians are a proud, proud nation with a charismatic leader. And he would have known, before he set out on this disastrous and inhuman venture, that they would fight to defend their homeland, he would have known that, Johnson told the conference.

In a real democracy, Putin would not have locked himself in this echo chamber of sycophants because he would have to face a real Parliament with real backbenchers who had to face an electorate, Johnson added.

The prime minister also described the current war as a turning point for the world because a victorious Putin will not stop in the Ukraine.

The end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova. It will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across the whole of Eastern Europe, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, he said. And if Putin succeeds in crushing Ukraine, it will be the green light for autocrats everywhere, in the Middle East in the Far East.

Its a moment of choice. Its a choice between freedom and oppression, he said.

I know there are some around the world, even in some Western governments  who say that were better off making accommodations with tyranny. I believe they are profoundly wrong. And to try to renormalize relations with Putin after this, as we did in 2014, would be to make exactly the same mistake.

Johnson said that while Putin wants to weaken the collective will to resist by pushing up the cost of living, the UK government must continue to do everything they can to help people, and also make sure there is a strong economy and strong economic fundamentals with well-paid jobs.

He went on to say the UK must end its dependence on Russian energy and make better use of our own naturally occurring hydrocarbons after years of short-termism, and hand-to-mouth solutions.

But he stressed it does change the governments agenda of achieving a low-carbon future, adding the UK will make some bets on nuclear power and invest more in offshore wind farms and other power sources.

Ukrainian soldiers search for bodies in the debris at the military school hit by Russian rockets the day before, in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on March 19, 2022. (Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images)

The prime ministers comments came after the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) says that Russia has been forced to change its operational approach in Ukraine and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition and that Kremlin has tightened its grip on Russian media.

The new strategy of attrition is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, and intensify the humanitarian crisis, MoD said in its latest intelligence update on Saturday morning.

Putin has reinforced his control over Russian domestic media. The Kremlin is attempting to control the narrative, detract from operational problems, and obscure high Russian casualty numbers from the Russian people.

Free vs Woke

Also speaking at the Tory conference on Saturday, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs Liz Truss said the UKs effort in helping Ukraine should end the ludicrous domestic debates on things like pronouns.

This is what is important, this is what matters, Truss said. We have to be proud of our country and our longstanding commitment to freedom and democracy.

The foreign secretary said its time for the UK to end the culture of self-doubt, the constant self-questioning, and introspectionthe ludicrous debates about languages, statues, and pronouns.

Our history, warts and all, is what makes us what we are today, she said.

Johnson also added that freedom is an invincible strength that makes the UK attractive.

We believe, by and large and within the law, that people should be able to do whatever they want, provided they dont do any harm to anybody else, he said.

Thats called freedom. And we dont need to be woke, we just want to be free.

Thats why talented people are fleeing Russia, quite frankly, right now. Thats why they are flocking to the UK.

PA media contributed to this report.
Our fear and anxiety drive biochemical processes that leave us with real physiological suffering

We usually think of it as a bad thing, but pain helps keep us from harm. In fact, without pain, our lives would be cut short.

In the book Pain: The Gift that Nobody Wants, authors Philip Yancey and Dr. Paul Brand write about a congenital disease that causes people to be born unable to experience pain. Lacking this sensory guidance, these people easily fall prey to serious injuries, fail to seek medical attention in a timely manner, and often die before they reach adulthood.

Like the negative aspects of our other sensesexperiencing stinky smells, a foul taste, a grating noise, or a dreadful sightpain serves as a message that something is wrong and change is necessary. If you stub your toe or bump your head, the message is to pay attention and become more conscious of your surroundings.

However, if we suffer and the message isnt clear, pain seems cruel, unnecessary, and unfair.

Our culture generally isnt interested in uncovering the message of pain. An old jingle for an over-the-counter pain killer sums up the feeling: I havent got time for the pain. But efforts to silence, pain without deciphering its message can lead to unintended consequences.

For example, starting in the 1990s, prescription opioids became increasingly popular among doctors tasked with treating chronic pain, but the result was an addiction epidemic. When the medical establishment realized their error and began to deny patients pain pills, many turned to heroin, fueling an unprecedented appetite for a dangerous drug. Since 1999, the number of opioid deaths (from both prescription and illegal drugs) has quadrupled. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each day 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose.

There are safer methods promising an escape from pain, but they may fail to bring immediate relief. And after weeks, months, or even years of constant agony, pain sufferers are willing to try anything that offers some sliver of hope.

This is a drama Steven Ozanich knows well. At the age of 14, his back locked up, and for the next 30 years, he tried everything to stop the pain.

I was desperate. I tried acupuncture, thousands of chiropractic manipulations, physical therapy, and hanging upside down like a bat trying to stretch it out, he said.

Finally, Ozanich resigned himself to surgery: spinal fusions and titanium plates. A couple of weeks before the procedure was scheduled, however, he found Dr. John E. Sarno, a professor of rehabilitation medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

Thanks to Sarno, Ozanich canceled his surgery, and 17 years later hes still pain-free.

Dr. Sarno saved my life, Ozanich said.

Sarnos Discovery

In 2012, Forbes magazine called Sarno Americas Best Doctor thanks to his miracle cures. He has received glowing celebrity endorsementsranging from shock jock Howard Stern to former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin. Millions are said to have benefited from his work, yet youve probably never heard of him. Perhaps its because his strategy for addressing pain seems so at odds with how we typically understand the pain mechanism.

From Sarnos perspective, pain isnt rooted in the physical, but rather the mental and emotional. He calls the process tension myoneural syndrome or TMS. The idea is that our dark, unexpressed feelings cause chronic tension, resulting in physical pain.

Sarno hit on the idea in the 1970s while examining a woman he called Helen, who was bedridden due to severe pain. Under psychoanalysis, Helen recalled being molested by her father. Uncovering these memories culminated in an emotional meltdown, and a feeling that she was going to die. But after sobbing for several minutes, she felt the pain shed been carrying for years suddenly disappear.

Observations like these convinced Sarno to see chronic pain as a kind of protective mechanisma distraction from feelings youre not ready to face.

For those willing to confront the emotional demons that lurk behind their pain, the process is a revelation. In a recent documentary about Sarno called All the Rage, Larry David (of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm fame) confessed to weeping after his appointment. All of a sudden, the pain was gone. It was the closest thing Ive ever had in my life to a religious experience, David said.

At age 93, Sarno is now retired, but others have taken up his torch. One is Ozanich, who has written three well-received books about his experience helping people resolve their TMS. Many heal just from reading the books alone, he says.

Ozanich isnt a doctor, but he doesnt have to be. Sarnos treatment doesnt require a medical degree because it comes down to the simple process of a patient accepting an idea or new way of viewing the pain.

The source of the pain is unwanted emotions, Ozanich said.

Whether its foot pain, carpal tunnel, or an aching back, Ozanich poses the same question: Whats going on in your life?

Chronic and persistent pain can make simple things like walking or doing chores difficult. (Shutterstock)

Resistance

While modern medicine is focused almost exclusively on the physical, ancient doctors understood that emotions play a major role in health and healing. In traditional Chinese medicine, for example, negative emotions are believed to injure the organs. Fear hurts the kidneys, anger the liver, and grief the lungs.

In contemporary culture, however, chronic pain sufferers are often deeply offended when anyone suggests that the source of their discomfort is emotional. But Ozanich knows how they feel.

When I first started to read Dr. Sarnos book, I threw it against the wall. It made me that angry, he said. Now I know, looking back, that it was because it was true that it made me angry.

This can be especially frustrating to patients who already hold evidence of a physical problemlike a doctors diagnosis that points to a clear cause. But Ozanich isnt fazed.

You always want to go get checked out first, he said. We want to make sure there isnt some malignant process happening that is threatening your life.

It may sound strange to suggest that physical evidence found right at the site of pain isnt entirely the cause of a patients discomfort, but according to Dr. David Hanscom, a renowned spine surgeon at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, its true.

Its just not logical that any given bone spur is really going to cause that much pain, Hanscom said. Those bone spurs have probably been there for years, but all of a sudden the pain lights up. Why?

Hanscom didnt study with Sarno, but through his own clinical experience and observing evidence in the medical literature, he has arrived at similar conclusions. In his new book, Back In Control: A Surgeons Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain, Hanscom argues that chronic anxiety and anger are the root cause of nearly all chronic pain cases.

Hanscom explains it as an issue of body chemistry. With prolonged anger or anxiety, your body excretes adrenaline, which has been shown to make nerves more sensitive. So your bone spur, tendonitis, herniated disk, or another physical anomaly that previously didnt bother you suddenly become annoyingly uncomfortable.

You solve the problem when the anxiety drops because the body chemistry drops, and they relax, so the pain drops. This isnt just managing pain. Some people actually go to pain-free, Hanscom said.

But, like Ozanich, Hanscom says the biggest obstacle to his non-invasive option is the patients themselves.

They say, This is crazy. I want surgery,' said Hanscom. But if they come in with leg pain, the research says that you need to calm them down, get them to sleep at night, and stabilize medication before you do surgery, and if you dont address those issues before surgery, people dont do very well.

For those patients willing to devote some time and energy into unearthing the emotions that dwell just beneath their pain, Hanscom says most will cancel their surgery, even those with major structural problems.

Hanscom hasnt just observed this in his patients. The major catalyst for his insight was a long and excruciating personal bout with chronic pain that wouldnt let up until he looked inside.

When I actually dealt with my own anger issueswhich I was not aware ofwithin about six weeks my symptoms started to disappear, he said.

Cant Run or Hide

Low back pain is the No. 1 cause of disability worldwide. In the United States alone, spinal surgery is a $12 billion dollar market.

But Ozanich says that even if surgery is successful, a person may still suffer from TMS.

If you take away a symptom by an artificial meanssurgery, drugs, manipulation, or whateverthe brain will not be denied, it will simply shift to another symptom, he said. I have seen people who have TMS in their tooth and they get it pulled and it moves on to the next one.

Like pain, addiction can serve as a crutch to protect an individual from painful emotions, Ozanich says. Drinking and drugs can mask TMS for a while, but when the person finally comes clean, pain is likely to emerge to keep the dark feelings stuck in the shadows until the person is ready to face them.

One of Ozanichs clientsa reformed alcoholic who came to him complaining of stomach painhad previously visited several physicians, but none could find a cause.

The stomach pain emerged within 24 hours of when he stopped drinking. Ozanich explained that it was merely another diversion the brain had created to fill the void once the alcohol was gone.

We took away the diversions and all he had left was the raw emotion that was at the bottom of all of his problems, Ozanich said. He fought through that and hes fine now. He actually opened up an addiction clinic.

Recovery

Hanscom and Ozanich each have their own techniques for helping people face their painful emotions, but both say the first step is to understand the real cause.

Its really about somebody being ready to heal. If somebody is not ready, they will scream and yell and walk out of the room, Ozanich said.

According to Hippocrates, It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has. Modern medicine pays short shrift to this idea.

Hanscom points to strict time constraints imposed by the industry that make gaining a deeper understanding of an individual patient nearly impossible.

Today in modern medicine, patients have almost become like target practicewere just giving them random treatments without any thoughts behind them, he said. You walk in, get some test or injection, and walk out. But thats not really medicine.

According to a 2015 report from the National Institutes of Health, about 25 million Americans (about 11 percent of the U.S. population) are in chronic pain. But now that opioids are supposed to be off the table for most patients, the medical establishment is at a loss for how to treat it. Hanscom believes that if patients and doctors can acknowledge the emotional root of the protective process behind pain, it could change the world.

A lot of societal problems right now are driven by anxiety and fueled by anger, he said. I think there are major societal implications to getting this diagnosis correct.
The Long Canyon mine about halfway between Wells and Wendover has been ramping down this past year in preparation for stopping mining temporarily while permitting proceeds for phase 2 of the open pit operation. While evaluating their portfolio of mines, the Nevada Gold Mines team recently made the decision to look into the option of finding a buyer for Long Canyon.

Although, once permitted, Long Canyon will continue as a low-cost producer with a long life, Nevada Gold Mines is considering whether, given its size and location, the operation meets its investment criteria or it might fit better with a smaller operator that can give it the focus it needs to continue to produce and add value for all stakeholders, NGM said in a statement.

During our annual review process at the end of last year the question around the Long Canyon fit with NGMs tier one focus was raised and whether the team should test the market and see what interest there was in Long Canyon from the many junior companies that have recently acquired assets in Nevada.

Weve got all the data and information being collated in a way that can be viewed by potential buyers, said Anita Percy, head of growth and planning for Nevada Gold Mines.

We will only proceed with a transaction if it makes sense for the business with favorable terms to our shareholders, NGM said. Long Canyon has been a valuable and low-cost operation and there remains considerable opportunity for this asset to continue well into the future.

Ramping down

Mining started six years ago at Long Canyon, and NGM Executive Managing Director Greg Walker said it has been a good small open pit operation with high grades. It is all run-of-mine heap leach, with no mill to crush the ore. Long Canyon has produced up to around 200,000 ounces of gold a year, and more recently as operations have ramped down it has been producing about 150,000 ounces a year.

The original plan from Newmont was to have a phase 1 open pit operation, and then move on to a phase 2 underground mine. As NGM reevaluated the mine they decided to have a phase 2 open pit operation, a cutback with longer and deeper and extensions. NGM has been working on the permitting for this open pit phase 2. There is still the potential for a phase 3 underground mine where the ore body plunges deeper into the ground.

Long Canyon has employed up to around 250 people.

Over the last six months, weve been slowly reducing those numbers, Walker said. People have been moving to our other operations as required. Right now there are about 90 people still left, and most of those people have been offered roles within NGM at different operations.

There are plenty of openings at NGMs other mines for the people that have been leaving Long Canyon, Walker said. NGM mines have positions for a total of around 7,000 people, and the company has been about 10% short of that goal as it continues to look for more people to work at the mines.

We currently have over 700 vacancies, Walker said.

As Long Canyon ramps down, about 15 to 20 people who were working at the mine have decided to leave Nevada Gold Mines, Walker said. Some of these people live in Wendover and did not want to make the long commute to Nevada Gold Mines operations west of Carlin.

If we sell the Long Canyon operation, and a new buyer comes in and wants to retain any of those people, they have an option to stay with the buyer. But theyve been given opportunities and been given offers to stay with NGM, Walker said.

The mining operations at Long Canyon are scheduled to conclude around April. Residual production from the leach pads will continue into 2025 at least, but the gold production numbers will fall into the tens of thousands of ounces by next year, Walker said.

Even if we retain the asset we would still phase down for a period of about 18 months while we got permitting completed, and then we would ramp back up and be operating again, Walker said. So any purchaser coming in would do the same thing. They would run through the permitting process, and then they would start mining once they got the permit for the phase 2 expansion.

Long Canyon history

Long Canyon was one of the five Newmont mines, along with Carlin, Phoenix, Twin Creeks and Lone Tree, which became part of Nevada Gold Mines when the new company started as a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont on July 1, 2019. Newmont is the 38.5% owner of NGM, and Barrick is the 61.5% owner and operator.

The Long Canyon site is unique in that it was the first significant gold discovery in an unexplored area of northern Nevada in quite a few years, and it is a new mine in an area where there hasnt been a mine before.

Fronteer Gold Inc. explored the Long Canyon site in the late 2000s. Fronteer was the 51 percent owner and operator of Long Canyon, and in August 2010 Fronteer made a C$281 million deal with AuEx Ventures to become the 100 percent owner of the Long Canyon project.

Newmont acquired the Long Canyon project in Feb. 2011 in a $2.33 billion dollar deal with Fronteer.

Newmont is able to recognize the characteristics of a large, long-life deposit, Newmont spokesman Omar Jabara said at the time.

Newmont later described Long Canyon as the most significant Carlin-type oxide gold discovery in Nevada in more than a decade.

Mining officially started at Long Canyon on Jan. 4, 2016. Commercial gold production began with the first gold pour in November of that year.

Dewatering plans

In the spring of 2020, NGM submitted an application to the Nevada Division of Water Resources to expand their phase 2 mining operations below the water table.

A coalition of conservation groups and the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation filed protests opposing NGMs water application. They said the dewatering would have negative impacts on the Johnson Springs wetlands and groundwater and on wildlife in the area, including a rare small spring snail and a minnow-like fish called relict dace which lives only in Johnson Springs.

In August 2020 NGM announced its decision to put the Bureau of Land Managements review of the proposed Long Canyon expansion on hold.

The formation of the NGM joint venture between Barrick and Newmont Corporation in July of 2019 created an opportunity to challenge assumptions and apply new perspectives to projects, including evaluation against the companys environmental and sustainability values, NGM said in a statement at the time. This analysis resulted in the decision to delay the permitting process to re-evaluate aspects of the project and engage in additional studies and designs to reduce the expected impacts. This work will be focused on water management and mitigating potential impacts to the aquifer and the nearby Johnson Springs Wetland Complex.

By the company acting in this way, theyre acknowledging that something more needs to be done to try to protect the environment there and thats important, Great Basin Resource Watch Executive Director John Hadder said.

The original plan that Newmont had for that asset was to do a general dewatering of the area, Walker said in a recent interview.

He said the NGM team and their hydrogeologists did more studies of the area, and decided to look at ways to do localized dewatering, which would reduce the costs of the dewatering and the rehabilitation, and would also shorten the timeframe for the rehabilitation.

We thought there was a different way we could do it, and a better way we could do it, Walker said. And we were correct. Our plan has improved, so our dewatering is more localized, and our rehabilitation plan is shorter and more focused.

If Long Canyon is sold, NGM will pass along all the information they have gathered about the site and their dewatering plans.

The Long Canyon mine is surrounded by the Big Springs Ranch, which is owned by NGM. The Big Springs Ranch is leased to a rancher.

Whether or not the Big Springs Ranch will sell with the mine is a discussion that will be had with potential buyers.

Having one owner for the ranch and the mine, in my opinion, is the best option, Walker said.

Finding the right buyer

Walker said NGM will vet any potential buyers to make sure they have the right values on safety, environmental, social and governance issues.

On the ESG side of it, we will make sure any potential buyer aligns with our same values, Walker said. What we dont want to do is sell an asset and then have somebody do the wrong thing, and then we get tarnished with that same brush. So once weve got down to a short list of people that we are okay to be potential purchasers, well give them access to the data and the information on the mine.

Having the Long Canyon mine in eastern Elko County has gotten NGM involved in the communities in that area, like Wells and Wendover. Once Long Canyon sells, NGM will have less involvement with these communities, but Walker said they will make sure the company that purchases Long Canyon is committed to community involvement. NGM will also recommend the new company carries on the contracts and agreements which the mine currently has in place.

While operating the Long Canyon mine NGM developed a relationship with the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Walker said, and that relationship will continue, along with all of the relationships which NGM has with Native Americans tribes throughout the region. The Goshute Reservation will continue to participate in programs like the Western Shoshone Scholarship Foundation, along with having the additional opportunity to participate in any programs offered by the new owner of the Long Canyon mine.

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Meadowbrook First Southern Baptist Church will celebrate 75 years as a constituted church on Sunday, March 20.

We are thankful for the vision of Calvary Baptist, and those who have gone before us, and worked so hard to grow and establish what we have here today in Meadowbrook," said Pastor Kevin Auten. "We are excited to see what God is doing and going to do, with our church in the future.

"We have been working diligently toward future growth both on our building and grounds, and on ourselves spiritually," he said. "Our motto as a church is, 'A Great Commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.'"

For its diamond jubilee, the church is planning a reunion celebration Sunday with worship at 10:45 a.m., lunch at noon, and an afternoon service at 2 p.m. Pastor David Denton, who grew up in the church and now is at Bethesda Baptist in Granite City, will be preaching in the morning service. Pastor Jeff Hemken, who was the churchs Youth Minister in the 1970s is now pastor at Calvary Baptist in Hillsboro, will be preaching in the Sunday afternoon service. He will be joined by the Gospel quartet Fourgiven.

The church, at 105 Fairway Drive in Moro on Illinois 140 across from Caseys General Store, was begun as a mission church in 1945 by Calvary Baptist Church in Alton under Pastor Guy P. Hall.

A Feb. 6, 1945 meeting was held in the Meadowbrook School basement by the Calvary Church Brotherhood, with Claude Evans as leader, to see if there was enough interest to start a Baptist mission. On Feb. 11, 1945, the first prayer meeting was held in the school with Evans, his family and 24 people from the community attending.

In May 1945 a revival meeting was conducted by Pastor Guy P. Hall of Calvary Baptist Church. Sixteen professions of faith were made at that time.

Continued meetings were held in the school until a basement was built on the same grounds where the church now stands on Illinois 140. The congregation moved into the basement building on Sept. 8, 1946, with 44 in attendance for the first Sunday School. Most of the seats had been bought from an old theater. A second hand piano and a handmade pulpit were used. Using curtains, the one-room basement was divided into separate classrooms.

Evans, who had been acting as mission superintendent for Calvary Baptist, was ordained to the ministry on Jan. 12, 1947. On March 30, 1947, the church was officially organized and constituted into a self-supporting church, with 41 members. It continued to prosper and grow with fellowship, revivals, Sunday School, preaching services and Vacation Bible School. Evans resigned as pastor on Aug. 24, 1949.

The second building program began on Sept. 1, 1949. On April 16, 1950, a new auditorium over the original basement was completed. Attendance in Sunday School then was 108.

In March 1961 a building program of extending the sanctuary and providing new educational space began. The work was done by members of the church, except for masonry and plastering. New pews were bought by individuals to match the old ones, and new altar furniture was purchased.

The entire remodeling project was completed and dedicated in March 1962.

In the spring of 1966, excavation started behind the church for a sanctuary. It was decided to build the basement and use it for educational space. By September 1980, the congregation worked to complete the sanctuary on top of the newer basement educational space. On Sept. 20, 1981, the churchs current auditorium was completed and dedicated.

In March 1985, Calvin Reynolds  pastor of the Meadowbrook First Southern Baptist Church, Director of Missions of the Alton Industrial Baptist Association and a consultant from the Baptist Sunday School Board  started a Bible Study in the Holiday Shores home of some church members. The group grew into what is now Holiday Shores Baptist Church.

Meadowbrook First Southern Baptist has had 12 pastors, as well as several interim pastors. Current pastor Kevin Auten from Godfrey was ordained at Calvary Baptist in Alton; he is in his 12th year at the church.

The church also plans to host the Gospel quartet, The Wanda Mountain Boys, at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 27.
Letter: Protect agricultural-residential zones

At Wednesdays County Commissioners meeting, they passed a first reading to add new items to Conditional Use Permits for Agricultural/Residential zoned areas in the county:

1. Animal kennels

2. Restaurants

3. Small businesses

(If you watch the meeting, they also say private event accommodations, but during my conversation with the planning commissioner, this was not added. There seems to be a bit of confusion on whats being added and whats not).

They are not following the 30 days they are required, and instead will have a second reading on April 6th to pass this into law. (As of right now).

What this means if you have an A/R zoned property in Elko County.

Animal Kennels: anyone can apply to have an animal boarding business. This potentially means your neighbor can now open a kennel in a residential setting.

Restaurants: anyone in an A/R zoned neighborhood can now apply to open a restaurant in your neighborhood. After staff reports, they can limit hours of operation, amount of people allowed, etc.

Small business: I actually have no idea what this entails. Mechanics? Hair salons? Tire shops? Not quite clear on this one. The details of this one was not discussed at the meeting.

I know many like myself, I hardly ever read the agenda for the county meetings. I think most of us just assume that we have a master plan and it will be followed.

What you can do or if you have questions regarding the proposed Conditional Use Permits, you can contact any of the commissioners via email or phone. Or, you can create a profile on the county website and ecomment a few days before the meeting.

You can also drop off a letter at the County Managers office. You can also attend the meeting and sign up to speak. This applies to every A/R zoned property in Elko County. Not residential zoned properties.

Physical and mailing address: 540 Court Street, Ste 101, Elko, NV 89801.

Thank you.

Michelle Strozzi & Shauna Carder

Concerned A/R residents

Letter: McDonalds should pull out of Russia

I know that I am not the only one who thinks that McDonalds shutting down its stores in Russia is a step in the right direction. However, I, as well as many other Americans, am concerned about what else McDonalds is doing in Russia.

It seems pointless for McDonalds to shut down all its stores but still pay the employees in Russia. This will still boost Russias economy, and the company is just throwing away its money. It seems like McDonalds is funding the Russian invasion.

I realize that most Russians are against the invasion, including the McDonalds employees. And while I hate the idea of these people struggling financially, the Ukrainian people are suffering under the hand of Russia. I personally think that McDonalds should pull out entirely.

Hunter Mayne

Elko

Letter: Family fined more than trapper

Recently a Las Vegas family released a fox from a trap while hiking with their dog. Apparently, the dog escaped capture by another trap close by. The trap was set close to the mouth of a den with buried bait.

After a fuss from the trapping community about the familys action, NDOW wardens cited the family for two violations and assessed a penalty of about $700.This brings to mind a related event from a few years ago when the President of the Nevada Trappers Association was cited for not visiting his traps for at least 10 days. He was fined $350.

While he lives in Reno, the location of his citation was for traps set about 180 miles northwest of Reno near the California border near Cedarville. One can speculate about the number of traps set between Reno and Cedarville that were not visited in a timely manner.

Clearly, the 96-hour trap visitation interval and the incredible number of non-target trap victims needs some attention. Unfortunately, it wont happen with the current wildlife commission. The public deserves better.

Donald Molde

Reno

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While war and the military have been recognized as being male-dominated, public fight cannot be said to be so as both genders usually engage in it. Therefore, fights between two females are rarely seen through a gender lens, compared to a fight between a female and a male. You might have wondered, Why this line of thinking?

This argument, no doubt, became compelling as someone I will not mention his name in this context, in reaction to the drama that ensued between the wife of the former governor of Anambra State, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano and wife of late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu said they engaged in the public shame because they are women. I was utterly confused with his view as it seems difficult to reconcile the fact that both women engaged in the feud because they are women. If I may ask, what has gender got to do with the fight that undoubtedly drew peoples attention away from the successes recorded by former Governor Willie Obiano? Without any iota of exaggeration, it was an embarrassment that might had made Ojukwu to turn in his grave.

As if that was not enough, another reviewer of the fight who came across as a misogynist mockingly made reference to a play, Our Wives Have Gone Mad written by Joseph Ochie. For the sake of clarity, the play is a story of Wole, a husband of three women, Ojuola, Obidia, Amina, who returns home to be told by his servant Saeed that a young man, campaigning for the entrenchment of gender equality in their male-dominated society of Iloma, came to sensitize his wives.

The servant further tells him that the young scholar left a message for Wole with an instruction that, as everybody is expected to gather, Wole must allow his wives to come to the village square to discuss the fate of women as it relates to that of their male counterparts. Wole goes to the square with the hope of opposing the move for gender equality like his fellow men, but for reason unknown to no one, changes his mind and then supports the struggle for gender equality.

As providence would have it, he becomes the only qualified man to head the newly created council, which the Federal Government, according to the young man, promises to give people of Iloma if they should allow women to participate in the political system of the enclave. Wole tentatively, and in order to get power, accepts the proposed equality with the hope of suppressing his women at home as their culture dictates. Wole is wrong, as the eyes of his wives and the entire village women open like the eyes of Eve after she had eaten and given the forbidden fruit to her husband. Wole regrets his decision as his wives embrace Western culture, which sets them at liberty at the expense of their being at the beck and call of their husbands. The village women together rejoice in a triumphant ululation in the aftermath of that social reorganization to the disappointment of their husbands.

It is expedient to say at this juncture that as at the time of putting these thoughts into words that the widow of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Bianca, has said that former First Lady of Anambra State, Ebele Obiano, was clearly intoxicated when the latter verbally attacked her at the inauguration of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as governor of the state on Thursday.

Bianca was reported to have made this known in a statement on Friday, explaining that she slapped Ebele because she attempted to remove her (Biancas) head tie, an act she considered a sacrilege to a titled matriarch such as myself in Igbo culture.

What struck me through the whole episode was the fact that she was clearly intoxicated. I was stunned by the stench of whisky in her breath at such an early hour of the day, Bianca noted.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to ask men who are laboring to stereotype women as cantankerous and shameless being if some men have not reacted in the foregoing manner at one open forum or the other. For instance, Nigerians had from one political dispensation to the other, for the umpteenth times, witnessed lawmakers fight in the hallow chambers without attracting sexist comment from anyone.

For instance, in 2010, a fight broke out in the Nigerian House of Representatives with a number of lawmakers sustaining injuries including a broken hand. Eleven members were then suspended indefinitely for alleged breach of the Legislative House Act.

The cause of the fight was traced to an alleged corruption scam levelled against the Speaker of the house, Dimeji Bankole, involving about 2.3 billion naira, or 12 million euros.

The House of Representatives at the time had been in recess and, shortly before it resumed, a group of lawmakers calling themselves "the Progressives" gave the Speaker two weeks to resign.

Upon the house's resumption, all of the Progressives, led by Dino Melaye, were suspended indefinitely and ordered to leave the house. They refused.

Dispassionately looking at the forgoing scenarios, it is expedient to ask, Was any woman involved as a major player? No! The truth is that some men relish in stereotyping the women folk for no reason. If not for stereotype, what has being a woman got to do with the public shame exhibited at Awka during the inauguration of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of Anambra State? So, Nigeria has advanced to the stage where public show of shame is unashamedly exhibited by women!

Ostensibly to pooh-pooh the widely held view that women are cantankerous or rather troublesome, as some men are trying to argue based on the fight between Obianos wife and Ojukwus wife, It is germane to make reference to the literary work of Savala Nolan, an author and expert on gender issue who wrote, in a report she titled, What Society Gets Wrong About the 'Angry Black Woman's Stereotype. She wrote, Close your eyes and picture an angry Black woman. It only took an instant to visualize her, right? The image is ready-made: one hand on her hip, one finger pointed in your face, head and neck swiveling. You can probably hear her Black English. She probably strikes you as intimidating. She's overly sensitive and mannish. She's easy to piss off and difficult to calm down. She's aggressive and irrational, too loud and too much.

She's also not real. Let me repeat: The image of the angry Black woman (ABW) that surfaced so easily in your mind is as fake as a fairy tale. She's imaginary, but she's by no means an accident. She  the trope  is meant to control and undermine Black women, to punish us when we express even slight and reasonable indignation, pain, or irritation (let alone rage), and to protect a status quo in which Black women and girls are often treated as interchangeable, irrational problems instead of human beings with very reasonable complaints.

Be that as it may, I am in this piece urging Nigerians, particularly the menfolk to refrain from seeing anything that does not go down portray Nigeria in good light as the collective handiwork of women. Lets say any gender can misbehave at any point in time; irrespective of his or her status. If not for anything, down trodden Nigerians were able to have the basis to argue that a governor can bicker with his wife, and even fight with children separating them. It equally shows that a governors wife can sip glass of whisky to the extent of getting soaked, and get frontally hugged by anyone under the pretense of making peace. To wrap up my view, permit me to ask again, What has being a woman got to do with Ebele Obianos And Biancas Show of Shame?
Russian invasion of Ukraine headlines

- Russia reportedly bombs Mariupol art school sheltering 400 civilians

- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky calls for 'honest peacetalks'

- US president Joe Biden holds long call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

- Over 3 million Ukrainians, half of which are children, have fled since the invasion by Russia began

- 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
EU envoys launch pro-Ukraine campaign

BANGKOK: David Daly, Ambassador of the European Union to Thailand, along with 18 Ambassadors of EU countries to Thailand have shown their support for Ukraine by joining the Sunflower for Solidarity campaign.



By National News Bureau of Thailand

Saturday 19 March 2022, 09:31AM

The ambassadors have shared photos of Amb Daley holding a sunflower and them joining him in support on their embassies Facebook pages, along with a message in both Thai and English, explaining the campaign.

The event was also attended by ambassador diplomats from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Spain.

The group stated in the message that the sunflower is Ukraines national flower. The flower has a profound meaning in Thai culture, as they always face the sun, resisting its heat  the same gesture Ukrainians are making right now to resist all forms of aggression. Additionally, the ambassadors invited the public to participate in the Sunflower for Solidarity campaign by sharing photographs of themselves holding a sunflower on social media.

The sunflower, long regarded as a symbol of peace in Ukraine, has evolved into a way for sympathizers to demonstrate their solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

After the Russian invasion began on Feb 24, public awareness of the sunflowers connection to Ukraine grew. Ukraine World news agency shared a video on Twitter of a Ukrainian woman handing sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers in the southern Kherson region, instructing them to place the seeds in their pockets so the flowers would grow where they perished on Ukrainian soil.

Since its February upload, the viral video has amassed over 8.6 million views on Twitter.

The ambassadors in their posts online also used the hashtag #StandWithUkraine to reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine.
Mixed reactions to scrapping tests

BANGKOK: The business sector voiced a varied response to the governments latest decision to scrap the mandatory pre-departure coronavirus test for visitors starting next month.

COVID-19tourismeconomics

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 19 March 2022, 04:51PM

International travellers undergo arrival procedures at Suvarnabhumi airport as the government on Friday lifted pre-travel 72-hour RT-PCR tests for all inbound travellers from April 1. Photo: Bangkok Post

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided on Friday (Mar 18) to lift the requirement for an RT-PCR test 72 hours before departure for inbound travellers from April 1.

However other rules remain, such as taking an RT-PCR test upon arrival, a COVID antigen test on the fifth day and insurance coverage of US$20,000, reports the Bangkok Post.

NOT STRONG ENOUGH

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said scrapping the pre-arrival RT-PCR test might not be strong enough to lure international travellers back as those planning holidays now have several choices with far fewer restrictions than Thailand.

In addition to Western markets, hotels have started to receive inquiries from South Korea, India and Singapore. However, travellers are reluctant to book their trips as Thailand still mandates more requirements than other countries, she said.

Travellers during the pandemic will prioritise destinations that can facilitate their trips with the fewest restrictions, said Mrs Marisa.

She said the latest relaxation will help stimulate the international market, but it is not a significant improvement to the tourism outlook, which was static after Test & Go was resumed in February.

"The tourism industry has been jeopardised by heated competition from neighbouring countries and a sluggish domestic market after a spike in local cases derailed planned trips of many holidaymakers. Bringing in more international tourists is the only viable option for our workers to survive, said Ms Marisa.

Santisuk Klongchaiya, chief executive of Thai AirAsia, said the exemption of a pre-arrival test is a good opportunity to stimulate the international market as tourists face fewer procedures and lower costs.

The CCSA decision is also in line with the airlines expansion plan to prepare more international connectivity, he said.

However, the CCSA should ease other restrictions soon, particularly the RT-PCR test upon arrival plus a night at a hotel, which should be replaced with an antigen test kit (ATK) to create a more convenient flow for those who want to explore other provinces earlier, said Mr Santisuk.

RELAX

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is standing firm on its proposal to abandon the Test & Go scheme, quarantine and RT-PCR COVID-19 tests for the sake of tourism and the economy.

We disagree with the government, which still uses these mandatory measures while many other countries have greatly relaxed travel rules, said Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the FTI.

According to the FTI, foreign travellers, including investors and tourists, do not want to spend much time and expense dealing with these screening requirements, so many of them may delay their plans to travel to Thailand.

The government seems to make this issue more complicated. Thailand supposedly reopened last November, but foreigners cannot freely travel to the country, said Mr Supant.

The federation planned to discuss its proposal with the CCSA yesterday, asking it to abandon the screening measures to attract more visitors and revive the pandemic-ravaged tourism industry.

He said earlier Thailand should allow foreign tourists who already received two doses of vaccines to enter the country without going through other measures. They should only be required to show vaccine passports that prove they are fully vaccinated upon arrival, said Mr Supant.

Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the government should cancel the Thailand Pass registration and Test & Go scheme for foreigners travelling to Thailand. Instead, he said it would be better to allow airlines to manage the issue themselves, citing the number of infected tourists in Thailand as very small.

We will lose the opportunity if it is too late. Foreign tourists want to travel to Thailand, said Mr Sanan.

ATTRACTIVE STILL

Voralax Tulaphorn, chief marketing officer of The Mall Group, said the company agrees with the governments latest decision to ease tourism curbs, noting it is attractive enough to lure foreign tourists to the country.

It should not only help stimulate the economy and tourism industry, but also other industries, especially retail, Ms Voralax said.

However, she said the government still needs to stimulate consumption by launching packages to revitalise the economy. All parties must strictly follow government safety measures, said Ms Voralax.
Move Forward MP threatens to sue over case flaws

BANGKOK: Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome is threatening to take legal action against authorities after he reported to police on Friday (Mar 18), only to be told that the charge against him was not yet complete.



By Bangkok Post

Saturday 19 March 2022, 10:47AM

Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome flashes a three-finger symbol after arriving at Bang Khun Non police station on Friday to answer a defamation charge arising from statements he is alleged to have made two years ago. Photo: Move Forward Party

The outspoken lawmaker is facing a defamation charge arising from remarks he is alleged to have made two years ago about Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, reports the Bangkok Post.

The deputy secretary-general of the opposition party said he was considering a countersuit against authorities working on the case.

If authorities continue to use the legal process to issue summonses and arrest warrants, I am considering legal action against them for abuse of authority, he said on the party social media platforms.

He did not say whether the police could be a target of legal action.

Mr Rangsiman, accompanied by Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, reported to police at the Bang Khun Non station in response to an arrest warrant that had been issued against him earlier.

He then was taken by police to the office of the public prosecutor in Taling Chang district but prosecutors rejected the police report used to support the case on grounds that it was not complete. Another meeting with prosecutors was set for March 31.

The Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation filed a defamation complaint against Mr Rangsiman after he said it was at the heart of the network set up by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, its chairman, for political wheeling and dealing.

The foundation was established by the Army in 2006 to conserve vast tracts of forest that span the southeastern provinces of Chachoengsao, Sa Kaeo, Chon Buri, Rayong and Chanthaburi. Gen Prawit uses its headquarters regularly as a venue to meet with political colleagues.

Mr Rangsiman made the allegation in parliament on Feb 27, 2020.

He questioned why police had taken two years to take action against him. He suspected the timing was linked to explosive comments he made last month in Parliament about human trafficking, based on testimony of a police investigator who fled the country in fear for his safety.

As the deputy premier in charge of national security, Gen Prawit is in charge of combatting human trafficking in the government.

Police had issued two summonses for the Move Forward MP before the arrest warrant but Mr Rangsiman refused to answer them, saying he had no intention to flee.

He was allowed to leave on Friday after meeting with police and his MP status was not jeopardised as he was not detained.

The party suspects the move against the 29-year-old parliamentarian is an attempt to silence him by taking legal action that could result in him being stripped of his MP status.

Mr Pita said what had happened to his colleague would not deter Move Forward from continuing to monitor the work of the government.
No water play in Phuket for Songkran

PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has confirmed that for the third consecutive year no water play will be permitted in Phuket for the upcoming Thai New Year Songkran festivities, in line with the mandate laid down by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) guidelines announced yesterday (Mar 18).



By The Phuket News

Saturday 19 March 2022, 10:30AM

Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong delivered the news yesterday (Mar 18). Photo: PR Phuket

Speaking at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, Vice Governor Pichet explained that the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee is to enforce the guidelines set out by the CCSA.

The traditional rod nam dam hua water blessing ceremony may be performed, in pouring water over hands, but people must wear face masks when joining Songkran ceremonies and festivities.

There will be no splashing of water, and all events are subject to the COVID Free Setting measures and will be strictly regulated. Do not use powder or hold foam parties, he said.

Family gathering activities must be held in a well-ventilated or open spaces that are not crowded or cramped, he said.

People must wear a mask at all times and refrain from close contact activities or using shared items. Avoid eating or drinking together for a long time, V/Gov Pichet said.

Elderly people who have not received all their vaccinations according to the criteria should get their vaccinations before participating in social activities, he added.

Elderly people should be wary of close contact with younger family members, and of course infected people and high-risk contacts are prohibited from participating in any activities, he said.

V/Gov Pichet yesterday also highlighted the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to target the elderly in Phuket to start on Monday (Mar 21).

The campaign, called Save 608 by Booster dose will continue through to Mar 31. Group 608 is Thai officials standard term for people recognised by the government as at risk of serious consequences of being infected with COVID-19.

V/Gov Pichet noted that the rate of new infections recorded each day in Phuket has been falling.

The vast majority of infected people, about 95%, are Green patients, he said. Green patients are those with little to no signs of infection.

V/Gov Pichet urged people to register to receive the fourth-dose booster vaccination injection by registering through the Phuket Must Win website.

At present, in Phuket, 92.82% of people [of the target population of 539,183] have received their first vaccination injection, 87.48% have received their second, 67.93% have received their third, but only about 36.9% have received their fourth-dose injection, he said.

The result of the vaccination makes Phuket people immune to fight the disease when infected, he added. Now most of the patients are asymptomatic and have few symptoms; 95% are green patients and can self-medicate and self-isolate at home, he said.
Phuket Music Scene: Hitting the right note

It is now a year since I first had an article published in The Phuket News about live music venues in Phuket Town. Such venues had been shut for over six months because of COVID and my musician friends had suffered very badly during that time. Some had to sell instruments to buy food, others left Phuket to return home, a few waited patiently for better times. I knew too that live music venue owners were very upset about having to fire Thai staff and reduce pay for any they kept on. We should not forget it has been a terrible time for them and their staff too.

Phuket-Music-Scene

By Andy Tong Dee

Saturday 19 March 2022, 11:00AM

Andy, pictured here with Lisa and Josef of February Cherry, rocking on, helping to lift the spirits of local musicians and live music venue operators.

I felt I needed to do something however small to help. I used to write for newspapers and magazines many years ago, and I wondered if I could get performers and venues some free publicity when restrictions ended. Such venues would be unlikely to have any funds left for marketing after being shut for so long.

I recall writing my first 500-word article and sending it off in hope to Chris Husted, the Executive Editor of The Phuket News, asking if he was interested. He kindly said he would print it if I promised him at least two more, and the Phuket Music Scene column was born.

I have continued to contribute since then during which time life for Phukets remaining musicians has proved very frustrating. They and venue owners have had to endure a series of ups and downs as restrictions were re-imposed and then lifted. Finally, last October, live music was allowed again, hopefully for good. Happy days were here again!

However, shortly before this in August, with the high season coming and any online information for visitors well out of date, a web-designer friend thought a website providing up-to-date information about live music would help musicians further.The website was set up just before live music started again in October. Once up and running, a Facebook group Phuket Gigs Tonight! was added so those interested could find out what live music was on over the next couple of days. Once again, this provides free publicity online to help kickstart a long-awaited revival in Phukets live music scene and help musicians. It should be pointed out that this is all run as a charitable community enterprise with not one baht of income.

Maybe Phuket hasnt been overwhelmed by tourists just yet, and maybe we are a long way from getting back to normal, but things are at least now ready for when visitors return in force. Reliable information about live music in Phuket is now easily available online.

I am assured that all of this has made a difference, particularly in raising professional musicians battered morale. As we all know, everyone loves seeing their photo and name in the newspaper or online, so thank you The Phuket News for that!

So lets hear it for Phukets long suffering musos and venue owners. There seems to be light now at the end of the tunnel and I hope Phuket Music Scene and The Phuket News working together has helped bring it a little closer!

Andy Tong Dee is a local expat, musician and live music enthusiast. You can read his blog at www.phuketmusicscene.com
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

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The meeting took place after Cuongs attendance at the 19th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting (ACDFM-19).



An overview of the talks between Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces General Vong Pisen. (Photo: VNA)



Gen. Vong Pisen affirmed that the visit has contributed to deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two armies, and appreciated the effective support of the VPA as well as the Vietnamese Party and State for his country. According to him, this is reflected through the active contribution of the Vietnamese delegation to the success of the ACDFM-19, the annual exchange of delegations, the border demarcation and joint efforts to fight cross-border crime even during the COVID-19 pandemic.



He stated that in the context of rapid changes and complicated developments of the international and regional situations, the Cambodian Government always advocates maintaining cooperation and upholding the principle of non-interference into the internal affairs of other countries.



In order to strengthen the bilateral military cooperation, the general suggested the Vietnamese side continue to support the training of human resources for Cambodia, coordinate in the implementation of the two countries' defence protocol, and joint border patrols, and carry out rescue drills. The Cambodian side also proposed setting up a hotline between the two sides to promptly deal with urgent issues.



The Vietnamese officer congratulated General Vong Pisen on successfully chairing the first in-person ACDFM after two years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, affirming Vietnam's commitment to supporting Cambodia in its ASEAN Chairmanship Year.



He said that the ACDFM will contribute to strengthening the Vietnam-Cambodia good neighbourliness, time-tested friendship, and sustainable and comprehensive cooperation, especially as the two are about to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - 2022).

Earlier the same day, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong paid a courtesy visit to Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh, and laid flowers at the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument to commemorate the heroes and martyrs who died for independence, freedom, and peace of the two peoples./.
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RIDGEFIELD  The military hospital in Yuliya Stadiychuks home city of Lviv, Ukraine is receiving injured soldiers every day, she said.

Her mother, Olena, is there all the time, treating Ukrainians and others who have mobilized to defend the country against Russian invaders.

Nobody expected war, she said.

Stadiychuk moved to the U.S. in September and settled in Ridgefield shortly after. Her friend Ruslana Sendetska is from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, but has called Brewster, N.Y., home for three years.

Two of Stadiychuks relatives fled to Poland because the war had become quite dangerous, she said. All of Sendetskas family, however, are still in Ukraine. She says shes been having trouble sleeping.

Her brother, Paulo Luitak, returned to Ukraine from the Czech Republic to join the army. Her 70-year-old father, Vasiliy Luitak, saw no other option but to stay.

I was talking to him and he said, where do I go? I dont have anywhere to go, Sendetska said. This is my country.

The women spoke with Hearst Connecticut Media as Ukraine entered its fourth week of war with Russia. Just a few days before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Congress in an urgent appeal for more weapons to stem the invasion.

Both Stadiychuk and Sendetska support Zelenskys pleas for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which he says would protect it and the alliance from Russian air attacks. Global leaders and NATO forces, however, have resisted these repeated calls.

Stadiychuks eyes brimmed with tears as she recalled seeing limp bodies being removed from bombed-out shelters in Ukraine on the news, noting that babies were among the dead.

Her voice stoke with anger when she discussed the recent bombing of a theater in Mariupol. The word children was spelled out on two sides of it, according to satellite images. She said the Russians had carried out the attack purposefully.

On the ground, we are strong  and (the world) sees that, but we need help over the sky, she added. Its very important right now.

I dont think this war (will) stop in Ukraine, Sendetska said. It will spread all over the world  (unless) we close the sky.

Stadiychuk is a receptionist at The Gift MedSpa on Main Street; a Ukrainian flag hangs outside. The business is donating 50 percent of the price of each facial toward humanitarian relief for Ukraine. Sendetskas colleagues at Keller Williams Realty Partners in Baldwin Place, N.Y., also collected donations to send overseas.

Stadiychuk called these small shows of support a win-win situation, noting that actions speak louder than words.

In my opinion, every local business here in Ridgefield can do something like that, which will actually support our country  against this aggression, she said.

Both women noted the bravery Ukrainians have demonstrated in the face of this aggression  soldiers who dismantled a Russian missile with his bare hands, a man who knelt in front of an oncoming tank.

Ukraine fights not only for its future and its freedom (but for) democracy worldwide, Stadiychuk said.

alyssa.seidman@hearstmediact.com
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China on Monday issued "The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021."(henceforth called the HR Report). Before looking at its content, an important observation about whataboutism needs to be made: whatever one may think about human rights in China, that doesnt mean the accusations in the HR Report arent correct and shouldnt be taken seriously. The US has for years, even decades been vehemently accusing China of human rights violations, but such accusations by the US do not make the US immune against foreign criticism.

The US democracy is in a severe crisis, and the HR Report makes the observation, that only 7 percent of surveyed Americans viewed the United States as a "healthy democracy," and 52 percent believed that the American democracy is either "in trouble" or "failing." To reply by pointing at the state of democracy in China is not just deflecting with whataboutism, it also ignores actual research findings: according to the Democracy Perception Index by the Alliance of Democracies  an organization founded by ex-NATO general secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen  about 70% of Chinese respondents say, China has the right amount of democracy, while 14% would hope for more democracy in China. In the USA a meagre 49% find theres enough democracy, with 28% demanding more. This question does not take into account, how people define democracy when answering the question. But it is ultimately for each countrys own population to decide, whether they consider their own system democratic or not, irrespective of why.

But things get worse for those who thought US democracy superior to Chinese democracy: how many people think their own government only acts in the interests of a minority? In China thats just above 10%, while in the US around 60% think so. A democratic government by definition must act in the interest of the people. If the people think the government only serves a minority, then democracy has a problem. Especially if that is not just a perception, as in the Democracy Perception Index, but also provable by statistical analysis:

Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig makes the case that our democracy has become corrupt with money, leading to inequality that means only 0.02% of the United States population actually determines who's in power, in a TEDx talk from 2015. Those are the 0.02% with enough money to make substantial donations during primaries in the US Democratic and Republican Parties. He cites a Princeton study, which found a strong correlation between the opinions of economic elites and special interest groups with the actual outcomes of the governing processes, while the opinions of the general population had no statistical influence on the outcome of policy decision making. Let me repeat: in the US, statistically proven, the opinions of the majority of the people has no influence on the outcomes of government decisions whatsoever.

And nothing indicates that things would have improved since 2015, on the contrary as the HR Report emphasizes: In 2021, 49 states in the United States introduced more than 420 bills that would restrict voting. These bills either reduced the amount of time voters have to request or mail in a ballot, restricted the availability of drop-off locations, imposed stricter signature requirements for mail-in voting, or enacted new and stricter voter-ID requirements, which made mail-in voting and early voting harder and built barriers for the elderly, disabled, minorities and other groups to exercise their voting rights.

Moreover, while one may disagree with the statement, one should be very well aware, that according to repeated studies by the University of Massachusetts, a vast majority (about 75%) of the opposition Republicans are convinced their current president isnt legitimate. The very purpose of democracy is to give legitimacy to the government. Even when objectively no evidence of fraud was found, in the eyes of the supporters of the US opposition, the current government is not legitimate, and this perception has not shifted over the course of the first year of Bidens presidency. The HR Report quotes a study by Pew Research finding that only 22 percent (of US Americans) said they can trust the government to do what is right "most of the time."

China has never claimed to be a perfect democracy, in fact the government has made the improvement of socialist democracy in China an increasing priority over the last years, as democracy is included as one of the 12 core values of Chinese socialism. China has over the decades shown great ability in learning from other countries, be it market economy, governance, or other aspects of a political system. But given all the findings about the current state of the US democracy, it is inconceivable why China would even want to learn about democracy from the US in 2021. The question must be asked, what the US can learn from China, to increase its governments legitimacy and the confidence of the people in their countrys democracy.

(Contributed by Harald Buchmann, Intellisia Senior Research Fellow, for Guangming Online)

Editor: GSY
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.
Heber Springs, AR (72543)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

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Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct editing errors. The previous version incorrectly said there were Greene County charges against Jeremy Ward of Alton. There are no charges against Mr. Ward. We regret the error.

HARDIN  An Alton man is facing charges in Calhoun County in connection to a March 8 arrest.

According to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department, Nicholas S. Conrad, 43, of Alton faces charges of threatening a public official and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

A number of recent Greene County arrests have been reported.

Greene County Sheriff's Department

 Yazmene C. Walker, 22, of Kampsville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:31 p.m. Wednesday on a Calhoun County arrest warrant accusing her of possession of methamphetamine.

 Daniel W. Stepp, 36, address unknown, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 8:17 p.m. Tuesday on a violation of bail.

 Nathan A. Daniels, 39, of Rockbridge was booked into the Greene County Jail at 12:20 p.m. March 11 on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

 Brandon M. Krueger, 41, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:43 a.m. March 1 on charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a firearm with invalid identification.

Carrollton Police

 Avery F. Byrd, 41, of O'Fallon was booked into the Greene County Jail at 11:52 a.m. March 3 on charges of theft and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Greenfield Police

 Scott R. Andrews, 59, of Alton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:02 p.m. Thursday on a charge of driving while license is revoked.

 Ashley H. Corrigan, 19, of Chesterfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 11:23 p.m. Wednesday on charges of aggravated driving under the influence and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Johnathan W. Hayes, 27, of Greenfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:13 a.m. Sunday on a driving under the influence charge.

 Dylan A. Logsdon, 29, of Beardstown was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:57 p.m. Feb. 28 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Logan M. Manns, 21, of Greenfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 8:56 p.m. Feb. 27 on a charge of driving while license is suspended.

 Ashley N. Vollintine, 34, of Bunker Hill was booked into the Greene County Jail at 5:42 a.m. Feb. 26 on a probation violation.

Roodhouse Police

 Bryon L. Harris, 27, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:17 p.m. Sunday on a possession of methamphetamine charge and on Greene County warrants accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 Amy R. Tuttle, 29, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2 a.m. Sunday on a Greene County arrest warrant accusing her of credit card fraud/false statement.

 Melvin V. Fuller, 37, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 6:24 p.m. March 3 on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Dylan A. Logsdon, 29, of Beardstown was booked into the Greene County Jail at 5:06 p.m. March 1 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle, illegal transportation of liquor and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Lucas J. Mitchell, 29, address unknown, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 28 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operation of a vehicle with a suspended registration.

 Richard L. Ackley, 58, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:07 a.m. Feb. 28 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

White Hall Police

 Terry L. Miller, 45, of White Hall was booked into the Greene County Jail at 11:54 p.m. Thursday on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting a peace officer and obstructing justice.

 Robert W. Reed, 40, of Jerseyville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:11 p.m. Thursday on a criminal trespassing charges.

 Dekoda L. Matthews, 23, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 7:29 p.m. Monday on a possession of cannabis charge and a Greene County warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 Jacob D. Edwards, 27, of White Hall was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:27 p.m. March 10 on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Lloyd L. Speaker, 36, of White Hall was booked into the Greene County Jail at 8:22 p.m. March 8 on a domestic battery charge.

 Steven B. Hoots, 48, of White Hall was booked into the Greene County Jail at 7:28 p.m. March 7 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Brandon K. Ervin, 35, of Jerseyville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 4:56 p.m. March 3 on a violation of an order of protection.

Illinois State Police

 Jason C. Laing, 52, of Michael was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:30 p.m. March 10 on a domestic battery charge.
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ALTON  Alton firefighters were called to the scene of a single vehicle crash on College Avenue at the entrance to Gordon Moore Park about 1:50 a.m. Saturday.

A vehicle at the scene had struck a utility pole and the driver was trapped, requiring extrication. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to free the victim.
The Metro Central Office threatened the Ukrainian branch with disconnection from the centralized supply of goods, co-founder of monobank Dmytro Dubilet said on Telegram.

"From the first day of the war, the Ukrainian office of Metro began to apply to the German office with a demand to close the business in Russia. Initially, they received a blah-blah letter in response that they did not believe that their sales in Russia had an impact on the war. And in general, they say, they donate money to the UN... Moreover, according to Ukrainian employees, the German office began to threaten the Ukrainian branch that if they do not stop the pressure, then Ukraine will be disconnected from centralized procurement and supply of goods, which in general can lead to complete stopping business in Ukraine," Dubilet said.

The businessman also recalled that in 2014, METRO AG decided to simply re-register two METRO shopping centers in Crimea (Simferopol and Sevastopol) as a separate legal entity in Russia in order to avoid sanctions.

"A rally is taking place in Dusseldorf [March 19]. I urge everyone to join: beginning at 13:00 near the Dusseldorf Landtag," Dubilet said.

According to the press service of the company, the METRO Ukraine team clearly expressed its position on the need to close the business of METRO AG in the aggressor country  Russia. An open letter was written to the leadership of the group in Dusseldorf, an official appeal to the President and other state officials with a clear expression of position.

"We continue to work in all regions of our presence, providing operational activities where possible, providing access for our Ukrainians to food and essential goods. From the first day of the aggression, we have been providing humanitarian assistance worth millions of hryvnias to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the territorial defense, hospitals and local communities in Kyiv and the regions," METRO Ukraine said in a release.

It is also noted that the head office of METRO AG and other branches of the company in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Germany, Moldova, Belgium, and the Netherlands support financially and provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainian employees.

Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine was founded in 2003. It unites 23 classic METRO Cash & Carry wholesale centers in the largest cities of Ukraine  Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Lviv, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Kryvy Rih, Mariupol, Zaporizhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa and Mykolaiv, as well as three wholesale stores Bery Vezy in Ternopil, Lutsk, and Chernihiv.
IVY GOODMAN, Stonington, Girls, Lacrosse, Senior; Goodman scored 12 goals and had 13 assists in three games. Her seven assists in the Bears win over Waterford established a school record. She surpassed the 50-goal mark for the season in Stoningtons victory over Ledyard.

DEAN PONS JR., Westerly, Baseball, Senior; Pons, a senior, struck out 14 batters in the Bulldogs five-inning win against Wheeler School/Rocky Hill. Pons had an assist on the remaining out, throwing out a runner on a groundout. Pons allowed just one hit and walked only two.

KATIE PIERCE, Wheeler, Girls, Lacrosse, Sophomore; Pierce scored five goals and the Lions beat Griswold to earn their first victory of the season. Wheeler avenged an earlier loss to the Wolverines this season with the 15-4 victory.

WEEKO THOMPSON, Chariho, Girls, Track Sophomore; Thompson, a sophomore, bettered her school record in the discus at the Classical Classic meet. She finished first in the event and also won the shot put.

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The backlash against the London Metal Exchange reached fever pitch after nickel trading was halted for a third day in a row.

After heavy selling at the opening bell, nickel dropped by 12 per cent to hit $36,915 a tonne yesterday morning  triggering the circuit breaker.

The move provoked a furious backlash from traders, hedge funds and manufacturers who have experienced two weeks of chaos on the exchange.

Backlash: After heavy selling at the opening bell, nickel dropped by 12 per cent to hit $36,915 a tonne  triggering the circuit breaker

Hedge funds in particular have felt the brunt of the debacle as many had been set to make millions from betting that the price of nickel would go up, only for the trades to be cancelled by the LME.

Clifford Asness, co-founder of US hedge fund AQR Capital, tweeted: 'If we are on the wrong side of a short-squeeze we have to pay up, but if we are luckily on the right side we get it taken away.'

Trouble started on March 8 after nickel prices jumped on supply fears relating to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Nickel prices more than doubled in a matter of hours, climbing above $100,000 a tonne as one of the world's top producers, China's Tsingshan Group, bought large amounts to reduce its short bets on the metal.

Trading had to be halted as the move exacerbated a price rally at a time when metals were already spiralling upward on fears the war would cause supply issues. The LME allowed trading to resume on Wednesday this week  with price limits  after Tsingshan reached a deal with its banks to avoid further margin calls.

But within minutes, the highly anticipated reopening of the nickel market descended into farce as the price spiralled down by more than 5 per cent as traders tried desperately to sell up and exit the market. The LME installed a trading range of 5 per cent on Wednesday which was widened to 8 per cent for Thursday, and then 12 per cent yesterday, none of which worked.

Many believe the LME has lost all credibility and is not fit for purpose.

John Meyer, analyst at SP Angel, said: 'The market is not working. Nobody knows what the price on screen is. Most traders just want out now and have turned their attention to the nickel exchanges in Shanghai and the US.'

The events have damaged the reputation of the 145-year-old exchange, which had been viewed as the world's premier metal market.

Matthew Chamberlain, chief executive of the LME, said that the exchange was 'absolutely mindful of the impact that this has had on so many people and we need to make sure that it doesn't happen again'.

He added: 'The nickel market has always been known as the wild beast but the scenes of the past two weeks have taken it to a new level.'
The governor of the Bank of England has been accused of falling asleep in meetings about a serious pensions mis-selling scandal.

Andrew Bailey, who was then boss of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), allegedly nodded off in 2019 discussions with advocates for the victims of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) debacle.

Thousands of steelworkers were mis-sold pensions, and have been fighting for millions of pounds in compensation. But Al Rush, a financial adviser who represents BSPS members and attended the 2019 meeting, said the FCA boss 'just kept falling asleep'.

Food for thought: Andrew Bailey allegedly nodded off in 2019 discussions with advocates for the victims of the British Steel Pension Scheme debacle

Philippa Hann, a solicitor with law firm Clarke Willmott, told the FT 'there were a number of times when his [Bailey] head dropped and he had his eyes closed and he appeared to be sleeping'.

A spokesman for Bailey said: 'Andrew devoted a huge amount of time to BSPS, ordering a major investigation into the matter by the FCA.

'He wholly and categorically rejects any suggestion that he did not take seriously the issues raised by those affected.'
City regulators have come under more fire for refusing to delist Russian companies from the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Dozens of firms  many of which have direct links with sanctioned oligarchs  have seen their shares suspended but remain listed despite calls across the political divide to boot them out.

Financier-turned-campaigner Bill Browder has been a fierce critic of the West's approach to Russia since his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was killed by the Kremlin after uncovering a corruption scandal in 2009.

Out of touch?: The Financial Conduct Authority is the organisation in charge of the 'Official List', meaning it decides which companies are on the LSE

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the organisation in charge of the 'Official List', meaning it decides which companies are on the LSE. But it is deferring to the Foreign Office in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, which Browder branded 'buck-passing' and 'bureaucratic doublespeak'.

Browder told the Mail: 'Someone needs to take responsibility for this and delist all Russian companies from the London Stock Exchange immediately. The FCA should stop deferring to anything and should just get on, pull their finger out and get it done.

'And for them to be using all this bureaucratic doublespeak  they should just either get on with it or admit defeat and give the job to somebody else.'

The Foreign Office has not yet instructed the LSE and FCA to kick out Russian firms.

Companies including Roman Abramovich-backed Evraz, Polymetal, Rosneft and Gazprom are among those still on the LSE.

An FCA spokesperson said: 'We have been working in lock-step with the Government on its response to the war in Ukraine, including on the implementation of sanctions.

'We've done, and will continue to do, everything we can with the powers we have.'
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 
The U.S. oil field service company Halliburton Co. has announced an immediate suspension of future business in Russia in a statement published on the company website.

"The Company complies with sanctions that prohibit transactions and work, including for certain state-owned Russian customers. Halliburton will prioritize safety and reliability as we wind down our remaining operations in Russia," the statement said.

Halliburton said it has no active joint ventures in Russia, while all shipments of specific sanctioned parts and products to Russia were halted several weeks ago.

"The war in Ukraine deeply saddens us. We have employees in both Ukraine and Russia, and the conflict greatly impacts our people, their families, and loved ones throughout the region. Since the start of this conflict, we prioritized employee safety and compliance with all relevant sanctions," the statement quoted Halliburton Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Miller as saying.

Halliburton is the world's second largest oil field service company and the largest U.S. supplier of oil industry equipment, which was cooperating with all major mineral developers of Russia, including Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, Rosneft and Lukoil.
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the war must be ended as soon as possible, otherwise Russia's losses will be such that several generations will not be enough for it to rise.

"Meaningful peace and security talks for Ukraine are Russia's only chance to reduce the harm from its own mistakes," Zelensky said in a video message on Saturday night.

"It's time to meet. It's time to speak. It's time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine," he stressed, adding that "otherwise Russia's losses will be such that even a few generations will not be enough for you to rise."

"The war must be ended. Ukraine's proposals are on the table," the president said.
UNESCO to provide support to Ukraine in preservation of cultural heritage, calls on Russia to refrain from destroying, seizing valuables

UNESCO will provide support to Ukraine in the preservation of cultural heritage and calls on Russia to refrain from destroying and seizing valuables, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko has said.

According to the minister, the corresponding declaration on the protection of the cultural heritage of Ukraine was adopted on Friday at the second extraordinary meeting of the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

In particular, the declaration called on Russia to: comply with its obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention and ratify its Second Protocol; stop any form of robbery, misappropriation and vandalism directed against cultural property, as well as refrain from requisitioning moving cultural property located in Ukraine.

In addition, the declaration: encourages Ukraine, in close coordination with UNESCO, to designate key cultural heritage sites with the protective emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention as soon as possible; invites all Member States, UNESCO and relevant expert organizations on cultural heritage to provide Ukraine, at its request, with any support or advice for the protection and preservation of its cultural heritage.

Also, the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict decided to provide Ukraine with urgent support, in particular financial support, and announced its readiness to grant the status of enhanced protection to key cultural heritage sites in accordance with the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention.

"Together with our colleagues, the EU ministers of culture, we appeal to UNESCO to cancel the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Kazan [Russia] and transfer it to Lviv," Tkachenko said.

In addition, he stressed that Ukraine continues to insist that UNESCO should deprive Russia of the status of a UNESCO member.
With 20 years experience behind him, award-winning agricultural journalist Chris McCullough is always on the hunt for his next story. He grew up on the family dairy farm in the heart of Northern Ireland and is based on the countrys east coast. He travels around the world to bring readers international news. He has many friends and colleagues in Ukraine.
Spain has told Morocco that it regards its autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as serious, credible and realistic, Rabat said on Friday, in a move likely to ease a diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Rabat that flared last year.

The language reflects a shift in Madrids policy towards the dispute in Western Sahara, a territory that Morocco considers its own, but where an Algeria-backed independence movement demands a sovereign state.

In April last year, Morocco was angered after Spain admitted a Western Sahara independence leader for medical treatment using Algerian documents, saying it had not been informed.

Rabat then appeared to relax border controls with Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in northern Morocco, leading to an influx of at least 8,000 migrants, most of whom were later returned.

Spains foreign ministry confirmed a letter had been sent to Morocco but did not reveal the contents.

According to the royal palace in Rabat, the letter from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sachez to King Mohammed VI said: Spain considers the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007, as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for settling the dispute.

The Moroccan foreign ministry said it welcomed the Spanish position and that the Spanish foreign minister would travel to Rabat by the end of March, followed by a visit from Sanchez at a later date.

In late 2020 the Polisario Front independence movement said it was resuming an armed struggle after a ceasefire that had lasted since 1990, though there has been no sign of serious fighting.

The Spanish message to Morocco referred to a shared determination to meet the challenge of migration, the royal palace said.

Rabat says its 2007 proposal to offer Western Sahara autonomy within Morocco is the most it can offer as a political solution to the conflict.

For years most countries had backed the idea of a referendum to resolve the issue  which was agreed on as part of the 1991 ceasefire and is the solution demanded by the Polisario.

However, there was never agreement on how the vote would take place and in recent years even the U.N. has stopped referring to the idea of a vote, speaking instead of seeking a realistic, mutually acceptable solution based on compromise.

SOURCE: REUTERS
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ALBANY  The Albany school board on Thursday unanimously approved a new middle school feeder pattern that will begin to be phased in next school year as part of a multiyear plan to create more equity for students at all grade levels.

Emphasizing the need for the district and community to work together to move beyond historical factors that have contributed to segregation and limited opportunities for students of color, the board identified an alignment pattern that would include changes for seven of the districts 12 elementary schools.

The districts feeder alignment committee worked with a statistician for nearly eight months to identify eight potential alignment scenarios that best met the objective of creating three middle schools that were similar in size, needs and resources.

Superintendent Kaweeda Adams commended the board and school community for their commitment to the district's larger mission.

"This is one of those steps that will help us break down those systemic barriers that create obstacles for our children and prevent them from being successful," Adams said. "What you've just done is opened the door for all of our students to be successful ... we are very proud of that."

The board narrowed its focus to two primary options at its March 10 meeting prior to Thursdays final vote.

The decision incorporated feedback from a series of community meetings and surveys. Other proposed scenarios that had New Scotland Elementary School students attending North Albany Middle School drew fierce opposition from parents who voiced concerns about long transportation routes and safety.

Under the new plan, North Albany Middle School will take in students from Albany School of Humanities (ASH), Eagle Point Elementary School, Philip J. Schuyler Achievement Academy and Pine Hills Elementary School.

The Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School will absorb students from Delaware Community School, Giffen Memorial Elementary School, Montessori Magnet School and Thomas OBrien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST).

William S. Hackett Middle School will enroll students from Arbor Hill Elementary School, the Dual Language Program, New Scotland Elementary School and Sheridan Preparatory Academy.

The new pattern will be phased in over three years beginning in the fall with this years fifth-graders who are moving up to sixth grade. Students now in sixth and seventh grades will remain at their current middle school.

The district also has said that it will accommodate sibling preferences and offer open enrollment when possible.

School officials are still working with CDTA to review and build bus routes that will serve each middle school in 2022-23. The district is proposing to add transportation funding for six additional CDTA "tripper" buses  there are 13 for the middle schools currently. Tripper buses are regular CDTA buses routed to get students to school. Final routes will be confirmed and shared with families following the May 17 budget vote.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

The district also needs to evaluate and plan for staffing needs at each building based on projected enrollment, schedule spring orientation programs for students and families at each middle school and plan summer transition camps for new students at each middle school.

The decision reaffirmed the boards commitment to changing the current temporary feeder pattern, which was established in 2017-18 in response to a series of charter middle school closures and the districts own rising enrollment earlier in the decade.

The current middle school enrollment pattern grouped Arbor Hill, Schuyler and Sheridan first at Edmund J. ONeal School of Excellence and now at North Albany. It was intended to be in place for 3-5 years.

That period allowed for a facilities project that the community overwhelmingly approved in 2019 to transform North Albanys facilities to be on par with those at Hackett and Myers.

School leaders are also working on a plan to put hall monitors on CDTA routes as early as this spring to placate parents' concerns about long, chaotic bus rides.

The North Albany facilities project is on schedule to be mostly done by the start of next school year. Completion of the final piece, a new auditorium, is scheduled for the summer of 2023.

The districts planning for all students in grades 6-8 dates back 20 years, when voters overwhelmingly approved a sweeping 2001 elementary and middle school facilities project.

The growth of charter schools in Albany during the 2000s, and then the subsequent closure of most of the charter middle schools by 2015, complicated and delayed the districts long-range planning for elementary and middle school enrollment.
ALBANY  When investigators with the state inspector general's office visited the Catskill Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation's headquarters in Rockland County five years ago, they found the lights off and a conference room filled from floor to ceiling with boxes, food, paperwork and garbage.

The hallways of the public corporation's building in Pomona Village were so crammed with items and debris, people struggled to move about the building. The disarray prevented the corporation's board of directors from meeting at its headquarters and instead they rented a conference room at a local hotel or in other businesses for meetings, the inspector general noted.

The situation wasn't much better when the inspectors visited Catskill OTB's former headquarters, which the corporation still rented. Investigators there noted that the Catskill OTB president's clothes, medicine and personal mail were in the building.

Likewise, when the inspectors headed over to two of OTB's rented warehouses, they found them "full of garbage, including old and broken televisions, old counters, broken chairs, and paper records with dates that far exceed any document retention requirement."

From 2008 to 2018, Catskill OTB spent about $2.2 million to rent the warehouses and properties that were "largely utilized for the storage of worthless items and garbage," the state inspector general's office said in a 2018 report that was released publicly for the first time Friday.

The release of the once-secret report is part of an ongoing effort by the inspector general's office  following a pledge by Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration  to release reports and letters that had been kept hidden from the public by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration.

The findings in the 2018 report on the Catskill OTB were among several made by the inspector general that pointed to mismanagement of the OTB by its longtime President Donald Groth, who remains the public corporation's leader.

The state Gaming Commission said after the inspector general shared the findings of its investigation with them in 2018, they recommended Groth, Catskill OTB's board of directors and executive staff be removed unless immediate changes were implemented. Subsequently, the OTB made some changes to its operations, according to the commission.

But Groth said in an interview he had no knowledge of the findings of the report and disputes its conclusions.

"There is no abuse here. There is absolutely no abuse," Groth said in an interview Friday afternoon. "Everything we do is in boundaries and tighter."

The inspector general's findings of mismanagement came at a time when the OTB Corporation, which runs many locations for betting on horse racing around the Hudson Valley, was in severe financial decline.

Groth personally testified to the state Senate's Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee that Catskill OTB was in "financial peril" in 2018, the same year the inspector general made its conclusions about his management. In 2015, the state comptroller found "over the past five years, Catskill OTBs overall financial condition has deteriorated at a steady pace."

Groth said the corporation's financial problems were not from mismanagement but a result of the public's declining interest in horse racing and other competing gambling operations in the area. He said he was banking on the Legislature this year to give him the right to install video lottery terminals as a way to turn around his business.

"We hope to be profitable again soon," Groth said. "Its almost impossible to run a business based on horse racing today whether it is an OTB or a horse track. And none of them do (succeed) except for VLTs (video lottery terminals)."

Groth, 79, has run the Catskill OTB for decades. Groth retired from his job leading the Catskill OTB in 2007 but subsequently was rehired and collects both a state pension and his annual salary, the inspector general found in 2018. Groth said he is "entitled" to collect the retirement  $117,710 a year  and salary simultaneously, as some state employees do through a loophole in state civil service law.

The inspector general also found Groth failed to log and report his personal use of a car provided to him by the OTB for tax purposes. The inspector general referred that matter to the state Department of Taxation and Finance, which declined to provide details on any actions taken and calling the matter "confidential."

Groth said the Department of Taxation and Finance never contacted him about his use of the vehicle. He said he had his own personal car and, "with regard to my use of the company vehicle, when I use it, it is on company business."

According to the inspector general, Groth also was in a longtime relationship with his subordinate employee, whose name was redacted from the report released Friday, and with whom he lived and shared joint finances. Three other sources interviewed by the Times Union said they had heard about the relationship.

But Groth on Friday denied being in a romantic relationship with an employee.

"We know each other and I helped several employees out here when they have issues; so if I helped her buy a house, a lot of people do that," he said. Groth said that was not inappropriate but "generosity."

When asked about Catskill OTB's untidy properties, Groth said the materials were needed and showed that the corporation was not being wasteful by throwing things out. He said it was necessary to keep the current and former headquarters at the time because they believed their business might expand if they were granted permission by the Legislature to operate video lottery terminals.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

"This has been our practice throughout. When we lease a location and it does not work it, we shut down a location and we move on to the next location," Groth said. "To just throw things away is not what we do here and we generally have been saluted for that."

When asked who rented the warehouses to the OTB, Groth said, "just ordinary people." The inspector general did not find that the rental agreements were connected to nepotism, kickbacks or other improper activities. Groth said now the OTB keeps one warehouse that it owns and one additional rented small warehouse.

The inspector general's investigation stemmed from a complaint by the state Gaming Commission, said Brad Maione, a spokesman for the agency.

After the investigation concluded, "The commission determined that Catskill OTB must remedy the fiscal misappropriations, including its refusal to close unprofitable branches, failure to reinvest capital acquisition fund money and gross excessive deferred compensation of the president," Maione said. "The commission recommended at the time that, unless immediate actions were undertaken to remedy these issues, the board of directors, president and executive staff should be removed."

Since then, Catskill OTB has reduced its number of brick and mortar wagering locations in favor of more affordable E-Z Bet options, gotten rid of at least one unnecessary properties and eliminated some unneeded positions, Maione said.

OTBs distribute portions of their revenues to horse racing and to state and local governments, according to formulas set by law.

In 2020, MGM Yonkers, which runs Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track, sued Catskill OTB for failing to make nearly $130,000 in statutorily-obligated payments, court records show. Catskill OTB and MGM settled the case a year ago.

Orange County did not receive any distributions from Catskill OTB in 2019 and 2020, according to Orange County spokesman Justin Rodriguez, and legislators there have been pressing Groth for answers about his operations.

In 2019, according to Gaming Commission records, Catskill OTB was the only one of New York's five public off-track betting corporations that had a net operating loss. In 2020, during the pandemic, several OTBs posted losses and Catskill largely shut down its operations.

Michael Amos, an Orange County legislator and former head of their Gaming and Economic Development Committee, said he plans to ask his Legislature to call in Groth for a hearing to question him about the inspector general's findings.

"He needs to explain it to us, why was that happening all this time and we werent getting our money," Amos said.

Amos said the county Legislature felt Groth wasn't "aggressive" in marketing or securing business opportunities and instead leaned on expanding to VLTs to save his business. Amos added the administration of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo should have "absolutely" released the 2018 inspector general report at the time it was finished. County legislatures, which appoint directors to the OTB's board, could have held the OTB accountable, he said.

A former executive of a New York OTB said he recalled Groth in the past taking board members on trips to "curry favor" so there would be less interference from counties regarding their distributions.

"It was not to the Bronx Zoo," said the executive, who declined to be named.
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In Albany, local author Amy Patricia Meade is hosting an online book auction, noon Thursday, March 24, at The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza. Meade founded the Authors for Ukraine Charity Auction to use the proceeds to help aid Ukrainian refugees. Joining the auction are 175 authors who donated their books to be sold at the auction. Funds will be donated to CAREs Ukraine Crisis Fund. Care is an international organization that provides aid and relief to combat global poverty.

In Vermont, Castleton University hosts an exhibition of Ukrainian art for a fundraising auction in Calvin Coolidge Library at the university on Thursday, March 24. Eleven Ukrainian posters from the 1990s will be on display. After the exhibit, the posters will be sent to be auctioned at the Rennert's Gallery in New York City. At 4:30 p.m., former Castleton faculty member Bill Ramage will host a talk about his visit to Ukraine 30 years ago and the artists he met. The event is free and open to the public. Funds raised will be donated to the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America.
Education Ministries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania provide applicants from Ukraine with opportunity to continue education at all levels

The Ministers of Education and Science of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in a joint appeal, provided applicants for education from Ukraine with the opportunity to continue their education at all levels.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science, for children and youth arriving from Ukraine to Estonia in connection with the military invasion of Russia, it is possible to continue their education in the following educational institutions: kindergartens; general education schools for children and youth; secondary schools, vocational schools, higher educational institutions of applied sciences and universities; hobby schools, general education schools and open youth centers where children from seven years old study; open youth centers and youth organizations for persons aged seven-26 years.

Estonia also provides an opportunity for children and young people from Ukraine to continue their education in short-term and long-term programs.
ALBANY  New York's ethics commission passed a motion late Friday again ordering former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to repay $5.1 million in book royalties. And this time, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics is taking a near-certain legal battle with Cuomo into its own hands.

The motion was proposed by Commissioner David McNamara at the beginning of the specially called meeting on Friday afternoon. McNamara detailed the motion, then they went into executive session, where it's possible there were minor amendments during the confidential portion of the meeting that have not yet become public.

Cuomo is already stating that he will contest JCOPE's order in court, and will not comply.

"Another day, another embarrassing display of ineptitude by 'JJOKEs' kangaroo court. Well see them in a real one," said Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi. "Through their political appointees, this is just another example of misuse of government resources to harass a political opponent."

As described by McNamara at the beginning of the meeting, JCOPE is ordering the former governor to repay the millions in book proceeds to the publisher, Penguin Random House, within one month. The publisher struck the lucrative 2020 deal with Cuomo to publish "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic."

Instead of state Attorney General Letitia James' office enforcing the order and deciding how to handle the directive to recoup the proceeds, as the commissioners prescribed in an original Dec. 14 motion, they have now authorized JCOPE itself to hire outside counsel to enforce the repayment. While the attorney general's office has traditionally been changed with enforcing such orders, JCOPE commissioners contend they, too, have that authority.

McNamara's motion left the door open for James to enforce the original December order, should her office decide to do so.

Following the December vote, James' office has contended that JCOPE needed to first conduct a full investigation into whether Cuomo misused state resources in producing the book, an inquiry that could take months or years.

When Cuomo sought approval from JCOPE to write the book, his government counsel, Judith Mogul, had explicitly stated that government workers would not be used in its production. State workers were extensively used to produce Cuomo's book, however, and many JCOPE commissioners believe that misrepresentation empowers them to seek immediate repayment of the $5.1 million.

Cuomo says any staff that worked on the book did so in a "volunteer" capacity and their labor was therefore legal.
This town's biggest beef this week was an argument over BBQ brisket.



To wit we humbly ask . . .

WHO SHOULD KANSAS CITY BLAME FOR HIGHER BBQ PRICES?!?!

As always, we offer both sides of the debate . . .



Our progressive friends seem to suggest climate change and equity are the culprits . . .



A lot of factors combined to make this the case including:



Pandemic-related shutdowns that slowed parts of the production process



Not having enough workers in the factories or transporting the beef



High gas prices for transporting



A drought, leading to less healthy grass for calves to eat and therefore less calves

Meanwhile and on a related note, we shouldn't forget that Prez Biden recently blamed Big Agra for rising costs . . .



"You could call it 'corporate greed,' sure. You could call it 'jacking up prices during a pandemic,'" White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in December.



Even President Biden weighed in, blasting the meat industry in his State of the Union address last week.



"Capitalism without competition is exploitation. It drives up profits," Mr. Biden said.

You decide . . .


Thanks to the leadership of 12th & Oak or lack thereof, Kansas City voters are basically back in the same place we were a year ago.



There's a bitter argument over police funding, a proposed slush fund and criticism over lack of "local control" of KCPD.

Here's what we notice . . .



It's comical that most local media spend so much of their effort attempting to "debunk" and "fact check" the term "defund" because it's so effective and devastating to local anti-police arguments.

Heck, even Prez Biden has walked away from the "defund" effort.

Meanwhile . .

Our blog crew is the only local news outlet to point out that Mayor Q's "community policing & prevention fund" hasn't presented a budget to the public which pretty much makes it a SLUSH FUND despite unwritten promises to spend it on police salaries.

Make no mistake . . . A promise from city hall without legally binding obligations is nothing more than an insult and a waste of oxygen.

Accordingly . . .

We're also entertained at Kansas City efforts to tamp down rhetoric against police but maintain street cred with urban voters.

Check this bit of rhetoric tap dancing from Council lady Melissa Robinson . . .

We posit that the converse is also true.

Supporting funding for police and accountability from elected officials DOES NOT mean that we don't value the lives and safety of residents -- in neighborhoods where African-American people are the majority -- And throughout Kansas City.

Sadly, local news would like to convince the public otherwise rather abandoning culture war rhetoric and having an honest conversation about allocations.

Further reading from both sides . . .

Biden denounces the "defund the police" slogan during SOTU address ( NewsNation Now) - In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden railed against the liberal wing of his own party Tuesday as he denounced the "defund the police" slogan. "We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police," Biden said.

Biden slammed by both sides of the aisle for SOTU claim that defunding police 'not the answer' President Biden broke with progressive members of his party during his State of the Union speech Tuesday night saying that the answer is "not to defund" police departments across the country. "We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police," Biden said during his first official State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

The Activist: Why Cori Bush won't back off her call to 'defund the police' ST. LOUIS - Outcry over "defund the police" has built what seems like one roadblock after another around a champion of the slogan. Naturally, she's yelling back at the encroaching lines, unwilling to disperse. "I am the activist," U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, said in a recent interview.

Christina Yuna Lee's blood is on the hands of Democrats A homeless career criminal with three open cases stalks a young woman, forces his way into her Chinatown apartment, stabs her to death - and Democrats blame everything from Donald Trump to the end of child tax credits. Everything except their anti-cop, soft-on-crime policies that have caused the inevitable breakdown of law and order that led to the gruesome death of Christina Yuna Lee.

Re-Funding The Police: Taxpayers On The Hook For Billions of Dollars Of Law Enforcement Lawsuit Settlements Apparently, it's not enough that we pay their salaries and buy their uniforms, vehicles, and weapons. We're also expected to foot the bill when law enforcement officers fuck up so badly they can't even avail themselves of qualified immunity, a Supreme Court-created legal doctrine that has been watered down for decades, allowing all but the...

Developing . . .
Over the course of the pandemic Kansas City's Mayor has been dogged by nasty online criticism. Much of it has been hateful, threatening and racist. However, many of the complaints have merely been pointed and legitimate as they challenged his controversial policy decisions.

Recently, locals have noticed that Mayor Q's social media accounts have been quick to block, hide and dismiss his critics as campaign season moves closer.



As an elected official, the standard for public communication is slightly different than an average blogger, influencer or pleb. The reality is that a great many legal questions regarding social media interaction for people who hold public office has yet to be determined.

Accordingly . . .

We share a COMPREHENSIVE & SPLENDIDLY WRITTEN treatise from a constituent who feels that he has been unfairly removed from the Kansas City discourse by Mayor Q.

Check-it . . .



First Amendment Rights Violations by Mayor Quinton Lucas

I am writing today because I am concerned that actions taken by Mayor Quinton Lucas in Kansas City, MO are intentionally violating the civil rights of the citizens of Kansas City, MO. As you may or may not be aware, the Mayor and the City of Kansas City, MO are the subject of an ethics complaint, and now investigation, by the Missouri Ethics Commission. I am happy to provide the full complaint and supporting documents I submitted to the MO Ethics Commission upon request to anyone. I filed this complaint due to the response I received from the City when I filed a Sunshine Law request relating to Mayor Quinton Lucas blocking constituents on what appears to be his official Facebook page with over 50,000 followers, many posts, live videos from City Hall, etc. The official response I received was You requested information related to Quinton Lucas' personal political Facebook page. For questions, please contact Lucas for KC, P.O. Box 413054, Kansas City, Missouri 64141. If this is indeed a personal political Facebook page as the KCMO Public Records Center states in their response, there should not be official livestreams from City Hall, and no use of government resources to maintain this page. Additionally, the page in question is listed as a political candidate page, and for most of the time it has been in use during Mayor Lucas term, he has not been a declared candidate for any office or reelection. He has another page which is unverified, entitled Mayor Quinton D. Lucas, with only a handful of posts over two years and a few hundred followers, though he on occasion will repost to his Mayor Quinton Lucas account from it. No reasonable person would think the Mayor Quinton Lucas Facebook page was not his official account, and to be honest I initially believed the unverified Mayor Quinton D. Lucas account was a parody.



The Mayor Quinton Lucas page is for all intents and purposes his official page. It regularly throughout the pandemic contained information on his emergency orders, and was one of the only ways to be able to effectively communicate and interact with our elected Mayor. Though he uses the page for official actions, he seems to be hiding behind the political candidate designation so he can control the content, comments and followers without regard for first amendment rights. I am aware of dozens of constituents who have been blocked by Mayor Lucas, and he defended his actions on a livestream by saying something to the effect of that he could block people who use vulgarities, tell outright lies, or are rude. He stated that if you dont follow his rules you dont get to speak. While I agree with the sentiment that people should not use vulgarities or lie, Mayor Lucas himself on January 19th, around the same time, Tweeted about Attorney General Eric Schmitt I mean, f*ck this guy. Mayor Lucas does not hold this standard to himself or those who support him, nor is Mayor Lucas the arbiter of what is and is not true. As a veteran, I spent 12 years in the MO Army National Guard, with a deployment to Iraq and dont recall supporting and defending the Constitution for only speech that a local Mayor approves of. If you go to his page you will find almost no dissenting opinions in the comments, but you will often see more comments are counted than you can read. This is because Mayor Lucas hides comments from those who criticize him in addition to the constituents who he blocks completely.



In the case Knight First Amendment Inst. at Columbia Univ. v. Trump a unanimous panel of the 2nd Court of Appeals ruled that President Trump was using his personal Twitter account as an official channel of communication and in doing so had created a public forum. Because of this he could not block constituents. The Mayor Quinton Lucas Facebook page was listed on the KCMO.gov Social Media Directory page until recently as his official page and has been tagged consistently on the City of Kansas City, MO Government Facebook page for the entirety of his term. The Mayor has a prolific social media presence and regularly interacts as the Mayor, not making reference to any political campaign. His Twitter account, @QuintonLucasKC, sees a comparable level of traffic and engagement from the Mayor and with constituents but he routinely blocks constituents there as well, including myself. Mayor Lucas is a practicing attorney, a law lecturer, and he clerked for the 8th Circuit Court, and above all of that an elected Mayor; to think that he is not aware of this very high profile precedent would require the willing suspension of disbelief.





I previously had my Facebook account, Brian S. Hand, blocked by Mayor Quinton Lucas during his campaign and was unblocked after sending an email to the Mayor. The block was only lifted after he had taken office as Mayor. My account stayed active and able to comment until it was deleted in October of last year. My current account had not been blocked until yesterday when I commented with my concerns about a homeless encampment at the end of the Kansas City St. Patricks Day Parade which was sharing space with a play area for children. Here is a link detailing the problem I was addressing, https://www.tonyskansascity.com/2022/03/bouncy-castle-obscures-homeless-camp-on.html. I was expressing my concern as the area was not clean and safe and my child and many others had been playing in the area without shoes. I pointed out to him that in one of his pictures he was standing directly in front of it. I told no lies, used no vulgarities or violated any other rule made up by Mayor Lucas, but now I am completely blocked. All of the information contained in that page is public record and I believe as a constituent I am entitled under the 1st Amendment to see and interact with these posts and not have my comments hidden or otherwise censored. Its shameful that a man who participated in the social justice protests on The Plaza, and who pardoned those involved, would so crassly and blatantly violate the most basic free speech rights of his constituents who have done nothing more than disagree with him on social media. It is my sincerest hope that you, our elected representatives and those who are appointed civil servants, have the integrity to ensure that these civil rights violations by Mayor Lucas are not allowed to continue and that he is no longer allowed to systematically silence dissent on his social media accounts or anywhere else. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.



Regards,



Brian S. Hand



Kansas City, MO

#####################

Developing . . .


Behind the scenes, supporters of Mayor Q debate with our blog community about the so-called police "defund" and this year's budget process.

We've consistently asked for a budget but it looks like the closest that we'll get is an executive summary and an outline that hopes to diffuse pro-police criticism by offering raises.



Still, we acknowledge that there are numbers out there that deserve further scrutiny.



In fairness, here's the important part from Ordinance #220216 . . .



The City of Kansas City, Missouri establishes its expectation regarding the use of funds appropriated to the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri from the Community Policing and Prevention Fund, pursuant to funding requested by the Department in excess of statutory mandate, and that such appropriation fund the following initiatives:

a) Hiring of Officers $4,000,000.00

b) Salary Increases - $5,152,653.00

c) Dedicated patrol and community outreach staff - $4,678,763.00

d) Full-time dedicated Crisis Intervention (CIT) officers - $550,228.00

e) 9-1-1 Call Takers and Communications Unit operations - $6,570,400.00

f) Bullet-Proof Vest Life-Saving Equipment - $175,000.00

g) Inmate/Detainee Food and Beverage - $30,000.00

h) Remaining Community Policing and Prevention Funds shall be assigned to the Department and used in the following areas as requested in the Departments Letter of January 21, 2022



i. Violent Crimes Division victim and witness support services

ii. Special Operations Division and Traffic

iii. Police Crime Laboratory



Again, our complaint is that this really doesn't offer much more detail than numbers from police that incur the political wrath of 12th & Oak. And there's the potential here for a great deal of padding for political activists disguised as law enforcement resources.

Still . . . We're getting closer to the "truth" inasmuch as the public realizes this whole crusade is really just a slap fight over money.



Developing . . .


Poland plans to submit a proposal to create a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at an extraordinary NATO summit, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday.

According to CNN, Morawiecki said at a press conference in Warsaw that "a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine will be formally presented at the next NATO summit."

At the same time, the prime minister, answering a question about whether he believes that NATO would unanimously support the creation of such a mission in Ukraine, said that "Poland is very actively involved in the relevant discussions both in NATO and in the EU, and it is it who urges them to take the following action."

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that he was convening an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24 to discuss the situation around Ukraine.

For her part, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that U.S. President Joe Biden "would take part in an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24."
Right now one of our most reliable local progressive news outlet offers an opportunity for residents to express their wartime support from a safe distance.

There's no word if a tote bag is included, but nevertheless, here's a lovingly crafted pitch to support Eastern European people at home and in a combat zone . . .



The Ukrainian Club of Kansas City is now the primary contact for all who are mortified by Putins efforts to conquer Ukraine for Russia.



Everyone, it seems, suddenly is tapping the club. Local Ukrainians who desperately want to join the war effort, even from more than 5,000 miles away. Kansas Citians who are eager to show their solidarity and learn more about the countrys ancient history and culture. And journalists seeking local contacts to give context to the horrifying images on the news.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Fighting for Ukraine's Independence Here in the Heartland Since the 1950s, the Ukrainian Club of Kansas City has united expats - professors, students, professionals and others who found their way from the heartland of Eastern Europe to the heartland of the United States. For decades, that was enough.

Related reading . . .

Kansas City designers plan fashion show to support Ukraine The Kansas City fashion community is coming together to support Ukraine. Local designers are planning a fashion show in April to raise money for relief efforts. KMBC 9 found out why the cause is so personal for those involved.

Ukrainian doctor living in Kansas City fears she won't see friends and family again. Dr. Olga Tkachenko said she never expected the war between Russia and Ukraine to intensify. As Russia invaded the doctor watched the news regularly for updates which left her feeling anxious. Now, she tries to distract herself and reads the news rather than watching.

30 Ukrainians who traveled to Kansas City are now stuck because of the war A group of 30 Ukrainians is stuck here in Kansas City unable to go home because of the war.The group originally traveled to the United States on Feb. 20 for a conference with Kansas City-based Fellowship of Christian Athletes. They had no idea that war would break out just days later."My hometown here small city in west Ukraine - Rivne.

Developing . . .
Finally, a classical reference for our discerning blog community . . .



We don't mind playing Sancho Panza in order share our snarky allegory and this report that a former Kansas City weather dude turned low-rent politico is probably wasting his time tilting at windmills or at least their modern day equivalent . . . Check this passage . . .



The bill was introduced by Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, who has proposed a number of bills critics say are attempts to stymie renewable energy development dressed as efforts to protect rural Kansas.



In February, Thompson set aside an entire week of committee meetings to hear from skeptics of renewable energy and consider his bills . . .



Despite the interest that some members of the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee expressed in curbing subsidies to industrial wind projects, the committee voted not to advance Thompsons bill after a quick debate. Thompson did not return a request for comment . . .

Quick hot take . . .

In the midst of a gas crisis, attacking investment in alternative forms of energy isn't a good look an the only people who get REALLY emotional about it are the oil companies.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt argues that his legal threats caused local school districts to back down from pandemic dress codes.



Some claim the falling numbers actually forced the decision.

Meanwhile legal authority over student dress codes remains in question.

Still . . .



Here's his side of the story . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link and notice the MSM skepticism . . .

Missouri AG drops lawsuits filed against school districts over mask mandates KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced Friday he's dropped lawsuits filed against school districts over mask mandates. In January, 11 school districts in the Kansas City area were among the districts Schmitt filed lawsuits against. Schmitt then tweeted on Friday that due to the lawsuits, 42 of the districts dropped their mask requirements.

You decide . . .


This argument from Missouri leader isn't gaining traction. HOWEVER, it's part of growing resistance confronting Prez Biden's pick.



Here's background regarding criticism . . .



Mr Hawley focused his fire on the judges writings about child pornography and paedophilia, and highlighted discussions in which Ms Jackson had taken part where she questioned sentencing guidelines for those accused of possessing such images or videos. The senator from Missouri in particular pointed to one decision Ms Jackson had made from the bench in which she gave a convicted possessor of child pornography a drastically lower sentence than what had been suggested under sentencing guidelines.



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. Shes been advocating for it since law school. This goes beyond soft on crime. Im concerned that this a record that endangers our children, he wrote.





Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
A 25-year-old Toronto man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a February homicide in North York.
Susan Delacourt: Dont like Russia sanctions? You probably dont like COVID-19 vaccines either

A disturbing connection between vaccine resistance and attitudes toward Russias invasion of Ukraine have been unearthed in polling by EKOS Research.
Todays coronavirus news: China reports first COVID deaths in more than a year

Meanwhile, Sudbury-area school boards are preparing for a return to a "more normal learning environment" when students go back to class after March Break.
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.
Smog over Kyiv on Saturday morning is the result of a burning landfill near Novi Petrivtsi and calm weather, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs, has said.

"Smog over Kyiv. Why did it appear: 1. The landfill near Novi Petrivtsi is burning down. 2. Windless weather. As soon as the wind appears, the smog will dissipate from the operation of thermal power plants and smoke from fires in the vicinity of Kyiv," he wrote on Facebook.

Denysenko noted that in the Chornobyl zone, from the point of view of the fire situation, everything is calm.

In turn, Kyiv City State Administration noted that "there is a slight smoke in the capital."

"This is due to changes in weather conditions, in particular the wind direction. According to experts, the air quality is in line with the standards. But please do not open windows and do not leave the house unnecessarily," according to a message on the Telegram channel.
A Philadelphia man is accused of getting into a mid-day gunfight last week in Solomon Homes. Johnstown police said Terrell Carter, 31, jumped from a third-floor window at some point during the March 10 altercation and apparently broke both of his legs.
Terre Haute, IN (47803)

Today

Cloudy with rain developing later in the day. High 62F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain. Low 59F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
As of the morning of the 24th day of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine, 112 children died and more than 140 were injured from the actions of the aggressor, the Prosecutor General's Office reports.

"Most of the victims were in Kyiv region  57, Kharkiv region  36, Donetsk region  28, Chernihiv region  30, Mykolaiv region  21, Zhytomyr region  15, Sumy region  14 and Kherson region  14," the message said on Facebook.

In particular, on March 16, the Russian Federation military illegally took possession of a building in the village of Kolonschyna, Makariv community, Kyiv region, having killed two residents, including a 16-year-old teenager.

On March 18, a 16-year-old youth died as a result of an anti-tank mine explosion in Lotskyne, Bashtanka district, Mykolaiv region. Also on this day, from under the rubble of the Chernihiv hostel, rescuers removed the bodies of seven-year-old twins  a boy and a girl.

Due to regular bombardments and shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation of civilian infrastructure and residential areas, 489 educational institutions were damaged, 69 of which were completely destroyed.

Most of the damaged schools and kindergartens were in Donetsk region  138, Kharkiv region  77, Kyiv region  41, Mykolaiv region  39, Sumy region  33, Kherson region  21, and in the capital  43.

"These data are not final, since there is no opportunity to inspect the places of shelling in the areas of active hostilities and in the temporarily occupied territories," the report says.
Representatives of the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service) and the Russian Armed Forces abducted a hromadske journalist in the city of Berdiansk, who was preparing materials on military operations in the east and south of Ukraine, law enforcement officers have begun criminal proceedings, the Prosecutor General's Office reports.

"According to the investigation, on March 15, 2022, representatives of the FSB and the armed forces of the aggressor country abducted a hromadske journalist in the city of Berdiansk, who was preparing materials on military operations in the east and south of Ukraine. Currently, her whereabouts are unknown," according to the statement on Facebook.

Under the procedural leadership of Zaporizhia Regional Prosecutor's Office, criminal proceedings were initiated on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Pretrial investigation into criminal proceedings is carried out by investigators of the SBU Department in Zaporizhia region.

In turn, hromadske reported that their journalist Viktoria Roschyna was probably being held captive by the Russian occupiers.

"Our journalist Viktoria Roschyna is probably being held captive by the Russian occupiers. She filmed videos and wrote articles from hot spots all the days of the Russian-Ukrainian war. On March 16, we learned that Victoria was detained by the Russian FSB. At present, nothing is known about her whereabouts," the media said on Twitter.
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With the U.S. Congress debating President Joe Bidens request for $15 billion in new COVID aid, coronavirus efforts in Connecticut could be affected by the decision.

In a letter to congress, Biden said without new coronavirus funding, COVID mitigation efforts, testing and treatment would suffer.

Without the requested funding, the White House says the federal government would not have adequate resources to purchase enough booster vaccine doses for all Americans, if additional doses are needed.

My office is starting to get calls from clinics and testing sites around the district and their message is clear: If this funding runs out, testing stops, said U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District. While the omicron wave is behind us, the pandemic is not over. Congress needs to come together to pass funding to keep live-saving testing and treatment open and available.

Senate Republicans have argued that much of the money already allocated for COVID relief has not yet been spent.

I think that we ought to determine  and weve asked the administration  how much unspent money is there, said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., ranking member of the appropriations committee, as The Hill reported. There are billions of dollars unspent.

Lora Rae Anderson, a spokesperson for Gov. Ned Lamont, said the state is closely monitoring the situation in Washington in partnership with our congressional delegation.

While we believe our state is in a good place, if Senate Republicans do not end their obstruction, we, like all other states could face challenges in our health care system because of vaccination and therapeutic supply challenges, she said. We remain hopeful that Senate Republicans will do the right thing and put the public health and safety of our residents first.

The proposed funding extends the program through which uninsured patients obtain COVID testing and treatment, the White House said.

Providers will no longer be able to submit claims for providing these services to uninsured individuals, forcing providers to either absorb the cost or turn away people who are uninsured, the White House said.

The latest round of funding will run out March 22. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration posted on its website that the uninsured program will stop accepting claims for testing and treatment due to lack of sufficient funds at 11:59 p.m. March 22. The program will also stop accepting vaccination claims due to lack of funds at 11:59 p.m. April 5, the website states.

We need to maintain sufficient testing capacity and grow the availability of COVID-19 outpatient therapies, the Connecticut Hospital Association said in a statement. We must also ensure that the uninsured and underinsured have access to COVID-19 testing, treatments and vaccines. All of this requires the support of the federal government and we hope that Congress and the administration will agree on additional federal funding in the very near future.

Its not just the uninsured, according to Yale School of Medicine professor Howard Forman. He said less COVID funding will hurt "those who have the greatest risks, due to lower resources and less access to usual care."

"Think about the person with a large deductible who would readily access a free monoclonal antibody clinic or testing site for testing and early treatment, but who might be afraid of large bills if they went to a private physician or even a hospital," Forman told NBC.

Additional federally funded purchases of monoclonal antibody treatments as well as new antiviral treatments are also in jeopardy, according to the White House.

When she introduced legislation that would provide $15.6 billion in supplemental COVID funding, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said more money was needed.

While we have made great strides to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, additional resources are needed to manage the virus at home and around the world, she said in a statement.

COVID funding was removed from an omnibus spending bill, which Biden later signed, so DeLauros one-off introduction was considered as a standalone request.

The continued funding for COVID mitigation efforts is being requested amid the backdrop of waning coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.

The state reported Friday that 336 new COVID cases had been identified out of 12,309 reported tests for a positivity rate of 2.73 percent. COVID hospitalizations declined by eight patients for a total of 92 statewide.

The federal government has so far spent $3.6 trillion on pandemic-related issues, according to the U.S. Treasury.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities sent a survey to local municipal leaders, asking how they are using and would allocate funding through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Those projects include COVID testing sites, HVAC upgrades and programs for mental health services related to the pandemic.

COVID pandemic-related issues have been very costly to local governments, said Kevin Maloney, CCMs director of communications. The towns are very dependent on getting that funding.

Different buckets of federal COVID funding have also gone to support schools in Connecticut. School districts are worried about what happens when federal COVID funding runs out, according to Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents.

I think theyve been worried from the beginning that there's going to be a huge fiscal cliff, she said. Weve been sounding the alarm.

In Norwalk, the school district estimates it will need more than $15.5 million more than is allocated to address recurring expenses covered by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund grants.

Federal COVID relief funding to schools, which Rabinowitz said must be spent by 2024, was used to shore up general operating costs.

What happens when that funding goes away? she said. Those districts have traditionally been underfunded for a very long time.

Rabinowitz said towns kept annual budget increases to schools lower than they might have been, because of the federal money.

The actual operating budgets were cut by the cities because the districts had extra funding, she said. Perhaps they gave them a 1 percent increase when they would have given them a 3 percent increase.

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Norwich, chair of the legislatures appropriations committee, said there is still a lot of money that schools have gotten that they have not spent yet.

If more federal funding is made available, she said it could be used for infrastructure-related projects.

If I had my druthers, what I'd really like to see is the federal government put some money into early childhood care and infrastructure, she said. Those are two areas where I think it would be the most impactful.
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With a regular price of $734.50, you can get this Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Piece Knife Block Set today for just $279.96. Thats right, you can currently save more than $450 on this block set! And dont let the price tag scare you, this is the last set of kitchen knives that youll ever have to buy.
This winter was the first time I experienced eczema in almost 20 years. I had horrible eczema all around my eyes and mouth. I took to the internet while I waited to hear back from my doctor and that is when I learned about slugging. No, it has nothing to do with slugs (anymore).

It isnt a new skincare trend, but it has grown in popularity over the last year, due to social media. So, what is slugging, exactly? It is a simple step you can add at the end of your skincare routine to lock in extra moisture in your skin.

For this article, I spoke with Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Entiere Dermatology in New York.

What is slugging?

If youre looking up slugging right now, chances are youve seen it trending on social media recently, but it is not anything new. Before it was trending on TikTok and Reddit, this skincare fad started years ago, dating as far back as the 60s and 70s.

According to Dr. Levin, Slugging originally was a K-beauty trend that basically was applying snail enzymes on your face because the snail mucin has moisturizing benefits. Now, slugging is done more commonly with an occlusive agent, such as petroleum-based ointments like Vaseline, Aquaphor, or CeraVe to help lock in more hydration.

The actual term slugging has to do with how shiny your skin is after applying your slugging products. This look is similar to what it looks like when a slug leaves behind mucus. It also stems from the fact this was originally done with the mucin of a snail (not exactly a slug, but they are both soft-bodied animals called mollusks). People actually used to put slugs on their face, or used products with snail mucin. Now, people just use petroleum-based products.

How to slug

Dr. Levin says that dermatologists have recommended slugging for their patients, without realizing it is slugging, for decades. Slugging is a very simple process where you apply a petroleum-based ointment all over your skin at the end of your skincare routine. This has occlusive benefits, as petroleum can help prevent trans-epidermal water loss (AKA water evaporating from your skin).

If youre interested in slugging, the best time of day would be at night. Dr. Levin says, The nighttime is the easiest, because your hydration levels are the lowest overnight, so it makes the most sense to moisturize overnight.

On top of that, there might be times of year that are better to slug. Your skin dryness is different in the winter than it is in the summer. Dr. Levin recommends slugging in the winter since your skin is dryer in the colder months than it is in the summer. Your skin around your eyes and lips might be especially dry due to the weather and would benefit from slugging. Even Dr. Levin uses this method on her skin in the winter.

If youre using a retinoid and have acne-prone skin, Dr. Levin recommends using the retinoid sandwich technique. That is when you apply a light layer of moisturizer, then a retinoid, then more moisturizer. To use this method when slugging, Dr. Levin suggests:

Washing with a gentle cleanser Using a hydrating serum Followed by a humectant-based moisturizer Then applying a thin layer of a retinoid And finally, you can use then Vaseline or occlusive moisturizer on top for oily or acne-prone skin (her favorite is CeraVe)

The best products for slugging

If youre looking to get started on slugging, youll want to find a petroleum-based product. There are many on the market, so Ive rounded up five top-sellers that range in price from $4 to $26. You can also use Aquaphor, but that is made with lanolin, which can clog pores on your face and would not be recommended for people with acne-prone skin.

CeraVe Healing Ointment

CeraVe Healing Ointment | 3 Ounce CeraVe amazon.com $11.15 Shop Now

This is Dr. Levins favorite brand for slugging (it is also the exact product currently going viral on TikTok). CeraVe is a beloved brand by many as their products after formulated to help with protecting and restoring your skin barrier. CeraVes Healing Ointment has hyaluronic acid, is lanolin-free, and has a non-greasy feel.

Vaseline

Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly Original 100ml Vaseline amazon.com $3.74 Shop Now

Vaseline is going to be the most budget-friendly product on this list. You can get a tub for under $5 and it does exactly what all of these other products do. It might feel a little greasy, it is pure petroleum jelly after all, but it can also be used all over your body to restore and lock in moisture. You can use it from your cracked heels to your face.

SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm

SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm SkinCeuticals dermstore.com $24.00 Shop Now

This Hydra Balm is a hydrating occlusive ointment for traumatized or severely dry skin. It has pure petroleum to form a protective barrier over vulnerable skin and to help seal in moisture. It is also made with aloe and bisabolol, which are botanicals that can help provide relief to very dry skin.

Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment

Remedy+ 911 Ointment Skinfix sephora.com $26.00 Shop Now

This Skinfix formula was designed for cuticles, cracked heels, minor cuts & scrapes, but it can also be used on your face. It is made with Allantoin, which helps and temporarily protects chapped or cracked skin. The next active ingredient is petroleum, follow by Cupuacu butter, which can deeply penetrate the skin to provide added moisture.

Cetaphil Healing Ointment

CETAPHIL Healing Ointment Cetaphil amazon.com $15.97 Shop Now

Cetaphils ointment is designed to create a semi-occlusive skin barrier to promote healing and prevent moisture loss. It has petroleum jelly, shea butter, and vitamin E. This is formulated to protect and heal sensitive skin without causing further irritation as it does not contain lanolin, parabens, or fragrance.

Pros and Cons of skin slugging

When trying any new skincare trend, you need to weigh the pros and cons before hauling over your entire routine. Dr. Levin says, Slugging might not be for you depending on your skin type. It is not for everyone, just like all skincare trends and products are not for everyone, except for sunscreen. Everyone should use sunscreen.

Pros of slugging

Can help dry skin

Slugging has many moisturizing benefits. It can especially be beneficial for those who suffer from skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and chronic dryness. The slugging method can help draw in moisture and restore the skin barrier.

Restoring the skin barrier isnt just a skincare buzzword. It refers to the epidermis, which is your thin outer layer of skin. Your skin barrier is meant to protect you from pollution, ultraviolet rays, irritation, inflammation, infection, dehydration, and toxins. If this layer of skin is damaged, your body can be at great risk.

On top of dry skin, irritation, and itchiness, skin barrier damage can lead to wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. Moisturizing is one of your best defenses for age-related skin issues and slugging is an extra moisturizing step. This isnt to say slugging will totally prevent wrinkles (nothing can fully prevent wrinkles), but it certainly can help with your skin elasticity and masking signs of aging.

Cons of slugging

Not for all skin types

Depending on your skin type, you can slug all over your face, or you might want to only slug select parts of your face, like dryer patches around your eyes and mouth. If you have acne-prone skin, you might want to test patches to start.

Dr. Levin says, If you have acne-prone skin, it can actually worsen acne because even though petroleum is non-condemic, Ive found some patients do break out from products with petroleum.

If youre acne-prone and you want to try slugging but are worried about breaking out, you can opt for using a creamy moisturizer. Dr. Levin recommends looking for ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin to draw in water. You can try Paulas Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer or Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream.
Almost three years after his passing, the legacy of Wayne Chance lives on. Today Vision on M
The leadership of the Verkhovna Rada, representatives of various factions and groups appealed to the leadership of the European Parliament and the European Commission with a call to contribute to the rapid positive conclusion of the European Commission on Ukraine's acquisition of EU membership, Speaker of the Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk said.

"The leadership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, representatives of various factions and groups have appealed to the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen with a request to contribute to the rapid positive conclusion of the European Commission on the acquisition of Ukraine's EU membership," Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

According to the Speaker of the Parliament, Ukraine proves that it deserves to be a member of the EU and pays the highest price for it - thousands of Ukrainian lives.

"Not a single nation, not a single country that is a member of the EU has paid such a price," the speaker said.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed the government to draw up a program to support those who were forced to leave their homes due to Russian aggression or lost them as a result of hostilities.

He said this in a video address, Ukrinform reports.

"We already have a draft of this program. The first component is financial -- state support for all displaced persons, including adults and children, state support for jobs for such people where they stay temporarily, so that each of our people, each family could have a basis for life. The second component is housing. The government is preparing concrete proposals for the provision of housing for temporarily displaced persons right now and will organize the reconstruction of destroyed housing after the war," Zelensky said.

The third component of the program is to support those families who housed people from the area of hostilities or temporarily occupied territories.

"They will at least get compensation for expenses on utility services related to the stay of temporarily displaced persons," Zelensky said.

The head of state added that the government would provide clarifications on the program in the near future.
The abolition of customs duties is necessary for the defense of the state and for normal life during martial law.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a video address, Ukrinform reports.

Good evening to everyone.

Usually on such days we used to say: Spring has come.

But now we are saying: War has come.

But we will definitely defeat everyone no matter what. Because we are free people of a free country.

Today, government officials have elaborated the decision to fully reboot the customs service.

Cargo for our defense, for our people will be brought into Ukraine as easily as the physics laws allow that.

We eliminate the whole bureaucracy, all paperwork, VAT, all customs duties.

The goal is clear - to prevent the human factor from hindering the speedy supply of goods, which are really needed now.

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and profile committees are working to ensure the support of peoples deputies for the innovations. I emphasize: this decision is necessary for the defense of the state, for ensuring normal life during martial law.

I urge certain MPs not to speculate on this issue, as it is for the benefit of our state, not the government or the opposition. We must all work jointly for the sake of our Ukraine, our people. Lets think about PR after the victory.

Another important area of government work is helping Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes due to hostilities.

I commissioned the Cabinet of Ministers to develop a comprehensive program to support such people, our citizens. Everyone who was deprived of home because of the war. We already have the outlines of this program. The first component is financial. State support for all displaced persons. Adults and children. Government support for jobs for such people - where they are temporarily staying. So that every person, every family has a basis for life.

The second component is housing. The government is preparing concrete proposals for housing for IDPs right now. And also organizes the reconstruction of destroyed housing after the war.

The third component is no less important. This is the support for the families who have housed people from areas of hostilities or temporary occupation. At a minimum, they will be reimbursed for the cost of utilities related to the stay of IDPs.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal will soon explain all the details of such a comprehensive program to support our citizens.

A coordination headquarters has been set up to regulate all issues related to the delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Under the chairmanship of Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, a meeting was held with Ukrainian ambassadors to intensify the supply of humanitarian goods to Ukraine, primarily to help internally displaced persons.

I also commissioned the government to provide assistance together with the International Committee of the Red Cross to those of our citizens who found themselves abroad after February 24 and need the attention of our state and international organizations.

Today there were seven humanitarian corridors in Ukraine. Six - in the Sumy region, one - in the Donetsk region. More than 9,000 people were evacuated from the besieged Mariupol. In total, more than 180,000 Ukrainians have been rescued by the humanitarian corridors. Hundreds of tons of essential products were delivered.

But the occupiers continue to block the supply of humanitarian aid to the besieged cities in most areas. This is a totally deliberate tactic. They have a clear order to do absolutely everything to make the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities an "argument" for Ukrainians to cooperate with the occupiers.

This is a war crime. They will be held accountable for this. 100%. Every Russian figure who gives such orders and every Russian soldier who carries out such orders will be identified. And will receive a compulsory one-way ticket to The Hague. To the city where the International Criminal Court is located.

People are being rescued from the rubble of the drama theater destroyed by the occupiers in Mariupol, where civilians had been hiding from Russian shelling and bombs. More than 130 people are already on the surface. Some of them are seriously wounded. But at the moment there is no information about the dead.

Thanks to the courage and professional training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the occupation forces were stopped in almost all directions.

Heavy fighting in the Kharkiv region - especially heavy near Izyum. Russian troops have already thrown people from training centers there. Absolutely unprepared contingent. People who can't endure half an hour in battle.

Kyiv region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region, the south of our state - the army stopped the occupiers. The initial plan of the Russian military to seize our state failed. And it seems that they do not know what else can be done to us. It seems that their military commanders are not able to offer their political leadership anything but cruel and erroneous tactics to exhaust us, to exhaust Ukraine. Nothing but constant strikes at the civilian population, peaceful cities, people, children, missiles, air bombs, shelling from "Grads", "Uragans". Nothing but the destruction of non-military infrastructure - residential buildings, hospitals, schools, churches.

But this tactic of their military only worsens the situation for the Russian state. Leads to new and new destructive sanctions. Encourages new members to join our anti-war coalition. It allows us to unite even those states that have always tried to remain neutral to put pressure on Russia.

Therefore, negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine - meaningful, fair and without delay - are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes.

We have always insisted on negotiations. We have always offered dialogue, offered solutions for peace. Not only during 23 days of invasion.

And I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. It's time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound.

Many words were heard in Moscow today in connection with the anniversary of the seizure of Crimea. A big rally took place. And I want to pay attention to one detail. It is reported that a total of about 200,000 people were involved in the rally in the Russian capital. 100,000 on the streets, about 95,000 at the stadium.

Approximately the same number of Russian troops were involved in the invasion of Ukraine.

Just imagine 14 thousand corpses and tens of thousands of wounded and maimed people at that stadium in Moscow. There are already so many Russian losses as a result of this invasion.

This is the price of war. In a little more than three weeks. The war must end.

Ukraine's proposals are on the table.

In the coming days, I will continue to appeal to the nations of the world to call for peace for Ukraine. My appeal to the Swiss people is ahead, to the people and to the state.

Appeals to Israel, Italy and Japan are also planned. The world hears Ukraine's position. The world supports our defenders, defenders of Ukraine.

Today I want to express my sincere gratitude to each defender of our strong Mariupol. Our heroic city, which is experiencing the greatest ordeal in its history, in the history of Ukraine.

36th Separate Marine Brigade.

501st Separate Marine Battalion.

1st Separate Marine Battalion.

12th Brigade of the National Guard.

And a separate detachment of special purpose "Azov".

I am grateful to each and every one of our defenders of Mariupol. I am grateful to everyone who defends Ukraine.

Also at the request of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine I decided to confer the title of Hero of Ukraine upon:

Colonel Baranyuk Volodymyr Anatoliyovych, Commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade.

And Major Prokopenko Denys Hennadiyovych, Commander of a separate detachment of special purpose "Azov". For courage, for effective actions to repel enemy attacks, for the defense of the hero city of Mariupol.

Glory to all our heroes!

Glory to Ukraine!

Photo: President's Office
Four civilians were killed, ten were wounded in Russian shelling in Luhansk region last night.

Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Haidai wrote this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"All the cities of the region are under fire. Four were killed and 10 were wounded. More than 50 buildings were damaged There are killed in Severodonetsk and Rubizhne," the governor wrote.

According to him, the battles for Rubizhne and Popasna continue.

"The National Guard stopped the offensive of Putin's killers from the side of temporarily occupied Stara Krasnianka on the Ukrainian border. During the battle, they destroyed twenty Russian occupiers and forced them to retreat. Enemy troops accompanied their offensive with forty-minute shelling of the city with mortars and artillery," Haidai wrote.

He added that Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Hirske, Kreminna, Pryvillia and Zolote were also under fire during the day.

Since February 24, Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.

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The Prime Ministers of Ukraine and New Zealand, Denys Shmyhal and Jacinda Ardern, discussed the imposition of new sanctions against Russia.

Denys Shmyhal wrote about this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

With New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, discussed strengthening sanctions, up to the full embargo of Russia, Shmyhal wrote.

He reminded that New Zealand was one of the first to support Ukraine.

We are grateful for that. Coordinate actions, hasten our victory! the Ukrainian prime minister wrote.

As reported, on March 18, the first package of New Zealand's sanctions on Russia was enacted.

The country imposed personal restrictions on President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and other senior officials.

The sanctions also include a freeze on assets and a travel ban. In addition, restrictions apply to 19 Russian organizations.

A travel ban for 364 Russian politicians, military and journalists has been also enacted.

On February 24, Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.

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Russian invaders are cynically shelling high-rise apartment buildings without any compassion for civilians living there.

Thats according to the intercepted communications of the occupation forces, Ukrinform wrote citing a report by the SBU security service.

Among other things, the invaders admit that they target civilian high-rise apartment blocks despite the fact that their residents are still in place.

"A new portion of nonsense has been fed to the Russcists minds, brainwashed by propaganda: it is alleged that in every high-rise block, whole floors are full of machine gunnes and grenade launcher operators. That snipers occupy the top floors and anti-tank weapons, powerful missile launchers and Javelins are on the roofs," said the SBU.

According to the security agency, the Russian military justifies mass killings of civilians by assuming that President Vladimir Putin had allegedly given civilians time to leave, but they never did.

"That is, according to the occupiers logic, Ukrainians are guilty of living in their homes! Yes, we do live in our homes, we live in our country! And you, the invaders, have no place here! If you dont get out, you will remain buried in our land forever! And those who survive will be telling tales of "Ukrainian high-rises armed to the teeth" in a courtroom in The Hague. We will win! Glory to Ukraine," the SBU wrote in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expects the 5th Ukraine Reform Conference to be held as planned in July in Lugano, Switzerland.

He said this in his address to the people of Switzerland, Ukrinform reports.

"Last year, we agreed with Mr. President of your country to hold a large-scale conference in Lugano for the sake of economic transformation, for the sake of reforms in Ukraine. It was to take place in July this year, as well as the next summit of the first ladies and gentlemen. And I believe and I know that we will be able to hold them this year on your land for the restoration and development of Ukraine, so that you can show again all the best that you have in your hearts, in our hearts, the hearts of all those people who are fighting for freedom and for life," Zelensky said.

The Ukraine Reform Conference is set to take place on July 4-5, 2022 in the Swiss city of Lugano.

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a new phase of the war against Ukraine. Russian troops began destroying Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered his address to the people of Switzerland.

Dear Mr. President, dear Ignazio!

My greetings to all Swiss friends of Ukraine! To all the people of Switzerland!

I am grateful to you for supporting our people.

Thank you for defending freedom together with all those who value it.

This is very important now. Nowadays. At a special time period.

And especially important - from you.

When terror became the national idea of one of the largest nations in the world. The basis of their foreign policy.

When the crimes of terrorism are committed not by some outcast or group of persons and not by an organization, but by the state. Which has a nuclear arsenal.

When a permanent member of the UN Security Council deliberately destroys everything for which the UN was built. Having unleashed a cruel, bloody, senseless war against us.

But we now have a chance. A chance to show not only to Russia, but also to any aggressor in the world, any terrorist state, that war will destroy not the victim, but the one who came with it.

And, perhaps, this is the last chance for humanity - to stop the wars. Stop the state terror.

And I'm telling you now. Switzerland. A state that has a very long history of peace. And an even longer history of influence. In many areas - a decisive influence on the world.

Even before I became President, I was thinking what life of our beloved Ukrainians I would like to see.

I have often been to your country. And I know very well how you live. And one day, standing near Chillon Castle, I asked my friends - we were one company - why can't we live like this?

To have such a standard of living. A high level. And with the same freedom. In such friendly communities. And with such confidence in our own strength.

And I sincerely wanted the Ukrainians to live like the Swiss. So that we can jointly decide everything about our own lives. About our land. Not expecting anything from politicians, unnecessary words, but voting in a referendum.

So that we can be sure, despite all the financial crises in the world, that our state will withstand and remain a leader. A leader of trust, a leader of stability. A dream for all people. Successful, not very successful - no matter what level, just for all people.

So that the Ukrainians, like the Swiss, can feel that they live in real communities that care about what is common to all - for the good of all.

Maybe these are all ordinary things to you. For us, these are reforms. And this is the path we are taking and we wanted to take.

And we passed the relevant laws. For all this to work. We gave opportunities. Opportunities for our people.

So that we gradually reach your standard of living.

And we did it until the black day. February 24. The day of the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of our land, Ukraine.

And then everything changed.

It has changed for each of us, Ukrainians. I'm sure it has changed for all Europeans. And it has changed for all world democracies.

It has changed for you, too.

I am grateful to you and your state for supporting us in such a difficult time. I am thankful that you did not stay away, didn't say that it wasn't related to you at all

Because, in fact, it is impossible to stay away from the fact that in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe, hundreds of rockets and bombs are flying at peaceful cities.

It is impossible to stay away when the army of the world's largest state, albeit only in size, directs all its deadly potential to destroy us, to destroy hospitals, ordinary schools, churches, universities, maternity hospitals, residential areas.

It is impossible to be indifferent when children are killed. As of this morning, the Russian army has killed 112 Ukrainian children.

And just as I wanted the Ukrainians to live like the Swiss... I also want you to be and become like the Ukrainians. In the fight against evil.

So that there is no question about banks. About your banks. Where the money of all those who started this war is kept.

It's painful and it's hard. But it is also a struggle against evil.

It is necessary to completely freeze all the assets of these people and their accounts. It's a big fight, and you can do it.

I want you to become Ukrainians who feel what it is like when whole cities are destroyed, peaceful cities. Destroyed on the orders of those who like to live in communities - different, European, in your communities, in beautiful Swiss communities.

Who enjoys real estate in your country.

And it would be fair to deprive them of this privilege. To deprive of what they are taking from us.

And I want you to be as Ukrainians in the issue of business. Business that works in Russia in spite of everything. Despite this war.

Despite all our murdered children. Despite the people killed. Despite the destroyed cities. Like our city of Mariupol, heroic Mariupol, which has been under complete blockade for weeks. Imagine - no food, no water, no electricity. Just under the bombs.

"Good food. Good life." This is the slogan of Nestle. Your company that refuses to leave Russia. Even now - when there are threats from Russia to other European countries. Not only to us. When there is even nuclear blackmail from Russia.

And I want all of you, Swiss people, to become like all of us, Ukrainians. I want us not to lose our common chance now.

A chance to restore peace, a chance to stop any wars in the world. Because when Switzerland is with you, you are definitely successful. Because when Ukraine is with you, you are definitely strong.

Last year we agreed on a big conference with the President of your country. Conference in Lugano. For the sake of economic transformation, for the sake of Ukraine's reforms.

It was to take place this July. As well as the next summit of the first ladies and gentlemen.

And I believe, I know we can hold them. This year. On your land.

For the restoration and development of Ukraine. So that you have the opportunity to show again and again all the best that is in your hearts. In our hearts.

In the hearts of all those people who are fighting for freedom and fighting for life.

I am grateful to you. I am grateful to Switzerland!

Glory to Ukraine!
Russian military equipment is approaching the Belarusian border to try to enter Ukraine with some force.

"Indeed, Russian equipment is approaching the Belarusian border. Indeed, the Russians try to enter again with certain, not so great forces, as it was three days ago, with certain forces they will try to enter the territory of Ukraine. In general, we understand what section they enter, we understand that the Russians do not give up the idea of making another attempt to storm the city of Kyiv. Well, we will fight against them," Adviser to Ukraines Minister of Internal Affairs Vadym Denysenko said on the air of the nationwide telethon, Ukrinform reports.

He also called it an alarming signal that Belarusian diplomats had left Ukraine.

"It is really an alarming signal. I would assess now, I now express my personal point of view, I would assess the possibility of Belarus entering the military conflict as 60 to 40. A week ago, it was 40 to 60, but I still think that Lukashenko will make every effort not to involve the Belarusian army in direct hostilities. His army is relatively small, the entire army of Belarusians numbers about 40 thousand people. This is the whole army, so that we understand, including the rear, the hospitals, and so on. In principle, we are ready for their invasion in the West, we are ready for the fact that the Belarusians can cross our border. But we definitely do not need this," said the Adviser to Ukraines Minister of Internal Affairs.

At the same time, he added that it was difficult to say what decision Lukashenko would make under Russian pressure.

"So far, in principle, everything shows that theoretically, we see only mostly Russian troops. But it is still difficult to say what role Belarusians will play, what they should do, Denysenko added.

On February 24, Russian president Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops shell and destroy key infrastructure, massively fire on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages using artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and ballistic missiles.

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Ukraine cannot be a demilitarized state like Sweden or Austria.

"Every country in the world, according to the UN Charter, has the right to self-defense. We in Ukraine, both the people and the government, understand very clearly that our self-defense forces must be independent, self-sufficient, because no one can be relied on. Therefore, a demilitarized state here is out of the question," Oleksiy Arestovych, a non-staff adviser to the Head of the President's Office, said in an interview with Radio Liberty.

Arestovych believes that the idea of creating a demilitarized state in Ukraine, following the example of Sweden or Austria, is "unacceptable" because our country is in a completely different situation.

"Sweden and Austria are surrounded by decent neighbors of Europeans who pursue stable policies and do not want to change borders, while Ukraine is a country that has been deceived twice. Our neutral status was enshrined in the Declaration of Sovereignty, and then in the Budapest Memorandum, which was signed after the world's third nuclear capability was surrendered. It was a huge argument in favor of military-political power, we were a superpower," the non-staff adviser to the Head of the President's Office underscored.

He added that all the Budapest Memorandum guarantors, not only Russia, had in fact deceived Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine is currently in a hot phase of hostilities because all guarantors did not fulfill their guarantees.

Earlier, Russia stated that they could consider Ukraine's status as a demilitarized country with its own army following the example of Sweden as a compromise with Kyiv.

A large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on since February 24.

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Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal discussed with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern the increased sanctions pressure on Russia, Ukraine is counting on New Zealand's support in preventing possible nuclear threats.

"Had a conversation with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. This country was one of the first to come out in support of Ukraine: it imposed tough sanctions against Russia and provides assistance to Ukrainians. I informed my colleague about the bombing of Ukrainian cities by Russia, numerous shelling of civilian objects, violation of international law," Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram channel.

The parties also considered steps to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

In particular: further restrictions on the activities of Russian banks; prohibition of entry of Russian or related vessels into ports; recognition of the Russian Federation as a terrorist state; inclusion in the FATF black list; full embargo of the Russian Federation.

In addition, the prime minister said that Ukraine is counting on New Zealand's support in preventing possible nuclear threats, in connection with the situation at Chornobyl and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the Swiss Confederation to freeze the assets and accounts of Russians, who started a war against Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made by the President of Ukraine in his video address to the Swiss people.

Just as I would like Ukrainians to live like the Swiss, so I want you to be and become like Ukrainians fighting against the evil. So that there will be no questions about banks, your banks, where the money of all of those who started this war is kept. It is painful and unpleasant, but it is also a fight against the evil, to make the assets of these people, their accounts frozen; it is necessary. It is a great fight, and you can do it, Zelensky said.

He also stressed that conducting foreign business operations in the Russian Federation is unacceptable, emphasizing that Switzerlands Nestle continues doing business in Russia.

I want all of you, the Swiss, to become now like all of us, Ukrainians! I want you and us not to lose our common chance now, a chance to stop any wars in the world, Zelensky noted.

The President of Ukraine expressed gratitude to the Swiss for their support for Ukraine and that they had not stayed away.

It is impossible to stay away of the fact that hundreds  you here, it is true,  hundreds of missiles and bombs are being launched on peaceful cities in the heart of Europe in the 21st century. It is impossible to stay away, when the army of the biggest, in terms of its size only, state is focusing all of its deadly potential on destroying us, destroying hospitals, common schools, churches, universities, residential sectors. It is impossible to stay indifferent, when they are killing children, Zelensky stressed.

A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting a war. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching missile strikes on residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians.

mk
Like many people in the UK I felt dismayed by the choice of my fellow countrymen to leave the European Union. It feels like a step back after years of working towards unity with our neighbouring countries.

Are we heading for more division in our world?

If so, what are the consequences of this choice?

Do we yet have an opportunity to ponder this reflection and choose greater unity?

We sit on the edge of a dark abyss  are we reading the signs? Here is the signpost out of the darkness...

If Mohammed, Krishna, Jesus and Buddha got together for breakfast one morning, would they start a war, or would there be so much love that the question of difference was neither raised, nor considered? Perhaps they would simply celebrate the awareness of their unique expressions on the One Truth. If we agree that because their common message to humanity is one of Love, then perhaps we should equally ask ourselves how we have created division between Christian, Moslem, Buddhist and Hindu.

The philosopher Serge Benhayon presents that there is a link between this separation and the manifestation of illness and disease in our society. Is it possible that this threat presents itself as cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, depression, abusive relationships, psychosis etc?

The call is for us to unite as one body of humanity, but surely first we must unite within ourselves. We must choose to connect with the energy of unity within ourselves and then allow this to be our expression in the world.

Do we have to have another world war to know what it is to unite with each other? In the UK there are still many films and series on TV that reflect with apparent fondness on World War II. This was an important historical event of course, but is that why we recall it so frequently? Or is it because it was a time when people united to fight a common enemy and got a glimpse of what it is like when we unite rather than separate? Do we really need a common foe to feel and connect with this unity with others, or could we just choose it because we love unity and it is our very nature?

Fans of Star Trek will know of The Borg  the part biological, part cybernetic creatures who assimilate races of beings in the most horrendous way, 'adding their uniqueness to their collective.' How would it be if we did become aware of such a threat to humanity... and that the only hope of survival is to unite and work together  the power of our one unified presence being the only way to fight this common threat? Do we really need to be forced to unite in this way or can we simply choose it because we know it is true? Perhaps this threat already exists, but rather than coming from some alien invasion, it manifests from within man himself, who has rejected the unity he knows in his heart in favour of separation and individuality.

Brexit has now become reality. The United Kingdom has chosen to leave the EU, although perhaps it would be wise to make it clear that England and Wales chose to leave the EU, whilst Scotland and Northern Ireland chose to remain.

The fallout from this decision is just beginning but the immediate sense around the community in which I live and work and even amongst some who voted to leave, is one of disbelief. People are devastated, not maybe for the reasons we think but because deep down we all have a genuine call to come together and unite. Love is calling us all to come together, however, are we living for the unification of man or for the division of humanity?

Am I just a naive human being or is it true that in the heart of every man there is a fundamental call for us to connect with each other and work together in a unified way?

Not just to fight evil or another perceived foe but simply because it is our true nature that we love truth and we love harmony  true harmony that is aware of the commonality that is in us all and of the Love we are all of, and from.

There is a deep call from humanity at present and the reply is embodied in full and expressed openly by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.

Theirs is a call to remember our One Unified Truth  to return to the place in our hearts where we know we are connected with each other and that we can choose to live this truth.

This is not some fanciful notion or wishful thinking but a reality many are experiencing in the world today. It is a reality many  if not all of us  long for. Lets not create another world war before we choose this united way  lets choose it now, just because we can and we know it as our Truth.





Filed under

Connection, Humanity, Lineage
Russian invaders try to create a pseudo government body in Kherson region, a local resident has been notified in absentia of suspicion of treason.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, according to the investigation, on March 16, 2022, the suspect, acting with accomplices in the interests of the aggressor country, held an illegal meeting of the "Rescue Committee 'For Peace and Order" pseudo-authority created by the occupiers.

"The meeting was held to convince the residents of the region that the Ukrainian authorities no longer govern the region. Also, there were calls for support for the occupation of the Russian Federation," the report says.

Under the procedural leadership of Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office, a resident of the city of Kherson was notified in absentia of suspicion of high treason committed by a group of persons by prior agreement (part 2 of article 28, part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

For the committed crime, the defendants face imprisonment for up to fifteen years or life imprisonment, with confiscation of property.
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
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Mar, 2022 ) :World famous ballet dancers from Russia and Ukraine, Argentina, Cuba, France and Japan come together on Saturday for a gala to raise funds for Ukraine and send a message of peace.

"We as artists have talent and we need to use this talent to say what we believe in," Ukraine's Ivan Putrov, co-organiser of the event to be held at the English National Opera's London Coliseum, told AFP.

"Art has a voice and is the voice that we use," said Putrov, who was a principal dancer with London's prestigious Royal Ballet from 2002 to 2010.

Putrov and Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru both trained in Kyiv and decided to mobilise the world of ballet for this "humanitarian appeal" in the face of Russia's invasion.

Now, they have united a team of exceptional dancers to "raise funds that will save lives," Putrov said.

The message is not only for the West and those in Ukraine, but also Russia.

"Some Russians will hear us and will raise their voice... because what's happening is outrageous," he said.

Stars taking the stage include Russia's Natalia Osipova, Argentina's Marianela Nunez and Japan's Fumi Kaneko, all from the Royal Ballet, and France's Mathieu Ganio from the Paris Opera.

Ukraine's Katja Khaniukova, Spain's Aitor Arrieta and the United States' Emma Hawes of the English National Ballet will also perform on the night.

The evening hopes to raise more than 100,000 ($130,000, 120,000 Euros) for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) UK charity collective which includes the British Red Cross and is helping victims of the war.

"Is art appropriate in such a horrible circumstance? Of course it is, because it gives hope, it gives inspiration to people," said Putrov.

- Loaded with symbolism - The Ukrainian national anthem will open the evening, which will close with "The Triumph of love" from the ballet "Raymonda", with music by Russia's Alexander Glazunov.

In between there will be 13 symbolism-laden choreographies such as "No Man's Land" by Liam Scarlett, "Lacrimosa" by Gyula Pandi and "Ashes" by Jason Kittelberger.

Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff will also be played.

"Russian culture doesn't have anything to do with (President Vladimir) Putin, and equally Putin has nothing to do with Russian culture," said Putrov.

Osipova, one of the most famous Russian dancers outside her country, declined to be interviewed.

But her presence "signifies that Russia doesn't equal aggression", said Putrov.

Cuba's Javier Torres of the Northern Ballet will perform "The Death of a Swan" by Camille Saint-Saens.

The piece is about a paraplegic who loses one of his limbs and "represents fighting for what you have lost," Torres told AFP.

"It talks about fighting to the end and that's how I wanted to interpret it," he said, thinking of "people who try to resist what happens to them," like the Ukrainians mired in war or the Cubans who have suffered under decades of US sanctions and embargoes, and "even by the Russians" in Soviet times.

"I have that pain, I have that anguish that every Cuban who lives outside of Cuba has, because we know the needs that are experienced there," he said.

He said he has not previously mixed art with politics, but Saturday's gala is "a humanitarian duty as a dancer, as a human rights defender, first as a person and then as an artist".
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2022) US President Joe Biden in a call with President of China Xi Jinping did not make any specific requests to China and laid out his assessment of the situation in Ukraine, a senior US administration official said on Friday.

"The President (Biden) really wasn't making specific requests to China. He was laying out his assessment of the situation, what he thinks makes sense, and the implications of certain actions," the official said during a press briefing. "I think our view is that China will make its own decisions and today I'd describe that as sort of the nature of the call."
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2022) Moscow has never used the export of energy resources as an instrument of political pressure, since Russian energy companies have always fully fulfilled their obligations and continue to do so now, Director of the First European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexey Paramonov told Sputnik.

"Moscow has never used the export of energy resources as an instrument of political pressure.

Russian energy companies have always fully fulfilled their obligations. They continue to do so now," he said.

In addition, Paramonov noted that Italy is very concerned about the future of energy supplies from Russia.

"Given Rome's significant dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, that reaches 40-45%, the rejection of reliable mechanisms for transporting energy resources that have developed over many decades would have extremely negative consequences for the Italian economy and for all Italians," the diplomat stressed.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2022) The chairman of the Russian parliament's lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said on Saturday that the United States and NATO member states must stop delivering weapons and sending mercenaries to Ukraine.

"The United States and NATO countries must stop supplying weapons and sending mercenaries to Ukraine," Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to the Russian lawmaker, mercenaries swelling the ranks of Ukrainian nationalist battalions are "recruited on the territory of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance with the consent of their leadership." Volodin also noted that Ukrainian nationalists every day "use the civilian population as a human shield."

The Russian lawmaker stressed that US President Joe Biden and his NATO allies, who have been calling for peace, "must first of all start with themselves.

" According to Volodin, it is their fault that the possibility of the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification is reduced.

"Everything that is happening today in Ukraine - civilian deaths, the flow of refugees - is the direct responsibility of Washington and Brussels," the Russian lawmaker stressed.

In addition, Volodin also considered that Washington and NATO do not want Ukraine to become an independent, non-bloc country.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation to "demilitarize and denazify Ukraine," responding to calls for help from the breakaway Donbas republics. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only.
Two candidates for the University of South Floridas presidency have advanced to interviews with the USF Presidential Search Committee. In a meeting Tuesday, the committee decided to move forward with Rhea Law, USFs interim president, and Jeffrey Talley, a senior executive with military, academic, corporate and government experience. Both Law and Talley are set to participate in in-person interviews on Friday, March 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Traditions Hall, at the Gibbons Alumni Center on the Tampa campus. The interviews will be available via livestream at the USF Presidential Search website.

Following the interviews, the search committee will evaluate each candidate and may recommend candidates for further evaluation and interview by the Board of Trustees (BOT). The BOT will then invite any finalists to participate in town halls on each of USFs campuses followed by an interview with the BOT. The Board will evaluate any finalists and may then name the next president, subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.

Below are bios for each candidate:

Rhea Law

Rhea Laws leadership experiences and qualifications are numerous and diverse. A USF alumna, she is the former chief executive officer and chair of the board of Fowler White Boggs, a Florida law firm. She led the merger of Fowler with a national firm, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, in 2014. She is one of the founding members of the USF Board of Trustees, where she spent five years as vice chair and four years as the first and only female chair.

She is also a founding member of the Board of Directors of the USF Law Alumni Society, served as a member of the USF Research Foundation Board and was named a 2018 Distinguished Alumna by the USF Alumni Association. She chaired the Board of Directors for the Health Professions Conferencing Corporation with the USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS). In 2018 she was inducted as an honorary member of the USF Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors in recognition of her support of research and innovation at USF. In 2013, she was granted an Honorary Doctor of Medicine Degree from the USF Morsani College of Medicine. She formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay Technology Forum and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Board of Directors and currently serves on Moffitts National Advisory Board.

Law earned her undergraduate degree in management from USF, putting herself through school while working as the university research project administrator for the Office of Sponsored Research. She then earned her terminal degree in law at Stetson University College of Law, where she later served as chair of their Board of Overseers, helping to select both a dean of the College of Law and president of the university.

Jeffrey Talley

Jeffrey Talley is a senior executive with experience in military, academic, corporate and government positions. He has experience in large-scale organizations, public-private partnerships, national and cybersecurity, environmental and energy sustainability, disaster emergency management, infrastructure resilience, data analytics and technology, R&D and higher education.

He currently serves as a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition based in Washington D.C., an organization that works to strengthen tools of national security. He also serves as president and CEO of The Public Private Partnership Initiatives (P3i) Group, a management consulting firm for government, business, not-for-profit and academia. His military career included duty in the United States, Korea, Kuwait and Iraq. His service culminated in 2012 when he was appointed to the rank of lieutenant general and to a four-year term as the 32nd chief of Army Reserve and seventh commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command  an organization of over 215,000 soldiers and civilians and 134 general officers and executives, with an annual operating budget of $9 billion, and activities in over 30 countries, including all states and territories. He has received numerous medals and awards, including two Army Distinguished Medals and three Bronze Star Medals. He retired from the military in 2016 and was recognized by the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2016, with "Tribute to Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley", as reflected in the congressional record.

Talley holds a Ph.D. (Civil and Environmental Engineering) from Carnegie Mellon University, an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Oxford, an M.S.E. (Environmental Engineering and Science) from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.L.A. (Liberal Arts  History/Philosophy) from Washington University in St. Louis, an M.S.S. (Strategic Studies) from the U.S. Army War College, an M.A. (Religious Studies) from Assumption College, and a B.S. (Forestry - Natural Resource Management) from Louisiana State University. He is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.), a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) in Sustainability, and a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE).
Ukrainian Armed Forces hold positions in Izium direction, in Kharkiv local residents help to identify sabotage group in residential high-rise building - Synehubov

Last night in Kharkiv passed relatively calmly, during the day the city was subjected to 29 enemy shelling, head of the regional military administration Oleh Synehubov said.

"In a day, the Russians fired 29 times - these are artillery, mortar strikes, shelling from the MLRS," Synehubov wrote in his Telegram channel.

He informed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are repelling all Russian offensive attempts in Izium direction.

"Our army repels all attempts. Because the 'cadets' sent by the Russians cannot stand even an hour of fighting with our defenders," Synehubov wrote.

He also thanked the residents of the region for their indifference and activity, thanks to which it was possible to identify the enemy's sabotage group, located in an apartment on the 15th floor of a residential building.

"I want to thank the residents for their concern and activity. We are already catching criminals together. Thanks to information from locals, representatives of a sabotage and reconnaissance group were found in one of the residential buildings in Kharkiv on the 15th floor. Antennas and other radio equipment were found in the apartment. The SBU officials are already figuring out the details," Synehubov wrote.
As Kenyan authorities lifted remaining coronavirus restrictions, the Interfaith Council on Covid-19 also announced that places of worship could now resume full capacity. The Council further lifted time limits for the services.

CISA  Nairobi, Kenya.

In a statement signed by the Council chairperson, Archbishop Antony Muheria of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri, the council also vacated the limitations of attendants and timing in funerals and weddings.

Rebuilding expressions of faith

The religious leaders, however, warned that although the country has lifted many of the containment measures, "the Covid-19 effects will still be felt in the society and the families for a long time to come. Let us continue praying that God may help us make our contribution towards rebuilding our expressions of faith, and sustaining our society in all areas."

The religious leaders implored Kenyans to watch out for the many families immensely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and to come to their aid in mitigating their challenges.

We single out, especially the Covid orphans and widows. We all, together with the government, should seek ways of mitigating their strife through some means of support," said Archbishop Muheria.

Masks as a measure of prudence

Although the Government through the Ministry of Health lifted the longstanding mandatory wearing of facemasks in public places, the Interfaith Council advised in what it terms as a measure of prudence congregants to continue wearing masks in the places of worship.

We still warn that the covid-19 pandemic is not yet over. The danger still hangs, even as it seems to wane in its infectious spread. We must not lower our guard, Archbishop Muheria said in calling for adherence to measures of hygiene, by washing hands or sanitizing before and after the worship services, as well as in all moments when handling shared items.

The easing of containment measures was informed by the reported 0.5 percent of prevalence rate of infections in the past two months. Additionally, the country has also recorded less than 2 covid-19 related deaths in over four weeks
Copyright 2022 Christine Flowers, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com.
Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music.
The world is at a 'dangerous moment' in the fight against diseases like polio, a senior World Health Organization official said, as efforts begin to immunize 23 million children across five African countries after an outbreak in Malawi.

In February, Malawi declared its first case of wild poliovirus in 30 years, when a 3-year old girl in the Lilongwe district was paralyzed as a result of her infection.

The case raised alarm because Africa was declared free of wild polio in 2020 and there are only two countries in the world where it is endemic: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan marked a year without cases in January 2022.

"This is a dangerous moment," Modjirom Ndoutabe, polio coordinator for WHO Africa, told Reuters in a phone interview from Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo.

"Even if there is one country in the world with polio, all the other countries are in big trouble."

Ndoutabe said the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns had slowed efforts to vaccinate children against other diseases such as polio, and also hit surveillance.

According to the Gavi vaccine alliance, childhood immunization services in the 68 countries it supports dropped by 4% in 2020, representing 3.1 million more "zero-dose" children likely unprotected from childhood diseases like polio, diphtheria and measles, and 3 million more under-immunized children than in 2019.

"This is a tragedy," Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi, said in an interview with Reuters. "The challenge is getting that back up."

In Malawi, where polio vaccine coverage is high  above 90% in most districts  rates during the pandemic fell by 2%, according to Janet Kayita, WHO Malawi head. She said the child who was paralyzed had one dose of the polio vaccine at birth, but not the other doses needed for full protection.

Kayita said surveillance had been more significantly impacted. The case is linked to a strain circulating in Pakistan's Sindh province in 2019, which means it does not impact Africa's polio-free status. But teams are now scrambling to answer how it arrived in Malawi, and how long it spread undetected.

Polio, a highly infectious disease spread mainly through contamination by fecal matter, used to kill and paralyze thousands of children annually. There is no cure, but vaccination brought the world close to ending the wild form of the disease.

Mass rollout

In a bid to prevent renewed spread in Africa, almost 70,000 vaccinators will go door-to-door in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, to give all children under 5 the oral polio vaccine in a $15.7 million campaign funded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the WHO said in a statement on Friday.

The first round, beginning Monday, will target more than 9 million children, followed by three further rounds aiming to reach all under-5-year-olds, regardless of their vaccination status, to boost immunity, Kayita said.

Efforts have also been stepped up to track any cases linked to the Malawi outbreak and to monitor transmission in wastewater. So far, no other linked cases have been found.

Vaccine-derived polio, a form of the disease stemming from incomplete vaccination coverage, is more widespread globally, and recent outbreaks have sparked concerns about how the coronavirus pandemic may have hit vaccination coverage.

Israel is battling an outbreak of vaccine-derived polio, its first since the 1980s, after a case was discovered in Jerusalem last week. Almost 12,000 children have since been vaccinated.

Ukraine reported its first vaccine-derived polio case in five years last year, but urgent efforts to curb the outbreak were halted after the Russian invasion on Feb. 24.

Complete vaccination protects against both forms of the disease, and a focus on that will halt both the outbreak in Malawi in months and all forms of polio in Africa by 2023, said Ndoutabe, who described his sorrow when he first heard of the Malawi case setback.

"But we did not stay in this sadness. We had to act quickly," he said.
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French troops held drills in a military base in Estonia, March 19, 2022, as part of NATO's reinforcement of regional security, following Russia's invasion in Ukraine. (Reuters)
World-famous ballet dancers from Russia and Ukraine, Argentina, Cuba, France and Japan come together Saturday for a gala to raise funds for Ukraine and send a message of peace.

"We as artists have talent and we need to use this talent to say what we believe in," Ukraine's Ivan Putrov, co-organizer of the event to be held at the English National Opera's London Coliseum, told AFP.

"Art has a voice and is the voice that we use," said Putrov, who was a principal dancer with London's prestigious Royal Ballet from 2002-10.

Putrov and Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru both trained in Kyiv and decided to mobilize the world of ballet for this "humanitarian appeal" in the face of Russia's invasion.

Now, they have united a team of exceptional dancers to "raise funds that will save lives," Putrov said.

The message is not only for the West and those in Ukraine, but also Russia.

"Some Russians will hear us and will raise their voice... because what's happening is outrageous," he said.

Stars taking the stage include Russia's Natalia Osipova, Argentina's Marianela Nunez and Japan's Fumi Kaneko, all from the Royal Ballet, and France's Mathieu Ganio from the Paris Opera.

Ukraine's Katja Khaniukova, Spain's Aitor Arrieta and the United States' Emma Hawes of the English National Ballet will also perform on the night.

The evening hopes to raise more than $130,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) UK charity collective which includes the British Red Cross and is helping victims of the war.

"Is art appropriate in such a horrible circumstance? Of course it is, because it gives hope, it gives inspiration to people," said Putrov.

Loaded with symbolism

The Ukrainian national anthem will open the evening, which will close with The Triumph of Love from the ballet Raymonda, with music by Russia's Alexander Glazunov.

In between there will be 13 symbolism-laden choreographies such as No Man's Land by Liam Scarlett, Lacrimosa by Gyula Pandi and Ashes by Jason Kittelberger.

Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff will also be played.

"Russian culture doesn't have anything to do with (President Vladimir) Putin, and equally Putin has nothing to do with Russian culture," said Putrov.

Osipova, one of the most famous Russian dancers outside her country, declined to be interviewed.

But her presence "signifies that Russia doesn't equal aggression," said Putrov.

Cuba's Javier Torres of the Northern Ballet will perform The Death of a Swan by Camille Saint-Saens.

The piece is about a paraplegic who loses one of his limbs and "represents fighting for what you have lost," Torres told AFP.

"It talks about fighting to the end and that's how I wanted to interpret it," he said, thinking of "people who try to resist what happens to them," like the Ukrainians mired in war or the Cubans who have suffered under decades of U.S. sanctions and embargoes, and "even by the Russians" in Soviet times.

"I have that pain, I have that anguish that every Cuban who lives outside of Cuba has, because we know the needs that are experienced there," he said.

He said he has not previously mixed art with politics, but Saturday's gala is "a humanitarian duty as a dancer, as a human rights defender, first as a person and then as an artist.
The sister of a U.S.-based dissident Bangladeshi journalist has been granted bail by a Bangladesh court after 160 days in detention and, according to her lawyer, may be released sometime next week.

Nusrat Shahrin Raka, 38, the sister of journalist Kanak Sarwar, was detained Oct. 5 in Dhaka by Bangladeshs special police force  the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). She was charged under the countrys controversial Digital Security Act for spreading anti-state propaganda and under the Narcotics Control Act for possessing crystal meth, which the police claimed to have found in her home.

Supporters have argued in a growing social media campaign that Raka is innocent and was arrested simply to apply pressure to her brother. Reporters Without Borders issued a statement in October accusing the Bangladesh government of targeting family members to stifle the voices of dissenting journalists living abroad.

Raka was denied bail multiple times in the last five months, both in lower and higher courts. But human rights bodies across the globe have increasingly been urging Bangladesh to drop what they see as politically motivated charges.

Sarwar, who now lives in New York, is a harsh critic of the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, which has remained in power since 2009 in spite of two controversial elections.

Sarwar was arrested in 2015, along with the owner of the TV station he worked for, after the station broadcast a speech delivered in London by the son of Khaleda Zia, Hasinas archrival and the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Sarwar was held for nine months before making bail. He then fled the country and has since then been living in the United States.

Calls for the release of Raka have been mounting on Facebook and Twitter under the hashtag #freeraka. Most argue the woman has been incarcerated only because her brother is a staunch regime critic.

Social media movement or international pressure?

Shyan S. Khan, a prominent Bangladeshi journalist, was among those who advocated for Rakas release on his Facebook page.

She is in jail for being a sister, he wrote.

When asked whether #freeraka movement played a part in securing Rakas bail, Khan said he believed that attention to the case from prominent international groups like Amnesty International, [the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch was more of a factor.

Gradually we were starting to see those same names that used to raise their voices against RAB/Police atrocities, eventually resulting in the sanctions imposed in December, he told VOA via WhatsApp. Those voices were starting to make themselves heard in the Rakas case.

Khan was referring to the December imposition of sanctions on RAB and seven current and former officials by Washington, which accused them of involvement in hundreds of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings since 2009.

That, coupled with the fact that clearly the grounds were not there for a case against her  and Sarwar's refusal to bend to their demand; his pages and channels still remain published by YouTube, said Khan.

So, all in all, the government, being wary at the moment of more international condemnation of their rights record, most likely made the call that it was not worth it to keep Raka in jail anymore.

Josef Benedict, Asia Pacific researcher for CIVICUS, an international alliance of civil society organizations and activists, attaches more importance to the social media campaign.

He wrote to VOA it is impressive that the #freeraka movement took off despite ongoing attempts by the authorities to control or shutdown online spaces and to prosecute and harass individuals for online dissent.

Clearly this, as well as the growing international scrutiny on Bangladesh has helped to secure the release of Raka on bail after 160 days in jail, he said.

However, CIVICUS believes she should not have been detained in the first place and is a target of reprisal for the activism of her brother. We urge the government to immediately and unconditionally drop the trumped-up charges against her and end its harassment of activists or their families, Benedict said.

Pressuring dissenting journalists abroad

Sarwar expressed his relief at the news that his sister has been granted bail.

Clearly, she was arrested and was slapped with false charges as the Bangladesh government want me to stop my journalism, he told VOA by telephone.

Sarwar started a YouTube channel in 2018 where he posted videos of his interviews with opposition politicians and others critical of the Hasina administration. His channel quickly gained popularity among Bangladeshis.

People were drawn to my talk shows as, instead of succumbing to sycophancy, my program actually tried to adhere to journalistic norms, Sarwar said.

That created the problem, as this Awami regime couldnt tolerate criticism and dubbed anything that went against their interest as anti-state propaganda, he said, adding that the Bangladeshi government has tried to stop him multiple times from broadcasting critical news and hosting talk shows.

In its October statement, Reporters Without Borders said, Pressure on family members, judicial harassment and even physical violence have been used by Awami League supporters since the start of September, with the backing of the authorities, to persecute Bangladeshi journalists covering Bangladesh from abroad.

The statement mentioned harassment faced by the family members of Tasneem Khalil, a Swedish-based exiled Bangladeshi journalist. Khalil, the statement said, fled to Sweden after being tortured by the security forces in 2007. He now runs an investigative news portal called Netra News, which regularly publishes reports on corruption in Bangladesh.

Khalil told VOA that intelligence agencies visit his mothers home in Bangladesh frequently and harass her with questions.

She is an elderly person and lives alone. Yet the police visited her home late at night and asked her questions about me.

Terming the judicial harassment of Raka a textbook case of hostage-taking, Khalil said, This case is nothing but a ploy to blackmail and silence a dissident journalist Kanak Sarwar.

Bangladeshs Law Minister Anisul Haq told VOA that his government does not misuse any law to take anyone hostage. I am aware of Kanak Sarwars sister case. Why do you think this is different from any other case? he asked.

Haq said journalists in Bangladesh enjoy complete freedom.

Even those who stay abroad and run news channel from there can broadcast or publish whatever they want, he said.

Regarding the Digital Security Act, under which Raka was arrested, he said, You have to understand, this act has not been enacted to curb freedom of speech and press freedom.

Bangladeshi photojournalist and human rights activist Shahidul Alam disagreed, saying the law provides the Bangladesh government a perfect weapon to stifle dissenting voices.

The 2018 law criminalizes many forms of expression and imposes heavy fines and prison sentences for legitimate forms of dissent. The act gives the police absolute power to arrest anyone, without a warrant, simply on suspicion that a crime may be committed using digital media.
Cameroon has sent government ministers and governors to convince disgruntled teachers to return to classrooms and teach. The teachers have been protesting for a month, demanding better pay and the payment of salary arrears, some dating back 10 years.

Cameroon officials say opposition politicians and what the government calls irresponsible civil society groups are encouraging protesting teachers to continue to defy state authority.

The government says several dozen politicians and civil society groups are asking children to not go to school and teachers not to teach until the government provides all their needs.

Cameroonian teachers have been protesting for a month, demanding better pay and working conditions.

Eleven political parties, including the Social Democratic Front, the Union of Cameroon People and the Cameroon Peoples Party, have asked the government to find satisfactory and definitive answers to the teachers' demands. They said the protest is legitimate.

The government has asked senior state officials including governors and ministers to convince teachers to return to classrooms and teach.

Nalova Lyonga, Cameroon's minister of secondary education, says Cameroonian President Paul Biya promised to pay teachers outstanding transportation fares and salary arrears gradually starting this month.



"Teachers, please come back. Don't go to the streets. There is no need to go to the streets because the head of state is listening. We are going to make the teachers proud. We have to do that, so let me get my teachers back," she said.

Lyonga said many teachers refuse to return to the classrooms but did not say how many.

The teachers say about 80,000 of them are owed a total of about $200 million.

Biya this month ordered the payment of $4 million in back pay for striking teachers who graded exams. Teachers dismissed the amount as insufficient.

Cameroon also promised to pay $34 million this month and said the rest of the transportation fares will be paid gradually. While some teachers returned to work, others again said the money is largely insufficient.

Eloundou Patrice, a spokesperson for OTS, a teachers pressure group spearheading the protest, says when a similar protest was held in 2017, Cameroons government said Biya ordered the payment of salary arrears. Eloundou says one month of salary arrears for some teachers was paid, and when the protest was called off, the government stopped settling the debts to teachers. He says he does not trust Biya and his government.

The government continues to claim it will improve the living and working conditions of teachers by providing their needs gradually.

Teachers say some of them are owed up to 10 years of salary arrears. They also asked for the monthly salaries of primary school teachers to be increased from about $150 to at least $400 and those of secondary school teachers to be increased from about $400 to at least $800.
China has reported it first COVID-19-related deaths in more than a year.

The two deaths were recorded in Jilin, a northeastern province.

China is battling a surge of coronavirus infections.

The new wave of cases has resulted in Chinese health officials tightening COVID-19-related restrictions, at a time when many Western countries are lifting COVID-19 mandates.

The coronavirus emerged in Chinas Wuhan province more than two years ago.

Meanwhile, health officials in Hong Kong say the number of COVID-19 cases there has now exceeded a million. On Friday, Hong Kong reported it had recorded 20,082 new infections and 206 new deaths.

The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention is urging countries that have received displaced people from Ukraine to make COVID-19 testing and vaccination a priority at reception centers.

While vaccination for COVID-19 remains the most essential intervention to prevent hospitalization and death, many of the people fleeing Ukraine are expected to not be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the center said in a statement Friday.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Saturday that it has recorded more than 468 million global COVID infections and more than 6 million deaths. Johns Hopkins said nearly 11 billion vaccines have been administered.
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna says the volume and speed of delivery of humanitarian aid must match the challenges facing Ukraine.

According to the press service of the Deputy Prime Minister, Stefanishyna, during an online UN briefing on humanitarian response to the crisis caused by Russian armed aggression, thanked all countries and international organizations that promptly provided Ukraine with the necessary assistance, and noted that the government has full information about the humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian regions.

"Comprehensive coordination with the government on the provision of humanitarian assistance is important so that the right assistance reaches the regions that need it most. At the same time, we feel the need to increase such supplies. The volume and speed of delivery of humanitarian aid must correspond to the challenges facing Ukraine," the press service quoted Stefanishyna as saying.

She also noted the importance of the efforts made by international organizations to facilitate negotiations with Russia on the creation of humanitarian corridors, but stressed that the delivery of aid to the most critical areas is blocked.

"Russia continues to violate the agreements reached. We call on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to fulfill its obligations as soon as possible. Today, more than 80 settlements are in need of help, and some have actually been destroyed by Russian troops," Stefanishyna said.
China signed new rules on the supervision of military equipment purchase contracts on Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency said, part of long-term efforts by the country to modernize its military.

China aims to complete the modernization of its armed forces by 2035 and turn the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into a world-class military by the middle of the century.

President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission overseeing the armed forces, has continually pushed for new rules and regulations to assess, procure and test weaponry and equipment.

The latest rules aim to improve efficiency in the supervision of military equipment purchase contracts and make sure good quality equipment is delivered to the army, Xinhua said, without giving specific details.

The rules will come into effect on March 20.

The announcement came one day after Xi had a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which they discussed the Ukraine war.

During the call, Biden warned China against supporting Russia's attack on Ukraine. Biden also said China, which has called for a cease-fire in Ukraine, makes its own decisions.

For decades, Russia has aided China in modernizing its military, supplying its neighbor with weapons and equipment from naval guns to transport aircraft. No weapons transfers have been made in the other direction, according to independent arms transfer data.

In October last year, Xi called for efforts to "break new ground" in military equipment and weapons development for the PLA.

China routinely carries out miliary exercises in the South China Sea, a large part of which it claims. It also sometimes deploys military aircraft into the air defense zone of self-governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.

On Friday, China sailed its aircraft carrier Shandong through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, a source previously told Reuters.

China also has a long-term border dispute with India. China, which says it pursues a national defense policy, plans to spend 7.1% more on defense this year, outpacing last year's hike.
A humanitarian corridor in Ukraines Luhansk region is opening Saturday to allow people to evacuate the area, according to regional Governor Serhiy Gaiday, who said food will also be available during the evacuation.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has sparked significant rises in energy and food prices, the Center for Global Development reported Friday. The center said its analysis suggests the scale of price spike will push over 40 million into extreme poverty.

Governments and international agencies will need to act quickly and generously to anticipate and support humanitarian needsbut they should also use the crisis as an opportunity to reform agricultural policies in the EU and US that are undermining food security, the center said.

On Friday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said it has delivered the first convoy of urgent humanitarian aid to the ravaged northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy.

The 130 metric tons of essential aid includes medical supplies, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals and canned food that will directly help some 35,000 people, OCHA said. In addition to these items, the convoy brought equipment to repair water systems to help 50,000 people.

Ukrainian officials say they have yet to find any casualties in the ruins of a theater hit by a Russian airstrike this week in the southern city of Mariupol as Russian forces continue to fire on Ukrainian cities and negotiators from both countries seek to find common ground.

As of Friday, 130 people had been rescued from the theater's basement, Ukrainian officials said, as the search continues for the hundreds more who could be trapped in the makeshift bomb shelter that was hit Wednesday.

Mariupol's city council said on Telegram that "according to initial information, there are no dead. But there is information about one person gravely wounded."

The theater was bombed despite signs indicating that civilians, including children, were sheltering there. Russia denies striking the theater.

Also Friday, Russia's lead negotiator in talks with Ukraine said the sides have moved closer to agreement on the issue of Ukraine dropping its bid to join NATO.

Vladimir Medinsky said Friday the two countries are also "halfway there" on the question of Ukraine adopting neutral status.

Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter, "Our positions are unchanged. Cease-fire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow in a video address released early Saturday.

The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk, he said, adding, The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover."

US-China talks

On the diplomatic front, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a rare videoconference call Friday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden conveyed "very directly, leader to leader, what the implications and consequences would be" if China provided material support to Russia.

"China has to make a decision for themselves about where they want to stand and how they want the history books to look at them and view their actions," she added.

China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement after the nearly two-hour discussion that "conflict and confrontation" is "not in anyone's interest."

Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, however, criticized the U.S. suggestion that China risks being on the wrong side of history, saying the U.S. administration is being "overbearing."

China could play a critical role in the conflict depending on its response to Russia's reported request for military assistance. The United States is providing the bulk of military assistance to Ukraine, with Biden having announced another $800 million defense package this week.

Russia still stalled

The latest British defense intelligence assessment of the conflict is that "Russian forces have made minimal progress this week."

As the invasion enters its fourth week, Russian troops have failed to seize control of Kyiv, a major objective of the Kremlin.

Britain's Defense Ministry tweeted Friday that "Ukrainian forces around Kyiv and Mykolaiv continue to frustrate Russian attempts to encircle the cities."

"The cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol remain encircled and subject to heavy Russian shelling," it said.

U.S. defense officials have repeatedly described Russia's military as facing stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed tens of thousands of people at a stadium rally Friday, praising the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

"We have not had unity like this for a long time," he said.

"We know what we need to do, how to do it and at what cost. And we will absolutely accomplish all of our plans," he added.

Russia's claims against US

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council met Friday at Russia's request for the second time in a week to discuss its latest allegations that the U.S. was operating a secret biological weapons program in Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claimed that Russian forces had uncovered new documents during their military offensive, and that Ukraine was playing only a secondary role in the alleged project.

"The Ukrainian specialists were not informed about the potential risks of transfer of biological materials and were kept in the dark," Nebenzia said of the allegedly secret military biological program. "They don't have a real idea about the real objectives of the research being carried out."

U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed the earlier allegations as "bizarre conspiracy theories" and said the latest claims sounded like they came from "some dark corner of the internet."

She expressed Washington's continued concern that Moscow may be planting the seeds for an attack it would then blame on Ukraine.

"We continue to believe it is possible that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents against the Ukrainian people," Thomas-Greenfield said.

The United Nations human rights office said Friday it has verified 816 civilian killings since the fighting began Feb. 24 but believes the death toll is vastly understated. Ukrainian officials say thousands of civilians have been killed.

Nearly 3.3 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, according to U.N. estimates.

The U.N. migration agency said Friday that in addition to those who have left the country, nearly 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine and that another 12 million people have been stranded or unable to leave parts of Ukraine because of heightened security risks or a lack of resources.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, "By these estimates, roughly half the country is either internally displaced, stranded in affected areas or unable to leave, or has already fled to neighboring countries."

VOA's White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Polls have closed in East Timor after Asia's youngest nation held its fifth presidential election since independence on Saturday, with political stability and economic security at the forefront of voters' minds.

The 16 presidential hopefuls include former resistance fighter and incumbent President Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres as well as independence figure and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta and a former Catholic priest.

While the nation's independence figures still dominate the field, for the first time there are also four female candidates, including Deputy Prime Minister Armanda Berta Dos Santos.

"We must choose a new generation so that we can build this country," said Jorge Mendonca Soares, 42, after queuing patiently to vote at a polling booth in the capital of Dili on Saturday morning.

A recent poll by the national university showed that Ramos-Horta, 72, former defense forces commander Lere Anan Timur, and the incumbent Guterres were the favorites.

At the time polls closed at 0600 GMT, some would-be voters in the capital had been unable to cast ballots due to residency requirements.

"Many cannot vote because they are not registered in the data as residents from outside the city of Dili," Joao Ximenes, head of a voting station in Comoro, told Reuters. He added that two people had been arrested after a protest erupted at the polling station as a result.

Officials said it was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the rule.

Early indications of the frontrunners in the election are expected to emerge late on Saturday. If no candidate wins an outright majority, the vote will proceed to a run-off on April 19 between the top two contenders.

Approaching twenty years since independence after the end of a brutal occupation by Indonesia, East Timor has for long spells struggled with political instability.

After elections in 2018, Guterres refused to swear in some ministers from the National Congress of the Reconstruction of East Timor (CNRT), a political party led by former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

The ensuing political stalemate continues to this day.

Ramos-Horta, who is backed by Xanana's CNRT party, said earlier this week he was running because he felt the current president had "exceeded his powers."

Guterres told reporters after voting on Saturday: "Whoever runs must be ready to win and be ready to lose ... But I want to say I will win."

In East Timor's political system, the president appoints a government and has the power to veto ministers or dissolve parliament.

Economic diversification was a major issue in the election, as worries mount over the country's heavy dependence on dwindling supplies of oil and gas.

The role of young voters was also key, with an estimated 20% of voters reaching the voting age of 17 in the past five years and casting their ballots for the first time.

First-time voter Marco de Jesus, 17, said he felt nervous but relaxed after help from polling staff.

"I feel proud to have carried out my function as a voter," he said from outside a polling station on Dili's waterfront.

"I hope my choice can bring positive and useful change."
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On Healthy Living this week, we shed a light on bullying, and Ivorian psychologist Nour Bakayoko discusses bullying and what can be done to protect victims in school, at home and at work. And, we'll have some tips on how to age well. Plus, Kenya ramps up efforts to control the twin challenges of COVID 19 and malaria. These stories and more in this week's show. S2, E141
The leader of an anti-junta paramilitary force in Myanmars Sagaing region on Friday confirmed reports that his group had killed 10 people in a November incident and vowed to accept responsibility if an inquiry launched by the shadow National Unity Government finds him accountable.

The statement by Boh Thanmani, the leader of a Peoples Defense Force group in Sagaings embattled Yinmabin township, prompted calls for the NUG to conduct a thorough and transparent probe of the matter to avoid confusion over the role of self-styled prodemocracy paramilitaries who claim to be protecting civilians from the military regimes troops in Myanmars remote border regions.

In a letter dated March 14, another anti-junta group calling itself the Local Defense Force claimed that Yinmabin PDF fighters had killed 21 residents of the area since October 2021, including 10 of its members during one incident in November.

An investigation into the claims by RFAs Myanmar Service confirmed the killings in November, which sources in the area said were carried out by three Yinmabin PDF members, although their names and ranks were not immediately clear.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a joint force of fighters from the two groups had collaborated to plant a landmine ambush for junta troops in Kani townships Lar Poet village, but the explosive went off prematurely and nearly killed members of the PDF. The PDF then arrested the four LDF members involved in the joint force, and when an LDF leader and five of his fighters went to free them, the PDF killed them and the four detainees to get rid of the evidence, they said.

RFA could not independently confirm the other 11 killings alleged in the LDF letter and was unable to contact the families of the victims.

In response to inquiries by RFA, several PDF groups in the area claimed in a joint statement that 13 people, including Boh Thanmani were responsible for the 10 deaths in November. The names of the other dozen alleged perpetrators were not provided.

Boh Thanmani is a former monk named Ashin Sopaka who was known for his anti-military protests in recent years. After Myanmars military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup, Ashin Sopaka renounced his monkhood and adopted the alias to become a leader of the PDF.

When contacted by RFA, Boh Thanmani confirmed the claims in the LDF letter and said he is fully cooperating with the NUGs investigation of the killings.

This incident took place in November last year. Some of these things happen without the knowledge of the leaders. Directives have now been issued to prevent such incidents in future, he said.

If these cases are proved to [involve murder], the perpetrators will be held accountable and will be punished. But this will only work if there is a proper, systematic investigation after the revolution.

No rule of law

Since the February 2021 coup, junta forces have killed at least 1,687 civilians and arrested nearly 9,800, mostly during peaceful protests of military rule, according to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The military has launched several offensives against PDF paramilitary groups and ethnic armies in the countrys border regions, and reports have surfaced of junta troops looting and burning villages, arbitrarily detaining noncombatants, and raping and killing civilians.

Boh Thanmani said that there is little that can be done while the junta remains in power because there is no rule of law in effect amid the political chaos.

Even if one is to be imprisoned, which prison are we going to? There is no prison for us yet, he said.

The former monk told RFA that no leader of the Yinmabin PDF had given an order to kill the 10 LDF members in November and said his group even provide[s] proper care to prisoners captured during engagements.

Some comrades from the lower ranks might have lost their temper and committed the killings. These kinds of crimes can happen during wartime, he said.

I have agreed to face the consequences if Im found guilty under the law and given a jail sentence.

NUG commission of inquiry

When asked about the killings, NUG Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Naing Htoo Aung told RFA that a commission of inquiry had been set up online to investigate the murder in December last year, and that its findings were presented to NUG Interim President Duwah LSheila and Prime Minister Manh Win Khaing Than on Thursday.

According to the commission, there may have been some arbitrary arrests and activities, he said.

We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure that justice is done in accordance with the law. Even though its a revolutionary period for the NUG at present, if there are any violations of the law, we will act in accordance with the law. We will continue to adhere to the principle of accountability.

He said he was unsure whether the NUG plans to issue a statement on the commissions inquiry into the killings.

Naing Htoo Aungs comments came days after United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned that Myanmar is caught in a downward spiral of violence in her first report to the U.N. Human Rights Council since the coup, citing reports of military abuses she said may amount to crimes against humanity.

But the report also noted that since the NUG announced the formation of the PDF as a forerunner to a Federal Democratic Armed Forces in May 2021, there have been reports of hundreds of targeted killings of individuals perceived as being pro-military, for most of which no party claimed responsibility.

It noted that while several iterations of an NUG-issued code of conduct for PDFs contain provisions based on international standards, including the Geneva Conventions, serious long-standing issues  including forced recruitment, child recruitment and landmine use by anti-[junta] actors, continue to be reported.

Bachelet cited reports that, since May, 543 individuals have been killed because of their alleged support for the military, including 166 local administrators or their family members, 47 members of the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, and 214 purported military informants.

It is not possible to attribute most of those deaths to particular actors, but anti-coup armed elements claimed responsibility for 95 incidents, her report said.

Call for accountability

The killings in November mark the first confirmed massacre by a local PDF group since the NUG announced the formation of the paramilitary organization last year.

Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, told RFA that the junta is likely to use the incident as propaganda against the PDF, which it refers to as a terrorist organization that is responsible for many of the reported abuses attributed to the military in Myanmars border regions.

He called on the NUG to thoroughly and transparently investigate the incident to ensure that it does not negatively impact the image of the anti-junta resistance at home or abroad.

This case could cause division among the ranks of the PDFs. The NUGs image could also be severely tarnished if Western diplomats and lawyers question why such extrajudicial killings are being carried out  acts not unlike those by the juntas security forces, he said.

I hope that the NUG government will address this issue effectively and decisively. If they dont do that, there will be misunderstandings, not only domestically but also internationally.
Pope Francis, ramping up his implicit criticism of Russia, on Friday called the war in Ukraine a "perverse abuse of power" waged for partisan interests which has condemned defenseless people to violence.

The pope has not actually named Russia in his condemnations, but he has used phrases such as "unacceptable armed aggression" to get his point across and on Friday spoke of "people defending their land" and escaping bombardments.

"The tragedy of the war taking place in the heart of Europe has left us stunned," he said, adding that few people would have imagined scenes similar to the two world wars in the 20th century.

His latest condemnation came in a message to a Catholic Church conference in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, one of the countries bordering Ukraine that has opened its doors to refugees.

"Once more humanity is threatened by a perverse abuse of power and partisan interests which condemns defenseless people to suffer every form of brutal violence," he said.

"The blood and tears of children, the suffering of women and men who are defending their land or fleeing from bombardments shakes our conscience," he said.

Moscow says its action is a "special military operation" designed not to occupy territory but to demilitarize and "de-Nazify" its neighbor.

The pope has rejected that term, however, saying previously it could not be considered "just a military operation" but a war that had unleashed "rivers of blood and tears."

On Wednesday held a video call with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kirill, 75, has made statements defending Moscow's actions in Ukraine and sees the war as a bulwark against a West he considers decadent, particularly over the acceptance of homosexuality.

The Vatican said the pope told Kirill: "The ones who pay the price of war are the people, the Russian soldiers and the people who are bombarded and die."
On Monday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will began four days of hearings on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, a critical step in the confirmation process that could make her the first black woman to serve on the nations highest court.



Jacksons nomination by President Joe Biden last month fulfilled a campaign promise, made two years ago, in which Biden said that if he had the opportunity to nominate a new Supreme Court Justice, he would select a black woman.



Twice-confirmed to federal judgeships already, and a third time to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Jackson is expected to be confirmed by the evenly-divided Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the deciding vote in the event of a 50-50 tie.



However, Jackson has received some Republican support in the past, and it remains possible that the vote to confirm her could be bipartisan.



Distinguished background

Jackson, aged 51, was born in Washington but grew up in Miami, Florida. She attended Harvard University as an undergraduate, graduating magna cum laude in 1992, and returned a year later to attend Harvard Law School, where she served as supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review. She graduated in 1996.

After law school, Brown served as a clerk for judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. After a year in private practice, she secured a clerkship with Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court, whose seat she has been nominated to fill.



In addition to spending several years in private practice, Jackson served as an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C., representing clients before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.



In 2010, then-President Barack Obama nominated Jackson for the United States Sentencing Commission, where she served as vice chair until 2014. In 2012, Obama nominated Jackson to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and she was confirmed by the full Senate in March 2013.



President Biden nominated Jackson to the seat she currently holds on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Jackson was confirmed in June 2021, with unanimous support from Senate Democrats as well as three Senate Republicans.

In remarks after President Biden announced her nomination, Jackson said, If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded, will inspire future generations of Americans.



Some controversy

Jacksons nomination has not been without controversy. Bidens promise to elevate a black woman to the court was criticized, primarily by Republicans, as unnecessarily eliminating other qualified candidates from consideration.



The White House noted that such promises are not without precedent. In 1980, then-Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan promised to name the first woman to the Supreme Court if he were elected. He later nominated Sandra Day OConnor to the court, and she was confirmed as the first female associate justice.



Republicans have also criticized Jackson for her past work as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, where she advocated for lowering minimum sentences for possession of crack cocaine and other drug charges.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, appeared to be referring to that when, in recent remarks on Jacksons nomination, he said, This is a moment when issues relating to the law and the judiciary are directly hitting American families  from skyrocketing murders and carjackings; to soft-on-crime prosecutors effectively repealing laws; to open borders.

Guantanamo Bay

During her time as a public defender, Jackson represented accused terrorists held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a fact that a number of conservative news outlets have used to criticize her nomination.



However, others point out that federal public defenders do not generally get to choose who they represent, and that it is their obligation to mount as effective a defense as possible within the bounds of the law, once they are assigned a client.



Brown was also highly critical of the legal processes put in place at Guantanamo Bay  criticisms that gained traction in 2007, after the governments chief prosecutor resigned, claiming that the system was engineered to prevent acquittals.

Hearing as introduction

High-profile congressional hearings are often dismissed as political theater, but Christopher Schmidt, a professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law and co-director of the law schools Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States, told VOA that hearings for Supreme Court nominees serve an important purpose.



It's going to be an opportunity for the American people to learn something about Ketanji Brown Jackson, he said. That's one thing that confirmation hearings still perform very well. There's a lot of complaints about how they work for a variety of reasons. But one thing they do is introduce people to someone who, in most cases, they had never heard of before the nomination, and probably know relatively little about.



Schmidt said that given Jacksons previous confirmations and the fact that her replacement of Justice Breyer is not expected to cause a significant ideological shift in the balance of the court, he does not expect her hearings to be particularly contentious.



Speaking of Republican members of the committee, he said, I think theyll want to score some points about how they see the court, and obviously, the Biden administration. But I don't know that they're going to want to really have it be an aggressive hearing against this particular nominee.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, his office said, marking his first visit to an Arab country since Syria's civil war erupted in 2011.

In a statement posted on its social media pages, the office said Assad met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai. The two discussed expanding bilateral relations between their countries, it said.

The visit sends the clearest signal yet that the Arab world is willing to re-engage with Syria's once widely shunned president. It comes against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, where Assad's main ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, is pressing on with a military offensive, now in its fourth week, raining lethal fire on Ukrainian cities. Syria has supported Russia's invasion, blaming the West for having provoked it.

Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League and boycotted by its neighbors after its conflict broke out 11 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the war, which displaced half of Syria's population. Large parts of Syria have been destroyed and reconstruction would cost tens of billions of dollars.

Arab and Western countries generally blamed Assad for the deadly crackdown on the 2011 protests that evolved into civil war, and they supported the opposition in the early days of the conflict.

Washington 'troubled'

When asked about Assad's visit to the UAE, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington was "profoundly disappointed and troubled by this apparent attempt to legitimize Bashar al-Assad, who remains responsible and accountable for the death and suffering of countless Syrians, the displacement of more than half of the pre-war Syrian population, and the arbitrary detention and disappearance of over 150,000 Syrian men, women and children."

Assad has rarely traveled outside the country during Syria's civil war, visiting only Russia and Iran. Tehran has given the Syrian government billions of dollars in aid and sent Iran-backed fighters to battle alongside his forces  assistance that, along with Russian air power, has helped turn the tide in Assad's favor.

With the war having fallen into a stalemate and Assad recovering control over most of the country thanks to military assistance from his two allies, Arab countries have inched closer toward restoring ties with the Syrian leader in recent years.

The UAE reopened its embassy in Syria in late 2018 in the most significant Arab overture toward the Assad government, though relations remained cold. Last fall, the Emirati foreign minister flew to Damascus for a meeting with Assad, the first visit by the country's top diplomat since 2011. The United States, a close Emirati partner, criticized the visit at the time, saying it would not support any normalization with Assad's government.

A key motive for the overtures by Sunni Muslim countries in the Persian Gulf is to blunt the involvement of their Shiite-led foe, Iran, which saw its influence expand rapidly in the chaos of Syria's war.

The rapprochement could serve both sides.

Syria badly needs to boost relations with oil-rich countries. Its economy is being strangled by crippling Western sanctions and it faces the task of post-war reconstruction. The UAE is also home to thousands of Syrians who work in the Gulf Arab nation and send money to their relatives at home.

Welcomed by ruler

The UAE's state-run WAM news agency said the country's de facto ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, welcomed Assad at his palace in Abu Dhabi.

At the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed expressed his hope "this visit would be the beginning of peace and stability for Syria and the entire region."

The report said Assad briefed Sheikh Mohammed on the latest developments in Syria and the two leaders discussed mutual interests in the Arab world. Assad was reported to have left the UAE later on Friday from Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mohammed stressed to Assad that Syria remained a "fundamental pillar of Arab security" and that he hoped the UAE could facilitate its development. The leaders also discussed the importance of "the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity and withdrawal of foreign forces," the report added.

The similarly vague statement said Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed affirmed the UAE's desire to "discover new paths of constructive cooperation" with Syria and made no reference to the war.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that Brexit showed British people loved freedom in the same way as Ukrainians fighting Russia's invasion, comments that were branded tasteless by opposition lawmakers and commentators.

With Ukraine's ambassador to Britain present, Johnson told a Conservative Party conference it was the instinct of British people, like Ukrainians, to choose freedom every time.

"I can give you a couple of famous recent examples. When the British people voted for Brexit, in such large, large numbers, I don't believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners. It's because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself," Johnson said.

Britons voted in June 2016 by a 52% to 48% margin to leave the European Union, which Ukraine made a formal request to join on February 28, four days after Russia sent its troops into the country.

On Friday, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated that 816 Ukrainian civilians, including 36 children, had been killed since the invasion began.

"This is an utterly depraved argument," opposition Labour lawmaker Chris Bryant said of Johnson's speech. "Ukraine wants to join the EU. The people of (EU member states) France and Spain are also free."

Johnson said Britain stood with Ukraine and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "terrified" that a democratic and free Ukraine would undermine his rule over Russia.

"To try to re-normalize relations with Putin after this, as we did in 2014, would be to make exactly the same mistake again," Johnson said.

Moscow refers to its actions in Ukraine as a "special operation" to weaken its southern neighbor's military capabilities and root out people it calls dangerous nationalists.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and Western countries have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces.
"The command of Russian troops is actively 'mobilizing' the male population in the occupied territories of ORDLO, the units formed in this way are distinguished by very low combat training, discipline and morale, the Defense Intelligence of Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports.

"According to what the 'mobilized' say, the Russian command uses them as a 'live bait'. That is, as an advanced echelon of reconnaissance in combat. Units are sent in military vehicles to the line of collision, ignoring high losses. And thus they reveal the location of the firing positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," the message on Facebook said.

So, one of these units, which included 250-300 people, on March 16-17 lost about 200 "mobilized" in Mykolaiv direction. The part of the unit that returned to Kherson region is absolutely demoralized and refuses to further participate in hostilities.
Experts warn the war in Ukraine could increase hunger and food insecurity for some people in Africa. Most African countries import wheat and vegetable oil from Ukraine and Russia, a region now engulfed in conflict since Russia invaded its neighbor.

African families are feeling the pinch as prices of essential commodities increase due to persistent drought, the coronavirus pandemic, and now, the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The United Nations says Russia and Ukraine produce 53% of the worlds sunflowers and seeds, and 27% of the worlds wheat.

The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development figures show Africa imported wheat from the two countries worth $5.1 billion between 2018-2020.

The study shows at least 25 African countries import a third of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and 15 of them import more than half from those two countries.

Kenya is one of the African countries affected by the global food price increase.

The head of policy research and advocacy at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Job Wanjohi, says the cost of importing wheat to the country has increased by 33%.

The cost of wheat per ton, of which Kenya is heavily dependent on Russia and Ukraine, has increased to $460 per ton. Before, it was $345 per ton and the landing cost in Nairobi is likely to increase from $500 to $550 per ton. So, the Ukraine-Russia war is aggravating the situation, food security in the country is concerned, Wanjoh said.

Vegetable oil prices have also increased. Malaysia and Indonesia account for 85% of global crude palm oil exports.

Malaysian authorities warned this week the price of palm oil could reach $2,200 a ton and is expected to remain that way until the third quarter of the year.

Peter Kamalingin, head of Pan Africa at charity Oxfam International, says Africa is more vulnerable to food insecurity.

Relying on the global food chain only means you are going to be more vulnerable for a long time. Oxfam has said what we need is investing in small farmers, making them more resilient, bringing technology that is responsive and sensitive to their unique needs. Small food producers are still the most important, and our agricultural produce and extension services, our national budget investment have not been focused on this. Food sovereignty means producing as much food as possible within the country, if not within the country at least within the region, he said.

Kamalingin also says African governments are not investing enough in their communities.

Government in our part of the world have had to go into increasing problem of debt and some of the economies in the region, for every 10 shillings of the national budget probably seven is going to repaying debt. That also means governments are not investing in social services, in water, health, education. So, that burden is being transferred to the household and most of the household, it means women and children are the ones bearing that burden. And now we have had this Ukraine crisis, which is exacerbating the problem in many fronts, Kamalingin said.

The U.N.s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) warns that the ongoing war in Ukraine will escalate global hunger and poverty.

Gerrishon Ikiara, who teaches economics at the University of Nairobi, says African countries need to build infrastructure that can help with the movement of goods.

But also try to see how we can integrate Africa economies much better, because there are some countries with surplus food countries like DRC, Uganda, and quite a number of others have the capacity to feed a big part of Africa if it's properly connected, Ikiara said.

Experts say intervention, like stabilizing local markets, cash transfers and creating savings and loan groups, can help Africa cope and reduce the impact of the global food crisis.
An art school where about 400 people had found shelter in Ukraines besieged port city of Mariupol has been bombed by Russian forces.

Mariupols city council said Sunday that the building was destroyed in the attack. Information about survivors was not immediately available.

Thousands of residents of Mariupol have been forcibly taken from their homes, the citys council said Saturday.

"Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents have been taken to Russian territory," according to a Mariupol city council statement on its Telegram channel. "The occupiers illegally took people from the Livoberezhny district and from the shelter in the sports club building, where more than a thousand people [mostly women and children] were hiding from the constant bombing."

"It is hard to imagine that in the 21st century people can be forcibly taken to another country," Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said in the statement.

"What the occupiers are doing today is familiar to the older generation, who saw the horrific events of World War II, when the Nazis forcibly captured people," Boichenko said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Saturday that Russias behavior in Mariupol would "go down in history of responsibility for war crimes.

Meanwhile, officials in Ukraine have yet to release the death toll following a Russian missile attack Friday on a military base where soldiers were sleeping in barracks, now destroyed, in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv.

"We aren't allowed to say anything because the rescue operation isn't over and the families haven't all been informed," military spokeswoman Olga Malarchuk told Agence France-Presse.

One soldier told AFP that 50 bodies have been found, while another said there could be as many as 100 dead under the rubble.

Mykolaiv is located 130 kilometers from the strategic military port of Odesa.

Zelenskyy has called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow.

The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk, Zelenskyy said. The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover."

Zelenskyys appeal for another round of talks came one day after Russia's lead negotiator said the sides have moved closer to agreement on the issue of Ukraine dropping its bid to join NATO.

Vladimir Medinsky said Friday the two countries also are "halfway there" on the question of Ukraine adopting neutral status.

Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted, "Our positions are unchanged. Cease-fire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow expected its invasion of Ukraine to end with a comprehensive agreement on security issues, including Ukraines neutral status, according to Russias Interfax news agency.

Russia said Saturday that its hypersonic missiles had destroyed an underground depot for missiles and ammunition Friday in Ukraines western Ivano-Frankivsk region. Russian news agencies said it was the first time it used the advanced weapons system in Ukraine since it invaded on February 24.

Russias hypersonic missiles claims were not independently confirmed. A Ukrainian air force spokesperson verified the attack, but said Ukraine had no information on the type of missiles used.

Russia still stalled

The latest British defense intelligence assessment of the conflict, made Saturday, concluded that Russia has been forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition.

This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, the ministry warned.

Russian troops have failed to seize control of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a major objective of the Kremlin, even as the invasion enters its fourth week.

Ukraines National Police said in a statement Saturday on Telegram that Russia was attacking the northwestern suburbs of Kyiv, while the regional Kyiv government reported the city of Slavutych, north of Kyiv was completely isolated.

Also Saturday, Ukraine said that a Russian general had been killed in attacks on an airfield outside the southern city of Kherson, the fifth senior Russian officer killed since the invasion began.

Humanitarian corridors, casualties

In other developments, humanitarian corridors were opened Saturday, allowing a total of 6,623 people to evacuate from various Ukrainian cities, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president's office. He reported online that 4,128 of those people escaped from Mariupol. There are plans to open more corridors Sunday.

The United Nations human rights office reports that more than 847 civilians had been killed and upward of 1,399 have been wounded as of Friday, while warning the actual count likely is significantly higher. The Ukrainian prosecutor generals office said 112 of those killed were children.

Officials in Kyiv said Saturday that since the start of the invasion more than three weeks ago, 228 people had been killed in the capital city, including four children. In a statement, the administration reported 912 people have been wounded, though all these figures remain unconfirmed by outside sources.

Nearly 3.3 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, according to U.N. estimates.

The U.N. migration agency said Friday that in addition to those who have left the country, nearly 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine and that another 12 million people have been stranded or unable to leave parts of Ukraine because of heightened security risks or a lack of resources.

VOA's White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara, congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The U.N. Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and 102 humanitarian and developmental agencies are asking for $1.2 billion to help 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees and communities sheltering them in five countries.

Nearly 4 million South Sudanese have fled nearly a decade of civil war and a peace deal that has not yet come to fruition, and they are either still in that country or have become refugees in neighboring countries.

The South Sudan refugee crisis is Africa's largest and the response to it is one of the least-funded humanitarian operations. An estimated 2.3 million people have fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda.

While praising their generosity, U.N. refugee spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh says those countries are poor, suffer from many of the same problems as does South Sudan and can ill-afford to care for the masses of impoverished refugees.

South Sudan continues to grapple with sporadic violence, chronic food insecurity and the devastating impact of major flooding. The COVID-19 pandemic has also strained peoples resources.  Asylum countries are facing similar challenges from the climate crisis and the pandemic but have continued to keep their doors open for refugees, he said.

Saltmarsh says the host countries need support to provide food, shelter, and essential services, such as education and health care.

The United Nations says women and girls in South Sudan are subject to gender-based violence, rape and conflict-related sexual violence. Saltmarsh says the UNHCR and partners will scale up programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. They will provide mental health and psycho-social support to victims of abuse.

This follows a worrying rise in reports of depression over the last year, especially among refugees in Kenya and Uganda. It remains, of course, as you know a childrens crisis, with 2 out of 3 South Sudanese refugees being under the age of 18. Funding is required for child protection including to ensure proper birth registration and family reunification, he said.

Saltmarsh acknowledges competition for scarce resources is fierce. He notes the international focus and response to the war in Ukraine is overwhelming. He says that is appropriate given the enormity of the crisis. However, he says the plight of the South Sudanese refugees must not be forgotten.
The Biden administration is in danger of cutting short its efforts to help vaccinate the world because U.S. lawmakers had slashed global pandemic response funds from the omnibus spending bill that President Joe Biden signed into law earlier this week.

The $1.5 trillion spending bill did not include $15.6 billion requested for COVID-19 response, of which $5 billion had been marked by the White House to fight the coronavirus around the world.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told VOA during a briefing Friday that the administration did not have an alternative plan for delivering the 700 million doses of vaccines remaining from the 1.2 billion doses it had pledged.

"We need additional funding to continue to be the arsenal of vaccines," she said. "There is not a secret fund that we have not told you about to continue to provide the type of free programs we have in the United States or to provide the level of international assistance that we would like to continue to provide."

A White House official confirmed that the 1.2 billion doses of vaccines had been purchased. The lack of funding, however, will devastate America's ability to ensure recipient countries can effectively deploy them, and to provide tests, therapeutics, oxygen and humanitarian aid to countries still struggling to manage the pandemic.

The pandemic response fund was stripped following Republican lawmakers' refusal to add new coronavirus spending unless it was offset by spending cuts elsewhere.

In early March, 36 Republican senators sent a letter to Biden saying that before they would consider additional COVID-19 requests, they wanted an accounting of how the federal government had allocated taxpayer funds to combat the pandemic. "Congress must receive a full accounting of how the government has already spent the first $6 trillion," the letter said.

House Democrats have introduced a standalone COVID-19 relief bill, but it does not yet have the votes to pass both chambers of Congress.

Strategy pivot curtailed

Just last month, the administration said it would adjust its global pandemic response strategy, pivoting away from boosting vaccine supply and toward increasing delivery capacity. But now it can no longer finance Global Vax, its international initiative launched in December.

"Without additional funding to support getting shots into arms, USAID will have to curtail our growing efforts to turn vaccines into vaccinations  just as countries are finally gaining access to the vaccine supplies needed to protect their citizens," said Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in a statement.

Humanitarian organizations criticized the removal of COVID-19 funding from the omnibus bill.

The U.S. will not be able to "keep up the fight against COVID at home and around the world  a serious concern given the rising surges in Asia and Europe," said Tom Hart, president of the ONE Campaign, in a statement to VOA.

Hart said that if large parts of the world remain vulnerable to the virus and its variants, Americans' own health and economic recovery are at risk. "What should be a no-brainer after two years of a pandemic has proven impossible for world leaders and lawmakers to grasp: We will not end the pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere. Congress can and must fix this," Hart said.

Only 14.1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose, according to Our World in Data.

While the U.S. remains the biggest vaccine donor by far, public health officials called the lack of global pandemic response funding "self-defeating."

"American leadership for a robust and effective global response is the best pathway to end the pandemic, build resilient health systems, and be better prepared for future health security threats," said Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, founding director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center.

"We can't fully protect the health and economic prosperity of Americans without doing more around the world," Udayakumar told VOA.

The cut to pandemic response funding came as lawmakers agreed to $13.6 billion in assistance for Ukraine, including $6.5 billion to supply Kyiv with weapons as it battles Russia's invasion and $6.7 billion for economic and humanitarian aid for the country.
Three weeks ago, Haseeb Noori became a refugee  for a second time.

The Afghan lawyer, 45, was living with his wife and five children at a makeshift refugee camp near the Ukrainian-Slovak border when Russian bombs started falling.

"My children panicked, and we decided to leave and head for the border," Noori said in an interview with VOA.

Thousands were dashing to Ukraine's borders with Western European countries. After a futile attempt to cross into Slovakia on February 24, the family turned around and headed north to the Polish border, joining other refugees in a replay of their frantic exit out of Kabul last year.

"After two days and two nights and walking for more than 50 kilometers, we entered Poland," Noori said, speaking from a refugee camp in Barneveld, Netherlands, where he arrived two weeks ago.

Noori and his family were among several hundred Afghans who were evacuated to Ukraine by the country's military following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15. Some of the evacuees resettled in the United States and Canada in recent months, but most were still living in Ukraine when Russia invaded the country last month.

Mass migration

The war has forced more than 3 million people out of the country, the largest mass migration in Europe since World War II. Among them were more than 162,000 foreign nationals who were living in Ukraine, according to International Organization for Migration.

In response to the crisis, the European Union on March 4 launched an emergency protection program for refugees from Ukraine, granting them residency rights, health insurance, education and other benefits across the 27-member bloc.

The benefits are applicable to refugees and other permanent residents of Ukraine. But the EU directive is carried out differently by different countries, and it's not clear how many Afghan escapees from Ukraine are entitled to temporary protection.

Before war broke out in Ukraine, there were more than 5,000 Afghans living in Ukraine, according to Nigara Mirdad, a political counselor at the Afghan Embassy in Warsaw.

While some escaped to Romania and Ukraine's other neighbors, the majority  about 3,000 Afghans  have crossed into Poland, according to Mirdad.

Unable to move to other European countries, some have remained in Poland.

Only in the movies

'Najibullah Mohammad Hafiz was two weeks into his second semester at Kharkiv Medical University when fighting erupted. Two days later, the 20-year-old left Kharkiv on a five-day, 1,100-kilometer-plus perilous trek on foot and by car and train to the Polish border.

"By my count, we walked for 67 kilometers to get to the Polish border," Hafiz said. "What we experienced, you can only see in movies. I never imagined it would happen in real life."

With his student documents left behind in Kharkiv, Hafiz is staying put.

"It's not clear how long we're staying here, what's going to happen," he said.

Mirdad, the counselor at the Afghan Embassy in Warsaw, said most Afghans spend a day or two in Poland before moving to Western European countries, primarily Germany and the Netherlands. The flow of Afghan refugees has slowed in recent days, she added.

Hajira Sadat, a Nuremberg-based interpreter who works with refugees in Germany, said Afghans with Ukrainian permanent residency are issued two-year residency permits by German authorities.

"They also enjoy government benefits given to other refugees," she said.

Uncertainty

But not every Afghan with Ukrainian residency has received benefits under the new European Union temporary protection scheme. Mohammad Isa, who said he had a five-year residency permit in Ukraine, was issued a two-month visa upon arrival in Munich.

"After two months, [it] will be extended, but I don't know what's going to happen after that," he told VOA.

In the Netherlands, newly arrived Afghan refugees face similar uncertainty. Noori, the Afghan lawyer, said Dutch immigration authorities have yet to register his family as refugees.

"It's not clear whether we'll receive temporary protection or what," Noori said.

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he said, the State Department evacuated several Afghan families from Ukraine to Qatar and "made a lot of promises" to help the other evacuees. On March 7, the State Department contacted him to inquire about his safety and whereabouts.

"I told them I'd gotten out of Ukraine and was currently in Holland," Noori said. "They said they'd contact their supervisors to see if they could evacuate us or not. They haven't contacted me in a week."

The State Department did not respond to a query about the fate of the Afghan evacuees fleeing Ukraine.

Khalil Khan contributed to this report.
The World Food Program is warning the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine threatens severe food shortages and acute hunger there, and risks triggering a global surge in hunger and malnutrition.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has driven millions of Ukrainians from their homes, forced them to hide in bomb shelters and forage for scraps of food and water.

Jakob Kern, World Food Program emergency coordinator for Ukraine, says the war has brought many people to the brink of famine. He says, as Ukraine is also a key agricultural producer, it also is threatening food security globally, especially in hunger hot spots.

Speaking from WFPS regional office in Krakow, Poland, Kern says the agency has mobilized enough food to feed 3 million people for a month.

The countrys food supply chain is falling apart. Movement of goods has slowed down due to insecurity and reluctance of drivers to drive to places like Dnipro let alone Mariupol or Sumy.  We have prepositioned bulk food, wheat flour for bakeries, and food rations near the encircled cities for distribution by partners and city administrations, Kern said.

The Black Sea basin is known as Europes breadbasket. It is one of the most important grain and agricultural production areas and a global grain trade route. Russian forces reportedly have kept up to 300 ships from leaving the Black Sea.



Kern says food and fuel prices are soaring, putting millions at risk of hunger in Ukraine and in particularly vulnerable Middle Eastern and North African countries.



The consequences of the conflict in Ukraine are radiating outwards, triggering a wave of collateral hunger across the globe. Russia and Ukraine alone account for almost 30% of global wheat trade. Those shipments are on hold now. Ukraine is also, is the No. 5, actually, producer and exporter of wheat. So, that has a big impact, Kern said.



For example, he noted Egypt imports more than 80% of its wheat from Ukraine and Lebanon more than 50%. He said these and other countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Yemen that are dependent on Ukrainian wheat will have to find other sources, pushing food prices up further.
Ukrainian officials said Friday that they had yet to find any casualties in the ruins of a theater hit by a Russian airstrike this week in the southern city of Mariupol, as Russian forces continued to fire on Ukrainian cities and as negotiators from both countries sought common ground.

So far, 130 people have been rescued from the theaters basement, Ukrainian officials said, as the search continued for more than 1,000 people who could be trapped in the makeshift bomb shelter that was hit Wednesday.

Mariupols city council said on Telegram that "according to initial information, there are no dead. But there is information about one person gravely wounded."

The theater was bombed despite signs indicating that civilians, including children, were sheltering there. Russia has denied striking the theater.

Also Friday, Russia's lead negotiator in talks with Ukraine said the sides had moved closer to agreement on the issue of Ukraine's dropping its bid to join NATO.

Vladimir Medinsky said Friday that the two countries were also "halfway there" on the question of Ukraine's adopting neutral status.

Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter, Our positions are unchanged. Ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas."

Meanwhile, Russia bombarded the outskirts of Kyiv on Friday and Russian missiles launched from the Black Sea landed in western Ukraine, near Lvivs airport, more than three weeks after Russias war on its neighbor began.

Ukraines air force western command said on Facebook that two of six missiles launched from the Black Sea had been intercepted.

In the Podil neighborhood of Kyiv early Friday, a residential building was hit, killing at least one person, according to emergency services, which said 98 people had been evacuated.

Two people were killed in attacks on residential and administrative buildings in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

US-China talks

On the diplomatic front, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Russias invasion of Ukraine in a rare videoconference call Friday.

China could play a critical role in the conflict depending on its response to Russias reported request for military assistance. The United States is providing the bulk of military assistance to Ukraine, with Biden announcing another $800 million defense package this week.

The Biden administration looked to deter China from providing military and economic assistance to Russia, but Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement after the nearly two-hour discussion that conflict and confrontation was not in anyones interest.

Russia still stalled

As the invasion enters its fourth week, Russian troops have failed to seize control of Kyiv, a major Kremlin objective.

U.S. defense officials said it appeared that Russian forces on the ground remained stalled, making little to no progress as they continued to encounter what has repeatedly been described as 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 on Thursday, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence.

The defense official said the U.S. has anecdotal indications that Russian morale is flagging," and indications that Russian commanders are beginning to question how much longer they can sustain their invasion.

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.

FILE - Russia Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia addresses a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, March 17, 2022, at U.N. headquarters.

Russia hypes claims against US

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council met Friday at Russias request for the second time in a week to discuss its latest allegations that the U.S. was operating a secret biological weapons program in Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claimed Russian forces had uncovered new documents during their military offensive, and that Ukraine was playing only a secondary role in the alleged project.

The Ukrainian specialists were not informed about the potential risks of transfer of biological materials and were kept in the dark, Nebenzia said of the allegedly secret military biological program. They dont have a real idea about the real objectives of the research being carried out.

U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed the earlier allegations as bizarre conspiracy theories and said the latest claims sounded like they had come from some dark corner of the internet.

She expressed Washingtons continued concern that Moscow might be planting the seeds for an attack it would then blame on Ukraine.

We continue to believe it is possible that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents against the Ukrainian people, Thomas-Greenfield said.

The U.N. human rights office said Friday that it had verified 816 civilian killings since the fighting began February 24 but that it believed the death toll was vastly understated. Ukrainian officials say thousands of civilians have been killed.

Nearly 3.3 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, according to U.N. estimates.

VOA's White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara, Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson and U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA 

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.
Hundreds of Nigerian students who safely fled Ukraine were close to graduating when Russia invaded the country. But despite being under fire, some Ukrainian teachers have continued their classes online, where they are exchanging stories of hope and survival. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.
In just three weeks, amid Russia's invasion, an estimated 3 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, including Poland where herculean efforts are underway to feed and care for the new arrivals.VOAs Myroslava Gongadze reports from Medyka, a Polish town along the border with Ukraine
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valeriy Zaluzhny urged politicians who are in the rear and talk about the operational situation and alleged preparations for the surrender of the country not to split Ukraine with such statements.

"I want to appeal to politicians who, while in the rear cities, talk about 'treason' and give 'assessments' of the operational situation. With your irresponsible statements, for example, that the enemy allegedly took something without any problems or that the surrender of the country is allegedly being prepared, you insult our soldiers," the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a message posted on his Facebook page.

He stressed: "The defense forces are heroically resisting the enemy, who was called the second army in the world... The 24th day of our resistance to full-scale aggression is underway. The resistance, which was made possible thanks to national unity, our preparation and motivation."

In this context, Zaluzhny urged: "I appeal to you: do not humiliate our defenders with your 'expert assessments.' It's not you now on the first line of defense. And not your children."

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine added: "Everyone should mind their own business. We are defending Ukraine. You care about its development and do not interfere with us. I invite those who want to defend the country to join the Armed Forces. I urge you not to split the state!"
Chechnya governor Ramzan Kadyrov (photo), announced that thousands of Chechen volunteers had gone to join their brothers in the fight against the Banderites (neo-Nazis, according to Russian terminology) in Ukraine.

Adam Delimkhanov (Chechen MP in the Russian Duma) was there to welcome them when they reached the Donbass.

In 2007, the Ukrainian banderites had arrived in Chechnya (then called the "Islamic Emirate of Ichkeria") to band together with the Arab jihadists against Russia. Governor Kadyrov has already announced that he will pay a hefty reward for any pro-Bandera leader made prisoner or killed.
Photo: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

LaKevia Jackson, who shared a teenage son with rapper Young Thug, was shot and killed in Atlanta on the evening of March 17. She was 31. According to a preliminary police report, the fatal shooting occurred at the Metro Fun Center and was prompted by a dispute over a bowling ball. CBS 46 reports that Jackson was attending her best friends birthday party when she got into an argument. Jacksons mother said the suspect waited outside for 20 minutes and then shot her daughter in the parking lot. Police found Jackson dead on the scene when they responded to a report at around 10:50 p.m.

This is truly an atrocity, APD Homicide Commander Lt. Ralph Woolfolk told CBS 46. A young lady has lost her life over a bowling ball. We talk about conflict resolution time and time again, and this is an escalated dispute so we will work this case through the night and we will find the person responsible. We know who [you] are so go ahead and turn yourself in. Based on surveillance video of the incident, ballistic evidence, and witness testimony, police said they believe they are close to making an arrest.

Jackson met Jeffery Lamar Williams before he gained fame as Young Thug. The pair lived in the same apartment complex in Atlanta while she was in high school. Their son is 14 years old. On the night of the shooting, Young Thug was in Austin performing at Billboards SXSW concert series.
Photo: Pixar

Disney, the media conglomerate with the audacity to plan slavery into a theme park, to build a rollercoaster inspired by the racist film Song of the South, and to defend the funding of politicians behind Floridas homophobic Dont Say Gay bill, now appears to be trying to kiss it better. In Pixars next film, Lightyear, a queer character named Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, was originally depicted kissing a woman, according to a source close to production. The exclusively gay moment was reportedly axed from the spinoff of the Toy Story franchise, until Disney came under intense public scrutiny for donating to Dont Say Gay proponents. Variety reports the kiss was reinstated last week.

On March 9, LGBTQ employees at Pixar Animation Studios accused Disney of censoring overtly gay affection in its feature films. Pixar, a subsidiary of Disney, has shied away from depicting unambiguous LGBTQ+ representation in its films, barring a short called Out that was released in 2020. Even Luca, a bona fide tale of gay romance featuring two twinks exploring the Italian countryside, avoided labeling any of its characters as who they are, to us: members of the LGBTQ+ community.

CEO Bob Chapek released a statement on March 7 stating that the biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce, rather than publicly denouncing the bill. He has since backed down from this stance by asserting that Disney will pause political donations in the state. Pixar employees told Variety that for years, they have been championing more meaningful displays of gay affection to no avail. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it, employees wrote in the March 9 statement. Disney may want to present Lightyears restored lesbian kiss as a harbinger of change come June 17, but it still took major protest for history to say they were more than friends.
The people of Israel sympathize with the citizens of Ukraine, on whose territory Russia has waged war, and pray for the return of the Ukrainian nation to normal life as soon as possible. This was stated by the First Lady of Israel Michal Herzog in a video message published on the official Facebook page of the wife of the President of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.

Ukrainians, our hearts are with you. We see sad photos of children looking for parents, mothers protecting their babies, crowds at train stations, and our hearts with you. We think of the doctors and the medical teams in the hospitals who are doing their best, and our hearts are with you. We see citizens whose lives have changed dramatically in an instant, and cities that were full of life and have now become war zones, and our hearts are with you, - said the Mrs. President.

Michal Herzog also noted that a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Ukraine, and it is happening in front of the eyes of the whole world.

As a mother, I am especially sad to witness the suffering of young mothers and to see babies torn from their families and homes into the unknown. I pray that this horrible page of history will end quickly and that your life will once again be at least somewhat normal in your beautiful and cheerful country. Our thoughts are with you. Our hearts are with you, - she said.
Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
46-year-old woman had just arrived in Rome.

A Ukrainian woman fleeing the Russian invasion of her country died in Rome on Friday morning after a 30-hour bus journey from Ukraine to the Italian capital.

The woman collapsed in front of her two young children, a boy and a girl aged 10 and 11, after stepping off the bus in the city's Ostiense district, reports newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Alerted by the children's screams, police officers tried to revive the woman, 46, before the arrival of emergency services, however all attempts to save her life failed.

The woman, identified in Italian media as Natalia Kretova, got off the bus extremely tired and fell to the ground with severe chest pain before losing consciousness, according to police.

The tragedy occurred just after 07.30 on Friday in Piazzale 12 Ottobre 1492, beside the Ostiense train station, near Eataly.

Natalia had confided in a Ukrainian nun on the bus that she had no relatives in Italy and did not know where to go, reports online newspaper RomaToday.

The nun had suggested that Natalia and her children go to a reception centre where she lives in Castel Gandolfo, about 25 km south-east of Rome.

An autopsy was being conducted on Friday into the cause of the death of the woman, whose luggage reportedly contained medicine to treat hypertension.

Natalia and her two children had travelled to Rome from Lviv, having made the journey earlier from Ternopil and before that from Kremenchuk in southern Ukraine, reports Corriere della Sera.

In Ternopil the children said goodbye to their father who stayed behind to defend his country from the Russian invasion.

Now, after the tragic loss of their mother, the young brother and sister suddenly find themselves in Rome without any family.

The children have been taken to the reception centre in Castel Gandolfo, with the Ukrainian nun they met on the bus, and are being cared for by social services.

Photo ANSA
Press Release

March 18, 2022 De Lima denounces fake news about her supposed death Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima warned against the relentless spread of fake news against her to deliberately derail her campaign. De Lima, who has been continually subjected to fake news stories by some sinister quarters, lamented that she has once again been targeted by paid trolls who are spreading false content claiming that she already passed away. "Why are my enemies and detractors so afraid of me, that they have to spread the fake news on YouTube and social media that I am already dead?" she asked. A video falsely claiming that De Lima passed away was posted on the YouTube channel Banat Trending News recently. The fake video entitled "JUST IN! SAWAKAS PDUTERTE! SEN. DELIMA CONFIRMED! PUMANA4AW NA?" showed a recent campaign clip of De Lima taken inside Camp Crame where she is unjustly detained. De Lima said the persistent attempt of the fake news peddlers to spread lies about her is already beyond condemnation, calling it "an abomination of all sense of decency, fairness, and morality. It is they who deserve to be in jail, not me." "It is not enough that I have already been unjustly imprisoned for more than five years. It is not enough that I am running for re-election with the handicap of campaigning from jail, without being able to go out to talk directly to voters about my program of government and convince them why I deserve a renewed mandate. "It is not enough that I'm not being allowed to conduct live video and audio interviews with the media, or participate in senatorial candidates' debates and fora as if the mere sight of my face and sound of my voice will cause some instability or be a threat to national security," she said. "All of these are not enough, for them to still go on spreading lies to derail my campaign, handicapped as it already is. What these people are doing is already beyond condemnation," she added. De Lima said she is determined to bring the matter to court, in due time. "This cannot be allowed to go on. I am instructing my legal team to file the necessary legal action against those responsible for this fake news." To set the matter straight about her health, De Lima stressed that she is "as healthy as I need to be and as long as I have to in order to bring all those responsible for my persecution before the bars of justice." In an earlier statement, De Lima said she believes that fighting fake news and disinformation against her can help secure victory in her reelection bid in the 2022 national elections.
The decision of the International Court of Justice, which ordered Russia to stop the military invasion of Ukraine, will not significantly change the position of the aggressor, but this is another argument for the world community to increase pressure on Russia in order to bring its behavior in line with international law, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said.

"The aggressor will not significantly change this position, of course. However, civilized states have received a very powerful legal signal from the most authoritative judicial body that Russian aggression is illegal and unjustified. This is then embedded in the political position of all other countries. This is a very important intermediate decision for us. This is another argument for the world community to increase pressure on Russia in order to bring its behavior to the norms of international law, what is called a ruled based order," Dzhaparova said at a briefing at the Ukrainian Media Center on Saturday.

She said also that Ukrainian diplomacy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will fight resolutely to the last for the Ukrainian position.

"We will legally prove that the current Kremlin regime is a regime of war criminals and, without exaggeration, barbarians and cannibals. We also believe that every guilty person should be held accountable," Dzhaparova said.
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Little in Singapore is immune from implications of the baby bust. The island city-state, which imports labor along with power, water and other building blocks of economic and social life, is facing a demographic crunch that makes Japans challenges of an aging population look simple. Robots make lattes, clear tables at hawker centers, and have even enforced social distancing during the pandemic. Despite multiplying state incentives, couples just arent churning out enough kids. Will the military, one of the countrys most revered institutions, feel the squeeze?

Thats the vital question  posed in a lighthearted way  behind a movie in local cinemas. In Ah Girls Go Army, director Jack Neo depicts a not-too-distant future where women are conscripted. National Service, or NS as Singaporeans call it, is compulsory for male citizens and permanent residents upon turning 18. After two years full-time, they continue as operationally ready reservists. Women serve with distinction in the military, but as volunteers. The film opens with an address to Parliament by a senior female lawmaker, whom Neo says is an imaginary minister for defense (Singapore has never had a woman in that role), declaring that the relentless decline in births calls for drastic action.

Neo says he didnt set out to make a comedy, though hes happy that people can get a few laughs. He doesnt foresee female conscripts in the near future, but is acutely aware of the demographic forces pushing the country toward some uncomfortable decisions. He wanted to shake people up, without smashing too much crockery. The shortage of manpower in Singapore is quite serious, he said in an interview. I am trying to show that girls are as strong as men. Its for our national security. One day, we will definitely need it. At the moment, we can continue the present course.

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The Ministry of Defense didnt cooperate in the films production, as it has in other martial-themed movies that Neo has made. Theres no effort to discourage movie-goers from enjoying it  provided social-distancing is observed in theaters. In a nation where little public discourse escapes the states attention, does the governments hands-off approach suggest the start of a conversation with the electorate, or some effort to prepare the ground for a gender-blind NS?

National service isnt just a two-year gig for young guys to figure out what to do with their lives. Its a central part of the social fabric. The idea is that, regardless of race, religion or class, conscripts live and work together, and understand the value of team work. When Singapore divorced from Malaysia six decades ago, the young republic felt small and vulnerable in an unsafe neighborhood. The Vietnam War was heating up, and Indonesia was skirmishing with Malaysia. Jakarta sent agents to blow up a building in downtown Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapores first prime minister, was grappling with high unemployment. NS offered a solution to a range of crises  and a chance to nation-build. More recently, NS was highlighted in events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the fall of Singapore to Japanese troops in World War II. Singapore has the best-equipped military in Southeast Asia, according to the International Institute for Strategic Affairs. The active force numbers 51,000, including conscripts, and another 252,500 reservists, according to the 2022 edition of the think tanks publication The Military Balance.

NS has huge support among Singaporeans. A 2013 survey by the Institute of Policy Studies found that a big majority of respondents thought two years was the right length of time for young men to commit. Opinions were more divided when it came to opening NS to females: 42% of men and 36% of women were in favor. Of women who supported the idea, fewer than 10% said they would do it themselves. Support was greater among women under 30; 13% told researchers they would serve. Gillian Koh, deputy director at IPS, doesnt detect a shift in official thinking, but points out that women already do a lot to strengthen the nation. Truth be told, Singapore women will themselves say they bear a heavy personal, familial, social and national burden that is of critical import and seems to fall unevenly upon their shoulders  that of child-bearing and care-giving, Koh told me in an email. They wish this could be more evenly redistributed and perhaps this will be. The government acknowledges that anemic fertility rates mean some military matters have been done differently. In a written reply to a parliamentary question in January, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen emphasized technological advances such as unmanned naval vessels and watchtowers. Despite a smaller NS pool, the SAF continues to be an effective military force and a strong deterrent against any potential threat, he said. The countrys leaders frequently express their wishes that couples get busier producing more Singaporeans. The total fertility rate was 1.12 last year, a touch above the record low of 1.1 recorded in 2020. The pandemic, even with abundant work from home, didnt make much of a dent in the problem. This isnt just a local issue. Across Asia, especially in prosperous economies, fertility rates are sliding and populations are graying. Singapores headcount, now about 5.5 million, has declined for two years. (While the drop has been mostly attributed to expats returning home during the pandemic, the baby drought isnt helping much.) Can universal conscription really be far away? Singapore has a woman president, Halimah Yacob, though far greater political power is held by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, a man. Helen Wong is chief executive officer of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp., one of the countrys oldest and biggest lenders. Women have run the sovereign wealth fund and served as ambassador to Washington. Israel, whose military was a model for Singapore, is one of the few nations that drafts women. Taiwan and South Korea restrict conscription to males. Nonetheless, the case for NS should be strong.

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But in other ways, Singaporean society is very conservative and prone to traditional mindsets in subtle  and telling  ways. My wife will frequently ask for the check at a restaurant, but servers almost without exception bring it to me. A woman will select wine, yet the guy invariably gets the first pour. A girl books a taxi with her phone, and the driver will greet the boy first. The agency in charge of workplace regulations is called the Ministry of Manpower. (Josephine Teo served as minister from 2018 to 2021.)

Despite its reputation as a hyper-regulated place, Singaporeans can laugh at themselves. When I saw Ah Girls Go Army, there were plenty of guffaws. I recalled jokes friends have told when fondly recounting their own NS experiences. Other core aspects of community life star in the film, such as a stairwell at one of the ubiquitous blocks of flats developed by the housing board, where one heartbroken soldier sleeps underneath the watchful eye of a security camera, hoping that she will be reunited with the ex who dumped her before basic training. One character with gangster leanings, very conscious of expenses, gets a full-back tattoo  done on installment. The result is a hybrid thats neither dragon nor snake, revealed with mirth in the communal shower. This happened in my own platoon, recalled Neo, who thinks it would be tough to make a movie about NS without having gone through it. The movie opened over the Lunar New Year holiday in early February and brought in $S1.3 million ($960,000) in its first week, according to Neo. Its cinema run is winding down, but hes working on a sequel. Heres hoping one day in the not-terribly distant horizon, a Singaporean woman can draw on her own experiences to put together a flick about such an essential piece of nationhood.More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

 The Fall of Singapore in 1942 Still Resonates: Daniel Moss

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 A View to 2022: Singapore as a Global City: Rachel Rosenthal

 In Todays Wars, Everything Can Be Weaponized: Max Hastings

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Previously he was executive editor of Bloomberg News for global economics, and has led teams in Asia, Europe and North America.

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Russia insists that its going to bring the U.S. astronaut home. The rest is just warmongering rumor. Mark Vande Hei, whos about to break the American record for longest time in orbit, will depart the International Space Station as scheduled on aboard a Soyuz spacecraft on March 30 and land in Kazakhstan, whence NASA will fly him to U.S. soil.

Lets assume this is true. Lets believe Dimitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who now says he was only joking when he posted a video suggesting that Vande Hei would be left behind.(1) Lets assume that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has not recently shown the slightest respect for international law, will behave sensibly in this instance. Even if Vande Hei returns safely, the volume of space travel is growing. Sooner or later, someone will wind up stranded.

If that happens, theres a better chance than ever that humankind can mount a successful rescue.

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First things first: To refuse to help a stranded astronaut would constitute a grave violation of international law  more specifically, of the law of outer space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1968 Rescue and Return Agreement obligate parties to treat each others astronauts not as foreign nationals but as envoys of mankind. Parties, which include the U.S. and Russia, must assist those facing emergencies and facilitate their safe return to their own countries. And if parties must help in emergencies, they certainly cant cause the emergency in the first place, as would happen if the Soyuz refused to let Vande Hei board. Nevertheless, with regular flights to the ISS, and space tourism growing, the issue of someone being left behind in space isnt going to disappear.

In fact, the likelihood is growing. In a few years, NASA will stop periodically boosting the ISS to maintain its orbit and allow it to burn up in the atmosphere. In its place, several private companies (along with India and China) expect to build space stations. NASA plans to use them as jumping-off points to send piloted missions to the Moon and Mars.

And perhaps beyond.

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In short, between the commercial tourists, the space station crews, and, before too long, the private mining teams, there will soon be an awful lot of people up there. If a group gets stuck, we Earthlings will have to go get them.

The prospect of a mission to recover stranded space travelers evokes the can-do glitter of hard science fiction. Yet if the prospect is sci-fi, its less The Martian  a team of brilliant government scientists firing off government rockets  than it is The Man Who Sold the Moon  Robert Heinleins prescient 1950 novella about space travel developed by private industry rather than government.

Why? Because the last space shuttle retired in 2011. Even if NASA possesses the capacity to launch a rescue vehicle, NASA possesses no vehicle to launch.

On the other hand, in addition to the Russian Soyuz and a few other government-owned spacecraft, there exist private vehicles galore. Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and Space-X all made flights to outer space last year. Boeing is pressing ahead with its Starliner program, although nobody can quite say when the much-delayed capsule will be ready. Plenty of other companies plan to get into the business. (Not, alas, Pan Am.) In short, should anyone wind up stranded, whether by accident or on purpose, more options exist today than ever before.

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Critics complain that space tourism is only for the uber-rich and is bad for the environment. Maybe so. But its not the fault of private industry that the U.S. is on the verge of abandoning space. And if were going to keep sending people up there  and I hope we are  more rescue options are better than fewer.

Again, consider the current moment. When Rogozin posted his video suggesting that Vande Hei might be left on the ISS, Elon Musk responded that the Dragon Crew vehicle used by Space-X could swiftly be ready to go. When the U.S. announced plans to sanction Roscosmos, the ever-chatty Rogozin was swift to troll President Biden on Twitter: If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling into the United States or Europe? The answer to Rogozins mocking question is: anybody who docks there. A spacecraft from any private vendor bringing people or supplies could easily carry enough extra fuel to give the space station a boost as needed.

Ive long worried that weve lost our ability to gaze at the cosmos and lose ourselves in wonder. Our addiction to screens trains us to look down rather than up. If not for the war, I suspect that few Americans would even be aware of the record Vande Hei is about to break. His heroism in the cause of science and exploration, if noticed at all, would have been swiftly forgotten.

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We shouldnt wait for tragedy to celebrate the joy of exploration. And although it feels strange to type these words, as the government retreats from regular space travel Im grateful that private industry is filling the gap.

(1) When Rogozin responded to international sanctions by promising that his agency would walk away from commitments to launch European vehicles from Equitorial Guinea, he turned out not to be joking.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of law at Yale University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. His novels include The Emperor of Ocean Park, and his latest nonfiction book is Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down Americas Most Powerful Mobster.

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The annual World Happiness Report came out on Friday and, sure enough, the usual rich Nordic and northern European countries clustered at the top. Finland and Denmark ranked as the happiest and second-happiest corners of the planet, and the top eight were all in northern Europe. Afghanistan, Lebanon and Zimbabwe brought up the rear, as war-torn and impoverished countries always do. Data for the survey, issued by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a United Nations affiliate, was compiled before the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine (No. 98) by Russia (No. 60) presumably reduced human happiness pretty much everywhere.

The U.S. was No. 16, about where it usually shows up. For a country supposedly dedicated to the pursuit of happiness  not to mention self-boosterism  the result is always a bit disappointing. Americans wonder at it, shake their heads and ruminate in their political silos about the causes. Theres often a big difference between how people feel about their individual well-being and what they think about the state of the nation.

And every year I gnash my teeth. Ranking happiness like a medal count at the Olympics makes little sense. To begin with, ranking comparative happiness is only logically coherent if we have an agreed-on conception of what it is. We dont. It isnt an abstractly measurable quantity.

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To talk about it, much less purport to measure it, is to express a belief about what it should mean. Self-reporting from different countries therefore doesnt reflect standards that are common from place to place. It reflects the way people in those countries conceptualize happiness and the way they measure themselves against their own conceptions.

Today, in ordinary American English, happiness means something more like smiling joyfulness, whether deeply felt or merely passing. Americans are a smiley people, judged by the worlds cultural norms.

If we applied the American definition of happiness to a world index, the Scandinavians would not come out on top. Their version of happiness is different.

The most important observation about true happiness is that it is very different from the simple feeling of pleasure or enjoyment. The word itself has a complex history in English. But when we speak of it as a human ideal, we are, or should be, referring to a specific meaning: happiness as well-being or human flourishing or thriving.

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This is what Aristotle called eudaimonia and defined as living well and faring well. It is what Thomas Jefferson was referring to in the Declaration of Independence when he put the pursuit of happiness alongside life and liberty in his troika of inalienable rights. His 18th-century happiness was meant as a translation of Aristotles notion, via the Latin felicitas. Jeffersons ideal happiness was something deeper than the smiliness of today.

To be sure, there are different ideas about what constitutes human flourishing or thriving. How important is it, for example, to be contented with your lot? Some people would say that its the secret to flourishing. Others would say that accepting the world around you makes you less likely to be motivated to improve it, or yourself, or your circumstances.

The second important aspect of the word happiness in English is its etymological association with luck or fortune. The word hap means luck, as in happenstance. To be happy once meant to be lucky or fortunate, at least to English speakers.

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Luck obviously plays a big role in the various conceptions of happiness measured in the world report. No one chooses where they are born or whether they are enter the world rich or poor. The luck of being well fed and healthy undoubtedly explains some of why citizens of richer countries on average tend to say they are happier than those of poor ones.

Even the human connections that we forge over a lifetime have a big component of fortune to them. We may choose our non-familial relationships, but it takes luck to be in a position to cultivate them. In fact, it takes fortune to be born into a situation where you have the capacity to try to make yourself happy, whether by forging bonds to others or by other means.

Acknowledging the good-fortune component of happiness  as Aristotle himself did  gives a reason to look askance at the typical interpretation of the global surveys. Ordinarily, the point of these indices, whether for freedom or gross domestic product or literacy, is to motivate policy makers to improve their ranking.

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The nominal idea is that no country wants to be lower in the rankings than it should be. This is the ideology of simpleminded meritocracy. We rank all the pupils from first to last on the dubious theory that the ranking will motivate everyone to work harder, especially those at the bottom.

But to the extent that luck contributes significantly to the happiness index, the ranking isnt going to motivate anyone. People in Rwanda (No. 143 and a perpetual low finisher) know that they are struggling with violence and poverty. Presumably they want to improve their lot  but not because they want to rank higher on the happiness index. The Finns may enjoy being told they are the happiest people on earth. But they wont set their social policy to win this race in particular.

Ranking happiness, or trying to, expresses a fantasy that it is some attainable quantity  and that someone else might have more than we do. Happiness as well-being is a wonderful goal to set for ourselves, individually and collectively. But ranking it, for a person or a country, misses the point of happiness itself.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Its a Healthy Sign When Americans Fail the Happiness Test: Virginia Postrel

 The Secret to Creative Breakthroughs, Hot Streaks and Success: Andreas Kluth

 Gen Z Is Too Compliant to Achieve Greatness: Allison Schrager

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and host of the podcast Deep Background. He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President.

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Its almost odd now that in the years leading up to February 2022 a lot of people became convinced that modernity was a post-heroic age. Heroes  and less often heroines  belonged to Greek or Norse mythology, or to warrior societies long gone, it was said. But then Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine, a much smaller country, for its stubborn insistence on being free.

Less than a month on, heroes and heroines are everywhere. Most obviously, theres Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a former actor who improbably became head of state  and initially a mediocre one at that. Since Putins invasion hes grown in stature beyond all expectations.

I need ammunition, not a ride, he replied to American offers to bring him and his family out of the country and to safety. In army fatigues and with bags under his eyes, hes since been inspiring his people to fight, and lobbying the world to assist.

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But most heroes are less visible. They include the ordinary husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, and wives, mothers, daughters and sisters who were dentists, accountants or teachers a month ago, but are now donning flak jackets and learning how to point guns or throw Molotov cocktails at the tanks of an invading superpower.

Just as heroic are the women and men trying to get into, rather than out of, places like the besieged and battered city of Mariupol, in order to be  and maybe die  with their loved ones in the rain of Russians rockets.

Then there are the mothers, aunts, grandmothers or friends who daily and nightly overcome their exhaustion and despair to bring the children to safety in western Europe, or whatever other alien land they can escape to. Not least, and not infrequently, there are the children themselves. Many see the strain on the adult faces and become brave to ease the grown-ups pain.

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But heroism isnt the prerogative of any one nation, even one thats fighting for its very existence. One of the bravest people in the world this week was Marina Ovsyannikova, a producer at Russias main TV network and propaganda outlet.

In her forties and the mother of a girl, 11, and a boy, 17, Ovsyannikova is as vulnerable to Putins Reign of Terror as any Russian. And yet she risked up to 15 years in prison  and who knows what else?  when she held a home-made sign behind a news anchor on live television, telling Russians about the war and the lies about it they were watching.

There are countless other Russian heroes like Ovsyannikova whose names we may never know  some just daring to know the truth, others resisting however they can. They are the ones Putin had in mind when he urged Russians to spit out scum and traitors  like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths.

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We bow to them. Those of us in the rest of the world who are still sitting in the relative safety and tedium of what we thought modern life was supposed to look like recognize their heroism. And we are in awe.

Long gone is the time when Thomas Carlyle, a preeminent British intellectual of the 19th century, defined heroism as being about Great Men, whether demi-gods, prophets, poets, priests, men of letters or kings. By the middle of the 20th century, thinkers like Joseph Campbell already realized that heroes had to be neither Great nor Men, but could have a Thousand Faces. What makes them heroic isnt identity but story.

Typically, according to Campbell, they begin as ordinary people in an ordinary world. But then they receive a call  a Russian invasion, say  that makes them depart from that prosaic normality. They cross a threshold into an abnormal world  war, flight, resistance  where normal rules no longer apply. From this point on, they follow a road of trials, leading up to an ordeal.

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Should they pass these tests, physical or psychological, they will earn some sort of boon  freedom for Ukraine, maybe, or the safety of a child in a foreign land. Becoming a hero means bringing this boon back to the ordinary world, to be ordinary once more, but forever changed.

Doesnt Campbells description fit the lives of the people mentioned above? Zelenskiy started out ordinary, and is now being compared to Winston Churchill during Britains Darkest Hour  I think of him more as a Spartan Leonidas holding out against Xerxes, in the form of Putin.

Ovsyannikova reminds me of the White Rose. It was a group of students and one professor, centered around the siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, who told the truth about Nazi atrocities during the Third Reich, notably by dropping leaflets down an atrium at the University of Munich. Within a year, in 1943, they were beheaded.

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Yes, heroism is about courage, and therefore danger. But even evil people can face risks. Heroism also requires integrity, as in todays battles between truth and lies, in any country, even our own. It means sacrifice for something larger than us  loved ones, a country or an ideal.

Being heroic and strong doesnt mean big, Zelenskiy said this week as he addressed Americas Congress. It means brave and ready to fight for the life of [...] 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 its wanted by someone else.

Some of us foolishly began thinking this attitude was old-fashioned. Putins war has reminded us that its instead timeless, and therefore modern and imminent. Some day  maybe soon  the call may come for us too, the as-yet-ordinary. Lets hope we rise to it.

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More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:



Chinas Ukraine Doublespeak Is Becoming Unsustainable: Clara Ferreira Marques



Putin Has Already Caused a Revolution in Germany: Andreas Kluth

 Ukrainians Russian Curses Are Like Verbal Molotov Cocktails: Leonid Bershidsky

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andreas Kluth is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist. Hes the author of Hannibal and Me.

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Don Young, a gruff Alaskan who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1973, became its longest-serving active member and brought an outpouring of federal dollars to the countrys most sparsely populated state, died March 18 in Seattle while traveling home to Alaska. He was 88 and the Houses oldest member.

His chief of staff, Alex Ortiz, confirmed the death but did not have further details.

Rep. Young, Alaskas sole House member, was reelected to a 25th term in November with about 55 percent of the vote. Known for his salty language and frontiersmans demeanor, he decorated his office with a 900-pound totem pole and a collection of hunting trophies, including the pelt of a bear he claimed to have strangled himself.

A former chairman of the House Natural Resources and Transportation committees, Rep. Young helped direct billions of dollars in federal funding in an era before House members instituted a ban on earmarks.

But he lost much of his political clout in 2008, amid clashes with top Republicans over a long-running corruption probe into his links to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and an oil-field services and construction company. He also had a narrow escape at the polls that year, winning a GOP primary by only 304 votes over a lieutenant governor he scorned as Captain Zero.

Rep. Young was investigated several times by the Justice Department, including an inquiry into a $10 million earmark that benefited a campaign contributor, but he was never charged with wrongdoing. In 2014, he was rebuked by the House Ethics Committee and ordered to pay a nearly $60,000 fine for accepting improper gifts, including hunting trips and a $434 pair of Le Chameau boots.

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Ive been under a cloud all my life, he told reporters in 2013, before the Ethics Committee finished its investigation. Its sort of like living in Juneau. It rains on you all the time. You dont even notice it.

Rep. Young continued to win reelection while focusing on Alaskan development and working to bring federal money to the state. The earmarks included funding for what opponents called a bridge to nowhere that would have connected the town of Ketchikan to an island of 50 people and an airport. As part of a sprawling transportation measure that he had stuffed like a turkey, as he put it, he secured $223 million for the bridge in 2005.

When critics suggested that he return the money to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, he replied that they can kiss my ear. The earmark became a talk-show punchline and was eventually removed amid uproar over pork-barrel projects. Rep. Young was unabashed, and joked that he wanted to send far more money to Alaska than his colleague Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). If hes the chief porker, he said, Im upset.

Norman J. Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said that Rep. Youngs decades in Congress were characterized less by any significant legislative achievements than by a monomaniacal desire to get more for Alaska, whether through earmarks or by loosening restrictions on logging, drilling, fishing or mining.

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What probably appealed to Alaskans as much as anything was his roughneck character, Ornstein added in an interview.

A California native, Rep. Young moved to Alaska in 1959, shortly after it became a state. He was partly inspired by Jack Londons The Call of the Wild and worked as a riverboat captain and a schoolteacher to Alaska Natives while dabbling in fishing, trapping and gold mining.

Rep. Young was elected mayor of Fort Yukon, a city of about 500 people just north of the Arctic Circle, and served in the state legislature before launching a long-shot bid for Congress in 1972, against Democratic incumbent Nick Begich. I couldnt beat him with a stick, and I know that, Rep. Young later told The Washington Post.

Weeks before the election, Begich boarded a flight from Anchorage to Juneau while campaigning with House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (D-La.). The plane disappeared, spawning a search that lasted more than a month but failed to recover the aircraft. Both men were reelected in absentia, but in January 1973, the House recognized their deaths, leading to a special election that brought Rep. Young to Congress.

He cast one of the most significant votes of his tenure soon after arriving in Washington, joining with a majority of his colleagues to authorize the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Spanning 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez, the project attracted tens of thousands of workers and made the state rich. It also fueled Rep. Youngs nearly four-decade effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.

His efforts made him a leading antagonist of environmentalists, whom he derided as a self-centered bunch, the waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduating, intellectual bunch of idiots. Defending Alaska Natives exemptions from marine conservation laws, he once pounded an 18-inch-long walrus penis bone into his hand for emphasis during a congressional hearing.

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The theatrics were typical of Rep. Young, who once stuck his hand in a steel-jaw leghold trap until his fingers turned blue, while arguing that such traps werent painful to animals. He later held a 10-inch knife to the throat of future House speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) during a political dispute. (The two became friends, and Boehner served as the best man at his wedding.)

Rep. Young also acquired a reputation for incendiary remarks, including a racial slur referring to Latino ranch workers in 2013. He issued an apology but went on to make headlines for other shocking comments, as when he remarked sarcastically that if wolves were released in some parts of the country, they wouldnt have a homeless problem anymore. Arguing against gun control, he suggested that Jews could have avoided being killed in the Holocaust if they had armed themselves.

Alaskans tend to be pretty forgiving of some of his more flagrant quotes  because hes Uncle Don, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz (D), who ran against Rep. Young in 2008, later told the Alaska Dispatch News. He added that youre not always going to agree with him, youre not always going to like it  but hes your uncle.

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Donald Edwin Young was born in Meridian, Calif., on June 9, 1933. His family ran a farm in the Sacramento Valley, and Rep. Young joined the Teamsters while working at a peach cannery as a teenager. He later partnered with the labor union to secure Democratic votes for Alaska drilling legislation, in exchange for jobs for union workers.

After graduating from Yuba Junior College in 1952, Rep. Young served in the Army. He received a bachelors degree in teaching from Chico State College (now part of the California State University System) in 1958 and launched his political career two years later when he joined the Fort Yukon city council.

In 1963, he married Lu Fredson, a bookkeeper and Alaska Native. She died in 2009, four years after Rep. Young honored her in the name of a transportation spending bill known as the SAFETEA-LU. He married Anne Garland Walton, a flight nurse, in 2015, on his 82nd birthday.

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Rep. Young had two daughters from his first marriage and two stepchildren from his second. Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.

After Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) resigned in late 2017, Rep. Young became the House dean  the longest continuously serving member  and was charged with the ceremonial duty of swearing in the speaker of the House at the start of each term.

Remember, thats swearing in the speaker, not swearing at the speaker, joked House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). Rep. Young was the first Republican dean in more than eight decades, and in 2019, he surpassed former speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon (Ill.) as the longest-serving Republican in House history.

I will sometimes get out of line, he said after becoming dean, but in doing so, remember it comes from my heart, and my heart is in this House.

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Danny Hong shows where the water reached up to him during flooding in his basement apartment in the Queens borough of New York last September. (AP)

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Its not often a bloke changes his last name. But the decision by Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton to add his mothers name to his made me smile this week. Im really proud of my familys name, Hamilton, he said. Actually, none of you might know that my mums name is Larbalestier, and Im just about to put that in my name because I dont really fully understand the whole idea when people get married then the woman loses her name. And my mum, I really want her name to continue on with the Hamilton name.

Champion Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton cant get his head around why women change their names when they marry. Credit:

When I was 19, full of earnest ferment and a desire to right wrongs, I went to the registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages with a friend one bright sunny day. She was changing her middle name to Indigo, as she adored the colour, and I changed mine to Woodlands, my mothers maiden name. I had always thought it suited my mother, a quiet woman with a poetic imagination who took me looking for fairies in the woods when I was a little girl, and read me otherworldly stories of elves, goblins and nymphs in far-off lands.

My father, bless him, is about as extreme an extrovert as you could find. He was loud and known, while my mother was an introvert, wry and strong, a force field of grace.

This meant that people asked me often about my father, but rarely my mother.
To clear any doubt, Morrison told The Australian Financial Review Business Summit: A relatively open and free trade and financial order is not a naturally occurring phenomenon. It never has been. He said strategic security is now an overriding imperative for  economic policy in liberal democracies. Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Matt Jelonek/Getty Images This is a watershed. Three easy decades of apparently limitless market-led globalisation is over. Thomas Friedmans 2005 book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, was flat wrong. Where he foresaw the smoothing out of all government obstacles to corporate-led globalisation, the opposite is now the reality. One of the most dramatic illustrations of this was the way that Canada, the US and European Union in the past two weeks announced bans on Russian oil and gas. The EU was the most dependent on Russia. Its so dependent, it could not afford to ban Russia, ran the conventional wisdom, and meant that Russia could intimidate the EU. When Putins missiles slammed into Ukraines capital on the first day of the invasion, the conventional wisdom was upended in a moment. Europes outrage at Moscow, remorse at its own complicity, fear for its own future and new resolve crystallised in a new EU energy plan. The sentiment was best captured by a Latvian member of the European Parliament, Sandra Kalniete, who helped draft the plan: We, with our euros, have effectively built and financed Putins war machine, which is now being used to slaughter innocent Ukrainians.

In announcing that Europes presidents and prime ministers had agreed on a new plan to cut imports of Russian gas by two-thirds within a year and entirely by 2030, the EUs foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said: The heads of states and government agreed to phase out our dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible. It is not possible for us to continue to feed Vladimir Putins war machine through our energy imports. Loading The most dramatic change is possible when security is at risk. The US foreign policy scholar Joe Nye once said: Security is like oxygen. You tend not to notice it until you begin to lose it, but once that occurs there is nothing else that you will think about. Ukraine has just demonstrated the truth of this. Australias default complacency shows that it has yet to start thinking seriously about its oxygen supply. Between Labor and Liberal, Australia has frittered away 13 years fumbling around, pretending to equip itself with new submarines. Its been 13 years since the 2009 Defence White Paper proposed building 12 new submarines to replace the six ageing Collins-class subs. Its been 13 years for the Collins class to grow older while China built the worlds biggest submarine fleet.

Chinas shipyards built an average of two new conventional submarines a year throughout, and in 2017 opened its Bohai Shipyard which can produce three nuclear-powered submarines a year. Loading Waking with a start, the Morrison governments 2020 Defence Strategic Update said: Previous Defence planning has assumed a 10-year strategic warning time for a major conventional attack against Australia. This is no longer an appropriate basis for defence planning  Australia can no longer rely on a timely warning ahead of conflict occurring. So thank goodness the government is making all these big announcements about national security, right? Not if it takes its own Defence Strategic Update seriously. We dont have 10 years, according to the update, but Morrisons announcement of nuclear-powered subs says the first one wont be in the water for perhaps another 20. His announcement of an extra 18000 Defence Force personnel doesnt take full effect till 2040. And so on.

The announcements are coming thick and fast. The actual capability remains nothing more than pieces of paper. Loading Liberal senator Jim Molan, a former army major general, wrote last year that the Australian Defence Force (ADF), even after the $270 billion [promised by Morrison to roll out over 10 years] is put into it, is unlikely to last even a few days in a high-end conflict with China because it demonstrably lacks lethality, sustainability and mass. But Beijing need not bother with destroying the ADF. It could bring Australia to its knees with a simple blockade on, say, oil imports. Australia depends on imports for 90 per cent of its crude oil supply. And its strategic stockpile, uselessly held in America, amounts to all of 1.5 days worth of consumption. And the Albanese oppositions defence policy is to agree wholeheartedly with everything the government proposes, and otherwise avoid the subject because it judges it to be Coalition territory. So long as Labor avoids talking about it, it will remain so, no matter how poor the governments performance.

Rather than confront the uncertain future of our national oxygen supply, our pre-election preoccupations are with trivia. Loading So many unthinkables have become realities in the past three years that we really should be thinking about the next wave of unthinkables for the three to come. My list would include these four. One. In the past three weeks, pacifist Germany has announced a near-doubling of its defence budget over two years and is now debating the reintroduction of compulsory national service for all young people; almost half the country is in favour, according to opinion polls. Sweden reintroduced limited conscription in 2017. For Australia, this is unthinkable and for our political leaders unspeakable, but this is a debate we are likely to have to have. The national service need not be military. It could, however, take up non-military tasks that the ADF is doing today, as retired admiral Chris Barrie has suggested. Such as working on emergency relief and staffing aged care homes. The ADF would be relieved to concentrate on war-fighting.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as of the 24th day of the confrontation, the enemy has launched 291 missile strikes, used 459 land, sea and air-based missiles, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

"Since the beginning of hostilities, the enemy has launched 291 missile strikes, used 459 ground, sea and air-based missiles, carried out 1,403 air raids. The main ground targets of the Russian occupiers were Ukrainian cities and villages, namely industrial infrastructure facilities, schools, hospitals, national historical and religious shrines, densely populated residential areas," the AFU said on Facebook.

It is noted that the main tasks of defeating the groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, encircling Kyiv, reaching the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and establishing control over the left-bank part of Ukraine have not been completed. However, the target in Donetsk direction was partially achieved by the enemy. The enemy was stopped in the direction of Mykolaiv.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine said the enemy continues to suffer significant losses in personnel and equipment. A network of healthcare institutions in the city of Gomel and Gomel region of the Republic of Belarus is used to receive wounded servicemen of the occupying forces. So, to make up for the losses of the grouping of the Eastern Military District, separate units of the 155th separate marine brigade (Vladivostok) and the 40th separate marine brigade (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) were transferred to the territory of Belarus.

In the area northwest of Chornobyl, the enemy deployed the rear area of the grouping of troops of the Eastern Military District. The partial blockade of the city of Chernihiv also continues, the enemy is shelling densely populated areas.

According to the information of the General Staff, in the direction of Brovary the invader operates with forces of up to three brigades. The aggressor troops did not carry out active operations. The enemy does not refuse to conduct offensive operations against Kyiv and is trying to regroup combat units.

In addition, the enemy is concentrating efforts on blockading the city of Sumy and is trying to prepare for offensive operations in the direction of the settlements of Trostianets, Okhtyrka, Poltava, and part of the forces, to Pryluki and Kyiv.

"In Kharkiv region, units from the sixth Combined Arms Army and the Northern Fleet did not conduct active operations. The main efforts of the invaders were concentrated on blocking the city of Kharkiv, destroying its civilian infrastructure and conducting reconnaissance of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Aerial reconnaissance was recorded using the Orlan-10 UAV," the AFU said.

The enemy launched missile and bomb attacks on Ukrainian positions in Kamianka direction. In the direction of Kryvy Rih, the enemy has been stopped, he is entrenched in the areas of the settlements of Krasnivka, Pryhiria, Zahradivka, Arkhanhelske, Kniazhivka, Vysokopillia, Mala Shesternia, Petrivka, Novovorontsovka and is trying to prepare for offensive operations.

In Luhansk direction, the enemy is trying to conduct assault operations and fire raids in the vast majority of directions. The main efforts are focused on attempts to capture the settlements of Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Popasnia.

"In the areas of the settlements of Syrotyne and Metiolkine, it carried out air strikes on civilian targets. In the direction of Severodonetsk, the enemy attempted to carry out offensive operations, but had no success, suffered significant losses and retreated. In Rubizhne direction, with the support of artillery, continues to consolidate in the western and north, Western parts of the city, carried out a regrouping, has no success," the General Staff said.

It is noted that the main efforts of the enemy are focused on the capture of the city of Vuhledar and the city of Mariupol.
Asked whether Senator Kitching had called Mr Albanese to ask him to support her and stop any backbiting about her future in Parliament, the caucus member said: Thats not how you do business. In one text message, Senator Kitching sent a screenshot of comments in which an anonymous colleague criticised her for naming Chau Chak Wing in a parliamentary committee hearing when she used the protection of parliamentary privilege to identify someone she believed had tried to recruit Labor candidates. She was very anxious about it, said one friend. A third said she was very, very stressed about it because the anonymous colleague noted her preselection was not decided.

But the concerns were based on conjecture about the sources of the remarks, in part because the journalists who wrote the stories were perceived to be close to Mr Albanese, when several caucus members noted there was no known candidate standing against her. Loading I didnt get any clear sense of any action that was being taken directly against her, said one Labor MP. But you cop shit in this job for standing up for what you believe in, and thats what she did. Another MP familiar with the discussions within the Victorian Right said the delay to the preselection did not mean Senator Kitching was going to be replaced.

In no conversation I had was that seriously on the table, he said. If youd asked me who was going to be the Labor Senate candidate, I would have said Kimberley Kitching, no question. With the Victorian Right split into six sub-groups and the national executive using extraordinary powers to intervene in the branch, the decision on the preselection was delayed pending a court challenge over the national executives authority. When you speak your mind, two things happen: you gain respect, but you antagonise people on your own side A Liberal source Senator Kitchings anxiety over her future in Parliament, as told to her colleagues, shows the pressure on her was wider than the reported isolation she suffered from the Senate leadership team of Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher.

The three Labor frontbenchers issued a joint statement on Friday morning saying they felt it was necessary to respond to the ongoing hurtful statements. Our priority at this time has been Senator Kitchings husband, Andrew, her family and her loved ones. Their grief is profound, their loss immeasurable, they said. Loading The opposing accounts of events are themselves a sign of the stress in politics when those elected to public office learn to be wary of party allies because of the intense competition for a prized position in Parliament. Speculation about the sources quoted in media reports rarely reveals those sources. Close friends of Senator Kitching said she was treated badly by the trio of Senate leaders when they took her off the Labor tactics group in the upper house and gave her very few chances to ask a question in question time. Others said they respected her independence but could see the tension with Senators Wong, Keneally and Gallagher.

When you speak your mind, two things happen: you gain respect, but you antagonise people on your own side, said one Liberal. The claim that Senator Kitching was punished was countered by several who said Mr Albanese named her to his frontbench after the last election ahead of another member of the Victorian Right, Peter Khalil. Loading In a later reshuffle, however, she lost the position of spokesperson on government accountability despite placing intense pressure on the government, for instance in furore over the removal of Australia Post chief Christine Holgate, and she was given a portfolio supporting Bill Shorten, the former Labor leader and a close friend. She told many contacts, including journalists, she felt this was unfair. Mr Albanese denied there was a bullying culture within the ALP that he needed to address and said he was proud to have Senators Wong, Keneally and Gallagher on his team.

Thats not to say that we cant always look to do better, he added. Politics is a really tough business. Kimberley Kitching is someone who I appointed to the frontbench. She rose pretty quickly in her second term. She was making a contribution. And its an absolute tragedy that contribution was all too short. Labor deputy leader Richard Marles, the most senior federal figure in the Victorian branch, said it was wrong to walk down the path of speculating on events before her death. Kimberley Kitching was an incredible person, you know, we are all experiencing the grief of her loss. It has been sudden, it has been shocking, he told the Nine Network on Fridays. Senator Kitching took her place in the upper house in 2016 and spent many years campaigning for a Magnitsky Act so Australia could join allies such as Britain, the US and Canada in placing tougher sanctions on human rights violators including those linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Harrison Jozefowicz quit his job as a Chicago police officer and headed overseas soon after Russia invaded Ukraine. An Army veteran, he said h
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Over past day, enemy shells eight settlements of Donetsk region, there are killed, dozens of wounded, including children  police

Over the past day, Russian troops fired from aircraft, missile and heavy artillery at eight settlements in Donetsk region, there are killed and dozens of wounded, at least 37 houses and infrastructure have been damaged, the National Police of Ukraine said.

"During the day, eight settlements were subjected to shelling by the Russians. At least 37 residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged. Dozens of civilians were killed and wounded as a result of attacks by Russian troops. There are children among the victims," the National Police said in a statement on the Telegram channel on Saturday.

According to the National Police, Mariupol, Avdiyivka, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Novoselydivka, Verkhniotoretske, Krymka, and Stepne were under fire from the invaders.

"The enemy shot down cities and villages from aviation, rocket and heavy artillery, including the use of prohibited cluster munitions. Among the civilian facilities that Russia destroyed are multi-storey and private houses, a school, a kindergarten, a museum, a shopping center and administrative buildings," the police said in the statement.

The police opened criminal proceedings under Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) and Article 110 (encroachment on territorial integrity).
Backyard chicken producers should be vigilant with biosecurity measures to mitigate exposure to a highly pathogenic avian flu that has been detected in seven states so far.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called for the freezing of Swiss bank accounts of Russians responsible for unleashing the war in Ukraine.

"Your banks keep the money of those who unleashed this war," he said, speaking in the Swiss parliament on Saturday.

"This is also a fight against evil, so that there is a complete freeze of the assets of these people, their accounts. This is a large fight and you can do it. I want you to become Ukrainians, whose cities are being destroyed on the orders of those who live in your communities, who enjoy life in your state, and it would be fair to deprive them of these privileges," the President of Ukraine said.

I want, Zelensky said, "to be like the Ukrainians on the issue of business that operates in Russia, despite the war, the people killed, the destroyed cities."

"Good food - good life." This is the slogan of the Nestle company. Your company, which refuses to leave Russia even now, when there are threats to other European countries, nuclear blackmail," the president said.

"When Switzerland is with us, we are definitely more successful, when Ukraine is with you, you are definitely stronger," Zelensky said.
National Nurses Week is May 6 to May 12, an annual celebration that recognizes the critical role nurses perform in our hospitals and for our community. This year, we recognize our nurses for their continued commitment and unfailing dedication to our patients and their families, and for alway
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China can be important element of global security system if it makes right decision, condemn Russian barbarism  Podoliak

The People's Republic of China can become an important element in the global security system if it joins the coalition of civilized countries and condemns the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine, Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the President's Office said.

"China can be the global security system's important element if it makes a right decision to support the civilized countries' coalition and condemn Russia's barbarism. It is a chance to sit at the table as equals," Podoliak said on Twitter on Saturday.

He also said the West "must explain to Beijing how $1.6 trillion differs from $150 billion [China's trade with Western countries and Russia, respectively]."
Quincy, IL (62301)

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Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 53F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

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Janet Gates Conover and her husband, Joe, are life members of the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County. This article is based on Gates Radio Company research and documents, interviews with her father, Parker Gates, and family oral history and letters.

The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County is preserving the Governor John Wood Mansion, the History Museum on the Square, the 1835 Log Cabin, the Livery, the Lincoln Gallery displays, and a collection of artifacts and documents that tell the story of who we are. This award-winning column is written by members of the Society. For more information visit hsqac.org or email info@hsqac.org.
Russian military captures to be involved to restore Ukraine's economic potential or they to be exchanged  Enin

The Russian military, who were captured in Ukraine, in accordance with international law, will be used to restore the economic potential of Ukraine and as an exchange fund, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Enin has said.

"Ukraine acts strictly in accordance with international norms of humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Convention, which is an integral part of the national legislation of Ukraine. Surely, these prisoners [Russian servicemen] will be used to the maximum in the future to restore the economic potential of our country and as perhaps an exchange fund," Enin said on the air of the national telethon on Saturday.

He said Ukraine undertakes to maintain them in accordance with the norms of international law ratified by Kyiv.
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Clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable..

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Losses among civilians from February 24, 2022, when Russia started the war against Ukraine, to 00:00 on March 18, 2022 amounted to 2,246 civilians (in the report a day earlier some 2,149), including 847 killed (816), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Saturday.

"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." it said in the document.

According to the office, this applies, for example, to Mariupol and Volnovakha (Donetsk region), Izium (Kharkiv region), Severodonetsk and Rubizhne (Luhansk region), Trostianets (Sumy region), where there are reports of numerous civilian casualties. They are subject to further verification 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 multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the office said.

According to confirmed UN data, some 155 men, some 119 women, some 21 boys and seven girls killed, while the gender of 36 children and 509 adults is yet unknown.

Among the 1,399 wounded, some 18 girls and nine boys, as well as 51 children, whose gender is yet unknown.

Compared to the previous day, five children were killed and four others were wounded, according to the UN.

OHCHR said that in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as of midnight on March 19, there were 187 (172) killed and 547 (503) wounded in government-controlled territory, and 53 (50) killed and 181 (178) wounded in territory controlled by self-proclaimed "republics."

In other regions of Ukraine under government control (in Kyiv, as well as in Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions), the UN recorded 607 (594) killed and 671 (652) wounded.
In Iceland, the word "sprakkar" means extraordinary women.

Its not a commonly used term  yet. That could change Eliza Reid has anything to do with it.

Kristin Bogadottir photo Author and first lady of Iceland Eliza Reid grew up outside Ottawa.

In her book Secrets of the Sprakkar: Icelands Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, published in English in February by Simon & Schuster, the 45-year-old Reid weaves together the stories of Icelandic women in all walks of life to show how the country has excelled in some areas of gender equality  and the work that remains to be done in others.

Reid launches Secrets of the Sprakkar virtually on Sunday, March 20 at 2 p.m. in an event hosted by author Terry Fallis and presented in association with McNally Robinson Booksellers.

If "Reid" doesnt sound much like an Icelandic surname, youre not wrong. The 45 year old grew up outside Ottawa before heading to the U.K. for school, where she met Guni Th. Johannesson, who she would eventually marry in 2004  and who became president of Iceland in 2016.

Secrets of the Sprakkar

Secrets of the Sprakkar is Reids first book  one which, as first lady and organizer of the Iceland Writers Retreat, she admits she wouldnt have had time to write were it not for COVID-19. "It was the pandemic that facilitated my being able to do this; the other activities in which I normally occupy my time changed and were diminished," she says by video call from London, where she had just launched her book (and, prior to chatting with the Free Press, had just spoken with the first lady of Poland about the situation in Ukraine). "I was able to research and conduct the interviews during the pandemic, according to all pandemic regulations."

Among the 40 or so interviewees Reid talked to for Secrets of the Sprakkar were Icelandic women in media, the corporate world, art and more, including a boat captain/fisher, a search-and-rescue team member, a comedian and a midwife, the latter of which she got to know through having four children of her own.

"It was so interesting to be able to meet so many different women from around the country," Reid says. "There is a strong memoir dimension to this book. And so I deliberately tried to choose some women with whom I already had a connection. But the other women were also so generous with their time and with sharing their stories. I really tried to approach all of them with a fairly open mind."

Reids goal with the book was to paint a clearer picture as to why Iceland constantly ranks among the most gender-equal nations per capita in a wide range of measurements  from parental leave to gender balance in the workplace to LGBTTQ* rights and beyond. "When it comes to Iceland and gender equality, we are doing very well, although were not perfect," says Reid. "I tried to make sure to highlight the areas where we know that we need to be doing better and that we need to focus on  this isnt something we that we should be complacent about."

She found Iceland has been effective in adopting a two-pronged approach to gender equality. "It is introducing top-down legislation like quota legislation, and it is bottom up, grassroots action," she explains. "And its people following their dreams and being role models and elevating each others voices. I hope that the book inspires individuals of all genders to leave no one behind and to speak up when they see inequality."

And while not all those Reid interviewed had or have been active in working towards gender equality in Iceland, all have felt the impact of the work that has been done. "Certainly not all of them would define themselves as feminist, for whatever reason, and certainly they wouldnt necessarily all consider themselves part of the battle," she says. "But theyre all people who see absolutely that is their right to live as equal beings, and not to be hindered in any way by their gender."

In combining memoir with an exploration of gender equality in Iceland, Reid was always conscious of Icelands rich literary tradition. "Iceland is a storytelling nation I wanted I wanted to tell stories, rather than just do interviews, as a sort of homage to that storytelling tradition in Iceland." She notes the gender equality in the country carries over into Icelands literary landscape as well. "Its maybe the area that is the most gender equal  books by women and men actually sell equally, which isnt the case in all countries by any stretch," she says. "Men and women purchase books equally here, and they purchase them, broadly speaking, by male and female authors equally."

The first place Secrets of the Sprakkar was published was in Iceland (and in Icelandic) last fall in order for it to be released in time for jolabokaflod, an annual tradition of exchanging books as gifts in the country that precedes Christmas. "It was very exciting, and an honour for me I was most nervous about the reaction in Iceland, because the people who were being interviewed were going to be reading it," she says. "The feedback has been very positive, which makes me happy. The women I interviewed, I have a deep respect for them all, and Im grateful to all of them. I wanted to make sure that they felt like their stories had been captured."

After two years of turmoil, Reid is excited about the return of the Iceland Writers Retreat, which has been held since 2014, but was cancelled in 2020 and held virtually in 2021. "Were full steam ahead for an in-person event. Were also introducing the very first Iceland Readers Retreat, which is for avid readers," she says. "We have readings, question and answer sessions with authors. We have more literary themed tours led by authors. And then we also have a chance for people to see the Icelandic saga manuscripts and to listen to a panel of Icelandic authors. Instead of focusing on attending writing workshops, people have more interaction with authors in another sense."

Looking at Canada, her country of birth, Reid sees progress in some areas and others in which there is still much to be done, switching her conversational "we" from Icelandic to Canadian. "One area where we might be wanting to work more is, for instance, the discourse we see online and in social media  and, to a lesser extent, the way the official press operates," she says. "The vitriol we see on social media is incredibly vicious and much of it is misogynist its a big impediment, for instance, to encouraging more women to run for office."

Reid hopes readers feel inspired by the stories in Secrets of the Sprakkar of Icelands women and the ongoing work towards true gender equality. "I hope people feel like its a sort of warm and friendly book, more conversational, where you get to meet interesting people and learn about an interesting country under the theme of gender equality," she says.

And while Reid admits to having caught the book-writing bug, shes aware her duties as first lady and with the Iceland Writers Retreat will beckon more the world returns to some sense of normalcy  although the many hats Reid wears are anything but normal. "Its a surreal, but charmed life. And Im very grateful."

ben.sigurdson@freepress.mb.ca

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP)  Officials at Walt Disney World said Friday that a performance by a visiting Texas high school drill team that used American Indian stereotypes, including chants of scalp them," doesn't reflect the Florida resort's values.

FILE - The newly painted Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is seen with the the crest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the theme park on Aug. 30, 2021, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Officials at Walt Disney World say a performance by a visiting Texas high school drill team that used American Indian stereotypes, including chants of scalp them, doesnt reflect the resorts values. A Disney spokeswoman said Friday, March 18, 2022, that the company regretted the performance this week by the Indianettes drill team from Port Neches-Grove High School. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP)  Officials at Walt Disney World said Friday that a performance by a visiting Texas high school drill team that used American Indian stereotypes, including chants of scalp them," doesn't reflect the Florida resort's values.

The performance this week in the Magic Kingdom by the Indianettes" drill team from Port Neches-Grove High School did not reflect our core values, and we regret it took place," Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said in an emailed statement.

An audition tape that the school had provided in order to be selected to perform at the theme park resort was inconsistent with the actual performance, the statement said.

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Wahler said new measures have been implemented to prevent that from happening again. She did not elaborate.

In a video of the performance posted on Twitter, members of the drill team are seen tapping their hands over their mouths and whooping, as a drum pounds in the background, in what is stereotypically called a war cry.

Port Neches-Groves school district Superintendent Mike Gonzales and Indianettes director Cortnie Schexnaider did not immediately return messages seeking comment. However, the district issued a statement to KFDM-TV in Beaumont in which district officials said they are aware of the concern regarding the performance of our band and Indianettes at Disney World.

"We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our school district. Our district is nearing 100 years old, and our Board of Trustees is committed to always making the best decisions for our students, staff, and the communities of Port Neches and Groves, the district stated.

According to a PN-G spokesperson, this is the 8th time that PN-G performed the routine at Disney World. The spokesperson says Disney has never asked ahead of time about the planned performance.

Port Neches is a petrochemical refining center located near the Gulf Coast about 13 miles (20 kilometers) southeast of Beaumont, Texas. The Indianettes have been a fixture at Port Neches-Groves High School for more than 50 years, according to the school district website.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In southwestern Pennsylvania, eight locks and dams that for decades helped barges move goods along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers will in a few years also generate enough power for 75,000 homes.

FILE - The Emsworth Dam and Lock are seen on the Ohio River in Emsworth, Pa., April 9, 2021. As the U.S. pushes to transition to low-carbon energy, some hydropower companies see an opportunity to expand hydropower generation at existing dams while minimizing environmental harms. It reflects a surprising alliance that has emerged between the industry and conservation groups. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  In southwestern Pennsylvania, eight locks and dams that for decades helped barges move goods along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers will in a few years also generate enough power for 75,000 homes.

Rye Development, a Boston-based hydropower company, is retrofitting the dams with turbines to generate electricity and says the upgraded structures will limit damage to the rivers' water quality and fish.

The project reflects a recent thawing between the industry and conservation groups, which had long opposed dams that can prevent fish migration, alter water temperatures and cause other environmental problems. As the U.S. pushes to transition to low-carbon energy, Rye is among the companies that sees an opportunity to expand hydropower production at existing dams while working to minimize environmental harms.

The recent compromises between the industry and environmental groups are reflected in President Joe Bidens infrastructure law, which puts $2.5 billion toward projects including dam removals as well as upgrades at existing structures for hydropower and energy storage.

We do recognize that (hydropower) is probably going to play some role in the transition. Its certainly better than coal, said Ted Illston of American Rivers, which has advocated for dam removals on environmental grounds.

Hydropower, which uses flowing water to spin turbines connected to generators, is the oldest and second-largest renewable energy source in the U.S. after wind power. In 2020, it accounted for roughly 7% of the electricity generated in the country.

The industry hasn't received as much federal funding and tax incentives as wind and solar, but sees room for growth. Of the 90,000 dams in the country, about 2,500 produce power. Non-powered dams could produce enough power for 9 to 12 million homes, according to an estimate by the Electric Power Supply Association based on federal data from 2012.

Part of the challenge is that most dams in the U.S. were built more than half a century ago. The risk of dam collapses has fueled demolitions in recent years, with more than 40% of the countrys nearly 2,000 dam removals in the past century happening in the last decade. Some are also torn down largely for environmental reasons.

Last month, federal regulators moved a step closer to approving what would be the largest dam demolition in U.S. history. Removal of the four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River near the Oregon-California border would help save the rivers salmon and other fish species that cant reach breeding habitat because of the structures.

The hydropower industry and conservation groups still clash over dams too. On Maines Kennebec River, conservation groups and state environmental agencies are pushing for the removal of four hydropower dams that block endangered Atlantic salmon from reaching key habitat. The dams generate about 5% of the states renewable energy.

Its very easy for individual river systems to get lost in the message of climate change and the need for renewable energy, said Shannon Ames, executive director of the Low Impact Hydropower Institute, which grades hydropower dams based on environmental criteria.

With persisting drought affecting hydropower production west of the Mississippi River, the industry has a more direct path to expansion in eastern states.

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In Pennsylvania, Rye consulted with the Low Impact Hydropower Institute early in its process and is among a small number of companies seeking certification from the group.

To get certified, companies must show their structures meet protections for endangered species, cultural and historic uses of rivers, passage for fish and recreational areas. The group says its environmental standards are often stricter than state or federal guidelines.

On a recently certified dam in West Virginia on the Ohio River, for example, dissolved oxygen levels  an important measure of river water quality  were meeting or exceeding state standards, according to a five-year study. In some states, dams certified by the organization qualify for green-energy programs.

Rye said its dams in Pennsylvania will include structures to support fish migration ,and that it is building a fishing pier since federal regulators require hydropower producers to support recreation on river systems. The retrofits are expected to be operational as early as 2025.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/environment
Ihor Zhdanov, Information Defence

Informational Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine, morning of March 19th, 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.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding back the enemy and carrying out counter-offensive operations in certain operational areas. There are artillery and rocket-bomb attacks on groups of troops and columns of equipment.

In most operational areas the situation is without significant changes, there are battles of local significance, the war has moved to the positional stage. The enemy is having an operational pause to draw up reserves, particularly from the Far East, Armenia, and recruiting mercenaries in Syria.

Active hostilities are taking place in the Luhansk direction, where the invaders are trying to establish control over the settlements of Rubizhne and Popasna, as well as the blockade of Severodonetsk.

In the area of Rubizhne, the enemy was established on the western and northwestern outskirts of the city, making unsuccessful attempts to reach the southern part of the city. Fighting continues for Popasna.

In the Donetsk direction, in particular in the Azovstal area, russian occupation forces temporarily cut off Ukraine from access to the Sea of Azov.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 till 19.03 were approximately: combatants - about 14,400 people, tanks - 466 units, armoured combat vehicles - 1470 units, artillery systems - 213 units, MLRS - 72 units, air defence - 44 units, aircraft - 95 units, helicopters - 115 units, vehicles - 914 units, ships / boats - 3 units, fuel tanks - 60, UAV of operational and tactical levels -17.

Since the beginning of russia's attack on Ukraine, the armed forces have been able to liberate more than 30 settlements in the Kyiv region, which were temporarily occupied by the enemy.

As a result of the fire on the enemy, the commander of the 8th All-Military Army of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the russian federation, Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev was killed.

Fighters of the operational and tactical group "East" on Friday destroyed 8 tanks, 11 infantry fighting vehicles and a platoon of enemy infantry in several directions.

According to the Pentagon, as of March 18th, the russian occupiers had fired 1,080 missiles across Ukraine.

The enemy spent almost their entire stockpile of missiles and some types of ammunition, as a result of which a number of enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex were transferred to round-the-clock operation.

2. Prospects for nuclear blackmail by russia.

russias problem of nuclear blackmailing is becoming increasingly important in international political and expert circles. If we define its essence briefly, we can ask: will Russia actually use tactical nuclear weapons for its defeat in the war against Ukraine?

This was reported by US intelligence agency. According to the director of the Pentagon's intelligence department, Lieutenant General Scott Berrier russian president putin will threaten to use nuclear weapons against the West if Ukraines resistance to the war continues, Bloomberg reports.

There is almost no doubt about the possibility of russia's nuclear blackmailing in case of the probability of its defeat  state Information Defence experts.

However, the distance between the threat of using nuclear weapons and the use of them is enormous. Until a couple of weeks ago, most experts would have followed conservative scenarios, saying that putin was bluffing, that it was necessary to negotiate and do business as usual.

However, the course of the Ukrainian-russian war has demonstrated that putin is not only able to bluff and raise stakes, but also to resort to openly aggressive inadequate actions, as was the case with the beginning of russia's aggression against Ukraine. The world has changed dramatically these days.

Today, the scenario of the use of tactical nuclear weapons (in Ukraine or in one of the NATO countries), according to Information Defence experts , no longer looks so unlikely.

putin believes that he will benefit from the use of tactical nuclear weapons, as he is convinced that NATO is weak and does not dare to respond adequately.

According to well-known expert Andriy Piontkovsky, NATO has several options for Russia's response if tactical nuclear weapons are used on its territory:

1. Immediately organize a negotiating communication with russia and discuss the terms of an honorable peace/surrender.

2. Give a powerful military response to russia but without the use of nuclear weapons.

3. Give a strong military response to russia using similar tactical nuclear weapons (full symmetrical response/limited nuclear response).

4. Give a powerful military response to russia with the use of strategic nuclear weapons (full-scale nuclear war).

The most adequate scenario today is a full symmetric/limited nuclear response scenario. In recent weeks, the West has grown up, and although it is afraid to be a part of the war, it has finally realized that with putin only force can stop him; he absorbs those who are weak using nuclear blackmail.

3. The russian invaders continue to violate international humanitarian law.

The cost of the victims of putin's aggression continues to grow. New tragic data were reported by juvenile prosecutors: as of March 18th, 109 children had died and more than 130 had been injured.

The largest number of victims is in Kyiv region. 55 children died here. The number of victims among minors is increasing in the following districts: Kharkiv - 34; Donetsk - 26; Chernihiv - 29; Mykolaiiv - 20; Zhytomyr - 15; Sumy - 14; Kherson - 14.

The UN Migration Agency estimates that about 6.5 million of Ukrainians have become internally displaced and 3.2 million have gone abroad due to the russias war.

439 educational institutions were damaged in the result of bombing and shelling, 63 of them were completely destroyed. The Donetsk (126), Kharkiv (77) and Mykolaiiv (39) regions suffered a lot. In the capital, the racists destroyed 35 schools.

The information is not final, as it is impossible to inspect the scene due to the continuation of hostilities.

Rocket and bomb strikes on Ukrainian cities continue. As we analysed in the previous review, such massive shelling cannot be explained by the aggressors excess and tragic mistakes as a result of the use of indiscriminate type ammunition. The only logical explanation is deliberate terrorism in order to break the spirit and will to victory of both the Ukrainian people and the top military and political leaders of the country.

Here are some (not all) examples of state terrorism by the russian invaders in recent days.

Since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, 222 people have died in Kyiv, including 60 civilians and four children. As a result of the shelling of the Vynohradar district in Kyiv Podilskyi district on Friday, a person was killed and 19 people were injured, including 4 children.

In the Luhansk region on March 18th as a result of shelling of Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Pryvillia, Kreminna on March 18th about 54 sites were damaged, 4 people were killed, 10 people were wounded.

russian troops launched a missile strike on Kramatorsk, the Donetsk region, and it is currently known that 2 people were killed and 6 wounded.

According to preliminary information, two people were killed and three were injured in the shelling of the russian invaders in Avdiiivka, the Donetsk region, on March 18th.

4. Under attacks of the russian occupiers, the evacuation through humanitarian corridors goes ahead.

On March 18th, it was confirmed that 9 humanitarian corridors in the Donetsk and Sumy regions were to be organised.

In the Donetsk region, the corridor should run on the route Mariupol - Zaporizhzhia. Mariupol residents who managed to evacuate from the city will be transported from Berdiansk to Zaporizhzhia, and those who walk on foot will be helped in Manhush.

In the Sumy region, the corridors will operate: from Sumy to Poltava; from Trostianets, to Poltava.

In the Kharkiv region, it is planned to deliver humanitarian aid to the cities of Balakleia and Izium.

According to the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko , 9,145 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors on March 18th, including 4,972 residents of Mariupol, including 1,124 children, who went to Zaporizhzhia. Buses that arrived in Berdiansk from Zaporizhzhia took 500 people away. 4,173 people were evacuated from the Sumy region.

In addition, fuel was delivered to Berdiansk to refuel personal vehicles of Mariupol residents moving along the humanitarian corridor.

In the Kharkiv region, it was not possible to deliver humanitarian aid to the cities of Balakleia and Izium due to shelling by russian troops on the confirmed route.

5. The political and informational struggle over the content of the Ukrainian-russian negotiations continues.

russian president putin, as always, has begun to raise deadly rates, saying in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Ukraine is making unrealistic proposals in the talks.

Apparently, the russian dictator decided to play the role of a bad policeman, entrusting the role of good cop to the head of the russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky, who assures that the Moscow-Kyiv talks managed to reconcile positions on Ukraine's neutral status.

In Ukraine, as predicted by the Information Defence expert , the internal political struggle over the content of the agreements has already begun. Major political forces are still observers of professional/pseudo-professional discussions on social media.

The main focus of the uncompromising discussion is the neutral status of Ukraine, recognition of its territorial integrity, including the Crimea and Donbas, real guarantees of security for our country.

It will be extremely difficult to find points of contact and compromise within the country, given the current Ukrainian realities. However, this is a strict necessity to ensure the unity of the state in the face of the russian occupiers.

6. The Ukrainian government, business, and citizens demonstrate solidarity and consolidate their efforts to confront the enemy.

The government continues to radically change the conditions for doing business in Ukraine and reduce corruption risks. According to the Prime-Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, the Government has decided to simplify all customs procedures as much as possible, the goal is to create the fastest customs in the world: with no paperwork at customs and tax codes.

The Prime-Minister also has added that those who want to stay on the general system will pay only VAT, and such registration should take no more than 15 minutes. And those who just want to bring the goods to Ukraine without any customs clearance, must fill out a declaration in advance.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that families who have accommodated people from the territories of hostilities or temporary occupation will be reimbursed for utilities costs.

The National Bank and the Individual Deposit Guarantee Fund support the President Zelenskyys initiative to introduce a 100% state guarantee on household deposits.

7. International support and assistance to Ukraine.

Military aid to Ukraine continues to grow. Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova has said that part of the assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine has already crossed the border: I will not reveal things that our enemy should not know. But when certain decisions are made and they are public, at this point some things are already crossing the border. In fact, it is a parallel process. This is not a package (aid - ed.), that will be used only now to purchase something.

It seems that the strong success of the Ukrainian air defence in recent days is probably related to the additional supply of new air defence systems from the United States.

At the request of NATO, the Netherlands and Germany will supply Slovakia with American Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems instead of its S-300 air defence systems, which are being transferred to Ukraine at the moment.

At the same time, russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow would not allow the transfer to Ukraine from other countries of S-300 air defence systems to protect against russian air strikes.

Political and diplomatic support for Ukraine continues. The European Commissions opinion on Ukraines application for EU membership will be ready in a few months.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote about this on Twitter after a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

I had a substantive conversation with EU President Ursula von der Leyen. The EU opinion on Ukraine's application for EU membership will be prepared in a few months. The government and the EU have been instructed. Together we are moving towards our strategic goal, Zelenskyy stated.

As reported, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraines European way has already started.

Financial aid is growing. Ukraine on Friday will receive 300 million euros in emergency funding from the European Union in support of 1.2 billion euros.

The amount of russian assets frozen by banks and other financial institutions in the Netherlands is 200 million euros.

The EU is beginning to realize the urgent need for an embargo on russian energy exports. The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has exhorted for a reduction of the European dependence on russian energy resources as soon as possible, as this is an indirect financing of russia's war.

However, the load capacity on the Ukrainian gas transportation system by russia's Gazprom is not declining and is more than 105 million cubic meters per day under the transit contract, according to European observers.

8. Provocations and fakes of russian aggressors.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, has stated that the russian occupiers inform their propagandists that they are distributing humanitarian aid to residents of the temporarily occupied territories of the Kharkiv region. In some temporarily occupied territories, the russian occupiers are trying to create a positive image, distributing food to the cameras, etc.

In the russian capital, the authorities staged a holiday concert in honour of the eighth anniversary of the illegal occupation of the Crimea to support of the war in Ukraine.

The propaganda media RIA Novosti reports that according to the russian Ministry of Interior Affairs in Moscow, more than 203,000 people are in Luzhniki, where the rally is being held: more than 95,000 at the stadium and more than 100,000 are near.

russia has decided to hold an alternative Paralympics from March 17 to 20 after they were not allowed to the real Paralympics in Beijing due to the attack on Ukraine.

russia's state TV network RT can no longer be watched in the UK after the regulator Ofcom revoked its license.

9. Sanctions against russia are intensifying, and more and more companies are leaving the russian trade market.

russia's banking and financial sector is beginning to decrease to the level of the 1990s. Western banks with the largest assets in russia, which manage 57.2 billion dollars in russia, are considering ways to carefully exit the market of the country. This was reported by the Financial Times.

Banks with the largest assets are: Societe Generale: 15 thousand employees, 18 billion dollars assets in russia, 3.1 million customers and 200 branches; Raiffeisen: 9.4 thousand employees, 22.9 billion dollars assets in russia, 4.2 million customers and 132 branches; UniCredit: 4,000 employees, $ 7.4 billion assets in russia, 2 million customers and 70 branches; Citigroup: 3,000 employees, $ 8.9 billion assets in russia, 0.5 million customers and 15 branches.

Banks with the highest risks in russia

FT

Leaders of Western banking groups are considering three scenarios for the future of their banks, but it is difficult to understand what each option will mean for business.

First. Selling assets is considered the best case scenario for banks, as it can protect them from large financial losses. However, finding a buyer on acceptable terms against the background of sanctions and financial isolation will be extremely difficult.

Second. A complete closure means thousands of people will lose their jobs and the bank will lose thousands of corporate clients. Therefore, managers need to weigh all the consequences and complexity of the group's departure from the country.

Third. Nationalization will save leaders from the problem of choice, but is seen only as a "critical scenario." This option will be negatively perceived by shareholders.

The situation with the implementation of the state budget of russia is deteriorating. The Ministry of Finance of russia proposes to sequester the budget, i.e. to reduce its expenditures in a number of areas by half a trillion rubles.

russias international isolation continues. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced on Friday that russian and Belarusian diplomats were barred from entering parliament.

American companies Halliburton and Schlumberger have taken steps to leave the russian market. The first company is completely shutting down, and the second is suspending further investment and implementation of technology.

The American film studio Paramount suspends its activities in russia and donates $ 1 million to humanitarian aid.

Technology corporation LG Electronics stops all deliveries to russia.

Athletes from russia and Belarus were completely suspended from the World Championships, the European Championships and the Diamond League.

Torrent platform RuTracker has opposed russia's war in Ukraine and will block access for users from russia.
LONDON (AP)  Prince William and Kate are embarking on a tour to Central America and the Caribbean, even as some countries in the region mull cutting ties to the British monarchy.

FILE- Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge attend the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day Parade at Mons Barracks, March 17, 2022 in Aldershot, England. Prince William and his wife Catherine are embarking on a tour to Central America and the Caribbean, even as some countries in the region mull cutting ties to the British monarchy. The couple will visit Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas on the week-long journey that starts Saturday, March 19, 2022. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP, file)

LONDON (AP)  Prince William and Kate are embarking on a tour to Central America and the Caribbean, even as some countries in the region mull cutting ties to the British monarchy.

The couple will visit Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas on the week-long journey that starts Saturday. The trip, taken at the behest of Williams grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, is intended to strengthen the U.K.s ties with Commonwealth countries as the queen marks 70 years on the throne.

But the trip suffered a hitch before the couple set out, when a planned visit to a cacao farm in the Central American nation of Belize was scrapped because of local opposition.

According to local reports, a protest was staged on Friday opposing the royal visit to Akte il Ha cacao farm in Indian Creek village in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Belize news outlet Channel 7 reported that there is a dispute between village residents and Flora and Fauna International, a conservation charity William supports as patron.

The royal couples Kensington Palace office said that due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location. The government of Belize said another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry.

The couple, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, also are due to visit Jamaica, where they are due to celebrate the legacy of Bob Marley and islands rich musical and sporting heritage. They will end the trip in the Bahamas, where they'll compete in a sailing regatta in honor of the queens Platinum Jubilee.

William, 39, is second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles.

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Although the queen is highly regarded across the region, Britain is accused by many of  at best  a callous attitude towards its former colonies. That feeling has been heightened by the U.K.s treatment of many Caribbean immigrants who came to Britain after World War II, helping to rebuild a war-shattered country.

In recent years, some people from the Caribbean who had lived legally in Britain for decades were denied housing, jobs or medical treatment, and in some cases deported, because they didn't have paperwork to prove their status. The British government has apologized and agreed to pay compensation, but the scandal has caused deep anger, both in the U.K. and in the Caribbean.

The royal couple's first overseas tour since the coronavirus pandemic began two years ago comes as some Caribbean nations consider removing the queen as head of state. Barbados cut ties with the queen in November, transforming from a constitutional monarchy to a republic. Jamaica has also talked about becoming a republic but has made no moves.

Britains longest-reigning monarch, 95-year-old Elizabeth has stopped making international trips and has dramatically cut back on her public duties. She sometimes uses a walking stick, was ordered by her doctors to rest after spending a night in hospital in October and recently recovered from a bout of COVID-19.

There are also questions over the future of the Commonwealth, an association of 54 nations, most of them former British colonies. A loose alliance of countries large and small  from vast India to tiny Tuvalu  held together by historic ties and respect for the queen, the organization has struggled to carve out a firm place on the world stage.

The survival of the Commonwealth owes much to the commitment of the queen, who has visited almost every member country, often multiple times. Some question whether the organization can continue once the queen is succeeded by Prince Charles.
If you want to create the next Assassins Creed or Just Dance, youre in luck.

If you want to create the next Assassins Creed or Just Dance, youre in luck.

Ubisoft, the global video game giant, is adding 200 jobs to its Winnipeg location over the next eight years. Its the latest step in Manitobas growth as a technology hub, advocates say.

Ubisoft intends to triple its local crew of 100 by 2030, it announced Friday.

"Were here for the talent," said Michael Henderson, Ubisoft Winnipegs managing director.

Employees of the Exchange District site collaborate on game production around the world. They partner with Ubisoft studios in North America and abroad to "solve their toughest tech problems," Henderson said.

This includes diving into projects the public might not see for years.

"Ubisoft, as a strategy, goes to where the talent is," Henderson said. "Thats why we came to Winnipeg (in 2019)."

The French company said it will invest another $139 million in the prairie province by 2030, coming to a total $264 million since first setting roots.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The fact that we are two years into a pandemic and theyre making this level of an investment is just a tremendous vote of confidence, says Mayor Brian Bowman.

"The fact that we are two years into a pandemic and theyre making this level of an investment is just a tremendous vote of confidence (in Winnipeg)," said Mayor Brian Bowman.

Ubisoft outpaced itself: it aimed to hire 100 staff for its Winnipeg location within five years of launching. It reached its target over a year early.

"Im really pleased that the community has been able to demonstrate that this is a good investment," Bowman said.

Roughly 70 per cent of the Winnipeg branchs current workforce is from Manitoba, Henderson said. Others have immigrated to the city for work.

"Some of our most exceptional team members have come from (an) internship program from the (University of Manitoba)," Henderson said.

Ubisoft has its hands in several post-secondary initiatives across the province. By 2030, it will have invested $1 million into the local tech ecosystem, it announced Friday.

Red River College Polytechnic consulted Ubisoft on the two new game development programs it launched in September.

"What we were hearing from students and industry was they wanted a dedicated video game (development program)," said Kirk Johnson, dean of business, IT and creative arts.

The school opened an over $95-million innovation centre, which has a state-of-the-art space dedicated to video game design, in the Exchange District last year. The move was "in large part due to the fact that Ubisoft and other video game companies are in town," Johnson said.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ubisoft vice-president of production technology Nicolas Rioux was on hand Friday for the announcement.

Some of the 20 students in the new programs will find themselves at Ubisoft for work placements.

"As Ubisoft is looking to staff up, were going to have a lot of great grads ready to apply," Johnson said.

Other students, including those in business, graphic design and information security, will benefit from the video game giants expansion, Johnson said.

"Potentially hundreds, if not thousands of students are in a better place now because this organization is making that extension," he said.

Theres a ripple effect, said Dayna Spiring, Economic Development Winnipegs president and CEO.

"Success breeds success," she said. "I think the more that our young people see that they can have a career in video gaming in Winnipeg, the more they may be inspired to start their own company."

She and Bowman made a trip to Montreal six years ago to pitch Winnipeg to Ubisoft. Now, with the companys success, more in the sector may look to Winnipeg as a viable nesting ground, she said.

We know our tax credit is good, we know theres a lot of synergies between the video game industry and film and special effects so were going to be promoting that," Spiring said.

Eligible businesses in the interactive digital media industry can get a refundable corporate tax credit, up to 40 per cent, in Manitoba.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES As Ubisoft is looking to staff up, were going to have a lot of great grads ready to apply, says Kirk Johnson, RRC Polytech dean of business, IT and creative arts.

The Progressive Conservatives made the credit permanent in last years budget, Premier Heather Stefanson noted at Ubisofts news conference Friday.

"We want to keep our talent, our youth, here in Manitoba, and this is just a great avenue for that," said Economic Development Minister Cliff Cullen.

Ubisoft has mentored and worked with kids in the province on computer skills. It created a scholarship for women in computer science at the University of Manitoba.

"We want to keep our talent, our youth, here in Manitoba, and this is just a great avenue for that."  Economic Development Minister Cliff Cullen

The Exchange District crew has switched to a hybrid model permanently, Henderson said. However, he encourages staff to come in. All who work for the office must live in Manitoba, he said.

The new jobs  and potential increased foot traffic  are good news to Austin Granados, co-owner of nearby Cake-ology.

"We (could) sell more, make more business out of it," Granados said. "(It would) kind of create a buzz here in the Exchange."

The number of passersby has increased as restrictions unravel and the weather warms, he said.

A list of Ubisofts open positions is on their website. It will be hiring programmers "of many different disciplines," Henderson said. A background in video games isnt always necessary, he added.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
A new drug rehabilitation facility will move forward, with plans to help Winnipeggers recover from addictions and access safe, affordable housing.

A new drug rehabilitation facility will move forward, with plans to help Winnipeggers recover from addictions and access safe, affordable housing.

The citys Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan community committee approved variance and conditional use applications for the $8.5-million Adult and Teen Challenge of Central Canada project Friday.

The plans call to convert an industrial building at 83 Kate St. into a new addictions treatment centre, with 18 transitional housing apartments.

The decision is final, though it could be appealed.

Coun. Vivian Santos said theres an obvious need for the treatment spaces.

"My ward (has) had a lot of systemic issues with addictions. We can basically go outside of city hall right now today and see these challenges," said Santos, who represents Point Douglas.

The councillor did question the facilitys focus on providing programs solely for folks whove already committed to sobriety, amid many calls to provide "low-barrier" resources to those still using substances.

Adult and Teen Challenge president Daniel Emond told the committee harm-reduction initiatives that allow continued substance use are not a part of the program. However, his organization does partner with others who provide those services.

"We want to look at treating the whole family in all stages but our purpose is to help provide freedom from addiction, and we realize that an abstinence-based approach is really what we focus on," said Emond. "We also see the value of working together with all of these other organizations."

Adult and Teen Challenge shared a separate vision for a future medical detox facility at Lighthouse Mission, its sister organization, to ensure services are available to address all addictions-related needs. Emond noted that vision is in a more preliminary stage.

Emond told the committee his own past struggle with drug use inspires him to ensure recovery programs can be accessed quickly.

"I went through a six-year cycle of going through six different addiction recovery organizations and approaches, and I look back now and appreciate every one of them. That even has birthed this vision of trying to present the complete package to someone right away, where theyre not having to go to six or eight or 10 different organizations before they find freedom from their addiction."

Emond noted safe and affordable housing is critical for those whove completed addictions recovery programs.

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He also said public consultations for the project went well, with many community members welcoming the proposal.

Once built, the facility will offer 20-bed short-term and 45-bed long-term recovery programs, as well as transitional housing that helps people who need it gradually re-enter the broader community. Some people who require all those steps could spend years in treatment.

After the meeting, Emond told the Free Press the organization hopes to start construction later this year, and open at least some services by 2023 or 2024, noting the exact timeline will depend on fundraising and final design plans.

The organization has not yet decided whether the proposed space will serve men or women, since that decision will be based on demand closer to the completion date.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Ottawa and a conservation group have helped donors conserve parts of Lake Winnipegs shoreline near Gimli.

Ottawa and a conservation group have helped donors conserve parts of Lake Winnipegs shoreline near Gimli.

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"Conserving these areas is an act of optimism and hope that Lake Winnipeg can be saved," Cary Hamel, Manitoba head of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, wrote in a release. "By conserving the natural integrity of two more areas near Gimli, we can ensure that future generations can enjoy the lake and land."

The group announced Friday a combined 111 acres in two sites have been protected: the Breda Bay shoreline and MapleCross Siglavik wetland.

The nature conservancy says both help to filter some of the nutrients that cause damaging algae blooms on the lake, while providing habitat for migratory birds and pollinators, in an area with few large, intact natural areas.

"The sandy and treed beach ridges found on these properties are also a rare forest type in Manitoba, and make up only 0.2 per cent of the Interlake region," the group wrote.

The group said donations from the MapleCross Fund and the Dolhy family helped to pay for the private land in order to preserve it.

The federal government contributed to the project, as part of its goal to conserve one-quarter of land and ocean in Canada by 2025.
Local Canada Goose employees have signed a new collective bargaining agreement containing a cumulative 10 per cent wage increase over the four year contract.

Local Canada Goose employees have signed a new collective bargaining agreement containing a cumulative 10 per cent wage increase over the four year contract.

Staff at the luxury garment manufacturer in Winnipeg voted overwhelmingly in favour of their first contract Friday, a release from Workers United Union said. The contract applies to about 1,200 employees.

According to the union, the contract includes a 40 cent wage increase at ratification, a one per cent increase in October, a 2.5 per cent increase in both 2023 and 2024 and a four per cent increase in 2025.

The agreement also contains a grievance process covering "every aspect of the working environment" and language to protect workers on leave of absence, the union noted.

"This is a wonderful moment for all of us. We are so appreciative to have our voices heard during the bargaining process and to see our efforts rewarded," Alelie Sanvictores, a sewer and a member of the bargaining committee, said in the release.

Canada Goose employees in Winnipeg voted to unionize in December 2021 after what was described as a tumultuous three-year unionization drive for workers, many of whom are recent immigrants.

David Paul, chief negotiator and a representative of the Workers United Canada Council, described the agreement as historic.

"I cannot speak highly enough of the entire committee for laying their trust in the process, for their participation, and their commitment to each other," Paul said.

In April 2019, Workers United filed a union application for one of Canada Gooses three Winnipeg locations. The company argued to the Manitoba Labour Board its three facilities were integrated and unionization at one site would be disruptive.

In December 2019, the board agreed with the company and the application was not certified. However, the board also heard charges of unfair labour practices during the hearing, with which it agreed was the case.

The majority of staff sewing the high-priced parkas, which can retail at over $1,000 a piece, were earning minimum wage with the additional compensation when piece work quotas were exceeded.

In August 2020, staff were forced to use outdoor portable toilets at the companys Mountain Avenue production facility after facilities were out of order for three weeks.

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And last January, Workers United alleged a "climate of fear" had descended on Canada Gooses plant with workers feeling intimidated and poorly treated by supervisors.

Sewer Yu Hao said workers had to overcome many obstacles to achieve the contract and the entire community is celebrating the new agreement.

"We look forward to our work now," Hao said in the release. "It is hard work, but with our contract, we will be better rewarded for what we do."

A request for comment from Canada Goose was not immediately returned on Friday.

In its latest quarterly report, Canada Goose reported a net income of $151.9 million for its quarter ended Jan. 2, up from $107 million a year earlier. Revenue for the third quarter totalled $586.1 million, an increase from $474 million a year earlier.

 Staff
Manitobans in all walks of life and from various backgrounds have been compelled to help out, any way they can, since the exodus of people from Ukraine after Russian forces began their invasion on Feb. 24.

Manitobans in all walks of life and from various backgrounds have been compelled to help out, any way they can, since the exodus of people from Ukraine after Russian forces began their invasion on Feb. 24.

Hundreds of people have offered to open their homes to refugees, estimated at more than three million as of Friday, and many more have opened their wallets to contribute to the humanitarian cause.

Helping out, both big and small, is the Manitoba way.

Olha Mala, a Ukrainian-Canadian who lives in Winnipeg, struggles to even speak about it. Over the past three weeks, as airstrikes pummelled Ukrainian cities and stories emerged of Russians firing on civilians, Mala has been able to think of little else.

"Were so tired," she said. "I feel waves, you know. You feel anger, then you feel stressed and you just dont have enough strength to keep going."

Olha Mala, the secretary at the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts. Vladimir and Olga on McGregor Street, and her fellow parishioners are doing whatever they can to help. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Yet Mala, who is secretary at the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts. Vladimir and Olga on McGregor Street, and her fellow parishioners push on collecting humanitarian help.

Theyve collected socks, underwear, food and whatever else is needed, and raised money to pay to ship them to Ukraine. The church is raising money to help Ukrainians buy flights to Canada. Many members have registered to house refugees.

To do nothing would be impossible, Mala said.

Mala came to Canada from Bucha, Ukraine less than three years ago.

"It doesnt exist," she said in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. "Well, it exists, but its totally destroyed. The village of my mom is totally destroyed also."

Her mother escaped, alongside her father, aunt and two cousins, but her grandmother refused to leave, even as Russian troops started their occupation.

"We just lost connection with her. And we dont know anything happening with her for a week almost," she said. "Its very scary. And unfortunately, the occupants, theyre shooting on civil people just driving somewhere."

Her mother recently arrived in Canada. Shed already had a visa because she had planned to visit, Mala said.

But her father remains in Ukraine  as all men between 18 and 60 are required to do  and volunteers at a railway station, after learning he could help more there than with the army.

Malas brother-in-law is fighting in the war.

Mala says a fresh pair of socks will be a blessing to her brother-in-law and other soldiers. Many of them have gone weeks without a change of clothes.

As hellfire rains down and her people die, the burden gets heavier, she said.

"Everybody is waiting, just watching whats going on I dont know when someone will send something really valuable to defend," she said.

"All their shooting, all their killings are happening from the sky. The theatre was shot from the sky, and it was signed that the children are here. I dont know what we need  like, what can happen to us that all the world will start doing something."

In western Manitoba, a municipality has decided to dip into its budget as well as open its doors to Ukrainians.

The Harrison Park council has voted to allocate $20,000 to aid Ukrainian refugees.

"We budgeted the money to help any efforts to relocate as many Ukrainian families as possible to the area of Riding Mountain National Park and the towns of Onanole and Sandy Lake," said Reeve Jason Potter.

The municipality has a large population of people with Ukrainian heritage.

"Whats going on over there is atrocious, and I think that as human beings, you want to help each other out," he said.

Details on how the money will be spent must be worked out.

The reeve said several businesses have offered to employ refugees as they transition to life in Canada, whether it be on a permanent or temporary basis.

One such business is Elkhorn Resort. General manager Chris Phillips said the resort can house five to eight families, and even more if Ukrainians take them up on their offer of employment, since as a seasonal tourist destination, some lodging is reserved for staff.

"Were not trying to solve a labour issue by bringing refugees over, but we do have employment at our place and throughout the whole Clear Lake area," he said.

The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg has sent $150,000 to its partners who work with victims of the war in Ukraine.

Gustavo Zentner

"There are something like 180,000 Ukrainians in Manitoba, and to put it within context, there are 200,000 Jews living in Ukraine," he said. "I drew those comparisons so that it was easier for people in the community to understand the magnitude and size of the population," said president Gustavo Zentner.

"It is paramount for me, and for us as a community, that the funds we raise not only serve Jews in Ukraine, but any victim of this illegal war and that makes me very proud," he said.

Zentner denounced Russian propaganda, which claims the invasion aims to "de-nazify" Ukraine, as despicable remarks that use the atrocities of the Holocaust to justify violence.

As a Jewish organization, Zentner said they stand against such remarks and actions.

The president said the response from his community was immediate and overwhelming, but not surprising.

"Our community is known and recognized to be very generous," he said.

He said his community is ready to receive and help refugees who want to stay here for the short- or long-term.

On a smaller scale, the Retired Teachers Association of Manitoba has asked its 7,200 members to donate to Ukrainian humanitarian aid.

The Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will hold two concerts on April 3. (Tim Smith / The Brandon Sun)

"The Russian invasion was unprovoked and wrong and brutal," said president Bill Cann, who has asked retired teachers to volunteer as tutors.

The Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will hold two concerts April 3. Proceeds from the sold-out shows will go to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. "We announced our second show a couple of weeks ago and received an overwhelming response," said Carina Romagnoli, an organizer and dancer.

The group is selling half-price tickets for an online stream of the shows.

Romagnoli said the ensembles purpose is to display the beauty and strength of Ukrainian heritage. Now, as the group rehearses, they feel a greater sense of purpose.

Christopher Sklepowich, board chair of the Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus, which will perform at the benefit, said he feels that, too.

"Its just re-awakened that call that says Ukrainians cannot be defeated, they will not be defeated, and the world is watching," he said.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
There are times when a public system fails so spectacularly that an independent investigation is needed to determine the cause of the collapse and to make recommendations to avoid future breakdowns.

There are times when a public system fails so spectacularly that an independent investigation is needed to determine the cause of the collapse and to make recommendations to avoid future breakdowns.

The death of Krystal Mousseau in Manitoba and the airlifting of 57 critical-care COVID-19 patients out of province during the third wave of the pandemic last year is one of those cases.

Krystal Mousseau

Mousseau, a 31-year-old mother of two from Ebb and Flow First Nation died May 25 after a failed attempt to transfer her from Brandon to a hospital in Ontario. Manitobas intensive-care units were so overwhelmed at the time, they could no longer treat all critical-care patients. Health officials had no choice but to send the most stable ICU patients to other provinces for care.

Between May 18 and June 9, 57 ICU patients were flown to hospitals in three different provinces: 53 to Ontario (some as far away as Ottawa), two to Alberta and two to Saskatchewan. At the time, Manitoba was the only province that sent patients outside its borders.

Saskatchewan followed suit a few months later, sending 27 ICU patients to other jurisdictions.

The question of why Manitoba was one of only two provinces that could not treat its own critical-care patients during the pandemic has never been fully answered. Many theories have been floated, including the most obvious: that Manitoba had less ICU capacity per capita than other provinces, especially after the overall number of ICU beds was reduced under the Progressive Conservative governments hospital consolidation plan.

Even if that was the case, it doesnt give Manitobans a full answer. The situation is far more complicated than that. Hospital bed counts per capita dont provide a complete picture of system capacity. It provides no insight into other important factors, such as staff-patient ratios and the level of training of redeployed staff.

The question of why Manitoba was one of only two provinces that could not treat its own criticalcare patients during the pandemic has never been fully answered.

It also doesnt tell us about the acuity of patients in ICUs compared with other jurisdictions, or differences in risk factors, including those related to age, race or underlying conditions.

What we do know for certain is the provinces health-care system experienced a major collapse at a time when Manitobans needed it the most. Manitoba could not care for its own. Sending dozens of patients hundreds of kilometres away by air was far from ideal. It appears in some cases, including Mousseaus, transport teams may not have had the proper training or equipment to transfer critically ill patients.

All of these issues require further investigation through a wide-ranging and independent probe, not only to find out what happened, but to prevent it from occurring again. The investigation should also include why the province did not impose further public-health measures at the time to protect hospital capacity (as recommended by countless medical experts), knowing a massive wave of Delta variant infections was on the way.

Whether such an examination should be a full-blown public inquiry or some other form of investigation is open to debate. But an independent probe of some kind is needed.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES The province appears reluctant to launch such a probe. Politically, it wouldnt serve the government well, especially since Premier Heather Stefanson was health minister during the hospital collapse.

The province appears reluctant to launch such a probe. Politically, it wouldnt serve the government well, especially since Premier Heather Stefanson was health minister during the hospital collapse. An independent probe may expose deficiencies in her leadership when she held that portfolio. The results of any such investigation would likely be released close to the time Manitobans go to the polls in a scheduled October 2023 general election. A politically unfavourable report would almost certainly hurt the Tories at the ballot box. Its likely the main reason the premier is reluctant to shine a light on that dark period of the pandemic. She has instead tried to downplay Manitobas relatively poor performance compared with other jurisdictions.

Still, the premier should put those political considerations aside and launch a wide-ranging investigation into the ICU collapse. Making vague references to a possible probe into the provinces overall pandemic response, as she did again Friday, is meaningless.

A specific examination of what happened at Manitoba hospitals during the third wave is critical. Manitobans deserve answers.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
Would Vladimir Putins Russia have invaded Ukraine three weeks ago if it had 1,900 nuclear warheads on 176 ICBMs and 2,600 tactical nuclear weapons? Of course not. He wouldnt have invaded if Ukraine had even one nuclear missile capable of reaching Moscow.

Opinion

Would Vladimir Putins Russia have invaded Ukraine three weeks ago if it had 1,900 nuclear warheads on 176 ICBMs and 2,600 tactical nuclear weapons? Of course not. He wouldnt have invaded if Ukraine had even one nuclear missile capable of reaching Moscow.

When the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, Ukraine got custody of all those nuclear weapons because they had been based on its territory at the time of the breakup. Suddenly, Ukraine was the worlds third-biggest nuclear power, with more warheads than Britain, France and China combined.

I was in Kyiv several times in that period. I interviewed quite a few of the Ukrainian nationalists who had suddenly emerged into the open (having been in deep cover during Soviet times), and I dont recall a single one who mentioned those nuclear weapons. And neither did I, to be honest. It didnt seem very relevant at the time.

But it certainly feels relevant to a lot of Ukrainians now. They gave away the one thing that could have kept them from being invaded.

The Russians and the Americans were very unhappy about Ukraines nukes in the early 1990s, as they both saw them as a kind of proliferation. More fingers on more triggers (Belarus and Kazakhstan also inherited smaller numbers of Soviet nukes and delivery vehicles) made the task of maintaining mutual nuclear deterrence more complex and unstable.

So the two superpowers, as they were still known, used political pressure and judicious bribes to persuade the new Ukrainian government to hand all its nuclear weapons over to Russia for destruction. Post-apartheid South Africa was getting rid of its nuclear weapons at the same time, so it didnt seem to be a bizarre or foolish decision at the time.

The great difference, of course, was that South Africa did not have a nuclear-armed great power as a neighbour. Ukraine did, and it has come to rue its mistake. This is a stake in the heart of the anti-nuclear proliferation campaign that was once seen as mere common sense.

It is, in fact, the third stake to be pounded into that rather crowded heart, but the first two were less convincing. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, had a nuclear weapons program during his war with Iran in the 1980s, but it was comprehensively dismantled by UN inspectors after he invaded Kuwait and was defeated in the first Gulf War in 1990-91.

He never restarted that nuclear weapons program, but the United States invaded Iraq anyway in 2003 and the puppet government it installed in Baghdad hanged him.

Saddam Hussein richly deserved it for his many other crimes, no doubt, but the takeaway was: for a dictator, nuclear weapons are the only life insurance that really works. North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon in 2006.

The Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was so frightened by the American display of lawlessness in the 2003 invasion of Iraq that he let himself be bullied into closing down his own decade-old nuclear weapons program. Big mistake.

Eight years later, in 2011, Gadhafi himself was driven from power by NATO air strikes, and then murdered by NATO-backed rebels. His own fault: he had jumped the wrong way. But once again, it was a cruel dictator who paid the price, so who cares?

In 1994, Ukraine let itself be sweet-talked into giving up all its nuclear weapons. In return it received solemn assurances in the Budapest Memorandum that Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. would refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. That worked well, didnt it?

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A week ago, Sky News asked Svitlana Zalishchuk, foreign policy adviser to the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, if giving up the countrys nuclear weapons had been a mistake.

Yes, without a doubt, Zalishchuk replied. Countries that own nuclear weapons are untouchable, and it is because we voluntarily gave up on our nuclear weapons and the Budapest Memorandum has been ignored (that) we find ourselves in the situation that we are in.

It turns out that not only evil dictators need nuclear weapons. Any country that has a nuclear-armed neighbour with a grievance urgently needs them, too. Indeed, any country that thinks it might one day find itself in a confrontation with a nuclear-armed country, however far away it may be, needs nuclear weapons.

If you doubt me, just ask the Iranians, or the Taiwanese, or the South Koreans, who are all watching closely. Or even the Japanese and the Vietnamese, come to that.

If you get into a confrontation with a nuclear power, and you dont belong to a nuclear-armed alliance such as NATO, then you cannot trust any other country to risk a nuclear war on your behalf. Guarantees and assurances are useless. You need to have your own nukes.

Gwynne Dyers new book is The Shortest History of War.
It would seem absurd, given the findings from a civil suit released this week against former City of Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl, for there to be no further investigation into allegations of bribery and breaches of fiduciary duty around the construction of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters.

It would seem absurd, given the findings from a civil suit released this week against former City of Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl, for there to be no further investigation into allegations of bribery and breaches of fiduciary duty around the construction of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters.

Queens Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal released a 126-page ruling Tuesday that, among other things, found Mr. Sheegl accepted a bribe from Caspian Construction president Armik Babakhanians after the company was awarded the contract to renovate the former Canada Post facility at 266 Graham Ave.

The police headquarters opened in 2016 at a cost of $214 million, well above the original projected price tag of $135 million. The public has never been given a full explanation of why the project went nearly $80 million over budget, or why that site was chosen in the first place.

The project has been plagued with seemingly endless structural and other deficiencies, including leaky pipes, heating and electrical issues.

Clearly, taxpayers did not get good value for their money on this repurposed building. The public has a right to know how decisions were made in selecting this site and what influences were at play in choosing the contractors to do the work. The civil case against Mr. Sheegl confirms there is "ample evidence" of a conspiracy that led to the awarding of the contract to Caspian Construction. That requires further investigation.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman this week called this "one of the biggest scandals in Winnipegs history." Based on the magnitude of the allegations and the amount of money involved, he is right. The mayor is also right that the only way now to get to the bottom of this complex web of alleged kickbacks, questionable procurement practices and scandalous overspending is through a public inquiry.

Commissions of inquiry, which must be called by the provincial government, should not be used lightly. They should only be launched when there is evidence of deep-rooted, systemic problems in government that require a full and open examination and cannot be thoroughly investigated any other way.

This scandal fits that bill. There were, and perhaps still are, systemic problems in the citys procurement and decision-making process that led to this misuse of taxpayers dollars that must be put under the microscope. The broad scope of an inquiry with the power to subpoena witnesses and access vast amounts of evidence (far more than what is usually admissible in court cases, either civil or criminal) would help provide the public with the answers it deserves.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Phil Sheegl

Now that a criminal investigation by the RCMP into the affair has concluded, with no charges laid, and the findings of a civil suit rendered, the path is clear for a public inquiry to take place.

Premier Heather Stefanson said its too soon to call an inquiry, in part because there are other civil cases still pending. Thats not an acceptable reason. Civil litigation related to this matter could be ongoing for years  that should not prevent the provincial government from launching a broader probe.

The public has waited long enough to find out what occurred behind closed doors at city hall, and deserves to know what steps will be taken to ensure it doesnt happen again. At this point, a commission of inquiry appears to be the only viable option to unearth the truth.

Its time for Ms. Stefanson to do the right thing and call one immediately.
LVIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early Sunday the siege of the port city of Mariupol would go down in history for what he said were war crimes committed by Russian troops.

A man removes a destroyed curtain inside a school damaged among other residential buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities Friday, with new missile strikes and shelling on the edges of the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, as world leaders pushed for an investigation of the Kremlin's repeated attacks on civilian targets, including schools, hospitals and residential areas. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

LVIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early Sunday the siege of the port city of Mariupol would go down in history for what he said were war crimes committed by Russian troops.

To do this to a peaceful city, what the occupiers did, is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come, Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation.

Russian forces have pushed deeper into the besieged and battered city, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

In the capital, Kyiv, at least 20 babies carried by Ukrainian surrogate mothers are stuck in a makeshift bomb shelter, waiting for parents to travel into the war zone to pick them up. Some just days old, the babies are being cared for by nurses who cannot leave the shelter because of constant shelling by Russian troops who are trying to encircle the city.

The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the war's worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks into the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II.

A police officer walks at the site of a bombing that damaged residential buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities Friday, with new missile strikes and shelling on the edges of the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, as world leaders pushed for an investigation of the Kremlins repeated attacks on civilian targets, including schools, hospitals and residential areas. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Children, elderly people are dying. The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth, Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin said from a rubble-strewn street in a video addressed to Western leaders that was authenticated by The Associated Press.

Details also began to emerge Saturday about a rocket attack that killed as many as 40 marines in the southern city of Mykolaiv the previous day, according to a Ukrainian military official who spoke to The New York Times.

Russian forces have already cut Mariupol off from the Sea of Azov, and its fall would link Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, to eastern territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. It would mark a rare advance in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance that has dashed Russia's hopes for a quick victory and galvanized the West.

Women walks inside a school damaged among other residential buildings following a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022. Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities Friday, with new missile strikes and shelling on the edges of the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, as world leaders pushed for an investigation of the Kremlin's repeated attacks on civilian targets, including schools, hospitals and residential areas. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Ukrainian and Russian forces battled over the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraines interior minister, said. One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed, Denysenko said in televised remarks.

The Mariupol city council claimed hours later that Russian soldiers had forcibly relocated several thousand city residents, mostly women and children, to Russia. It didn't say where, and AP could not immediately confirm the claim.

Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said the nearest forces that could assist Mariupol were already struggling against the overwhelming force of the enemy and that there is currently no military solution to Mariupol.

Sunflowers alongside red paint to symbolize blood shed, lay in front of the Russian Embassy during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Quito, Ecuador, Friday, March 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Despite the siege in Mariupol, many remained struck by Ukraine's ability to hold back its much bigger, better-armed foe. The United Kingdom's Defense Ministry said Ukraine's airspace continued to be effectively defended.

Gaining control of the air was one of Russias principal objectives for the opening days of the conflict and their continued failure to do so has significantly blunted their operational progress," the ministry said on Twitter.

Russia is now relying on stand-off weapons launched from the relative safety of Russian airspace to strike targets within Ukraine, the ministry said.

A worker feeds a newborn baby in a basement converted into a nursery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. Nineteen surrogated babies were born to surrogate mothers, with their biological parents still outside the country due to the war against Russia. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

In Mykolaiv, rescuers searched the rubble of the marine barracks that was destroyed in an apparent missile attack Friday. The region's governor said the marines were asleep when the attack happened.

It wasn't clear how many marines were inside at the time, and rescuers were still searching the rubble for survivors the following day. But a senior Ukrainian military official, who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity to reveal sensitive information, estimated that as many as 40 marines were killed, which would make it one of the deadliest known attacks on Ukrainian forces during the war.

Estimates of Russian deaths vary widely, but even conservative figures are in the low thousands. Russia had 64 deaths in five days of fighting during its 2008 war with Georgia. It lost about 15,000 in Afghanistan over 10 years, and more than 11,000 in years of fighting in Chechnya.

Protesters hold placards during a rally against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Russias number of dead and wounded in Ukraine is nearing the 10% benchmark of diminished combat effectiveness, said Dmitry Gorenburg, a researcher on Russias security at the Virginia-based CNA think tank. The reported battlefield deaths of four Russian generals  out of an estimated 20 in the fight  signal impaired command, Gorenburg said.

Russia would need 800,000 troops  almost equal to its entire active-duty military  to control Ukraine long-term in the face of armed opposition, said Michael Clarke, former head of the British-based Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank.

Unless the Russians intend to be completely genocidal  they could flatten all the major cities, and Ukrainians will rise up against Russian occupation  there will be just constant guerrilla war, said Clarke.

People gather in a vantage point that overlooks the city of Lviv, western Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. Lviv has been a refuge since the war began nearly a month ago, the last outpost before Poland and host to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians streaming through or staying on. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The Russian military said Saturday that it used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Russia has said the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the U.S. couldn't confirm the use of a hypersonic missile.

A man walks at dusk in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. Russian forces pushed deeper into Ukraine's besieged and battered port city of Mariupol on Saturday, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

U.N. bodies have confirmed more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher. The U.N. says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees.

Evacuations from Mariupol and other besieged cities proceeded along eight of 10 humanitarian corridors, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, and a total of 6,623 people left.

Vereshchuk said planned humanitarian aid for the southern city of Kherson, which Russia seized early in the war, could not be delivered because the trucks were stopped along the way by Russian troops.

People roam around a used-books street market in downtown Lviv, Western Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. Lviv has been a refuge since the war began nearly a month ago, the last outpost before Poland and host to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians streaming through or staying on. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict but remain divided over several issues, with Moscow pressing for its neighbor's demilitarization and Kyiv demanding security guarantees.

Around Ukraine, hospitals, schools and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked.

At least 130 people survived the Wednesday bombing of a Mariupol theater that was being used a shelter, but another 1,300 were believed to be still inside, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliaments human rights commissioner, said Friday.

Medical staff rest in a basement used as a bomb shelter at the Ohmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

We pray that they will all be alive, but so far there is no information about them," Denisova told Ukrainian television.

A satellite image from Maxar Technologies released Saturday confirmed earlier reports that much of the theater was destroyed. It also showed the word CHILDREN written in Russian in large white letters outside the building.

Russian forces have fired on eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region in the past 24 hours, including Mariupol, Ukraines national police said Saturday. Dozens of civilians were killed or wounded, and at least 37 residential buildings and facilities were damaged including a school, a museum and a shopping center.

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In the western city of Lviv, Ukraine's cultural capital, which was hit by Russian missiles on Friday, military veterans were training dozens of civilians on how to handle firearms and grenades.

Its hard, because I have really weak hands, but I can manage it, said one trainee, 22-year-old Katarina Ishchenko.

___

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
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.
Base map from MnDOT, illustrations by Monica Veraguth

MnDOT released a preliminary construction staging plan last fall, showing how construction and road closures would progress. Red crosshatches indicate areas closed for construction. MnDOT officials said they expect a final construction staging plan will be set by the end of the month.
File photo

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams and his staff are hoping to bring body cameras to the department this summer.
On an otherwise gloomy Saturday, sunflowers and bright yellow and blue flags brought pops of color to Baraboo as dozens turned out to show their support for the Ukrainian people.

Around 50 residents gathered in the morning at the Al Ringling Brewery to buy T-shirts and make direct donations for humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine embroiled in Russias nearly month-old invasion of their country.

Speakers addressed the crowd, including Steve Argo, co-organizer of the event.

Argo said that there would likely be an additional fundraiser event in the next couple of months, adding that he and other organizers are prepared to do whatever it takes to continue their support of the Ukrainian people.

Whats happening over there is going to take a tremendous amount of commitment and lifting on our part, Argo said.

Argo and co-organizer Brandon Scott partnered with Team Rubicon, a humanitarian group comprised of veterans and first responders. Many members of Team Rubicon are currently in Ukraine, providing medical care for vulnerable populations in Lviv, Ukraine. All funds raised Saturday will be sent to Team Rubicon to bolster their efforts.

(Team Rubicon members) are in this for the long haul, Argo said.

Mayor Rob Nelson added that the far distance between Baraboo and Ukraine can make those trying to help in the area feel powerless. Community member Dimitry Gumennyi carries a different type of concern.

Gumennyi was born and raised in Ukraine. He still has family in the country. His mother made it to the United States just last week, but not without difficulty.

She made a long journey, he said. There are no flights in and out.

She ended up having to travel to the Polish border. Gumennyi estimated the trip to have been over 36 hours. He said hes grateful for the safety of his family but those who are still in Ukraine are on his mind.

I pray every day for their safety, for families to be reunited, he said.

Nelson said that along with Gumennyi, there are many other community members with Ukrainian heritage. Some residents also have Russian ancestry, which Nelson says may be contributing to poor treatment.

Ive heard stories of people with Russian names or Russian accents getting abused  because of their heritage or ethnicity, he said. Theres no place for that here. Were all in this together whether we like it or not.

Rep. David Considine, D-Baraboo, said that the unity and solidarity of Saturdays event needs to be extended further.

I am extremely proud of this community and the way we endorse and accept each other, Considine said.

However, he noted, improvements could be made.

In the past two years weve become somewhat divisive and judgy, he said. Were here to be unite with Ukraine, but I think were also here to be united with each other.

Community members seemed to do just that, uniting through falling snow and slippery sidewalks, many carrying signs. Nelson said the cold and dampness were small deterrents in the grand scheme of things, though. Addressing the crowd in the brewery, he made his point on the conditions.

Probably everyone in this room woke up in a warm house this morning, Nelson said. None of us are too worried about the roof of this building getting blown off by a bomb in the next half hour. How many people in Ukraine can say those same things today?
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Indiana... Wabash River from Lafayette to Montezuma. White River at Elliston and Edwardsport. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days is bringing minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions of the Wabash River. Additional rainfall Thursday evening through Friday evening should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through the weekend. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. 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 FURTHER NOTICE... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Lafayette. * WHEN...Until further notice. * IMPACTS...At 14.0 feet, Lowland flooding is in progress. High water affects river cabins near North 9th Street. Low county roads are nearly impassable. Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette begins to flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 9:30 PM EDT Wednesday the stage was 11.3 feet. - Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 9:30 PM EDT Wednesday was 11.3 feet. - Forecast...The river will rise to 13.2 feet early Friday morning. It will then fall to 12.4 feet and begin rising again early Saturday morning. It will rise to 13.7 feet Sunday morning. It will then fall again but remain above flood stage. - Flood stage is 11.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua)  "Be vigilant in times of peace." In many of his speeches, Chinese President Xi Jinping has quoted this proverb to remind Party cadres and government officials not to get lost in comfort.

The proverb appeared more than 2,000 years ago in the ancient Chinese classic Zuozhuan. It has inspired generations of Chinese not to be blindsided at any time by tranquility or achievement and be always prepared for adversity.

Quoting the proverb during the sixth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee late last year, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reminded Party members not to let their guard down. He urged the entire Party to continue embracing self-reform, and see that it always serves as the strong leadership core in the course of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The year 2021 was an exceptionally remarkable year for China. The CPC celebrated its centenary. Under its leadership, China successfully eradicated absolute poverty and completed the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

China saw its economy grow by 8.1 percent in 2021, an extraordinary figure amid sporadic epidemic resurgences and complicated external environment.

Yet with all the said achievements, the world's largest governing party remains clearheaded. Instead of resting cozily on its laurels, it stays ready to face new situations and address new problems.

When looking back on 2021 in his 2022 New Year Address, Xi again quoted the proverb to stress that realizing China's national rejuvenation will be no easy task like a walk in the park.

In Xi's words, to realize it, the entire nation "must always keep a long-term perspective, remain mindful of potential risks, maintain strategic focus and determination, and 'attain to the broad and great while addressing the delicate and minute'."

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua)  China stands ready to work with South Africa to move their ties forward toward a deeper level with higher quality and broader scope, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday afternoon.

Xi made the remarks during his phone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Noting that China and South Africa share a special friendly relationship of comrades and brothers, Xi said consolidating and developing their relations is of great significance to guiding China-Africa relations as well as solidarity and cooperation among developing countries.

The two sides should continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, step up efforts to implement the nine programs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the 10-year strategic plan on cooperation between the two countries, and strive for new achievements in bilateral cooperation in various areas, Xi said.

China welcomes more imports of high-quality South African products, supports the two sides in expanding cooperation in emerging fields such as new energies and e-commerce, and encourages Chinese enterprises to conduct investment cooperation in South Africa and to help South Africa achieve the development goals of the new investment drive, Xi said.

China is ready to discuss cooperation on vaccine production with South Africa, and support South Africa and other African countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi said.

Xi noted that China, which chairs the BRICS this year, is ready to work with South Africa to maintain the development momentum of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, build a high-quality partnership that is more comprehensive, closer, more pragmatic and inclusive, realize the development of member countries and promote stronger, green and healthy global development.

China stands ready to work with all parties to uphold true multilateralism, safeguard international equity and justice, and safeguard the legitimate rights and common interests of emerging economies and developing countries, so as to actively contribute to the steady recovery of the world economy and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

Ramaphosa said he would like to extend once again his wishes to the centennial of the Communist Party of China and congratulate China on the successful Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Noting that China is a reliable and true partner and friend of South Africa as well as for African countries, Ramaphosa thanked China for sticking to a fair position and providing valuable assistance for South Africa and African countries to help them jointly overcome difficulties.

South Africa firmly adheres to the one-China policy and steadfastly supports China's stance on the issue related to Tibet and other major issues, Ramaphosa said.

At this difficult time for the world, he said, South Africa hopes to maintain close contact with China, consolidate friendship, carry forward the two countries' good tradition of mutual support, and deepen South Africa-China practical cooperation in various fields as well as Africa-China comprehensive strategic cooperation.

Ramaphosa said South Africa supports China in carrying out the work as the BRICS chair this year and looks forward to a successful BRICS summit this year.

The two leaders also exchanged views over the situation in Ukraine. Both sides agree that China and South Africa share a very close position on the Ukrainian issue, and that sovereign countries are entitled to independently decide on their own positions.

Both sides support Russia and Ukraine in keeping the momentum of peace talks and settling disputes through dialogue and negotiations.

The two leaders said they are ready to strengthen communication and coordination over the issue.

(Source: Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the latter's request in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Bin]

 The two Presidents agreed that the video call is constructive.

 The two Presidents directed their teams to promptly follow up and take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development.

 The two sides are ready to make respective efforts for the proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the request of the latter on Friday. The two Presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations, the situation in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest.

President Biden said that 50 years ago, the United States and China made the important choice of issuing the Shanghai Communique. Fifty years on, the U.S.-China relationship has once again come to a critical time. How this relationship develops will shape the world in the 21st century.

He reiterated that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence"; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.

The U.S. is ready to have candid dialogue and closer cooperation with China, stay committed to the one-China policy, and effectively manage competition and disagreements to ensure the steady growth of the relationship, said President Biden.

He also expressed readiness to stay in close touch with President Xi to set the direction for the U.S.-China relationship.

Noting the international landscape has experienced new major developments since their first virtual meeting last November, Xi said the prevailing trend of peace and development is facing serious challenges, and the world is neither tranquil nor stable.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world's two leading economies, China and the U.S. must not only guide their relations forward along the right track, but also shoulder their share of international responsibilities and work for world peace and tranquility, Xi said.

Xi stressed that he and President Biden share the view that China and the U.S. need to respect each other, coexist in peace and avoid confrontation, and that the two sides should increase communication and dialogue at all levels and in all fields.

President Biden has just reiterated that the U.S. does not seek to have a new Cold War with China, to change China's system, or to revitalize alliances against China, and that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence" or intend to seek a conflict with China, Xi said. "I take these remarks very seriously."

Xi pointed out the China-U.S. relationship, instead of getting out of the predicament created by the previous U.S. administration, has encountered a growing number of challenges. What's worth noting in particular is that some people in the U.S. have sent a wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" forces, Xi said, adding "this is very dangerous."

Mishandling of the Taiwan question will have a disruptive impact on the bilateral ties, said Xi. "China hopes that the U.S. will give due attention to this issue."

The direct cause for the current situation in the China-U.S. relationship is that some people on the U.S. side have not followed through on the important common understanding reached by the two Presidents and have not acted on President Biden's positive statements. The U.S. has misperceived and miscalculated China's strategic intention, Xi said.

Xi underscored that there have been and will continue to be differences between China and the U.S. "What matters is to keep such differences under control. A steadily growing relationship is in the interest of both sides," he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the latter's request in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen]

The two sides exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

President Biden expounded on the U.S. position, and expressed readiness for communication with China to prevent the situation from exacerbating.

"China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine to come to this. China stands for peace and opposes war. This is embedded in China's history and culture," Xi said.

China makes a conclusion independently based on the merits of each matter, advocates upholding international law and universally recognized norms governing international relations, and adheres to the UN Charter and promotes the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. These are the major principles that underpin China's approach to the Ukraine crisis, Xi said.

Noting that China has put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Xi said China is ready to provide further humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and other affected countries.

"All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace," Xi said, adding that the U.S. and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.

Xi stressed that with the need to fight COVID-19 on the one hand and protect the economy and people's livelihood on the other, things are already very difficult for countries around the world.

"As leaders of major countries, we need to think about how to properly address global hotspot issues and, more importantly, keep in mind global stability and the work and life of billions of people," Xi said.

Sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer. If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses, Xi added.

"The more complex the situation, the greater the need to remain cool-headed and rational," Xi said, adding that whatever the circumstances, there is always a need for political courage to create space for peace and leave room for political settlement.

"As two Chinese sayings go, 'It takes two hands to clap.' 'He who tied the bell to the tiger must take it off.' It is imperative that the parties involved demonstrate political will and find a proper settlement in view of both immediate and long-term needs," Xi said.

Xi said other parties can and should create conditions to that end. The pressing priority is to keep the dialogue and negotiation going, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, and cease hostilities as soon as possible.

He said an enduring solution would be for major countries to respect each other, reject the Cold War mentality, refrain from bloc confrontation, and build step by step a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture for the region and for the world.

"China has been doing its best for peace and will continue to play a constructive role," Xi said.

Agreeing that the video call is constructive, the two Presidents directed their teams to promptly follow up and take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development, and make respective efforts for the proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Ding Xuexiang, Liu He and Wang Yi were present at the call.

(Source: Xinhua)
, 100 year old Gage, passed Sunday, May 1, 2022 . Funeral services are 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 5, 2022 at the First Baptist Church of Gage. Burial will follow in the Fargo Cemetery. Read obituary at www.billingsfuneralhomewooward.com
Kaikoura is a small town situated in the Canterbury region on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Kaikoura serves as the administrative seat of the territorial authority of the Kaikoura District. The name "Kaikoura" has been derived from the Maori words 'kai' and 'koura,' which means 'meal of crayfish.' The town is a well-known tourist destination offering several recreational activities for the visitors, such as whale watching and swimming with or close to the dolphins.

Geography Of Kaikoura

Kaikoura township with clearing morning fog in South Island, New Zealand.

As per Statistics New Zealand, Kaikoura is described as a minor urban area that covers a total area of 9.25 sq. km. The small town is situated on State Highway 1, approximately 180km to the north of the city of Christchurch. The Kaikoura Coast refers to the portion of the coastline that stretches roughly between the mouths of the Conway and Clarence Rivers. However, the Kaikoura Coast is quite unusual as a South Island east coast since it contains a small coastal plain with the Seaward Kaikoura Range, which rises straight from the Pacific Ocean. The Kaikoura Peninsula extends about 5km into the Pacific Ocean in the southern part of the town. From the Mount Fyffe summit, one can get a panoramic view of the peninsula.

Climate Of Kaikoura

According to the Koppen climate classification, Kaikoura experiences a marine west coast climate. January is the hottest month with an average temperature of 16.7C, while July is the coolest month with an average temperature of 8.1C. With an average of 123.6 rainy days, Kaikoura receives an average annual precipitation of 33.2 inches.

The Population Of Kaikoura

As of June 2021, Kaikoura has a population of 2,420 inhabitants. The town has a population density of 262 inhabitants per sq. km. Kaikoura's population has increased from the 2018 New Zealand census, which showed that the town was home to 2,223 people. About 83.3% of the town's population were European/Pakeha, 19.6% were Maori, 5.0% Asians, 3.1% other ethnicities, and 0.8% Pacific people.

Wildlife Viewing In Kaikoura

A massive humpback whale playing in water photographed from a whale-watching boat in Kaikoura, New Zealand.

The Kaikoura Canyon is a submarine canyon situated on the southwestern part of the Kaikoura Peninsula. This submarine canyon has been described as a biodiversity hotspot since the resulting upwelling currents bring many marine organisms from the deep depths of the neighboring Hikurangi Trench and provide feeding grounds for a wide variety of marine mammals and seabirds along the Kaikoura coast.

The marine mammals that are seen here include different species of whales such as sperm whales, humpback whales, and orcas; dolphins like Dusky dolphins and the rare Hector's dolphin; and a large colony of southern fur seals. Some of the notable seabirds seen in Kaikoura include the Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Southern royal albatross, white-headed petrel, blue-footed petrel, Hutton's shearwater, long-tailed skua, Wilson's storm petrel, Little penguin, Red-billed gull, Northern giant petrel, etc. The banded dotterel has also been found to nest on the stony beaches around the South Bay and the Kaikoura Peninsula.

Southern royal albatross in flight near Kaikoura, New Zealand.

Established in 2014, the Hikurangi Marine Reserve is a large marine reserve that covers an area of 25,740 acres to the south of the Kaikoura township. The reserve includes a portion of the Kaikoura Canyon and is considered New Zealand's most extensive and deepest marine reserve. To provide additional protection for the marine mammals in the area, the Kaikoura Whale Sanctuary covering an area of 4,686 sq. km was also established after the passing of the Kaikoura Marine Management Act of 2014.

Tourist Attractions In Kaikoura

Whale watching in the Kaikoura area.

The abundance of marine life has made Kaikoura a well-known tourist destination that attracts about 1 million visitors each year, mainly for whale watching and swimming with or close to the dolphins. The economy of Kaikoura is primarily driven by tourism which in 2020 contributed $57 million to the total GDP of the Kaikoura District. Some of the popular tourist attractions in Kaikoura are discussed below.

Mayfair Theatre

The Mayfair Theatre is an art deco building that serves as a venue for cinema and concerts in Kaikoura. First opened in 1935, the building of the Mayfair Theatre was severely damaged during the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. The building was reopened in November 2020 after it was restored with the help of community fundraising initiatives.

Fyffe House

Fyffe House, Kaikoura, New Zealand.

Fyffe House is Kaikoura's oldest surviving establishment and the last remnant of its pioneer whaling station. The construction of the Fyffe House was quite unusual as the supporting foundations of the wooden colonial cottage were made of whalebones. It was constructed in the early 1840s by a New Zealand whaler named Robert Fyffe and revealed stories about the rich history of the area, whaling, and the lives of the three families that lived in the place from 1844 to 1980. Maintained by Heritage New Zealand, the Fyffe House is a popular tourist destination in Kaikoura.

Brief History

Iconic Waipapa Bay Crayfish and Lobster Restaurant & Shop in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Editorial credit: NigelSpiers / Shutterstock.com

Archaeological evidence of moa bones revealed that the native Maori people lived and hunted moa in the present-day Kaikoura area. From 1670 onwards, the area was inhabited by the Ngai Tahu tribe. In 1770, the British navigator Captain James Cook saw the Kaikoura area and reported seeing four double-hulled canoes containing 57 Maori approaching HMS Endeavour. The area also served as a battle site between Ngai Tahu and Ngati Toa in 1827 or 1828. Kaikoura's first whaling station was established by a New Zealand whaler named Robert Fyffe in 1842. Robert Fyffe and his family were the first European family to settle in Kaikoura. In 1847, the land to the north of Kaikoura was purchased by the New Zealand Government from the Ngati Toa tribe. However, the Ngai Tahu tribe challenged this decision to sell the land. In later years, a land agreement was made by the New Zealand Government, which was supported by the Ngai Tahu tribe. From 1850 onwards, these acquired lands were sold to European settlers. The Railway line between Christchurch to Picton was officially opened at Kaikoura in December 1945. The town witnessed a severe economic crisis because of the decline in the number of crayfish due to overfishing. A group of local people established a tourist center in Kaikoura in 1985 and began promoting the town as a tourist destination. A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Kaikoura on November 14, 2016, leading to severe infrastructural damages. As a result of this earthquake, the surrounding region and the bay were uplifted by about 2m.
Also referred to as Kororareka, Russell is a small community located in the Northland region in the northeastern part of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated on the southeastern shores of the Bay of Islands, Russell forms a part of the countrys Far North District. In the early 19th century, Russell served as New Zealands first capital, its oldest European settlement, and its first seaport. At present, Russell is a famous resort center with various European-style gift shops, restaurants, cafes, and expensive holiday homes.

Climate Of Russell

View of the beautiful small town of Russell from Flagstaff Hill.

According to Koppen climate classification, Russell experiences a marine west coast climate. February is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 19.6C, while July is the coolest month with an average temperature of 11.9C. Russell receives an average annual rainfall of 41.3 inches.

The Population And Economy Of Russell

As per the 2018 New Zealand census, Russell had a population of 762 inhabitants, of which 372 were males, and 390 were females. About 86.6% of the towns population were European/Pakeha, 20.1% Maori, 2.0% Asians, 1.6% other ethnicities, and 1.2% Pacific people. Currently, Russell serves as New Zealands famous resort center attracting visitors to its various gift shops, cafes, restaurants, and expensive holiday homes. Commercial and game fishing are practiced in the towns deepwater harbor.

Tourist Attractions In Russell

Pompallier Mission and Printery

The landmark Pompallier Mission in Russell, New Zealand. Editorial credit: EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

Built by the early Roman Catholic missionaries, the Pompallier Mission and Printery located in Russell is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic and industrial building in New Zealand. It is also the countrys oldest building that has been constructed using the rammed earth technique. The mission was named after Jean Baptiste Pompallier, who served as the first Roman Catholic Bishop in New Zealand and established many catholic missions in the North Island of New Zealand. The house initially served as the headquarters of the French Catholic Mission and a place where the Catholic Missionaries translated the religious texts into Maori. Currently owned and managed by Heritage New Zealand, Pompallier House and Printery remain open to the public for seven days a week, and passionate guides conduct guided tours four times a day for the tourists visiting this heritage property.

Christ Church

Christ Church in Russell, New Zealand. Editorial credit: Peter Titmuss / Shutterstock.com

Christ Church is New Zealands oldest surviving Anglican church, built by the merchant trader Gilbert Mair in 1835. The cost of the churchs construction was contributed by the English Naturalist Charles Robert Darwin, Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy, and other officers aboard HMS Beagle. On January 30, 1840, the church served as the site of the British Royal Navy officer Captain William Hobsons proclamation as the Lieutenant Governor of New Zealand. On November 24, 1983, the church was registered with a category I listing by Heritage New Zealand.

Brief History Of Russell

View of the landmark Duke of Marlborough, a historical waterfront hotel located on the Strand in Russell in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Editorial credit: EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

The small coastal settlement was inhabited by the native Maori people long before the arrival of the Europeans because of its pleasant climate, fertile soil, and abundance of food and fish. The settlement was initially named Kororareka. The areas name is believed to have come from a wounded chief who, upon eating the medicinal penguin soup, exclaimed Ka reka ko Korora, which meant how sweet is the penguin. Several European and American ships started visiting the area to trade with the indigenous Maori people. The settlement began to develop rapidly due to this trade, but soon it earned a bad reputation and came to be known as the Hell Hole of the Pacific. In March 1830, the Girls War took place on a beach in Kororareka between the northern and the southern subtribes of the Ngapuhi iwi tribe. The British Royal Naval Officer Captain William Hobson read out his proclamation of being the Lieutenant Governor of New Zealand at Christ Church on January 30, 1840. In due course, Kororareka developed as an important mercantile center and as a vital resupply port for whaling operations. After the Colony of New Zealand was established, Governor Hobson refused to select Kororareka as the capital because of its bad reputation. Instead, he purchased land about 5km south of Kororareka at Okiato and named it Russell after Lord John Russell, the then British Secretary of the State for the Colonies. Governor Hobson chose Russell (Okiato) as the first capital of New Zealand. After Russell (Okiato) was destroyed by fire in 1841, Governor Hobson transferred the countrys capital to Auckland. The town of Russell was then relocated to the village site of Kororareka by 1846.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows talks to reporters at the White House on October 21, 2020, in Washington, DC. State investigators in North Carolina are looking into the voter registration of Meadows, who pushed baseless claims of voter fraud to try to overturn the 2020 election results.
Recovery, accountability should be the next admin's top priority - De Lima

Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima maintained that the primary focus of the next administration should be recovery and accountability.

De Lima, who is seeking reelection under the Robredo-Pangilinan ticket, said the nation cannot move forward without seeking accountability from the current government for the State-sponsored killings, abuses, and plunder of wealth.

"Recovery and accountability are the keywords for governance going forward. Our country needs legislation that would encourage investments in our country, allow our businesses to recover, employ our workforce, and at the bottomline, put food on the tables of Filipino families," she said.

"At the core of this effort is good governance committed to the overarching principles of human rights and the rule of law. This means extracting accountability from Duterte and his officials responsible for the mismanagement and plunder of public funds and the murder of thousands of poor Filipinos tagged as drug offenders," she added.

Reports of alleged corruption ran rampant under the present administration, particularly amid the pandemic. One such issue was the alleged conspiracy between top government officials and executives of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

Congressional hearings revealed that Pharmally has bagged over P10 billion worth of government contracts, including the purchase of allegedly overpriced, expired, or useless medical supplies for COVID-19.

Since Duterte was elected in 2016, more than 20,000 suspected drug peddlers have been brutally killed.

The lady Senator from Bicol stressed there are still a lot to fix in the government, which will only be possible with good and clean governance.

"Maraming krisis na ang pinagdaanan ng ating bansa, at marami pang dapat itama sa pamahalaan," she said.

"Obligasyon ng gobyerno na maglingkod at hindi paglingkuran. Kaya panahon nang ibalik ang pamamahala sa mga pinunong handa at subok na sa paglilingkod, yung hindi gagamitin ang posisyon para kumapit sa kapangyarihan, kundi para itaas ang kalidad ng pamumuhay ng bawat mamamayan. Isang pamahalaan na pinapalakas ang boses ng taumbayan at pinakikinggan ito," she added.

De Lima recently bared her five-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.
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This photo shows a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, that was bombed on March 16. Around 130 people have reportedly been rescued from the theater.
Cash seized from criminals used to fund new cyber safety sessions for North Wales children

An interactive child safety centre which uses mini film sets to highlight everyday dangers and risks has developed a new cyber safety session thanks to cash seized from criminals.

Dangerpoint will be welcoming 250 children aged five to 11 and vulnerable adults from across the region to its Talacre-based centre for fun educational workshops which increase their safety awareness by placing them at the centre of real-life scenarios.

The new workshops will allow participants to explore all of the centres interactive zones including safety in the home, fire safety and road safety, with a special focus on staying safe online.

They have had a helping hand with a grant of 4,875 from the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioners Your Community, Your Choice fund, helping to make the experience as inclusive as possible and removing any barriers faced by schools including cost and transport issues.

The initiative, also supported by the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) and North Wales Police, is in its ninth year.

More than 400,000 has been handed out to deserving causes in that time and much of it has been recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using cash seized from offenders with the rest coming from Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin.

Cat Harvey-Aldcroft, Dangerpoints Deputy Manager, said: Our grants are really important to us. We are a charity and we rely on funding grants to remove the barrier some schools face.

Nowadays, with the cost of living crisis and rising household costs, school trips are more of a luxury but we believe provision like this is essential.

This grant includes provision for transport costs. Its essential we can remove the barriers so we can guarantee children across North Wales can access this provision.

The workshops will predominantly help children at Key Stage Two to understand how to keep themselves and other people safe on roads in the centres interactive street setting complete with working traffic lights and a pelican crossing.

Participants will also learn about hate crime including how to report it and different types of antisocial behaviour and how it impacts communities.

The project will pay special attention to online abuse, scams and the risk of fraudulent behaviour to children and vulnerable people with the help of an interactive avatar called K-os who can respond in real time to questions raised by children about new apps or current social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram.

Cat added: Our aim is to raise awareness of essential life skills and equip people with the skills they can use in everyday situations. The centre allows them to put these skills into practice to keep themselves and other people safe.

We cover all areas from home and fire safety through to road safety. We look at knife crime, internet safety and cyber bullying. The cyber safety learning will help to ensure they are not giving out personal details, not giving out passwords online and if they find themselves in a chatroom, that they keep their personal details safe.

We do a lot of work with vulnerable adults and those with additional needs. This is an amazing centre for them, especially those who are moving towards independent living as it gives them hands-on experience in a real-life kitchen.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: This unique fund is demonstration of people power in action because it allows our communities to decide which projects should get financial support through our on-line voting system.

There is an element of poetic justice in using money obtained through crime to address the problem of crime in our communities.

Its turning bad money into good and its making a real difference because it is local people who recognise and understand their local issues and how to solve them.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Allsop said: I get particular satisfaction that part of the funding comes from the proceeds of crime, so that money is taken out of the pockets of criminals and their ill-gotten gains by the courts and is put back into community initiatives.

Policing is part of the community and the community is part of policing and this scheme is a positive way of building trust in policing.

Its great to see those relationships flourish because without the community we wont know whats going on, without the community we wont get vital intelligence, and we wont solve crimes.

PACT chair Ashley Rogers said: A lot of what we fund is aimed at providing something for young people to get involved with in their spare time, activities that can help to build skills and positive physical and mental health.

We want to support communities so they are able to take responsibility for their own areas.

Community groups and projects can do a great deal to make communities safer, reduce crime and reduce re-offending, it also sends a good message to the communities because it shows we are listening to them.

The aim is to build up resilience in communities across North Wales to help vulnerable people and combat things like County Lines.
Wrexham councillors row over party politics during debate on Ukrainian refugee support

A row has broken out after rival councillors accused each other of playing party politics during a debate on how to support Ukrainian refugees.

Members of Wrexham Council considered a motion on Wednesday (16 March) urging the local authority to do all in its power to help people displaced by Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The notice, which was put forward by the Labour group and endorsed by the leaders of the ruling independent/Conservative coalition, backed the creation of a sponsor-a-family scheme to assist vulnerable Ukrainian families.

It comes as the United Nations has estimated more than three million refugees have fled the country since the invasion began.

A disagreement took place during the full council meeting after Plaid Cymru leader Marc Jones took issue with the fact his group and non-aligned councillors were not invited to countersign the motion.

The original signatories later refused to accept his amendment to thank people in Wrexham for showing a humanitarian spirit and express gratitude to a named list of local organisations.

An additional amendment asking the UK Government to waive visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees for three years was also voted down.

Speaking at the start of the meeting, Dana Davies, leader of the main Labour opposition party, said: The motion before you this evening states that Wrexham Council is appalled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine against this act of barbarity, dishonesty and cowardice.

Wrexham Council commits to do all in its power to support the people of Ukraine and encourage others to join us.

We recognise and applaud the people of Russia, who are risking their own lives to voice their condemnation of Putins war.

Men and women of Ukraine are fighting to exist, to live the life of their choosing and be free from oppression and tyranny.

The very least we can do for them is to look after their families and their children.

The motion was seconded by deputy Labour leader Kevin Hughes, who called on residents to step up to the mark by offering their homes as a place of refuge.

He was followed by Cllr Marc Jones, who said he was surprised to have been excluded from the motion.

He said: It would have been an idea in the interest of speaking with one voice to have contacted all councillors and we werent, so thats a disappointment.

Its not difficult to send an e-mail these days, is it? Thats done now and I dont think this is the time for petty party positioning.

Cllr Jones said his party fully supported the sentiments behind the motion, describing the war in Ukraine as awful

He proposed adding two further clauses to recognise the humanitarian aid provided by people in Wrexham and call for the UK Government to offer a full visa waiver for Ukrainians.

In response, Cllr Davies said he had not been contacted because of the tight deadline for submitting the motion and voiced her opposition to any changes.

She said: I am happy to record thanks to all the people of Wrexham and everything that everybody has been involved in.

However, I would not be able to support the additional amendments to the original motion for the reason that weve had this checked for robustness and legality to ensure that this is a call for action that can be taken by this council.

The request in the motion is very specific, and we wouldnt want to move from that.

Deputy council leader David A Bithell (Ind) said he agreed and asked for political point-scoring to be kept out of the debate.

He said: Whats happening in Ukraine is really terrible and I dont want to play party politics with motions and amendments today.

I think all of us as 52 members recognise the significance of whats going on in Ukraine.

His comments were echoed by council leader Mark Pritchard, who said there was no room for politics in the discussion.

Wrexham's Full Council votes *against* specifically thanking this list of organisations via being formally named in the motion. (Full vote, 23 v 9 with 11 abstain) https://t.co/4UXoAMuwev  Wrexham.com (@wrexham) March 16, 2022

Cllr Jones said his amendments were meant to be a positive addition to the motion, but they were rejected with nine votes in favour, 23 against and eleven abstentions.

Wrexham's Full Council votes *against* this being included. (Full vote, 23 v 9 with 11 abstain) https://t.co/dVcpVe0860  Wrexham.com (@wrexham) March 16, 2022

The original motion was later passed unanimously by councillors.

The Full Council now vote unanimously support the original motion seeing WCBC committing "to do all in its power to support the people of Ukraine and encourage others to join us" (full text on: https://t.co/7JwsUhlQJH )  Wrexham.com (@wrexham) March 16, 2022

By Liam Randall  BBC Local Democracy Reporter
Wrexham makes final shortlist in bid to host UK City of Culture 2025

Wrexham County Borough is amongst four locations across the UK to have made the final shortlist for the UK City of Culture 2025 title.

It joins Bradford, County Durham and Southampton in the final stages to host the prestigious event.

The four locations were approved by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries based on independent advice made to the government by a panel of experts led by Sir Phil Redmond.

The finalists were whittled down from a record twenty initial bids to eight outstanding longlist applications which also included Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.

All bids were asked to explain how they would use culture to grow and strengthen their local area, as well as how they would use culture to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A series of events will now take place across the county borough before the overall winner is announced by the culture secretary in May.

Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 has seen more than 172 million invested in funding music concerts, public art displays, the UKs first permanent immersive digital art gallery, a new childrens play area in the centre of the city, the new Telegraph Hotel and improvements to public transport.

More than a third of event tickets (43 per cent) issued to Coventry residents as part of the City of Culture went to financially stretched people or those facing adversity and a third of the cultural programme was co-created with local communities.

A further 500 million has been ploughed into the citys regeneration since it was confirmed as the UK City of Culture.

More than 150 million of public and private sector investment was invested into 2013 winner Derry-Londonderry while the 2017 winner Hull saw a 10 percent increase in visitor numbers during its tenure.

Sir Phil Redmond, Chair of the City of Culture Expert Advisory Panel, said: Culture can act as a catalyst for community engagement, civic cohesion and a driver for economic and social change as previously seen not just in Derry-Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021), but all those other places who went on a journey to develop their own cultural strategy.

Simply taking part has proved a catalyst in itself. We have had a great longlist to select from, which made the shortlisting difficult, but I am now looking forward to visiting each of the shortlisted places with the panel to witness cultures catalytic effect in action.

Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive, Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: This is such an exciting moment for the shortlisted cities and we wish them all the best for the next stage.

Holding the title in Coventry has been a privilege and has made a considerable impact already on the City and its citizens.

We cant wait to see what comes next for those whove used the bidding process to truly consider the value of culture  all will have inspired the next generation of artists, organisations, funders and supporters.

The expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, will now visit the four shortlisted places before making their final recommendation in May. The winner will be announced this year in Coventry.

The competition, delivered by DCMS in collaboration with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, brings culture into the heart of communities and gives people an opportunity to get involved in everything the arts have to offer.

The eight longlisted bidders received, for the first time, a 40,000 grant to strengthen their applications which were scrutinised by the expert advisory panel against published criteria.

The unsuccessful areas will each receive detailed feedback on their bids. Ministers and officials will also engage with them on how best they can maintain momentum and realise their ambitions in the future.

*Contrary to some ongoing belief on social media, this is not the same as the bid for city status. The UK City of Culture 2025 is a completely separate thing. Enough has been written on this, sadly those people dont bother reading it  will they read this note?!

Earlier the DCMS issued a press release at 10:40am, giving the above details under specific timed embargo. We tweeted the below, and noted to the DCMS we would remove it when the BBC did  an hour after it was published.
Shift change at Ford Saarlouis (Photo: WSWS)

Mondays speech by works council chairman Markus Thal at the online factory meeting at Fords plant in Saarlouis, Germany was a declaration of war on workers. There is no other way to understand his statement, addressed to the approximately 4,600-strong workforce, that the preservation of the plant would not come for free.

According to reports from workers present, Thal said he would not fight for the vested rights to the end, only to be forced to say that the plant would be closed in the next twelve months. He would not go along with that, he said. He stands for maintaining the plant, he said, but warned that if production were to continue at the Saarlouis plant after 2025, when manufacture of the Focus model will come to an end, then there would have to be sacrifices.

By announcing that he would not defend the vested rights, Thal has indicated that he is prepared to make very far-reaching concessions on wages, working hours and social benefits. But even then, a plant closure was quite possible, he added.

Since this cowardly submission to the dictates of management is being met with hostility by many workers, Thal has insisted on strict secrecy in the negotiations. At the factory meeting it became clear once again that he and his closest confidants on the negotiating committee are conducting a veritable conspiracy against the workforce.

In a letter to the workers in Saarlouis the previous week, the Ford Rank-and-File Committee had stressed that the workforce was receiving no information on all of our burning questions: What attacks have been elaborated by management and the works council in the [internal] bidding war with [the Ford plant in] Valencia? The works council leaders were hiding their agreements from workers because they are in cahoots with management.

This assessment has been fully confirmed. Mondays factory meeting started half an hour later than planned because the European Works Council was still talking with Fords top European management. While workers in Saarlouis had to wait for almost three and a half hours until the end of the meeting, only to receive no information about the future of the plant, the Ford group had been presenting plans for the electrification of its models in Europe. Ford Europe boss Stuart Rowley subsequently announced that three electric passenger cars and four new electric commercial vehicle models would be built in Europe from 2024.

The Romanian plant in Craiova would produce an EV version of the Ford Puma SUV as well as medium and large electric vans. In Turkey, a joint venture between Ford Europe, Koc and SK ON Ltd. will be established to build one of the largest plants in Europe for the manufacture of batteries for commercial vehicles.

At its main plant in Cologne, Ford plans to invest two billion dollars to bring two EV models to market as early as 2024. Production is to be doubled from 600,000 to 1.2 million cars annually. In a television interview, Benjamin Gruschka, chair of the general works council and chair of the Cologne works council, expressed his delight and was already dreaming of the reintroduction of the night shift and a full capacity utilisation of the plant.

But neither the Valencia plant nor the one in Saarlouis featured in the presentation. Ford boss Rowley did not say a word about the ongoing internal bidding competition between the plants in Germany and Spain.

Allegedly, Gruschka, who also spoke to the workers in Saarlouis on Monday morning, only learned shortly before going online that all plants had received production commitments, except the two factories in Saarlouis and Valencia. In reality, the decision had already been made last Wednesday in the US, and a leaflet from the Cologne works council, signed by Gruschka, was published during the factory meeting.

In it, Gruschka insisted that workers in the Saarland plant learn nothing about the Saarlouis project, as he calls it. He justified his silence by saying that secrecy had been imposed so as not to endanger the project. Markus Thal also adopted this stance in his speech to the Monday meeting, asking workers to trust him, saying he was in Cologne at least two days a week and was negotiating with management.

The works council he heads has already agreed to job cuts in recent years. In 2018, the company had declared that the cuts would help ensure everything turned out well. That no longer seems to be the case. Now they would have to wait for the companys decision in June, he said. And even then, the plant that won the bid would not be out of the woods. Ford did not want to decide until the beginning of next year whether at least one of the two plants had a future. If both plants were to be dismantled, that would be a massive disaster, said Thal.

Workers reported that as in previous meetings, Thal was very arrogant and brusque. He had posed the workforce with an ultimatum: This is the situation, there is no other way, regardless of whether one liked it or not. He said he did not want to say anything about the content of the offer the works council and plant management had handed over to Fords European headquarters in Cologne at the end of January, and which they were now apparently continuing to negotiate. End of story.

Nevertheless, Thal called on the workforce to vote for IG Metall union candidates in the current works council elections.

At the meeting, he was supported by management. Rainer Ludwig, managing director of human resources and social affairs and deputy chairman of the Ford-Werke GmbH management agreed that the initial situation was difficult. In the past, however, management and unions had cooperated successfullymeaning the downsizing over the past years. It was important to build on this, he said.

Finally, he also asked workers to exercise their democratic right to elect the works council.

Many workers were extremely upset by all this. Once again, weve heard nothing, one worker complained. Why should we vote for this IG Metall works council if it keeps quiet about what it is negotiating? What are we voting for then? You cant do that!

In preparation for the factory meeting, the Ford Rank-and-File Committees letter to the workforce had already pointed out last week: Elections presuppose information. What is the point of works council elections if the works council excludes us from all information about the most important issues that concern us? IG Metall is asking us for a blank cheque in these works council elections. We are supposed to rubber stamp our own sell-out. No way!

In the meeting, the works council representatives and management not only talked about the semiconductor crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and its effects, both Ludwig and Thal also raised the issue of the Ukraine war.

Both repeated the propaganda of NATO, those in government and the media that Putin and Russia were solely responsible for the war and the danger of an unpredictable escalation. In unison, they claimed there was no alternative but to support the governments in the US, Germany, and NATO against Russia, for example by imposing sanctions.

Just as Thal bows to the government on the war issue, he is at the service of Ford. This bureaucrat is a loyal servant of government and the propertied classes. According to workers reports of the meeting, he declared that Ford did not belong to the workers, Ford was not state property. Therefore, there was nothing to do but kowtow to management.

At the same time, in the works council election, Thal demanded a 100 percent voter turnout, as in the Stalinist former East Germany. He threatened workers that everything would be much worse if they did not vote for IG Metall. Management was looking very closely at how much support the works council has in the workforce, he said. The higher the voter turnout, the better the works council could present itself to the company, Thal claimed.

The opposite is the case. That is because the works council is not acting as an adversary to management but is in collusion with the Ford bosses.

Both management and the works council live in abject fear that the workforce will organise itself independently and organise a real struggle against the threatened plant closure, against job cuts and wage reductions.

This underscores the necessity of the call by the Ford Rank-and-File Committee for an independent fight by workers in both Germany and Spain to defend jobs. Firstly, we deny the works council the right to continue to negotiate on our behalf and call on all colleagues to join our independent action committee to take the fight to defend wages and jobs into their own hands, together with colleagues in Spain and around the world. There is no way around it. We need to organise independently.

Send a Whatsapp message to the following number: +491633378340
The following letter was sent by WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North to a friend who requested his opinion on a recent online discussion held at a US college on the Russia-Ukraine war.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for bringing the online discussion on the Russia-Ukraine war to my attention and providing me with access to the campus event. I have now listened to the broadcast and will give you, as you have requested, my professional opinion of the presentation of the two academics. I will concentrate on the remarks of the historian, with whose work in the field of Holocaust studies I am familiar. In any case, he made the most substantial comments.

To be blunt, I was disappointed, if not surprised, by the superficial approach that was taken to this critical and dangerous turning point in world events. As you know, my evaluation of the war is that of one who has been active in international socialist politics. The World Socialist Web Site has publicly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, this principled opposition from the political left has nothing in common with the grotesquely one-sided official US-NATO propaganda narrative, which presents the invasion as an entirely unprovoked act of aggression by Russia.

Momentous events such as wars and revolutions invariably raise complex problems of causation. That is one of the reasons why the study of history is an indispensable foundation of serious political analysis. This general truth acquires exceptional importance in any discussion of Russia. This country was the site of arguably the most significant political event of the twentieth century, the 1917 October Revolution, whose historical, political and intellectual legacy still reverberates in our own time. The study of Soviet history remains critical to understanding the politics and problems of the contemporary world.

Making this point is not a matter of political nostalgia. The initial remarks of the historian referenced briefly the final decades of the USSR and stressed the trauma caused by its dissolution. However, his emphasis on the impact of this event on the personal psychology of Vladimir Putin did not lead to a serious understanding of either Russia or the present war. He did not attempt to explain the socio-economic foundations of the regime that emerged from the decision of the Stalinist bureaucracy to liquidate the Soviet Union.

Essential questions were not asked. In whose interests does Putin rule? What impact did the privatization of state assets have on the Russian capitalist elites perception of its security interests? Comparing the foreign policy of Putin to that of the Soviet Union, what elements of its policies changed and what elements persisted?

Geography is a persistent factor, and it is one that has haunted Russia, a country that has been the terrain of so many invasionsincluding, need I mention, the extermination war launched by Nazi Germany only 80 years ago, which claimed the lives of between 30 and 40 million citizens. The historian mentioned the impact on Putin of the mob scene outside Stasi headquarters in Berlin in 1989. I find it hard to believe that that incident affected him more than the enduring societal recollection of the Great Patriotic War and its aftershocks.

Map showing the eastward expansion of NATO since 1949 (Credit: Wikimedia)

The catastrophe that began on June 22, 1941 is embedded in the collective consciousness of Russians. This is not a matter of justifying the nationalistic conclusions that are drawn by Putin, not to mention ultra-right elements like Aleksandr Dugin, from World War II. But the experience of World War II is more important in understanding Russian perceptions, including among workers, than supposed dreams of a lost empire.

That being said, what I found most troubling about the webinars discussion of the war was the absence of any reference to the wars that have been waged by the United States, often with the support of its NATO allies, during the last 30 years. The entire coverage of this war in the media has been characterized by a level of hypocrisy that is disgusting. Even if one accepts as absolutely true all the crimes attributed to the Russians during the last month, they do not approach the scale of horrors inflicted by the United States and NATO on Iraq, Libya and Afghanistannot to mention the other countries that have been on the receiving end of US bombings, missile strikes and targeted killings. Based on what one sees and reads in the broadcast news and print media, one might form the impression that the United States has been overtaken by a virulent form of collective amnesia.

Does no one remember Shock and Awe? If the Pentagon had planned the war on Ukraine, Kyiv and Kharkiv would have been flattened on the first night of the war. The US media acted as if the attack on the maternity hospital in Mariupol (accepting as true the description of its contemporary use) that cost three lives was an act of unspeakable brutality. Has everyone forgotten the February 1991 US bombing of the Amiriyah air raid shelter on the outskirts of Baghdad that killed approximately 1,500 women and children? It is credibly estimated that deaths caused by US wars of choice total more than 1 million. And the dying continues. Millions of children are starving in Afghanistan. Dark-skinned refugees from the disaster created in Libya by NATO bombs are still drowning in the Mediterranean. Is anyone paying attention to this? Are the lives of the people of Central Asia and the Middle East less precious than those of Europeans in Ukraine?

Journalists who are now comparing Putin to Hitler seem to have forgotten what they themselves wrote during the air war on Serbia and the later invasion of Iraq. The historian referred to Thomas Friedman of the New York Times as a major geopolitical thinker. Let us recall what he wrote on April 23, 1999, during the US-NATO bombing of Serbia:

But if NATOs only strength is that it can bomb forever, then it has to get every ounce out of that. Lets at least have a real air war. The idea that people are still holding rock concerts in Belgrade, or going out for Sunday merry-go-round rides, while their fellow Serbs are cleansing Kosovo is outrageous. It should be lights out in Belgrade: every power grid, water pipe, bridge, road and war-related factory has to be targeted. Like it or not, we are at war with the Serbian nation (the Serbs certainly think so), and the stakes have to be very clear: Every week you ravage Kosovo is another decade we will set your country back by pulverizing you. You want 1950? We can do 1950. You want 1389? We can do 1389 too. If we can frame the issue that way, Mr. Milosevic will blink, and we may have seen his first flutter yesterday.

An American guided missile cruiser fires a tomahawk missile during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq [Credit: US Navy]

Allow me to recall the words of Washington Post columnist George Will, who is now frothing with rage over Putins crimes. But this is what Will wrote during the US invasion of Iraq in a column dated April 7, 2004:

Regime change, occupation, nation-buildingin a word, empireare a bloody business. Now Americans must steel themselves for administering the violence necessary to disarm or defeat Iraqs urban militias

One week later, on April 14, 2004, Will unleashed another homicidal tirade in the Post:

After Fallujah, it is clear that the first order of business for Marines and other U.S. forces is their basic business: inflicting deadly force.

Wills columns were not exceptional. They were fairly typical of what US pundits were writing at the time. But what has changed is the broader public reaction. At that time, opposition to US wars and the foreign policy that fomented them was widespread. But it is difficult to find even traces of public opposition today.

The examination of the aggressive foreign policy of the United States since the dissolution of the USSR is not only a matter of exposing American hypocrisy. How is it possible to understand Russian policies apart from an analysis of the global context within which they are formulated? Given the fact that the United States has waged war relentlessly, is it irrational for Putin to view the expansion of NATO with alarm? He and other Russian policy makers are certainly aware of the enormous strategic interest of the United States in the Black Sea region, the Caspian region and, for that matter, the Eurasian landmass. It is not exactly a secret that the late Zbigniew Brzezinski and other leading US geostrategists have long insisted that US dominance of Eurasiathe so-called World Islandis a decisive strategic objective.

This imperative has become even more critical in the context of the escalating US conflict with China.

It is within this framework that the future of Ukraine has become a matter of great importance for the United States. Brzezinski stated explicitly that Russia, deprived of its influence in Ukraine, is reduced to the status of a minor power. More ominously, Brzezinski spoke openly of luring Russia into a war in Ukraine that would prove as self-destructive as the earlier Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. A review of the events leading up to the wargoing back to the US-supported Maidan coup of 2014strongly supports the argument that this objective has now been achieved.

Again, the recognition that Russia perceived in the actions of the United States and NATO a serious threat is not a justification of the invasion. But should there not be a critical evaluation of how the policies of the United States led to and even deliberately instigated it?

In an essay posted online by Foreign Affairs on December 28, 2021, nearly two months before the invasion, analyst Dmitri Trenin wrote:

Specifically, the Kremlin could be satisfied if the U.S. government agreed to a formal long-term moratorium on expanding NATO and a commitment not to station intermediate-range missiles in Europe. It might also be assuaged by a separate accord between Russia and NATO that would restrict military forces and activity where their territories meet, from the Baltic to the Black Sea.  Of course, it is an open question whether the Biden administration is willing to engage seriously with Russia. Opposition to any deal will be high in the United States because of domestic political polarization and the fact that striking a deal with Putin opens the Biden administration to criticism that it is caving to an autocrat. Opposition will also be high in Europe, where leaders will feel that a negotiated settlement between Washington and Moscow leaves them on the sidelines. [What Putin Really Wants in Ukraine: Russia Seeks to Stop NATOs Expansion, Not to Annex More Territory]

If an agreement on the non-NATO status of Ukraine could have been secured, would that not have been preferable to the present situation? Can it be seriously argued that Russia had no reason to object to Ukraines integration into NATO? Those who experienced the crisis of October 1962 remember that it was triggered by the Soviet Unions placement of ballistic missiles in Cuba. Though this was done with the full consent of the Castro regime, President Kennedy made clear that the United States would not accept a Soviet military presence in the Western Hemisphere and was prepared to risk nuclear war over the issue. That was 60 years ago. Can anyone seriously believe that the Biden administration would act less aggressively today if, for example, Mexico or any other Caribbean or Latin American country entered into a military alliance with China, even one which claimed to be purely defensive?

There is a further issue that was not seriously addressed. Both professors minimalized the continuing political and cultural influence of fascism in Ukraine, which is demonstrated in the renewed glorification of the mass murderer Stepan Bandera and the influence of the heavily armed paramilitary forces, such as the Azov Battalion, who identify with the horrifying legacy of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and its armed force, the Ukrainska povstanska armiia (UPA). The critical role played by the OUN and UPA in the extermination of Ukrainian Jews is a matter of established historical fact. The most recent account of their genocidal crimes, Ukrainian Nationalists and the Holocaust: OUN and UPAs Participation in the Destruction of Ukrainian Jewry, 1941-1944, by John-Paul Himka, makes for very difficult reading.

Members of various nationalist parties carry torches and a portrait of Stepan Bandera during a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The horrors of World War II are not only a matter of history. (I put not only in quotation marks because these two words should never be used when referencing events associated with crimes such as the Holocaust.) It is well known that the cult of Stepan Bandera and the justification of all the crimes with which he is associated reemerged as a potent and extremely dangerous factor in the political and cultural life of Ukraine in the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR.

In his authoritative biography of Stepan Bandera (The Life and Afterlife of a Ukrainian Nationalist: Fascism, Genocide, and Cult) the historian Grzegorz Rossolinski-Liebe wrote that after 1991:

Bandera and the Ukrainian revolutionary nationalists again became important elements of western Ukrainian identity. Not only far-right activists but also the mainstream of western Ukrainian society, including high-school teachers and university professors, considered Bandera to be a Ukrainian national hero, a freedom fighter, and a person who should be honored for his struggle against the Soviet Union. The post-Soviet memory politics in Ukraine completely ignored democratic values and did not develop any kind of non-apologetic approach to history. [p. 553]

Rossolinski-Liebe further reports:

By 2009 about thirty Bandera monuments were unveiled in western Ukraine, four Bandera museums were opened, and an unknown number of streets were renamed after him. The Bandera cult that appeared in post-Soviet Ukraine resembles that which the Ukrainian diaspora had practiced during the Cold War. The new enemies of the Banderites became Russian-speaking eastern Ukrainians, Russians, democrats, and occasionally Poles, Jews and others. The spectrum of people who practice this cult is very wide. Among the Bandera admirers, one can find on the one hand far-right activists with shaved heads performing the fascist salute during their commemorations, and arguing that the Holocaust was the brightest episode in Ukrainian history, and on the other hand, high-school teachers and university professors. [p. 554]

During the Cold War, the right-wing extremist Ukrainian lobby exerted substantial international influence and especially in the former West Germany, the United States and Canada. Until his assassination by the Soviet KGB in Munich in 1959, Bandera gave interviews that were broadcast in West Germany. The post-World War II career of Banderas deputy, Iaroslav Stetsko, also deserves attention. He corresponded with Hitler, Mussolini and Franco and attempted to obtain the support of the Third Reich for the free Ukrainian state that Stetsko proclaimed after the German invasion of the Soviet Union. This project proved unsuccessful, as the Nazi regime had no interest in satisfying the aspirations of the Ukrainian nationalists. Stetsko was taken into honorary captivity and brought to Berlin. In July 1941 he produced a statement in which he declared:

I consider Marxism to be a product of the Jewish mind, which, however, has been applied in practice in the Muscovite prison of peoples by the Muscovite-Asiatic peoples with the assistance of Jews. Moscow and Jewry are Ukraines greatest enemies and bearers of corruptive Bolshevik internationalist ideas  I therefore support the destruction of the Jews and the expedience of bringing German methods of exterminating Jewry to Ukraine, barring their assimilation and the like. [Himka, p. 106]

Stetsko survived the war, became a well-known figure in international right-wing politics and served as a board member of the World Anti-Communist League. Among the many tributes he received for his life-long struggle against Marxism was being named an honorary citizen of the Canadian city of Winnipeg in 1966. That was not all. In 1983, reports Rossolinski-Liebe, Stetsko was invited to the Capitol and the White House, where George Bush and Ronald Reagan received the last premier of a free Ukrainian state. [p. 552]

Iaroslav Stetsko (Credit: szru.gov.ua)

Rossolinski-Liebe recalls yet another event:

On 11 July 1982 during Captive Nations Week, the red-and-black flag of the OUN-B, introduced at the Second Great Congress of the Ukrainian Nationalists in 1941, flew over the United States Capitol. It symbolized freedom and democracy, not ethnic purity and genocidal fascism. Nobody understood that it was the same flag that had flown from the Lviv city hall and other buildings, under which Jewish civilians were mistreated and killed in July 1941 by individuals who identified themselves with the flag. [p. 552]

The international connections of Ukrainian neo-Nazis are intensely relevant to the present crisis. It has recently been revealed that Canadian officials met with members of the Azov Battalion. According to a report posted by the Ottawa Citizen on November 9, 2021:

The Canadians met with and were briefed by leaders from the Azov Battalion in June 2018. The officers and diplomats did not object to the meeting and instead allowed themselves to be photographed with battalion officials despite previous warnings that the unit saw itself as pro-Nazi. The Azov Battalion then used those photos for its online propaganda, pointing out the Canadian delegation expressed hopes for further fruitful co-operation.

The report continues:

A year before the meeting, Canadas Joint Task Force Ukraine produced a briefing on the Azov Battalion, acknowledging its links to Nazi ideology. Multiple members of Azov have described themselves as Nazis, the Canadian officers warned in their 2017 briefing. Bernie Farber, head of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, said the Canadians should have immediately walked out of the Azov Battalion briefing. Canadian armed forces personnel do not meet with Nazis; period, full stop, Farber said. This a horrendous mistake that shouldnt have been made.

There is yet another disturbing aspect of this story which relates directly to the extremely aggressive anti-Russian policy of the Canadian government. Chrystia Freeland is the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister. Her grandfather, Mykhailo Khomiak, edited a Nazi newspaper called Krakivski Visti (Kracow News) in Occupied Poland and then briefly in Vienna from 1940 to 1945. Of course, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland should not be held responsible for the sins and crimes of her grandfather; but serious questions have been raised about the influence of right-wing Ukrainian nationalism on her own political views, and, therefore, on the policies of the Canadian government.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (Wikimedia Commons)

The National Post of Canada reported on March 2, 2022:

Freeland joined several thousand demonstrators at a pro-Ukraine rally in downtown Toronto. In a photo her office subsequently posted on Twitter, Freeland can be seen helping to hold up a red-and-black scarf bearing the slogan Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine). Observers were quick to note that red-and-black were the official colours of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a nationalist partisan group active during the Second World War.

The medias reluctance to undertake an intensive investigation into Freelands family connections and the broader connection between the Ukrainian far right and the Canadian government stands in stark contrast to the witch-hunt aimed at suppressing all traces of Russian influence in the cultural life of the country. Earlier this month, the 20-year-old Russian piano virtuoso, Alexander Malofeevwho is in no way responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukrainecould not go ahead with recitals that had been scheduled in Vancouver and Montreal. A similar purge of Russian cultural influence is underway in the United States and throughout Europe. This degrading campaignwhich is the negation of the cultural ties between the United States and Russia that began to flourish in the mid-1950s despite the Cold Warshould be seen as a manifestation of the very dangerous political and ideological impulses and motivations that are at work in the present crisis. Far from denouncing and opposing the anti-Russia hysteria, the intellectual and cultural institutions are, for the most part, adapting themselves to it.

There is a final criticism that I must make of the webinar. There was no reference in the discussion to the extreme political and social crisis within the United States, as if the domestic situation has absolutely nothing to do with the very aggressive stance taken by the United States. Many serious studies of World War I and World War II have focused on what is known among historians as Der Primat der Innenpolitik (The primacy of domestic politics). This interpretation, developed in the early 1930s by the left-wing German historian Eckart Kehr, placed central emphasis on the role of domestic social conflicts on the formulation of foreign policy.

A careful consideration of Kehrs conceptionswhich acquired great influence among subsequent generations of historiansis certainly necessary in analyzing the political motivations of the Biden administration. Since the turn of the decade, the United States has been shaken by two historic crises: (1) the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) the attempted (and nearly successful) coup detat of January 6, 2021. Both of these events, even when viewed in isolation, have been traumatic experiences.

In just two years, the United States has suffered, at minimum, 1 million deaths due to COVID-19, more than in any American war and, possibly, greater than the total number of deaths suffered by Americans in all US wars. The actual number of fatalities, based on a study of excess deaths, may be far greater. This means that an extraordinarily large number of Americans have experienced the loss of family members and close friends. More than 1 out of 100 Americans over the age of 65 has died. Millions of Americans have become infected, and a large but as yet uncalculated number of them are grappling with the effects of Long COVID. Normal patterns of social life have been disrupted in ways that have never been experienced in the history of the United States. Protracted social isolation has intensified the problem of mental health, which was extremely serious even before the pandemic began. And worst of all, the United States has proven to be incapable of bringing this crisis to an end. The prioritization of economic interests over the protection of human life has prevented the implementation of the Zero-COVID policy that could have ended the pandemic.

The extreme social, economic and political contradictions, developing within a society plagued by staggering levels of wealth and income inequality, finally exploded on January 6, 2021. The president of the United States attempted to suppress the results of the 2020 election, overthrow the Constitution, and establish himself as an authoritarian dictator. Not since the Civil War has the American political system confronted such a fundamental political challenge. And those who either minimize the significance of the event or claim that the crisis has been overcome are engaged in self-delusion. Biden himself acknowledged on the anniversary of Trumps attempted coup detat that it is not guaranteed that American democracy will still exist at the end of this decade.

Is it really implausible to suggest that the interaction of these two crises has played a significant role in the formulation of American foreign policy? Would this be the first time that a government seized upon, and even provoked, an international crisis to deflect attention from intractable domestic problems?

In concluding this letter, I must return to a point that I made earlier, that the study of Soviet history is critical to an understanding of the current world situation. Amid the capitalist triumphalism that prevailed in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there was much fanciful talk of the End of History. Within the former Soviet Union, the equivalent of this self-deluding euphoria was the belief, especially among intellectuals and status-conscious professionals, that the restoration of capitalism would bring untold riches to Russia and a flowering of democracy. The unfulfilled dreams of the 1917 February Revolution would be realized. The bourgeois Provisional Government, overthrown by the Bolsheviks in October, would be reborn. All those with talent, ambition and connections could become either rich entrepreneurs or, at least, members of a new and prosperous middle class. Wherever Marxism had put a minus, the newly minted petty bourgeois now put a plus mark.

The second element of this euphoria was that Russia, having thrown off its revolutionary and utopian strivings, would be a normal country, welcomed lovingly into the community of Western nations. References to Lenins writings on imperialism, not to mention those of Trotsky, were greeted with giggles. Russia had, at last, come to its senses; and no one took Marxism-Leninism seriously anymore. I should add that I encountered the same conceptions among Ukrainian academics that I met in Kyiv.

In any case, these great illusionsin universal capitalist prosperity, a flowering of democracy and the peaceful integration into the world system dominated by the United Stateshave been totally shattered.

Economic shock therapy and the collapse of 1998 bankrupted broad sections of the aspiring middle class. The democracy of which the middle class dreamt collapsed amidst the bombardment of the Russian parliament in October 1993. Capitalist restoration produced a corrupt oligarchical system, with massive social inequality, dominated by a semi-authoritarian Bonapartist regime. And, finally, rather than being peacefully integrated into the community of nations, Russia found itself under relentless military and economic pressure from its Western partners. The promises it had received, relating to the non-expansion of NATO, proved worthless. Every effort made by Russia to assert its independent interests was met with economic sanctions and military threats.

In the form of the Ukraine crisis, Russia is confronting the tragic and potentially catastrophic consequences of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Putin is seeking to overcome this crisis through thoroughly reactionary and politically bankrupt measuresthat is, through a war that is aimed at strengthening the borders of the Russian national state. It is significant that Putins war speech began with a denunciation of Lenin, the October Revolution and the establishment of the USSR. Ironically, in his hatred of Marxism and Bolshevism, Putins views are aligned completely with his NATO enemies.

Rejecting the foreign policy of the Soviet Union, Putin is attempting to resurrect the foreign policy of Tsar Nicholas and appealing for support of Mother Russia. On the basis of this pathetically retrograde policy, he has produced a modern-day version of the disastrous Russo-Japanese War of 1904, which fatally undermined the Romanov regime and set Russia on the path of revolution. There is reason to believe that this war will lead to a similar outcome, but it will not be the type of revolution that the Biden administration will welcome. The Russian working class is a massively powerful social force, with an extraordinary and historically unequaled tradition of revolutionary struggle. Decades of political repressionthe most criminal expression of which was the physical extermination during the Stalinist terror of the revolutionary Marxist intelligentsia and working class vanguardseparated the working class from this tradition. But this crisis completes the discrediting of the post-Soviet regime and will create the conditions for the renewal of socialist internationalism in Russia.

It is not only in Russia that the post-1991 illusions have been shattered. Within the United States and in all capitalist countries, the intersection of social, economic and political crises will produce a resurgence of opposition to capitalism and the reckless policies of imperialism that have brought the world to the threshold of nuclear war. Of course, the outcome that I foresee is not guaranteed, but I can envision no other progressive solution to the intensifying world crisis.

The webinar discussion could not be expected to address comprehensively all the complex issues posed by the eruption of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, to the extent that it reflects the discussions now taking place at colleges throughout the country, it typifies the dangerously uncritical and complacent attitude toward a crisis that threatens to develop into a catastrophe. I hope that the analysis presented by the World Socialist Web Site will encourage serious scholars to speak out against this dangerous escalation and to use every means available to them to elevate public opinion by counterpoising historical knowledge to jingoistic and warmongering propaganda.

I hope that this letter more than adequately meets your request for my opinion of the webinar.

With very best regards,

David North
Three weeks after floods engulfed Lismore and other communities across northeastern New South Wales (NSW), the federal and state governments continue to leave thousands of now-often homeless people to fend for themselves, after having failed to protect or even rescue them from the catastrophe in the first place.

Flood damaged furniture and household goods in Phyllis Street, Lismore [Credit: WSWS Media]

A major social disaster is taking place. So far, over 3,600 homes across the region have been deemed uninhabitable by State Emergency Service (SES) assessors. Thousands more will be unliveable for months. Yet the governments have offered only pittances in temporary aid, most of which is yet to materialise.

By contrast, a joint federal-state support package announced late last week will pour another $725 million into the hands of businesses, large and small. That is almost three times the money allocated to a joint $285 million temporary housing support package that will supposedly help 25,000 flood-affected residents. Of that, $248 million will be spent on providing just 16 weeks of rental support, which will mainly benefit landlords.

The hostility among ordinary people toward the response of the governments has been heightened by the revelation that the Triple Zero emergency service was switched to a recorded message as the floodwaters swept through Lismore in the early hours of February 28, endangering the lives of thousands of people.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of desperate pleas for help went unanswered. That left people trapped in roof cavities or sitting on rooftops for many hours. Most were rescued by local people, who risked their own lives by launching boats, kayaks and jet skis into the raging waters.

Those residents, or their anxious family members, who still had a dry phone and service to call 000 were told via a recorded message: Emergency Triple Zero in New South Wales is extremely busy due to extreme weather conditions. If you require Police, Fire or Ambulance attendance please stay on the line. For State Emergency Service call 132 500, for non-emergency police assistance call 131 444.

When people rang the SES number, they were met with another recorded message telling them they would receive a call-back. For the majority, that call-back took several hours, even days. Another SES recorded message urged people to instead try 000!

Nevertheless, government leaders and agency chiefs justified the decision to switch the emergency line to a recorded message. Communications and Security Commander for the NSW Police, Assistant Commissioner Stacey Maloney, said the Triple Zero recorded message was played to facilitate a timely response to calls from people requiring emergency assistance.

The SES said it was completely over-run, with 374 calls for help in just 30 minutes on that morning, so its volunteers had to prioritise requests. By the following day, there had been an estimated 2,000 calls for assistance across the Northern Rivers region. It is impossible to know how many attempted calls did not make it through.

Outside Lismore, entire communities were left in communication isolation for days, unable to even make calls to Triple Zero. From Coraki and Woodburntowns south of Lismoreall the way north to Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads, all electricity, phone and internet services were lost as the floodwaters rose rapidly.

At the peak of the floods around 83,000 National Broadband Network (NBN) internet services were cut, mostly caused by power outages, some of which lasted until March 6. That represents a substantial portion of the regions population of more than 300,000.

When asked who people should blame for the lack of resourcing that resulted in mass civilian-led rescues, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the local media: I think we have to be realistic that in any natural disaster, we dont have those resources just waiting around the corner. There will be a community response because the community is already there.

This reiterated a wider message, already seen in the 201920 bushfire disaster and the worsening COVID-19 pandemic: Dont expect governments to protect you. As climate-related emergencies become more frequent, you must cope by yourselves.

Then it was further revealed that in November 2020, 12 SES units in the Northern Rivers wrote to the SES commissioner warning that the closure of regional offices as a result of NSW government budget cuts threaten[ed] the continued existence of units and the future of the service.

The units said the cost-cutting changes were undermining morale, cutting unit membership numbers and throwing up barriers to what we see as our essential roles as emergency service volunteers within and for our communities.

That helps explain why, when the Wilson River swamped Lismore, the SESa government agency staffed almost entirely by volunteershad only two rescue boats on hand. In the 2018 budget, the then NSW treasurer and now premier, Dominic Perrottet, increased the efficiency dividend for government departments from 2 percent to 3 percent, forcing a SES restructure.

Across the region, thousands of people are still living in makeshift conditions, either in the homes of friends and families, paid accommodation or in poor conditions in a Lismore evacuation centre, where the crowding has caused COVID outbreaks.

The 120 totally inadequate small campervans promised by the NSW government are mostly yet to arrive or are unable to be used because linen and water sources have not been organised. Likewise, promised housing podsshipping containers to house people trying to repair their homesare yet to be seen.

On Thursday, facing a huge backlash, Morrisons federal Liberal-National government reversed its previous refusal to extend small emergency financial grants to residents in four badly-affected local government areas: Ballina, Byron, Tweed and Kyogle. Yet, the tripling of payments from $1,000 per adult to $3,000 over the next two fortnights will hardly make a difference to people who face ruin, mostly because they could not obtain or afford flood insurance.

To add insult to injury, the government said it would just slightly dip into its Emergency Response Fund (ERF) to pay for flood mitigation measures, after weeks of criticism for refusing to allocate funds from the $4 billion fund, which has accrued nearly an extra billion dollars in interest.

Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie announced on Friday that just $150 million from the ERF would be spent on community recovery and work to lessen future disasters.

In a separate announcement, Morrison and McKenzie said the federal government would split costs 50-50 with the NSW government for a support package for business. That is on top of an unspecified bespoke business support package already handed to Norco, a large regional dairy company, on March 9 as a key employer.

Of the $742 million in the latest package, $50 million will go to large businesses and major employers. Medium-sized businesses can access grants of up to $200,000 for clean-up and repairs, while small businesses can get up to $10,000.

Similarly, nearly $200 million will go to primary producers and rural landowners. Finally, the package includes $142 million for assessment and possible demolition of damaged properties.

Meanwhile, flood victims have endured primitive conditions inside Lismores temporary evacuation centre at the citys Southern Cross University campus. About 500 people were crammed in the centre after the closure of another at a recreation facility. Now the government is moving to shut the sole remaining centre.

One person in the evacuation centre said she was enduring sleepless nights because people were walking the floor all night making coffee and tea and there is an air con that sounds like a plane flying in running 24/7 and people coughing, snoring and talking all night long. There were new COVID cases daily and a gastro bug going around.

Evacuees had access to government and charity services, but the wait line is long. Her neighbour spent five hours waiting after being the fourth person in line, arriving an hour before they opened.

On Thursday, she reported: We have now been informed that the cafeteria is closed to us as the uni is back. We will receive packaged meals from now on and the only coffee station is in our block. They are asking our plans for moving on, as they are trying to wrap it up here.

The lack of aid for the flood victims stands in stark contrast to the Morrison governments rapid shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of lethal weapons to Ukraine, backed by the Labor Party, to fuel the US-NATO intervention against Russia.
Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) members in Sri Lanka continued their campaign for the forthcoming online public meeting Oppose US-NATO war drive and the Russian invasion of Ukraine! Sunday, March 20.

The meeting, which will be addressed by David North, chairperson of the International Editorial Board of WSWS and the SEP in the US, is part of the struggle being waged by the International Committee of the Fourth International to build an anti-war movement of the working-class based on socialist internationalism. Some of the comments made by workers and youth during the campaign are published below.

Ahnaf Jazeem, a young Muslim poet recently bailed after being detained under anti-terror laws on frame-up charges, said:

We cannot accept this war being waged by Russia on Ukraine and the wider war being planned by the US and NATO powers against Russia. It seems Russia has been systematically pushed by world imperialist powers.

Ahnaf Jazeem

The US is waging wars in a brutal manner in order to maintain its imperialist influence and military might and to exploit the economies of other poor nations. We know its rulers destroyed many countries, such as Syria, Iraq and Libya. These wars were launched by the US and its allies under the guise of defending human rights and peace.

There is a discussion that if war breaks out between Russia and the USNATO, it could become a third world war and a catastrophic nuclear world war. This danger is present in the current situation.

I condemn Russia's reactionary war on Ukraine, as well as the US and NATO war preparations against Russia. To stop the wars of American imperialism and other major powers, which threaten a world war, the working class must unite internationally.

Saliya Kanugala,a student from Kurunegala, the main city in Sri Lankas northwestern province, said he opposes the USNATO war drive and the Russian invasion. Pointing to the fact that several countries involved are major nuclear powers, he added:

I have read about the destruction caused by the US bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The consequences are still being suffered by the people there. Now the major powers possess more advanced and destructive nuclear weapons. They will inevitably destroy mankind. Unless the war is stopped by the intervention of an international anti-war movement, based on the working class, it will lead to a catastrophic outcome.

Afkar, a University of Peradeniya science student in Kandy, said: The US with NATO did everything possible to provoke Russia to invade Ukraine. I look into this crisis in the context of the wars and diplomatic conspiracies that the US has waged around the world over the past three decades. We must all oppose the one-sided presentation of Russia as a villain, and the covering-up of the power greedy interests of the US. The WSWS analysis helps a lot for this disclosure. I look forward to attending the forthcoming SEP meeting.

Afkar (right) with Raji

Jeyakanthan, an engineer from Jaffna and a regular WSWS reader, said he was convinced that the US is the aggressor in this crisis.

I read in the WSWS how the US has expanded NATO in the Eastern European region and is now arming Ukraine for a war with Russia. After intervening militarily and diplomatically in many countries in every part of the world, the US is now planning to subjugate Russia to secure its world hegemony. The real danger is looming above the heads of the working class in Ukraine and Russia, as well as around the world, he said.

Recalling his experiences during the civil war waged by successive Colombo governments against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Jeyakanthan added: Because I lived in the North and East during the civil war, I understand the horror of a war. We had to sleep and live in bunkers during that war like Ukrainians now. Russian and Ukrainian workers must get together with the global working class to oppose this war. In this regard I think Sundays meeting is going to be very significant.

K. Gunawardene, a Kandy school principal, said: Whatever the immediate reasons for wars between countries, its main cause is rooted in the obsolete nature of the nation-state system. No country can find a solution for this through its military strength. Demonstrating their military strength will worsen the crisis and lead to more catastrophes. What needs to be done is to abolish the nation-state system and establish socialism. I will be attending the Sunday meeting for a better understanding of these issues.

Wasantha Wijesiri, a development officer, said: The US will intensify its militaristic provocations in the midst of the crisis it faces. Not only them but all over the world imperialist countries are rapidly increasing their military expenses and preparing for war. They are not seeing any other way out of the contradictions they face. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the capitalist ruling class has not made decisions based on the value of people's lives. The situation is similar in the current war preparations.

Wasantha

Asiri, a Ceylon Electricity Board worker, said: I understand that the tensions created around Ukraine can lead to a nuclear world war. But the United Nations, which claims to work for world peace, does not seem to be able to stop such a war. Despite the devastation caused by the war up to now, they have done nothing to stop it.

He added: Although the Sri Lankan government said they are not taking any sides in this war, they will have to bend to the demands of the US because the ruling elite here is under the thumb of the imperialist powers. The government has no ability to prevent Sri Lanka from being drawn into the war.

Chathura, a non-academic worker at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura in Colombos outer suburbs, said: No worker should support any country in this war. I have seen on social media some workers and youth are supporting different countries. I think this happens due to the influence of the biased reporting of the capitalist media. A handful of capitalists need a war. It is a catastrophe for the entire working class. Workers need to understand that.

Mary Martina, a doctoral chemistry student from Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, said that she only really learnt of the root causes of the US war drive by reading the WSWS. The US faces a huge domestic crisis amid the pandemic and the Biden administration is trying to divert the internal conflict outward by demonising Putin and provoking a war against Russia, she said.

Mary

There are a lot of differences between the WSWS and other media. The corporate media is only focusing on how the Ukrainians suffer. They all ignore that the driving force of war is the US government. Only through the WSWS did I come to know this reality. I agree with the perspective that the working class must unite and organise an anti-war movement. Uniting the working class is a challenging task but it can succeed with a continuous fight to develop political consciousness.
Several hundred Howard University non-tenured faculty and adjunct professors are planning a three-day strike next week starting March 23 if their demands for living wages and better working conditions are not met.

Protesting Howard University faculty (Credit: Twitter/@ChuckModi1)

Located in Washington D.C., Howard ranks among the nations premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a school endowment of over $712 million. The university has over 150 non-tenure-track professors and about 200 adjunct teachers who are members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500.

According to the SEIU, Howard adjuncts and non-tenured teachers are among the lowest paid faculty compared to four-year institutions in [Washington] D.C. In addition, the teachers are responsible for over 2,000 courses per year.

Im not sure what the job market is like, but obviously it is very stressful, Joseph, a Howard student told the World Socialist Web Site. I know of one professor that said that Howard University doesnt pay enough for me to cover health care costs [even though] I just had a child. A Howard educator explained that they had to commute from Richmond, Virginia, nearly a two-and-a-half-hour commute back and forth, every day to teach classes.

Howards non-tenure-track full-time faculty are among the lowest paid college workforces in the D.C. area and the 19th lowest paid among all HBCUs, according to the SEIU. In addition to pay, full-time non-tenure-track faculty must hire on yearly and have contracts which max out after seven years. At that point, they are arbitrarily fired no matter how effective their teaching, states an informational flier.

On Wednesday, nearly 500 students and faculty rallied on campus. The rally, organized by the SEIU, was addressed by many faculty members.

Despite how much we love working here, the difficult working conditions make it unsustainable, Yael Kiken, a full-time non-tenure-track lecturer in the English department told the crowd. Our salary is too low to afford essential costs like child care. Each year we have to re-apply for our jobs. This means there is no guarantee that we will have employment from one year to the next. This is especially scary now that I have a child.

Another teacher described the process of acquiring parental leave as a nightmare.

I received misinformation about how to apply from human resources and spent hours doing research to figure out what we were legally entitled to. Every place else that we have worked had clearly-stated policies for this type of leave. No such document exists at Howard, she said.

For its part, the administration at Howard released a statement to its student body on the teachers plans for a strike. If a strike were to occur, courses would continue as scheduled by our non-unionized faculty, the university claims. In response to the faculty demands, the email states that its 7-year rule among non-tenured teachers ensures the flexibility that the University needs to meet and manage fiscal needs, and protect the integrity of the tenure process.

A Howard cleaning worker told the WSWS that she hoped teachers and other workers would all go on strike together, demonstrating the immense potential for a united struggle of all campus workers. We are all treated very badly here, she noted.

According to HBCU Lifestyle, [o]ver the last 150 years, Howard University has become the most prestigious historically black college and university in the United States. It was chartered by Congress in 1867, and today, it is a world-renowned institution in the heart of Washington D.C. The university is ranked as second among all HBCUs in terms of its academics and 110th among all universities in the United States.

Howard president Wayne A.I. Frederick currently is paid $1.64 million in salary, placing him near the top of the list of highest paid college presidents. The schools board of trustees is a whos who of big business representatives and Democratic Party-aligned officials. A lawsuit filed against the university in December alleged that the school was disenfranchising Howard students, alumni and faculty at the highest level of the universitys governance.

Howard attracted national attention last summer after it hired Nikole Hannah Jones, New York Times Magazine staff writer and author-curator of the 1619 Project, a racialist falsification of American history which has since become a book, as a tenured faculty member. In addition to being given tenure, which was central to Hannah Joness choosing Howard, the journalist-media celebrity was awarded $20 million to found the Institute for Journalism and Democracy.

Nikole Hannah Jones is taken care of [by the university]. A lot of our professors that have been here for years are not taken care of, Howard student Joseph told the WSWS. You cant really come here and say youre here for the black community and then turn a blind eye to the injustices that are happening to your colleagues.

The threat of a faculty walkout comes nearly five months after Howard students occupied the campuss Blackburn Center, citing incidences of black mold and fungus as well as vermin infestation in their dorms. An agreement ending the occupation between students and the college forbids the former from discussing if their conditions had been met.

Despite claims made at the time that the school would support faculty, research and students, many students who have spoken with the WSWS explain that little has changed since last semester. Last semester we had mold, asbestos in the buildings. But recently another hall flooded, said Jamarri. He explained that students living in Cook Hall had been required to relocate to Drew Hall. Its a freshman dorm and now theyre all crammed up, he added.

Jamarri [Credit: WSWS]

The poor working conditions for campus faculty, along with the existence of mold and infestation among campus dorms, gives lie to the claim made by advocates of racial identity politics that Howard, as an HBCU, is more democratic or responsive to the needs of its predominantly African American student body because of the similar racial background of its administrators.

Generally, students are all in support of the non-tenure track faculty and if there was a way to get every student to show up and go on strike with them we totally would, said Candice. There is no divide between students and faculty. Its between administration and everyone else.

Beyond that, its a divide between the powers that manipulate the administration and the decisions that they make and higher education, she said, adding tuition is $48,000 per year without financial aid. The campus administration says if it pays teachers more, it would have to raise tuition, but thats nonsense because tuition goes up every year anyway and they never increase pay for professors.

The teachers eagerness to strike and gain decent job conditions flies in the face of the SEIUs limited demands. Local 500 has merely called for a three day unfair labor practices strike, citing the universitys stalling tactics which have lasted for years.

The SEIU and its affiliates have been responsible for imposing a series of concessions agreements on workers wherever it operates. This includes the anti-democratic treatment meted out to 460 Amcor workers in Indiana last summer who twice voted no on concessions only to have the SEIU-affiliated Workers United union impose a sellout contract anyway in order to avoid a threatened strike.

There is good reason to believe that SEIU Local 500 will call off the threatened action, claiming at the last minute that the Howard administration has agreed to bargain in good faith, or will isolate the strike which is has already limited to just three days, in order to avert a wider movement of workers and students from developing.

Rather than waiting to be isolated and betrayed, Howard educators must form an independent rank-and-file committee controlled by teachers and school workers themselves to carry their fight forward and unite their struggle over low pay and lack of job stability with the millions of workers across the United States and internationally who confront the same social and economic issues. The WSWS will provide full assistance to those at Howard interested in forming such a committee. Click here to contact us and find out more.


This is Going to HurtBBC drama based on the book by Adam Kay. Currently available in the UK on BBC iPlayer

This is the front cover art for the book This Is Going to Hurt written by Adam Kay. (Creative Commons/fair use)

The tone of This is Going to Hurt is set with its first shot, a close-up of junior doctor Adam (Ben Whishaw) asleep in his car. The camera angle straightens up as Adam wakes, uncomfortably, in the front seat, where he has fallen asleep in the hospital car park instead of driving home.

With its continuous background noise and camera movement, jump cuts and unflinching detail of medical procedures, This is Going to Hurt portrays the daily carnage and chaos of a National Health Service (NHS) Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward, Obs and Gynae, or brats and twats, as Adam puts it in one of many direct-to-camera addresses.

The series is adapted from the bestselling book, This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay, based on his own experience in the NHS between 2004 and 2010. Its gritty realism showing the unrelenting pressures on NHS staff has been well received by NHS workers and the public.

Adam Kay (Creative Commons)

Kays book sold more than one million copies after it was published by Picador in 2017 and it remained on the Sunday Times bestseller list for more than eight months. It became a political event, with thousands attending launch meetings across the UK.

The TV adaptation follows junior doctor Adam, temporarily assigned as Assistant Registrar to the Obs and Gynae department. Adam goes out of his way to impress the Consultant, Mr Lockhart (Alex Jennings), who drives an expensive car and manages to go home on time.

Adam, by contrast, who is taking on more shifts and volunteering to come back into the hospital regularly, misses more social engagements than he makes. This includes his best friends bachelor party, which he was supposed to have planned. This is the life of a junior doctor.

Ben Whishaw delivers an at times heart-breaking performance as Adam. He is easy to dislike sometimes for his rudeness and flippancy toward fellow staff and patients. His apparent coldness and sense of entitlement attracts criticism, both professional and personal. But there is clearly an element of self-defence involved in his gallows humour and he is far easier to empathise withpermanently exhausted, irritable and short of time to do anything, including sleep. We can feel his misery at the plight of an NHS system which keeps him working in dire and often dangerous circumstances.

Adam (Ben Whishaw) [Credit: BBC Pictures]

Central to the storyline are the flashbacks Adam experiences after delivering a baby pre-term, having failed to identify the mothers health condition. Obviously suffering from PTSD, Adam contrives to visit the baby and discloses his thoughts and feelings to him rather than to his long-suffering boyfriend Harry.

The childs mother (Hannah Onslow), under instigation from her sister, lodges a complaint against Adam over his failure to correctly diagnose her. This further increases the stress on Adam, resulting in his frequent outbursts of tears, anger and, finally, a breakdown.

Some of the programmes comedic moments are particularly effective for their swipe at government-bureaucratic stupidity and hypocrisy. Head midwife Tracy (Michele Austin) and other staff are forced to attend a language in healthcare course of the type ushered in by Tony Blairs New Labour government (1997-2007) even as it continued the assault on the NHS. Instructed that their patients must now be referred to as clients, Tracy asks, What does that make us? Prostitutes?

Adam and Shruti [Credit: BBC Pictures]

Later, quizzed about the preferred language for birth defect, Tracy responds: We havent got a working printer on our wardweve had a leak in the ceiling for over four years and this is what theyre spending the money on? Her remark encapsulates the frustrations of staff whose good will and humanity has been propping up the NHS for years.

The savage inequalities in healthcare delivery are shown in episode six when Adam lands a shift at an exclusive private hospital in London. Its elegant Georgian facade, plush lobby, silver service menu and odd quietness forms a stark contrast to the manic chaos of life on the NHS ward. But a medical emergency soon exposes the hospitals deficiencies, driving home to Adam the supreme value of the collective expertise and resources embodied in the public system.

Alongside Adam is another junior doctor, Shruti (portrayed by the actor and comedian Ambika Mod), who is at the beginning of her career in Obs and Gynae. We see her constantly studying for exams, on top of gruelling shifts shadowing Adam and trying to learn on the job. The pressure is constant, with Adam frequently telling her See one, do one, teach one.

Shruti, from a working-class family, looks to the larger-than-life Miss Houghton (Ashley McGuire), the only consultant from a similar background, to try and forge a mentor relationship. When Shruti asks what support is available to help her deal with work stress, Miss Houghton, not with hostility but in an attempt at tough love, tells her she can either accept the realities of the job or get out.

Shruti (Ambika Mod) [Credit: BBC Pictures]

Things end tragically. Ambika Mods moving performance as Shruti lives with the viewer long afterwards.

In the final episode, Adam explains in monologue that one doctor in the NHS takes their own life every three weeks. In the first six months of 2020, a period that includes the start of the pandemic, 64 health care workers took their own lives, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Over the same period, 226 nurses, 79 paramedics and ambulance staff, and 17 medical students tried to end their lives, according to the Laura Hyde Foundation (LHF) named after a nurse who took her life in 2016.

Adam Kay resigned from the NHS in 2010, traumatised by the near death of a patient after earlier diagnostic failures. He published his book in direct response to then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunts claim during the 2016 junior doctors contract dispute that they were being greedy.

Beginning in January 2016, junior doctors, members of the British Medical Association (BMA), voted by 98 percent to strike against the imposition of a new contract that reduced payments for unsocial hours and lifted safeguards against excessive hours, one of the issues dealt with so tragically in the series. This was the first time in more than 40 years that junior doctors had taken industrial action over their pay and conditions.

As the World Socialist Web Site reported, throughout that year, junior doctorsall those below consultant gradefought with determination to oppose the contract, striking on five occasions in the face of a right-wing media campaign aimed at demonising them for daring to oppose the destruction of their jobs, terms and conditions. Opposing a relentless battery of government-led propaganda, they took the first all-out strike, without emergency cover, in the nearly 70-year history of the NHS.

Their courageous stance was betrayed by the BMA. With 15 days of strikes set for October, November and December 2016, the BMA abruptly called off all action at the end of September, allowing the Conservative government to impose a vastly inferior contract with bitter repercussions.

This is Going to Hurt portrays NHS staff pushed to their limits during the years of Tony Blair and Gordon Browns Labour government. Things have only gotten worse since then.

Wage freezes, long and unsociable hours and chronic underfunding had taken their toll long before the pandemic. COVID-19 transformed hospitals into a war zone, with around 400 staff le aving the NHS each week during 2021, citing burnout, poor work-life balance and poverty pay.

The experiences depicted in This is Going to Hurt are a daily reality for millions of healthcare workers and patients, testimony to an irrational social order that prioritises profits over lives. Adam Kay, the programmes directors Lucy Forbes and Tom Kingsley, and its talented cast including Ben Wishaw and Ambika Mod, are to be congratulated for their heartfelt portrayal.

But for all its evident fury over the conditions endured by staff and patients, the series ends on a note of frustration evident in Adam Kays own personal decision to leave the profession. When Adam asks if there will be an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Shrutis fate, Miss Houghton replies, This hospital has about three doctors and a budget of 12.50. If you want to change it, become a government minister, because there is bollocks-all any of us here can do.

However, opposition to the intolerable situation in the NHS and health systems around the world is growing. The central problem facing health workers is the suppression of such sentiment by the health unions and the Labour Party. The necessary fightback can only proceed in direct struggle against such false friends who are as committed to the defence of capitalism, profit and private health as the Tories.

We invite health workers to contact NHS Fightback and subscribe to the WSWS Healthcare Newsletter.
Asia

Air India maintenance technicians strike

Around 1,700 aircraft maintenance technicians at Air India (AI) began an indefinite strike in Mumbai on March 15. The technicians are employed on fixed-term contracts with Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), a government-owned company. The workers want a salary increase, employment contract renewal and a dearness allowance.

On the same day, AI engineers across India held a one-day protest by working without using tools. They were protesting low salaries and the lack of medical facilities. It was the first national strike by AI workers since the national carrier was sold to Tata in October 2021.

Doctors at Maharashtras state-run colleges intensify industrial action

Teaching doctors at state-run medical colleges in Maharashtra extended strike action on March 14 to include a boycott of clinical work. Permanent and temporary medical teachers, who are also doctors, have not held classes for more than a month. They are demanding implementation of the seventh pay commission, payment of arrears, no transfers to new colleges and improved promotions.

The doctors stepped up their action because there had been no response from the government over their demands, despite a month and a half of demonstrations and hunger protests.

Haryana Roadways workers protest privatisation

Haryana Roadways workers demonstrated in Chandigarh on March 13 against the privatisation of public transport. Roadways workers from across the state assembled at Karan Park and marched toward the chief ministers residence but were stopped by a heavy contingent of police.

They handed a memorandum of their demands to a government representative, which included equal grade pay, restoration of the old pension scheme, permanency of services for contract workers and the filling of vacant posts.

Life Insurance Corporation workers in Tamil Nadu oppose privatisation

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India workers demonstrated in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on March 10 in opposition to the Modi governments move to sell shares in the state-owned enterprise. They held a candlelight march and demonstrated outside all the LIC offices in Madurai district after regular office hours. Similar demonstrations were held in nearby districts, including Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar.

Insurance Corporation Employees Union members and other organisations are opposing the selling of profit-making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). They said the LIC was a huge contributor to the national economy and that its shares should not be sold to private players.

LIC workers have warned that nationwide protests would be held on the day LIC shares are listed in the stock exchange.

Rajasthan government computer operators demand permanency

Contract computer operators working under the Rajasthan state governments free medicine and investigation scheme have been protesting for more than two weeks in Jaipur over several demands. Protesters include clinical record assistants, medical information assistants and lower division clerks. Several have been on a hunger strike for nine days.

There are 4,041 computer operators under the free medicine scheme and 713 in the free investigation scheme. They want an increase in monthly salaries from 8,500 rupees ($US111) to 18,000, permanent positions for workers with ten years service and to be officially classified as computer operators.

Tamil Nadu road tollgate workers strike over pay

Sixty-seven tollgate workers in Kallakurichi, on the Chennai to Salem highway, walked out on March 15 over unpaid wages. The workers claimed that the contractor has not paid their full wage for the past eight months and accused the contractor of trying to downsize the workforce to 40.

Bangladeshi temporary railway gatekeepers demand permanent jobs

Hundreds of Bangladesh Railway level-crossing gatekeepers have been protesting since February 27 outside the Bangladesh Railway Building in Dhaka to demand permanency. They suspended their protest for three months on Tuesday after meeting with the railway minister.

Over 1,800 gatekeepers were recruited on a temporary basis in 2016 to rehabilitate and develop level-crossings at Bangladesh Railways west and east zones. They are paid only 14,450 taka ($US168) per month.

According to Bangladesh Railway, there are no gatekeepers at about 900 authorised level-crossings and none of the unauthorised level crossings are manned. About 65 percent of the level crossings, both authorised and unauthorised, do not have gatekeepers.

Sri Lankan fishing-net workers strike over non-payment of wages

Hundreds of employees from the government-owned North Sea Company at Lunuwila and Wennappuwa, on the outskirts of Colombo, struck on Monday over a range of grievances. The North Sea Company is the largest government factory and an affiliate of the ministry of fisheries. It has a 300-strong workforce.

Workers accused management of non-payment of wages on the due date, not paying into employees provident fund for 20 months, only supplying 50 percent of the raw material to make nets for required quota and other complaints. The workers have threatened an indefinite strike if their grievances continue to be ignored.

Sri Lankan government development officers strike over pay

Thousands of development officers held a sick note strike on Monday demanding resolution of ongoing pay anomalies. Colombo district workers marched to the education ministry to demand immediate action over salary anomalies and managements non-implementation of promotions affecting 100,000 development officers in the public and provincial public service.

The Development Services Association and the Employed Graduates Association organised a similar protest at Badulla, the Uva provincial capital. Badulla workers were joined by workers from Moneragala districts and marched from the Badulla Senanayake grounds to the Badulla central bus stand where they held a protest.

Sri Lankan government health workers protest over long pending demands

Federation of Health Professionals, Joint Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine, Public Health Inspectors and Government Nurses Association members protested outside the Colombo National Hospital on Monday demanding resolution of outstanding demands. Demonstrations were also held at the Sri Lanka National Hospital in Western province and Batticaloa Hospital in Eastern province.

The hundreds of demonstrating workers were demanding elimination of salary anomalies, the granting of second-class promotions by five years and first-class promotions by seven years, the elimination of allowance inequality and improved recruitment procedures. The nurses union and the Federation of Health Professionals, which consists of 18 health unions, held a nine-day strike in early February and a two-day strike on March 2 over these issues.

On Thursday, junior health workers from North-Central province walked out in protest over the non-payment of the COVID-19 special allowance of 7,500 rupees ($US30). They were joined by workers from Ayurveda and Kegalle hospitals (85 km from Colombo), affecting services at all hospitals in the North-Central province.

Filipino small passenger vehicle drivers and operators announce two-day strike

Drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in several major cities in the Philippines have called a two-day strike for March 21 to demand relief from the soaring rise of fuel prices. The workers are organised by several transport groups such as PISTON, UNDOC, SSTONE and FEBACDA.

Transport groups covering small passenger vehicles, such as jeepneys and other PUVs, are demanding deferment of the 12 percent value added tax (VAT) on fuel, immediate distribution of the 6,500-peso ($US124.80) subsidy to drivers of tricycles, taxis, jeepneys, mini-buses, and other public utility vehicles and the 7,200-peso assistance for operators.

Other demands include the scrapping of the 12-percent VAT on water, electricity, and basic commodities, removal of an excise tax on public utility vehicles, abolition of the Oil Deregulation Law and an end to the governments so-called modernisation program. The modernisation program forces jeepney owners to modernise their vehicles at great expense to comply with strict emission controls. Drivers have accused the government of using the law to reduce the number of driver/owner jeepneys plying the streets.

A Department of Energy spokesman said that this week is the 11th consecutive week of increases in oil prices recorded this year. Fuels affected are diesel, gasoline and kerosene. Jeepney drivers operating in metro areas said that with fuel prices so high they are not able to earn enough to buy food after paying expenses. PISTON said many PUV drivers are returning to their home towns in order to survive.

Australia

Western Australian child protection and family support workers walk out

About 160 child protection workers employed by Western Australias Department of Communities held a snap strike on Tuesday after an almost unanimous lunchtime vote at a stop work meeting in Perth. Members of the Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Services Association (CPUE/CSA) at department offices in Freemantle and Joondalup joined the strike.

Western Australias child protection and family support workers are opposing the state Labor governments decades-long underfunding, understaffing, mismanagement and disregard for the welfare of vulnerable children and families that has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the CPSU/CSA, staff shortages and workloads mean that there are currently at least 900 vulnerable children, 2- to 5-years-old, and their families without a caseworker. The union said the walkout was in frustration that repeated requests to the government for an additional 200 full-time case workers has been ignored.

One striking worker told media that people were crying at work while others were not coming in at all. Another long-term child protection staffer said they had never seen such poor working conditions during their time with the agency.

Queensland: Ipswich City Council workers strike

About 50 outdoor workers from the Ipswich City Council, in southeast Queensland, stopped work on March 11 and demonstrated in front of the council building to demand a better pay offer in the councils proposed enterprise agreement (EA). The workers are members of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU).

The TWU claimed that negotiations for a new EA have been ongoing for nine months with the council refusing to give pay increases that other employees have received, effectively offering a pay cut. The council has rejected the combined unions demand for increased superannuation contributions.

Queensland coal freight train workers take industrial action

Train drivers from Pacific National (PN) Coal, which transports coal from mines across Queensland, imposed work bans on March 11 in their dispute over the companys proposed enterprise agreement.

The drivers are members of the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees (AFULE). They want an allowance for living in a camp during the working week, additional time off while in barracks, job share, improved redundancy and retirement clause and increased parental leave. This has been rejected by PN Coals which wants to relay working using a crew van across Queensland depots and cuts to productivity-based bonuses.

Vocational education teachers in South Australia strike

Vocational education teachers at South Australias TAFE (TAFE SA) colleges walked off the job for the day on Thursday in a dispute over the governments proposed enterprise agreement (EA). The Australian Education Union (AEU) claimed TAFE SA backed out on an agreement that would see updates made to the terms and conditions of the 2016 agreement.

The union said workers are opposed to TAFE SA plans to make changes to the redeployment, retraining and redundancy clause along with the minimum qualification requirements for the new lecturer classification. Teachers are also opposed to a proposal in the EA that changed the employer from TAFE SA to TAFEs chief executive.

PHI helicopter engineers strike in Western Australia delayed by industrial court

The planned three-week strike by helicopter maintenance engineers at Petroleum Helicopters International (PHI) in Western Australia has been pushed back from commencing on March 16 to April 6 by the Fair Work Commission. The commission accepted the companys argument for a 20-day delay on a vague safety issue. The delay has given time for PHI to engage other helicopter contractors to act as strike breakers.

PHI transfers workers between offshore LNG platforms and land facilities at Broom in northern Western Australia. The 15 Australia Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) members want protection of jobs against outsourcing to low-wage labour hire contractors, an end to fixed-term employment contracts and for all engineers to be employed on a permanent basis, and the locking in of even-time rosters and paid annual leave.

The ALAEA is represented in negotiations by the Offshore Alliance (OA), (made up of the Australian Workers Union and the Maritime Union of Australia). OA claims that PHI want an EA which gives the company an ability to sack highly skilled helicopter engineers at the end of their fixed term contracts and displace them with low wage labour hire contractors.
Leon Panetta, the former US secretary of defense and CIA director under Barack Obama and White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton, said Thursday that the United States is involved in a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine.

An armed man stands by the remains of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Serhii Nuzhnenko)

We are engaged in a conflict here, its a proxy war with Russia, whether we say so or not, Panetta said.

He concluded, I think the only way basically to deal with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin right now is to double down on ourselves, which means to provide as much military aid as necessary.

He added, The way you get leverage is by, frankly, going in and killing Russians.

Panettas comments came one day after US President Joe Biden announced the deployment of an additional $1 billion in weapons to Ukraine, adding to the $2.5 billion in weapons given to the country since 2014.

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.

So far, the US estimates that 7,000 Russian servicemen have been killed in Ukraine, or one in 28 troops deployed in the conflict. While the Russian army is making slow advances in parts of Ukraine, it has not managed to gain control over any of the major cities so far over the past month of fighting. The massive weapons deliveries by NATO to the Ukrainian army clearly have had an impact on the course of the war.

On Wednesday, the defense ministry of Slovakia, a member of NATO, offered to send S-300 long-range anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow will not allow the delivery of the weapons system, declaring, We clearly said that any cargo moving into the Ukrainian territory which we would believe is carrying weapons would be fair game.

Lavrovs comments reinforce the dangers of the proxy conflict over Ukraine spilling over into a direct war between Russia and NATO members, which could trigger, via Article 5 of the NATO treaty, a full-scale war.

This week, the US deployed two Patriot Missile batteries on the border with Poland.

On Thursday, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the UK would also deploy a medium-range anti-aircraft system in Poland.

Amid rumors that Ukraine and Russia were nearing a diplomatic agreement to end the war, the US on Thursday made clear that it would not accept a diplomatic solution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, The actions that were seeing Russia take every single day, virtually every minute of every day, are in total contrast to any serious diplomatic effort to end the war.

He concluded, We have a strong sense of what Russia could do next We believe that Moscow may be setting the stage to use a chemical weapon and then falsely blame Ukraine to justify escalating its attacks.

The United States is meanwhile flooding its European allies with weapons. European governments have approached the U.S. government and defense contractors with a shopping list of arms including drones, missiles and missile defenses as the Russian invasion of Ukraine drives renewed demand for U.S. weaponry, Reuters reported.

Germany is in a massive buying spree of weapons as it abandons all restraints placed on its military in the aftermath of its horrific crimes during the Second World War. The country has announced plans to buy 35 F-35 fighter jets from the US, and Reuters reports that Berlin is also considering purchasing a US missile-defense system. Poland has plans to purchase reaper drones from the United States.

Reuters reported that The potential for a surge in sales of all types of weaponry since the invasion began Feb. 24 has lifted Lockheed stock 8.3 percent and Raytheon shares 3.9 percent.

The conflict is accelerating the already massive US arms trade. This week, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published its annual global arms trade report, concluding that the US was by far the worlds largest arms exporter.

The journal Forbes commented: For the five years from 2017 to 2021, the U.S. accounted for 39 percent of major arms deliveries worldwide, over twice what Russia transferred and nearly 10 times what China sent to its weapons clients. In addition, the U.S. had far more customers  103 nations, or more than half of the member states of the United Nations.

Under conditions in which massive quantities of weapons are being poured into an active and bloody conflict, there are growing warnings of a full-scale war, alongside unhinged demands for escalation to the brink of the abyss.

This Is How World War III Begins, declared New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. He meant this as a demand not for de-escalation, but for a more aggressive US military intervention into the conflict.

Stephens wrote:

Refusing to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine may be justified because it exceeds the risks NATO countries are prepared to tolerate. But the idea that doing so could start World War III ignores history and telegraphs weakness. Americans squared off with Soviet pilots operating under Chinese or North Korean cover in the Korean War without blowing up the world. And our vocal aversion to confrontation is an invitation, not a deterrent, to Russian escalation.

This week, Martin Wolf of the Financial Times warned, The hope for peaceful relations is fading. Instead, we have Russias war on Ukraine, threats of nuclear Armageddon, a mobilised west, an alliance of autocracies, unprecedented economic sanctions and a huge energy and food shock. No one knows what will happen. But we do know this looks to be a disaster.

Wolf concluded: Russias war on Ukraine has similarly transformed the map of our world. A prolonged bout of stagflation seems certain, with large potential effects on financial markets. In the long term, the emergence of two blocs with deep splits between them is likely, as is an accelerating reversal of globalization and sacrifice of business interests to geopolitics. Even nuclear war is, alas, conceivable.

Despite these warnings, there are demands for further US escalation. The Hill reported that a growing number of lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to fulfill Kyivs request for more air power.

The Hill added, The discussion has transcended the partisan divisions routine to Washington, pitting the White House against not only Republicans, but also some of President Bidens closest Democratic allies.

There are, moreover, indications that the conflict is taking on an increasingly global dimension. Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, Biden demanded that China pledge not to provide material support to Russia, and threatened consequences if it refused to make such a pledge.

Xi, for his part, condemned the US response to the war, stating, Sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer. If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio declared that China is complicit in Russias war on Ukraine, demanding that Xi and the CCP pay a price.

The conflict that has erupted with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Trump Administration National Security Council member Matthew Pottinger, is a hot opening salvo in a cold war pitting Washington and its allies against Russia and China. Pottinger concluded, What we have to do is double our defense spending immediately.
A Ukrainian serviceman runs to deliver ammunition to an armored fighting vehicle during a live fire exercise in a Joint Forces Operation controlled area in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the NATO powers aggressive strategy threaten the world with a catastrophic world war. The French press is discussing the effects of nuclear bombing of Paris while broadcasting wall-to-wall anti-Russian propaganda. This crisis directly poses the question of the role and character of the petty-bourgeois parties that French media describes as far left, such as the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) and Lutte ouvriere (LO, Workers Party).

The opposition of masses of workers to NATO military involvement in this war is overwhelming. Last week, 69 percent of Americans opposed a US intervention according to a Rasmussen poll, and 70 per cent of French people oppose French intervention according to a CNews poll. The NPA and LO, however, seek to channel this opposition behind the pro-capitalist trade unions, which support NATO warmongering, and thus to block a struggle against the danger of a world war.

The NPA, which supported NATO intervention in Libya and Syria against pro-Russian regimes, calls to widen the conflict. It advocates the delivery of defensive weapons without any conditions by NATO, while demonizing Russia and Putin. Russia is, for the NPA, the worlds most aggressive country that must be stopped at all cost, according to analyses it has published by Professor Gilbert Achcar, who also serves as a paid adviser to the British Army. Indeed, Achcar insists:

The fate of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will determine the propensity to aggression of all other countries. If it fails, the effect on all the world and regional powers will be of a strong deterrence. If it succeeds, that is to say, if Russia manages to pacify Ukraine under its jackboots, the effect will be that of a major slide in the world situation towards the law of the jungle.

While superficially LO seems to play a different role, it is oriented towards different layers of the same union bureaucracy and capitalist state machine to which the NPA is attached. Like the NPA, LO managed to obtain millions of votes for its election candidates thanks to media coverage in the early 2000s. But it limits itself to certain criticisms of French foreign policy, without mobilizing its voters against war, while collaborating with openly pro-war parties like the NPA.

On France 5 television, LOs presidential candidate, Nathalie Arthaud, complained that the NATO powers strengthened their positions around Russia and risked provoking a war.

She stated that a war for influence has lasted for years in the region, and accused NATO of being principally responsible: We must condemn the manoeuvres carried out by western imperialist powers, by NATO and of course the United States, because today we are told, of course that Putin is the aggressor. The reality is that a war for influence has lasted years. It is this military pressure in the region since 2014 that is degenerating today into armed conflict.

Arthaud pointed to NATOs surrounding of Russia, which has put military pressure on Russia and finally led to this armed confrontation. Of course, I condemn these rivalries, this power struggle.

She added: This relation of forces, this power struggle exists for many years and I have the impression that we are witnessing a sort of gross manipulation which resembles what happened in Iraq in 2003. We were told that Saddam Hussein was a monster and that he sought to explode the planet. Furthermore, the Americans invented the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in order to launch the war and invade it.

On the war launched by Moscow, Arthaud said: I dont have any sympathy for Putins regime. Of course I think this war must be stopped, the first victim is the population. But we must put our own house in order, faced with the responsibility of the western powers, of France which is aligned in reality with the United States.

As regards NATOs aggressive role in the region in recent decades, and the reactionary role of Putin, Arthauds remarks are fairly accurate. She was also able to counter certain traps laid for her by the France 5 interviewer, who pressed her to adopt the NPAs warmongering pro-NATO position on the war.

When her questioner objected, but it is not NATO which is waging war, Arthaud replied: But yes, NATO is waging war.  Do you know how many weapons the Americans have sent to Poland, Romania, Ukraine also? There have never been so many military bases surrounding Russia.

In fact, Washington and its European allies interpreted the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 as the occasion to try to impose their unchallenged domination of the planet. Since then, the interventions led by imperialism have devastated Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. NATO is currently carrying out a vast rearmament programme targeting Russia. Having surrounded Russia with military bases and refused Moscows calls for guarantees concerning its security, NATO attempted, with success, to provoke a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But LO is not concerned to mobilise workers against the danger of war which flows from the policies of all the major powers, and above all the imperialist powers. Like the rest of the petty-bourgeois pseudo-left milieu that emerged from the 1968 middle class student movement, LO aims rather to block an international anti-war movement in the working class.

Although it obtained millions of votes in elections and has several thousand members, this party makes no call for a mobilisation against war.

In fact, LO attempts simply to reinforce the trade union apparatus in every country. This policy was clearly expressed at a meeting last month by Jean-Pierre Mercier, the leading union delegate for the Stalinist General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union at the Stellantis (PSA) automobile firm and spokesman for Nathalie Arthaud in the 2022 presidential campaign.

Whilst admitting that the unions have played the role of a transmission belt in the working class for the ruling class, Mercier claimed that the first duty of a revolutionary is to participate in the union bureaucracy: They must be the most active elements, the most determined, the most militant! Revolutionary communists must be there where the workers are, fighting by their side and seeking to organize those who are not union members: that is the basic starting point for the work of a communist militant.

First of all, this argument is false, because workers are no longer in unions in France and in ever broader parts of the world. The percentage of workers who are trade union members in France is around 7 percent. Masses of workers distrust the trade union bureaucracy, as was seen in the movement of the yellow vests which was organized independently of the unions on social media.

Moreover, and above all, the strategy of LO of channeling workers behind the national trade union bureaucracies divides the working class and prevents a common struggle against war. It only took a few days for the hypocritical criticisms of LO regarding NATO to be exposed. Indeed, the unions promoted by LO are joining the imperialist powers to support the campaign for a NATO military intervention against Russia.

On March 9, the CGT union, of which Mercier is a top official, published a declaration denouncing Russia as an aggressor and demanding that the NATO powers severely punish it. It asserts that only the defeat of Russia by NATO and the fall of the Putin regime will be enough to reestablish peace and prevent a world war.

The return to peace takes place through the fall of Putin, writes the CGT, adding: A lasting peace can only be obtained by his departure and this will only come about through the convergence of three factors: strong and really effective international sanctions, a hopefully victorious Ukrainian resistance; and support for the democratic and progressive Russian opposition.

The CGT is pleased that severe economic sanctions can destroy living standards of masses of workers in Russia, but also internationally due to the devastating sanctions imposed on Russian exports of oil and grain. The CGT also whitewashes the role of the extreme-right Ukrainian forces that the CGT hopes will be victorious thanks to NATO support against Moscow. These declarations confirm that the CGT bureaucracy, like LO, represent the interests of affluent layers of the middle classes who consciously support imperialism.

Against the passivity of LO, the Parti de legalite socialiste, (PES, Socialist Equality Party), the French section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), calls to build an anti-war movement in the working class, independent of the union bureaucracy and its defenders in the pseudo-left parties.

This perspective for building an international anti-war movement in the working class separates the PES and the ICFI, the world Trotskyist movement, from the middle-class tendencies represented by the NPA and LO. To fight the growing danger of a Third World War, the urgent question is to build the International Workers Alliance of Rank and File Committees in opposition to the union bureaucracies, and the PES in opposition to LO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the German Bundestag (parliament) via video link on Thursday. His speech was an appeal to the worst traditions of German history.

Members of the German parliament Bundestag give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a standing ovation after he speaks in a virtual address to the parliament at the Reichstag Building in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Eighty years after the German war of extermination against the Soviet Union, which claimed the lives of 27 million of its inhabitants, he accused Germany of not acting aggressively enough against Russia, where memories of the terror of Hitlers Wehrmacht (army) are still extremely vivid.

By sticking to the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline for so long, refusing preventive sanctions against Russia and refusing to admit Ukraine to NATO, Germany had helped to isolate his country and hand it over to Russia, Zelensky told the assembled parliamentarians, whom he said lacked strength and leadership.

He invoked Cold War anti-communism, accusing his audience of hiding behind a walla wall in the middle of Europe, between freedom and unfreedom. He quoted US President Ronald Reagan, who had shouted in front of the Berlin Wall, Tear down this wall! He challenged Chancellor Olaf Scholz: Destroy this wall. Give Germany the leadership it deserves.

Zelensky demanded the imposition of a full trade embargo on Russia and more direct NATO involvement in the war efforteven if that means risking a third world war.

The previous day he had demanded the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine in a video address to the US Congress. He repeated this demand in the Bundestag. Germany must help make the skies over Ukraine safe and prevent Russian air attacks, he said.

Military experts agree that the establishment of a no-fly zone would be tantamount to NATO officially entering the war. Former Bundeswehr Inspector General and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Harald Kujat called the demand irresponsible.

Apart from the fact that there would be no UN mandate for no-fly zones, a no-fly zone would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Russia, he said. In order for NATO fighter jets not to be shot down, Russia's air defence systems would first have to be taken out. Even if this were to succeed, air battles would follow. NATO and Russia would be at war with each other and on the brink of nuclear war.

Nevertheless, the demand is gaining support in the US and Europe.

In the Bundestag, Zelensky did not even shy away from invoking the victims of Nazi terror to justify it. I address you on behalf of the elderly Ukrainians, the many who survived the Second World War, who managed to save themselves during the occupation 80 years ago. Of those who survived Babi Yar, he said.

On 29 and 30 September 1941 in the gorge of Babi Yar, the Wehrmacht shot 34,000 Jews from Kievmen, women and childrenwithin 36 hours. The victims had to lie on their stomachs on the corpses of those already murdered before they were killed themselves. The mass murder was part of a strategy to create Lebensraum ('living space') for German settlers in the East. It was the prelude to the Nazis systematic murder of millions of Jews, communists and Red Army soldiers.

If Zelensky had recalled these crimes against humanity to ask the German government to work for an immediate ceasefire, that would have been understandable. Instead, he asked them to pour oil on the fire and show leadership.

The Bundestag thanked him with a standing ovation. From the Left Party to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), in which numerous neo-Nazis can be found, all the parliamentary deputies rose to their feet. Long-time AfD leader Alexander Gauland, who calls Hitler and the Nazis just so much bird shit in a thousand years of glorious German history, applauded.

For Germanys ruling elites, the Ukraine war serves as a welcome occasion to realise the rearmament and great power plans they have been long preparing. In February 2014, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, then-foreign minister and now German president, was directly involved in the right-wing coup that sowed the seeds for the current war. He met in Kiev with Oleh Tyahnybok, leader of the far-right Svoboda party, among others. In the same month, the German government announced the end of military restraint and its intention to once again play a role in world politics commensurate with Germanys economic weight.

This return to militarism was accompanied by a revision of German history. Der Spiegel published the article Culpability Question Divides Historians Today. In it, historian Jorg Baberowski from Humboldt University attested that Hitler had not been cruel. He also defended the Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte, who had described Nazism as an understandable reaction to Bolshevism.

The revival of German militarism requires a new interpretation of history that trivialises the crimes of the Nazi period, the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party--SGP) and its youth organisation IYSSE wrote at the time. Because they criticised these and similar statements by Baberowski and opposed the return of German militarism and fascism, they were fiercely attacked by the university administration, the media and all establishment parties and put on the list of anti-constitutional organisations by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

If Zelensky is now calling on Germany to return to its militaristic traditions and play a leading role, this is not a misunderstanding. Ukrainian nationalists like Stepan Bandera, who collaborated with Hitlers Wehrmacht in World War II and participated in its mass murders, are highly regarded in Ukraine. They are publicly honoured with monuments and commemorations.

Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk, who sat in the Bundestag public gallery during Zelenskys speech, had just the day before publicly defended the Azov Batallion, which is composed of right-wing extremists and wears Nazi symbols on its uniform. Please stop demonising the Azov Batallion and playing into the hands of propagandanow in the middle of the RUS war of extermination, he wrote on Twitter. These brave fighters are defending their homeland, especially the besieged city of Mariupol. Leave them alone.

Melnyks protest was directed against an article in Die Zeit that described the far-right troops as militarily drilled neo-Nazis with combat experience, with bazookas and assault rifles, who were unlikely to simply submit to a democratically elected president again once the conflict was over.

The Kiev governments sponsorship of fascist groups does not justify Russias reactionary military attack. But it does expose the lie that the war is about democracy and freedom, and shows that the main responsibility for the war and the suffering of the Ukrainian people lies with the NATO powers.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, these powers have pursued the goal of eliminating Russia as a geostrategic rival and gaining access to its vast raw materials and land. To defend their position, they waged wars in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria in violation of international law, while expanding NATO ever further eastwards.

In Ukraine, which is economically and culturally closely linked to Russia, they deliberately promoted right-wing nationalists and neo-Nazis. Since the right-wing coup of 2014, which they supported and promoted, they have systematically rearmed the country, pumped in billions worth of weapons and trained its army.

The current conflict is a proxy war between Russia and NATO, being fought on the backs of the Ukrainian population and financed by NATO. In the newly adopted US budget, 14 billion dollars have been earmarked for Ukraine, twice as much as Ukraines own military budget. Since the beginning of the war, $550 million of this has been spent, and President Biden has already released another $800 million. The other NATO members are also flooding the country with military aid and weapons.

For the German government, the war serves as a welcome opportunity to launch the biggest arms drive since Hitler. The danger that the war will spiral out of control and lead to a third world war is growing from day to day. It can be stopped only by a working class offensive that unites the workers of all countries in the struggle against capitalism.
MSRTC workers calling for support for their strike (Photo Credit: MSRTC striker)

More than 70,000 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) workers have again defied a government back-to-work order and are now in their 20th week of strike action.

At the very outset of the strike, the workers, who include drivers, conductors, technicians, and workshop engineers, were abandoned by the more than two dozen unions that purport to represent them. Nevertheless, the workers have persisted in the face of savage management reprisals, court orders declaring the strike illegal, and mounting threats from the government of Maharashtra, Indias second most populous state.

The latest back-to-work ultimatum from the government, a coalition of the fascistic Shiv Sena, the Congress Party and Nationalist Congress Party, included a threat of mass firings. State Transport Minister Anil Parab said that in the event a worker doesnt resume work by March 10, then we will assume that he/she is not in need of a job and then strict action will be taken against them. Justifying the ultimatum he added, The transport body is facing huge financial losses due to the strike. On March 8 he told the state legislature that the strike has cost MSRTC 1.74 billion rupees (US $22.9 million).

Reflecting the workers determination to fight, Shashikant Jadhav, a strike leader from the Pune region, told the Hindustan Times: They are free to take any strict action on us, but we will not stop until (our) merger demand is fulfilled. This was a reference to the workers demand the MSRTC, a government-owned agency run as a capitalist for-profit corporation, be merged into the state government. We are, continued Jadhav, also suffering a lot from the last four months. Many workers have committed suicide and there is no food to eat in most homes. But still, we are continuing the strike for our future.

During the more than two-year COVID-19 pandemic, the MRSTC workers have received their meagre salaries only irregularly, while being forced to work in unsafe conditions. Although hundreds had died from COVID by last summer, the government refused to prioritize them for vaccination.

The workers insist they deserve the same job security and benefits as other state government employees. They also believe that merging the MSRTC with the state government will make it more difficult for the government and management to implement their plans to privatize the inter-city bus agency, which is a vital service for millions throughout the state, especially the rural poor.

In negotiations with management and the government prior to the strike, the unions refused to raise the workers merger demand. Then on the eve of the workers launching a company-wide unlimited strike, the unions bowed to a court order declaring the impending job action illegal and withdrew their support.

To the governments and unions dismay, the strikers have repeatedly defied government back-to-work ultimatums and management reprisals. Transport Minister Parab reported to the state legislature last week that MSRTC has fired 2,216 strikers and suspended a further 12,207.

The government threats, management reprisals, and financial distress have resulted in some 20,000 of the 92,000 workers who walked off the job on November 3 returning to work. But that leaves more than 70,000 workers on strike and MSRTCs operations crippled.

The government has cavalierly rejected the workers demand the MSRTC be merged into the state government, terming it unaffordable. In a ploy to get the workers to end their militant strike, a court last November combined a call for an immediate return-to-work with an order for the state government to appoint a committee to study the merger issue.

Predictably, that committee has rejected the merger demand, although the court has not yet been formally apprised of this. Citing this fact, the Bombay High Court on March 8 instructed the government not to take further punitive measures against the strikers at this time.

The workers determination and militancy has surprised and confounded the political and corporate establishment, and their union lackeys. The government has repeatedly threatened to invoke the draconian Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), which would allow it to arrest illegally striking workers en masse. If it has not yet done so, it is because it fears that this could lead to a major clash that could draw in other workers, and under conditions where the unions are discredited among the MSRTC strikers and broad sections of other workers. Across India, as around the world, there is a groundswell of strikes and protests against the capitalist elites criminal profits before lives pandemic policy, harsh austerity measures, and attacks on workers social and democratic rights.

Nevertheless, the MSRTC strike is in grave danger, because it has been systematically isolated by the trade unions and ostensible left parties.

In the absence of a clear strategy to broaden the struggle based on the recognition that the problems the MSRTC workers confront are those facing the working class as a whole, MSRTC management and the government can continue to press forward with their plans to starve the strikers into submission.

And despairing of an alternative, the MSRTC workers can be induced into placing hopes the courts or a section of the right-wing political establishment will come to their aid. In fact, the capitalist elite, its state institutions and parties are all bitterly hostile to the strike, which constitutes a challenge to the privatization and austerity agendas being pursued by the entire ruling class.

Tragically, on March 12, one day after the Bombay High Court was supposed to give a ruling based on the as of yet unsubmitted experts report on the merger demand, a 41-year-old bus driver named Muzzafar Khan committed suicide. Khan was reportedly depressed by the repeated delays in the court rendering a decision.

A particular foul role is being played by the two main Stalinist parliamentary partiesthe Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, and the Communist Party of India (CPI)and their respective labour affiliates, the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). The Stalinists claim to oppose the privatization drive of Indias Narendra Modi-led far-right central government and the Indian bourgeoisie as a whole. Yet they have systematically blacked out information about the MSRTC workers struggle, let alone taken any action to rally workers in Maharashtra and across India in their defence.

The MSRTC workers are in fact fighting for the entire working class. To mobilize support for their struggle and make it the spearhead of a working class counter-offensive against privatization, precarious contract-labour jobs, austerity and the absence of COVID protections, the MSRTC workers need to form a rank-and-file committee, completely independent of all the treacherous pro-capitalist trade unions and political parties. MSRTC strikers can be assured the World Socialist Web Site and International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees will provide them every assistance in taking this vital step.
US President Joe Biden held a lengthy phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in an attempt to pressure China to distance itself from Russia amid the continuing war in Ukraine. While Biden threatened punitive measures if Beijing assisted Moscow in any way, Xi made clear that China was not about to be bullied.

President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, on Nov. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Yesterdays call between the leaders of the worlds two largest economies, which lasted nearly two hours, took place amid the intensifying conflict in Ukraine fuelled by the US and its NATO allies, which have imposed crippling economic sanctions on Russia and funneled billions of dollars in arms to the Ukrainian military.

The anodyne White House readout of the phone call reported that Biden had described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia. But the threats failed to wring any concessions or agreement from the Chinese president, other than to maintain open lines of communication and manage the competition between our two countries.

No doubt what a senior Biden official described as a direct, candid conversation was considerably more heated behind closed doors. Xi is well aware that having recklessly engineered the crisis in Ukraine, which threatens a direct war between NATO and Russia, the Biden administration also has China, which the US regards as the chief threat to its global hegemony, within its sights.

On the eve of Bidens phone call, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the media the US president 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 declared that China, with its close ties to Russia, had a special responsibility to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, but it appears that China is moving in the opposite direction.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman piled on the pressure with a similar warning. Xi had to tell Putin to end this war of choice in Ukraine. She told CNN: China needs to stand on the right side of history. It needs to ensure that it does not backfill, financially or in any other way, sanctions that have been imposed on Russia.

Expressing the dissatisfaction in Washington over the phone call, White House press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the threats against China, saying the US had a range of tools at its disposal, including sanctions, if Beijing assisted Moscow. She said Biden would discuss a combined Western response when he travels to Europe next week to meet with NATO, European Union and G7 leaders.

All these comments and threats are steeped in hypocrisy and cynicism. Having armed the right-wing Ukrainian government and associated fascist militia ever since the US-backed coup ousted the countrys elected president in 2014 and pushed Russia into a corner, the US and NATO are now providing the Ukrainian military with huge quantities of sophisticated weaponry. Yet they are accusing Chinawithout a shred of evidenceof considering military aid to Russia.

The Biden administrations objective from the outset has been to isolate Russia and mire it in a war in Ukraine, with utter indifference to the calamity facing the Ukrainian people or the dangers that the conflict could escalate into a much broader war between nuclear-armed powers. Its failure to offer any guarantee that NATO would not further encroach on Russian borders by making Ukraine a member was the trigger for Russias desperate and reckless invasion.

China has not criticised the Russian invasion and has blamed the conflict on the actions of the US and NATO. At the same time, Beijing has not recognised Russias annexation of Crimea nor Putins declaration of the independence of two areas of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists. Beijing has repeatedly called for peace talks and offered to mediate on the basis of recognising the legitimate security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.

According to Chinese media accounts of the phone call, Xi called on Biden for a cool-headed and rational approach to the conflict and stressed that the Ukraine crisis is not something we want to see. China has been driven into close relations with Russia as a result of Washingtons aggressive approach to both countries, but has significant ties with Ukraine. The war cuts directly across Beijings Belt and Road Initiative, involving massive infrastructure investment linking China to Europe.

Xi opposed the unilateral economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and its allies, and warned of the potentially disastrous consequences for the global economy. Sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer, Xi is reported as saying. If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses.

While the coverage of Xis remarks is relatively muted, other Chinese officials hit out at the US before and after the phone call with Biden.

As reported in the state-owned Global Times, an unnamed official warned: China will never accept US threats and coercion, and if the US takes measures that harm Chinas legitimate interests and the interests of Chinese enterprises and individuals, China will not sit idly by and will make a strong response. The official stressed that the US should not have any illusions or miscalculations about this.

The Global Times declared that these strong signals were sent as the Biden administration has intensified its disinformation campaign over Chinas military support to Russia and attempted to threaten China with dire consequences.

Responding to Deputy Secretary of State Shermans remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted: It is the US that is on the wrong side of history. If the US had refrained from repeatedly expanding NATO and pledged that NATO would not admit Ukraine, and had not fanned the flames by supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, the situation would have been very different.

Beijing is particularly concerned at the parallels between Washingtons provocative actions in Ukraine and its inflaming of tensions over the dangerous flashpoint of Taiwan. The Biden administration has accused China of preparing to invade the island while at the same time deliberately undermining the One China policy that is the foundation of US-China relations.

Under the One China policy, the US has de facto recognised that Beijing is the legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan, while opposing any forcible reunification of the island with China. Beijing has repeatedly warned it would respond with force to any formal declaration of independence by Taipei.

According to the Chinese media, Xi told Biden that the China-US relationship had not got out of the predicament created by the Trump administration. Some people in the US had sent a wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces, Xi said, and added, This is very dangerous.

While Biden reportedly declared that US policy on Taiwan had not changed and emphasised that Washington opposed any unilateral changes to the status quo, his administration has junked the long-established diplomatic protocols that underpinned the One China Policy, which limited contact between US and Taiwanese officials.

The lack of any agreement as a result of the Biden-Xi phone call underscores the recklessness of US actions in Ukraine and the danger the war could rapidly escalate into a far broader conflict by drawing in other powers, including China. Just as the Biden administration backed Russia into a corner, so its escalating criticisms of, and threats against, China can only heighten the already sharp tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
Demonstrations were held against P&Os mass sacking Thursday of 800 ferry workers at the ports of Dover, Hull, Liverpool and Larne on Friday.

Hundreds of workers took part, angered by the summary dismissal of its workforce by P&O in scenes not witnessed since the mass police operations against striking miners and printworkers in the mid-1980s.

Workers were sacked without warning in a Zoom call, after the company, owned by container and logistics conglomerate DP World, halted all crossing in the four routes it operates: Dover to Calais; Hull to Rotterdam; Liverpool to Dublin; and Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland.

The path was cleared for a scab workforce to move in by security guards dragooning ferry workers onto the docks, taking whatever belongings they could muster together in plastic bin bags.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, Nautilus International and the Labour Party called the protests based on appeals to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to either force a retreat by DP World, or even to nationalise the companysomething the government said immediately was a non-starter.

These bankrupt calls go some way to explaining the absence of P&O workers at the protest in Liverpool and Hull. P&O workers who did attend the protest at Dover were confronted with the nauseating sight of local Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke holding a Save Britain's ferries banner alongside former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyns Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. When she attempted to speak P&O workers made their views clear by chanting, We hate Tories, we are the Tory haters and shouting, You're on their side, You voted for fire and rehire, contracts and Shame on you.

Local Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke (left) holding a Save Britain's ferries banner alongside RMT Assistant General Secretary Steve Hedley(second left), RMT RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch (second right) and former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyns Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell (right)

This was the first response to the sickening outpouring of feigned sympathy by the likes of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Defence Minister James Heappey and Johnson himself, who claimed to be shocked at events. Yesterday it emerged that the Tories had been told of P&Os plans.

Johnsons official spokesperson had said on Thursday, We werent given any notice to this. But sources at the Department for Transport admitted they were made aware of the impending mass sackings and suspension of ferry services on Wednesday evening, but had kept the information within a small group because of concerns about commercial sensitivity.

Little wonder. Far more is at stake than the 300-400 million involved in DP Worlds bargain-basement acquisition of P&O, let alone the 10 million jobs furlough payments it claimed during the pandemic.

DP World last November took over running of Thames Freeport, the first of 10 such ventures that form the bedrock of the Tory Partys post-Brexit economic strategy.

UK freeports (free trade zones) are based on the slashing or waiving of tariffs on imports so that the UK can undercut its European rivals. Thames Freeport itself boast that the new status will provide 5.1 billion ($7.06 billion) additional Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 4.5 billion ($6.23 billion) in new public and private investment to the national economy.

DP World is, moreover, owned by the United Arab Emirates government, which Johnson this week was begging to increase oil production to compensate for the loss of supplies due to sanctions on Russia. Its chairman is the billionaire Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, but UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the majority stakeholder in Dubai World, the parent company of DP World.

The other political consideration for the Tories is that P&O are helping to set a new benchmark in the super-exploitation of the working class that is their number one goal. A sacked worker at Hull told the Daily Mail that the agency workers brought in to replace them were on as little as 2 to 3 an hour, compared with the 28 to 30 hourly rate paid to British sailors.

It is now known that the agency staff recruited by P&O also included workers from the UK who knew nothing about what they were being used for. Mark Canet-Baldwin, an Australian living in Hull, told the BBC he was hired a week ago. After a mystery bus tour from Glasgow to the P&O dock in Cairnryan, he and others realised what was happening. He and other agency workers then walked away. I couldn't look my kids in the eye if I did something like this,' he said.

None of this has changed the tune of the union bureaucracy and the Labour Party, with Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh urging the government to stand up for loyal workers in Britain and RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch claiming, in true little-Englander fashion, The fact that the government knew the day before that a foreign owned company planned to cause major disruption to UK ports but did nothing to prevent it is shocking.

Shocking only to Lynch and company. His aim in focusing on foreign sabotage of the UK economy is to suppress the wave of anger generated by P&O and channel it into appeals to the government and a legal case for unfair dismissal when protesters at Dover were chanting Seize the ships now! and Whose ships? Our ships.

Ferry workers cannot look to the nationalist and pro-capitalist trade unions, Labour or the Tory government to defend their jobs. They must form their own rank-and-file committees independent of the unions to implement the demand, occupy ships and ports. Rejecting all efforts to divide workers along national lines, they should call for solidarity action in every workplace in the UK and by ferry and port workers in Europe and internationally.

Dover

Around 500 P&O workers, their families and supporters rallied in Dover to protest Thursdays mass sackings. After workers jeered local Tory MP Natalie Elphicke, it was the Rail Maritime and Transport unions Mick Lynch who sought to tamp down workers anger.

Protesters at the cliffs of Dover (WSWS Media)

Lynch told the crowd he had spoken with Sir Keir Starmer via Zoom, eliciting boos from workers. He said Labours leader had shown support for sacked P&O workers and declared, Were going to get some stuff going on Monday in parliament.

To undercut workers denunciations of Elphicke, Lynch told P&O workers, What we need now is action across the political spectrum. He claimed that P&Os actions had united politicians from Labour, the Tories and even the Democratic Unionist Party in support of workers, and today were going to support unity, no matter where youve come from.

Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell appealed to the militant mood of workers, saying they should give the government until Monday to take over P&Os ships, and that failing that, they should be seized. The prospect of McDonnell seizing P&Os ships is to say the least remote.

Many workers had expected the rally would blockade the port. As they marched from Maritime House to the docks, they chanted, Seize the ships. At the docks entrance, a speaker from the International Transport Federation described tremendous shock and anger of seafarers across Europe over P&Os attack, but no action was proposed. The protest was wound up outside P&O headquarters on Channel View Road.

Michael, a P&O seafarer, told the WSWS, This is going to have a huge impact. I have got a family at home, bills to pay, debts to pay like everyone else, and everything is going up. These ships were our homes. We spend half our lives on them. We have personal effects still on these ships.

It will have a major impact on employment in the area. There is already very little work. We have to maintain this fight. This cannot be allowed to stand. We deserve better, everyone deserves better.'

Gordon explained, My grandaughters husband is a captain on P&O. They told him at 11 a.m. yesterday, that was it. They are attacking our jobs, it's disgusting. When I was at sea there were 40,000 registered seafarers. Now there is only 12,000. The whole industry has been decimated. Its going to be devastating locally. All these companies do is divide and conquer. They use it all the time. Its scandalous they can get away with it. I lost my job with P&O in the 1980s. The unions let us down then and maybe they will let the workers down again.

Trudi explained, I do not work in the shipping sector but I do work in transport. Seafarers do a fantastic job. I'm here in defence of a good secure job. No one in any sector can afford to lose their job at the drop of a hat like this and be replaced with cheap labour. What qualifications do these scabs get in this industry? Safety is paramount.

Companies like P&O have taken every penny they can, and have paid out massive dividends. The way this has been carried out is disgusting. People will have less money in their pockets, and it is going to have a massive impact on Dover.

Margaret travelled from London to join the rally. My son is a seafarer and lost his job yesterday after 10 years, she said. This will be devastating for Dover. The way it was done is atrocious. The whole shipping industry should be nationalised. What has not been reported is that P&O are building two new ships in China. Is it necessary to get rid of these workers if they are building new ships? These companies do not give a damn about workers. My son may have to transfer to a new work environment and there are very few job opportunities for him. His job was his life.

A DFDS (passenger ferry) seafarer told our reporters, I'm here to support my P&O colleagues. It is important to be here today to oppose the sackings. It could be us next.

Liverpool

Protesters at the Port of Liverpool (WSWS Media)

At Liverpool Tommy, who works for Stenna Lines, said, I have been a tug driver for 20 years I have been Tuped over several times (when workers are transferred from one employer to another.) At the start of the pandemic the company had wanted to cut the sick pay from 100 percent to 50. We ended up with 75.

Another tug driver employed by Stenna Lines said, Workers have to unite and our history shows us that is the only way to stop what is taking place. We should have stopped the rot with [Tory Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher because since then the working class have been driven back. Its not only wages, its conditions. We have to stop whats happening to P&O lads because if we dont it will happen to us all.

Liam McGuire, a solicitor, said, Its scandalous what has happened to these workers and its the thin end of the wedge. Other so-called worker-friendly employers will do it. Especially with the pandemic, which is being used by employers to take extreme action to cut jobs and conditions. The changing conditions in the pandemic showed how flexible workers can be and that is now being used against us.

We have to show they cant get away with this because if we tolerate it, it will get worse. P&O is a test. We have to say dont push us too far because we will push back. Cutting jobs, and conditions under cover of COVID, and now the war in Ukraine, is class war and they want to drive the working class back to the conditions of the 1800s.

Ex-seafarer and ex-teacher Terry said The news this morning showed P&O workers being ejected from their ship. It's outrageous. To defend jobs, I would break the law but people are in fear They don't realize, everyone has to down tools to win the fight. The system can't work without us. The unions have changed, they're not what they used to be.

Terry (WSWS Media)

Ian George works for Stenna Lines and has worked at sea for 42 years. I used to work for P&O, he said. I worked for them last year. There are terrible conditions. The ship I was working on, nothing was working. The cabins were horrendous, the toilets weren't fixed. I came today for solidarity. Workers rights are taken away every day. United we stand, divided we fall. Things have got to change.

Ian George (WSWS Media)

Former teacher Ade travelled from Birmingham. My father in law worked for P&O. He would have been disgusted.

Teachers were also under attack, Ade said. We have the youngest teaching force in the OECD [countries], the older teachers have been forced out. There used to be robust structures in the local authorities with a chief medical officer. How do we put in place a plan now to meet the needs of kids in the pandemic? When these decisions are made in Westminster, its not surprising mistakes are made.

Hull

The protest outside the P&O terminal in Hull (WSWS Media)

In Hull, a crew member on the Pride of Hull explained that he wasnt on shift when the security force were sent onboard the ship. Ive worked here about 30 years. A lot of us have been here quite a long time. Were staying here until we get some reassurances, get some sort of payment, clarify what is going on.

I think there were about 50 British crew on the ship. And there would have been about 80 Filipino staff. They clean the cabins and the kitchens, etc.

Once the cargo was off and theyd shut everything down, about 11 in the morning, I believe the door was locked by the crew to stop anyone getting on board. The threat was if you didnt leave the vessel, you would lose your redundancy package. They wanted you off the ship with as little fuss as possible. Its disgusting what theyve done.

Former P&O worker George, made redundant in 1991, said, How can you call this a democracy if you treat workers like this? If they can do this here, they can do it anywhere and to anyone.

George (WSWS Media)

A former P&O shoreside worker said she was not surprised at how badly the firm had treated its workforce. They were the worst company I have ever worked for.

Where is the picket? There should be a strike. Theyve got to put a ballot for a strike. We need to get all the shoreside workers to strike with them. They should just bring it to them.
Reporters from the World Socialist Web Site spoke with workers from the BMW motorcycle plant in Berlin Wednesday about an international perspective for the fight against the war in Ukraine. For the automobile manufacturer BMW, whose owning families enriched themselves massively in the course of the Nazi war of annihilation against the Soviet Union, around 2,100 employees produce up to 800 two-wheelers daily in Berlin.

In front of the BMW factory gate

As the WSWS reporters emphasized, the working class in Russia, Ukraine and around the world must be united against the war that only the capitalists benefit from. While the reactionary invasion of the Putin regime must be firmly opposed, the fight against the aggression of the imperialist NATO powers must be rejected and a nuclear war prevented at all costs.

This perspective met with great resonance among BMW workers. Many made statements to our reporters to support the unity of the working class. The unprecedented rearmament of the German military, whose annual budget will be tripled, was rejected by all. A World Socialist Web Site leaflet handed out by reporters addressed the background of the current war, which is systematically concealed by the bourgeois media.

Luke and Erik, who are in their apprenticeships, said, Russian, Ukrainian and German workers must unite. They have the same interests. Nobody wants this war.

Lukas (left) and Erik (right)

Nizami added, I like what you do. We are both from Afghanistan, so we know exactly what NATO is. Yugoslavia has also seen what such a war means. Alexei commented, I agree with you that the people of Russia and Ukraine must unite against this war. I myself am of Soviet origin and therefore totally opposed to this war.

Nizami (left) and Amiri (right)

Michael stated, You're right. Nobody profits from this war, especially the working class. And Hadi added, I am absolutely against this war, as are all those I know. Meanwhile, I think everyone has understood that it is completely escalating. It didn't have to be like this. I am also against the German rearmament. Where will it lead? Nobody in Ukraine benefits from the rearmament in Germany.

Michael

The opposition to nationalism and the aggression of the imperialist powers is widespread and deeply rooted in the German and European working class. In recent days, the World Socialist Web Site has received many more statements from workers, students and members of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), who spoke out against the war and shared their statements on social media.

Tom, a tram driver from Munich and national committee member of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP), said, The threat of former President Gauck that we must now freeze for peace is absolutely serious. It is not far from here until we starve or even die for peace. Even if the media now downplays his statement, the only way out is for the working classas in the October Revolution of 1917to put an end to the war in Ukraine and to all other wars.

Tom

Daniel, who lives and works in Dresden, declared, The danger of a third world war is greater than ever. The war in Ukraine is increasingly out of control and its potential consequences are ultimately threatening all of humanity. From the outset, the conflict was fuelled by the US and the NATO powers, who are now using it as an excuse to massively upgrade and transfer war equipment to the Russian border.

Daniel from Dresden

Germany has provided 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr overnight and has decided to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets. This marked the launch of the largest rearmament campaign since the Second World War.

This danger can only be averted by a united and independent movement of the working class, that is to say the very greatest part of humanity. No one was asked or able to vote on whether Germany or another country should support the war. The ruling class acts on its own authority and is forced to defend its capitalist privileges and concentrated wealth by all means.

I support the SGP and the ICFI because they are the only ones who resolutely oppose the threat of war. No one else represents the interests of the working population, which can no longer bear wars and simply wants to live in peace.

Laura, a student in Magdeburg, said, It is outrageous that huge sums of money are being invested in armaments, especially amid the coronavirus. This shows exactly where the priorities of the capitalist class lie, namely not with the population and its protection against infection with COVID-19. The war is driving millions of people to flee, which will only promote the spread of the virus. The war-mongering currently taking place must not be underestimated. A further expansion of the war must be prevented, for it is always the workers who have to suffer most in wars.

Laura

Joshua, a student in Bavaria and IYSSE member, commented, As a German student, I express my solidarity with the people of both Ukraine and Russia. The Russian attack on Ukraine is a result of Putin's deeply reactionary and nationalist policies, which represent a small, extremely rich oligarchy. But, contrary to what is propagated in the media, the invasion did not originate out of Putin's whim, but against the background of the imperialist expansion of NATO, which began thirty years ago and has since not shied away from any atrocity in order to increase its sphere of influence. The Ukrainian government, which is closely linked to the EU and NATO and is riddled with neo-Nazis, plays as reactionary a role as the Kremlin.

Joshua

The only way to stop the war and prevent a third world war is to have an independent and international union of workers, which will stop the war and fight the root of all wars, capitalism! For whoever speaks of war must not remain silent about capitalism!

Florian, a student from Baden-Wurttemberg, said, In a situation in which the coronavirus pandemic is raging and hundreds are losing their lives every day in Germany, the danger of a third world war is becoming ever greater. This war, which would probably be fought with nuclear weapons, would mean the destruction of all humanity.

Florian

To prevent this catastrophe, the slogan must not be Russian, Ukrainian nationalism or even imperialism, but international socialism. Or to quote Marx: Proletarians of all countries unite.

Ela, a student in Munich, wrote, If overnight there is 100 billion for rearmament, but the Minister of Finance talks about sticking to a balanced budgetthen everyone knows that the money for it will be squeezed out of the population. But since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, every penny has been too much to save lives. That is why it is important for workers to intervene independently in order to end the war in Ukraine and everywhere else in the world.

Ela from Munich

Tamino, a student and IYSSE member, stated, The danger of a third world war is greater than ever. The Putin government's reactionary invasion must be condemned in every respect. But a world war cannot be prevented by supporting any nationalism or adapting to NATO imperialism. The German government in particular, with its 100 billion rearmament package  which was already planned in the coalition negotiations  and its massive arms deliveries, makes it clear that it is preparing for a direct military confrontation.

Tamino

As Trotsky explained, in the fight against war one must not be guided by the map of war, but by the principles of class struggle. Only an internationally united struggle of the workers in Ukraine, Russia, Germany and worldwide can prevent a third world war.
The TUC website announcing the calling off of its demonstration "Britain needs a pay rise" (screenshot TUC)

Today was supposed to be the annual national protest organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) outside the Conservative Party conference. This years event in Blackpool was to be focussed on the cost-of-living crisis.

Last Wednesday, 10 days before the protest was to take place, the TUC pulled the plug. A statement announcing its decision to postpone the event explained, Over the coming fortnight we will be mobilising trade unionists in support of the [International Trade Union Confederation] day of solidarity with Ukraine on 15 March. And we will support the mobilisations in London and around the UK for the UN Antiracism Day on 19-20 Marchparticularly as this government refuses to welcome enough refugees from Ukraine into the UK.

Nothing could say more about which side of the barricades the trade unions stand on in the class struggle. They have demobilised opposition to the Tory government under conditions in which it enjoys the effective coalition support of Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party. Starmer has declared Labour the party of NATO in a spirit of wartime unity with Johnson. The trade unions have shown themselves willing managers of the home front.

Workers face an unprecedented collapse of their living standards. The Centre for Economic and Business Research is forecasting the worst cut in personal income since records began in 1955, more than 2,500 per person on average. The Resolution Foundation predicts that the poorest families will see their cost-of-living rise by 10 percent between now and autumn.

The unions never intended to oppose this assault. Workers have suffered a massive fall in real-terms wages thanks to the trade unions suppression of industrial action and an unbroken series of betrayals of every strike they were unable to strangle at birth.

The economic war with Russia and explosion of militarism across Europe means a drastic escalation of this war on the working class. Calls are going out in the ruling class for pain and sacrifice and the rolling back of social spending to free up funds for the armed forces. A doubling or more of defence spending is being demanded, paid for by slashing spending on the National Health Service, education and welfare.

Resistance in the working class will meet a brutal response. Refuse workers in Coventry have been fighting a prolonged scabbing operation mounted by the labour controlled Local Authority. On Thursday, ferry company P&O sacked 800 workers and sent in private security goons to force them off ships to be replaced by a scab workforce. Striking London Underground workers have already been branded traitors to the anti-Russia effort.

After cancelling its cost-of-living protest to show solidarity with NATOs proxy Ukraine, the TUC has reorganised a demonstration for June 18. This avoids the political embarrassment of opposing the Tories when Starmer and company are proclaiming their unswerving patriotism.

Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (centre) with Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (left) and (right) Dame Carolyn Julie Fairbairn, Director General of the CBI, London, September 24, 2020 [Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein]

This line-up with the Tory government takes place under the cover of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)s day of solidarity with Ukraine and todays UN Antiracism Day, which the TUC links with the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

The ITUC and ETUC did nothing on its day of solidarity, March 15, other than issue statements and hold a couple of small anti-Russia protests in Australia. Their sole concern was to proclaim support for sanctions against Russia, with the ETUC pledging to maintain pressure on the European Union and ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow declaring, The imposition of sanctions by governments which support democracy and the rule of law is both inevitable and justified.

Professed humanitarian concerns are window dressing for a policy of support for the EU and NATO powers, whose predatory ambitions towards Russia, endless provocations and limitless arms shipments have fuelled the Ukraine war. Nothing said by these organisations could not be said by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, or the leader of any of the European imperialist powers.

There is no mention made by the TUC of the criminal role played in the crisis by NATO or of any independent role for the working class other than being dragooned behind the Tory/Labour pro-war alliance. Unison mobilised its members to block tankers it believed to be carrying Russian oil and gas. This is the first time in its rotten history the union has conducted a form of illegal action since the passage of the anti-trade union laws decades ago, but accompanied by a begging letter from one Labour MP for the Tory government to allow this!

The Ukrainian refugee question is now routinely utilised by various progressive political scoundrels to comment mournfully on the war without saying anything critical of the imperialist powers and their responsibility for the conflict.

The real route to solidarity with Ukrainian workers lies in class struggle against government austerity and war programmes the world over, waged by the international, including the Russian, working class. This is precisely what the corporatist trade unions, committed to defending company profits and state interests, are dedicated to suppressing.

Year after year the pseudo-left and Stalinist groups portray the unions as the natural leadership of the working class, rallying round its annual Tory party demonstration and pronouncing it the beginning of another mythical resurgence of union-backed struggle. Faced with this staggering refutation of their perspective, they fall into line with the TUCs betrayal without a murmur.

The Socialist Party touted the protest as a potential pole of attraction to all those workers looking for a lead as the real value of their pay packets is slashed, but has said nothing. The Morning Star boosted a rear-guard action in Blackpool by local trade union councils and branches of the Green Party and Extinction Rebellion. The Socialist Workers Party goes all-in, urging its members to throw themselves into todays UN Anti-racism day march.

These organisations are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the union bureaucracy, functioning as its PR departments boosting its tattered reputation and justifying every betrayal.

This finds its sharpest expression with the Peoples Assembly, a charnel house for the pseudo-left groups and the Stalinist Communist Party, which once organised protests of hundreds of thousands. It responded to the postponement by calling for people to attend the next wave of its own cost-of-living protests on April 2. Optimistic phrasing, given the first wave on March 5 struggled to mobilise more than a few hundred people across the country.

Workers were already being made to bear the costs of the ruling classs herd immunity response to the pandemic, sacrificing their health and income to sustain the profits of the super-rich. The trade unions played a crucial part in facilitating this policy. The TUC now intends a redoubled government-business-union attack on working-class livelihoods, waged in the name of a national effort to stop the Russian menace.

Writing on the eve of the Second World War, the leader of the Fourth International Leon Trotsky wrote in 1938, In time of war or revolution, when the bourgeoisie is plunged into exceptional difficulties, trade union leaders usually become bourgeois ministers.

He declared it criminal to tolerate subordination of the revolutionary mass movement to the control of openly reactionary or disguised conservative (progressive) bureaucratic cliques and called on the most advanced workers, if necessary, not to flinch in the face of a direct break with the conservative apparatus of the trade unions.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. The unions today are hollowed-out, corporatist prison houses for their members. What is necessary is to develop an insurgency by the working class against the union bureaucracy through building rank-and-file committees, independent of the trade unions. The working class must wage class war against the corporations and the government at home, not imperialist war with the working class abroad. Such a struggle demands the building of a new leadership, the Socialist Equality Party.
Staff and students on the picket line at Kings College London in this term's strikes (WSWS Media)

The University and College Union (UCU) has begun balloting its members on taking further industrial action over cuts to pensions and worsening pay and conditions.

This follows the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) agreeing to substantial pension cuts, which will come into effect from April 1 and see a typical lecturer losing up to 35 percent of the value of their pension.

Higher education workers have struck every year over pensions since 2018, when the largest strike in the history of the sector was held. That strike was sold out by the union after four weeks of industrial action.

University workers should take stock of their experiences with the UCU. Following the pattern of earlier actions, the next round of strikes from March 21 is to be limited to a small groups of universities, with stoppages restricted to just five days. Moreover, action over pensions is being kept separate from stoppages protesting pay and conditions.

It has become clear that the UCU bureaucracy is opposed to a major struggle breaking out in the higher education sector, and workers are confronted with the need to oppose both the employers and their own union.

One major obstacle to securing the pay, pensions and conditions of university workers is the pernicious role played by the UCU Left, whose perspective amounts to putting pressure on the union bureaucracy to force it to conduct slightly more militant action.

At the meeting of the unions Higher Education Committee (HEC) at the end of February, the UCU Left merely called for nine days of strikes rather than the five days eventually agreed. The role of this faction, politically led by the Socialist Workers Party, has been to defend the control of the unions over the working class. They do this no matter how many times the unions meekly accept job losses or impose wage cuts, claiming this is the only way to avoid even greater reductions.

The UCU Left is in no way independent of the bureaucracy, being intimately tied to the union structures at local and national levels.

The faction held a majority on the HEC until 2020, which did not result in any challenge to the bankrupt perspective of the bureaucracy as it sought to grind down the fighting spirit of university workers through a series of ineffectual and isolated actions.

Following the sell-out of the 2018 pension fight, the UCU membership rebelled against the right-wing leadership of then General Secretary Sally Hunt, resulting in the election of Jo Grady to the post in 2019. This was hailed by the UCU Left as a leap to the left. It enthusiastically wrote, the UCU Left look forward to working with Jo Grady to transform UCU into a democratic fighting union that can send shivers down the spine of every employer.

Hundreds of striking lecturers and academic staff revolt against the UCU union outside its London HQ during the 2018 strike (WSWS Media)

Rather than the employers shivering, it is university workers who are being forced to feel the cold.

The aim of the UCU Left in 2018 was not to lead a rebellion against a sell-out, but to ensure that the rebellion already underway was kept within the confines of the union structures. While university workers denounced the deal and forced Hunt to backtrack, the UCU Left insisted that even a shoddy compromise would be an important step forward.

The UCU Left sought to paint a rosy picture, in which the industrial action is working, while knowing a sell-out was being discussed in UCU headquarters behind closed doors. Only after it was bombarded with texts, emails and tweets calling for #NoCapitulation did the UCU Left change position and advocate rejecting the deal.

Despite Hunt being forced out, control of the pensions dispute was left in the unions hands.

As the World Socialist Web Site warned, this only meant delaying, not defeating the pension cuts. Even with every manoeuvre hailed as a democratisation of the union by the UCU Left in the subsequent four years, above all the replacement of Hunt by Grady, the employers have succeeded in forcing through exactly what they wanted on pensions.

The UCU Left seeks to chloroform university workers to the bitter lessons of this defeat. While it belatedly acknowledges there is no prospect of Grady leading UCU members to a victory in the pensions dispute, nor the Four Fights over pay, workloads, equality and casualisation, it calls for them to follow exactly the same policies it advocated following Hunt being ousted: replace a few officials, establish a few new bureaucratic procedures, and apply pressure to the leaders.

The UCU Left does not want a reckoning with the union bureaucracy, but a place in its ranks with all the many privileges this brings.

Those working in higher education occupy a significant position in the economy, and if unified outside the trade unions could contribute powerfully to a broader fightback against the offensive on workers living conditions that has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research commissioned by the employers body Universities UK (UUK) in 2021 found that 815,000 jobs across the economy depended, directly or indirectly, on universities. UCU-commissioned analysis in 2020 found that a third of workers said the local university was important to their own job, indicating the strategic position a fight by those in higher education could play alongside other workers.

This objective strength can only be deployed effectively once workers in higher and further education establish organisations under their own control and independent of the trade unions.

Such rank-and-file committees would bear no resemblance to the multi-layered bureaucratic monstrosity advocated by the UCU Left. They would fight to mobilise workers and students against the marketised system of education, which has seen students herded onto campuses rife with COVID-19 as cash cows to pay rent, and casualised, insecure work become widespread. They would fight to link the issues facing university and college workers with those of other workers being driven into struggle by the cost-of-living crisis.

This is the perspective for which the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party have consistently fought against the pseudo-left opportunists such as the UCU Left, who seek to subordinate workers to the deadly embrace of the union bureaucracy. The organisation of such rank-and-file committees must be fought for, and workers in higher and further education should make contact and get involved today.
Top from left, Brandon Caserta and Barry Croft; bottom from left, Adam Dean Fox and Daniel Harris. These four stand accused in a plot to abduct Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, right, in 2020. (Kent County Sheriff, Delaware Department of Justice, and AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The federal trial of four men charged with planning to kidnap and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 resumed on Thursday in Grand Rapids after a three-day delay ordered by Judge Robert Jonker because a key participant had tested positive for COVID-19.

On Thursday, the prosecution presented numerous recorded conversations by the defendants that were taped by undercover FBI informants. Mark Schweers, who used the name Mark Woods and posed as a sympathizer of the Wolverine Watchmen paramilitary group from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, said he had been assigned by the FBI to connect with the alleged ringleader of the group, Adam Fox.

Schweers said the FBI was concerned that Fox was plotting a violent attack against the state government in Michigan over the restrictions imposed during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agent said he contacted Fox through an encrypted messaging system used by the group to communicate prior to arranging meeting in the basement of the Vac Shack, a vacuum repair shop in Grand Rapids where the defendant lived and worked.

The four defendantsAdam Fox, 38, from Wyoming, Michigan; Barry Croft Jr., 46, from Bear, Delaware; Daniel Harris, 24, from Lake Orion, Michigan; and Brandon Caserta, 33, from Canton, Michiganwere charged with felony conspiracy to kidnap and other weapons-related crimes and arrested on October 8, 2020, after they were surveilled by the FBI and attempted to purchase explosives. If convicted, they face possible life sentences in federal prison.

Two other menTy Garbin, 25, and Kaleb Franks, 27were also arrested along with the four who are on trial, but they pleaded guilty to the charges and are expected to testify for the prosecution. Another eight men, who are either members or associates of the Wolverine Watchmen or the paramilitary Three Percenters group, were arrested and charged with a total of 20 state felonies, including gang membership and support for an act of terrorism.

In one of the key statements that was recorded by the FBI and played for the jury on Thursday, Fox explained what he saw as the broader political objectives of the plot to take Whitmer hostage, Were sending a (expletive) message to them, he said. Hey, if we can get her, we can get you.

The prosecutor asked Schweers about his meeting with Fox, Did he tell you that he was planning something? The agent said, He did, and went on to explain that the defendant told him, Were moving. Were actively planning some missions right now.

What Fox was talking about, Schweers said, was a mission to take over the Michigan state Capitol by force. He said Fox told him he was part of a very covert group called the Wolverine Watchmen, and that theyre not very well liked in this state.

In one of the taped conversations, Fox referred to Whitmer as the oppressor, and then said, I want her charged, I want her fucking charged. Fox also talked about hog-tying the governor in a taped conversation in the vacuum shop basement. He said, We just want the bitch, we want the tyrant bitch. Fox then said, I want to have the governor hog-tied, laid out on a table while we all pose around like we just made the worlds biggest goddamn drug bust, bro.

During another conversation recorded by the FBI, Fox discussed the possibility of storming the Michigan Capitol and taking legislators hostage and said, In eyes of my God, I will die a fucking saint, covered in blood.

In another recording, Fox listed three locations where Governor Whitmer could be kidnapped: her residence in Lansing, her vacation home in Elk Rapids and the governors summer residence on Mackinac Island. Schweers told Fox he went to Mackinac Island and took photos of the governors mansion, but he told jurors that the pictures were provided to him by the FBI.

Christopher Long, another FBI agent who testified on Thursday, said he was responsible for monitoring the activity of Barry Croft. Long said he worked to keep Croft in the group with the others because the FBI was concerned that the man from Delaware who was also older than all the other defendants might act on his own. Croft had talked about violently targeting law enforcement officers and government officials, Long said.

According to a profile provided by the US attorneys office, Croft is a follower of the boogaloo movement, which believes the country is broken, that politicians should be targeted and attacked and that preparations must be made for a violent civil war in the US. Croft was recorded by an FBI agent saying, I might murder a cop.

On Friday, a key witness known as Big Dan, who was a member of the Wolverine Watchmen who became an FBI informant, testified for the prosecution. An army veteran and postal worker, Dan said he was a libertarian and gun rights activist who wanted to keep his firearm skills sharp. He joined the militia group after he located it on Facebook and subsequently became close with Fox.

Dan told the jury, They wanted to target law enforcement and kill them. After he told this to a friend who was a police officer, Dan received a phone call from the FBI asking him to stay inside the group and monitor their activity. In a February filing, federal prosecutors said Dan talked to Fox nearly every day for about four months prior to his arrest.

On cross examination, the lawyers for the defendants pressed their narrative that the men were hapless, never intended to harm anyone and had been entrapped by the FBI. Foxs lawyer Christopher Gibbons said that his client was high during the meetings with Schweers and was constantly smoking marijuana at many of the militia meetings and training exercises. Schweers testified that it was true that Fox and the others were frequently socially smoking marijuana at the functions of the Wolverine Watchmen.

Attorney for Croft, Joshua Blanchard, quizzed the FBI informant Long about why he allegedly referred to his client as Bonehead in his text messages and email messages. Long claimed he never tried to belittle Croft.

US District Judge Jonker made it clear in his pretrial judgments that the wider political context of the conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer, which included incitements by then-President Donald Trump to his supporters to Liberate Michigan and other statements encouraging violence against those advocating lockdown measures to stop the pandemic, will not be permitted in the federal case.

Before accepting a plea deal, attorneys for Kaleb Franks filed a motion to bring into the trial the FBIs handling of the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection as evidence of consciousness of guilt, in support of the defenses claims of entrapment. Judge Jonker said that the information in Franks motion was inadmissible, irrelevant and potentially misleading, and denied permission to raise wider, national concerns about the role of the FBIs use of undercover agents and informants in the 2021 assault on the Capitol.

At that time, Judge Jonker said, (T)he challenge at trial here will be to ensure the jurors are able to ignore exactly this kind of extraneous information from extra-judicial sources. The judge also gave explicit pretrial instructions that he did not want the trial to be about right-wing extremism in the US.

On February 18, more than two weeks before jury selection, the judge stated, I dont want the trial to become a referendum on whether the trucking convoy in Ottawa is good or bad, or whether what happened on January 6 is an insurrection or legitimate political discourse. I want the focus to be on what happened in this case.

While attorneys for the defendants were clearly attempting to utilize the courtroom as a platform for mounting a defense of conspiracy theories about January 6, Judge Jonkers insistence on keeping the trial about what happened without reference to the connection of the kidnap plotters with a network of far-right and fascist groups nationally and internationally actually strengthens the position of the defense that the men were just a group of angry individuals who were manipulated by the FBI.
The WSWS has received following statement from Lohan Gunaweera, a visual and performance artist and translator in Sri Lanka. He denounces the attacks on Russian art and artists, which, he says, are a part of the US-NATO war preparations against Russia.

Lohan Gunaweeras performance Stalingrad 1942 (2017). It is part of an ongoing series of works on the impending threat of war and the uncertainty caused by it. The series is informed by readings into the history of the world wars of the 20th century and the communal war in Sri Lanka.

I strongly condemn the ongoing assault and censorship on Russian artists, exhibitions and artistic projects, carried out in the name of measures against Russias invasion of Ukraine. Nothing good can come out of censoring great cultural accomplishments ranging from classical music, to 20th century Russian avant-garde art, to Tolstoy. The idea that this could pave the way for a peaceful outcome is as delusional as saying that asphyxiation can prolong life. Personally, as someone who cannot imagine ones own upbringing and life without Russian literature and art, I find this painful to watch. In the context of world politics, this is a warning symptom of an impending catastrophic stroke.

Contrary to the proclaimed intentions, this assault goes hand in hand with the US and NATOs imperialist war drive against Russia. A mere glance at the list of countries racing to enter and escalate this conflict, increasing their military budgets and sending weapons to Ukraine, should alarm anyone who is aware of the immense tragedies of the second world war. The United States, the UK, Germany, France are the same imperialist powers that caused extreme havoc and destruction in that war. Over the past 30 years, the US has been the leading destructive actor in numerous wars around the world. The scale of its military involvement within Ukraine, including the operation of biological weapons labs is only now coming to full light. The imperialist drive has always been directed towards re-partitioning of the Eurasian region (and the rest of the world) in order to gain direct access to its vast resources and markets.

Russias invasion of Ukraine is certainly a reckless, reactionary act that pushes that country toward a massive humanitarian disaster. It however does not exonerate NATOs central role in drafting the blueprint for this war. Its continuous expansion to the east since the 90s reached a new height with the regime changing coup in Ukraine in 2014. It had no qualms about living together with far-right and neo-Nazi forces in the process.

Living up to its reputation, NATO continues to fuel the unfolding crisis in every possible way. The largest military organisation that has been a permanent fixture in wars around the world is thus playing with fire, increasing the danger of a nuclear war. Throwing support behind the US and NATO does not contribute to any peaceful, democratic outcome.

The campaign to block Russian art and artists poisons the public sphere with anti-Russian sentiments. Russian artistsliving or deadand their works are equated with Vladimir Putin and his military invasion. Its real function is to exploit the widespread high regard for artistic works and artists to hack public opinion in favor of war; to normalise anti-Russian mentality in all aspects of social life and to make people despise everything that is Russian. What we need today is the opposite. The arts must be freed to function as a unifying spiritual force, addressing millions of people, far and wide beyond national borders.

As Julian Assange said, Nearly every war that has started in the past fifty years has been the result of media lies populations dont willingly and with open eyes go into a war. The lies have to be defeated. A broad anti-war movement must be built based on a real, consistent social force that can combat imperialism. That force is the global working class, the class that has no country.

A detail from Lohan Gunaweeras anti-war performance installation When is Borella, when is Lahore, when is Berlin, when is Moscow? (2016) [Image courtesy: Theertha Performance Platform, Colombo, Sri Lanka]

I urge artists and progressive artistic organisations around the world to rally behind this force and defend Russian art and culture against this assault; do not weaken your anti-war stance; do not abandon your correct understanding of NATOs reactionary role. Russias invasion does not negate any of this. The war drive has to be stopped before it is too late.

I look forward to attending the upcoming online public meeting on March 20, organised by the SEP and IYSSE in Sri Lanka. As announced on the World Socialist Web Site, the meeting will review the economic, political and historical background to the war and outline the socialist perspective the working class must fight for, to prevent a global nuclear catastrophe. I urge everyone to be there.
The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke with Gordon Dixon, whose brother Allan died at the age of 59 in the November 2010 Pike River mine disaster in New Zealand. Twenty-nine workers were killed in a series of underground explosions.

Allan Dixon (photo supplied)

More than 11 years later, no one has been prosecuted over the disaster, despite clear evidence that the mine was a death trap. It had grossly inadequate ventilation and methane gas monitoring systems, and no suitable emergency exit. A 2012 royal commission found that Pike River Coals management prioritised production over workers health and safety, and regulators who knew about the dangerous conditions underground should have shut down the mine.

Despite this, the companys chief executive Peter Whittall and other members of management have been protected by successive governments and state agencies.

Were gutted, as a family, that there was this injustice, Gordon said. Justice needs to be done, not just for us but for the rest of the country.

He described what has happened over the past decade as New Zealands biggest cover-up, pointing out that the evidence gathered by the royal commission is embargoed for 100 years. Really, Ive got no faith in the justice system, because it depends who you are, and if youve got money, he said.

Police say they are continuing a criminal investigation into the disaster, but on March 9 they ended a programme of lowering cameras down boreholes into the mine to look for evidence. Police abandoned the operation after having found only six probable sets of human remains, and two more possible bodies.

Gordon Dixon strongly denounced the Labour Party-Greens governments refusal to allow investigators to re-enter the mine workings to recover bodies and to forensically examine underground equipment, especially the main fan, which is thought to have sparked the initial explosion.

Labour and its allies promised before the 2017 election to re-enter the mine, after the previous National Party government had refused to do so. But after exploring the drift tunnel, the manned re-entry operation was aborted. The mine was permanently sealed late last year, despite opposition from the majority of the victims families.

Why was the mine sealed before all the boreholes were finished? Gordon asked. What if theyd found something that was really crucial? It just stays in there. This is what we cant understand, and people I talk to about it are blown away, he said. Any other place in the world, theyd go in and retrieve their loved ones.

Experts, including former chief inspector of mines Tony Forster, had shown that the mine workings could be entered safely, for a cost of $7 or $8 million. Gordon said his uncle Harry Bell, who was chief inspector of mines in the 1990s, also believed it could be done. But [Minister for Pike River Re-entry] Andrew Little said it would cost an extra $50 million, and the coffers were empty. Thats what sickened us, Gordon said.

Andrew Little was the leader of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) when the mine exploded. The union had done nothing to protect workers, despite knowing about the dangerous conditions in the mine. After the first explosion, Little publicly claimed that there were no safety problems at Pike River.

The union, which was renamed E tu in 2015, is continuing its role as the defender of big business. It supported the Labour governments decision to seal the mine and has refused to mobilise workers to demand accountability for the disaster.

Gordon explained that Bell always said if he was inspector of mines [at the time], that mine would never have been opened. Bell had done some contract work for Pike River Coal while the mine was being developed, and when he heard in late 2008 about underground gas ignitions, he urged the Department of Labour to shut the mine down until it was made safe. The state regulator took no action.

Workers at Pike River were under immense pressure to work long hours extracting coal, to satisfy the mines shareholders. Gordon said Allan would come home and just go to sleep because he was that exhausted. The poorly-ventilated atmosphere made him and other miners feel sick.

Workers who spoke out about unsafe practices were ignored or told to shut up. When Allan injured his knee in the mine, he was told to return to work before it had healed, or be sacked. The surgeon actually said: Dont go back to work because your knee isnt right. He was limping like hell, Gordon said. The company, however, refused to give Allan any more time off.

On the day of the explosion, Gordon said, his brother wasnt supposed to be there. He was supposed to be on a course in Greymouth to get his deputys ticket renewed. Management intervened and insisted that Allan had to go down the mine.

Gordon does not believe the claims made by police that everyone in Pike River died in the first explosion on November 19. He said Allan telephoned his partner Robyn from inside the mine after the explosion, leaving a message on her cellphone. As the Australian newspaper reported soon after the disaster, the message was something brief like I love you.

Police initially dismissed the message, telling the media it was not from Allan, but Gordon said police eventually admitted, about a year ago, that there are phone records showing a call was made from inside the mine. They werent happy about it and theyve kept very, very quiet about it. Ive actually asked for copies of the evidence and they said no, he said.

This was part of a pattern of mistreatment of the Pike River families by state agencies and successive governments. Gordon recalled an exchange he once had during a meeting with former Prime Minister John Key: I said to John Key one day: What would you do if that was your son down there? He said: I would try and get him out. I said: Exactly, and what are you doing? Nothing. He said: I dont have to listen to this, and he just wandered away.

Gordon concluded that, as far as the government was concerned, Were nothing, in the end. Were just the ones who have been fighting to get our loved ones out of the mine. Theyre not worrying about us; were just a number to them.

Government lawyers announced in court in 2013 that they were dropping charges against chief executive Whittall, for breaches of health and safety laws, in exchange for an unsolicited payment to the families. Gordon said he and several other family members who immediately denounced the back-room deal: I stood up and said, This is blood money! I was told by the judge to sit down or Id be taken out of court. We werent allowed to speak, just to sit there and listen. That was really, really hard.

Police also dropped their initial investigation into the disaster in mid-2013, saying that they could not charge anyone without establishing the precise cause of the explosion, despite ample evidence against the company from the royal commission. Given this record, Gordon was not optimistic that prosecutions would result from the present police investigation.
The Australian newspaper revealed yesterday that the federal government, fully backed by the Labor Party opposition, is finalising a shipment of lethal aid to be sent to the right-wing, US-backed Ukrainian government, its military and associated fascist paramilitary forces.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison talks about the situation in Ukraine at a news conference in Sydney, on Feb. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

The delivery is the second of its kind. The Australian government, supported by the entire political and media establishment, is thus contributing to the flood of weaponry into Ukraine. The clear purpose is to intensify the conflict, which already has the character of a proxy US-NATO war with Russia.

The Australian said the first shipment was flown by a Defence C-17 aircraft to Poland, before being transported into Ukraine. Morrison had initially indicated that the procurements would take the form of funds being sent to NATO. The second shipment, stocked from the Australian armoury, will also be flown to Eastern Europe.

Australia, together with Britain and other American allies, is helping to implement longstanding plans for conflict with Russia, aimed at asserting US hegemony over the geo-strategically critical Eurasian landmass. Australia is central to the other prong of this strategythe confrontation with Chinawith Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese both using the Ukrainian crisis to place maximum pressure on Beijing.

The second shipment was reportedly the subject of discussions between Defence and Foreign Affairs representatives and Ukrainian embassy officials last week. The talks were held in secret, with no official summary of their content.

The extent of the aid is unknown, but the Australian said it would be larger than the first shipment of weaponry worth more than $70 million.

The Australian said the package, to be sent within a fortnight, is likely to include rifles, ammunition, hand grenades and US-made Javelin anti-armour missiles. Javelins are advanced missiles to be deployed against Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles. In the first fortnight of the conflict, the US and its allies dispatched 17,000 anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, with thousands more en route.

The speed with which the two packages have been put together points to the military build-up underway within Australia itself. In line with the countrys integration into Washingtons anti-China pivot to Asia, announced in 2011, successive Labor and Liberal-National Coalition governments have expanded military funding and acquisitions.

In 2020, the Coalition government, with Labors backing, announced a plan to boost military spending to $578 billion over the course of this decade. That includes $270 billion for military hardware, including US missiles such as the Javelins.

The shipment is slated to include several thousand surplus Steyr rifles from defence force stocks. Notably, the rifles are to be given to civilian fighters and international recruits.

As the WSWS has documented, Ukraine has become a mecca for right-wing extremists internationally. Thousands are travelling to the country to fight with neo-Nazi groups, such as the Azov Battalion, which is integrated into the Ukrainian military structure.

At the National Press Club on Wednesday, Dennis Richardson, a former secretary of the defence department and previous head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the domestic spy agency, was asked about the danger of the Australian arms ending up with right-wing extremists.

Richardson, who still plays a significant role in defence and security circles, responded: If there is a risk that down the track that arms might fall into the wrong hands, then so be it.

The comment sums up the criminality of the gun-running operation. The government and Labor know they are sending millions of dollars in weapons that will aid fascist groups. These outfits openly model themselves on Ukraines World War II Nazi collaborators, who massacred hundreds of thousands of Jews, Poles and Russians.

The prominence of such groups underscores the fraudulent character of claims of a war for Ukrainian democracy. Rather, the fascist militias are to play a central role in longstanding US plans to provoke a Russian invasion of Ukraine, and bog down its military in a protracted war.

Ex-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this month favourably compared the operation to the CIAs covert war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s. In that conflict, the US armed, funded and trained Islamists, including the predecessors of Al Qaeda. In Ukraine the US is using neo-Nazis as a proxy.

Richardsons comment also has significant domestic implications. Since 2014, an unknown number of Australians have fought in the long-running Ukrainian civil war on the side of the Kiev government and against Russian-backed separatists in the countrys east.

At least one of them has been identified as a member of the Australian neo-Nazi National Socialist Network. In recent years, ASIO has belatedly acknowledged that a far-right milieu, fed by years of official anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim agitation, constitutes a significant terrorist threat.

Other remarks at the press club pointed to the Australian ruling elite exploiting the Ukrainian conflict to escalate the confrontation with China. Speaking alongside Richardson, Paul Dibb, a former assistant defence secretary, claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have become the closest friends over recent years.

In reality, the Chinese regime has responded to the Ukraine crisis nervously. It fears being dragged into the war. While pointing to NATOs central role in provoking the conflict, Xis government has not endorsed the Russian invasion.

Despite this, the Coalition and Labor are ramping up their rhetoric. In provocative comments, Morrison denounced Beijings chilling silence in failing to condemn the Russian invasion. He declared that Chinese military assistance to the Russian war effort, or assistance to evade the massive sanctions imposed by the Western powers would be an abomination. He warned that Australia would respond by expanding to China its sanctions targeting Russia, including businesspeople, political leaders and industries.

Labors shadow foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, immediately endorsed the threat.

Significantly, the statements were made on Thursday, the day before a phone call between Xi and US President Joe Biden. According to the readout, in terms almost identical to those used by Morrison, Biden warned of the consequences of Chinese assistance for Russia. The timing of the twin messaging underscores the extent to which the Australia is functioning as a deputy sheriff for the US in the Indo-Pacific region.

While stoking up war, the Australian government and the political establishment are escalating a war against the social rights of the working class at home.

The dispatch of military hardware to Ukraine coincides with the flood crisis that has devastated areas of the Australian east coast over the past three weeks.

The official abandonment of ordinary people was summed up in the northern New South Wales city of Lismore, where flood victims were left to rescue one another without government assistance. Now, with thousands homeless, the state government is sending just 120 campervans to the flood-affected region for temporary accommodation.

In other words, the government is fully capable of a vast logistical undertaking in rapid time when it comes to weapons for a dirty, US-led war. But workers and young people, inundated by a flood and facing destitution, are on their own.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Indiana... Wabash River from Lafayette to Montezuma. White River at Elliston and Edwardsport. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days is bringing minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions of the Wabash River. Additional rainfall Thursday evening through Friday evening should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through the weekend. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. 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 TUESDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...Until Tuesday afternoon. * IMPACTS...At 18.0 feet, Montezuma agricultural levee is overtopped. Fourteen hundred acres of low bottomlands flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 9:45 PM EDT Wednesday the stage was 13.1 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage late tomorrow evening to a crest of 18.0 feet Saturday evening. It will then fall below flood stage early Tuesday morning. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
Have any story ideas? You can send them to idinesen@waow.com
Complaining that the West is ``stuffing Ukraine with weapons,'' Russia bombarded railroad stations and other supply-line targets across the country, as the European Union moved to further punish Moscow for the war Wednesday by proposing a ban on oil imports.
grandfather clock

Getty Images

It is often said that trends are like clockwork, circling back time and time again. That sentiment couldn't be more true, especially when it comes to the resurgence of analog, as predicted by Pinterest. Even in today's world of screens and swipes, there is nothing like a classic timekeeper. Whether you're designing an outfit or a room, a clock is a quintessential, sophisticated detail.

When asked why analog is resurfacing, Atlanta interior designer Steve McKenzie says, "There's a familiarity [with a clock] to childhood and days gone by." As such, clocks are sentimental heirlooms and are often passed down from one home to the next. "A recent client had a special clock, so we placed it prominently, so it could be enjoyed daily. I even have a clock that's very meaningful to me that I keep in my walk-in closet."

Beyond being nostalgic, clocks are also sculptural in design, which brings interest to a room. McKenzie suggests a mantel clock to get the look. It's a traditional nod that speaks to today's interior aesthetic. These smaller pieces can be placed between books on a bookshelf or even take center stage on a sideboard.

Analog in Home Design

Of course, if your wall space allows, there's nothing like a longcase, grandfather-style clock. Emily Mabe, the vintage retailer behind Willow and Pearls, has been studying, collecting, and selling antiques for years, and much of her fascination began with clocks.

"When I was a little girl, my dad's mom, my Nana, Lula Mae Hastings, had a lot of clocks. When I say a lot of clocks, I mean, every surface that was flat had a clock, so clocks were just always a part of my life."

Fast forward to a memorable magazine spread in which Mabe saw a stately Mora, and she was immediately smitten. "I knew I had to have one!" she says.

Made in Sweden and popular among European antique collectors, Mora clocks are beautifully detailed hallway timepieces. During a stint in Europe, while her husband was stationed in Germany, Mabe got her chance to own a coveted Mora. Today, her Mora, often seen on her Instagram, is a timeless addition to her formal living room in her Spanish Fort, Alabama home.

Story continues

Timepieces in Fashion

This popular home element isn't just for interiors. Its revival is popular in fashion too. Third-generation watch-maker Loren Fernandez is one of the co-founders of Nacre, a Lakeland, Florida-based watch company. Despite the fact that many people carry a clock with them at all times, either on their phones or on their smartwatches, Fernandez knew she wanted to create something that would force people to slow down in more ways than one.

"I figured if people would just glance at their watch instead of pulling out their phone to check the time, it may be a subtle reminder to remain in the present," she says. "Hopefully, the younger generation will bring society back to what really mattersbeing in the moment instead of allowing technology to distract us."

It's one thing for a watch to help us tell time, but it's another for us to be glued to work emails and other notifications at all times. An analog watch is a break from society's fascination with immediacy.

McKenzie points out that using or decorating with analog clocks is a subtle way to ditch the masses. "I think wearing a watch or incorporating a clock into home decor is a rebellion against our digital surroundings."

To that, we say, "Vive la resistance!"
PROVIDENCE  A Warwick police officer faced scrutiny on Friday as Providence police investigated a late-night disturbance on St. Patrick's Day.

Police made no arrests Friday in their investigation of an assault outside Brass Monkey on Allens Avenue, according to Providence police Detective Maj. David Lapatin.

"We believe an off-duty Warwick police officer was involved in an assault," Lapatin said.

After a man was assaulted at about 11:30 p.m., he was taken to the hospital and released, Lapatin said.

More: A pivot on police discipline in Rhode Island? How officers' bill of rights might change

Warwick's police chief, Col. Bradford E. Connor, said he was aware of the police investigation and the presence of three Warwick officers at the establishment.

"We will cooperate to every extent possible with their investigation," Connor said. "We hold our officers to a high standard and will not tolerate any inappropriate or illegal activity."

He said he could not comment further under a state law, the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence police investigating St. Patrick's Day assault outside Brass Monkey
In supporting Russias military operations against Ukraine, the Syrian regime has underlined its close military and other links to Russia,

Syria was one of five countries that opposed last weeks UN General Assembly Resolution condemning Russias military operation in Ukraine. The resolution urged Moscow to immediately halt the use of force against Kyiv and immediately withdraw all its military forces from Ukraine. By opposing the resolution, the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad took a contrary position to 141 other UN countries.

Syria believes the West provoked Russia and forced it to resort to military action in Ukraine. It has pledged to support Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Al-Assad declaring his support for the Russian military operation in Ukraine and describing actions by the West towards Russia as hysteria.

Al-Assad said that Russia is not only defending itself, but the entire world, and the principles of justice and humanity, according to a read-out of a telephone conversation between the Syrian president and Putin. He claimed that what is occurring is a correction of history and a restoring of the balance after it tipped when the Soviet Union was dismantled.

The enemy that the Syrian and Russian armies are fighting is one. In Syria, it is extremism, and in Ukraine it is Nazism, Al-Assad said.

The statements were preceded by recognition by the Syrian regime of the secession of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine as independent republics. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad said Syria supports President Putins decision to recognise the republics of Luhansk and Donetsk and will cooperate with them.

The Syrian regime also recognised the independence of the two republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that seceded from Georgia after a Russian military operation in 2008. It recognised the independence of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The relationship between Syria and Russia is strategic, though it evolved into more than that after Russia began its direct military intervention in Syria in 2015. Russia has gained much influence in Syria as a result, and Syrias leadership is always seeking to repay Russia for the decades of support it has extended to the country since the days of former Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad, Bashars father.

Russias military intervention in Syria in 2015 restored Al-Assads power after he was close to losing areas under his control and weakened the armed Syrian opposition. According to statements by senior Russian military officials, Russia also took advantage of the Syrian conflict as a testing ground for weapons and tactics it is now using in Ukraine.

Many observers have drawn parallels between what Russia is doing in Ukraine and its actions in Syria. The comparisons have prompted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to ask NATO to prevent Putin from transforming his country into another Syria. Addressing the NATO countries, Kuleba said, act now before it is too late. Do not let Putin turn Ukraine into Syria.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has also expressed concern that the worst is yet to come in the Russian-Ukrainian war. We should fear a siege, which the Russians are accustomed to doing. Remember Aleppo and Grozny, Le Drian said, referring to cities in Syria and Chechnya, respectively, bombed by Russia.

Syrias opposition has sided with Ukraine and criticised the West, led by the US, for its relative inaction in Syria. There is a great difference between the position of the international community towards Ukraine and its position on Syria, said Salem Al-Meslet, head of the Syrian Opposition Coalition.

The international community must bear responsibility in Syria and in Ukraine, he said, with the Syrian Network for Human Rights criticising what it described as the Wests double standards towards Russia in Syria and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Syrian regime has begun to feel the impact of its support for Moscow, especially after the start of the sanctions against Russia. Within days, the Syrian lira dropped sharply on the international exchanges, and Syrian officials hinted at an imminent crisis in supplies of oil and wheat.

Syrias support for Russia has also been manifested on the political plane. Coinciding with the 11th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict, the US Embassy in Damascus has announced that March will be a month of accountability for the Syrian regime and that the impunity will end in Syria.

The US called a meeting in Washington of the Friends of Syria group on 3 March, which included the US, Turkey, France, Germany, Norway, the UK, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The attendees reiterated their commitment to seeking a political solution to the Syrian crisis in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Commenting on Washingtons new interest in Syria, Syrian opposition member Radwan Ziadeh said that I expect the Biden administration is working on developing a political and military strategy for Syria after what happened in Ukraine. It could include prioritising a push for a political transition and removing Al-Assad.

Neither the Security Council nor the UN can do a thing because Russia is a permanent member [of the Security Council]. On the Syrian issue, Russia used its veto 13 times to paralyse the work of the Security Council, blocking the condemnation of the Syrian regime and preventing the International Criminal Court from investigating war crimes or crimes against humanity committed in Syria, Ziadeh said.

The Syrian regime sent its National Security Chief Ali Mamlouk to Tehran, where he met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Al-Assad also received Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior adviser to Irans foreign minister, to discuss boosting cooperation between the two countries.

This sent a message that Russia is not the only ally of the Syrian regime, and that Iran is also its stalwart ally. It shows that Tehran is ready to fill the vacuum in Syria if Russia is distracted by a long war in Ukraine, especially since Iran is likely to sign a nuclear deal with the international community soon.

For ordinary Syrians, the war in Ukraine has made their lives worse. Amid opposite positions by the Syrian regime and the opposition on the war in Ukraine, there have been reports that the war has become a destination for Syrian young people looking for a new battle where warlords are looking to profiter.

Recruiters are active in Damascus and areas under regime control, signing up young people to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine. They include 23,000 combatants who have fought alongside the Syrian regime as part of militias affiliated with the Syrian presidents cousin and National Defence Forces.

The young people are said to be being paid $7,000 over seven months to defend facilities in Ukraine, which suggests that the Russian Hmeimim Base in Syria, the main hub of recruitment, anticipates the Ukraine war will last for months, not days.

Other reports say that Syrians have decided to volunteer to fight alongside Ukrainian forces, especially after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the door for volunteers from around the world to join his armys fight. It is believed that some have already arrived in Ukraine from Turkey and camps in northern Syria.

Syrian political analyst Saeed Moqbel said that the Syrian situation has become more complicated with the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Syrias future is not clear because its fate depends on the volition of countries battling and interfering in the country. Syria has become a weapon in the hands of players in global wars.

About 90 per cent of Syrians now live on the edge of poverty. 12.4 million, or 60 per cent of the population, suffer from food insecurity, the Syrian lira is in freefall, and food prices are skyrocketing. Meanwhile, political solutions to the crisis are blocked, the regime is tightening its grip on power, and the military weakness of both the opposition and regime makes them both dependent on the strength of others.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 10 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, surrounded by several GOP colleagues, speaks about the Russian invasion in Ukraine during a press conference at the US Capitol on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Trump's "America First" platform shunned American involvement abroad.

Criticizing Putin remains verboten for the MAGA faithful.

The war in Ukraine has shaken awake some establishment Republicans.

Republicans held their tongues through all the ally-alienating NATO bashing Donald Trump did as president. They largely held ranks during his Ukrainian aid-related first impeachment.

The GOP of 2023 is turning into something very different. Key parts of it have shed the MAGA gag to assail Vladimir Putin for launching a war in Ukraine.

"Serial war criminal."

"Megalomaniacal dictator."

"Thug."

"Loser."

Those were just a few of the personal insults that flew from the likes of Republican Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, John Cornyn of Texas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, respectively, as they unloaded on the Russian president at the US Capitol.

Wicker accused Putin of slaughtering tens of thousands of women and children over the years, citing his involvement in deadly campaigns including the leveling of the Chechen capital of Grozny two decades ago and the bombardment of Aleppo, Syria in 2016. "He will continue to kill innocent human beings until he's stopped," Wicker told reporters.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a former Trump rival who then became a key ally in Congress, said cutting Putin's ambitions short should be everybody's top priority.

"It is in America's national security interest for Russia to lose because we don't want Putin to be stronger and to take a major step towards reassembling the Soviet Union, towards threatening Americans, towards threatening our allies in Europe," Cruz said earlier this week.

Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who advocated for shipping over whatever defensive weapons Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants ASAP, cast the current conflict in apocalyptic terms.

"It's a moral battle between good guys and bad guys," Sasse said while surrounded by a dozen colleagues at the US Capitol. "And we need the good guys to win."

Story continues

Then-President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands in Helsinki, Finland on July 16, 2018. Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images

It's all a stark change from the insular "America First'' strategy favored by Trump, who devoted his time in office to building walls around the country, demanded protection money from NATO allies he said were overly reliant on the US, and cut deals with the Taliban to withdraw the US from the forever war in Afghanistan.

Now as an ex-president, Trump still seemingly can't help but cheer on the ambitious former KGB agent, just like he's done throughout his business career and polarizing one-term presidency.

The GOP's rhetorical dam break has gushed forth since Zelenskyy's address to Congress, a heart-breaking appeal that garnered sympathy galore on Capitol Hill but didn't sway lawmakers on keeping US troops off the battlefield  for now.

Another likely catalyst was Trump's jarring praise of Putin, whom he described as "savvy" and "genius" right as Putin launched the assault on neighboring Ukraine.

The split is playing out both in the US and abroad.

Russian state television is re-running Putin-friendly segments by Fox News personality Tucker Carlson and clips of Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina calling Zelenskyy a "thug."

Democrats are also trying to score political points off the disparity.

Left-leaning Really American PAC released an ad blasting several Republicans for singing Russia's praises during a July 4, 2018, visit to Moscow. The lawmakers have since bashed President Joe Biden's handling of the Ukraine crisis.

The Independence Day revelers include Republican Sens. Moran, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Richard Shelby of Alabama, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, and John Thune of South Dakota.

Across the Capitol, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy continues playing clean up on all things MAGA.

Last week McCarthy called Putin "evil" to distance himself from Trump's comments. He publicly chastised Cawthorn on Friday for the "thug" remark. And he'll no doubt spend the next few days fielding awkward questions about the eight House Republicans who recently voted against halting normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.

Party unity is more important than ever, Cruz said, adding that he draws strength from then-President Ronald Reagan's philosophy about the original Cold War.

"He said, 'It's very simple. We win, they lose,'" Cruz said in Washington. "We need that clarity to defeat Putin right now."

Read the original article on Business Insider
"Wanted: Dead or alive. Vladimir Putin for mass murder," the online image read.

A California-based entrepreneur posted the image to his LinkedIn page in early March with a short note offering $1 million to the Russian officer who arrests Putin. The next day, as Russian military forces escalated attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine's largest cities, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., publicly took up a similar call.

"Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?" Graham wrote on Twitter, referring to the Roman politician who assassinated Julius Caesar and the German officer who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler.

"The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country  and the world  a great service," Graham wrote.

The White House emphasized that regime change is not U.S. policy, and researchers and academics warned that Graham's comments could be interpreted as the United States disregarding international law and fuel disinformation in Russia.

"There are so many dangerous aspects to his comments," said Anthony Arend, co-founder of the Institute for International Law and Politics at Georgetown University. It sets the possible precedent that others will be able to look at the United States and say, Well, they're advocating it. Why don't we simply move to a foreign policy that more broadly incorporates assassinations or targeting regime leaders?

WAR CRIMES: Putin will be investigated, but Russian leaders unlikely to be prosecuted

'That is not the position of the United States government'

The White House and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle denounced Graham's suggestions. Hours after Graham's initial comments, White House press secretary Jen Psaki made clear the statements are not the policy of the United States.

"No, we are not advocating for killing the leader of a foreign country or a regime change," Psaki said. "That is not the position of the United States government and certainly not a statement you'd hear come from the mouth of anybody working in this administration."

Story continues

'TAKE THIS GUY OUT': White House responds to Graham's comment on Putin

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called Graham's suggestion "an exceptionally bad idea."

"Use massive economic sanctions; BOYCOTT Russian oil & gas; and provide military aid so the Ukrainians can defend themselves. But we should not be calling for the assassination of heads of state," Cruz wrote on Twitter.

The Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, called the comments "unacceptable and outrageous."

"It's time for him to go. He's a war criminal," U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said March 16, calling for the people of Russia to stand up to President Vladimir Putin.

"It becomes scary for the US fate, which is run by such irresponsible and unprofessional politicians," he wrote in a Facebook post March 4. "We demand official explanations and a strong condemnation of the criminal statements of this American."

Graham doubled down on his calls in a news conference Wednesday, when a reporter asked, "Do you stand by your call to have Putin be assassinated?"

"Yeah, I hope he'll be taken out, one way or the other," Graham said. "I don't care how they take him out. I don't care if we send him to the Hague and try him. I just want him to go. Yes, I'm on record."

Graham said he was not advocating for the United States to invade Russia or send troops to Ukraine: "I am asking the Russian people to rise up and end this reign of terror." Graham's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Q: "Do you stand by your call to have Putin be assassinated?"



Sen. @LindseyGrahamSC: "Yeah, I hope he'll be taken out. One way or the other. I don't care how they take him out...If John McCain were here he'd be saying the same thing...the world is better off without Putin." pic.twitter.com/TeuDNBLcOT  CSPAN (@cspan) March 16, 2022

'It gives Russia a particular case to point at'

Nika Aleksejeva, a Latvia-based researcher with the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, said Graham's comments fuel a Kremlin narrative that portrays the United States as a violent and lawless sponsor of terrorism, out to get Russia.

"The U.S. is painted as the great evil in Russia," she said. "One of the disinformation narrative lines is that Ukraine is our brother nation, and Russia is forced to carry out this military operation because the U.S. made Ukraine go away from Russia  that the U.S. is to blame in all these problems that are now between Russia and Ukraine."

Ukraine became independent in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and many see Putin's invasion as his attempt to regain the standing his country lost then.

Why is Putin threatening Ukraine? Respect, fear, power at play in Russian leader's motivations

Aleksejeva, who monitors news outlets and social media in Russia, said Graham's comments were perceived as a "diplomatic scandal" in Russia but weren't shocking for consumers of state-sponsored media. Audiences have been primed to expect U.S. threats.

"It gives Russia a particular case to point at," she said. "These comments are qualified as calls to terror attacks."

Aleksejeva said she's concerned Graham's comments may be used in Kremlin-backed propaganda campaigns to justify Russian aggression. "It opens opportunity for disinformation to be later created based on this particular event," she said.

Why US can't assassinate Putin despite killing other leaders

Engaging in or supporting others in an assassination of Putin would violate a U.S. directive and international law, Arend said.

U.S. directives forbidding assassinations go as far back as 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln issued what is known as the Lieber Code. "Civilized nations look with horror upon offers of rewards for the assassination of enemies as relapses into barbarism," the code states.

The Lieber Code formed the basis of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. The international treaties state it is "especially forbidden" to "kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army." Other treaties, including the 1977 amendment protocol to the Geneva Conventions and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, also speak to the issue.

WHAT IS A WAR CIMRE? Ukraine accuses Russia of them, but what exactly constitutes a war crime?

Concerns about assassinations gained renewed attention in the USA in the 1970s, after a series of post-Watergate news reports and congressional investigations revealed evidence of CIA assassination plots or support of plots against Cuban President Fidel Castro and leaders in Chile, the Dominican Republic, South Vietnam and what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"When this information became public, there was a public outrage," Arend said.

President Gerald Ford responded in 1976 with an executive order banning "political assassinations," followed by orders from Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

The standing directive, Reagan's 1981 Executive Order 12333, states that "no person, employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government, shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination." The order does not define "assassination."

Since then, the United States has argued that "targeted killings" of alleged terrorists are acts of self-defense. There is "no concrete, verifiable number of deaths from U.S. targeted killings," according to Human Rights Watch.

Among them are the killing of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, more than two years ago and of Osama bin Laden in 2011. In both cases, the men were seen under U.S. law as "combatants," not civilians, in ongoing or potential armed conflicts, Arend said.

"It becomes complicated when we deal with someone like Putin. At present, the United States and Russia are not at war," Arend said. "There is no way that the United States in its relationship to Russia could conceptualize that Putin is a combatant. He is a civilian leader of another country."

There is "no doubt" the United States historically has violated international law, but Graham's rhetoric creates a "moral equivalence" between the United States and Russia, he said.

"The type of activities which Putin himself has authorized are different from what the United States does," Arend said.

IN MAPS: Tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Hold Putin 'criminally accountable using due process'

For the first time in public, President Joe Biden called Putin a "war criminal" on Wednesday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed with him Thursday.

"Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime," Blinken said at a White House news briefing.

MORE ON PUTIN AND WAR CRIMES: Calling Putin out is unlikely to stop him, observers say

Kathryn Sikkink, a professor of human rights policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, noted three international courts are investigating Russian actions: the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court and European Court of Human Rights.

An assassination would rob Russia of the chance for legal justice and a stable transition in leadership, Sikkink said.

"If you've had leaders who've committed crimes, you want the new government to be able to put those leaders on trial and hold them criminally accountable using due process for crimes they've committed," Sikkink said. "And if you find them guilty, to sentence them and imprison them."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vladimir Putin assassination: Why Graham's comments are dangerous
Four U.S. Marines were killed on Friday when an American MV-22 Osprey aircraft crashed during a large NATO military exercise in Norway, the Norwegian prime minister said.

"It is with great sadness we have received the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said on Saturday on Twitter. "The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit."

It is with great sadness we have recived the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night. The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.  Jonas Gahr Stre (@jonasgahrstore) March 19, 2022

The plane crashed in Nordland, a county in northern Norway, local authorities said. Police arrived at the scene around 1:30 a.m. local time and "soon confirmed that the crew of 4 were deceased," Nordland Chief in Staff Bent Eilertsen said in a statement. "As far as we know, all 4 are American."

The Norwegian government confirmed the four crew members' bodies were retrieved Sunday. The Marines then identified the deceased as Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Capt. Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts; Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio and Cpl. Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky.

"The pilots and crew were committed to accomplishing their mission and serving a cause greater than themselves, Maj. Gen. Michael Cederholm, the commanding general of 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a letter released Sunday to his Marines and their families.

The Marines will be reunited with their families through dignified transfer in the coming days, officials said.

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"We will continue to execute the mission while keeping these Marines and their service on the forefront of our minds. We will never allow these Marines sacrifice to go unnoticed or unappreciated," Cederholm said. "Keep these Marines and their loved ones in your thoughts and prayers."

The Marines were assigned to the Second Marine Aircraft Wing.

"Though the nature of military service is inherently dangerous, the safety of our Marines, Sailors, Allies and partners is our top priority," the Second Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to the families affected by these events."

Maj. Jim Stenger, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson, said in a statement Friday that the aircraft was conducting training as part of Cold Response, a large NATO military exercise that occurs every two years, when the incident occurred.

Stenger said the incident remains under investigation.

MORE: Navy launches training exercise in Arctic Circle as global tensions rise

Currently, there are 3,000 U.S. Marines in northern Norway participating in Cold Response 22, described as one of the largest NATO exercises since the end of the Cold War. There are 30,000 troops in total participating in this year's exercise.

Held every two years, the exercise was planned long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and helps to train multinational NATO forces in how to operate in the Arctic.

Norway's Armed Forces and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway issued statements Friday confirming they were searching for a missing Osprey aircraft that had failed to land at its destination.

"The Osprey belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps and is taking part in the Norwegian military exercise Cold Response in Norway," said the statement from Forsvaret, Norway's armed forces. "The aircraft has a crew of four and was out on a training mission in Nordland County, northern Norway on Friday 18 March 2022."

PHOTO: U.S. Marines with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force prepare to land in an MV-22B Osprey over the Norwegian Army Base in Setermoen, Norway, March 2, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps)

The statement said the Osprey was en route to Bod, where it was scheduled to land just before 6 p.m. local time and was reported missing at 6:26 p.m. local time with its last known position being south of Bod.

Search and rescue aircraft were launched but weather conditions in the area were described as "challenging and are expected to get worse." An apparent crash site south of Bod was located from the air three hours later.

"Due to the weather conditions, it has not been possible to enter the site from the air," said the Norwegian armed forces statement Friday. "Police and rescue crews are now on their way into the area."

The investigation at the crash site has been further paused due to poor weather conditions, Nordland police said.

"It is extreme avalanche danger and heavy rain in the area right now," Eilertsen said. "Landslide experts have given the police a strong recommendation not to enter the landslide area."

Police will return once the weather allows, he said. The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority has also been notified.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

4 US Marines killed in Osprey aircraft crash during training in Norway originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The fake German heiress Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, has lived many lives in her 30 years. Shes been a Russian immigrant, a fashion student, a New York socialite, an arts and culture entrepreneur, a Rikers Island inmate, a well-heeled, celebrity defendant, a convicted felon, and the inspiration behind Netflix juggernaut Inventing Anna. Next up: a deportee in waiting.



The Netflix original series depicts the rapid rise and even steeper descent of Sorokin who spent years galavanting across Manhattan, living in boutique hotels, dining at expensive restaurants, and leaving a trail of suspicious, six-figure IOUs in her wake. She survived off of bounced checks and fake wire transfers until 2017 when she was arrested in a sting operation outside the entrance of an upscale rehab facility in Malibu, California on charges of grand larceny and theft. The jig was up. In May 2019, a jury convicted Sorokin on a handful of grand larceny and theft services charges. She was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, rebranded as inmate #19G0366, and shipped up to Albion Correctional Facilities in upstate New York.



Read on for the latest on her real life whereabouts.

When was Anna Sorokin released from prison?

Lets cut right to the chase: No, Anna Sorokin is not still in prison. At least, not the same prison she was in when she was first sentenced back in 2019. Sorokin was released from there on parole in February 2021, after serving three years in her four-to-12-year sentence. The reason for her early release? Good behavior.

Immediately after she was released, Sorokin settled her debts. She used a portion of the $320,000 she received from Netflix for the rights to her life story to pay back the $200,000 she owed the banks. She coughed up an additional $25,000 to pay New York state fines. With her debts settled, she checked into the NoMad Hotel in downtown Manhattan and resumed posting glam shots of her post-prison life on Instagram. She gave countless interviews and made a few bold statements about her experience in prison. On Good Morning America, she claimed her time in Rikers was therapeutic. She rented an apartment in Manhattan and began promoting a potential new fashion collaboration with former Hood By Air designer Paul Cupo. She checked in with her parole officer regularly. Obviously, she hired a videographer to document her new life.

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Unfortunately, it was short-lived.



Why was Anna Sorokin rearrested?

In March 2021, Sorokin was arrested by immigration authorities for overstaying her visa. She had an immigration detainer attached to her name when she was first released from prison, but clearly, she wasnt in any rush to leave New York. Sorokin was scheduled to be deported back to Germany (Auf Wiedersehen, Anna!) on March 26, but was filing an application for relief, which is essentially legalese for please dont make me go back to Germany, as as a result stayed in custody stateside. Through her lawyer, Audrey Thomas, Sorokin has asked to be granted asylum.

According to court documents reviewed by Esquire, Sorokin applied for asylum based on a fear of returning to Germany. Evidently, Sorokin and her family have received numerous threats due to the media coverage of her crimes and she fears she will be retaliated against for embarrassing her country. Sorokins application for asylum was denied in June 2021, but she quickly appealed. Despite her lawyers many attempts to get her released on bond while she awaits a final decision on her appeal, Sorokin remained in custody in Orange County Correctional Facility in upstate New York. She tested positive for COVID-19 in January and spent more than a week in quarantine isolation. Im sure Ill live, but I havent been this sick in years, wrote Sorokin in an article published by Insider.

Did Anna Sorokin Get Deported?

Not yet! Sorokin was supposed to board a flight bound to Frankfurt on Monday night, but the deportation failed at the last minute when, according to the New York Post, she just, like, didn't show up to the airport. Sorokin's lawyer, Manny Arora, has since said that her failure to appear was most likely caused by the motion he filed late on Monday afternoon to stay the deportation. Evidently, a judge needs to make an official decision on that matter before Sorokin can be deported. Until we get a ruling from the appeal to stay the deportation, there wont be much else to report," explained Arora.

So consider it one of those rare instances when missing a flight is actually a good thing, because if there's one thing we know for sure, it's that the fake heiress really doesn't want to return to Germany.

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Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson turned head with one of her most showstopper looks yet.

As viewers may know, the Australian actress and comedian hosted the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on March 13. A few days prior, Rebel gave her fans a sneak peek of the then-upcoming event with a still photo of herself from behind-the-scenes BAFTA footage. In the Instagram pic, she wore a blue wool coat, a bold red lip and her signature blonde hair styled to look like old Hollywood glam.

After seeing Rebel's post promoting the special ceremony, her celebrity friends showed her an outpour of support in the comments section. Pitch Perfect costar Adam Devine wrote: "Dn gurl!!!" Senior Year actor Joshua Colley added: "I literally gasped at this photo." Fellow Australian actor Hugh Sheridan said: "Rebel you are and always have been a superstar ."

Without hesitation, Rebel's fans also rushed to leave their own heartwarming messages about the stunning snap. One person wrote: "Wowzers I went for a moment, who is that??." Another added: "You look INCREDIBLE REBEL!!!!!!!!" A different fan said: "Gosh you look so beautiful, good luck with your hosting, we all are wishing you have a fantastic time ."

As it turns out, Rebel did crush her BAFTA hosting gig. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter before the major event, she revealed how she was feeling before taking the stage again. Folks might remember her landing the coveted hosting role back in 2020. Though Rebel has done more work in front the camera, she admitted to still feeling a little anxious about having all eyes on her.

Photo credit: Dave J Hogan - Getty Images

"I actually get pretty nervous doing live appearances, especially something like this when theres the entire industry right there  my future employers!" she told the outlet. "It can be nerve-wracking. Sometimes I do a bit of a character in my presentation. But when youre the host, I dont think you can hide behind anything. I just have to come out as myself, which will be terrifying!"

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Many might agree that Rebel conquered her fear!

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A police officer in front of a police car





About 400 bulletproof vests that were going to be sent to Ukraine were stolen from a nonprofit organization in New York City.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said the vests, which were donated by local law enforcement, were stolen from the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women's League of America in Manhattan, The Associated Press reported.

Andrij Dobriansky, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, said the vests were supposed to be shipped to Poland and then sent into Ukraine. The gear would have likely been used by civilian security and medical personnel, according to the AP.

"It is despicable that someone would break into a building to steal supplies and materials intended to aid those affected by this humanitarian crisis," said Vicki DiStefano, a spokeswoman for Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr., whose office donated some of the vests, according to the AP.

The sheriff's office told the AP that officers stop using the vests after five years, but they remain capable of offering full protection.

Police departments across the country have donated extra equipment to Ukraine since Russia's invasion into the country began, with officials in Colorado, New York and Vermont confirming that their law enforcement agencies have sent tactical gear to Ukraine, Denver 7 reported.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina state investigators are probing the voter registration of Mark Meadows, a former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, amid questions about him listing a home he never owned on voter records, the state attorney generals office said Thursday.

Attorney General Josh Stein's office asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look into Meadows' voter registration after a local prosecutor requested that state authorities oversee any probe of the matter, N.C. Department of Justice spokeswoman Nazneen Ahmed said in an email.

We have asked the SBI to investigate and at the conclusion of the investigation, well review their findings, Ahmed said.

In a letter Monday, Macon County District Attorney Ashley Welch asked the attorney general's office to handle any probe into Meadows' voter registration and said that she would recuse herself from the matter. She noted that Meadows, a former congressman from the area, contributed to her campaign for DA and appeared in political ads endorsing her.

She also said she had no knowledge of the case until it was reported in the media.

Until being contacted by the media, I was unaware of any allegations of voter fraud surrounding Mark Meadows, she said

Welch's office released the letter Thursday and declined further comment.

A spokesman for Meadows didnt immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday.

WRAL-TV first reported that state authorities are investigating Meadows' voter registration.

Public records show that Meadows is registered to vote in two states, including North Carolina, where he listed a mobile home he did not own as his legal residence weeks before casting a ballot in the 2020 presidential election.

Meadows listed a mobile home in Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, as his physical address on Sept. 19, 2020, while he was serving as Trumps chief of staff in Washington, D.C. Scaly Mountain is just north of the Georgia-North Carolina border and about 90 miles (145 km) west of Asheville.

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Meadows later cast an absentee ballot for the general election by mail. Trump won the battleground state by just over 1 percentage point.

The New Yorker, which first reported the questions about Meadows' voter registration, interviewed the current and former owner of the Scaly Mountain property. The previous owner said Meadows wife rented the property for two months at some point within the past few years but only spent one or two nights there. Neighbors said Meadows was never present, The New Yorker reported.

Public records indicate Meadows registered to vote in Alexandria, Virginia, almost exactly one year after he registered in Scaly Mountain and just weeks before Virginias high-profile governors election last fall.

Meadows frequently raised the prospect of voter fraud before the 2020 presidential election, as polls showed Trump trailing Joe Biden, and in the months following Trumps loss to suggest Biden was not the legitimate winner. He repeated those baseless claims that the election was stolen in his 2021 memoir.
Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Saturday, March 19. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Sunday, March 20, as Russia's invasion continues.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has entered its fourth week without capturing Kyiv or toppling Ukraine's government, but the bombardment of Ukrainian cities continues  a move western defense experts warn could be a sign of a cruel and intentional strategy.

The situation grew increasingly dire in the port city of Mariupol, where Russian forces pushed deeper Saturday in an area already experiencing what onlookers describe as a humanitarian crisis.

"Children, elderly people are dying. The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth, Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin said in a video filmed Friday that was authenticated by The Associated Press..

Fighting shut down the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraines interior minister, said Saturday, while other officials said forces that could help Ukraine defend Mariupol were facing massive resistance.

"There is currently no military solution to Mariupol, Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said late Friday. That is not only my opinion, that is the opinion of the military.

Britains defense intelligence chief described it as an emerging strategy of attrition.

Russian forces are besieging Ukrainian cities, relying increasingly on bombarding them from a distance with artillery, missiles and air strikes, according to the Pentagon.

This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties, destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, and intensify the humanitarian crisis, British Defense attache Mick Smeath said in a statement Saturday.

Meanwhile in Russia, President Vladimir Putin is reinforcing his control of domestic media, attempting to obscure high casualties amid fierce resistance encountered in his invasion of Ukraine, according to a British Defense Ministry intelligence estimate.

Story continues

The assessment was echoed by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, in a report this week. The group warned that since Russia's "lightning offensive designed to take the capital" had failed, the military appeared to be settling in for an extended campaign "designed to suffocate Ukraine."

REFUGEE EXODUS: Millions of refugees are fleeing Ukraine. Where are they going?

The strategy would likely involve attacking civilian areas, destroying cities and blocking off supplies, possibly leading to famine, according to the analysis. The organization later drew parallels to an artificial famine engineered by the Kremlin in the 1930s that killed millions of Ukrainians  a Soviet attempt to "subjugate the Ukrainian nation."

ANTI-TANK WARFARE: As Russian troops close in on major cities in Ukraine, anti-tank weapons can make a major difference

A JOURNALIST AND A REFUGEE: How one reporter helps cover the war in Ukraine while living through the fallout.

Latest developments:

At least 847 civilians, including 64 children, have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner reported Saturday, but the agency said the actual figures are much higher. Agents also estimated the violence had left nearly 1,400 civilians injured, including 78 children.

The Mariupol city council claimed Russian soldiers have forced several thousand city residents to be relocated to Russia. "The occupiers illegally took people out of the Levoberezhny district and a shelter in the building of a sports club, where more than a thousand people (mostly women and children) were hiding from constant bombing," the council said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

Saturday, Ukraine and Russia agreed to open 10 humanitarian corridors to assist in the evacuation efforts, according to Ukraine's deputy prime minster.

The U.N. migration agency says the fighting has displaced nearly 6.5 million people inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million refugees who have already fled the country. Ukraine says thousands have been killed.

109 empty strollers placed outside the Lviv city council on March 18, 2022 commemorate the number of children killed in Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukraine military claims to have killed another Russian general  the fifth since the invasion began.

UK defense says Ukraine holding its airspace

The British defense ministry said the Ukrainian Air Force and air defense forces are continuing to effectively defend Ukrainian airspace.

Russia has failed to gain control of the air and is largely relying on stand-off weapons launched from the relative safety of Russian airspace to strike targets within Ukraine, the ministry said on Twitter. Gaining control of the air was one of Russias principal objectives for the opening days of the conflict and their continued failure to do so has significantly blunted their operational progress.

A Ukrainian military official meanwhile confirmed to a Ukrainian newspaper that Russian forces carried out a missile strike Friday on a missile and ammunition warehouse in the Delyatyn settlement of the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine.

But Ukraines Air Forces spokesman Yurii Ihnat told Ukrainskaya Pravda on Saturday that it has not been confirmed that the missile was indeed a hypersonic Kinzhal.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said earlier Saturday that Russian military hit the underground warehouse in Delyatyn on Friday with the hypersonic Kinzhal missile in its first reported combat use. According to Russian officials, the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to 1,250 miles flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

RUSSIAN PROGRESS IN UKRAINE: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

This is how Russian air activity looks from 1 March. Data based on @MotolkoHelp https://t.co/0XJCl6XIay pic.twitter.com/JrcHIMEkVT  Konrad Muzyka - Rochan Consulting (@konrad_muzyka) March 19, 2022

Zelenskyy says Mariupol terror a war crime

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the siege of Mariupol will go down in history for what he's calling war crimes by Russia's military.

To do this to a peaceful city, what the occupiers did, is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come, he said early Sunday in his nighttime video address to the nation.

Zelenskyy told Ukrainians the ongoing negotiations with Russia were not simple or pleasant, but they are necessary. He said he discussed the course of the talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday.

Ukraine has always sought a peaceful solution. Moreover, we are interested in peace now, he said.

Meanwhile, Russia's military isn't even recovering the bodies of its soldiers in some places, Zelenskyy said.

In places where there were especially fierce battles, the bodies of Russian soldiers simply pile up along our line of defense. And no one is collecting these bodies, he said. He described as battle near Chornobayivka in the south, where Ukrainian forces held their positions and six times beat back the Russians, who just kept sending their people to slaughter.

- The Associated Press

'PLEASE HELP US': Weary voices call from Mariupol, where bodies line streets

Experts: Math of military occupation may be against Putin in Ukraine

Estimates of Russian deaths vary widely. Yet even conservative figures are in the low thousands. Thats a much faster pace than in previous Russian offensives, threatening support for the war among ordinary Russians. Russia had 64 deaths in five days of fighting during its 2008 war with Georgia. It lost about 15,000 in Afghanistan over 10 years, and more than 11,000 over years of fighting in Chechnya.

Russias number of dead and wounded in Ukraine is nearing the 10% benchmark of diminished combat effectiveness, said Dmitry Gorenburg, a researcher on Russias security at the Virginia-based CNA think tank. The reported battlefield deaths of four Russian generals  out of an estimated 20 in the fight  signal impaired command, he said.

Researchers tracking only those Russian equipment losses that were photographed or recorded on video say Russia has lost more than 1,500 tanks, trucks, mounted equipment and other heavy gear. Two out of three of those were captured or abandoned, signaling the failings of the Russian troops that let them go.

When it comes to the grinding job of capturing and holding cities, conventional military metrics suggest Russia needs a 5-to-1 advantage in urban fighting, analysts say. Meanwhile, the formula for ruling a restive territory in the face of armed opposition is 20 fighters for every 1,000 people  or 800,000 Russian troops for Ukraines more than 40 million people, said Michael Clarke, former head of the British-based Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank

Thats almost as many as Russias entire active-duty military of 900,000, and it means controlling substantial Ukrainian territory long term could take more resources than Russia can commit, he said.

Unless the Russians intend to be completely genocidal  they could flatten all the major cities, and Ukrainians will rise up against Russian occupation  there will be just constant guerrilla war, said Clarke.

- The Associated Press

WHAT IS THE HOLODOMOR?: A brief history of the deadly famine in Ukraine many call genocide

Ukrainians evacuated along 8 of 10 agreed upon humanitarian corridors

Evacuations from besieged cities proceeded Saturday along eight of 10 humanitarian corridors, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. She said a total of 6,623 people were evacuated, including 4,128 from Mariupol who were taken northwest to Zaporizhzhia.

Russian forces pushed deeper into the besieged and battered port city of Mariupol, where heavy fighting on Saturday shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the wars worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks into the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II.

-The Associated Press

Pope Francis visits Ukrainian children at Vatican hospital

Pope Francis has paid a visit to some of the Ukrainian children who escaped the Russian invasion and are currently being treated at the Vaticans pediatric hospital in Rome.

The Vatican says the Bambino Gesu hospital is currently tending to 19 Ukrainian refugees, and that overall some 50 have passed through in recent weeks.

Some were suffering oncological, neurological and other problems before the war and fled in the early days. Others are being treated for wounds incurred as a result of the invasion.

The Vatican says Francis travelled the short distance up the hill to the hospital on Saturday afternoon. He met with all the young patients in their rooms before returning back to the Vatican.

Francis has spoken out about the barbarity of the war and especially the death and injury it has caused Ukrainian children.

-The Associated Press

Russia says it used hypersonic missiles for the first time

Russia said it used a hypersonic missile Friday to strike a western Ukraine target, the Interfax news agency reported.

Hypersonic missiles are missiles that can move at five times the speed of sound. The Russian military said these missiles are capable of hitting targets at a range of more than 1,200 miles, or roughly the distance from New York City to Kansas City.

"The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aero ballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region," the Russian defense ministry said Saturday.

This is the first known use of hypersonic missiles since Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

- Ana Faguy

The Drama Theatre is destroyed by shelling in Mariupol.

On Poland visit, senators reaffirm US support for Ukraine, call Putin 'weak'

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators visited a refugee center in Poland on Saturday and met with officials from several countries to reinforce U.S. support for providing humanitarian assistance and lethal aid to Ukraines defense against Russias invasion.

This invasion of Russia into Ukraine is abhorrent and we cannot stand for it, said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. The goal is a free and sovereign Ukraine. We want peace, but we want a free and sovereign Ukraine.

The lawmakers displayed part of a missile that struck close to the Polish border. Ernst said lawmakers didnt visit the border, but did stop in at a refugee center where people rested before resettling elsewhere in Poland or other countries.

AID FOR UKRAINE: Biden calls Putin a 'war criminal' after signing off on $800 million in new military aid: March 16 recap

We do need to find new ways of getting much needed material into Ukraine as quickly as possible, Ernst said after the delegation met with leaders from Poland, Ukraine and Germany.

Ernst, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard who served in the Iraq war and sits on the Armed Services Committee, said Russian President Vladimir Putin should be held accountable for the war and for targeting women, children and the elderly.

Its a truly weak man that targets children, elderly, women. Putin is a weak leader, Ernst said. He may be trying to project strength, but he is a weak man when he is going after weak individuals. We need to hold him accountable for the crimes that he is committing in Ukraine. This is abhorrent. It is an illegal war and he needs to held accountable.

- Bart Jansen

UNICEF: 1.5M Ukrainian refugee children at risk of human trafficking

The more than 1.5 million children who have fled Ukraine as refugees face a higher risk for exploitation and trafficking, UNICEF said Saturday.

Women and children represent nearly all of the refugees who have left Ukraine since Feb. 24. UNICEF said that increases the proportion of potential trafficking victims.

"The war in Ukraine is leading to massive displacement and refugee flows - conditions that could lead to a significant spike in human trafficking and an acute child protection crisis," said Afshan Khan, UNICEF's Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. "Displaced children are extremely vulnerable to being separated from their families, exploited, and trafficked. They need governments in the region to step up and put measures in place to keep them safe."

With more than 500 unaccompanied children identified crossing from Ukraine into Romania as of March 17, UNICEF warned that separated children are especially vulnerable to trafficking.

- Ana Faguy

Russian cosmonauts board space station in blue and yellow spacesuits

Three Russian cosmonauts on Friday boarded the International Space Station donning spacesuits in the Ukrainian flag's colors. Images of the cosmonauts wearing the striking yellow and blue suits sparked speculation online that the colors were worn in protest of Russias invasion.

The cosmonauts are Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov. They docked at the station in their Russian Soyuz spacecraft at 3:12 p.m. EDT and are scheduled to stay aboard the station until September, according to Space.com.

When asked about the colors in a live-streamed press conference after the docking, Artemyev indicated they were a coincidence, according to the BBC.

Freighter docks at the International Space Station

"It became our turn to pick a color," Artemyev said. "We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. That's why we had to wear yellow."

But some on social media werent convinced.

Former NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Terry Virts suggested on Twitter that the colors were in support of Ukraine, and astronomer Jonathan McDowell speculated on Twitter that the colors were meant as an homage to the cosmonauts alma mater, Bauman University, which also has blue and yellow colors.

There are seven people already on the orbiting lab, according to Space.com: cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency, and NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Mark Vande Hei.

- Ella Lee

Zelenskyy calls on Swiss government to freeze assets of Russian oligarchs

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy urged the Swiss government to freeze the bank accounts of all Russian oligarchs, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.

Zelenskyy spoke to thousands of antiwar protestors in Bern, Switzerland via livestream on Saturday where he called on the Swiss government to take away privileges from those who are involved in the war.

More: Who are Russia's oligarchs and how do they play into the war in Ukraine?

"In your banks are the funds of the people who unleashed this war," Zelenskyy said. "Help to fight this. So that their funds are frozen."

The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) estimates that Switzerland's secretive banks hold up to $213 billion of Russian wealth.

- Ana Faguy

Former presidents Bush, Clinton lay flowers at Ukrainian church in Chicago

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush visited a Ukrainian church in Chicago this week.

The pair brought sunflowers to Saints Volodymyr & Olha Catholic Church. Chicago, a sister city of Kyiv, is home to many Ukrainian Americans.

Clinton shared a video of the visit on Twitter with the caption, "America stands united with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and against oppression."

Bush posted the video on Instagram with the caption, "America stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and their future."

- Ana Faguy

6.5 million displaced within Ukraine, UN reports

Nearly 6.5 million people have been displaced inside Ukraine, the U.N. migration agency said Friday.

That's on top of the 3.3 million people who have crossed the Ukrainian borders since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which released the updated data in a paper issued Friday.

The paper noted that an additional 12 million people are thought to be stranded, unable to leave for security purposes or for lack of resources and information.

- Ana Faguy

A man hugs his wife next to an ambulance car that would evacuate her and her daughter to Poland on March 19, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine.

Poland urges EU trade ban on Russia

Poland is recommending the European Union impose a total ban on trade with Russia.

Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Mateus Morawiecki proposed more stringent sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. He said that a trade blockade should be added "as soon as possible," and should include trade from Russia's seaports as well as land trade.

"Fully cutting off Russia's trade would further force Russia to consider whether it would be better to stop this cruel war," he said.

Tuesday the E.U. agreed to a fourth sanctions package that included restrictions on the Kremlin's military-industrial complex, an E.U. import ban on those steel products currently under EU safeguard measures and an E.U. export ban on luxury goods.

This comes as more American companies announce the suspension of business in Russia, putting a greater strain on the Russian economy. Friday Halliburton became the latest company to join that list.

- Ana Faguy

Ukraine: It will take 'years' to defuse unexploded shells, mines from war

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky says it will take years to defuse the unexploded ordnance once the Russian invasion is over.

Monastyrsky told The Associated Press in an interview on Friday that the country will need Western assistance to carry out the massive undertaking after the war.

A huge number of shells and mines have been fired at Ukraine, and a large part havent exploded. They remain under the rubble and pose a real threat, Monastyrsky said in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. It will take years, not months, to defuse them.

In addition to the unexploded Russian ordnance, Ukrainian troops have planted land mines at bridges, airports and other key locations to prevent the Russians from using them.

We wont be able to remove the mines from all that territory, so I asked our international partners and colleagues from the European Union and the United States to prepare groups of experts to demine the areas of combat and facilities that came under shelling, Monastyrsky told the AP.

 The Associated Press

Experts: Graham's call for Putin's assassination is 'dangerous' for US

Sen. Lindsey Grahams continued calls that Putin be taken out are alarming researchers and academics who warn the South Carolina Republicans comments are reckless because they could be interpreted as the U.S. disregarding international law and be used to fuel disinformation in Russia.

"There are so many dangerous aspects to his comments," said Anthony Arend, co-founder of the Institute for International Law & Politics at Georgetown University. "It sets the possible precedent that others will be able to look at the United States and say, 'Well, they're advocating it. Why don't we simply move to a foreign policy that more broadly incorporates assassinations or targeting regime leaders?'"

More: Lindsey Graham called for Putin's assassination. Even discussing it brings danger to US, experts say.

Nika Aleksejeva, a Latvia-based researcher with the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, warned Graham's comments fuel a Kremlin narrative that portrays the U.S. as a violent and lawless sponsor of terrorism out to get Russia.

"The U.S. is painted as the great evil in Russia," she said. "One of the disinformation narrative lines is that Ukraine is our brother nation, and Russia is forced to carry out this military operation because the U.S. made Ukraine go away from Russia  that the U.S. is to blame in all these problems that are now between Russia and Ukraine."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

Graham, who tweeted in early March that "the only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out," doubled down on his comments Wednesday.

"Yeah, I hope he'll be taken out, one way or the other," he told reporters during a Capitol Hill news conference. I don't care how they take him out. I don't care if we send him to the Hague and try him. I just want him to go.

 Grace Hauck

Putin appears at large rally as troops press attack in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin appeared at a huge flag-waving rally at a Moscow stadium Friday and lavished praise on his troops fighting in Ukraine, three weeks into the invasion that has led to heavier-than-expected Russian losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home.

Shoulder to shoulder, they help and support each other, the Russian president said of the Kremlins forces in a rare public appearance since the start of the war. We have not had unity like this for a long time, he added to cheers from the crowd.

The show of support amid a burst of antiwar protests inside Russia led to allegations in some quarters that the rally  held officially to mark the eighth anniversary of Russias annexation of Crimea, which was seized from Ukraine  was a manufactured display of patriotism.

Several Telegram channels critical of the Kremlin reported that students and employees of state institutions in a number of regions were ordered by their superiors to attend rallies and concerts marking the anniversary. Those reports could not be independently verified.

Moscow police said more than 200,000 people were in and around the Luzhniki stadium. The event included patriotic songs, including a performance of Made in the U.S.S.R., with the opening lines Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, its all my country.

In response to the rally, American conservative commentator Sean Hannity suggested on his radio show that Putin was channeling his inner Donald Trump, Business Insider reported. During his Fox News show later in the day, Hannity again accused Putin of making his best attempt to look like Donald Trump at the rally.

Contributing: The Associated Press, Ella Lee

Zelenskyy says Russia is creating 'humanitarian catastrophe'

LVIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are blockading Ukraines largest cities to create a humanitarian catastrophe with the aim of persuading Ukrainians to cooperate with them.

He says Russians are preventing supplies from reaching surrounded cities in the center and southeast of the country.

This is a totally deliberate tactic, Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation, filmed outside in Kyiv, with the presidential office in the lamplight behind him.

He said more than 9,000 people were able to leave besieged Mariupol in the past day, and in all more than 180,000 people have been able to flee to safety through humanitarian corridors.

He again appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold talks with him directly.

He noted that the 200,000 people Putin gathered in and around a Moscow stadium on Friday for a flag-waving rally was about the same number of Russian troops sent into Ukraine three weeks ago.

Zelenskyy then asked his audience to picture the stadium filled with the thousands of Russians who have been killed, wounded or maimed in the fighting.

 Associated Press

Jimmy Hill, American killed in Ukraine, stayed with sick partner

Even as Russian forces massed on the border with Ukraine and the U.S. government urged Americans to leave the country, Jimmy Hill didn't flee. Instead, he drove even closer to Russian territory in search of treatment for his life partner, who was sick.

James Whitney Hill, 67, was killed by Russian artillery fire in Ukraine this week, at least the second American to die there since the invasion began Feb. 24. Before his death, he touched lives around the world through teaching and storytelling, friends and family told USA TODAY.

"He had worked tirelessly to find her treatment and refused to leave her bedside when the invasion began in Ukraine," his family said in a statement Friday about his life partner, Irina Teslenko, who has multiple sclerosis. READ MORE.

 Grace Hauck

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine news Saturday: Ukrainians evacuate along humanitarian corridor
By Jose Sanchez

BELIZE CITY (Reuters) -Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate will not visit a cacao farm in an indigenous region of Belize as planned on their Caribbean tour, the Belize government said Friday, after local villagers staged a protest against their arrival.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travel to Belize on Saturday for a week-long Caribbean tour at a time of growing scrutiny of the British Empire's ties to its former colonies.

The royal couple was due to visit the Akte 'il Ha cacao farm in the Maya village of Indian Creek in the Toledo district on Sunday morning, according to a preliminary schedule. A contingency plan would instead be activated and a new site announced, the government press service said on Friday.

People in the village said they were upset that they were not consulted about the planned landing of the royal couple's helicopter, sparking a protest by a few dozen on Friday morning.

Indian Creek is in dispute with Flora and Fauna International (FFI), a conservation group which lists Prince William as a patron. FFI has property near the village's communal land, which has caused tensions over ownership rights, according to local residents who spoke with Reuters.

FFI could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kensington Palace also could not immediately be reached.

The Caribbean journey by the Duke and Duchess follows closely after Queen Elizabeth's 70th anniversary on the throne and nearly four months after Barbados voted to become a republic, cutting ties with the monarchy but still remaining part of the British-led Commonwealth of Nations.

The royal couple is due to spend three days in Belize, before moving on to Jamaica and the Bahamas.

(Reporting by Jose Sanchez; Writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is again appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down and talk, in hopes of ending Russia's brutal and intensifying war against Ukraine.

As Russian forces target the outskirts of the western city of Lviv, Zelenskyy is accusing Russia of creating a humanitarian catastrophe by blocking critical supplies to his country's largest cities.

The United Nations estimates 6.5 million people have been displaced by the war, coupled with more than 3 million who have fled Ukraine.

Overnight, the Ukrainian president appealed directly to Moscow, Chris Livesay reports for "CBS Saturday Morning."

"Time to talk," Zelenskyy said. "It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, early Saturday. / Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

Across Ukraine, the Pentagon estimates more than 7,000 Russian troops have been killed so far.

But Putin is not projecting an image of compromise, vowing at a packed rally that Russia will prevail.

Many attendees told reporters they were under pressure to come out in support of him.

Putin reiterated his claim that Ukrainian civilians had welcomed Russia's troops.

But the heartache tells the truth. In Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, a son cried over the body of his mother, who was killed by falling debris. And Mariupol  the scene of Russia's most vicious onslaught  is encircled in siege warfare, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped without food, water, heat and electricity.

Russia says it's now "tightening the noose" on the strategic Black Sea city, even deploying Islamist troops from its Chechnya region. A video purportedly released by Chechnya's pro-Putin leader shows them engaging with Ukrainian fighters positioned in the upper floors of a building.

Meanwhile, in the eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces have been holding firm in the face of ferocious Russian shelling. For more than three weeks, Russia has tried, and failed, to break through the city.

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The battle for Ukraine is extending offshore. Ukraine's defense minister says Russian troops are blocking access to the Azov sea, which connects to the Black Sea. It renews concerns that a widening war could be imminent.

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Russia's offer of "humanitarian corridors" for civilians to flee the Ukrainian cities it has besieged is a well-tried approach Moscow adopted during Syria's devastating civil war.

In those evacuations, Russia backed Syria's regime in pummelling rebel-held enclaves, before it brokered "safe corridors" and exit deals for civilians and fighters to leave, paving the way for a return to full regime control.

The Russian-led evacuations were regularly hampered by violence, often deeply distrusted, and were carried out with minimal international oversight.

"In Ukraine, we are seeing some of the same risks we saw in Syria," said Emma Beals, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute.

"In some cases, routes are attacked during evacuations and civilians are injured or killed," she told AFP.

Russia entered Syria's war in 2015 on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

It negotiated and then oversaw controversial evacuations of more than 200,000 people from around Damascus, as well as the city of Aleppo and Daraa province.

In Ukraine, Kyiv has branded the corridors a publicity stunt, as many of the exit routes lead into Russia or its ally Belarus. Both sides accuse each other of ceasefire violations.

Here is a look at the key Syrian evacuations Russia carried out.

Aleppo

The regime had been battling rebels in Aleppo since 2012, but in September 2016 it launched a final campaign backed by Russian air power.

Russian warplanes bludgeoned rebel-held parts of the northern city, which came under a blitz of barrel bombs, shells and rockets.

According to the UN, about 40,000 civilians as well as more than 1,500 fighters were cut off in the city's eastern districts.

Russia had repeatedly announced several "humanitarian corridors" it said would allow safe passage out -- but few took advantage, with opposition officials labelling them "death corridors".

UN demands it should take charge of the corridors were largely ignored.

In December 2016, Russia and Iran clinched an agreement with rebel-backer Turkey to evacuate rebel fighters and their relatives.

Between December 15 and December 22, at least 34,000 people left to neighbouring opposition-held areas as part of the agreement, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Many left on buses, some in private cars, with ambulances ferrying the sick and wounded -- which came under fire on at least one occasion.

Residents said they were harassed and subjected to lengthy inspections at checkpoints before they could leave.

A day after the corridor ended, Moscow deployed military police to back the regime forces sweeping in to control the city.

Ghouta

In February 2018, Moscow announced a daily five-hour "humanitarian pause" and the opening of protected corridors to allow people to leave Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus after heavy fighting.

Eastern Ghouta, home to more than 400,000 people, had been besieged by regime forces since 2013.

Residents were intially deeply sceptical of Russia's offer, especially as the corridor led to government-held areas, and was carried out without international oversight. Seven people were killed in violence during the first "pause".

But as regime troops advanced, more than 100,000 people crossed into regime areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

Several agreements were struck between Moscow and rebels, allowing safe passage to fighters and their families to opposition-held regions elsewhere.

Evacuations started on March 22, with more than 67,000 bussed out by the time the last rebel leader quits the area on April 11, according to the Observatory.

Russian troops accompanied the rebels to Syria's opposition-held north.

Russian military police were deployed at the checkpoints to leave, and Russian soldiers registered passengers and looked on as Syrian troops inspected bags and rebels' weapons.

Daraa

Russia was also key to the July 2018 surrender of opposition-held cities and towns in the southern province of Daraa, the cradle of the uprising against Assad.

Rebels were forced into talks after a devastating offensive launched with Russian firepower.

Residents and fighters who did not want to live under government control were granted safe passage out, while rebels who chose to remain were granted amnesty on condition they hand over heavy weapons.

Hundreds of fighters along with their families left Daraa to the rebel-held north, according to the Observatory. Russian forces searched the vehicles before they set off.

Last year, Russia brokered a second wave of departures, with dozens of fighters leaving, after Daraa was gripped by a fresh wave of heavy fighting.

"The Syrian experience shows that these humanitarian corridors were anything but," said Sara Kayyali, Syria researcher for Human Rights Watch.

"Both the Syrian-Russian military alliance and opposition groups attacked the corridors. In some cases, individuals who used them found that instead of safety, they were arrested or disappeared," she told AFP.

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Aberdeen City Council

Meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the city council chambers at the Municipal Building, 123 S. Lincoln St. Agenda items of note:

Consider South Dakota Retirement System reclassification of Aberdeen Fire Rescue fire marshal position to Class B membership.

Accept retirement of Karl Alberts as finance officer and appoint interim finance officer.

Hear update on 2022 capital projects.

Consider contract for traffic study at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and South Main Street.

Consider $1 million payment to South Dakota School and Public Lands for Elm Lake dam project.

For a full city agenda, visit aberdeen.sd.us/AgendaCenter.

Brown County Commission

Meets at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday in the commission chambers of the Brown County Courthouse Annex, 25 Market St. Agenda items of note:

Consider the first reading of Title 4 amendments to the county zoning ordinance.

Discuss Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline crossing through Brown County.

Hear legislative recap from Julie Johnson

Discuss spring cleanup, equipment purchases and department update with Landfill Manager Mike Scott.

For a full county agenda, visit brown.sd.us/node/454.

Brown County Commission work session

Meets at 1 p.m. Saturday for a work session with county officials from the region to discuss the Brown County Regional Jail.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Agendas for the week of March 21
When the ASC launched its awards in 1986, a single statue was given for feature film cinematography, presented by Gregory Peck to Jordan Cronenweth for his work on Francis Ford Coppolas Peggy Sue Got Married.

Now, 36 years later, the American Society of Cinematographers Awards is returning to the smaller scale of yore even as it promises to celebrate a wide range of image-makers. The ceremony will take place on March 20th at the ASC Clubhouse, the orgs modest, if stylish, headquarters in Hollywood, rather than in a cavernous ballroom.

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But even though ASC has reduced the scale of the event this year, the scope of the awards has continued to expanded significantly since that first evening. Honors now go to TV categories as well as documentary. The ASCs Spotlight Award joined the parade in 2013 to recognize films seen mainly on the festival circuit, in limited theatrical release or outside the U.S.  a kudo that often reveals fresh talent.

Career recognition will go to DPs Ellen Kuras (lifetime achievement, the first woman so honored), and Peter Levy (for his work in television), and to Panavisions Dan Sasaki (for technical contributions in lensing).

As is often the case, the ASCs five feature film nominations are closely reflected in the Academys Oscar noms, with perennial nominee Janusz Kaminskis work on Steven Spielbergs West Side Story taking precedence in the Oscar race over Haris Zambarloukos tender, mostly black-and-white imagery in Kenneth Branaghs Belfast, nominated for an ASC Award.

Zambarloukos is a first-time ASC Award nominee, a recognition that also goes to Ari Wegner, who shot Jane Campions The Power of the Dog and became the second woman to earn an Oscar nomination for camerawork, one of 12 noms accorded the film.

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The field is rounded out by Dan Laustsen, getting his second ASC nomination for Nightmare Alley; Greig Fraser, for Dune, his third nom; and Bruno Delbonnel, whose work has earned consistent plaudits from his peers going back at least as far as A Very Long Engagement, widely regarded as a cinematographic masterpiece. This year, Delbonnel is being recognized for his stark yet elegant black-and-white work in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

The feature nominations are a reminder that great filmmaking requires deep and complex human interaction  an aspect of the cinematographers skill set that is often overlooked in favor of technical expertise.

Wegner spent a year prepping with Campion before production began in earnest, and she credits the directors humane approach for infusing the film with its unique feeling and flavor.

Zambarloukos and Branagh have made seven films together, and Belfast was an especially personal essay for the director. Delbonnel now stands alongside Roger Deakins as the Coen brothers go-to director of photography. And Fraser collaborated with director Denis Villeneuve, who called Dune the project hed been working towards his entire life.

Every films different, obviously, says Wegner. Our extended prep meant that we could draft ideas, with the ability to interconnect and cross-reference those ideas with all the other departments. Theres an intricate kind of work going on, a methodical weaving, not unlike the rope in the film.

Wegner adds, after a while the changes become so impactful because theyre so specific. Theres a playfulness or an easing of tension when ideas are flowing. You dont get obsessive or lock on to a single idea. Whether or not we go with a particular idea is almost inconsequential  the fact that you can freely raise it is the most important thing.

Also critical for Wegner is the relationship between director and DP. Working with Jane and building our friendship over that year, I saw how her approach informed the entire film, she says. Ive never seen a filmmaker who had such great instincts  not only in how she wanted the film to feel and look, but knowing that she could contribute just as much creativity in choosing the people, the rhythm of the day, how pre-production unfolds, in a way that works for her. Its a directors job to shape that  and some directors dont realize it.

Zambarloukos experience on Belfast was informed by Branaghs autobiographical connection to the story. Looking back to when I started, I remember being focused on learning the craft, he says. Whats surprising to me at this point in my career is the personal relationships that evolve while were trying to create together. I feel very lucky to have worked with  and enjoyed the company of  people like Ken, people with whom I share ideas about the story, how to tell it and whats worth telling.

Such rapport comes through in the images, he adds.  Belfast is an intimate film. The place and time led us to create fewer images than other films that are more cutty. Those images have to count. The shots you linger on need to be thoughtful and multidimensional. Were overwhelmed with images in modern life, and it was our intention to provide a contrast to that.

James Laxton, who was nominated for an Oscar and an ASC Award in 2017 for director Barry Jenkins Moonlight, is ASC-nominated this year in a television category for an episode of the Jenkins-helmed The Underground Railroad, a combination of fact and fantasy set in the 19th century.

Barry and I have a deep history, and it goes beyond learning which lens does what and what camera tool produces which result, Laxton says. It has to do with who we are as individuals and where our hearts are at in the world. The way these characters are portrayed photographically has everything to do with who we are as people.

Laxton adds, taking on a project like The Underground Railroad opens your heart to all kinds of things. To come to work daily with a close friend like Barry, and to be willing to feel all the emotions that one feels capturing the scenes that take place in the show  you have to do it with people you care about. Otherwise, your feelings might be too much. You might break down. We made the show with our friends and families. Thats the only way we could have done it.

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By Jose Sanchez

BELIZE CITY (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate arrived in Belize on Saturday for a weeklong Caribbean tour that was marred by a local protest before it even began amid growing scrutiny of the British Empire's colonial ties to the region.

The arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge coincides with the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's 70th year on the throne, and comes nearly four months after Barbados voted to become a republic, cutting ties with the monarchy but remaining part of the British-led Commonwealth of Nations.

Three miniature cannons fired a salute to the couple as their plane landed in Belize City before a military band played the national anthems of Belize and Britain at a welcoming ceremony that kept the media throng at a distance.

William inspected a guard of honor as the band played local creole song "Ding Ding Wala," then drove off with his wife to meet Prime Minister John Briceno.

Afterwards, Briceno told Reuters the duke and duchess were "excited to be here in Belize as we are delighted to have them," adding: "We wish them a fruitful and memorable visit."

The couple are due to stay in Belize, formerly British Honduras, until Tuesday morning. On the eve of their departure, an event planned for Sunday was scrapped when a few dozen villagers staged a protest.

Residents of Indian Creek, an indigenous Maya village in southern Belize, said they were upset that the royal couple's helicopter had been granted permission to land on a local soccer field without prior consultation.

The village is in a land dispute with Fauna & Flora International (FFI), a conservation group supported by the royal family, stirring discontent over colonial-era territorial settlements still contested by indigenous groups.

A visit to a different site is being planned instead, Belize's government said. In a statement, Kensington Palace confirmed the schedule would be changed because of "sensitive issues" involving the Indian Creek community.

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In a statement, FFI said it had purchased land at the nearby Boden Creek from private owners in December 2021, and that it would conserve and protect the area's wildlife while supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of local people.

Without directly addressing the dispute, FFI said it bought the land to benefit the area's ecological integrity, resident communities and Belize as a whole, and pledged to maintain "open and continuous dialogue" with the local community.

After Belize, the duke and duchess are due to visit Jamaica and the Bahamas. Meetings and a variety of events are scheduled with politicians and a range of civic leaders.

Dickie Arbiter, Queen Elizabeth's press secretary from 1988 to 2000, described the tour as a goodwill visit that ought to give a temporary lift to the family's popularity.

Today, many people in former colonies see the monarchy as an anachronism that should be let go, he said. But he expected that little would change while Elizabeth remained on the throne.

"The royal family is pragmatic," he said. "It knows it can't look at these countries as realm states forever and a day."

POPULAR OPINION

Debates over colonial-era oppression, including possible reparations for the descendants of slaves in Jamaica, could push more countries to emulate Barbados' recent move.

Carolyn Cooper, a professor emerita at the University of the West Indies, said the royal couple's visit was unlikely to discourage Jamaica from opting for republic status.

"I think there is a groundswell of popular opinion against the monarchy," she said.

Some in Belize, which gained independence from Britain only in 1981, speak warmly about remaining in the fold.

"I believe it's a wonderful opportunity for them to appreciate the country's multiculturalism, natural attractions, and to enjoy our culinary practices," said Joseline Ramirez, a manager in the Cayo district of western Belize.

Others are less enthusiastic.

Alan Mckoy, a mechanic in Belize City, said he "couldn't care less" about the royal family.

"They are no better than any of us," he said.

(Reporting by Jose Sanchez in Belize City; Additional reporting by Dave Graham, Kate Chappell and Cassandra Garrison; Editing by David Alire Garcia, Edmund Klamann, Frances Kerry, Diane Craft and Jonathan Oatis)
An onstage standoff erupted between Ohio Republican Senate candidates Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons at a primary debate Friday evening.

In video from the Gahanna debate, former state treasurer Mandel stood up to challenge investment banker Gibbons during a heated discussion over a stock trade as the crowd jeered the confrontation and a debate official sought to separate the two men.

You dont know squat, Gibbons is heard jabbing at the former state treasurers experience in the private sector, after which Mandel, a veteran, responds, Two tours in Iraq, dont tell me I havent worked.

The men repeatedly told each other to back off before standing eye-to-eye for several seconds, while fellow GOP debate participants Matt Dolan, Jane Timken and JD Vance looked on awkwardly. Mandel eventually took his seat.

Mandel and Gibbons continued their feud offstage, with Gibbons team calling Mandel unhinged and Mandel further criticizing Gibbons investment record.

The two candidates have been locked in a tight race for first place in the Republican Senate primary, according to recent polling. The candidates are seeking to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman, with the Republican primary currently set for May 3, though it's possible the date gets moved back due to court challenges of the state's redistricting plans.

Gibbons, a self-funder, has spent millions of dollars of his own money to boost his standing in the primary, while Mandel has a long record in statewide office boosting his bid. And both men, along with Vance and Timken, are locked in a parallel, sometimes heated competition for former President Donald Trump's endorsement, which they believe could be decisive in the close and crowded primary.

Josh Mandel is unhinged, unfit and flailing  because he's losing. He is only a professional at one thing: running for office," said Samantha Cotten, Gibbons spokesperson. "He is hellbent on lying because he is failing. He doesn't have the temperament, experience, or fortitude to be a U.S. senator and Ohio voters got a firsthand look at just how unprepared Josh Mandel is to be a leader and that will be reflected at the ballot on May 3.

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Mike Gibbons got upset tonight that he was called out for his investments in Chinese oil," said Scott Guthrie, Mandels campaign manager. "He claims not to remember the investment, but its part of a pattern of Gibbons' entire career making money by taking American companies and selling them to foreign interests. While Ohioans are struggling to make ends meet in Joe Bidens America, Mike Gibbons spent his entire career profiting by shipping jobs overseas and investing in places like China and Russia.

In the video of the onstage back-and-forth between the two men, the word pussy is clearly used. Gibbons team denied he used the word, while Mandels team said it had yet to review audio from the event.

Another debate is scheduled in Cleveland on Monday.

Natalie Allison contributed to this report.
Prince William and Duchess Kate had a change in plans after the first stop of their Caribbean tour was canceled due to "sensitive issues," according to Kensington Palace.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are embarking on week-long visits to three Commonwealth countries  Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas  on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II and her Platinum Jubilee year, which marks her unprecedented 70 years on the British throne.

The royals were scheduled to meet Mayan families who run cacao farms in Belize's Indian Creek village, but that visit was taken off their schedules.

"Due to sensitive issues involving the community in Indian Creek, the visit has been moved to a different location," Kensington Palace said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee: How the UK will celebrate her unprecedented anniversary

Prince William (right) and Duchess Kate arrive at the village of Hopkins in Belize on March 20, 2022.

Villagers told local broadcaster 7 News Belize they weren't informed or consulted on William and Kate's plans to arrive at the village by helicopter.

"We don't want them to land in our land, that's the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not in our land," Indian Village chairman Sebastian Shol told the local news outlet.

Channel 7's report showed residents holding signs reading, "Not your land not your decision" and "Prince William leave our land."

According to a statement from the Belize government, provided by Kensington Palace, the royals' stop at Indian Creek was only "one of several sites being considered" for their visit.

"Due to issues in the village, the Government of Belize activated its contingency planning and another venue has been selected to showcase Maya family entrepreneurship in the cacao industry, the statement said.

On Day 2 of their trip, the royal couple instead visited a cacao factory where they were shown how Belize's Maya chocolate is made, visited the small coastal village of Hopkins to learn more about the Garifuna community's culture, and planned to learn about Belize's marine conservation efforts.

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The Cambridges go on tour: Prince William, Duchess Kate off to sunny Caribbean to mark queen's Platinum Jubilee

The Caribbean tour is the Duke and Duchess' first joint official overseas tour since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which shut down most royal travel. It's also the royal couple's first trip to the Caribbean, which has been enthusiastically visited in the past by Will's father and brother, Prince Charles and Prince Harry.

The three countries Will and Kate are visiting are among the 15 in the Commonwealth (including the United Kingdom) for which the queen remains the head of state.

Last year, Barbados chose to switch from a constitutional monarch to an elected head of state, marking the first time since 1992 that a Commonwealth realm became a republic. Although that move was accepted with grace  the queen's heir, Prince Charles, attended the ceremony in November  the Cambridges' mission is to remind remaining realms of the queen's devotion to duty and the stability of continued ties to the British crown.

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, Maria Puente

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince William, Duchess Kate cancel Belize stop after protest
Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middletons Caribbean tour hit a snag right out of the gate, after Belizean locals protested the couples plans to land a helicopter in their village before touring a cacao farm.

According to The Mirror, which previously reported the news, indigenous residents of Indian Creek village were also upset about the princes ties to a conservation charity called Flora and Fauna International, which is controversial among some members of the population.

The couple canceled their visit to the farm.

William and Kate are commencing a tour to Belize, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, a trip the British press has characterized as an effort to promote the British Crown. Last year the nearby island of Barbados ditched the royals and became a republic.

According to the Belize outlet 7 News, Indian Creek village has been in open conflict with FFI, which owns an adjoining, contested property.

The publication noted that discontent comes in the context of ongoing agitation about the meaning of consent in the context of communal land rights. Those rights to lands were expunged in the colonial period by the British.

In a statement cited by The Guardian, FFI said it had acquired the contested land from a private party last winter but is committed to open and continuous dialogue with locals. According to the newspaper, FFI has further vowed to conserve and protect the areas wildlife while supporting the livelihoods and traditional rights of local people.

The chairman of the village, Sebastian Shol, remained opposed to the royals arrival, telling The Daily Mail, We dont want them to land on our land, thats the message that we want to send. They could land anywhere but not on our land.

Another village resident was pictured earlier this week holding a sign that read: Prince William stop helping FFI [take] our land.

Even without the cacao tour, the royal couples Caribbean trip is expected to continue apace. They were slated to arrive over the weekend in Belize, followed by a meeting with the countrys prime minister.

Story continues

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FILE  A shell casing is on a Yakima, Wash., street with evidence marker next to it.
Friends of a Yakima teen gunned down outside Eisenhower High School this week gathered at a makeshift memorial Thursday to remember him.
FILE  A school crossing guard helps students cross the street at the end of the school day Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Selah, Wash.
Press Release

March 18, 2022 Gordon bats for vibrant PEZA towards flourishing PH economy Senator Richard J. Gordon underscored the importance of active economic zones in helping the Philippine economy reclaim its growth to pre-pandemic levels. Gordon, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, told officials of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) that incentives for investors would do wonders for the country's foreign direct investments. "At this point in our country's history, with the prevailing oil price increases, with the pandemic still staring deep into our eyes and our hearts, with more reason more incentives," said Gordon during PEZA's 27th anniversary on Thursday, where he was recognized as a recipient of the Gawad Pilipinas Partnership Excellence Award. "[We also need additional] PEZAs to create employment and create the necessary tax base so that we could actually face up to our obligations," added the lawmaker, referring to the Php 12 trillion outstanding debt. The country remains mired in an economic conundrum, with the number of poor Filipinos dipping even further to 26.14 million in 2021, from 22.3 million in 2018. Almost all micro, small, and medium enterprise businesses also went bankrupt at 99.9% of all MSMEs stopped operations as of 2021, according to data collated by Gordon's office. Employment remains a hot-button topic, with the country amassing 3.2 million unemployed workers, exacerbated by 6.8 million underemployed ones. Gordon maintained his good standing with PEZA, and suggested ways to ensure unimpeded economic activity across all 415 economic zones and 4,670 locators. "Through the RT-PCR testing facilities of the Philippine Red Cross, work in partnership with the PEZA in ensuring a safe, COVID-free environment in our ecozones to avoid workplace disruptions among our locators," remarked the PRC volunteer-chairman. "If I get back to the Senate, I will try again to secure the passage of the Regional Investment and Infrastructure Coordinating (RICH) Hub to be followed by similar RICH bills in Panay Island, Negros, and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao," he continued. Senate Bill (SB) 1549 aims to optimize the use of available infrastructure such as airports, seaports, and highways to open a one-stop shop for agriculture, commerce, transportation, and education in idle land. Inspired by a visit to the Hong Kong Freeport during his early public service days, Gordon pushed for the passage of the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, leading to the establishment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). Rising from the ashes caused by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the SBMA, under Gordon's leadership, became a premier investment hub in the 1990s, creating 250,000 jobs from conglomerates such as FedEx, Coastal Petroleum, ACER, among others. In the Senate, Gordon also pushed for the passage of Republic Act (RA) 9400, which resolves the constitutionality issue on the grant of tax incentives to the ecozones. He was also author and sponsor of the Tourism Act of 2009, which opened the door for livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. The province of Bataan also recognized Gordon for authoring RA 9728, which established the Freeport Area of Bataan, and the ensuing RA 11453, which strengthened its powers.
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Friday with top commanders of the Egyptian Armed Forces recent local, regional, and international developments and their impact on the country.

According to the Egyptian Armed Forces Spokesperson, the meeting was held after the president performed prayers with Egyptian Armed Forces commanders at El-Moushir Tantawy Mosque in New Cairo on the occasion of Martyrs Day, which falls on March 9.

The president was accompanied at the prayers by Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki, the Armed Forces Chief-of-staff Osama Askar, Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfik, and a group of Armed Forces commanders and senior state officials.

El-Sisi stressed in the meeting with the army commanders that the recent achievements in Egypt would not have been possible without the sacrifices of the martyrs.

He also praised the efforts of the Armed Forces in carrying out their tasks efficiently and competently in all strategic directions of the country.

The Egyptian people always stand behind the armed forces and the civilian police to defend the security of the nation and safeguard its sanctities, the president said.

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Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad announced on Wednesday that Sharm El-Sheikh would be a city completely free of single-use plastic bags as of this June, in parallel with various other measures to turn it into a green city, coinciding with its preparation to host the UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) this November.

Fouad noted that the national event of the National Climate Dialogue at the end of March aims to engage citizens in the process of confronting the effects of climate change, providing an opportunity for the local community of the city to choose appropriate alternatives to those bags.

The minister said the step comes within the national strategy to reduce single-use plastic bags and is in line with Prime Minister Mostafa Madboulys announcement to transform the Red Sea resort city into an eco-friendly city in parallel with its hosting of the COP27, according to a statement on Wednesday by the cabinet.

Fouads remarks came during her meeting with Japans Ambassador to Cairo Oka Hiroshi on Wednesday, where they discussed cooperating in reducing plastic waste and other climate projects in preparation for the COP27.

According to a Back to Blue Report produced by Economist Impact in association with the Nippon Foundation, Egypt ranked 22 overall on the Plastics Management Index (PMI) out of 25 countries in relation to plastics management, systemic capacity, and stakeholder engagement. The report said that when compared to other countries, Egypts stakeholders had a late start in dealing with plastic waste.

In addition to combating single-use plastic bags in Sharm El-Sheikh, Fouad explained that the city is witnessing a set of other measures and various environmentally-friendly projects in the fields of electric transportation, waste management, use of renewable energy, and green tourism in hotels and diving centres.

Concerning cooperation with the Japanese side, the Egyptian minister hailed the Japanese role in providing technical support for the environment ministry since its inception, welcoming further discussion in reducing plastic waste, especially in marine areas, said the statement.

For his part, Ambassador Oka stressed that the environment field is one of the most successful fields in the Egyptian-Japanese partnership over the years.

He proposed to build on this cooperation by leveraging Japanese expertise in reducing plastic waste  especially Japanese technology  proposing biodegradable bags as an alternative for single-use plastic bags.

Moreover, they discussed the possibility of supporting the implementation of the first package of projects of the 2050 National Climate Change Strategy, especially in the fields of renewable energy, agricultural crops, managing coastal areas with nature-based solutions, and solar plants, in addition to electric transmission.

The Japanese official referred to an agreement Japan signed during a G20 meeting to reduce plastic waste and protect marine life, and further welcomed the possibility of cooperation with the Egyptian side in this regard.

Oka also emphasised his countrys interest in climate finance  which is evident through a commitment of $100 billion to support climate action in developing countries along with the allocation of $12 billion for five years to climate finance, which was increased in Glasgow to $14 billion  with a commitment to discuss a collective goal for climate finance and climate technology.

Late last year, Egypt  on the behalf of Africa  was selected to host the COP27, garnering massive attention from policy and decision-makers to combat climate change.

During the COP26 that was held in Glasgow in November 2021, Egypt launched the 2050 National Climate Change Strategy 2050 on the sidelines of the conference to achieve four objectives, including fostering climate change action governance, increasing sustainable economic growth, strengthening adaptation and resilience, and enhancing scientific research.

The country has become among the first developing countries to adopt decisive policies regarding climate change, whether by green transformation through building green cities, switching to clean transportation, or issuing green bonds.

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A conservative pundit interprets the Ukraine war in the context of the minority policies of Ukraine and Russia, and what he describes as European ignorance of the problems faced by national minorities in Ukraine.

Magyar Hirlaps Daniel Deme explains the war in Ukraine as a direct consequence of the mismanagement of autochthonous minorities by Ukraine, Russia and the EU.



The conservative commentator suggests that the Ukrainian government has for many years tacitly cooperated with ultra-nationalist movements that targeted national minorities, first and foremost Russians.



President Putin, on the other hand, mistakenly assumed that Russian troops would be welcomed by Russians living in Ukraine, Deme adds, on the basis that ethnic communities maintain strong local identities and are attached to the territories they inhabit as minorities.



Deme also lays part of the responsibility for the current crisis at the doorstep of the European Union, for turning a blind eye to Kyivs violation of minority rights.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher.

Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

Click here to Share Your Story





MTI Photo: Attila Balazs
A Budapest court on Friday fined opposition LMP lawmaker Marta Demeter 1.8 million forints (EUR 4,800) on charges of abusing her office.

According to the charges, Demeter had acquired information concerning the movements of the Hungarian military back in 2018, and suggested that a military aircraft had carried one of the daughters of Prime Minister Viktor Orban from Cyprus to Hungary.



An investigation, at the time, however, found that a Hungarian soldier, also named Orban, and his family had been among passengers of that flight.



Apart from falsely claiming that the aircraft had carried a family member of the prime minister unlawfully, Demeter also disclosed data that could not be published out of the public interest, the prosecutor said when pressing charges against the deputy.





MTI Photo: Zoltan Mathe
Now on until 28 March. The first world-wide gold rush commenced on 24 January, 1848 when in Coloma, in the vicinity of the river American the first nuggets were found ont he building site of a sawmill.

The news spread swiftly, by August everyone became aware of the discovery. In the first wave of the gold rush fortune hunters arrived mostly from distant regions and also from Latin America but as the news got round, immigation started from all over the world.



Members of the gold rush generation called 49-ers (Forty-Niners) were not only Americans, a lot of them came from Australia and China but Europeans emigrating after the 1848 revolutions arrived in large numbers, among them Hungarians.



Until 1855 an estimated number of 300 thousand immigrants are believed to have arrived in California. San Francisco has turned into a metropolis within a few years. At the peak of the gold rush an estimated 370 tons of gold was mined.



In the dinamically developping territory, that became part of the United States of America officially only in 1850, dozens of assaying offices were established for processing and refining nuggets and gold dust mined or panned from rivers by gold diggers.



These offices have turned the mined gold into ingots and gold bars to pay the miners. As the United States Mint was only founded in 1854 in San Francisco and did not function smoothly in the first years, everyday circulation was ensured by gold dollar coins minted largely by private firms, among them Hungarians.



Source and further info: Hungarian National Museum Budapest
More than two years after Charles Schwabs blockbuster acquisition of TD Ameritrade, the merged company employs more workers in Omaha than Ameritrade did, and it's looking to hire hundreds more, Schwabs CEO said during a visit to Omaha.

We are very committed to Omaha, Walt Bettinger said in an exclusive interview, the first hes given locally since the merger of the brokerage giants was announced in November 2019. Its a great location. The quality of the talent here is outstanding.

Bettinger put the combined companys current workforce in Omaha at about 2,400.

For comparison, TD Ameritrade reported it had roughly 2,300 workers in the city several weeks before the merger announcement. Schwab says a headcount taken in the month after the announcement showed 2,060 Ameritrade workers in Omaha. Based on either figure, Schwab is now employing more people here.

That number could grow to 2,700 if Schwab is able to fill 300 currently open positions in Omaha. The new jobs are driven by the combined company's continued growth, as it has added millions of new customer accounts and $650 billion in investment assets since the deal closed in 2020.

Bettinger noted at the time of the merger talks in fall 2019 that Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts had asked for a clause in the agreement that he hoped would offer some protection for Omaha workers.

Bettinger said he had no problem agreeing to Ricketts request, because he was confident of the merged companys future growth potential.

I kept saying, I have no issue with that whatsoever, because this combination is going to be so successful, were going to be growing and have even more people in Omaha,  he said. We're grateful that's how it's panned out."

One thing that has not been a factor in Schwabs decision to stay and grow here: the states business tax incentives.

In an effort to retain local jobs, the Legislature approved millions in tax breaks for big acquiring companies when they merge with Nebraska firms.

Schwab has not applied to receive the incentives, and apparently does not intend to. Bettinger said it's Schwab's philosophy to make job-siting decisions based on how best to serve customers for the long term.

Bettinger on Wednesday made his first visit to Omaha since the merger announcement, calling it an overdue trip that was delayed by two years because of the pandemic. He said a planned trip to Omaha was the first he had to cancel when COVID-19 began spreading across the country in March 2020.

Wednesday plans in Omaha included grabbing lunch with rank-and-file workers in the company cafeteria and a town hall with hundreds of employees. He said he looks forward to regular trips to Omaha to get to know the workers better.

We are going to make every effort now that things seem to be opening up a bit to make up for lost ground, he said.

Schwabs growing Omaha employment was applauded by David Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. He said he wasnt surprised that Schwab has embraced the citys talented workers.

Omaha continues to be a prolific place for large corporate facilities as companies see the productivity and commitment of their Omaha workforce, he said.

The $26 billion Schwab-Ameritrade merger announcement two years ago was seen as a corporate gut-punch for Omaha.

It meant the loss of the headquarters of a homegrown Fortune 1,000 company. And it threw into doubt the future of workers in Ameritrades headquarters complex, towering over Interstate 680 and West Dodge Road.

Now over two years later, Omahas place in the merged company that employs some 33,000 nationally has become more clear.

Omaha ranks as Schwabs fifth-largest employment center, after its new headquarters in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Phoenix, Denver and Austin. There are now more Schwab workers in Omaha than in San Francisco, Schwab's former headquarters.

Both Schwabs current Omaha workforce and the open jobs here span the gamut of company operations, Bettinger said, from human resources, finance, risk management, technology, and retail work with customers.

Bettinger said he understands what its like to be part of a firm bought by another. He had founded a company that was acquired by Schwab in 1995.

Theres a trust and commitment that needs to be built between former competitors, he said. And he knows there can be a sense of loss within the acquired firm.

But he said he also senses a growing excitement among Schwab workers about what the combined company can accomplish.

Like other companies, Schwab is planning for a future workplace environment forever changed by the pandemic. The company will begin a phased-in return to the office on April 25.

To add flexibility, workers now have 90 work location flex days per year  nearly two per week  where they can choose to work outside the office. They can also request more such days, and about half have done so.

When it all shakes out, Bettinger ultimately expects that on any given day about half the companys Omaha workers will be in the office. Even for workers who are full-time remote, he continues to believe opportunities to connect in-person are important.

Humans are social creatures, he said. Its still important to have that engagement with your colleagues.

The work to combine the two companies also continues, with the TD Ameritrade name not expected to completely go away until the merger is fully completed next year.

But some rebranding has begun. Bettinger said hes thrilled that the Schwab name is going up on the former TD Ameritrade Park, the home of the College World Series. Hes been promised it will be done in time for this years CWS, and he might make it back for a game or two.

I'm thrilled about Omaha, and thrilled about the growth here," he said, "and excited to see what the future will bring."
Philip Zlomke, 39, of Grand Island was arrested on a Hall County warrant at Grand Islands Westridge Middle School, but authorities say his arrest on Thursday isnt tied to the school or his position there.

Zlomke was arrested on two counts of felony first-degree sexual assault that allegedly occurred Oct. 10 and 18, 2021.

Zlomke was taken into custody at the school shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday, said Josh Berlie, Hall County chief deputy.

It wasnt involving a student, Berlie said of the alleged incidents.

Mitchell Roush, communication spokesperson for Grand Island Public Schools, echoed Berlie, saying, At this time we have reason to believe that it doesnt have any impact on staff or students.

Grand Island Public Schools wrote a letter to Westridge Middle School staff and families about Zlomkes arrest. According to a copy of the letter obtained by the Independent, No classes were disrupted and our students and staff all remained safe, The letter said Zlomkes arrest was part of an independent investigation by the Hall County Sheriffs Department.

Zlomke appeared in Hall County Court Thursday. Judge Alfred Corey set his bond at $20,000, or 10% of $200,000. Zlomke paid $20,000 Thursday and is free. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. April 4.

The charge of felony first-degree sexual assault alleges sexual penetration.

Zlomke is listed on the GIPS staff directory as a financial literacy teacher at Westridge. According to Roush, Zlomke has been placed on paid administrative leave.
New Delhi: In a bid to provide financial assistance to workers who lost jobs due to the ongoing construction ban, the Delhi government has decided to provide Rs 5000 to such workers. The government had announced a ban on construction activities in 2021 with the aim to tame the rising pollution in the capital city.

A total of 83,183 construction workers will receive monetary assistance from the Delhi government. According to the government officials, the funds will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the workers.

In 2021, the government had also disbursed a pollution subsistence grant worth Rs 245 crore to 4,91,488 workers registered with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB).

This time around, construction workers registered with the DBOCWWB before November 24, 2021, will be eligible for receiving the funds directly to their bank accounts, according to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

It is important to note that the government had announced the ban on construction activities on November 24, 2021. The government is now expected to distribute Rs 41.9 crore to the remaining 83,000 workers.

According to Delhi government estimates, there are roughly about 1.1 million

construction workers in the capital city. However, only 850,000 are registered with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Also Read: Aadhaar Card Update: Change old photo on Aadhaar in simple steps, check how

Meanwhile, Sisodia has requested the construction workers to complete their bank amendment on the official e-district website. The process can be done free of cost, and once the applications are processed, they will receive the money in the next payment cycle. Upon completing the registeration, construction workers receive several benefits offered by the Delhi government. Also Read: Want to change WhatsApp font size? Here's how to do it

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New Delhi: Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia`s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, announced that has been blocked by Twitter. "I just wanted to announce that my Twitter was blocked today. And I received a message from the client service saying that I`m violating the rules of Twitter and I`m engaged in abuse and harassment," Polyanskiy told reporters after a Security Council meeting on Friday.

Polyanskiy read out the tweet in question: "That`s how fake news is born. We warned in our statement back on 7 March that the hospital in Mariupol has been turned into a military object by radicals. Very disturbing that you help spread this information without verification," Xinhua news agency reported.

"That was my tweet. So it`s abuse and harassment according to Twitter," he said.

"This is very deplorable. And this clearly illustrates how much alternative view and free press and free information is valued by Twitter and in this country."

Russia`s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, told reporters that "this is a new interpretation of the word harassment as well". Also Read: India's forex reserves dip by $9.64 billion, the biggest drop in 2 years

Polyanskiy`s last tweet was seen at 11:17 p.m. on Thursday. Also Read: PAN-Aadhaar link deadline on March 31: Heres what will happen after missing last date

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in India on Saturday, with officials in Tokyo predicting "candid discussions" about New Delhi's unwillingness to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Unlike fellow members of the Quad alliance -- Japan, Australia and the United States -- India has abstained in three UN votes deploring Moscow's actions, calling only for a halt to the violence.

Earlier this month in a four-way call of Quad leaders, Kishida, US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison failed to convince India's Narendra Modi to take a tougher line.

A joint statement had said they "discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications" -- without any condemnation of Moscow.

A separate Indian readout pointedly "underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region."

Ahead of Kishida's visit, the first by a Japanese premier since 2017, a foreign ministry official said Tokyo was "aware" of Delhi's "geographical location and historical ties to Russia".

"But at the same time we share fundamental values and strategic interests so naturally there will be candid discussions about how we view the Ukraine situation, and also expect to hear a similar explanation from Prime Minister Modi," the official told reporters.

He added that Modi, 71, and Kishida, 64, would also discuss "issues closer to our region" such as a "free and open Indo-Pacific" -- a reference to China -- and bilateral issues.

"That will be more the opportunity to take stock of the bilateral cooperation as well as reaffirming our shared strategic vision and interests rather than emphasising on what our differences are," the official said.

India's foreign ministry said only that the talks aimed to "review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."

'History Books'

Modi and Morrison are also due to hold a virtual summit on March 21 focused on trade, when the Australian premier may also press his Indian counterpart to fall more into the Western camp over Ukraine.

Russia has been India's main arms supplier since the Soviet era, but today Delhi also needs more support from the Quad and others in the region and beyond in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Asked about India's stance and its continued purchases of Russian oil, White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week urged all foreign nations to "think about where you want to stand when history books are written".

Tensions between New Delhi and Beijing have been high since a 2020 clash on their disputed Himalayan border killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Both have since sent additional military hardware -- in India's case much of it Russian-made -- and thousands of extra troops.

In a possible sign of thawing tensions, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will reportedly travel to India later this month, the senior-most official to visit since the 2020 clash.

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Japanese media recently reported that the automotive company Suzuki Motors has plants of investing around 950 crore ($1.26 billion) in the Indian market. The investment will be focused on producing electric vehicles and batteries.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is visiting India on Saturday to meet his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Suzuki`s investment plan will be part of an announcement by Kishida during his trip of plans to invest 5 trillion yen over the next five years in India, according to the Nikkei business daily.

Also read: Maruti 800 converted into an 8-seater vehicle, two cars linked side by side

Suzuki has decided to build a new electric vehicle production line in India with the aim of starting operations as early as 2025, Nikkei said, without identifying the source of its report.

A Suzuki Motor spokesperson declined to confirm the reports. In the present scenario, Maruti Suzuki is focused on producing CNG vehicle options in India for their ongoing car models like Celerio and WagonR.

However, Maruti Suzuki's competition in India like Tata Motors, MG, Hyundai and others are a step ahead in selling affordable electric vehicles in the Indian car market like Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV among others.

With inputs from Reuters

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New Delhi: Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will commence his two-day visit to India starting Saturday (March 19, 2022) for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit.

During the visit, Kishida is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Summit would be the first meeting of the two leaders.

The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

"At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio will be undertaking an official visit to New Delhi from March 19-20 for the 14th India-Japan annual summit," India's Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement.

"India and Japan have multi-faceted cooperation within the ambit of their '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 exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," MEA had added.

The situation in Ukraine is also likely to figure in the Modi-Kishida talks.

The annual summit between Prime Minister Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe was cancelled in December 2019 in Guwahati in the wake of massive protests rocking the Assam capital over the amended citizenship law.

The summit could not be held in 2020 as well as in 2021 primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier in October 2021, PM Modi had spoken to PM Kishida on the phone after the Japanese prime minister had assumed office.

Japan, meanwhile, is also set to hold an in-person summit of Quad leaders this year and Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend it.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)`s 83rd Raising Day parade in Jammu on Saturday (March 19, 2022).

This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside the national capital.

According to sources, the Union Home Minister will review the security arrangements ahead of Amarnath Yatra and the proposed assembly elections.

Meanwhile, this is the second visit of Shah to Jammu in the last five months. Earlier, he had visited Jammu and Kashmir for five days.

CRPF Raising Day is marked on the day when in 1950 the then Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented colours to the CRPF after the CRPF Act was enacted and the force rechristened to its present name. The CRPF was raised in 1939 as the Crown Representative`s Police.

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Hamirpur: The Congress will be wiped out politically in India, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has claimed.

He made the claim on Friday night asserting that the BJP would again form its government in the hill state, fulfilling its aim of 'Mission Repeat 2022' as the people of India, including those of Himachal Pradesh, were fully behind the BJP due to its pro-people policies.

Talking to media on the sidelines of the closing function of the four-day national-level Holi festival at Sujanpur Tira on Friday night, Thakur said the Congress party was doing negative politics in the hill state but that would not help it in elections and would meet the same fate as it met in the states where elections were held recently.

It would be wiped out from the political scenario of India, he added.

Replying to a question, he also ruled out any Cabinet reshuffle at this juncture.

There are always possibilities of change but at present, there was no change going on in the state Cabinet, he said.

He said his government was doing well and would repeat its performance in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections.

On the ongoing protests by government employees, he said they always had the right to protest and to seek redressal of their demands but the way they are behaving these days is not understandable.

The state government had already accepted almost all their demands, he said.

The chief minister earlier presided over the closing ceremony of the Holi Utsav at Sujanpur in Hamirpur district by participating in Shobha Yatra.

Thousands of people dressed in their traditional best participated in the 'Shobha Yatra' procession from almost all parts of the district.

ALSO READ: Congress open to all options to keep BJP away from power in Goa: Digambar Kamat

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New Delhi: Delhi police have ramped up security arrangements in the National Capital and border regions on the occasion of Shab-E-Barat, which is falling on the same day as Holi, reported ANI.

"Additional forces have been deployed here in the national capital on the occasion of Shab-E-Barat. The maximum number of officers have been deployed here in Jama Masjid. We are ensuring that crowd management remains intact so that untoward incidents can be avoided," said Shweta Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District while speaking to ANI on Friday.

Barricading and drones deployed

About the steps taken by Delhi police, Chauhan further informed that barricading has been done around the area and drones have also been deployed in the region to keep a vigil.

"The police are keeping an extra vigil on routes towards Delhi. Vehicles being impounded if violating rules," she said.

Additional force being used

The additional police force has been deployed in and around Delhis Jama Masjid area. Apart from that, heavy patrolling is being done. Intense checking on routes towards New Delhi and vehicles were being impounded if violating rules, informed DCP Chauhan.

Delhi: Security tightened ahead of #ShabEBaraat. Visuals from near Jama Masjid Addt'l force deployed here, patrolling being done;have also deployed 2 drones. Intense checking on routes towards New Delhi.Vehicles being impounded if violating rules:Central Dist DCP Shweta Chauhan pic.twitter.com/9CcjMmCWRL  ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2022

Meanwhile, the celebrations of Shab-e-Barat, which is also known as the "night of forgiveness," began across India on Friday night.

Shab-e-Barat 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 commenced on the evening of March 18 and will end on the evening of March 19.

(With ANI inputs)

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New Delhi: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday (March 19) announced a 5 trillion yen ($42 billion or Rs 3,20,000 crore) investment in India over the next five years during the 14th annual India-Japan summit in New Delhi.

The announcement was made at a joint press briefing addressed by PM Narendra Modi and Japans Kishida following the bilateral talks, delegation-level discussions and India-Japan Economic Forum.

Heres what PM Modi said:

1. PM Kishida has been an old friend of India. I have had the opportunity to exchange views with him when he was the Foreign Minister of Japan.

2. India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply. This is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth and to deal with climate change.

3. Deepening India-Japan partnership will encourage peace, prosperity and stability in Indo-Pacific region and also at global level.

4. There has been progress in the economic partnership between India- Japan economic partnership. Japan is one of the largest investors in India. India-Japan are working as 'One team- One project' on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor.

Key points from Japan PM's address:

1. We'll hold the next India-Japan talks as soon as possible. We also welcome the agreement of cooperation in cyber security. India's a very important partner for Japan... I invite PM Narendra Modi for the Quad Summit Meeting in Tokyo.

2. The whole world has been shaken today due to many disturbances, it's very important for India and Japan to have a close partnership. We expressed our views, talked about the serious invasion of Russia into Ukraine. We need a peaceful solution on the basis of international law.

3. Both our countries should increase efforts for an open and free Indo-Pacific. Japan, along with India, will keep trying to end the war and keep providing support to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries.

Besides announcing clean energy partnership, the two countries also inked six agreements providing for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, PTI reported.

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi held bilateral talks at Hyderabad House with Japans Kishida, who is on a 2-day visit to India.

ALSO READ: PM Modi, Fumio Kishida discuss ways to boost economic, cultural linkages during annual India-Japan summit

Speaking at the India-Japan Economic Forum, Modi said, "Progress, prosperity and partnership are the basis of India-Japan relations. We are committed to providing all possible support to Japanese companies in India."

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida expressed "serious concern" over the Ukraine conflict and called for "immediate cessation of violence" during the 14th annual India-Japan summit in New Delhi on Saturday (March 19).

The two leaders also reaffirmed the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries.

Releasing a joint statement after the annual summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the duo  highlighted their commitment to working in tandem towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, based on a rules-based order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, and emphasized the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change status quo.

Calling for "immediate cessation of violence" in Ukraine, Modi and his Japanese counterpart also underlined that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for the resolution of the conflict.

Ministry of External Affairs releases a joint statement on the India-Japan Summit partnership for a "peaceful, stable and prosperous post-COVID world." (2/2) pic.twitter.com/3lwBexFr7X  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022

"They emphasised that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," the joint statement said.

Modi and Kishida expressing serious concern over the conflict also assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, it added.

The leaders also decided to undertake appropriate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Earlier during a joint press briefing with PM Modi on his side, the Japanese PM described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "very serious" matter that "shaken" the roots of international order.

"We discussed the situation in Ukraine. The Russian attack on Ukraine is a very serious matter that has shaken the roots of the international system. We need to approach the matter with a strong resolve," Kishida said at the media briefing.

"I told Modi that one-sided efforts to change status quo by force can't be allowed in any sector. We both agreed on the need for a peaceful solution to all conflicts on the basis of international law," the Japanese PM added.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida held productive talks in New Delhi on Friday (March 19).

The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a tweet that the two leaders discussed ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries.

PM Modi and Japans Kishida held bilateral talks at Hyderabad House in Delhi today. The Japan PM is on a two-day visit to India to participate in the 14th annual India-Japan summit.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet that the India-Japan summit is an opportunity to review and strengthen our Special Strategic and Global Partnership as the delegation-level talks commenced.

Sharing pictures of the duo, Bagchi wrote in another tweet, Another step toward advancing the India-Japan partnership - a partnership for peace, prosperity and progress!

"PM @narendramodi welcomed Japan's PM @kishida230 for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. Discussions on our multifaceted bilateral ties, regional & global issues of mutual interest on the agenda," MEA said earlier.

PM @narendramodi welcomed Japans PM @kishida230 for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. Discussions on our multifaceted bilateral ties, regional & global issues of mutual interest on the agenda. pic.twitter.com/Ovd9VHIZYl  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) March 19, 2022

As per the Japanese media, Kishida will announce an investment of 5 trillion yen or $42 billion over five years in India. He will also agree to an approximately 300 billion yen loan during his meeting with PM Modi on Saturday. The Japan PM is also likely to sign an energy cooperation document concerning carbon reduction.

This is the second in-person meeting between PM Modi and Japan PM Kishida after both leaders met last year on the sidelines of the Glasgow Climate Summit. This is also the first visit by any Japanese PM to India in the last 4-and-a-half years. Notably, this year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

As per MEA, the Japanese PM is scheduled to depart from India at 8 am on Sunday and will travel to Cambodia thereafter.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: India recorded 2,075 new Covid-19 cases, 71 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 5,16,352, according to the data released by the Ministry of Health on Saturday (March 19, 2022). The active cases stand at 27,802.

India reports 2,075 fresh #COVID19 cases, 3,383 recoveries, and 71 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active cases: 27,802 (0.06%)

Daily positivity rate: 0.56%

Total recoveries: 4,24,61,926

Death toll: 5,16,352 Total vaccination: 1,81,04,96,924 pic.twitter.com/1pJLHFTFKh  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022

A decrease of 1,379 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The country also recorded 3,383 recoveries today, taking the total number of recoveries to 4,24,61,926.

The active cases account for 0.06 per cent of the total caseload, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.73 per cent, the ministry said.

Additionally, the cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive have exceeded 181.04 crore. As many as 3,70,514 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours to detect the presence of the virus.

Meanwhile, witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases, China on Friday reported 2,157 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Saturday. Of the new local infections, 1,674 were reported in the province of Jilin, 199 in Fujian, 69 in Liaoning, 47 in Guangdong, and 42 in Shandong respectively, Xinhua reported.

China's national health authorities reported two Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, the first recorded rise in the death toll since January 2021, as the country battles an omicron-driven surge.

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New Delhi: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce an investment of 5 trillion yen or $42 billion over five years in India during his two-day visit to the country beginning today (March 19), ANI cited Japanese media as saying.

As per the Japanese media, Kishida, who will participate in the 14th annual India-Japan summit, will also agree to an approximately 300 billion yen loan during his meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The Japan PM is also likely to sign an energy cooperation document concerning carbon reduction.

PM Fumio Kishida is also poised to agree to an approximately 300 billion yen loan during his meeting with PM Narendra Modi. In addition, an energy cooperation document concerning carbon reduction is expected to be signed: Japanese media  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022

This is the second in-person meeting between PM Modi and Japan PM Kishida after both leaders met last year on the sidelines of the Glasgow Climate Summit. This is also the first visit by any Japanese PM to India in the last 4-and-a-half years.

Ahead of the key visit, Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, "From March 19th to 21st, PM Kishida will visit India and Cambodia. During his travel, PM Kishida will meet PM Modi of India....to discuss the international and regional affairs as well as the bilateral relationship. They will address broad range of topics...through Quad we would like to advance efforts to achieve free and open Indo Pacific". The Ukraine situation will also figure in the talks between Modi and Kishida.

The visit comes in the wake of India and Japan celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of formal diplomatic ties. This is an important visit as Japan has been one of the closest partners for India in Asia and the world.

Later this year, PM Modi is expected to visit Japan for the second Quad in-person summit in Japan. Quad, consisting of India, the US, Australia and Japan, has been evolving fast amid China's aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific.

(With inputs from Sidhant Sibal)

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Activists in Kazakhstan said Saturday they were refused permission to hold a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as tensions over the war spill into Moscow's neighbourhood.

Kazakhstan, which enjoys traditionally cordial relations with the West, is seeking a balance between distancing itself from the Kremlin's brutal campaign in Ukraine and not riling its northern ally.

Earlier this month Kazakh authorities allowed activists in the former capital Almaty to hold a rally against the invasion that gathered more than 2,000 people and featured chants and slogans insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But activists on Saturday showed AFP a letter from the Almaty mayor's office refusing them permission to hold a second demonstration, explaining a square designated for demonstrations was being used for a rally in support of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instead.

Footage on social media showed several hundred at that gathering on the square in central Almaty.

An AFP correspondent saw participants pack signs with slogans such as "Together with the president" into a van as they prepared to vacate it at 2:00 pm local time.

Alnur Ilyashev, an activist who notified authorities of his intent to organise the peace rally for Saturday, told AFP that the organisers of the pro-Tokayev rally had "booked" the square for the whole day, meaning that no other rallies could take place there even after they left.

"In reality they only held (the demonstration) to prevent us from holding our anti-war meeting," Ilyashev told AFP.

Kazakhstan keeps tight control over public demonstrations, which can only be held in designated locations with the blessing of local authorities.

The foreign ministry last month signalled its neutrality in the conflict over Ukraine and said it is not considering recognition of two Russia-backed separatist entities in Ukraine's east.

The move attracted sharp criticism from Margarita Simonyan, the outspoken editor of Russia's state-financed media outlet Russia Today.

Neighbouring Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov on Thursday said his country supported Ukraine's territorial integrity and called for an immediate end to fighting in the country in a speech in parliament.

Kazakhstan is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a six-member security bloc headed by Moscow and the Eurasian Economic Union trade bloc.

Uzbekistan quit the CSTO in 2012 and has observer status in the EEU.

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New Delhi: A CRPF trooper was injured as terrorists hurled grenades at two paramilitary forces at Shopian and Tral areas of south Kashmir on Saturday (March 19).

A police official said terrorists hurled grenades on a CRPF camp at Zainapora Shopian and in the blast, at least one CRPF trooper was injured.

Also, a grenade was lobbed at CRPF Camp at Nowdal Tral area of southern Pulwama district this evening. There are no reports regarding injuries to any trooper in the incident. Meanwhile, both areas have been cordoned and searches are launched to nab the attackers.

The Jammu and Kashmir police registered cases of both incidents and further investigation is underway.

ALSO READ: 'There'll be no need for redeployment of CRPF...': Amit Shah in Jammu

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Jammu: Praising the CRPF for playing a key role in the fight against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, naxalism, and extremist forces in the northeast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asked the paramilitary force to prepare a roadmap for meeting future challenges.

Shah was addressing a gathering at the 83rd raising day of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the Maulana Azad Stadium here. This is for the first time that the parade has been held outside the CRPF headquarters in Delhi-NCR.

"CRPF is not only a central armed police force but every child of the country loves it for its bravery and courage. Whenever riots happen anywhere in the country, the deployment of the CRPF gives satisfaction to the people," said Shah at the CRPF day parade.

The love and respect earned by the CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, is due to the sacrifices, dedication and devotion of its personnel, Shah said.

"Whether it is naxal-infested regions of central India, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir or extremist forces in the northeast, the CRPF has played a key role in the elimination of such groups and restoring peace in all the three regions," Shah said.

Shah said the CRPF has played an appreciable role across the country and asserted that there will be no need for redeployment of CRPF in the three regions in the next few years.

"I am sure that we will be able to restore peace and if it happens, the credit will go to the CRPF jawans. I am saying it with confidence that ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, the work done by CRPF is self-explanatory," he said.

"There was a time in the 1990s when extremism in the northeast and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir was at its peak and everyone in the country was concerned."

"Within two decades, the CRPF with its dedication, devotion and determination fought the battle against the anti-national forces who are now on the verge of extinction," he said.

"As home minister, I congratulate the bravery shown by you in the violence-hit areas of the three regions. It is because of your professional handling of the situation that the countrymen are breathing in a peaceful atmosphere," he said.

The prime minister has set a target of making India a USD 5 trillion economy and it will be achievable when the internal security is strong, Shah said, adding "We are satisfied of the role of the CRPF."

"I ask the Director General of CRPF Kuldeep Singh to prepare a roadmap to meet upcoming challenges by modernising the force and procuring the latest equipment," Shah said, adding that the CRPF has to be made a modernised, capable and effective force.

"We have to work in this direction and I am sure the CRPF under the leadership of Kuldeep Singh will take it forward," he said.

He lauded the CRPF for its contribution in ensuring free and fair elections in the country, saying "Whether it is Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, the force has the biggest role to play. Free and fair elections are the soul of democracy."

The home minister also praised the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and said its handling of riots by using minimum force is a reflection of its training.

"If we analyse the riot situation before and after the setting up of the RAF, you will see RAF has emerged as a successful force to deal with the situation. They are now training reserve police battalions in states and they are working together which are providing good results," he said.

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Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh caretaker Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said people have chosen nationalism, good governance and development in the recently-concluded Assembly elections.

After performing the 'aarti' during the Bhagwan Narsingh Shobhayatra here, Adityanath played holi with colours and flower petals amidst slogans of 'Yogi Yogi' and 'Jai Shri Ram'.

This is the first time after Independence that the people gave victory to the BJP in all the nine Assembly seats in Gorakhpur and also in 27 out of 28 seats in the division. The festival gives us the message that we emerge victorious if we collectively face the challenges. You all became winners under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi in the highly challenging elections. People chose nationalism, good governance and development," he said addressing the crowd.

In the society where Holika and Hirankashyap are present (in any form), Bhakt Prahlad and Bhagwan Narsingh are also present in the form of victory of good over evil. The festival of colour is the symbol of unity and inspires us to move on the path of righteousness, he said.

According to Hindu mythology, Hirankashyap, a tyrant, was killed by Narsingh, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Describing the efforts of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to fight hunger and malnutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adityanath said, The double-engine government has not done any charity, but only discharged its responsibility by giving free ration to 80 crore people in the country and 15 crore people in the state. The government not only saved people's lives but also their livelihoods.

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New Delhi: Naveen Ganagoudar Shekharappa, the Indian who died in Ukraine amid war and constant shelling, was a final year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University.

The 21-year-old was a resident of Karnatakas Haveri district. He was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine.

Ever since his death, the Indian government is attempting to bring back the mortal remains of the boy that will arrive to his home state Karnataka on Monday, said Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai.

"The body of Naveen Ganagoudar, a young man from Haveri district who had recently died during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will arrive in Bangalore on Monday morning at 3 am," Bommai tweeted"

As per Naveen Shekharappas familys wishes, his body will be donated to a Karnataka Medical College for medical research.

Naveens father, on Friday, said that he was saddened as the process of bringing back the body of his son was delayed.

"Now, the sadness has gone away after learning that we will be able to see his body for the last time," he said.

After performing the final rites, the family has decided to donate the body to the S.S. Medical College of Davanagere, he added.

The state government compensated the family with an ex-gratia amount of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Naveen Shekharappa and promised a job for a family member.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda will be some of the key guests in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's oath-taking ceremony, ANI reported.

Yogi Adityanath, who created history by leading the saffron party to take the majority in Uttar Pradesh for the second consecutive term, will take over the office of Chief Minister on March 25.

Apart from key BJP leaders and union ministers, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh president, many other Union Cabinet Ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are also invited, ANI reported quoting sources.

As per ANI, several opposition leaders, including Yogis immediate rival and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav may also attend the ceremony.

"Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati are among the prominent names likely to be invited from the opposition parties," sources told ANI.

Apart from this, in probably the first, beneficiaries of various central and state-run welfare schemes have also been invited to the oath-taking ceremony with a special focus on women beneficiaries.

Preparations underway for Yogi Adityanaths inauguration

Preparations for the grand ceremony have begun in Ekana Stadium of Lucknow. As per sources, the names of cabinet members have already been finalized by the BJP.

Home Minister Amit Shah has been appointed as the central observer to look after the government formation in Uttar Pradesh.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das will also accompany Shah in ensuring government formation in the state as the co-observer.

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.

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New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh CM elect Yogi Adityanath will create history on March 25 when he will be sworn in as UP chief minister for the second consecutive term, first in over 30 years. The event will be attended by a total of 200 VVIPs as per reports.

BJPs senior leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda among others are the key invitees for Yogis oath-taking ceremony.

Heres the full guest list for Yogi Adityanaths inauguration ceremony:

Opposition leaders

According to media reports, Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati, will also be invited to the swearing-in ceremony.

BJP state chief ministers

Along with this, the Chief Ministers of all the BJP-ruled states are also likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

RSS leaders

As per reports, several Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh dignitaries, including president Mohan Bhagwat are likely to attend Yogi Adityanaths swearing in ceremony.

Beneficiaries of UP-govt schemes

In probably a first, beneficiaries of various central and state-run welfare schemes have also been invited to the oath-taking ceremony with a special focus on women beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, preparations for the grand ceremony have begun in Ekana Stadium of Lucknow.

As per sources, the names of cabinet members have already been finalized by the BJP.

Amit Shah has been appointed as the central observer to look after the government formation in Uttar Pradesh.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das will also accompany Shah in ensuring government formation in the state as the co-observer.

The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share.

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New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday (March 19) advocated for introducing Bhagavad Gita as a part of the school syllabus, adding that a call on this will be taken after holding discussions.

"Our education minister has been discussing about the inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus. After getting information from the education department in this regard, a decision will be taken on it," the Karnataka CM was quoted as saying by IANS.

Karnataka Education minister BC Nagesh had said on Friday that Bhagavad Gita is not only for Hindus and if experts suggest it will also be introduced in schools in the southern state from next year. Bhagavad Gita is not only for Hindus, but it is also for all. If experts say it will definitely be introduced - not from this year but next year, Nagesh had said.

His remark came in the wake of Gujarat deciding to introduce Bhagavad Gita as a part of the school syllabus for class 6 to 12 students from the academic year 2022-23.

On inclusion of Bhagavad Gita in schools, senior Congress leader from Mysuru and former Minister, Tanveer Sait on Saturday said that introducing Bhagavad Gita in the school syllabus is "dangerous". It is as "dangerous as Covid-19 pandemic", he said as per IANS.

Sait said because of such a decision, school children will lag behind in academic excellence. It may be defendable to do politics during elections, but, once in power, secular principles should be followed, Congress MLA said.

Meanwhile, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said every state should consider introducing Bhagavad Gita in their school curriculum. Bhagavad Gita teaches us morality and ethics. It shows us the responsibility towards well being of society. Many moral stories are there that can inspire our students. Every state govt can think about that, ANI quoted him as saying.

(With agency inputs)

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Kyiv: Ukrainian ballet star Artyom Datsishin has lost his life amid Russia's ongoing military operation in the Eastern European country. Datsishin passed away on Thursday from wounds he suffered in Russian shelling weeks earlier. He was 43, news portal People reported after obtaining the information from Evening Standard.

Datsishin was a principal dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine. He would be cremated on Friday in Kyiv. A few days ago, Ukraine bid farewell to actress Oksana Shvets who was killed in a Russian rocket attack on a residential building in the capital city.

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.
NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor never misses any chance to express her love for her little sister Khushi Kapoor. On Saturday, Janhvi took to her social media handle and showered her love for her little sister.

Sharing the picture on her Instagram, Janhvi wrote, kissie kissie with my baby..

In the monochromatic picture, the Kapoor sisters can be seen holding hands while pouting at each other. The picture was clicked while they attended Apoorva Mehta's star-studded birthday bash hosted by Karan Johar in Mumbai on Thursday.

For the occasion, Jahnvi wore a strappy midi bodycon dress that was embellished with shimmering mirrors all over with a back slit, while Khushi opted for a shimmery backless halter neck dress.

While their fans were going gaga over their bond, and also called them sibling goals. Khushi reacted to her sister's post by writing, "Ilu (I love you), adding a white heart and a smiling face with tear emoji.

For the unversed, Janhvi and Khushi are daughters of Boney Kapoor and late legendary actor Sridevi.

Janhvi made her Bollywood debut with the film Dhadak alongside Ishaan Khattar in 2018. After that she was seen other films including  Roohi, and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl among others.
New Delhi: Ace comedian turned actor Kapil Sharma is these days busy shooting for his upcoming film with Nandita Das in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It so happened, a fan shared Kapil's photo dressed as a food delivery guy riding a bike on road. And guess what was the comedian's reaction?

Sharing the photo, the fan wrote, "Sir ji main aaj aapko live dekhliya." Kapil replied to the tweet and wrote, "Kisi ko batana matt." Many others also shared their views upon checking out the viral photo of the comedy show host. He had announced his next with renowned actress-filmmaker a few days back on social media.

Kisi ko batana mat https://t.co/3rCAjuPKva  Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) March 18, 2022

Kapil Sharma and Nandita Das also met Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The photos were posted online by the ace comedian-actor, thanking him for a great hospitality. In the film, Kapil will be seen playing the role of a food delivery rider.

Recently, he was in news over a controversy related to The Kashmir Files cast not being called on Kapil's show. However, the comedian host denied these allegations levelled by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri.

The lead actor of the film Anupam Kher cleared the air on the controversy and claimed that Kapil had sent an invitation to the team. However, the actor refused it as he didn't want to promote the film on a comedy show. But later, he too tweeted saying that Kapil should have posted the full video of the interview where he along with Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi were present.
The signs are abundant of how Ukraine frustrated Vladimir Putin's hopes for a swift victory and how Russia's military proved far from ready for the fight.

A truck carrying Russian troops crashes, its doors blown open by a rocket-propelled grenade. Foreign-supplied drones target Russian command posts. Orthodox priests in trailing vestments parade Ukraine's blue and yellow flag in defiance of their Russian captors in the occupied city of Berdyansk.

Russia has lost hundreds of tanks, many left charred or abandoned along the roads, and its death toll is on a pace to outstrip that of the country's previous military campaigns in recent years.

Yet more than three weeks into the war, with Putin's initial aim of an easy change in government in Kyiv long gone, Russia's military still has a strong hand. With their greater might and stockpile of city-flattening munitions, Russian forces can fight on for whatever the Russian president may plan next, whether leveraging a negotiated settlement or brute destruction, military analysts say.

Despite all the determination of Ukraine's people, all the losses among Russia's forces and all the errors of Kremlin leaders, there is no sign that the war will soon be over. Even Putin he fails to take control of his neighbor, he can keep up the punishing attacks on its cities and people. Ukraine's president said Russia is trying to starve Ukraine's cities into submission and that Putin is deliberately creating ``a humanitarian catastrophe.``

``His instinct will be always to double down because he's got himself into a dreadful mess, a huge strategic blunder,'' said Michael Clarke, former head of the British-based Royal United Services Institute, a defense think tank.

``And I don't think it's in his character to try to retrieve that, except by carrying on, going forward,'' he said.

Putin's forces are waging Russia's largest, most complex combined military campaign since taking Berlin in 1945. His . His initial objective, which he announced in a television address on Feb. 24 as the invasion began, was to ``demilitarize'' Ukraine and save its people from ``neo-Nazis`` _ a false description of Ukraine's government, which is led by a Jewish president.

Fatefully, Putin underestimated the national pride and battlefield skills that Ukrainians have built up over the past eight years of battling Russian-backed separatists in the country's east.

At the start, Russians thought ``they would install, you know, some pro-Russian government and call it a day and declare victory,'' said Dmitry Gorenburg, a researcher on Russia's security at the Virginia-based CNA think tank. ``That was sort of Plan A, and as near as we can tell, they didn't really have a Plan B.''

Russia's first apparent plan _ attack key Ukrainian military targets, and make a quick run to Kyiv, the capital _ failed immediately. It was foiled by Ukraine's defenses along with the countless mistakes and organizational failures by a Russian force that had been told it was only mobilized for military drills.

Clarke, the British researcher, related accounts of Russian troops selling communication equipment and fuel out of military vehicles to locals during the weeks they waited on Ukraine's borders.

With no friendly population to welcome them, Russian forces reverted to tactics from their past offensives in Syria and Chechnya _ dropping bombs and lobbing missiles into cities and town, sending millions of men, women and children fleeing.

Putin's forces are in position to capture the besieged port city of Mariupol. Overall, Russians appear to be fighting with three objectives now: to surround Kyiv, to encircle spread-out Ukrainian fighters in the east and to break through to the major port city of Odessa in the west, said Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military and program director at CNA.

Kofman cautions that much of the information on the war is coming from Ukrainians or from their American or other allies. That makes the partial picture skewed and a full picture impossible.

A senior U.S. defense official on Friday said the Russians have launched more than 1,080 missiles since the start of the war and that they retain about 90% of the combat power they had arrayed around Ukraine at the beginning of the invasion.

The U.S. assesses that the airspace over Ukraine remains contested, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the military assessments. The Ukrainian air force is continuing to fly aircraft and employ air and missile defense

``Just look at the map, and you just look at how little progress the Russians have been able to make,'' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said recently.

The math of military conquests and occupation may be against Putin in Ukraine.

Estimates of Russian deaths vary widely. Yet even conservative figures are in the low thousands. That's a much faster pace than in previous Russian offensives, threatening support for the war among ordinary Russians. Russia had 64 deaths in five days of fighting during its 2008 war with Georgia. It lost about 15,000 in Afghanistan over 10 years, and more than 11,000 over years of fighting in Chechnya.

Russia's number of dead and wounded in Ukraine is nearing the 10% benchmark of diminished combat effectiveness, Gorenburg said. The reported battlefield deaths of four Russian generals _ out of an estimated 20 in the fight _ signal impaired command, he said.

Researchers tracking only those Russian equipment losses that were photographed or recorded on video say Russia has lost more than 1,500 tanks, trucks, mounted equipment and other heavy gear. Two out of three of those were captured or abandoned, signaling the failings of the Russian troops that let them go.

Meanwhile, Russia needs to limit its use of smart, long-range missiles in case they're needed in any larger war with NATO, military analysts say. On Saturday, the Russian military said it has used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat, claiming that the Kinzhal, with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles), destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition.

When it comes to the grinding job of capturing and holding cities, conventional military metrics suggest Russia needs a 5-to-1 advantage in urban fighting, analysts say. Meanwhile, the formula for ruling a restive territory in the face of armed opposition is 20 fighters for every 1,000 people _ or 800,000 Russian troops for Ukraine's more than 40 million people, Clarke notes. That's almost as many as Russia's entire active-duty military of 900,000.

On the ground, that means controlling any substantial chunk of Ukrainian territory long term would take more resources than Russia could foreseeably commit.

Other Russian options remain possible, including a negotiated settlement. Moscow is demanding that Ukraine formally embrace neutrality, thus swearing off any alliance with NATO, and recognize the independence of the separatist regions in the east and Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Russia's other options include an unrelenting air campaign in which it bombs and depopulates cities as it did in Chechnya and Syria. U.S. officials also warn of the risk of Russian chemical attacks, and the threat of escalation to nuclear war.

``Unless the Russians intend to be completely genocidal _ they could flatten all the major cities, and Ukrainians will rise up against Russian occupation _ there will be just constant guerrilla war`` if Russian troops remain, Clarke said.

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NEW DELHI: Global star Priyanka Chopra and her hubby Nick Jonas celebrated their first Holi together after becoming proud parents of a baby girl at their LA residence.

The power couple who became parents recently via surrogacy has now shared some jaw-dropping pictures from their Holi bash and called it a lit affair.

PeeCee took to her social media account and wrote, To be able to find some joy at a time when the world feels so scary is such a blessing. Happy holi everyone. Thank you to our friends and family for playing holi like desis do! Feeling blessed. #photodump #happyholi #goodoverevil #festivalofcolours..

The beautiful diva shared various photos and videos from her Holi bash, where both Nick and Priyanka can be seen kissing and rubbing their cheeks against each other. The madly in love couple celebrated the festival with their friends and closed ones.

For the occassion, Priyanka wore a top with shorts, sandals and completed her look with earrings and a neckpiece. Nick wore a white shirt and matching pants.

In another post, Priyanka shared some stills from her celebrations where she can be seen playing with gulaal, another had a close-up picture of her husband and in the third and last picture, the duo ends the post with a kiss.
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt's Torbaaz director Girish Malik's son 17-year-old son Mannan died on Friday after falling off from his building, reportedly. The incident took place at their Andheri residence in Mumbai.

According to the Times of India, Mannan fell off from the 5th floor of the building but details of the fatal incident are yet to be revealed. He had reportedly gone to play Holi and returned home in the afternoon. He was rushed to Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, but couldn't make it.

Girish Maliks partner in Torbaaz, Puneet Singh confirmed the unfortunate news. He told Times Of India, "Mr Maliks son has passed away but I cannot say anything at the moment about what exactly happened. We are not in a state to speak."

Torbaaz producer Rahul Mittra told the publication, " I am non-plussed to learn about the unfortunate incident and just informed Sanju whos deeply saddened too. We are shocked beyond words. I had met Mannan a couple of times along with Girish during the making of Torbaaz and found him to be very talented & a boy of promise. May God give Girish and the entire family strength to cope up with this irreversible loss. My heartfelt condolences."

Girish Malik helmed Sanjay Dutt in Torbaaz which also featured Nargis Fakhri. Girish made his directional debut with Jal in 2013.
NEW DELHI: Urvashi Rautela, the youngest superstar has paved her way internationally along with Bollywood by climbing the ladder of success every day through her hard work and dedication. Urvashi Rautela recently reached the mark of 46 million on her Instagram.

Urvashi Rautela visited the ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai. The official Twitter account of Expo 2020 shared pictures of the actress with the tweet as Indian Actor, visited the #IndiaPavilion at @expo2020dubai today. It seems that Urvashi enjoyed a tour around Expo 2020 Dubai's site.

The actress is seen sporting a stunning glittery light blue gown with a one-sided cut. Urvashi opted for a pastel shimmer body fitting ensemble which had a high slit cut to it which made her look very astonishing she paired up her look with a ponytail along with shimmer blue eyeshadow and nude lips to add a glam she accessorized herself with a golden chain pattern neck piece along with square-shaped earring which made the actress looks stunning as always.

Urvashi is seen posing around with a huge smile and pride of making India proud at each and every stage of her life. We can definitely say that Urvashi is one of the few Bollywood actresses who has made a name for herself not only in India but also throughout the world.

See her photos from her visit to the United Arab Emirates -

On the work front, Urvashi was last seen judging the Miss Universe Pageant 2021, and also bagged appreciation for her international song Versace Baby alongside Arab superstar Mohamed Ramadan.

Urvashi will be soon seen in the Jio studios web series Inspector Avinash opposite Randeep Hooda in a lead role. The actress is going to play the lead role in a bilingual thriller 'Black Rose' along with the Hindi remake of 'Thiruttu Payale 2'.

Urvashi will be making a Tamil debut with 'The Legend' opposite Saravana and has also signed a three-film contract with Jio Studios and T-Series.

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New Delhi: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has pointed out that the last date to file for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns for the month of February 2022 is on Sunday, March 20, 2022. The department has asked the taxpayers to file the returns before the deadline to avoid any penalties.

Taking it to Twitter, CBIC has urged non-resident GST taxpayers to file their monthly GSTR-5 returns by the due date. The department also reminded the taxpayers that they will have to pay an additional late fee and interest for missing the deadline.

Attention GST Taxpayers who are not under QRMP Scheme! File your monthly GSTR-3B Return for the month of February, 2022 by March 20, 2022. pic.twitter.com/NNZ3j8ATIZ  CBIC (@cbic_india) March 19, 2022

In the social media post, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs department also noted that taxpayers, other than ones who opted for the quarterly return filing system, are required to file GSTR 3B for the month of February by March 20.

Attention GST Taxpayers who are not under QRMP Scheme! File your monthly GSTR-3B Return for the month of February 2022 by March 20, 2022, CBIC said in a post on Twitter.

The remainder was for Online Information and Database Access or Retrieval (OIDAR) service suppliers. Availing fraudulent input tax credit may get you in trouble, the authority pointed out.

In the past few months, the CBIC has taken a slew of steps administrative against cracking down on bogus invoices for input tax credit related irregularities. The move is helping the authority to increase the Central governments tax collection. Also Read: Telegram gets banned in Brazil ahead of the presidential election

In the month of February 2022, the revenue collection from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) jumped to Rs 1.33 lakh crore, a hike of 18 per cent year-on-year. Moreover, the gross GST revenue collected stood at Rs 1,33,026 crore. Also Read: India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt

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NEW DELHI: Ram Charan sent medicine, money and other essentials to a member of his security staff all the way to Ukraine amid the war situation.

A video posted by a man named Rusty from Ukraine, has caught the attention of all. Rusty, who posted a video on the internet a few days ago, thanked Ram Charan for sending medicine and other essentials.

"Ram Charan was here to shoot for his movie and I worked as his body guard during his stay in our country. He called me as soon as the war broke out. I did mention about my wife's sickness and lack of medicines", Rusty said.

"Ram Charan sent medicine to help my suffering wife, as well as a few other essentials. I thank him from the bottom of my heart", the person said, as he also hopes for the war to end soon.

Ram Charan, who acted in 'RRR', had shot extensively across India, with a few sequences in Ukraine and Bulgaria. While his stay in Ukraine during 'RRR' shoot, Ram Charan was assisted by a security person named Rusty, who is a native Ukrainian.

As soon as the war broke out, Ram Charan was worried about Rusty, and hence had called him to know about his well being amid the war scenario. Rusty, who had mentioned about his wife's sickness, also mentioned that the situation was out of hand.

Ram Charan had sent a few essentials along with medicine for the man's wife. This act of generosity by Chiranjeevi's son is being appreciated by folks from the industry.
NEW DELHI: SS Rajamouli's much-hyped movie 'RRR' will finally see its release worldwide in a few days as the Telangana government permitted a hike in ticket prices for the movie.

Telangana government has agreed to hike the prices for 'RRR', and fix special ticket pricings, which will be applicable for ten days from the movie's release date. After that, normal ticket prices must come into force, as per the rules.

The Telangana government gave a green signal to screen five shows for the first ten days, from 7 am to 1 am.

The multiplexes, starting on March 25, will have Rs 70 and Rs 100 (normal & recliner) extra for 3 days and Rs 50 extra for the next seven days, giving the much-anticipated film a boost.

In the case of AC single screens, additional fees of Rs 50 will be permitted for three days after the movie's release, and Rs 30 for the next seven days.

Two days after Andhra Pradesh's government issued a new Government Order, 'RRR' for Telangana's first weekend will see additional rates.

'RRR' starring Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt, and others will hit the screens on March 25 in multiple languages across the world.
New Delhi: American tech giant Google will be bringing the ability to delete the last 15 minutes of your search history to its Android app. The company confirmed to The Verge, "We`re currently rolling this feature out on the Google app for Android and expect it to be available to everyone using the app in the next few weeks. We`re continuing to explore ways to bring this helpful feature to other surfaces."

To check the feature, The Verge suggests users to open Google`s Android app, tap the profile picture, and look for the `Delete last 15 min` option.

For the unversed, Google first announced the feature at Google I/O in May, and it came to Google`s iOS app in July. Also Read: File GST returns by Sunday, or else: CBIC reminds taxpayers about deadline

At that time, Google said it would arrive on the Android version of the app later in 2021, but for some reason, the company missed that deadline. Also Read: US warns of cyber attacks on global satellite networks

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New Delhi: Telegram has been banned in Brazil following a ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court. On Friday, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the internet providers and digital stores to block the messaging application across the nation as it failed to comply with orders from Brazilian authorities and remove messages found to contain disinformation, The Verge reported.

The move comes at the time when President Jair Bolsonaro has been reportedly encouraging his base to follow him on Telegram as he is all set to seek re-election in October.

After facing the shutdown in Brazil, Telegram`s founder and CEO Pavel Durov issued a statement, citing the ban happened because his company was checking the wrong email address.

"It seems that we had an issue with emails going between our telegram.org corporate addresses and the Brazilian Supreme Court. As a result of this miscommunication, the Court ruled to ban Telegram for being unresponsive. On behalf of our team, I apologize to the Brazilian Supreme Court for our negligence. We definitely could have done a better job," he said.

Durov added, "We complied with an earlier court decision in late February and responded with a suggestion to send future takedown requests to a dedicated email address. Unfortunately, our response must have been lost, because the Court used the old general-purpose email address in further attempts to reach us. As a result, we missed its decision in early March that contained a follow-up takedown request. Luckily, we have now found and processed it, delivering another report to the Court today."

Durov also urged the court to "consider delaying its ruling." Also Read: iPhone SE 2022 Price Cut: Now, buy Apple smartphone at just Rs 25,900, check offer

"Because tens of millions of Brazilians rely on Telegram to communicate with family, friends and colleagues, I ask the Court to consider delaying its ruling for a few days at its discretion to allow us to remedy the situation by appointing a representative in Brazil and setting up a framework to react to future pressing issues like this in an expedited manner. The last 3 weeks have been unprecedented for the world and for Telegram. Our content moderation team was flooded with requests from multiple parties. However, I am certain that once a reliable channel of communication is established, we`ll be able to efficiently process takedown requests for public channels that are illegal in Brazil," the statement concluded. Also Read: Russia-Ukraine War: Twitter blocks senior Russian diplomat at UN

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New Delhi: The ECG function has proven to be more than just an Apple Watch app. This 34-year-old Haryana resident can speak to that when an abnormal cardiac rhythm (Afib) signal on his device prompted him to go to the hospital, ultimately saving his life.

Nitesh Chopra felt pain in his chest on March 12. When he was monitoring his ECG on his Apple Watch, the device alerted him.

Chopra and his wife Neha then hurried to the hospital, where a doctor's monitored reading corroborated the Apple Watch's reading.

The same day, doctors took over and performed an emergency angiography, which revealed that Chopra's primary coronary artery was entirely clogged, potentially leading to cardiac arrest.

The 34-year-old was immediately operated on, which saved his life.

"We dismissed the readings because we thought a young man in his early 30s couldn't have such arrhythmia." However, our most recent reading on Saturday, March 12, was consistent with earlier signals, leading us to feel that something was wrong with my heart health and that we needed to rush to the hospital," Nitesh explained.

In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Neha stated, "we only arrived at the hospital because of the technology given by you, and my husband is now good and healthy." I wish you all the love and happiness in the world, and I thank you for giving my husband life."

Tim responded to Neha's letter by saying, "I'm very delighted you got medical attention and received the care you required." Thank you for telling us your storey. Have a good day. Best wishes, Tim"

Here's how to use the ECG app on Apple Watch

The ECG app for Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, or Series 7 can record your heartbeat and rhythm using the electrical heart sensor and then check the recording for atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of abnormal rhythm.

The ECG app captures an electrocardiogram, which is a representation of the electrical pulses that cause your heart to beat. The ECG app uses these pulses to calculate your heart rate and determine whether your upper and lower chambers are in rhythm. If they are out of rhythm, they may have AFib.

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New Delhi: After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US government has warned about "possible threats" on global satellite communication networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have issued a warning, saying they are aware of possible threats to the US and international satellite communication (SATCOM) networks.

Successful intrusions into SATCOM networks could create risk in network providers` customer environments.

The fresh warning came as satellite modems belonging to thousands of customers in Europe went offline as Russia began the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The attack affected US telecommunications firm Viasat that owned the affected network.

"Given the current geopolitical situation, CISA`s `Shields Up` initiative requests that all organisations significantly lower their threshold for reporting and sharing indications of malicious cyber activity," it said in a statement.

CISA and FBI strongly encouraged critical infrastructure organisations and other organisations that are either SATCOM network providers or customers to review and implement the mitigations outlined in this CSA to strengthen SATCOM network cybersecurity.

Last month, Western intelligence agencies launched a probe into the cyber-attack that hit Viasat, resulting in a huge communications outage across Europe.

"We currently believe this was a deliberate, isolated and external cyber event," Viasat spokesperson Chris Phillips had said. Also Read: India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt

"Viasat`s continuous and ongoing mitigation efforts have stabilised the KA-SAT network," he added. Also Read: File GST returns by Sunday, or else: CBIC reminds taxpayers about deadline

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Egypt is expected to experience a cold spell starting Monday, with a drop in temperatures of up to five Celsius degrees and chances of rainfall, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) on Saturday.

The EMA said that temperatures in the northern part of the country, including Greater Cairo, are expected to decline by 2-3 degrees as of Monday, while the countrys South is forecast to experience a 4-5 degree drop starting Tuesday.

This drop in temperatures comes despite the countrys weather improving over the past three days.

Over the past two weeks, the country has experienced a spell of cold weather marked with a remarkable increase in wind activity due to a mass of air coming from southern Europe, according to the EMA.

However, several parts of the country, including Greater Cairo, the North Coast, and South Sinai are expected to see an increase in wind activity from Sunday to Thursday.

Additionally, there is a 30 percent chance of mild to moderate rainfall over the North Coast and Lower Egypt until midway through the week.

Greater Cairo and Lower Egypt are set to see highs of 20-18 degrees and lows of 11-9 from Sunday to Thursday.

The North Coast, however, is expected to see highs of 18-16 degrees and lows of 12-9, while South Sinai will experience highs of 25-22 and lows of 15.

Northern Upper Egypt is expected to witness highs of 23-18 degrees and lows of 10-9, while southern Upper Egypt is set to see highs of 30-27 and lows of 13.

The constantly rising and falling temperatures are a staple of Egyptian weather at this time of the year as the country bids farewell to winter and welcomes the spring season, which is known for its fluctuating tempreatures, said head of the EMAs Central Weather Forecasting Centre Mahmoud Shahin last week.

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New Delhi: If you are a WhatsApp Business app user, theres good news. The messaging platform is reportedly working on a new feature called Orders that will help you manage all your customers orders in one place. Currently, the Orders feature for WhatsApp Business users is in the works, and the social media giant is expected to launch it for the public in the coming weeks.

According to WABetainfo, an online platform that tracks WhatsApp features, the messaging platform will integrate the Orders functionality as a separate section within the WhatsApp Business app.

Users will be able to view and manage in one place using the new feature  saving money and time. WhatsApp will release the functionality for both Android and iOS. However, the company is expected to launch the feature first on iOS and then later on Android, according to media reports.

All orders you have created for specific customers will be listed in this new section. It will be possible to create a new order by opening the chat share action menu: in this menu, a new option called Orders" will be available, that allows inserting a title for the order, a price, and quantity, but this is also under development and news will be posted later," WABetaInfo said in its report. Also Read: Delhi: Workers who lost work due to construction ban to get Rs 5,000 assistance

Meanwhile, WhatsApp has now allowed users to change the font size in the device settings to have no effect on the WhatsApp conversation fonts. So, if you find the fonts to be too huge or too small for your purposes and want to modify them, WhatsApp includes a feature that allows you to do so. Also Read: India's oil imports from US to rise, amid criticism for Russian purchases

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Islamabad: Amid the looming no-confidence motion against his government, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan met Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday.

The meeting is being speculated to have revolved around the recent political developments in the country, with the local media reporting that the agenda of the meeting could have revolved around the upcoming Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) summit in Pakistan, the ongoing unrest in Balochistan and the upcoming no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.

"The majority of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders are waiting for the outcome of this meeting, the result of this meeting will be important amidst the ongoing political developments in the country," Capital TV, a Pakistani media channel reported.

The meeting is also being seen as an attempt by Imran Khan to get back in the good books of the Pakistani establishment, which is the Pakistani Army and thereby, save his government.

The fissures between Imran Khan and the Army establishment became visible when the former in his profanity-laced speech on March 11, had rebuffed Army Chief Bajwa`s advice to not use derogatory remarks against Opposition leaders.

"I was just talking to Gen Bajwa (Chief of Pakistani Army) and he told me not to refer to Fazl as `diesel`.

But I am not the one who is saying that. The people have named him diesel," Khan reportedly said referring to JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Meanwhile, 25 lawmakers from Imran Khan`s ruling PTI took refuge in the Sindh House in Islamabad, and are widely believed to be rebelling against Khan.

Pakistan media reported on Friday that PTI workers broke the gate of the Sindh House and entered the building.

The police arrested PTI`s Faheem Khan and Attaullah Niazi who were leading the group in the Sindh House. Some workers who were part of the mob have also been arrested.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz wrote on Twitter that the federal government should "go home" if it has any sense of shame left."

God willing, you will not be able to save the government, but if you have any sense of shame left in you, then go home," she tweeted.

Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) leaders also jumped in to condemn the incident. They said that their party workers will have no option but to surround the PTI leaders` house as an act of retaliation.

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New Delhi: China has reported its first Covid-19 deaths in over a year, the country's National Health Commission confirmed on Saturday (March 19, 2022). The deaths, both in northeastern Jilin province, has taken China's coronavirus death toll to 4,638. The country had reported two deaths for the whole of 2021, with the last one logged on January 25.

China, which is witnessing a record surge in Covid-19 cases, reported 2,157 new infections from community transmission on Saturday, with the majority in Jilin. The province, notably, has instituted a travel ban, with people needing permission from the police to travel across borders.

China has now reported more local symptomatic Covid-19 cases so far this year than it recorded in all of 2021. Since the pandemic began in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, China has so far confirmed over 1,28,400 cases.

Significantly, China is experiencing its biggest spikes in coronavirus cases in recent weeks just as the rest of the world is opening up with a drastic fall of infections.

China to stick with 'dynamic zero-Covid' policy

China on Friday had ruled out relaxing its much-criticised "dynamic zero-Covid" policy of restricting international travel and minimising contacts with the outside world.

China will adhere to its "dynamic zero-Covid" policy to contain its current outbreak, Wang Hesheng, vice-minister of the National Health Commission and administrator of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration told the media.

The goal of the 'Zero case policy' approach is to bring the epidemic under control in the shortest possible time with minimum cost to society, he added.

Under this policy, China has drastically cut international travel which has affected several lakhs of international students, including over 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine who are stuck in India following the cancellation of visas and flights.

The recent record surge has also forced the authorities to put at least 10 cities and counties under Covid-19 lockdown, including the tech hub of Shenzhen, which is home to over 17 million people.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday (March 18, 2022) said that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic was a long way off, citing a rise in cases in its latest weekly data.

Asked by a journalist at a Geneva media briefing about the timing of the pandemic's end, Margaret Harris, a WHO spokesperson, said it was "far from over".

"We are definitely in the middle of the pandemic," she added.

After more than a month of decline, coronavirus cases have started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China's Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.

Why are Covid-19 cases increasing again?

The WHO said that a combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its cousin the BA.2 sub-variant. It also stated that the lifting of public health and social measures is also behind the latest surge in Covid-19 cases.

It is notable that the UN health agency had previously said that the acute phase of the pandemic could end this year but it would depend on how quickly we meet its target to vaccinate 70% of the population in each country, among other factors.

Global rise in new Covid-19 cases just a 'tip of the iceberg'

Earlier on March 16, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said that the increase is occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the "cases we're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg".

He had also called on all countries to remain vigilant and continue to vaccinate, test, sequence, provide early care for patients, and apply "common-sense public health measures" to protect health workers and the public.

Reported #COVID19 cases are again increasing despite reductions in testing, which means the cases we're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg. We call on countries to continue to:

Vaccinate

Test

Sequence

Provide early care for patients

Apply common-sense public health measures pic.twitter.com/qjmcrA88kh  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 17, 2022

Low vaccination rates in some countries, driven partly by a "huge amount of misinformation" also explained the rise, WHO officials 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 WHO`s Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China, where cases rose by 25% and deaths by 27%.

Africa also saw a 12% rise in new cases and a 14% rise in deaths, and Europe a 2% rise in cases but no jump in deaths. Other regions reported declining cases, including the eastern Mediterranean region, although this area saw a 38% rise in deaths linked to a previous spike in infections.

Globally, as of March 18, there have been over 46.48 crore confirmed cases of Covid-19, including more than 60.62 lakh deaths, reported to WHO. On the other hand, around 10,92,50,55,390 vaccine doses have been administered across the world.

(With agency inputs)
Washington: In his call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden on Friday (March 18, 2022) described to him the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians, the White House said.

The about two-hour-long conversation between the two leaders over a secure video call focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it said.

President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia. He described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians, the White House said in a readout of the call.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the vast majority of the nearly two hours was spent with the president outlining the views of the United States, its allies and partners on this crisis, including a detailed overview of efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, how we got here, steps we've taken, where we've gone and why.

A senior administration official told reporters that the conversation was direct.

It was substantive and it was detailed. The two leaders spent the preponderance of their time discussing Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the implications of the crisis for U.S.-China relations and the international order, the official said.

Biden shared with Xi a detailed review of how things have developed to this point, his assessment of the situation today, and President Biden underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, the official said, adding that Biden described the US' assessment of Putin's actions and his miscalculations.

He also described the unity of the United States and its allies and partners, the unprecedented coordination with our European, NATO, and Indo-Pacific partners, and the overwhelming global unity and condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as the support for Ukraine, said the official.

Biden made clear the implication and consequences of China providing material support -- if China were to provide material support -- to Russia as it prosecutes its brutal war in Ukraine, not just for China's relationship with the United States but for the wider world, the official said.

During the call, Biden stressed concerns that Russia is spreading disinformation about biological weapons in Ukraine as a pretext for a false-flag operation and underscored concerns about echoing such disinformation.

President Xi raised Taiwan. President Biden reiterated that the United States remains committed to our one-China policy and is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiqus, and the Six Assurances. And he underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the official said.

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Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (March 18, 2022) spoke to European Council President Charles Michel and discussed further strengthening of support to the war-torn country and also the membership of the European Union (EU) to Ukraine.

"Discussed with President of the Council Charles Michel @eucopresident further support to in countering aggression, strengthening the anti-war coalition, prospects for restoring peace in. Special attention was paid to our movement towards membership in the #EU," Zelenskyy said in a tweet.

Discussed with President of the Council Charles Michel @eucopresident further support to in countering aggression, strengthening the anti-war coalition, prospects for restoring peace in . Special attention was paid to our movement towards membership in the #EU.    (@ZelenskyyUa) March 18, 2022

The European Council President Michel in a series of tweets talked about the discussion and the proposal of setting up a solidarity fund with Ukraine.

"We exchanged views with the President @ZelenskyyUa on strengthening our consolidated support for Ukraine. Specific elements of the current talks between Ukraine and Russia were discussed," Michel said, adding, "We support the establishment of the Solidarity Fund with Ukraine to provide basic services and address the urgent needs of citizens."

ALSO READ | Joe Biden warns Xi Jinping of 'consequences' if China gives Russia material support for invasion

"The fund will provide liquidity to the ongoing support of the government and in the long run will be the basis for rebuilding a free and democratic Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities. Partners can contribute to the Fund through an international donors` conference," Michel explained.

Reiterating the EU`s support to Ukraine in its war effort against Russia, Michel said, "We are building a broad anti-war coalition. The courage and resilience shown by Ukrainians is impressive. The EU will continue to support you in the face of Kremlin aggression."

Meanwhile, in a video address on the same day, Zelenskyy commented on the Ukrainian-Russian talks on a possible ceasefire, "It is time to meet. It is time to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the justice for Ukraine," Sputnik reported.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict while talking about the efforts to bring an end to the war.

The developments come amidst the scheduled visit of US President Joe Biden to Brussels on March 24 to attend an extraordinary NATO summit as well as participate in a European Council Summit.

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A US military plane taking part in NATO exercises has crashed in Norway, killing all four American troops on board, the Scandinavian country's army said Saturday.

The four were taking part in the Cold Response military exercises involving 30,000 troops from NATO and partner countries.

About 200 planes and some 50 ships are taking part in the exercises, which will continue until April 1.

Their plane, a V-22B Osprey aircraft belonging to the US Marine Corps, was reported missing on Friday evening south of Bodo in northern Norway.

At 01:30 (0030 GMT) on Saturday, "the police arrived at the scene. The police in Nordland County now confirm that the crew of four have died. As far as the police know, the four are of American nationality," the Norwegian defence ministry said in a statement.

The US Marine Corps earlier confirmed "a mishap" involving a MV-22B Osprey during the exercises and said Norwegian civil authorities were leading the search and rescue efforts.

"It's with great sadness that we received the message saying that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night," Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said on Twitter.

Cold Response 2022 aims to test how Norway would manage allied reinforcements on its soil in the event that NATO's mutual defence clause were triggered.

Tensions between Russia and NATO have soared following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but the exercises were planned long before that offensive began on February 24.

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Fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine on Saturday, with intense combat in the besieged port city of Mariupol, the site of some of the war's greatest suffering. Ukrainian officials say their forces there are battling the Russians over the Azovstal steel plant, one of the biggest in Europe.

The war is now in its fourth week. Overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of deliberately creating "a humanitarian catastrophe,'' but also appealed for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him for direct talks.

The U.N. migration agency says the fighting has displaced nearly 6.5 million people inside Ukraine, on top of the 3.2 million refugees who have already fled the country. Ukraine says thousands have been killed.

Here are some key things to know about the conflict:

WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND?

In city after city around Ukraine, hospitals, schools and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked.

In Mariupol, Ukrainian troops were losing control of the key Azovstal steel plant, now damaged and heavily contested, according to comments from an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister.

"Now there is a fight for Azovstal," Vadym Denysenko said in televised remarks on Saturday. "I can say that we have lost this economic giant. In fact, one of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed.''

Zelenskyy said in his Friday nighttime video address to the nation that more than 9,000 people were able to leave Mariupol in the past day, and in all more than 180,000 people have been able to flee through humanitarian corridors.

The Russian military reported Saturday that it has used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.

Late Friday, Ukrainian officials said that Mariupol lost its access to the Azov Sea, which is connected to the much larger Black Sea.

Shelling continued at the edges of Kyiv on Friday, while a barrage of missiles was launched against an aircraft repair installation at an airport outside the western city of Lviv, close to the border with Poland.

Ukraine said it had shot down two of six missiles launched in the attack from the Black Sea, which killed one person. The early morning strike was the closest one yet to the centre of Lviv, which has become a crossroads for people fleeing from other parts of Ukraine and for others entering to deliver aid or join the fight.

MEANWHILE, IN OUTER SPACE

Three Russian cosmonauts arrived Friday at the International Space Station, and as they floated into it in zero gravity, they were wearing bright yellow flight suits with blue accents. Those are the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

Later, the cosmonauts were able to talk to family back on Earth, and cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was asked about the flight suits. He said every crew chooses its own flight suits and "in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So that's why we had to wear yellow.''

Since the war started, many people have used the Ukrainian flag and its colours to show solidarity with the country. It was unclear what message, if any, the yellow uniforms were intended to send.

WHAT ARE WORLD LEADERS DOING?

President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping spoke Friday for nearly two hours via video as the U.S. looks to deter Beijing from providing military or economic aid for Russia's invasion. Biden described the consequences the Chinese would face from the U.S. if they provide military or economic assistance for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki declined to detail possible consequences but a senior administration official said Biden pointed to the economic isolation that Russia has faced.

For his part, Xi urged the U.S. and Russia to negotiate and blamed the U.S. for the crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron pressed for an immediate cease-fire in a phone call Friday with Putin. Macron's office said Putin laid the blame on Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also pressed Putin for a cease-fire in a Friday conversation.

Biden plans to travel to Europe next week for talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion, and will attend an extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels.

WHERE DO RUSSIAN-UKRAINE TALKS STAND?

The head of the Russian delegation in talks with Ukrainian officials says the parties have come closer to an agreement on a neutral status for Ukraine, one of the key Russian demands as its offensive continues. Vladimir Medinsky said Friday that the sides also have narrowed their differences on the issue of Ukraine dropping its bid to join NATO.

But Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, tweeted: "Our positions are unchanged. A ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas."

Negotiation status. The statements of the Russian side are only their requesting positions. All statements are intended, inter alia, to provoke tension in the media. Our positions are unchanged. Ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas.    (@Podolyak_M) March 18, 2022

WHAT IS THE CIVILIAN TOLL IN THE WAR SO FAR?

The U.N. human rights office says that it has recorded a total of 816 civilians killed and 1,333 injured since the fighting began on Feb. 24, though it only reports counts that it can verify. It believes the figures vastly understate the actual toll. Ukrainian officials say thousands have been killed.

WHAT HAS THE AP DIRECTLY WITNESSED OR CONFIRMED?

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, AP journalists are relaying images of destruction, distress, and defiance from across the country.

A soldier standing guard near the site of the strike in Lviv said he heard three blasts in quick succession around 6 a.m. A nearby resident described his building vibrating from the explosions and people panicking. Smoke continued to rise from the site hours later.

HOW IS THE WORLD RESPONDING TO THE WAR?

The United States and its allies have put a slew of sanctions in place aimed at crippling the Russian economy. Hundreds of international companies have announced that they are curtailing operations in Russia, and those who remain are under pressure to pull out.

Pope Francis on Friday denounced what he called the "perverse abuse of power'' in Russia's war in Ukraine and called for aid for Ukrainians whose identity, history and tradition are under attack. Francis' comments were some of his strongest yet in asserting Ukraine's right to exist as a sovereign state.

Aid agencies are ramping up their efforts to deliver relief supplies to civilians affected by the fighting and refugees who have fled Ukraine. The Polish city of Rzeszow, about 60 miles (100 kilometres) from the Ukrainian border, has become a humanitarian hub for the region.

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Russia said Saturday that it had unleashed hypersonic missiles against an arms depot in Ukraine, the first use of the next-generation weapons in combat, after Kyiv's embattled leader pressed for "meaningful" talks to end a conflict now in its fourth week.

Moscow also said its troops had broken Ukrainian defences to enter the strategic southern port city of Mariupol, and destroyed radio and intelligence sites just outside Odessa.

If confirmed, the use of Russia's new Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles, which can elude most defence systems, would mark a new escalation in Russia's campaign to force Ukraine to abandon hopes of closer ties with the West.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP that the weapons depot in Deliatyn, a village near the border with Romania, had indeed been hit but "we have no information of the type of missile."

"There has been damage, destruction and the detonation of munitions," he said. "They are using all the missiles in their arsenal against us."

Ukraine officials also admitted they had "temporarily" lost access to the Sea of Azov, though Russia has effectively controlled the coastline for weeks after surrounding Mariupol.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who unveiled the Kinzhal missile in 2018, has termed it "an ideal weapon" that flies at 10 times the speed of sound -- analysts say Russia is leading the hypersonics race, followed by China and the US.

'Time to meet'

Moscow's announcement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again appealed for peace, urging Russia to accept "meaningful" talks in his latest Facebook video.

"This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine," he said.

"Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that several generations will not recover."

Ukraine claimed Saturday that a Russian general had been killed by strikes on an airfield outside Kherson, just north of Crimea, saying he was the fifth top-ranking officer killed since the invasion began on February 24.

Fierce resistance has managed to stall Russian forces outside Kviv and several other cities in the east, making them vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks against supply lines.

Britain's defence ministry said Saturday that Russia has been forced to "change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition."

"This is likely to involve the indiscriminate use of firepower resulting in increased civilian casualties," it warned.

But as in previous negotiations there appeared to be little progress in reaching a ceasefire, with Putin accusing Ukraine of "numerous war crimes" during a call late Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss accused Moscow of using the talks as a "smokescreen" as it carried out "appalling atrocities," saying she was "very sceptical" they would produce a breakthrough.

Fighting rages

Friday's attack on the arms depot was the latest strike in western Ukraine, which until a few days ago had remained relatively unscathed by Russia's push toward key cities from the north and east.

On Friday, Russian forces destroyed an aircraft repair plant near the airport of Lviv, where millions of people have fled as rockets and shelling continue to rain down on Kyiv.

In Mariupol, rescuers were still searching for hundreds of people trapped under the wreckage of a bombed theatre where over 1,000 people had been seeking shelter when it was struck on Wednesday.

There was still no information about potential fatalities, Zelensky said, but 130 people had been saved so far -- some "heavily injured."

"This is no longer Mariupol, it's hell," said resident Tamara Kavunenko, 58. "The streets are full with the bodies of civilians."

Russian forces also carried out a large-scale air strike on Mykolaiv in the south on Friday, killing dozens of young Ukrainian ensigns at their brigade headquarters.

"No fewer than 200 soldiers were sleeping in the barracks" at the time of the attack, a Ukrainian serviceman on the ground, 22-year-old Maxim, told AFP.

"At least 50 bodies have been recovered, but we do not know how many others are in the rubble," he said.

'Trapped'

More than 3.25 million refugees have fled Ukraine and countless others have sought havens in the country's west, though Putin said his forces were doing "everything possible" to avoid civilian casualties during his latest call with Macron, according to the Kremlin.

But Zelensky accused Russian forces of blocking aid around hotspot areas.

"I escaped war to reach stability, only to find myself trapped in another war," said Mazen Dammag, a Yemeni who fled his war-torn homeland nearly six years ago for Ukraine.

He and several friends hired taxis to take them from Odessa to Poland, some 1,000 kilometres north, and eventually Bremen in Germany, where he spoke with AFP by video.

Russia's ally China told US President Joe Biden on Friday that the war "in no one's interest," but showed no sign of giving in to US pressure to join Western condemnation of Russia.

Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of "consequences" for any financial or military aid for Russia, a move that could turn the standoff into a global confrontation.

Putin appears undeterred by further threats or sanctions, holding a triumphalist rally in Moscow on Friday to mark eight years since Russia's seizure of Crimea, saying his goal in Ukraine was "to rid these people from their suffering and genocide."

Talks stall

In a call to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin accused Ukrainian authorities of stalling talks by "putting forward more and more unrealistic proposals".

Russia wants Ukraine to disarm and disavow all Western alliances, in particular by joining NATO or seeking closer integration with the European Union -- steps that Kyiv says would turn it into a vassal state of Moscow.

Russia's top negotiator said Friday that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions "as close as possible" on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.

But Mikhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky taking part in the negotiations, said his country's position had not budged.

Switzerland said Saturday that despite its longstanding neutrality, it would impose the same sanctions against Russia as the EU.

President Ignazio Cassis said his country would not stand by in the "confrontation between democracy and barbarism," saying the war was being driven by "a devastating madness which shatters all the principles and values of our civilisation."

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Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced Saturday that 10 humanitarian corridors have been agreed on with the Russians.

They include a corridor from the besieged port city of Mariupol, several in the Kyiv region and several in the Luhansk region.

She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the city of Kherson, which is currently under the control of the Russian forces.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces are blockading the largest cities with the goal of creating such miserable conditions that Ukrainians will cooperate. He said the Russians are preventing supplies from reaching surrounded cities in central and southeastern Ukraine.

Satellite images on Friday from Maxar Technologies showed a long line of cars leaving Mariupol as people tried to evacuate. Zelenskyy said more than 9,000 people were able to leave the city in the past day.

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Press Release

March 18, 2022 Pangilinan thanks Mindanaoans for outpouring support in campaign rallies ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Vice-presidential aspirant Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan is in awe of the outpouring of support displayed by Mindanaoans during the week-long campaign of the Team Robredo-Pangilinan (TRoPa) in his closest rival's home turf. "The groundswell and momentum are building up. We did not expect this. Hindi namin inasahan na ganoon kadami ang lalabas sa General Santos, umulan pa nun. Dito sa Zamboanga, umulan din, but people did not want to leave," Pangilinan said in a radio interview before concluding the Mindanao leg. TRoPa began their barnstorming in General Santos all the way to Cotabato City, Pagadian City, and Basilan. Pangilinan attributes the massive positive reception to their tandem's clean track record, zeroing in on presidential aspirant Leni Robredo's initiatives during the Covid-19 crisis. "Talagang overwhelming. And I think the message of malinis at tapat na panunungkulan is something that our voters are hungry for. Parang gigil na gigil, gutom hindi lang sa pagkain pati sa katarungan at malinis na maayos na panunungkulan," Pangilinan said. "Sabi nga nila, the true character of a person comes out during times of crisis and in this crisis, she really went to town, delivering services which the national government was trying to figure out paano pagkakitaan iyong Covid," he added. Under the leadership of Robredo, the Office of the Vice President reached unprecedented accomplishments as they were able to mobilize the office even on a tight budget. For Pangilinan, the people's response only shows they are hungry for genuine societal change. "I think yes [this shows that people are clamoring for change] because our track record, Vice President Leni and I, has no whiff of corruption. I won here in Zamboanga three times as a senator. I thank our Zamboanguenos for this trust and I made sure that this trust was not broken. For three terms, we have never been involved in any cases of corruption," he said. Pangilinan, whose campaign promise revolves around food security, thanked he people who continue to back their campaign, particularly the volunteers. He said this is the first time in the six elections he's been in that he has received gifts from supporters. "I have never seen this kind of outpouring of sympathy and support and the commitment and the zeal and passion of volunteers," he said. As this support continues to grow and strengthen, Pangilinan has one promise: "We will not fail our people."
Russian forces pushed deeper into Ukraine's besieged and battered port city of Mariupol on Saturday, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the war's worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks into the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II.

``Children, elderly people are dying. The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth,'' Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin said from a rubble-strewn street in a video addressed to Western leaders that was authenticated by The Associated Press.

Russian forces have already cut the city off from the Sea of Azov, and its fall would link Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, to territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in the east. It would mark a rare advance in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance that has dashed Russia's hopes for a quick victory and galvanized the West.

Ukrainian and Russian forces battled over the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said Saturday. ``One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed,'' Denysenko said in televised remarks.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukraine's president, said the nearest forces that could assist Mariupol's defenders were already struggling against ``the overwhelming force of the enemy'' or at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.

``There is currently no military solution to Mariupol,'' he said late Friday. ``That is not only my opinion, that is the opinion of the military.''

Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelenskyy has remained defiant, appearing in a video early Saturday shot on the streets of the capital, Kyiv, to denounce a huge Friday rally in Moscow that Russian President Vladimir Putin attended.

Zelenskyy said Russia is trying to starve Ukraine's cities into submission but warned that continuing the invasion would exact a heavy toll on Russia. He also repeated his call for Putin to meet with him to prevent more bloodshed.

``The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's costs will be so high that you will not be able to rise again for several generations,'' he said.

Putin lavished praise on his country's military during the rally, which took place on the anniversary of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. The event included patriotic songs such as ``Made in the U.S.S.R.,'' with its opening line of ``Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, it's all my country.''

``We have not had unity like this for a long time,'' Putin told the cheering crowd.

The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home, where Russian police have detained thousands of antiwar protesters.

Estimates of Russian deaths vary widely, but even conservative figures are in the low thousands. Russia had 64 deaths in five days of fighting during its 2008 war with Georgia. It lost about 15,000 in Afghanistan over 10 years, and more than 11,000 over years of fighting in Chechnya.

The Russian military said Saturday that it used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.

Russia has said the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

Meanwhile, fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine. U.N. bodies have confirmed more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher. The U.N. says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees.

The northwestern Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin and Moshchun were under fire on Saturday, the Kyiv regional administration reported. It said Slavutich, located 165 kilometers (103 miles) north of the capital, was ``completely isolated.``

Police of the Kyiv region said seven people were killed and five were wounded in a mortar attack on Friday in Makariv, a town roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the capital. They said the attack destroyed homes and damaged other buildings.

Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish 10 humanitarian corridors for bringing aid in and residents out of besieged cities _ one from Mariupol and several around Kyiv and in the eastern Luhansk region, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Saturday.

She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of Kherson, which Russia seized early in the war.

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict but remain divided over several issues, with Russia pressing for its neighbor's demilitarization and Kyiv demanding security guarantees.

In a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Putin said Ukraine was trying to ``drag the negotiations by making a series of new, unrealistic proposals,'' according to the Kremlin.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, meanwhile, accused Putin of using the talks as a ``smokescreen'' while his forces regroup. ``We don't see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table,`` she told the Times of London.

The British Department of Defense said in its latest intelligence assessment that the Kremlin ``has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance'' and ``is now pursuing a strategy of attrition`` that is likely to involve indiscriminate attacks.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during a Saturday visit to NATO ally Bulgaria, said the Russian invasion had ``stalled on a number of fronts'' but the U.S. had not yet seen signs that Putin was deploying additional forces.

Around Ukraine, hospitals, schools and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked.

At least 130 people survived the Wednesday bombing of a Mariupol theater that was being used a shelter, but another 1,300 were believed to be still inside, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament's human rights commissioner, said Friday.

``We pray that they will all be alive, but so far there is no information about them,`` Denisova told Ukrainian television.

Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed a long line of cars leaving Mariupol as people tried to evacuate. Zelenskyy said more than 9,000 people were able to leave Friday along a route that leads 227 kilometers (141 miles) away to the city of Zaporizhzhia _ which is also under attack.

The governor of southern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Oleksandr Starukh, announced a 38-hour curfew after two missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia's suburbs killed nine people Friday.

Russian forces have fired on eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region in the past 24 hours, including Mariupol, Ukraine's national police said Saturday.

The attacks with rockets and heavy artillery killed and wounded dozens of civilians, and damaged at least 37 residential buildings and facilities, including a school, a museum and a shopping center, it said.

In the western city of Lviv, Ukraine's cultural capital, which was hit by Russian missiles on Friday, military veterans were training dozens of civilians on how to handle firearms and grenades.

``It's hard, because I have really weak hands, but I can manage it,'' said one trainee, 22-year-old Katarina Ishchenko.

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KYODO NEWS - Mar 20, 2022 - 01:19 | All, World, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed Saturday they will never tolerate attempts to alter the status quo by force in any region in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

The two leaders affirmed that the war in Ukraine must be resolved based on international law, Kishida said at a joint news conference after a meeting in New Delhi, while Modi made no reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine during the press event.

The talks came as Japan is trying to seek that India, which has traditionally had close ties with Russia, aligns with it, the United States, Europe and others in condemning the Russian aggression in Ukraine that began on Feb. 24.

In a joint statement issued after the talks, they aired "serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis" in Ukraine, and urged an "immediate cessation of violence," but did not refer to Russia directly.

While the war in Ukraine is in a stalemate, Moscow's attacks have been intensifying, with indiscriminate bombardment adding to the damage to civilians.

Russian forces said Saturday they fired air-to-ground "Kinzhal" missiles to destroy an underground missile depot in western Ukraine, the first use of a hypersonic missile in actual warfare.

The number of Ukrainians forced to leave their homes has reached nearly 10 million, as 6.48 million people have been displaced internally, according to the International Organization for Migration, while the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said 3.32 million people have fled Ukraine.

Following Moscow's assaults on nuclear power plants in Ukraine, Kishida and Modi called for ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities in the former Soviet republic, according to the statement.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, amid fears Russian attacks on Ukraine could make China more assertive in the Indo-Pacific region.

"We agreed to oppose attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo in the East and South China seas," Kishida said.

Kishida is on a two-nation tour from Saturday through Monday that will also take him to Cambodia.

The two leaders also affirmed the importance of the Quad grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States. Kishida invited Modi to a Quad summit that the Japanese leader will host possibly in May.

On the economic front, Kishida unveiled a plan to invest 5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in India over five years, topping the 3.5 trillion yen pledged by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his 2014 visit to the country.

"India's partnership with Japan should become deeper. Through the partnership, peace, prosperity and stability should be encouraged in the Indo-Pacific region," Modi said at the press conference, adding, "It is not only important for both of our countries but for the world."

Japan has been supporting urban infrastructure development in India, including a project to introduce Japanese high-speed trains to the South Asian country.

The two leaders welcomed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement signed in 2020 that will allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces to share supplies and transport duties.

The visit, which marked Kishida's second overseas trip since taking office last October, coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India.

On Sunday, Kishida will travel to Cambodia to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen as part of Tokyo's efforts to strengthen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 19, 2022 - 21:25 | All, World, Japan

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as violating international law that bans the use of force and undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Eastern European country.

The ministers agreed to closely cooperate in maintaining the international order, Hayashi said at a joint press conference with Cavusoglu after their talks in Antalya, southwestern Turkey, demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin halt the illegal acts in Ukraine.

They also affirmed coordination in reforming the United Nations, given that veto power by Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, has made the top U.N. decision-making body ineffective in addressing the war in Ukraine, according to Cavusoglu.

"It is important that the international community respond to Russia in unison," Hayashi said.

The meeting came as Tokyo has been ramping up pressure on Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine through economic sanctions in lockstep with the United States and other members of the Group of Seven industrialized nations.

Turkey, however, has opposed sanctions against Russia, although President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Moscow's aggression in its neighbor "unacceptable."

In Saturday's meeting, Hayashi expressed his "deep gratitude and respect" to Turkey for its diplomatic efforts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine by using close ties with both of them.

Sharing the border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has been offering to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Antalya through the intermediation of Cavusoglu.

But the first cease-fire talks between the two top diplomats since the start of the war on Feb. 24 ended up without any progress.

Hayashi is on a four-day, two-nation tour through Monday that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates where he plans to meet his counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

In the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine, Japan has been stepping up diplomacy, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visiting India and Cambodia this weekend for meetings with their leaders.
A local resident stands by a damaged house in Volnovakha of Donetsk, on March 12, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

- China's permanent representative to the United Nations said "the wanton use of sanctions" will not help solve the conflict in Ukraine but only create new problems.

- He said China will strengthen communication and coordination with all parties concerned and continue its constructive role in promoting dialogue for peace.

UNITED NATIONS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun said Monday that "the wanton use of sanctions" will not help solve the conflict in Ukraine but only create new problems.

"The current status in the situation in Ukraine is an outcome of the interplay of complex historical and present factors. To solve complex issues, calm and rational thinking are all the more needed," Zhang said at the UN Security Council briefing by the chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Escalating sanctions have already seriously affected and will continue to affect global finance, energy, food, transportation, supply chains and other fields, hampering the already fragile world economy amid the pandemic. The diplomat added that the sanctions would negatively impact livelihoods, particularly in developing countries.

"We once again call for greater diplomatic efforts by the international community to de-escalate tensions and immediately bring the Ukrainian issue back to the track of political settlement," Zhang said.

A woman reads a book in a bunker in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 11, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua)

Zhang said China will strengthen communication and coordination with all parties concerned and continue its constructive role in promoting dialogue for peace.

Noting that Russia and Ukraine have held multiple rounds of direct negotiations and have demonstrated a willingness to continue the talks further, Zhang said the international community must help sustain the positive momentum.

"The crisis in Ukraine is interwoven with European security and stability," said Zhang, encouraging the OSCE to "bring into full play its strengths and set up the necessary platform for the negotiations and communication of the parties concerned."

China calls for guarantees for civilian security and their basic needs, Zhang said, adding that safe and unimpeded humanitarian corridors are needed to prevent a larger-scale crisis, Zhang said.

China has also provided in-kind humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, said the envoy, adding that China supports the UN to coordinate humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is ready to work with other parties in achieving consensus on the Security Council's response to the humanitarian crisis. 
COLOMBO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A specialized nephrology hospital in Sri Lanka, built with the assistance of the Chinese government, has successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery from a living donor recently, the first of its kind since the operation of the hospital.

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital said the recipient of the transplant is a 28-year-old woman who had been suffering from kidney disease for 10 years and the kidney donator is her mother.

The mother and daughter are in stable condition after the surgery, and both the medical staff and patient are very satisfied with the results of the operation, according to the hospital.

Buddima Jayawickrama, a well-known transplant surgeon in Sri Lanka, who was in charge of the surgery, attributed the success of the operation to adequate preparation and close collaboration among all parties, as well as to the advanced and complete medical facilities of the hospital, especially giving credit to the technical team of the Chinese company that built the hospital for providing the hardware guarantee for the operation.

The success of this transplant surgery is a good start, which makes the hospital more confident to become an important platform for kidney transplant in Sri Lanka and South Asia, said Sampath Indika Kumara, director of the hospital.

The China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital, located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and officially opened in June 2021, has an area of 25,000 square meters, featuring 200 general inpatient beds, 100 hemodialysis beds.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Home  Just In  Businesses should partner with the public health sector in Nepal. Heres why and how

Historically, public health agencies have had relatively few formal partnerships with private businesses. Many businesses have either no awareness of public health or a very narrow view of its role. For the others, interactions have usually centred on governmental public healths regulatory functions such as assuring workplace, product, and consumer safety and establishing environmental standards.

These types of activities can increase business costs, at least over the short term, and can predispose businesses to a negative impression of public healths authority and responsibilities. However, all businesses and public health agencies share an interest, that is to ensure a healthy population. Hence, businesses should have a financial interest in supporting organised public health efforts, and collaborative efforts can increase the reach and effectiveness of health services.

When we look at this relationship closely, we actually get a reciprocal sense. Businesses have benefitted from many public health activities. In turn, they can contribute greatly to addressing the pressing public health problems for which it bears both direct and indirect costs.

During the Covid pandemic, the time of economic downscaling, job losses, and businesses struggling to survive, many employers asked what they could do to better support public health. Never before has it been clearer that the private sector depends heavily on having a healthy, well-functioning, and productive workforce. Hence, the role of businesses in public health extends beyond simple fiscal contributions.

Nepals context

Although the concept to invest in the healthcare sector is new in Nepal, signs of progress are evident and a considerable amount of private sector activity can be seen in indicators of health outcomes including life expectancy, maternal care, and rates of communicable diseases. While Nepal compares poorly against the standard global benchmarks, the situation is improving.

For example, the country has recorded a consistent success rate of above 90% in tuberculosis treatment since 2009 and this exceeds the 87% global success rate. In addition, maternal mortality during childbirth has fallen to a third of the deaths recorded in 1990. Signs of progress can also be seen in the private sectors expanding activity in pharmaceuticals, Ayurvedic holistic healing, diagnostic centres and hospitals.

Photo: Katherine Hanlon/Unsplash

Nearly 3,000 small, medium and large-sized commercial firms operate in these markets, and foreign investments of US$ 18.34 million have been realised since 2009. Healthcare services are delivered by public and private sector entities and account for a total expenditure of over US$ 1 billion each year. This figure amounts to nearly 6% of Nepals gross domestic product (GDP) and translates to a per capita expenditure of US$ 40 for the year 2014. This figure, which is lower than the global average, is nevertheless higher than most SAARC countries.

Also, the government of Nepal is supportive of foreign sector investment in the healthcare sector and the most attractive investment opportunities include tertiary hospitals and pharmaceuticals manufacturers. While the healthcare sector has witnessed the growth of private hospitals and diagnostic centres and domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, there remains a great deal of unmet demand. Most hospital and diagnostic infrastructure have been concentrated in larger cities including Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Butwal, and Pokhara.

Nepal follows a free-market approach to healthcare policy and regulation. The Ministry of Health is responsible for the development of policies and regulations of the sector. A new policy strategy, the Nepal Health Sector Programme (2010-2015) has specifically identified the importance of close collaboration between the public and private sectors in the delivery of healthcare services, and all service providers are expected to deliver quality healthcare in a way that facilitates increased private-sector participation.

Nepal also adheres to a number of international best practices, including guidelines for earthquake-proofing of hospital buildings, mandatory free treatment for 10% of bed capacity, and environmental impact assessment norms for tertiary hospitals. Other benefits, including tax holidays and access to subsidised land for hospitals and pharmaceutical companies operating in underserved regions, would also encourage increased private sector participation and improve healthcare outcomes. As a result of this positive environment, significant foreign investments have been observed since 2013, especially in private tertiary hospitals.

But, is it enough? No. Are there more areas to be improved? Obviously yes!

Building stronger partnerships

Photo: Pexels/ Miguel A. Padrinan

Health agencies can provide public recognition to businesses that use partner with themfor example, to commercial food establishments that provide nutritious food options. Likewise, business leaders can participate in all health activities that involve community partnerships. These partnerships will be enhanced by including business leaders and organisations as a priority target audience for health agency reports on disease trends and population health and including specific recommendations for both businesses and governmental policymakers.

Public health departments could develop business-relevant analysis capacities, such as the emerging health impact assessment methodology, to assess the potential health benefits of proposed business-related policies. Such analyses could assist in prioritising policy development efforts and encourage business leaders to adopt policies that are likely to yield the greatest health benefits.

Policymakers could consider creating tax incentives for businesses to invest in public health. This investment could include funding support for health agency initiatives, collaborative work with health departments, or other public health partnerships.

At the national level, a stronger businesspublic health partnership could translate into more rapid progress on issues of common concern.

Together, public health and business sectors can also be more effective advocates for actions such as tax incentives for employer sponsorship of worksite health promotion programmes, improved nutritional standards for surplus food distribution to schools, and higher standards for clean air and water. Recognition of the value of strong public health agencies could also translate to business support for a dedicated federal funding source to support essential public health services at the provincial and local levels.

Businesses also can join the public health sector to advocate for laws that create healthier physical and social environments. For example, business support of improved nutrition and required physical education in schools, improved mass transit, or prominent nutritional labelling for fast foods can add weight and urgency to these efforts, to reduce the toll of chronic diseases in workers as well as the rest of the population.

Thus, the best way to foster the improvement of public health is to partner with businesses and entrepreneurs. Partnerships between businesses and public health will surely strengthen the process to improve the quality of healthcare services.
Journalism is considered one of the most crucial pillars of democracy as it connects the public to the political and social worlds. With the help of journalism, people are made aware of the happenings in and around the world. The publics perception of journalism speaks volumes in itself. They have faith in journalism that it reports the truth of events in their totality, without any manipulation or corruption.

However, today, this might not be true as there are many examples of misinformation and media sensationalisation. The case is even the same in the history of media in Nepal also. To change the scenario, the country needs strict law and its effective implementation.

Perception vs practice

Photo: Unsplash/ Roman Kraft

It is believed by the public that every piece of information provided to them is authentic and correct. However, now sensational matters have become more relevant. The information might be incomplete or may mislead the public. Over time, a growing trend towards misinformation and media sensationalisation has led to the deteriorating quality of journalism, which has grown more business-oriented putting public support to media in jeopardy.

It has become hard to trust media channels and also decipher whether they are presenting news that is true or false. Even if the facts are correct, the manner in which some news is presented to make it sensational puts the information in a bad light, making it equal to misinformation.

In todays press, there is a lot of competition, every news channel strives to deliver a particular piece of information at the earliest. Due to this, the product delivered to the public is broken pieces of news, on which the news channels have not even collected the entire information. As a result of that, people are mostly exposed to inaccurate or incomplete information or misinformation.

Nepals case

In the 1980s and 1990s, fact-checking or accuracy was one of the core basic ethics that was crucial for journalists in Nepal to follow. The Nepal Press Institute taught its student to not run a piece of news if they did not have information from all the parties involved so that the story from both sides is covered. In the fast-paced world, all this is no longer considered important, and the value and ethics of journalism have been compromised at the cost of a few extra viewers.

Reporting of misinformation back in the 1980s and 1990s was limited due to the limited number of mediums available for news circulation. But, today, due to the emergence of online media, there is a wide range of networks available to spread misinformation so the temptation to cover a piece of false news rises to see the opportunities available. Apps and social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc are to be held liable for promoting misinformation and bad journalism.

Photo: Pexels/ United Nations COVID-19 Response

The need for change

As misinformation tarnishes the trust of the media and jeopardises all democratic institutions, the need of the hour is to encourage investigative journalism and fact-checking. There is a need to establish Nepali organisations that are committed to confirming the veracity of the news, such as verifying social media rumours, claims made by political parties or any biased information available across all the data sources. A few initiatives have been taken to set up artificial intelligence tools to assist in fact-checking and combatting fake news.

Many reform-minded professionals are concerned about the medias lack of trust, both in the public and commercial sectors. Despite some development, Nepali journalists are still unfamiliar with the standards of ethical journalism. Though there have been no major incidents with regards to press freedom violations, at the same time, no improvement has been seen in Nepals journalism. Out of most of the freedom violations recorded by the Federation of Nepali Journalists, most of the cases were due to journalists disregarding their professional code of conduct.

The way forward is to implement strict laws with regards to reporting of wrong information by news channels, especially social media platforms. Also, information literacy among people is important with the emergence of online media so that they are more aware of everything. Last but not the least, Nepali journalists must strive to follow their professional code of conduct and try and increase the ranking of Nepal in the Press Freedom Index to decrease the influence and power of political parties over the media and information.

Tanvi More, a student at Jindal Global Law School, OP Jindal Global University, contributed to this article as a co-author.
Description

This class will be held on Saturday, March 19th from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Yaphank Fire Department - located at 31 Main Street in Yaphank, NY. Community members are welcome to learn self-defense techniques, assault prevention, and to socialize while getting some exercise.

Having the ability to defend yourself increases your self-esteem and boosts your confidence. Benefits like these only add to the reason to learn self-defense. This local event will be empowering and inspirational. Although the event is centered around a serious topic such as self-defense, it is also an opportunity to meet other women within the community that feel just as passionate about protecting themselves against predators.

The participants at this event will be trained by Shaolin Kempo experts to learn self-defense techniques. In addition, the elected officials will provide updates on legislation related to violence and assault, and will speak about other services that are available for the community.

There are a lot of statistics regarding assaults, but it is clear that as a community we should be proactive in becoming better educated and equipped to prevent violent behavior. Education on how to perceive a threat, and what to do to avert it can be invaluable. Self-defense classes provide personal empowerment, build confidence in personal safety, heighten self-esteem and create awareness. I hope to see women in my district at this informative event.

For more information or to register, please contact Karin Murphy at Senator Mattera's district office at 631.361.2154 or email KMurphy@NYSenate.gov
Pangilinan traces roots in Mindanao, thanks Zamboanguenos for electing him three times as lawmaker

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Vice-presidential aspirant Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Friday culminated his Mindanao caravans by paying respect to his maternal great grandfather Rosser Miller Denison, who is buried in the local cemetery here.

In a radio interview, Pangilinan traced his roots in Zamboanga, saying his maternal great grandfather put up various businesses here, including an ice plant, a cinema, and a restaurant.

Before having his own business, Pangilinan's great grandfather used to be an American soldier during the American colonial rule in the Philippines. He first ventured into business in Davao City and eventually moved to Zamboanga until his death in 1925.

Besides Denison, Pangilinan's Mindanao roots also include his late aunt Tessie, who married Louie Alano of Basilan.

This explains why the province is close to Pangilinan's heart, saying the province loved him back by allowing him to win here in the past three senatorial elections.

To return the trust Zamboanguenos show him, Pangilinan said that his track record as a lawmaker remains spotless, keeping himself away from even any allegation of corruption that would tarnish his name.

"Zamboanga, in my last three terms, lagi akong nananalo dito. Three times akong hinahalal ng Zamboanga City at ako naman ay nagpapasalamat nang husto. In fact, in 2016, number two ako dito," he said.

"Of course, we made sure na hindi nasisira ang tiwala na ibinigay sa atin kaya for the last three terms na ipinanalo niyo ako dito sa Zamboanga City, ni minsan hindi tayo pumayag na masangkot sa anumang klase ng anomalya," he added.

Pangilinan leaves Zamboanga and prepares for the Sunday's vice-presidential debates hosted by the Commission on Elections before engaging in another series of sorties to jumpstart in Pasig City on the same day as the debates.
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BEIRUT, March 19 (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday denied interfering in the judiciary but said there were "shortcomings" in its work, after a series of rulings against banks that have led them to declare a strike next week.

Mikati spoke after an exceptional cabinet session convened to discuss the rulings against banks, seven of which have had their assets frozen by judicial orders since March 14. Banks plan a two-day strike from Monday in response.

Mikati, who said on Friday actions taken by some judges were heightening tensions in Lebanon, said he had proposed senior members of the judiciary attend the session to discuss "the shortcomings of the judicial body". However, the justice minister requested the meeting be limited to ministers, he said.

In one case, a judge ruled in favour of a depositor demanding that Fransabank reopen his account and pay out his deposit - some $34,000 according to the bank - in cash.

As a result of the order, which froze its assets and sealed its vaults, Fransabank said it could not execute cash transactions.

Ahead of the cabinet session, a union representing depositors said in a Tweet the government was meeting "to prevent the Lebanese judiciary from ruling on cases of depositors against the banks and their owners".

During the session, Labour Minister Mustafa Bayram, named to cabinet by the powerful Hezbollah, said "there is a suspicion in public opinion that the government moved to protect the banks and did not move to depositors and people's rights," minutes seen by Reuters showed, prompting a denial from Mikati.

Another judge has frozen the assets of six banks as she probes transactions between them and the central bank.

More than $100 billion is trapped in a banking system that has been paralysed since 2019, when Lebanon descended into a devastating financial crisis.

Mikati said the government was committed to judicial independence and not interfering in its work.

Lebanon's failure to pass a capital control law has left banks to impose informal controls that have treated depositors unequally. Banks say they have been calling for such a law. (Reporting by Laila Bassam and Tom Perry in Beirut and Nayera Abdallah and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Writing by Tom Perry; editing by Mark Heinrich, Kirsten Donovan)
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TOKYO, March 19 (Reuters) - Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, voted in favour of a shareholder proposal requesting Toshiba Corp solicit buyout offers from private equity firms ahead of an extraordinary meeting on March 24.

The fund voted against the Japanese industrial conglomerate's plan to break itself up by spinning off its devices business, a voting record showed.

It owns 1.22% of Toshiba, according to Refinitiv.

Similarly, the State Board of Administration of Florida, with a 0.22% stake in Toshiba, voted against the management-backed break-up plan and in favour of the proposal from Singapore-based 3D Investment Partners.

Even though their stakes are small, support from such prominent institutional investors for 3D's proposal could add momentum to activist shareholder demands that the board fully explore alternatives to the break-up.

Earlier this week, one of Toshiba's external board directors said he would back 3D's proposal, breaking ranks with the public stance of the company board's.

Toshiba has said there is no change in the board's opinion in opposing the shareholder proposal and that it will continue to make every effort to gain shareholder support for the break-up plan.

Glass Lewis, an influential proxy advisory firm, has backed 3D's proposal but rival Institutional Shareholder Services has not recommended voting for it even though it is opposed to the spin-off plan.

Explaining the rational for its vote, Norway's fund - operated by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) - said it considers such factors as whether there is sufficient transparency and whether all shareholders are treated equitably when evaluating corporate transactions.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by David Clarke, Kirsten Donovan)
(Bloomberg) -- A Superior Court judge dismissed Washington, D.C.s lawsuit accusing Amazon.com Inc. of anticompetitive behavior, saying there wasnt evidence supporting the claim that the e-commerce giant inflated prices for consumers.

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Attorney General Karl Racine sued Amazon last year, alleging it encourages higher-than-necessary consumer prices through policies that guarantee the tech giant a minimum profit on each item sold, while discouraging the sites merchants from offering their products at lower prices elsewhere.

The judge found a lack of evidence to support the assertion that Amazon inflated prices for consumers, according to Law360. Amazon. through a spokesman, declined to comment.

We believe that the Superior Court got this wrong, Racines office said in an email. Its oral ruling did not seem to consider the detailed allegations in the complaint, the full scope of the anticompetitive agreements, the extensive briefing and a recent decision of a federal court to allow a nearly identical lawsuit to move forward.

Amazon is among big technology companies facing antitrust scrutiny given the size of its business. Federal regulators and the House Judiciary Committee are examining Amazons business practices and a lawsuit similar to one filed in Washington, D.C., is proceeding in Seattle. In January, Amazon agreed to pay Washington state $2.25 million and shut down its Sold by Amazon program following an investigation by the state attorney general into alleged price fixing on the site.

Price fixing allegations have haunted Amazon for years. An Amazon merchant accused the company of forcing up prices on competing websites in a 2019 letter to federal regulators obtained by Bloomberg.

Story continues

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Rating Action: Moody's affirms the European Union's (EU) Aaa rating, maintains stable outlookGlobal Credit Research - 18 Mar 2022Paris, March 18, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has today affirmed the European Union's (EU) long-term Aaa issuer rating, the Aaa senior unsecured ratings, the (P)Aaa senior unsecured MTN program rating and the other short term (P)P-1 rating and maintained the stable outlook.The decision to affirm the Aaa rating reflects the following key rating factors:1) The strong commitment of the EU's large and highly rated member states ? particularly the Government of Germany (Aaa stable), the Government of France (Aa2 stable) and the Government of the Netherlands (Aaa stable) ? to continue to support the institution financially.2) The successful implementation of the sharp increase in EU issuance and the ample financial resources available to service the increase in outstanding debt.The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that member states' willingness and ability to support the EU financially will remain very strong, and that the stability of the legal framework and financial commitments underpinning the EU's financial operations will remain intact. The stable outlook also reflects Moody's expectations that the EU will continue to be able to access very large volumes of funding on favourable terms to support the implementation of NGEU.Concurrently, Moody's has affirmed the European Atomic Energy Community's (Euratom) and the European Coal and Steel Community's (ECSC) long-term Aaa issuer ratings, their (P)Aaa senior unsecured MTN program and other short term (P)P-1 ratings, and also affirmed Euratom's Aaa senior unsecured ratings. The outlooks remain stable for both entities. While Euratom and the ECSC are separate legal entities, their key credit characteristics are identical to the EU's. The European Commission (EC) borrows on behalf of Euratom and any debt repayment obligations are backed by the EU's budgetary resources and the EC's right to call for additional resources from member states if needed. The same applies for ECSC which has been in liquidation since 2001 and its last outstanding bonds expired in 2019. Hence, both entities' ratings move in line with the EU's.RATINGS RATIONALERATIONALE FOR THE AFFIRMATION OF THE Aaa RATINGFIRST DRIVER: THE STRONG COMMITMENT OF THE EU'S HIGHLY RATED SHAREHOLDERS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE INSTITUTION FINANCIALLYThe Aaa rating of the EU is underpinned by the very strong creditworthiness of its 27 member states. The EU has an average-weighted shareholder rating (based on member states share of EU GNI as the EU has no paid-in capital) of "a1" ? one of the highest of all supranational entities rated by Moody's. This is particularly based on the creditworthiness of large and highly rated member states such as Germany, France and the Netherlands. Moreover, the only member state that currently does not have a stable or positive outlook is the Government of Malta (A2 negative), the bloc's smallest economy.This very strong ability to support the EU financially is further supplemented by a very high willingness to support the institution, over and above member states contractual commitments if needed. The EU plays a key role for promoting economic development and political cooperation across Europe, giving member states' strong incentives beyond narrowly financial considerations to make sure the institution remains functioning and solvent.The importance of the EU as a motor for economic development and reform has only been enhanced by the roll-out in 2021 of its post-pandemic recovery fund NGEU. The introduction of the ?750 billion (2018 prices) investment fund marks the first time the EU has offered grants to member states backed by joint EU borrowing, a move which represent a step change for the role of the EU as an issuer and a provider of financial support to member states.The strength of member states' financial backing of the EU is also evidenced by the existence of what Moody's considers to be the equivalent of a joint several support framework to ensure that common EU obligations to third parties are honoured even if one or several member states fail to meet their financial obligations to the EU. The general principles for this framework have long been laid down in EU law in article 14 of the so-called Making Available Regulation (Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No. 609/2014) which states that the EC has the legal right to draw on all member states in the event a borrowing country fails to repay its loan to the EU on time. Article 323 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (2007) also states that the EU institutions "shall ensure that the financial means are made available to allow the Union to fulfil its legal obligations in respect of third parties." The detailed operation of the joint and several support framework in respect of NGEU has recently also been further codified and clarified in EU law in Article 9 of the so-called Own Resources Decision (Council Decision (EU, Euratom) No. 2020/2053).SECOND DRIVER: THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SHARP INCREASE IN EU ISSUANCE AND THE AMPLE FINANCIAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SERVICE THE INCREASE IN OUTSTANDING DEBTThe implementation of NGEU starting in 2021 and the ?100 billion European Instrument for Temporary Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) starting in 2020, has led to a sharp increase in EU issuance volumes. Having only issued ?400 million in 2019, the EU's total issuance of long-term bonds reached approximately ?135 billion in 2021, making it the world's by far largest supranational issuer of debt in that year.However, this sharp increase in the role and prominence of the EU as an issuer of debt has proceeded in line with our expectations for a Aaa-rated supranational issuer since the first SURE issuances were made in October 2020. Demand for the EU's bond issuances has been consistently very strong and borrowing costs broadly in line with that of other Aaa-rated supranationals. The successful increase in the EU's issuance volumes over the past 18 months, leaves Moody's confident that the EU will continue to enjoy access to ample market funding on favourable terms for its planned issuances of ?100 to 150 billion per year until 2026 to fund NGEU.The sharp increase in issuance volumes and the stock of outstanding debt to fund NGEU is backed by a very significant increase in the resources made available by member states to service this debt. The legal framework for NGEU and the EU budget commits member states to make available up to 0.6% of EU GNI annually until 2058 (through a corresponding increase of the so-called own resources ceiling of the EU budget) to fund principal and interest payments resulting from NGEU.Moreover, the annual ceiling of 0.6% of EU GNI is far in excess of the annual amounts likely to be needed to service NGEU debt. Although the nominal value of the 0.6% of GNI annual ceiling will increase with the nominal growth of the EU economy until 2058, it corresponds to about ?80 billion in 2018 prices. The legal framework for EU own resources stipulates that annual principal payments can at most amount to 7.5% of the ?390 billion in grant funding available under NGEU, approximately ?29 billion in 2018 prices. Furthermore, the European Commission estimates that a linear repayment schedule for EU borrowing to fund the NGEU grant component (which represents the truly joint liability under NGEU) would lead to average debt service costs of around ?15 billion annually until 2058. While the volume of EU borrowing and debt has thus gone up sharply since 2019, the resources made available to service that debt have increased by even more.RATIONALE FOR THE STABLE OUTLOOKThe stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that member states' willingness and ability to support the EU financially, over and above their contractual obligations if needed, will remain very strong. It also reflects the stability of the legal framework underpinning the EU's financial framework, including what Moody's considers to be a legal commitment that is equivalent to a joint and several support framework. The stable outlook also reflects Moody's expectations that the EU will continue to be able to access very large volumes of funding on favourable terms to support the implementation of NGEU.ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONSEnvironmental considerations are not material for the EU's rating. While the EU plays an important role in global initiatives to react to climate change, and its capacity to do so underlines its importance to its members, neither the EU itself nor its principal supporting member states are directly exposed to heightened environmental risks.Similarly, while all EU member states face long-term challenges related to demographic and other social developments, and the development of policy to address EU-wide social tensions (including those arising from inequality and unemployment) is an important aspect of the EU's role, social considerations do not directly influence the EU's rating in a material way.Governance considerations are an important support for the EU's credit profile, and the EU's Aaa rating partly reflects its very strong institutional setup, though aspects typically considered to be related to governance are not key drivers of the rating.Specific economic indicators as required by EU regulation are not applicable for the EU.On 15 March 2022, a rating committee was called to discuss the rating of the European Union. The main points raised during the discussion were: The EU's member states' support remains very high, reflecting the significant credit strength of its most highly-rated members and their commitment to ensure continued soundness of the EU's finances. The strength of the EU's liquidity and funding profile also remains very high, supported by a "aaa" quality of funding score. The EU's quality of management has improved, as reflected in the well-executed implementation of the significant increase in EU issuance volumes since 2020.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGSAn upgrade of the EU's ratings is not possible as its Aaa ratings are at the highest level on Moody's rating scale.Any potential weakening in the commitment of highly rated member states to the EU, or in the commitment of the EU's highly rated members to provide regular payments to the EU budget as well as extraordinary support, would lead to downward pressure on the Aaa rating. Downward pressures would also result from a deterioration in the creditworthiness of highly rated EU members. The EU's rating is particularly sensitive to changes in the ratings of the three countries rated Aaa to Aa2 that make large contributions to the EU budget, i.e. Germany, France, and the Netherlands.The joint and several nature of the obligations of member countries relative to EU obligations has never been tested. Should anything occur which suggests that this feature is weaker than previously anticipated, that would pose downward pressure on the rating.Downward pressure would also emerge if the EU's access and quality of funding were to materially deteriorate over the coming 12 to 18 months. Any changes to its fiscal and liquidity management framework that would lead to less conservative budget and financial management would also be credit negative.The principal methodology used in these ratings was Multilateral Development Banks and Other Supranational Entities Methodology published in October 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1232238. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.The weighting of all rating factors is described in the methodology used in this credit rating action, if applicable.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.For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website 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.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.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. 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The Licht Judicial Complex in Providence is not a place where tardiness is taken lightly.

Think of it as a lawyer's version of "the pandemic ate my homework."

Courts tend to be sticklers for deadlines, so when lawyer Christopher J. Petrarca missed a June 2020 filing deadline, a Superior Court judge dismissed his client's case because it was filed late.

But Petrarca said computer problems exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic raging in early 2020 caused the late filing, and he asked the state Supreme Court to extend the deadline.

On Wednesday, the court ruled on his request.

Petrarca's dilemma is probably all too familiar to many of us who lived through 2020.

More: Mandates and restrictions may be over but restaurant owners feel COVID impacts every day

That May, the lawyer was juggling his work-from-home law practice and supervising distance learning for his children, a 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. He was kind of on his own with the children because his wife, Johanna, was considered an essential state employee and still had to go to work. She worked in a department at the secretary of state's office that had been inundated with pandemic-related work.

On top of that, Petrarca's secretary had quit, and COVID-19 restrictions had made it almost impossible to hire a replacement.

Petrarca had never used the courts' online case-filing system.

"I wasn't familiar with it because I had a secretary for eight years," he told The Providence Journal Friday.

And, at age 51, he wasn't the most comfortable guy around computers. "We didn't use computers in college."

But he tried to master the case-filing system himself.

And that's when something went horribly wrong for one of his clients.

More: Tiverton's Boat House chef used pandemic as an opportunity to up her seafood game

In the beginning, a nasty fall

Almost three years earlier, on June 2, 2017, Maria Rosa, of Providence, was shopping in a Price Rite grocery store in Cranston with her daughter and son-in-law. She says in court documents that she slipped and fell on some yogurt or melted ice cream that had splattered on the floor.

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The fall hurt her hands and knees, a shoulder and ankle, and somehow an earring became lodged in her ear canal. That last part wasn't discovered until 10 days later when she went to see a specialist because of ear pain and hearing loss. The doctor found the earring in her right ear, reached in with forceps and removed it. Her hearing got better immediately.

On May 15, of 2020, about two weeks before the three-year statute of limitations expired, Petrarca filed a lawsuit against the Price Rite store owner.

Or so he thought.

After filling out all the screens on the online case-filing system, he was presented with two buttons. One labeled "Summary," the other "Save as draft."

He chose "Save as draft" and the system gave him a confirmation number.

"In my mind, I had done everything right," he said.

More: Rhode Island law student was mistaken for a defendant. Now her TikTok has gone viral.

Petrarca waited for the court to take preliminary action on the case, something that usually takes a few days.

But these weren't usual times, so Petrarca wasn't alarmed that nothing happened at first.

By the time he contacted the court clerk's office and learned that "draft" cases aren't actually filed, a couple of weeks had passed, and he had missed the filing deadline by several days.

Lawyers for the store owner picked up on that quickly, and asked a Superior Court judge to dismiss the case. Judge Jeffrey A. Lanphear agreed, and that was that.

One more bite at the apple?

Like many a school kid who has missed a deadline for handing in a paper, Petrarca asked for an extension  by filing an appeal with the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, the justices handed down their decision: they granted Petracrca the extension and undismissed Rosa's case.

"At the time when the events giving rise to this appeal were taking place, the nation and this state were in the midst of a pandemic of fearsome proportions," the court began its explanation of how it reached its decision.

But don't expect "the pandemic ate my homework" to fly as an excuse in any more cases.

The court noted that its decision was based on "the uniqueness of the particular attendant circumstances relative to this case that transpired in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Lawyer asks RI Supreme Court to waive missed deadline during pandemic
(Refiles adding punctuation to headline)

March 19 (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed in a phone call with Kuwait's foreign minister, Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, efforts to return Lebanese-Gulf relations to normal, Mikati's office said in a statement on Saturday.

Sheikh Ahmad delivered a set of trust-building proposals to Lebanon in January as part of efforts to rebuild ties.

Gulf Arab relations with Lebanon have suffered over Iran-backed Hezbollah's growing power in Beirut and the region, and hit new lows last year when Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states expelled Lebanese ambassadors and recalled their own. (Writing by Nayera Abdallah Editing by Mark Heinrich)
I am excited to announce the second year of a New Mexico Supreme Court civics education program about the judiciarys role in our democracy and the development of the rule of law.

Last years program was a resounding success, reaching over 580 students in schools statewide. Students watched recordings of an oral argument before our Supreme Court and worked with learning materials about the case. I then visited classes virtually, accompanied by the prosecution and defense attorneys, to discuss the legal issues and judicial process.

As Justice John Marshall reminds us in the United States Supreme Court ruling in Marbury v. Madison:

The government of the United States has been emphatically termed a government of laws, and not of men. It will certainly cease to deserve this high appellation, if the laws furnish no remedy for the violation of a vested legal right.

Lessons borne from particular cases best convey what Justice Marshall meant. Watching a court proceeding and studying a courts opinion reveals the purpose and role of our judiciary. We divided this years Rule of Law program into two parts, with that goal in mind.

On April 1, we hold an oral argument in Las Cruces at the Third Judicial District Courthouse and have invited high school and college students to attend. The case involves the alleged theft of livestock, also known as cattle rustling. The defendants stand accused of taking multiple cattle at one time from one owner. The core question is, whether the legislature, in writing the law prohibiting livestock theft, intended to punish a person with one count for the total theft or multiple counts of theft, one count for each individual cow. The case illuminates the judiciary's role as the bridge between the legislature and the people they govern, showing young people how a court deliberates over the words of a law and legislative intent. After argument, while the Court conferences to deliberate, the state attorney and defense attorney will remain in the courtroom to answer questions. We ask the students to think deeply and identify the principles of constitutional government addressed or implied in the case.

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The second part of the program takes a historical approach. May 18, marks the 126th anniversary of the Supreme Court majority decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld state-imposed racial segregation. Mr. Plessy was arrested for violating a Louisiana state law requiring separate but equal travel accommodations. He had refused to move from a "whites only" train car. The majoritys decision became the legal basis for racial segregation in the United States for the next fifty years. In May of 1954, the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education overturned Plessy, in a major victory for the civil rights movement. Justice John Harlans dissent in the Plessy decision serves us as well today as it did in 1896.

But in view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.

In closing, I extend an invitation to educators across the state to contact my chambers if you would like to participate in one of these programs to advance civics education and help students understand how our judicial system works within our democracy.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: NM Supreme Court expands education program on the rule of law
It was a week when both oil and natural gas prices registered declines.



On the news front, Williston Basin-focused upstream firms Whiting Petroleum WLL and Oasis Petroleum OAS struck a $6 billion merger agreement, while European integrated major Shell plc SHEL confirmed plans to cut ties with Russia. News related to TC Energy TRP and Delek US Holdings DK also made it to the headlines.



Overall, it was a bearish seven-day period for the sector. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost 5.5% to close at $109.33 per barrel, while natural gas prices fell 5.8% to end at $4.725 per million British thermal units (MMBtu).



It was a wild week for oil. After surging to a 14-year high of over $130 a barrel amid fears of Russian production squeeze, the commodity pulled back sharply on speculation that production from alternate sources will make up for the potential loss of output from Moscow. It should be noted that the negative price action overshadowed a report from the Energy Information Administration showing draws in crude and fuel stockpiles



Natural gas tallied a weekly loss too, spooked by a mild weather outlook and the subsequent lull in demand.

Recap of the Weeks Most-Important Stories

1. U.S. upstream operators Whiting Petroleum and Oasis Petroleum jointly announced that both the companies signed agreements to combine in a $6-billion merger of equals transaction.



The companies stated that the merged entity will have the leading Williston Basin position in North Dakota and Montana, with top-tier assets spanning over 972,000 net acres and an output of about 167,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day, an improved free cash flow generation and a substantial scale of operations.



Per the terms of the transaction, Whiting shareholders will be given 0.5774 shares of OAS common stock and $6.25 in cash for each share of WLL stock held. Oasis shareholders will receive a special dividend of $15.00 per share ahead of the close. On the closing of the deal, which is expected to be done by the second half of this year, Whiting and Oasis shareholders will own approximately 53% and 47% in the merged company, respectively. (Whiting, Oasis to Tie Up & Create Top Williston Producer)



2. The energy giant, Shell, recently stated that it is withdrawing from the Russian oil and gas industry in a phased manner and is instantly discontinuing all spot purchases of Russian crude. This development is in line with the U.S. Governments new guidelines of banning the import of oil and other energy sources from Russia, in response to Russias military campaign in Ukraine.



Shell also declared that it would not renew any Russian term contracts and close its service stations, aviation fuels and lubricants operations in the country. The company further said that it would eventually find substitutes for the Russian supply but stressed that it might take some time, leading to lower output at some of its refineries.



Europes largest oil company apologized after it faced criticism over buying the cargo of Russian crude at a reduced price after many other firms started to curb their purchases. SHEL mentioned that it would commit profits from its Russian oil purchases to humanitarian funds meant to alleviate the emergency in Ukraine. (Shell Withdraws From Russia, Halts Spot Purchases)



3 Calgary-based energy infrastructure provider TC Energy declared that it signed option agreements to sell 10% of its interest in the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline project to indigenous communities across the pipeline's route. The prospect of having equity ownership is available to the native groups that already hold existing agreements with the 670 km-long development.



This project, in which TC Energy owns a 35% interest, while KKR and Alberta Investment Management together hold a 65% stake, has been opposed by environmentalists and First Nations (a term used to identify the native Canadian population) for several years as they contend that the pipeline trespasses the traditional native land.



Built in British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province, the Coastal GasLink pipeline will have a preliminary transport capacity of 2.1 billion cubic feet per day. The project will transport natural gas from the Montney gas-producing region, the Groundbirch area west of Dawson Creek, to the permitted LNG Canada export facility near Kitimat. (TC Energy Agrees to Indigenous Stake in Coastal GasLink)



4. Delek US Holdings stated that it signed a stock purchase and cooperation agreement with Carl Icahn and the Icahn Group for the buyback of $64 million worth, or approximately 50%, of Delek USs common stock owned by the Icahn Group for about $18.3 per share. The $18.30 figure is the closing price of DKs common shares on Mar 4, 2022, the last trading day preceding the agreements execution.



Per the terms of the deal, the Icahn Group will pull out its nomination of directors and agree to a standstill restriction through the completion of Delek USs 2023 annual stockholders meeting and abstain from purchasing additional shares of the refiners common stock.



Delek US mentioned that it would make use of the available cash in hand to fund this share repurchase program. The companies anticipate the share buyback to close ahead of Mar 11, 2022, bound by certain customary closing conditions, after which the Icahn Group is likely to own roughly 3.48 million common shares of Delek US, which represent about 4.93% of the company's outstanding shares. (Delek to Buy Back $64M Worth of Its Shares From Icahn)

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Price Performance

The following table shows the price movement of some major oil and gas players over the past week and during the last six months.



Company Last Week Last 6 Months

XOM +1% +45.1%

CVX +7.7% +69.7%

COP -1.9% +62.8%

OXY +3.4% +99.4%

SLB +10.2% +42.1%

RIG +11.6% +13.7%

VLO +6.6% +36.1%

MPC +1% +28.7%



The Energy Select Sector SPDR  a popular way to track energy companies  was up 2.2% last week. Over the past six months, the sector tracker has increased 48.3%.

Whats Next in the Energy World?

As the global oil consumption outlook strengthens amid tightening fundamentals, market participants will closely track the regular releases to watch for signs that could further validate the upward momentum. In this context, the U.S. governments statistics on oil and natural gas  one of the few solid indicators that come out regularly  will be on energy traders' radar. Data on rig count from the oilfield service firm Baker Hughes, which is a pointer to the trends in U.S. crude production, is closely followed. News related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine geopolitical conflict will be of utmost importance too. Investors will also keep an eye on the potential demand hit from the resurgence of new coronavirus cases in China.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Delek US Holdings, Inc. (DK) : Free Stock Analysis Report



TC Energy Corporation (TRP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Oasis Petroleum Inc. (OAS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Whiting Petroleum Corporation (WLL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR (SHEL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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How does one possibly portray the horrors of war? How does one possibly understand the mind of a tyrant?

For three weeks now, going on four, I am glued to news reports, television and internet images, and print news coverage of war atrocities taking place in Ukraine. Citizens in line to purchase food, lying dead from indiscriminate and purposeful artillery fire; a pregnant mother and her unborn child, bloodied from tank bombardments, and the medical staff trying to save them  without success.

Scores of buildings  homes, apartments, storefronts  and entire cities reduced to rubble along with the spirit of their inhabitants. Fear and the glaze of uncertainty are embossed in the eyes of those who survive. Large trenches full of bodies for those who dont.

Paul Bugbee

The picture of a father embracing his teenaged sons lifeless body haunts me the most; what if I were there, what if it was my country, what if it was my son? These images of pain and suffering  of death and destruction  and the thousands more that detail the horrors of hostility are beyond comprehension.

It was only a few months ago, maybe November or December, when one of our national television news networks rebroadcast a heartwarming 2018 story about Vladimir Putin, showing a young blind girl from Russia conducting an interview and exploring the facial features of her countrys president through touch and feel. It was an endearing visual of compassion and sensitivity; this man of extreme power and wealth consenting to the curiosities of a vulnerable and disadvantaged child.

We were left with the impression, the belief, that this was a man of integrity and kindness, a man who embraced even the frailest of civilization; dare we say of humanity itself? For a moment in time, we saw the human side of a man who today may be considered one of the most despicable people to have ever lived.

On Feb. 24, 2022, the world saw a different side of Vladimir Putin, one that defies understanding and reason. The Russian invasion of its neighbor, the Ukraine  a former member country of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)  is simply an act of unprovoked aggression.

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War implies mutual disagreement or a conflict between two or more parties. This isnt a Russia-versus-Ukraine dispute. Its a Putin land grab, pure and simple. His unbridled appetite for power and wealth supersedes any notion of human benevolence or decency.

One could suggest that hes attempting to re-establish the geographical expanse of the former Russian empire, but nationalism is a poor excuse for slaughter and ruin. There is no political ideology or party platform to justify Putins assault. Instead, his rule draws striking parallels to organized crime with mafioso motives.

At best, as a former Communist, Putin has done more to discredit the partys dogma than any other political figure since Hitler and his Nazi regime. Even Communist China should be horrified by his shameful and relentless attacks.

The carnage continues as the world watches, just as it did in the buildup to World War II. And Putin joins the likes of Hitler and Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Kim Jong-Un, Osama Bin Laden and a host of other notorious despots whose legacies will lie in the chronicles of evil forever.

 This is the opinion of Times Writers Group member Paul Bugbee, a Central Minnesota resort owner. His column is normally published the third Thursday of the month.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Putin throws his legacy in with the likes of Pol Pot and Idi Amin
Xi has candid, in-depth exchange of views with Biden

Xinhua) 09:02, March 19, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping has a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the latter's request in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

-- The two Presidents agreed that the video call is constructive.

-- The two Presidents directed their teams to promptly follow up and take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development.

-- The two sides are ready to make respective efforts for the proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the request of the latter on Friday. The two Presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations, the situation in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest.

President Biden said that 50 years ago, the United States and China made the important choice of issuing the Shanghai Communique. Fifty years on, the U.S.-China relationship has once again come to a critical time. How this relationship develops will shape the world in the 21st century.

He reiterated that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence"; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.

The U.S. is ready to have candid dialogue and closer cooperation with China, stay committed to the one-China policy, and effectively manage competition and disagreements to ensure the steady growth of the relationship, said President Biden.

He also expressed readiness to stay in close touch with President Xi to set the direction for the U.S.-China relationship.

Noting the international landscape has experienced new major developments since their first virtual meeting last November, Xi said the prevailing trend of peace and development is facing serious challenges, and the world is neither tranquil nor stable.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world's two leading economies, China and the U.S. must not only guide their relations forward along the right track, but also shoulder their share of international responsibilities and work for world peace and tranquility, Xi said.

Xi stressed that he and President Biden share the view that China and the U.S. need to respect each other, coexist in peace and avoid confrontation, and that the two sides should increase communication and dialogue at all levels and in all fields.

President Biden has just reiterated that the U.S. does not seek to have a new Cold War with China, to change China's system, or to revitalize alliances against China, and that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence" or intend to seek a conflict with China, Xi said. "I take these remarks very seriously."

Xi pointed out the China-U.S. relationship, instead of getting out of the predicament created by the previous U.S. administration, has encountered a growing number of challenges. What's worth noting in particular is that some people in the U.S. have sent a wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" forces, Xi said, adding "this is very dangerous."

Mishandling of the Taiwan question will have a disruptive impact on the bilateral ties, said Xi. "China hopes that the U.S. will give due attention to this issue."

The direct cause for the current situation in the China-U.S. relationship is that some people on the U.S. side have not followed through on the important common understanding reached by the two Presidents and have not acted on President Biden's positive statements. The U.S. has misperceived and miscalculated China's strategic intention, Xi said.

Xi underscored that there have been and will continue to be differences between China and the U.S. "What matters is to keep such differences under control. A steadily growing relationship is in the interest of both sides," he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the latter's request in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

The two sides exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

President Biden expounded on the U.S. position, and expressed readiness for communication with China to prevent the situation from exacerbating.

"China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine to come to this. China stands for peace and opposes war. This is embedded in China's history and culture," Xi said.

China makes a conclusion independently based on the merits of each matter, advocates upholding international law and universally recognized norms governing international relations, and adheres to the UN Charter and promotes the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. These are the major principles that underpin China's approach to the Ukraine crisis, Xi said.

Noting that China has put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Xi said China is ready to provide further humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and other affected countries.

"All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace," Xi said, adding that the U.S. and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.

Xi stressed that with the need to fight COVID-19 on the one hand and protect the economy and people's livelihood on the other, things are already very difficult for countries around the world.

"As leaders of major countries, we need to think about how to properly address global hotspot issues and, more importantly, keep in mind global stability and the work and life of billions of people," Xi said.

Sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer. If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses, Xi added.

"The more complex the situation, the greater the need to remain cool-headed and rational," Xi said, adding that whatever the circumstances, there is always a need for political courage to create space for peace and leave room for political settlement.

"As two Chinese sayings go, 'It takes two hands to clap.' 'He who tied the bell to the tiger must take it off.' It is imperative that the parties involved demonstrate political will and find a proper settlement in view of both immediate and long-term needs," Xi said.

Xi said other parties can and should create conditions to that end. The pressing priority is to keep the dialogue and negotiation going, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, and cease hostilities as soon as possible.

He said an enduring solution would be for major countries to respect each other, reject the Cold War mentality, refrain from bloc confrontation, and build step by step a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture for the region and for the world.

"China has been doing its best for peace and will continue to play a constructive role," Xi said.

Agreeing that the video call is constructive, the two Presidents directed their teams to promptly follow up and take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development, and make respective efforts for the proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Ding Xuexiang, Liu He and Wang Yi were present at the call.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Press Release

March 18, 2022 Villanueva: NEDA's call for 4-day work week supports WFH for IT-BPO workers The National Economic Development Authority's (NEDA) proposal for a four-day work week to address high gas prices supports the IT-BPO workers' call that they be allowed to continue working from home, Sen. Joel Villanueva said today. "Our government should be the first to heed NEDA's call and apply it to the IT-BPO sector," Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said. "There should be policy cohesion. We cannot encourage industries to explore alternative working arrangements and at the same time order one industry to end remote work," he added. Saying that "commuting today is essentially a pay cut," the senator earlier asked the government to withdraw its ultimatum to IT-BPOs to end remote work of their employees under the pain of losing tax incentives. Aside from losing part of their wages "to the gas pump or to the fare box," the return-to-work order "would mean that the budget for the family food would now be eaten up by commuting costs," Villanueva explained. Work from home is still one of the "best energy crisis mitigation measures," he further noted. "The most fiscally responsible ayuda is the one in which the industry and workers determine their mitigation measures such as that proposed by the IT-BPO workers," the senator said. In a letter dated March 17 2022, Villanueva appealed to the Department of Finance to reconsider the Fiscal Incentive Review Board's (FIRB) decision that only allows IT-BPO enterprises to implement a work-from-home arrangement up to the end of the month. Aside from cushioning the impact of increasing oil prices, the senator cited the benefits of WFH in dealing with the ongoing pandemic, as well as its effect in increasing productivity and promoting work-life balance for workers. The principal author and sponsor of the Telecommuting or Work From Home law said that he "believes that governmental policies should continue to encourage the adoption of alternative work arrangements for the health and welfare of our workers, as well as their employers." "While we understand the need to revive our small and medium enterprises (SMEs), options other than requiring workers to return to in-person work should be explored," Villanueva said in the letter. As the principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1834or the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, the senator also cited these other options to include capacitating SMEs to shift to more digital platforms and equipping the workers in these sectors with the appropriate digital skills. Villanueva earlier called on the government to work with industries for the full implementation of the Work From Home Law to help businesses and workers cope with rising fuel prices. Villanueva: WFH ng IT-BPO workers, suportado ng panawagang 4-day work week ng NEDA Suportado ng mungkahing four-day work week ng National Economic Development Authority ang panawagan ng mga IT-BPO worker na payagan silang magpatuloy sa kanilang work from home (WFH) arrangement, sabi ni Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva. Iminungkahi ng NEDA ang four-day work week para pagaanin ang gastos ng mga manggagawa dulot ng mataas na presyo ng gasolina. "Dapat manguna ang gobyerno sa pagtugon sa abiso ng NEDA at ipatupad ito para sa IT-BPO sector," sabi ni Villanueva, chair ng Senate labor committee. "Dapat meron tayong policy cohesion. Hindi dapat natin i-encourage ang alternative working arrangements sa ibang industriya habang babawalan naman natin ang WFH ng isang industriya," dagdag niya. Nanawagan si Villanueva na iatras ng gobyerno ang ultimatum nito sa mga It-BPO na itigil ang remote work dahil sa bantang mawawalan sila ng tax incentives, na para na ring kaltas sa kita ang pag-commute. Maliban sa "kaltas" na ito na napupunta sa gasolinahan o sa pamasahe, ang return-to-work order ay nangangahulugang kinakain ng gastos sa commute ang budget sana sa pagkain ng pamilya, paliwanag ng senador. "One of the best energy crisis mitigation measures pa rin ang work from home", sabi ni Villanueva. "The most fiscally responsible ayuda is the one in which the industry and workers determine their mitigation measures such as that proposed by the IT-BPO workers," sabi niya. Sa isang sulat noong Marso 17, 2022, umapela si Villanueva sa Department of Finance na i-reconsider ang desisyon ng Fiscal Incentive Review Board (FIRB) na maari lamang magpatuloy ang 90% IT-BPO workers sa kanilang WFH hanggang sa katapusan ng buwan. Maliban sa pagtugon sa epekto ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, binanggit din ng senador ang mga benepisyo ng WFH, gaya ng patuloy na pagtatrabaho sa kabila ng pandemya, gayundin ang epekto nito sa pagtaas ng productivity at pagkakaroon ng work-life balance ng mga manggagawa. Sinabi rin ng principal author and sponsor of the Telecommuting or Work From Home Law na naniniwala siya na ang polisiya ng gobyerno ay dapat maghikayat ng adoption ng alternative work arrangements para sa kalusugan at kapakanan ng mga manggagawa at negosyo. "Bagaman naiintindihan natin na kailangang muling pasiglahin ang ating mga small and medium enterprises (SMEs), may iba pang option na pwede nating pag-isipan maliban sa piliting bumalik ang mga manggagawa sa in-person work," sabi ni Villanueva sa sulat. Bilang principal sponsor ng Senate Bill No. 1834 o ang Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, sinabi ng senador na kasama sa mga option na ito ang pagbibigay ng kapasidad sa mga SME na magkaroon ng digital platforms, at bigyan ng kakayanan at digital skills ang mga manggagawa sa sektor na ito. Nauna nang nanawagan si Villanueva sa gobyerno na makipag-ugnayan sa mga industriya para sa full implementation ng Work From Home Law para makatulong sa mga negosyo at manggagawa mula sa tumataas na presyo ng gasolina.
March 18 (Reuters) - Russia reached a deal with Belarus on Friday to supply critical foodstuffs if necessary, including durum wheat and vegetable oil, as part of a push to offset Western sanctions, the official Belarus Belta news agency said.

The two neighbours are also close to an agreement on pricing for energy, Belta added, but gave no details. The two nations had agreed on March 11 to take joint steps for mutual support, including on energy prices. (Reporting by David Ljunggren Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
The Virginia Department of Health reopened a portion of the Upper Machodoc Creek in King George County to shellfish harvesting this week after it was temporarily closed in January because of a leak of untreated sewage from the Dahlgren Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The states Division of Shellfish Safety received sampling updates from the Department of Environmental Quality after the Dahlgren plant was found to be out of compliance. As of Monday, the plant had returned to permitted limits, according to the VDH.

Even though the state deemed that part of the creek safe, shellfish harvesting isnt allowed any time in Machodoc Creek because its a National Shellfish Sanitation Area.

Essentially, Dahlgren is back to where it needs to be, Chris Miller, acting general manager of the King George County Service Authority said Tuesday.

Several employees of the Service Authority were in the audience for the Board of Directors meeting, and Miller praised their efforts as well as the work of its consultant, Imboden Environmental Services. The group has overseen operations at the Dahlgren wastewater plant since January, when up to 100,000 gallons of partially treated sewage spilled into the tributary of the Potomac River.

Miller stressed, as he has since the incident happened, that the county continues to work hand-in-hand with the states Department of Environmental Quality. That agency has to be involved whenever a plant is out of compliance, he said.

DEQ and health department officials still want to do a dye test to see where treated wastewater goes when it leaves the plant, Miller said. Residents will be notified through the King George Alert system when the dye test is going to take place they wont feel compelled to call about funny colored water, said Jim Morris, chairman of the Service Authority Board of Directors.

Well let them know the state is involved and this is a normal thing that were doing, he said.

Imboden also is working on rewriting the standard operating procedures for all the countys plants, starting with Dahlgren, Miller said. He said the SOPs there are very tight, very stringent and every time there is some kind of deviation, we have to report that.

Rewriting the procedures will make them more realistic from an operators standpoint, miller said.

In addition, members from the Board of Directors are scheduled to meet with the Board of Supervisors at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday to begin discussions about possibly merging the Service Authority into county operations. The joint meeting is a work session about possible options for the water and sewer authority, officials said.

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Spotsylvania General District Court will hear on Thursday at 9 a.m. a petition alleging that four Spotsylvania School Board members violated the Freedom of Information Act.

The lawsuit filed Friday by the Edwards Law Firm, PLLC, on behalf of Makaila Keyes, a 2019 graduate of Courtland High School, alleges that School Board Chair Kirk Twigg, Vice Chair April Gillespie and members Lisa Phelps and Rabil Abuismail violated FOIA laws through several actions taken at the Jan. 10 meeting, during which Superintendent Scott Baker was fired.

Specifically, the lawsuit states that Twigg willfully and knowingly violated Ms. Keyes rights when, against the warnings of certain colleagues, he chose to: (1) Propose, push, and pass a substantially and materially altered meeting agenda without an opportunity for public inspection; (2) Declare and conduct an unlawful closed meeting that was on neither the original proposed agenda, nor on the substantially and materially altered substitute agenda, and; (3) Declare and conduct an unlawful closed meeting without holding a vote to go into closed session.

It continues to allege that Gillespie, Phelps and Abuismail also violated Keyess rights and privileges under Virginia FOIA when they followed Chairman Twigg into the unlawful closed meeting without a vote, without public notice, and against their colleagues warnings of impending FOIA violations.

The School Board members could face fines of between $4,500 and $17,000 each if found guilty and be ordered by the court to abide by FOIA laws and the boards code of ethics. Keyes is also asking that attorney fees be paid.

Neither the School Board nor Spotsylvania County Public Schools have made any announcements regarding the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the board will meet Monday evening in a special called meeting.

The two items on the published agenda are final decision regarding the expenditure of the 2021-2022 carryover funds and an update on the superintendent search.

The School Board last year approved a plan for spending the $14.6 million in carryover funds from fiscal year 2021 that included providing $1,000 bonuses to all school division employees.

There have since been several other spending plans proposed by Twigg and by Board of Supervisors Chair Tim McLaughlinthough none of the other plans have been discussed publicly by the School Board as a whole.

There are no plans or other documentation attached to the online agenda for Mondays meeting.

School Board members Dawn Shelley and Nicole Cole requested in emails to Twigg that public comments be added to the agenda for Mondays special meeting.

Shelley said Saturday that neither she nor Cole received a response to the request.

I wanted public comments on the agenda so that the public had an opportunity to state their concerns that the initial School Board-approved request [approved in December] may not be implemented, per what has been proposed by McLaughlin and what has conspired with our School Board chairman, Shelley said.

McLaughlin presented a scenario during a public hearing on the carryover request March 9 in which only $8.1 million of the amount would be returned to the schools.

In a Jan. 28 email to McLaughlin, supervisor David Ross and County Administrator Ed Petrovitch, Twigg presented a spending plan for $999,000 of the carryover request and wrote, We need to discuss how we would implement the remainder of the $14M.

Another revised carryover request for about $10 million of the total amount, based on updated guidance from Twigg, was proposed in the Feb. 3 School Board News email. This request did not include funding for staff bonuses.

Shelley also said Saturday that board members received an email last week from School Board Clerk Dennis Martin, on behalf of Twigg, asking them to come to Mondays meeting with a list of firms they would like to consider hiring to conduct the search for a new division superintendent.

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As a result of the latest numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau late last year, Stafford supervisors on Tuesday approved new voting district boundaries within the county and added 10 new voting precincts to meet the demands of a rising population in the county.

With the exception of the Garrisonville District, whose voting boundaries remain unchanged, the six remaining voting districts in Stafford County are now slightly different. County officials said all registered voters in Stafford will receive a new voter registration card by mail that includes the location of their new polling site.

Changes include Quantico, which now falls under the GriffisWidewater district; the Rock Hill district, which extends further south to Poplar Road; and the Aquia Harbour subdivision, which now falls entirely in the Aquia district. In addition, the Falmouth district boundary extends north toward the Aquia District along Accokeek Creek and Courthouse Road, the George Washington district now extends west along U.S. 17 to include the Celebrate Virginia community; and the Hartwood district is now completely west of Interstate 95.

The reshuffling of county voting districts, or redistricting, occurs every 10 years following a national census. The time-consuming process is intended to give all communities equal access to political representation. In Staffords case, more than 28,000 people have moved to the county since the last census was conducted a decade ago.

Last fall, the census bureaus numbers revealed the Fredericksburg region had grown 15.5 percent overall since the last national census, with Stafford County having the biggest gains in the region. Numbers show the population in Stafford grew by 21.7 percent since 2010, rising from 128,961 residents in 2010 to 156,927 in 2020.

Tony DeTora, chairman of the Stafford County Republican Committee, told supervisors he was impressed with the way the county ultimately arrived at a solution. He said while the new district lines are not perfect, he did not hear a single complaint from anybody in the county about the new lines county supervisors approved.

I know there are differences of opinion, the growth that weve seen is extraordinary, and to be able to come together and find a way forward, I think that it shows great leadership, DeTora said. I think it shows a wonderful commitment to the county.

Clifford Heinzer, who chairs Stafford Countys Democratic Committee, told supervisors the newly drawn district lines will ensure Republican dominance on Stafford Countys Board of Supervisors for the next 10 years.

I think the reason for this is that you see an increasing concentration of blue voters in districts that already lean blue, Heinzer said. And making some of the redder districts redder.

Heinzer said a better job at redistricting could have better served the countys voters by providing more competition between candidates of the Republican and Democrat parties.

I dont think weve achieved that with the current plan, Heinzer said. If anything, I think weve gone in the opposite direction.

Garrisonville Supervisor Pamela Yeung was the sole supervisor to oppose the new ordinance, which supervisors passed Tuesday 61.

[Supervisors] did not consider all maps, Yeung wrote in a message to The Free LanceStar. South Stafford does not appear to show contiguity.

Under the new redistricting maps, the number of voters in Stafford balances out to roughly 22,350 voters in each of the countys seven districts. At 23,326 voters, the Falmouth district has the most voters in the county, while the Hartwood district has the least, at 21,368.

James Scott Baron: 540/374-5438 jbaron@freelancestar.com

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FIVE JOURNALISTS, three American, have been killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Journalists get slapped around these days. We are accused of altering the facts, fabricating stories and manipulating the truth. Former President Donald Trump accused us of only reporting fake news.

While there may be some bad journalists, just as there are bad cops and bad presidents, the majority of those who report the news do so in an honorable manner. As in Ukraine, these people will literally walk into the line of fire to get the story and bring it to you.

Journalists have been doing this for centuries. It was Matthew Brady and other journalists who gave us the priceless photos of our area while covering the Civil War.

The stories and images of the mud trenches and chemical warfare in World War I were brought to the civilian world by journalists who risked their lives. It was the same with the atrocities of World War II.

We heard rumors about what was happening in Vietnam, but until we saw images of religious zealots setting themselves on fire and men being executed with a bullet to the head in front of a movie camera, we didnt know the true story.

Fake news? Journalists, using words and images, have brought the truth to the American people since this country began.

The journalists killed in Ukraine arent heroes; they were simply men doing their jobs. And their job was to bring the news to the outside world.

It takes drive to be a newsman. You must want the story so bad that youll take any chance to get it. I know. Ive been there and done that.

As a reporter, I wanted to get the story, the whole story, the correct story, and get it first. I wanted to dig up those facts that other reporters couldnt find and beat those other papers to the story.

I wanted the photo that no other photographer could get from some dramatic angle that no other photographer could imagine. It is drive and pride that creates good journalists and I cant explain the satisfaction I felt when I beat other publications with a good story.

Several times I put myself in harms way to get a photo or a story. During a big factory fire, I climbed out on a cement patio and leaned over a wall to get a picture of the inferno in the basement. Three minutes after I walked away, that patio collapsed into the flames below.

With only my notepad, pen and camera, I once accompanied a cop into an old outbuilding in search of an escaped convict who was reported to be armed. I wanted the story firsthand. Thankfully, he was not there, but I would have had a scoop had the convict been there.

Journalists volunteer to cover wars and put themselves in dangerous situations because of their competitive nature. Like cops and soldiers, it is that adrenaline rush that makes one want to risk everything for that exclusive story or that once-in-a-lifetime picture.

And, as I said, it is the pride of your paper or TV networkand you personallybeating the competition.

Herein lies the problem with some reporters. They are so eager to get the story first that they dont take the time and effort to get it right. Thats where our profession sometimes gets a bad rap.

But, despite what Donald Trump and other critics declare, most journalists get it right. They cover car crashes in the middle of the night so you can read the story over your sausage and eggs the next morning. They cover the political meetings so that you will know what to go to city hall and scream about.

And they cover wars so you can see the horrors of battle and the heartbreak of innocent victims.

Sometimes they get hurt or killed while doing their jobs. They take the risks, and they accept the consequences, all for the sake of the story.

If you could talk to any of the five dead journalists killed in Ukraine they would probably tell you that if given the chance they would they do it all again. The story is that important to a real journalist.

Fake news? Those were harsh words from Donald Trump, who at the time was trying to blackmail the Ukrainian president by withholding arms shipments until officials there came up with some dirt on Joe Biden. As you may recall, Trump was impeached for that incident.

Journalists may not be perfect, but without us you would only get rumors instead of facts.

Dont be too hard on us.

Contact Donnie Johnston at djohn40330@aol.com
WITH LIGHT apparently at the end of the coronavirus tunnel, this is a good time to soberly assess how America handled the pandemic and can better handle whatever new wave might come.

A new study shows that what the nation should not do again is listen to anti-science extremistsincluding elected ones. The study charts a clear pattern of higher coronavirus death rates in Republican-controlled states where political leaders refused aggressive pandemic policies.

In GOP-dominated Missouri, where the governor publicly downplayed masking and the state attorney general sued to prevent schools from enforcing pandemic restrictions, the coronavirus death rate was 20 percent higher than the rate next door in Democratic-controlled Illinois.

Here and around America, the GOPs cynical insistence on making pandemic policy into a culture-war issue instead of a medical one has, literally, cost lives.

For all the fraught political controversy surrounding the pandemic, the medical facts have been remarkably straightforward. The vaccines that became widely available early last year have been stunningly effective at preventing the disease or blunting its severity in those who are vaccinatedto the point that, by the most recent round of illnesses to inundate hospitals, this had become almost entirely a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

The efficacy of masks has never faced a serious challenge from science, only from political opportunists like Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Missourians will never know how many illnesses were attributable to Schmitts Senate-campaign-driven attacks on school mask policies, but its not medically conceivable that number was zero.

Similarly, they will never know how many of Gov. Mike Parsons constituents got sick after adopting his dismissive attitude toward wearing a dang mask. Though they do know that he was one of them.

Elections have consequences, and one consequence of electing Republican officials here and around America who were willing to side against science in their efforts to pander to their anti-science base has been unnecessarily high coronavirus death rates in red-state America.

Thats the inescapable conclusion of a study by consultant Doug Haddix, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The resulting map of comparisons between deaths per 100,000 residents in each state looks eerily like a red-blue political map of the country.

Theres Missouri, with 113 deaths per 100,000, while neighboring Illinois had just 90. Theres deep-red Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has made attacks on responsible pandemic policies a centerpiece of his likely presidential run, logging in with 152 deaths per 100,000. As for New York and California, those twin liberal boogeymen of the political right: 70 and 58 deaths per 100,000, respectively.

This wont be Americas last pandemic. But with data like this in hand, it should be the last in which people who care more about politics than public health are allowed to hold sway.

St. Louis PostDispatch Editorial Board
The Fremont Area Association of Retired School Personnel met March 9 at the Congregational Church for a sack lunch and general meeting.

Michelle Grossman, the executive director of CHAD, said a few words of thanks to FAARSP for their support. FAARSP finished up their 2021 giving campaign with $17,048 for the ninth straight year of increased giving. In the nine years, the association has invested over $70,000 to CHAD health agencies.

The main speaker was Lt. Amber Moran of the Salvation Army. She informed the association of the past history and present activities of the organization. FAARSP has supported the Salvation Army in several of its projects.

Norma Register won the split the pot and donated her share back to the scholarship fund and holiday meals collection fund.

Minutes were presented to the group by Linda Betkie, communication director. Financial director, Wanda Samson, presented the financial report. Both reports were approved by the members. Membership report showed FAARSP with a membership of 105 members. Membership is down slightly with the passing of six members last year.

Scholarship information is out to the schools guidance counselors and local newspaper. Three $1,000 scholarships are available to high school seniors for college in the field of education and/ or trade school.

Marta Calhoun, scheduling coordinator, reported that LFS will be the speaker for the May meeting. Beth Radtke, publicity coordinator, reported that between the latest general meeting donations and the drive thru program, over 500 pounds had been collected for the Low Income. Low Income has expressed its appreciation for the regular support of needed items. The next drive-thru item will be canned meats (no tuna) and the May general meeting is peanut butter.

Volunteer coordinator Sally Ganem was absent, but members were reminded about the opportunities with the Eco Fair and library book sale coming up.

Volunteer committee chair updates were made. Holiday meals, Norma Register, to continue to drop off change in the white container. The goal this year is to increase the number of meals over last years 13. Volunteer hours, Rosie Vogt, hours need to be turned in at the May meeting. DAV Christmas bags, Ruth Register, reminded members to check the list of needed donation items for next years Christmas bags for veterans in care centers. CHAD, Shonda Shirley, again thanked the membership for making the 2021 campaign a successful investment in the future with $17,048.

Historical coordinator, Carol Martin, had some of her historical work on display. Martin also informed the group that Habitat for Humanity has a new director. Martin also was able to get her sign-up sheet filled out with volunteers for snacks for their workers.

Election of new officers took place. Betkie, communication director, and Ruth Register, president, were both re-elected to their respective positions and installed after the election by Nola Cox.

Shirley explained a screening project she has been working on with the Kidney Association. Forms were available to members to sign up on or get mailed back into Ruth. Looking at some time in October for the screening. More information will be coming out as planning progresses.

Wendy Brenner will again put together the auction item for the Bridge Holiday Auction. FAARSP continues to show their support of The Bridge.

Members were reminded to report any changes in their contact information to Samson and Betkie. Updated information is important to keep the membership calendar current. Members were reminded to keep gathering used Christmas cards and making valentine cards for use with the veterans projects at the care centers. Keep collecting used stamps, getting them to Ruth for the Stamps for the Wounded project. Drop off any items at Norma Registers house. The group will use or store items as needed.

Outstanding Service Award nominations are due June 1 to Ruth Register who will give them to the committee to make their selection. Samson sent out online copy of the form with handout copies available at meetings or mail requests. School treats activity will be completed by the end of March. There will be 22 school facilities served this year.

A work group will be appointed to begin work on a historical project for the 50th anniversary of the Fremont Area Association of Retired School Personnel in 2023. A group picture of those members present was taken at the end of the meeting.

The next meeting is May 11 at St. James Church. The next drive-thru is 3-4:30 p.m. April 13 at 2832 N. Belvedere. The group welcomes anyone in the community to drop off a donation if they would like to help fill Beths vehicle.

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What do you want to be when you grow up? Thats a question kids frequently get asked. Author Dasha Tryon Wallace remembers exactly what she wanted to be: A librarian.

I had always been a good reader, said Wallace, and I devoured books since I was able to read.

The author recalled working in several libraries as a page.

It was the best job I ever had, she said. I loved sharing with people my love for books and showing them new books that they find out they love, and just helping people in general.

Her original purpose for enrolling in the Rio Salado online education program, based in Tempe, Arizona, was to become a library technician. But they got rid of my degree, Wallace said, so I found creative writing.

It was in one of her writing classes that Wallace began work on her debut novel, Isabella and the Beast.

I needed a book to work on for the writing a novel class, and Isabella and the Beast was it, she said.

Two principles, Wallace recalled learning through Rio Salado, were to be continually writing and to reawaken her love for the craft.

I also learned how to keep the mood the same for the scene and how to write movement during conversations, Wallace said.

Another important principle Wallace learned was that of keeping an open mind. I was born in Arizona, she said, but when I was 11, we moved to Omaha. Only half of her family made the move. The four oldest children stayed behind.

The author recalled being about 13 years old when a new friend helped her discover her love of writing.

It was summer, and our moms forced us together. We had nothing better to do and found a shared love for reading, she said.

Wallace also learned that her new friend belonged to a writers club, and she asked Wallace to join her in writing a book.

In addition to writing stories, Wallace discovered a passion for poetry.

We were doing our poetry section in English, and I had so much fun with it that I would carry around a little notebook during church and write poems, Wallace said.

It was during her years in Omaha that Wallace discovered another passion: Martial arts.

I found out the YMCA was offering a class in Tae Kwon Do, she said. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to continue with it after graduating high school and moving back to Arizona.

It was in Arizona that Wallace earned her black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

I found out that my local community college also had TKD classes, said Wallace, and I loved it so much I started taking classes there. But the college couldnt have the classes year-round, so I ended up following my teachers to their school and stayed for several years.

It was also in Arizona that Wallace met her husband, Joshua, and gave birth to her son, Griffin. Josh actually proposed to me behind a library!

Although she loved Arizona, Wallace said she had a feeling that they needed to move.

After talking to my sister, who lives in Scribner, we felt the Lord was telling us to move here, said Wallace, referring to Fremont. And we never regretted the decision.

The year 2020 was a difficult time for the author and her family.

At the beginning of the year, I had a miscarriage and found out my father had pancreatic cancer, she said. He ended up passing away Christmas Eve 2020. But I know that I will see them again and I have to keep moving on.

It was through the pain of losing her father that Wallace found the incentive to publish her novel.

I had it all written and had even done research on my book for publishing, she explained. Then everything kind of happened.

Prior to her fathers death, Wallace recalled family members coming to visit.

My dad would always boast about how I wrote a book and how he was disappointed that he hadnt gotten a chance to read it, so I sent it to him that day, she said. During his last days he would say how proud he was of me.

After her dad died, Wallace had what she referred to as a strong impression that if she didnt send the book to a publishing company, she never would.

In a way, that felt like I was betraying my dads hope in me, said Wallace, so I sent it in. And now its history.

The author is grateful to have a supportive family.

They tell everyone about my book and are willing to come to my events, she said. My sister is a hair stylist in Scribner, and she knows some of the small-town librarians. They are always happy to buy my book and make sure that I sign it.

When asked which authors she considers her inspiration, Wallace mentioned Brandon Sanderson.

I had read one of his books and liked it, and I found out that he taught classes on writing, she added. I found all of his lectures for free on YouTube, and they are the best classes I ever had.

Wallace has also found inspiration through the new author friends she has made during the publication process.

They have been so supportive, said Wallace. A writers community is amazing and helpful. It makes such a difference when you have someone rooting for you.

Those interested in meeting and rooting for Dasha Tryon Wallace can do so when she appears at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at Keene Memorial Library. She will be talking about her novel Isabella and the Beast and will also be signing copies of the book.

For more information about the author and her other writing projects, visit her website, dasha wallace com.

On her Facebook page, Wallace has included a quote: You can never have a bad day, just some days are better than others!

I heard this quote back when I was a child and dont remember who wrote it. But I think of it as bad days dont stay. You can pick yourself back up and start a new day. There is always a brighter day just around the corner.

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Even as they talked about a new terminal, members of the Fremont Municipal Airport advisory board again shared concerns about a forecast runway shutdown expected to impact business.

Dave Goedeken, director of public works for the City of Fremont, told the board Friday that the new terminal building should be open by April 1 with landscaping completed when weather allows.

Robert Steenblock, board chairman, said an underground sprinkler system is needed. He asked about furniture for the new terminal.

Goedeken said the furniture is on order. Plans are to move furniture from the current terminal to the new one. The old furniture will be exchanged for the new when it comes in.

The new west gate leading to the new terminal should be installed next week.

A centerline stripe on the new parking apron and the approaches to it will be removed because its too close to the new terminal.

Last month, board members got a tour inside the new terminal, which includes a conference room, front area and pilots lounge. It will have three offices available to be rented out.

The $1.7 million terminal project is being constructed entirely through local funding.

In other business, Steenblock asked whether the former Runway 1-19 could be used when the main runway is shut down due to reconstruction or rehabilitation.

Goedeken said he talked with Anna Lannin of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics.

He said Lannin wasnt very hopeful about the alternative of using the former runway, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decommissioned.

That runway is now a taxiway.

Goedeken said alternatives such as: installing an asphalt overlay or concrete removal and replacement; and using the former Runway 1-19 will be examined in the future.

He pointed out that the city doesnt have funds from the federal government for the project yet.

In January, board members talked about reconstruction of portions of the runway and a connecting taxiway.

Concrete in these portions has been deteriorating  from within  due to a chemical reaction. This deterioration is occurring at multiple sites in Nebraska and other states.

Removing the concrete and replacing it in portions of Fremonts runway and taxiway is estimated to cost $7.3 million.

The project will be included in a request for the Congress-passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

Fremonts project may  or may not  be approved in late summer or early fall.

If approved, it could be a 2023 project.

Board members and Jim Kjeldgaard, president of Fremont Aviation which operates the airport, have estimated that concrete removal and replacement could take nine months.

Not using the runway for this amount of time would seriously impact Fremont Aviation along with other businesses that use the airport, he said.

In February, the board talked about refurbishing deteriorated portions of the runway and taxiway with an asphalt overlay  as opposed to total concrete replacement.

The overlay would be less costly and the runway  and the airport  would be shut down for a few weeks as opposed to several months.

An overlay could cost around $2 million.

If we do an overlay, there would be no use of the runway during that construction process, but its a more accelerated process, Goedeken said.

During Fridays meeting, Steenblock asked who would determine whether an overlay was done or if the concrete would be torn out and replaced.

It will be dependent on what comes back from the study, but from the preliminary information Ive heard from the guys that inspected it  and from experiences theyre having at other airports  I would not be shocked if they just come back and say its tear out and replacement, Goedeken said.

Goedeken said this same concrete deterioration is occurring on 23rd Street by Menards and the roundabout by St. Patricks Catholic Church.

He also talked about an airport symposium in which the chemical reaction  called alkali-silica reactivity (ASR)  was discussed.

The concrete surface looked OK, he said, but further investigation showed the concrete was deteriorating from within.

Goedeken said the surface could be sealed, but moisture also is coming from the underneath.

Sealing the surface is like putting a Band-Aid on a stomachache. It maybe makes you feel better, but its  in the long run  not solving it, Goedeken said.

Eric Johnson, board member, said cement is engineered differently now to help prevent ASR.

As he has at past meetings, Kjeldgaard brought up the impact to the airport.

Kjeldgaard has talked about his income going to zero when the airport is shut down, while his expenses continue.

On Friday, he again mentioned people who rent hangars here.

Whats the city policy on these people paying rent for hangars that they cant use? Kjeldgaard said. People arent going to be very happy.

Goedeken said hes first concerned about getting the runway and taxiway fixed while acknowledging that airport fuel sales and business will be affected.

Pilot Ken Cox advocated for the asphalt overlay.

The City of Fremont recently installed an asphalt overlay on Bell Street.

Airport advisory board meetings start at 8:15 a.m. the third Friday of each month in the current terminal, 1203 W. 23rd St., Fremont. Meetings are open to the public.

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Midland University is offering the public a chance to learn more about the Holocaust and make donations to help Ukrainians.

On Thursday, Scott Littky, executive director of the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha, will provide a talk at 6:30 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium in the Swanson Hall of Science on the MU campus.

Littkys talk is free and open to the public. If there is time, those attending will be able to ask questions.

The talk precedes the Midland University production of The Diary of Anne Frank, which starts at 7:30 p.m. in Kimmel Theatre.

People can attend Littkys talk without going to the play.

Those who do attend the play will have an opportunity to help Ukrainians.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. March 24, 25 and 26 and 2 p.m. March 27, in Kimmel Theatre on the Midland University campus.

Cast members and crew will take a donation at the end of each show.

Donations accepted after each show will be sent to the World Central Kitchen, founded by Chef Jose Andres. The nonprofit provides meals in the wake of disasters.

The chef, whos previously helped earthquake victims in Haiti and hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, is feeding refugees on the border of Ukraine and Poland.

Well make sure all of the money that we collect will go to that cause, said Lee Meyer, whos directing the show.

Meyer has met Andres.

Three years ago when we had the flood, he came to Fremont and brought his company and I actually worked with him, making food to give to people. I made sandwiches, Meyer said.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Thousands have died. An estimated 2.97 million Ukrainians have left their country, according to a United Nations refugee agency.

The Holocaust was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some 6 million Jews  approximately two-thirds of Europes Jewish population.

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BRAZZAVILLE, March 18 (Xinhua) -- More than 80 million doses will be administered to over 23 million children under five years in a mass vaccination campaign against wild poliovirus type 1 in Malawi and four other southern African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday.

The vaccination campaign will involve four rounds in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the WHO regional office for Africa said in a statement.

The first round of the campaign, scheduled in March, targets 9.4 million children in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. Malawi declared an outbreak on Feb. 17, the first such case in the country in 30 years, and the first in Africa since the region was certified free of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020.

Three subsequent rounds, in which Zimbabwe will also take part, are set for April, June and July, aiming to reach over 23 million children with more than 80 million doses of the bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine recommended by the WHO for wild poliovirus type 1.

"Polio is a highly infectious and an untreatable disease that can result in permanent paralysis. In support of Malawi and it neighbors, we are acting fast to halt this outbreak and extinguish the threat through effective vaccinations," said WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti.

"The African region has already defeated wild poliovirus due to a monumental effort by countries. We have the know-how and are tirelessly working to ensure that every child lives and thrives in a continent free of polio," she said in the statement.

The African region was declared and certified as free of indigenous wild polio in August 2020 after eliminating all forms of wild poliovirus. The region's certification as wild polio-free remains unchanged. 
More than 13,700 newborns have died this year in Afghanistan from malnutrition and hunger-related diseases, a figure that Human Rights Watch (HRW) says indicates that "time is running out for children" amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Citing the statistics issued by the Taliban's acting Health Ministry earlier this week, HRW on March 18 called for the establishment of a functioning banking system to address the crisis.

While acknowledging that many countries had sent funding and humanitarian aid, the international rights watchdog lamented that restrictions on Afghanistan's central bank were still making large transactions or withdrawals impossible.

"Without ensuring that funds are being used for legitimate humanitarian and commercial purposes, it will be impossible to ease the crisis and help Afghanistan's most vulnerable children," HRW said in its daily brief on March 18.

Afghanistan is dealing with what the United Nations has called a "food-insecurity and malnutrition crisis of unparalleled proportions."

Drought, instability, and the loss of foreign aid ahead of the Taliban's takeover have been named as contributing factors to the crisis.
In this file photo, Colorado Republican U.S. Senate candidate state Gino Campana participates in a candidate forum sponsored by the Republican Women of Weld on Feb. 3 in Fort Lupton.
The International Space Station is set to welcome three new crewmates who are set to launch on Friday and arrive just over three hours later.

In the meantime, the seven-member Expedition 66 crew turned its attention to science duties following Tuesday's successful spacewalk.

The next crew ship to launch toward the orbiting lab has rolled out and now stands at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft is counting down to lift off on Friday at 11:55 a.m. EDT. It will carry three cosmonauts on a three-hour and 10-minute ride to the station where it will dock to the Prichal module. Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, with first-time station visitors Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov, will open the hatch about an two-and-a-half hours later and begin a six-and-a-half-month mission aboard the space station. NASA TV, on the app and the website, will begin its live launch coverage at 11:15 a.m. on Friday.

Two NASA astronauts, Kayla Barron and Raja Chari, had a light schedule on Wednesday following Tuesday's six-hour and 54-minute spacewalk to set up the station for its next roll-out solar array. The pair started the day with standard post-spacewalk medical exams looking at their hands, ears, blood pressure, and temperature. Barron then worked late in the afternoon in the Kibo laboratory module setting up the Confocal Microscope that looks at biological samples using spatial filtering techniques. Chari wrapped up his day charging the U.S. spacesuit's lithium-ion batteries.

Flight Engineers Tom Marshburn of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) teamed up for a muscle study taking place in the Columbus laboratory module on Wednesday. The astronauts took turns measuring each other's neck, back, and leg muscles to learn how microgravity affects their biochemical properties. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei serviced microbe samples growing inside a specialized incubator for the Space Biofilms study that could improve spacecraft safety and crew health.

In the station's Russian segment, two cosmonauts, Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov, packed gear and prepared for their return to Earth on March 30. Shkaplerov will lead the ride home flanked by Dubrov and Vande Hei inside the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship. Vande Hei surpassed NASA astronaut Scott Kelly's single spaceflight record of 340 days on March 15 and will land in Kazakhstan with a NASA record-breaking 355 days in space.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Confocal Space Microscopy: The protective cover from the Confocal Space Microscope was removed and the checkout sample was inserted. The Confocal Space Microscope is a JAXA facility that provides fluorescence images of biological samples aboard the ISS. Confocal microscopy uses spatial filtering techniques to eliminate out-of-focus light or glare in specimens with thicknesses exceeding the immediate plane of focus. With the Confocal Microscope, data can be obtained on the fundamental nature of cellular and tissue structure and functions in real-time.

EasyMotion: The crew donned the EasyMotion suit and then performed a Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS) exercise session. The EasyMotion investigation uses whole body Electro-Myo-Stimulation (EMS) with a wearable body skin suit for an ISS crew member to perform pre- and postflight EMS-assisted exercises. EMS technology initiates spontaneous (involuntary) activation of global musculature (muscle, tendon, fascia) to be monitored (muscle tone/tension and stiffness) inflight using the non-invasive Myoton technology that is currently aboard the space station for the Myotones investigation.

Myotones: Skin marking was performed on the designated experiment target areas and measurements were taken using the Myotones device. The Muscle Tone in Space (Myotones) investigation observes the biochemical properties of muscles (e.g., muscle tone, stiffness, elasticity) during long-term exposure to the spaceflight environment. Results from this investigation can provide a better understanding of the principles of human resting muscle tone. This could lead to the development of new strategies for alternative treatments for rehabilitation on Earth, as well as for future space missions.

Space Biofilms-2: The crew performed the second of the three fixation activities for the Space Biofilms-2 experiment. Fixation refers to a group of techniques which are used to preserve various aspects of the samples for later analysis. The Characterization of Biofilm Formation, Growth, and Gene Expression on Different Materials and Environmental Conditions in Microgravity (Space Biofilms) investigation characterizes the mass, thickness, structure, and associated gene expression of biofilms (molds) that form in space by analyzing a fungal species grown on different materials. The experiment uses the model fungal organism Penicillium rubens. Biofilm formation can cause equipment malfunction and human illnesses and could be a serious problem on future long-term human space missions.

Vascular Aging (VA): In preparation for activities later this week, the big picture words for the VA 48-hour Bio-Monitor measurement session were reviewed. Emerging data points towards linkages among cardiovascular health risk, carotid artery aging, bone metabolism and blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation. Data indicate that aging-like changes are accelerated in many ISS crew members, particularly with respect to their arteries.

Systems:

Post-Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Activities: The crew completed multiple post-EVA activities after yesterday's successful 3A IROSA Prep EVA. Their activities included water operations to recharge EMU feedwater tanks and perform an ullage dump, a relocation of Station Support Computer (SSC) 12, the removal and charge initiation of the EMU Long Life Battery (LLB)/Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly (REBA), downlink of video files from the EVA GoPro and camera stowage, an EVA debrief, and initiation of Metal Oxide (METOX) cartridge regeneration. Additional glove photos were taken and downlinked for review.

Waste & Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Water Container (-CB) Remove and Replace (R&R): Today the crew built a new -CB and R&Red the existing -CB in the WHC. The -CB is intended for short-term storage and manual water transportation between facilities. The flush tank was filled using a Post-Flight Analysis Bag to capture any pressure relief to protect the dose pump, after which the WHC was reactivated.

Pre-EVA Activities: In preparation for next week's Radiator Beam Valve Module (RBVM) Jumper Install EVA, the crew reviewed two procedures. The Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software reconfig files were opened in order to view the step-by-step sequence for the EVA, and a training on Fluid Quick Disconnects along with the generic EVA Cribsheet were reviewed.

Completed Task List Activities:

None

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

MT Translation

UHF 2 Activation/Deactivation

THC CCAA Temperature Setpoint Change

Crew Dragon System Checkout

Look Ahead Plan

Thursday, March 17 (GMT 76)

Payloads:

HRF PC Software Update

ISS HAM Pass

J-SSOD-21 Install

Lumina

NutrISS

PG Tide

SQuARE

Standard Measures

Touching Surfaces

UNIGLO

Vascular Aging

Wireless Compose-2

Systems:

OGA Pump ORU Flush

EVA Tool Config

EMU ECWS OBT

Robotics Procedure Print

EVA Procedure Review

IMS Conference

WHC Manual Fill

OBT ROBoT Session

OGA Post Maintenance Flush/Stow

SSC 10 and 20 Swap

EMU Swap

EMU Resize

METOX Regeneration Termination

Friday, March 18 (GMT 77)

Payloads:

CAL MTL Leak Check

EasyMotion/T2

FROST2 Checkout

JEM Microbe

LSG Hardware Audit

Repository

SQuARE

Vascular Aging

Systems:

PAM iPad Deploy

US EVA Ammonia OBT

EVA Battery Operations Terminal Terminate

REBA Installation

Brine Processor Bladder Changeout

EVA Procedure Review

EVA Procedure Conference

REBA Powered Hardware Checkout

EMU LLB METOX Installation

ISS Safety Briefing

Saturday, March 19 (GMT 78)

Payloads:

Repository

SQuARE

Vascular Aging Hardware Stow

Systems:

Crew Off-Duty Day

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Photo TV Battery Charge Initiation/Deactivation

COLUMBUS Bay clean-up/restow

Myotones Kit Gathering

ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Up

Myotones Device Setup with EPM Laptop

Food Acceptability Survey

LSG Primary Crew Restraint Unfold/Fold

Space Biofilms Fixation 2 Ops

Myotones Measurements

Myotones Device Data Transfer

Extrvehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Water Recharge

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Post EVA Examination - Subject

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Post EVA Examination - Crew Medical Officer (CMO)

Return SSC (Station Support Computer) 12 to location from where it came prior to EVA

Standard Measures Cognition Testing

Space Biofilms MELFI Sample Insertion Operations Session 2

Space Biofilms Iceberg Sample Removal/Insert

EasyMotion Imagery

LSG Work Volume Stow

SQuARES Flexible Daily Imagery

Animal Access Unit Stow

Waste & Hygeine Compartment (WHC) Water Container () Remove and Replace

Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Software Review

Vascular Aging Bio-Monitor 48-Hour Measurement Big Picture Words Review

Photo TV Battery Charge Swap

Bio-Monitor Hardware Setup

Experiment Laptop Terminal 2 (ELT2) and Payload Laptop Terminal 5 (PLT5) Setup

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) QD Training Review

High Definition EMU Camera Assembly Terminate

IMS delta file prep

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB)/Rechargeable EVA Battery Assemebly (REBA) Removal

JEM Microscope Cover Rmv

Installs Li-Ion Batteries into Battery Stowage Compartment

Confocal Space Microscopy (Microscope) Sample Set

Bio-Monitor Wearables Setup

EVA Battery Operations Terminal Charge Init

Photo/TV Extravehicular Activity (EVA) GoPro Downlink

NutrISS - ESA Nutritional Assessment

Bio-Monitor Breathing Volume Calibration

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Debrief for US EVA

CB/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Initiation

Standard Measures Pre-sleep Questionnaire

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CEDAR RAPIDS  Two Iowa U.S. representatives are still waiting for information what caused a delay in National Weather Service tornado warnings reaching the public when tornadoes swept across Iowa earlier this month.

First District Rep. Ashley Hinson and 3rd District Rep. Cindy Axne are asking the weather service for an explanation of a communications system malfunction that led to delays in critical alerts to the public March 5. Some warnings didnt reach the public until nine minutes after they were issued.

As a former news reporter, I covered severe storms, I saw firsthand how important public safety alerts are in these situations, Hinson, a Marion Republican, told reporters Friday. A minute can make all the difference here, every minute counts when it comes to saving lives, preventing injury, and also to mitigating property damage.

So she teamed with Axne, a Des Moines Democrat, to seek answers to the delays in alerting the public to the tornadoes that resulted in the loss of seven lives. The agency has blamed technical issue in its Dallas-Fort Worth office.

Unfortunately, severe weather is common in Iowa, and our constituents rely on the National Weather Service to provide prompt and accurate weather alerts to know when to seek shelter and take other potentially lifesaving precautions, they wrote in a letter to the agencys acting director.

It wasnt the first time similar malfunctions have been reported, the congresswomen wrote. They cited several reports of delays, adding, We cannot allow Iowans to be in danger because of technical problems that continue to go unaddressed.

Noting that its severe weather season in Iowa, Hinson wants answers sooner rather than later  to make sure we are finding out exactly where the breakdowns happen in the communication on their end. Then, Congress can develop proposals to address the problem, she said.

For us in the Midwest, we know how dangerous tornadoes can be, Hinson said. So I want to make sure everybody has the tools to effectively warn their communities.

In the meantime, she continues to work with Gov. Kim Reynolds office on assessments to determine whether the damage meets thresholds for federal disaster relief. Hinson also has been in contact with mayors and local emergency management directors since the morning after the storms.

Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for Adair, Benton, Decatur, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Polk, Tama, Warren and Wayne counties. That allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the storms.

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Two prison inmates are suing the state of Iowa over a decision they say could result in the loss of $4,600 worth of music they purchased through the prison system.

Steven Ray Wycoff and Kenneth Pladsen, who reside at the state-run Clarinda Correctional Facility, are suing Iowa Prison Industries and its director, Dan Clark, in Iowa District Court for Polk County.

According to the lawsuit, the two were allowed to purchase from Iowa Prison Industries an Edge Mini-Tablet device for $150. Through a contract that IPI has with a prison commissary company called Access/Keefe, the inmates then purchased songs that could be added to the tablets built-in music player.

Similar to other, conventional music-service providers, the Access/Keefe contract provided customers with lifetime access to the music they purchased, the lawsuit claims.

Wycoff purchased 1,975 songs through the service, and Pladsen purchased 445 songs, they claimed. The songs were priced at $1.75 each.

At some point after the purchases were made, according to the lawsuit, IPI terminated its contractual agreement with Access/Keefe, at which point inmates were sold SanDisk MP3 players.

Although the previously purchased songs can be transferred from the Edge Mini-Tablets to the SanDisk devices, the plaintiffs claim they have lost their guarantee of lifetime access to their music. They allege that if their SanDisk device is damaged, lost or stolen, they will forever lose the 2,420 songs they purchased at a total cost of more than $4,600.

The two claim that IPI policies have created a monopoly that forces inmates to buy goods and services from only those vendors with whom IPI has a contract. The state, they claim, has turned IPI into a monopolistic franchise cornering the market on anything and everything purchased by prisoners. They claim IPI is purchasing the lowest-quality items as a way to increase sales through the purchase of replacement items and is also overcharging inmates for the products that are offered for sale.

The plaintiffs are seeking reimbursement for the money spent on the tablets and songs, as well as a writ that would enjoin IPI from making any further purchases from outside vendors if the intent is merely to resell the items to inmates.

Clark and Iowa Department of Corrections officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

Wycoff is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder. Pladsen is serving a sentence for second-degree kidnapping.

Iowa Prison Industries is the work arm of the Iowa Department of Corrections and provides offenders with work-related training. IPI says it is entirely self-funded and relies on the sale of inmate-manufactured products, such as office furniture, to pay for the training.

In 2019, a group of Florida inmates filed a class action lawsuit against the Keefe Commissary Network for allegedly selling inmates songs with the promise that they would be forever accessible to the buyers when, in fact, access ended once the Florida Department of Corrections terminated its contract with the company.

From 2011 to 2017, Floridas state inmates purchased approximately 6.7 million digital media files at a cost of roughly $11.3 million, with the states Department of Corrections allegedly collecting $1.4 million in commissions on those sales. The lawsuit was later dismissed and the dispute was directed to arbitration.

In 2016, a group of federal inmates sued SanDisk Corp. and Advanced Technologies Group, alleging that a contract they had with the Federal Bureau of Prisons resulted in inmates losing access to their music files. They alleged that once released from prison, they could not transfer their purchases to conventional MP3 players and had to buy a special, post-release MP3 player from ATG.

The defendants denied those claims and successfully argued for dismissal of the case, stating that inmates, upon their release, had only to pay a $25 fee to unlock access to their music files. This case is a shakedown of two legitimate businesses, the two companies told the court.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

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A Dry Fork native assigned to the public works department in Bahrain, part of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Central, was recently promoted to petty officer third class during a promotion ceremony.

Petty officer 3rd class Mason Crumpton is a 2018 Tunstall High School graduate and 2019 graduate of Danville Community College. Today, Crumpton serves as a Navy construction mechanic.

Crumpton joined the Navy two years ago for the opportunity the Navy provides.

I joined the Navy to support myself and my family, Crumpton said.

According to Crumpton, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Dry Fork.

Growing up in Dry Fork, I learned a strong work ethic from working on my family farm and it has helped me stand out amongst my peers, Crumpton said.

Bahrain manages facility project planning and design, including related acquisition, construction, leasing, environmental, maintenance and contingency support required by the Navy and Department of Defense commands where the Navy is designated as the lead agent.

My favorite part about working here is the people I work with and learning from the local nationals we have working with us, said Crumpton.

There are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers.

Im most proud of my contributions during Operation Allies Refugee, said Crumpton.

Operation Allies Refugee was military support to Afghan refugees following U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Crumpton knows he and other sailors are a part of a service tradition providing experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance.

Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

Working with a diverse group of people I have learned that everyone can contribute in different ways, added Crumpton. I am also proud to be able to serve and protect our country.

Niegel is a mass communication specialist 1st class with the Navy office of community outreach.
Email special events to news@registerbee.com. The deadline is noon Wednesday.

INITIAL SERMON

New Mine Creek Progressive Primitive Baptist Church, 1525 Malmaison Road, Blairs, will have Sister Gayle Hunt Breakley preaching her initial sermon at 3 p.m. today. Masks and social distancing required. Pastor is Elder Donnie Tinnin.

PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY BANQUET

Christian Life Church will celebrate the 10th pastoral anniversary of the Rev. Lashawnda Reynolds and overseer Dominick Reynolds at 6 p.m. today at The ARC Family Life Center, 427 East Thomas St. Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Michael Ferrell with musical guest the Rev. Santana Galloway. For more information and tickets, call 434-709-7212.

SPRING REVIVAL

Ringgold Baptist Church, 4620 Ringgold Church Road, will hold spring revival Sunday-Wednesday. Sunday services will be at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Monday through Wednesday services will be at 7 p.m. Evangelist Steve Freeman will be guest speaker.

REVIVAL SERVICES

Staunton River Baptist Church, 6101 Straightstone Road, Long Island, will hold four-night revival services Sunday-Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday with guest preacher Pastor Charlie Dews of Green Spring Baptist in Brookneal.

50 STATE RALLY DAY

New Ephesus Missionary Baptist Church, 375 Ephesus Church Road, Semora, North Carolina, will observe their annual 50 State Rally during the 11 a.m. Sunday service Sunday. All participants are asked to be present. CDC safety guidelines are in place and required to join the worship inside the church. In the parking lot, hear the service on 107.3 FM using conference call by by dialing 978-990-5000 or through Facebook Live.

2ND PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY

2nd Pastoral Anniversary of Pastor Crystal Motley will be held on March 27 at 11 a.m. with guest speaker evangelist Taneka Robertson and musical guest Whitney Baize Miller. A 3:30 p.m. service will be held with guest speaker co-pastor Martina Echols speaking and musical guest William "Preacher" Ray Psalmic Flow, held at Unity Baptist Church, 104 Banner St.

FOOD & CLOTHING MINISTRY

Union Hall Baptist Church, 6861 Strawberry Road, will Food and Clothing Ministry will be open from 9 a.m. to noon April 2 with food and clothing of all types. For information, call 434-724-4354 or 434-250-8964.

PRAYER, PRAISE & WORSHIP SERVICE

Trinity United Methodist Church, 409 Arnett Blvd., will hold a Prayer, Praise and Worship Service from 10:30 to 11 a.m. March 26. A free hot dog lunch will follow from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

SERVICE CHANGE

Bennett Memorial Missionary Baptist Church will not hold parking lot services until further notice. Services can be heard by calling in through conference call at 10 a.m. on Sundays and 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Phone number is 1-774-220-4000, ID number 608-2009.

IN PERSON/ONLINE SERVICES

Ascension Lutheran Church is worshipping in the sanctuary at 314 W. Main St. each Sunday at 11 a.m. and is simultaneously streaming the service on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/ascensionlutherandanville. The service is available for viewing anytime afterward at that link. Masks are required while in the building.

Mount Vernon United Methodist Church now offers in-person services at 10 a.m. each Sunday as well as online worship services every Sunday at mtvernonumc.org or www.facebook.com/MountVernonUMC. These will be held until further notice.

IN-PERSON SERVICES

Mount Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will hold services in the sanctuary with Sunday school at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. The service also will be streamed on Facebook.

Mount Freeman Baptist Church, 2100 Laniers Mill Road, will resume in-person service at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no Sunday school.

CONFERENCE CALL SERVICES

North New Hope Baptist Church, 123 Old Piney Forest Road, will no longer hold in house services, but will offer services via conference call by calling 1-425-436-6368, access code 243106#. Tune in at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday school and 11 a.m. for morning worship until further notice.

ONLINE WORSHIP SERVICES

Sacred Heart Catholic Church will livestream worship service at 9 a.m. Sundays in English and noon in Spanish at www.facebook.com/sheartchurch.

DRIVE-IN SERVICES

Staunton River Baptist Church, Long Island, will hold drive-in services at 10 a.m. each Sunday.

ONGOING SERVICES

Sacred Heart Catholic Church celebrates Mass every weekend with a vigil Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday and at 9 p.m. Sunday in English and noon in Spanish.

Watson Level Missionary Baptist Church holds Sunday worship services each week at 11 a.m. Because of COVID-19, a face mask is required for all attendees and social distancing is mandatory.

Calvary Church of the Nazarene, 2450 Franklin Turnpike, from 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday, will hold Ladies Need Encouragement, an hour of worship and prayer. Participants are asked to bring a Bible and practice social distancing. The event is for ages 10 and up with adult supervision. For more information, call 540-907-8836.

Mount Zion Temple, now located at 503 Hughes St., presents The Word Homelitic Institute at 10 a.m. every Sunday. Transportation is provided by calling Bishop David K. Fuller at 434-429-8960.
The good news is that 76% of Americans affirm the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth, although its also interesting to note that if 89% of self-identified Christians embraced that statement, the implication is that 11% are not sure.

Meanwhile, 84% of participants in a new Jesus in America study  conducted by the global Ipsos research company for the Episcopal Church  agreed that Jesus was an important spiritual figure.

The bad news? While 50% of not religious Americans accepted this important spiritual figure language, they were much less impressed with the believers who represent Jesus.

When asked, What characteristics do you associate with Christians in general? the nonreligious selected these words from the polls options  hypocritical (55%), judgmental (54%) and self-righteous (50%). Next up: arrogant, unforgiving and disrespectful.

It appears that one of the goals of this poll  with questions about racism, social justice and last years attack on the U.S. Capitol  was to see if nonbelievers have different attitudes about liberal and conservative Christians, said political scientist Ryan Burge of Eastern Illinois University, author of the new book 20 Myths about Religion and Politics in America. He is co-founder of the Religion in Public website and a contributor at GetReligion.org, which I have led since 2004.

This is the million-dollar question, said Burge, who is also a pastor in the progressive American Baptist Church. If nonreligious people are turned off by what they see as the stricter faith of many Christians, evangelicals in particular, then wouldnt it make sense for them to seek more flexible alternatives?

If theres all kinds of room in mainline Protestant churches these days, and thats putting it mildly, then why arent these kinds of people filling up some of those pews?

In a statement backing the survey, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said it was encouraging that Americans still find Jesus compelling. However, its obvious the behavior of many of his followers is a problem, and its not just certain Christians: Its all Christians. Thus, he added, Episcopalians are refocusing our efforts on being a church that looks and acts like Jesus.

One of the most provocative findings in Jesus in America, said Burge, was the studys claim that only 38% of Americans believe religion makes the country stronger, with 28% seeing religion as a divisive force and another 6% saying religion makes the country weaker.

In a 2021 survey, the Pew Research Center found that 62% of Americans believe the impact of churches and religious organizations is positive, in contrast with 35% who said negative. In political terms, 76% of Republicans expressed positive views, with 22% negative, as opposed to those of Democrats, which were 52% positive, with 46% negative.

Theres a big gap between those numbers, said Burge. This is unusual, since the surveys were only a year apart.

On one hot-button political issue, Ipsos asked: Do you think the events at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6 are associated with organized religion? Overall, only 11% said yes. Among those who answered yes, 63% associated the attack with evangelical Protestants, including 76% of the non-Christians in that group.

When asked if Americans who talk about their conservative beliefs are often disrespected, 41% of participants agreed, including 45% of evangelicals, 40% of nonevangelical Christians and 33% of the nonreligious. Republicans were more likely to agree with this statement than Democrats.

There were striking agreements, and contrasts, between mainline and evangelical Protestants when the pollsters asked: What values and lessons do you believe Jesus teaches?

Love your neighbor was the top response overall, including 70% of mainliners and 80% of evangelicals. Love your enemies was affirmed by 54% of mainliners and 70% of evangelicals. For feed the hungry, it was 55% of mainliners and 60% of evangelicals.

Repent and believe was chosen by 48% of the mainline Protestants, as opposed to 73% of evangelicals.

If the purpose of this study was to spotlight a Jesus who comforts the afflicted, but not one who afflicts the comfortable, then there is a problem, said Father Kendall Harmon, a popular Anglican blogger and theological conservative.

The Bible gives us a Jesus who is both.

Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
Its called the house that tobacco built. Located at 862 Main St., the Penn-Wyatt House is connected to more than 130 years of Danvilles history.

The original owner, James Penn, came from a tobacco family in Patrick County. He arrived in the River City after serving in the Civil War, building the Main Street property in 1876.

Later on, he built one of the areas first international tobacco dealerships, Pemberton & Penn.

His home featured everything from hand-painted mirrors to stained glass pocket doors, elegant mantels and formal parlors. Stepping inside is like taking a trip through time. And soon youll be able to do just that.

A trip through time

Now that the weathers warming up and COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, the Danville Historical Society will be restarting guided walking tours over the next three months. There will be three types available as of May 1.

With the end of COVID in sight, relaunching the tours was a top priority, said Danville Historical Society President Robin Marcato. Theyve always been incredibly popular, and we know they are a draw for out of town visitors.

Created in 1971, the society has been preserving the citys history for more than 50 years. Want to know about the ties between Danville and the San Francisco Giants? Maybe youd like to read handwritten notes from Jefferson Davis or documents sent to one Danville woman by dozens of world leaders? Its all preserved by the society.

In some cases, that means building exhibits at the groups 406 Cabell St. headquarters. The society also shares history through articles at its website, danvillehistory.org and by talking to local groups. And the third way they help keep history alive is through these tours.

Think of this like a storytelling session, for which Danville has more than 200 years of history to draw from.

Theres the Langhorne House, which served as the childhood home of Nancy and her sister, Irene. Lady Nancy Astor would move to England, marry a member of the British Parliament and win his former seat. She became the first woman to serve as a member of Parliament in the House of Commons. Irene, meanwhile, married the artist Charles Dana Gibson and became the model for his iconic Gibson Girl artwork in the early 20th century.

You can also learn about Hotel Danville. When it was finished in 1927, the eight-story structure became the citys second skyscraper. For more than 80 years, thousands of people stayed there while visiting this community. Tobacconists, tourists and even Eleanor Roosevelt stopped by. Now used for senior housing, the building has plenty of stories to share.

And then theres Neopolis. At times labeled as Danvilles charming daughter in an 1885 sketchbook of the city, Neopolis was the community that came to life on the north side of the Dan River. Also known as North Danville, it became North Main Street and a place where you can still find several Victorian homes.

Lets share some stories

Three tours start back up on May 1.

First up is The Secrets Inside. Its a tour of Danvilles Millionaires Row, a part of the Old West End Historic District. As Danville grew thanks to the tobacco and textile industries, the wealthy elite started building houses in the Old West End. Most of these homes were built in the late 19th and early 20th century, each offering its own unique style.

Some of these are massive structures, with an average size of more than 6,000 square feet. This 90-minute tour gives people a look at what life was like for the citys wealthiest residents around the turn of the century.

Second, you can learn why Theres a Story Here. This is a tour of the Holbrook-Ross District, the citys first neighborhood for African American professionals that was created shortly after the Civil War.

This easy 60-minute walk leads to the site of the first local public school for African Americans in the 1870s, a home where the civil rights movement was nurtured and others throughout the area.

Third, you can hear Tales of Tobacco, Textiles and Trains. This is a tour of the Tobacco Warehouse District. The district, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, includes 532 contributing buildings.

Danville is known as the birthplace of innovative sales practices such as the Danville System of tobacco auctions and the Danville Plan of allotting sales time on a poundage basis rather than by sales days to individual markets.

On this tour, youll see the best of industrial architecture constructed in Danville during that period. Youll also learn a little about the history of the buildings and the current or future use of them.

Its also a good way to learn about how the railroad came to the River City. Whitmell Tunstall, a Chatham lawyer and member of the General Assembly, pushed for that from 1838 to 1847, eventually convincing the other lawmakers to sign off on a route from Richmond to Danville. It was finished in 1856 and played a major role in the citys growth, as now tobacco and later textiles could be shipped much quicker.

Things to know

Now that you know what the tours are, lets talk about how to sign up. Reservations are required for the guided tours. That means an $8 fee for adults. All kids 12 and under get in free with a paying adult.

Tours are offered daily, with times shifting due to weather. To check for available times or to sign up, just call the society at 4347701386. When you call, they ask that you give your name, the number of people in your party and phone number so they can call you back. If youd prefer emailing the group, thats available too. Just send an email to danvillehistorical@gmail.com.

Brian Carltons work has been featured by the Associated Press, BBC, Public Broadcastings 100 Days in Appalachia project and Policygenius, among others. The 20-year veteran journalist also spent 10 years as a newspaper editor in Waynesboro and later Martinsville.
River District visitors may soon be able to walk the streets and mingle downtown with a beer or cocktail in their hand outdoors.

Danville City Council will vote at its upcoming meeting April 5 whether to establish a designated outdoor refreshment area within the River District.

The bulk of the zone would include Craghead, Bridge, Market, North Union, South Union, Patton, Wilson, Newton, Spring, Floyd and Main streets downtown, as well as parts of Monument and Lynn streets.

Within that 159-acre area in the River District, visitors would be able to purchase alcoholic beverages at an establishment and move freely on foot within the zone.

City officials say the zone would attract more tourists to the area and enhance the appeal of the River District, especially with the number of bars, restaurants and other amenities downtown.

The River District would be the logical place for it, said City Councilman Lee Vogler. Its already kind of our central hub and its walkable, with the number of restaurants down there and there will be more coming in the next couple of years.

A state law that went into effect July 1, 2021, allows localities to establish up to three designated outdoor refreshment areas.

Under Danvilles proposed zone, visitors would be allowed to drink alcoholic beverages at certain places within the refreshment area including outdoor seating, public sidewalks, public plazas and private businesses without ABC licenses (contingent upon consent of each individual business owner).

No alcohol may be consumed upon privately-owned property within the outdoor refreshment area, unless such privately-owned property consents, the proposed ordinance states.

In addition, the property owner can make a person leave their property at any time, the proposed ordinance states.

Alcohol consumed within the area must be in paper, plastic or similar disposable containers of no more than 16 ounces. They must also display the name and logo of the ABC-licensed business where the drinks were bought, according to the proposed city ordinance.

There are about 10 ABC-licensed establishments that would be in the designated area, including Mes Burgers & Brews, Funkys Arcade Bar, Culture Restaurant and Grill, Ballad Brewing, Golden Leaf Bistro, Mucho Taqueria and Tequileria, DellAnnos Pizza Kitchen, Cotton at Riverside Mill, Dry Fork Fruit Distillery and Grizzlys Hatchet House and River City Escapes.

Christy Wall, owner at Grizzlys and River City Escapes, said the designated outdoor refreshment area would be an added benefit to the River District as a walkable destination.

It creates more of a social environment where people can kind of walk around, see each other and socialize, Wail said. Theres a festival atmosphere it creates and having that all the time is really cool.

The rules would forbid individuals from drinking alcoholic beverages on or inside city-owned property within the zone. However, a separate ABC license would allow consumption for events within the Danville Science Center, Community Market, Carrington Pavilion and any city park or recreation trail.

Under the citys proposed ordinance, the zone would shut down from midnight to 8 a.m.

The citys mayor expressed support for establishing the area in the River District, where the Danville Wine Festival, Bright Leaf Brew Fest, Shrimp Fest and other related events are held.

This is expanding it, Alonzo Jones said. Were trying to bring young adults back here to Danville and sometimes we have so many restrictions. I think this is a way to bring young people to our hometown.

First in the region

If Danville City Council approves the outdoor refreshment zone during its April 5 meeting, the city would be the first in the Southside region to have such an amenity.

It just offers another element, something folks can do here that they cant really do anywhere else, said City Councilman James Buckner. It attracts businesses and folks as well who want to be able to walk from one place to the other with an open container.

Danville Planning Director Doug Plachcinski, City Attorney Clarke Whitfield and Assistant City Attorney Ryan Dodson have been working on researching and setting up an ordinance allowing an outdoor refreshment area.

It was an initiative of a couple of City Council members, Whitfield said, mentioning Vogler as one of them.

If council approves the zone, the next step would be obtaining an ABC license for an entity to administer the outdoor refreshment area, Plachcinski said. It will likely be a non-profit organization, said Whitfield, who would not say who the group would be.

Besides the River District, city officials would have the option of establishing the designation for two other zones in Danville.

We really havent considered it at this stage, Dodson said when asked what other sections of the city would be looked at for a zone. This will be a good experiment to see how this works. Were happy to see this go forward.

Schoolfield, where the Caesars Virginia casino will open in late 2023, and North Main hill are two other possibilities, Plachcinski said.

As we are looking at the casino coming, we need to make sure we are on top of ways of bringing visitors to other parts of the city [such as the River District], said Diana Schwartz, executive director of the River District Association.

As for whether customers would be allowed to buy drinks at one ABC-licensed establishment and bring them inside another that is licensed within the zone, Dodson said he was not sure.

A local representative with the ABC did not respond to questions from the Danville Register & Bee by deadline Friday.

Either way, It makes our waiting room a lot bigger, said Rod Tomlinson, chief beer officer with Mes Burgers and Brews.

For us, it would be great if you could buy a beer and stand outside and wait, he said.

As for the upcoming Riverfront Park planned near the corner of Memorial Drive and Main Street, a separate ABC licensed for certain events there would be permitted.

Otherwise, its not allowed, Whitfield said of drinking within the park.

There would be signs set up indicating the boundaries of the outdoor refreshment zone.

Questions

Justin Ferrell, co-owner at Culture Restaurant and Grill on Spring Street, said he was a fan of establishing the zone. But there are questions.

We have to think about it as far as making it beneficial for the business, Ferrell said.

If a customer brings alcohol from another establishment (assuming it would be allowed) inside his restaurant, Ferrell said he would charge a corkage fee or other type of fee.

The area would also include an Uber pick-up zone in case those imbibing outdoors do not want to walk to another location, Whitfield said.

The goal is to make sure people arent driving while intoxicated, he said.

Consumption of alcohol would be forbidden also outside places of worship, at schools and on public transportation.

According to Vogler, the ordinance would give businesses downtown more flexibility to do some creative things to draw customers in.

We think this just adds anther feather in the cap of what the River District has to offer, Vogler said.

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ROANOKE  A jury ordered Mountain Valley Pipeline to pay $523,327 Thursday for a prime piece of Bent Mountain real estate that it took, against the owners wishes, using its power of eminent domain.

The company building a natural gas pipeline first offered about $119,000 for an eight-acre easement through the 560-acre tract. After the Terry family refused to sell, Mountain Valley took possession of a 125-foot-wide right of way and quickly began cutting trees on land that includes old-growth forests, meadows and the headwaters of Bottom Creek.

Four years later, company attorneys argued this week that the Terrys deserved $151,850 for their loss.

The jury saw it differently, awarding most of the $570,000 the family had sought. The verdict in Roanokes federal court came after four days of often conflicting testimony from appraisers who were asked to put a price on land that has been with the Terry family for seven generations.

I think it was a great thing for the jury to do, said Frank Terry, who lives in a circa-1890 farmhouse on property that he jointly owns with his brother and sister, John Coles Terry and Elizabeth Terry Reynolds.

But, he added, he would rather have the land back.

I dont want them on my property, and if I could Id keep them off, Terry said of construction crews building the deeply controversial project that slices through the rural heart of the New River and Roanoke valleys.

Joe Sherman, a Norfolk attorney who represented the family, told the jury that the only measure of justice would be to award just compensation, or the difference between the fair market value of the land before and after it was condemned for the pipeline.

The Terrys cant stop this project, he said. Thats been decided. So their only remedy is money.

Jurors were asked to sort through the work of four different appraisers, who offered widely different values and accounting methods in testimony that was both dry and sometimes contentious.

Joseph Thompson, a Roanoke appraiser hired by Mountain Valley, said he found the property to be worth $1.2 million before the taking. The pipeline easement reduced the value by 12%, he testified, which worked out to a just compensation figure of about $150,000.

The Terrys countered with an initial assessment of $1.9 million and a diminution of 30%. That put just compensation at $570,000, Sherman told the jury.

But Wade Massie, an Abingdon attorney who represented Mountain Valley, argued that those calculations were based on bits and pieces of what several different appraisers said.

I dont think that you can decide this case based on some unknown, hypothetical, mystery appraiser, Massie told the jury.

In 2017, after proposing a 303-mile pipeline that would run through West Virginia and Southwest Virginia into Chatham, Mountain Valley began to approach landowners in its path.

About 85% of the property owners agreed to sell their land, the company says.

Those who did not  including the owners of about 300 parcels in Southwest Virginia  were sued by Mountain Valley, which had the power of eminent domain on its side.

Over the years, eminent domain has traditionally been used for government projects to take private land for a public good, such as the construction of highways.

But the Natural Gas Act gives private companies like Mountain Valley the authority to condemn land for pipelines when there is a determination of public necessity, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found in 2017.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon ruled the company had the right to immediate possession of the land in early 2018. Tree cutting began shortly afterward, and Mountain Valley was allowed to work out just compensation for the owners in the years that followed.

Most of the cases have been settled, either through voluntary agreements or after a judges ruling on evidentiary issues forced a resolution. Less that a dozen remain. Among them are John Coles Terry and Elizabeth Terry Reynolds, who own land near the tract that was the subject of this weeks trial.

Although Mountain Valleys power to take land was not at issue, the way it used the process was sometimes questioned. Eminent domain is not inherently evil, Sherman said. But its got tremendous potential for abuse.

Thompson, the appraiser hired by Mountain Valley, testified that he had been paid about $295,000 for evaluating dozens of properties over the past four years.

Thats a great job, Sherman told the jury, if youre willing to say what needs to be said to help the bottom line.
RALEIGH  Some families are lobbying Wake County and state education leaders to stop listing class rank on high school transcripts that are used to apply for scholarships and college admission.

A group of parents and students say that using class rank puts students at a disadvantage in highly competitive high schools, a problem they argue has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This group wants to at least allow students to not include class ranks in transcripts submitted on applications for scholarships and for admission to private colleges and out-of-state universities.

Class Rank is harmful and We request that it be removed, Shonda N. Devereaux, the parent of a junior at Green Level High School in Cary, wrote in comments submitted for this weeks Wake County school board meeting. Let the students of WCPSS be evaluated on their academic performance in high school, not on a metric disconnected from the grades they earned in their classes.

But both the Wake County school system and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction say state law requires them to include class rank.

DPI and the local public school districts/schools must include class rank on any transcript going to any institution of higher learning, Blair Rhoades, a DPI spokeswoman, said in an email. This mandatory statute does not distinguish or allow DPI to distinguish between or provide different transcripts to state versus private institutions of higher learning or to in-state versus out-of-state institutions.

Unhealthy academic competition

Concerns about the high level of competition in Wake County high schools has been an issue for years.

In 2016, the Wake County school board voted to end the use of valedictorians and salutatorians  titles that go to the seniors with the two highest grade-point averages. Those titles were replaced with the Latin honors system.

Now seniors with a weighted GPA of 3.75 to 3.99 earn cum laude honors. Seniors with a GPA of 4.0 and 4.249 earn magna cum laude honors. Seniors with a GPA of 4.25 and above get summa cum laude honors.

At the time, school leaders said the competition to become valedictorian and salutatorian had become toxic and unhealthy, with students picking classes just to get the highest GPA as opposed to taking courses that interested them.

Many other North Carolina school districts have also gone on to replace the use of valedictorians and salutatorians with Latin honors designations.

But according to an online petition and the website stopclassrank.com, that unhealthy competition still remains because class rank wasnt eliminated.

For instance, Ruth Willenborg, the parent of a Green Level High student, told the Wake school board this week that 41% of the schools juniors are classified as academically and intellectually gifted.

Summa cum lade, magna cum laude students are required to enter ranks in the bottom 50% (on college applications), Willenborg said at this weeks school board meeting. This is harmful.

COVID-19 academic inequities

The group that wants class rank eliminated says the inequity in the system was made worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When coronavirus first struck, all of North Carolinas K-12 schools were required to be closed for in-person instruction from mid-March 2020 through the end of that school year.

As a result, the State Board of Education approved a temporary policy change where high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors could use their numerical grade as of March 13, 2020, as their final grade for spring courses. Students could also take a PC19 or WC19 grade  showing they passed or withdrew from a class  which wouldnt count on their GPA.

Class rank is based on weighted GPA, with students getting more credit if they have a high grade in an Honors or Advanced Placement class than in academic classes.

Green Level High families say some students opted not to take the numerical grades in academic classes for the spring 2020 semester. This artificially raised their weighted GPA to improve their class rank.

The families say the situation worsened for the first half of the 2020-21 school year, when Wake County operated high schools on a rotation of one week of in-person classes and two weeks of remote learning. Due to the rotation, not every student was able to get into the advanced courses they wanted.

Willenborg said it has made class ranks unfair and inaccurate.

You guys are intentionally printing useless and damaging data, Willenborg told the board. You are deliberately harming the students of Wake County by not addressing these issues. Please get the policies fixed at whatever level you need to.

Our kids need to be able to compete for admissions and scholarships based on their in-class performance.

Proposal to not use class rank

The Green Level families point to how the state statute requiring class ranks on high school transcripts is in the section covering the UNC System Board of Governors.

Wake County claims state law prohibits you from removing class rank, Willenborg said. It does not.

The families are proposing:

Class of 2023 (current high school juniors) gets the option to remove class rank from transcripts sent to out-of-state and private universities and the option not to self-report class rank for scholarship applications.

Class of 2024 and beyond get the option not to have class rank listed on any transcripts with Latin honors designations added in its place. The group acknowledges that it will take state legislation to make that change.

Crystal Reardon, Wakes director of school counseling, said the district has told the Green Level families that they must follow a state board policy that requires all transcripts to include class rank. She said school districts dont have the ability, procedurally or technically, to remove class rank.

When we moved to the Latin Honors System, we requested from NCDPI that our transcripts include a percentile rank rather than a numeric rank, and we were told that the transcript standards are governed by SBE policy based on the standard method devised by the UNC Board of Governors and the NC Community College System, which does not currently include percentile rank nor elimination of class rank, Reardon said in an email.

At least some Green Level families recognize that the issue may be out of Wakes hands.

In her written comments to the Wake school board, Devereaux, the parent, called on the state board to modify its policy on high school transcripts to use Latin honors instead of class rank. Despite what DPI says, Devereaux also maintains that there is no law requiring the state board to print any form of class rank on transcripts sent to out-of-state and private universities.

Class Rank places NC students at a serious disadvantage, and disqualifies them from both admissions and scholarship opportunities, Devereaux wrote.
Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 10:00AM

By Abe Friedtanzer

Its a rare occasion when a film ends up being more interesting than it sounds. The official synopsis for The Unknown Country, which is screening in the Visions program at SXSW and includes experimental and hybrid in its list of genres, describes a largely solitary journey with an unknown destination. But thats merely a comment on the geographical nature of the trip its protagonist, Tana (Lily Gladstone) is on, and this film does manage to successfully blend together a number of styles for an intoxicating and positively disorienting experience

The Unknown Country is primarily about Tana reconnecting with her extended family members, who are members of the Oglala Lakota tribe in South Dakota. She shares warm moments where young people bond quickly with her and older generations are overcome with emotion seeing her because she reminds them of the relatives from they used to know. She sees the way in which she is welcomed despite a long absence, suggesting plenty of regret and missed opportunities that include a greater context that isnt the focus of this particular story.

But there is also a separate element that serves to carry the film from scene to scene, especially when Tana is no longer in South Dakota and driving south towards the Texas-Mexico border. The people she meets recount their stories in a way that feels like a documentary, recalling what they have experienced over the course of their lives with a passion conveyed by their words rather than their tone or audible enthusiasm. Its a remarkably captivating device that serves as a hopeful counterpoint to the dismal news heard throughout on the radio about the 2016 presidential election.

Gladstone has been a rising star since her acclaimed role in Certain Woman, and shes next headed for Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon. She brings a quiet brilliance to Tana, making her a keen observer of the people around her who tempers her attachments and excitement because she understands their impermanence. The feature debut of writer-director Morrisa Maltz is a haunting composition of people who have come to be a defining part of the places they live and the way in which their authenticity impacts those like Tana who are merely passing through and stopping to experience them. B+

The Unknown Country is a world premiere in the Visions section at the SXSW Film Festival.
When clients come to this North Carolina therapist's office, they walk into a unique kind of space: a king-size bed and calming lighting in what looks like a normal bedroom.

Its the cuddle space.

Its where Ishka Shier offers a unique kind of therapy: professional cuddling.

Shier is the owner of Hold me AVL, a therapeutic cuddling company in Asheville.

According to her website, professional cuddling is a form of alternative therapy in which the therapist shares platonic touch with their client.

In most of those spaces, the touch is platonic. A lot of people are lonely and seeking connection through touch, and it is difficult in our society, Shier told McClatchy News. Sharing touch with people who we are not related to or romantically involved with is often seen as taboo or awkward.

Other than getting massages or a haircut, there are not very many places where someone touches us, she added.

Shier describes her clients as people who are lonely, who just experienced a break-up, or who have recently become widows or widowers, she said. And for $75, they can experience a one-hour session of professional cuddling.

Clients look like everyday people who you might be friends with, you might work with or you might be related to, she said.

The cuddle therapist said her clients range from early 20s to late 80s and come to be cuddled from all over the region  about a third of her clients drive more than an hour away for her services.

People have come from Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and even Virginia, she said.

First-time experiences

Besides those who come seeking help with recent loss, the therapist said some of her clients are autistic and want to experience snuggling for the first time.

Some people want something thats light and feels like pillow talk, Shier said. They just want to connect and feel heard and seen, and meet the needs of their loneliness.

Ive been single for 12 years. I decided to give this a try; when Ishka asked if she could hold me, I realized that I had never been held by a woman, one of Shiers clients shared in a testimony on the website. Im 62 and I guess its always been assumed that I would be the big spoon. What a wonderful service.

A safe space to heal

For others, the need for this kind of therapy can be deeper. Some of Shiers clients come with touch-related or childhood trauma, and seek therapy to find a way to feel safe through touch, she explained.

Coming to a space where they know they will only receive what they asked for and where they get to practice asking for what they want and learning it is possible to share touch with someone and not be harmed is really important for a lot of people, Shier said.

Beyond the scientific benefits of cuddling  the release of different chemicals like oxytocin and serotonin, which can help regulate your mood  Shier said clients are more relaxed after cuddling sessions.

People who experience depression, anxiety and even sleep deprivation could benefit from this therapy, she said.

We need touch for health, Shier said.

Anik Debrot, a psychotherapist and a professor at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, said that current research generally supports the idea of cuddle therapy, according to Verywell.

Theres a lot of evidence showing a link between touch and well-being, she said, adding that physical touch can lower stress and blood pressure and stimulate positive emotions  but it would usually have to come from someone familiar.

Setting clear boundaries

Shier said she still faces judgment from people who associate cuddling therapy with sex work or assume her clients must be creepy old men.

From a legal standpoint, professional cuddles are in a very gray area, because they could lead to other intimate actions or even to sex, Michael Vitiello, a criminology professor at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, told The Sacramento Bee.

You start to do more and more in exchange for money, Vitiello said. Then outright, you cross the line.

But Shier said she is very clear with any new client about the boundaries of her services and that her regular clients are coming for the right reasons.

We live in a society that does have a lot of phobia around touch, Shier said. The idea of our grandparents and older loved ones at home being lonely doesnt seem to bother us. But the idea of them having someone to get cuddled is extremely troublesome for some reason.
In the combustible days and weeks following the November 2020 election, Adrian Fontes was threatened so many times he lost count.

As Maricopa County recorder, Fontes oversaw the balloting in Phoenix and its sprawling suburbs, the swing portion of a swing state and one of the focal points of President Donald Trumps unhinged efforts to overturn Joe Bidens victory.

With tensions mounting, as armed demonstrators gathered outside his office and a SWAT team parked itself inside, Fontes packed go bags so his wife and children could quickly flee their home. After one death threat, the family evacuated for several days.

Crazy stuff. But the menace facing Fontes and his staff was not unusual.

A new survey by the Brennan Center for Justice found 1 in 6 election officials nationwide said they have been threatened, part of a dramatic rise in tensions as voting and elections have become an increasing political flashpoint.

These attacks have forced election officials across the country to take steps like hiring personal security, fleeing their homes and putting their children into counseling, according to the center, a research and policy organization affiliated with New York University.

All because election workers were doing their job and a bunch of sore-losing chuckleheads didnt like the result.

Its insanity, said Fontes, who narrowly lost his 2020 reelection bid. Its anti-American.

More than 1 in 4 of those surveyed by the Brennan Center said they were concerned about being assaulted. More than half said they worried about the safety of their colleagues.

More troubling, 30% said they knew of at least one election worker who had left the position in part because of intimidation or increased threats.

Looking to Novembers balloting and beyond, 60% of election officials expressed concern that harassment and safety concerns will make it more difficult to recruit and retain the workers vital to running the countrys election machinery and ensuring its integrity.

Thats a void Trump acolytes are happy to fill, with an eye on gaming the presidential election if he runs again in 2024.

It bears repeating that, despite Trumps continued and incessant lies, U.S officials judged the Nov. 3, 2020, election  which saw record-high turnout amid the worst pandemic in a century  the most secure in the countrys history.

There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement co-signed by some of Trumps own appointees.

That fact hasnt stopped the continued assault on the countrys election systems and its front-line workers, who deserve more than the protective efforts undertaken so far by lawmakers.

The Justice Department last year created a task force to prosecute people who threaten election workers and in January charged a Texas man who posted a message urging patriots on Craigslist to shoot three Georgia officials. Heres hoping more cases follow.

The spending bill the Senate passed last week and sent to President Biden included $75 million for election security. But thats a fraction of what the Brennan Center estimates is needed over the next several years to update equipment and protect election integrity.

In Oregon, the legislature passed a bill upping the penalty for harassing election workers and helping prevent their home addresses from being made public.

In California, Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton introduced similar legislation that would give election workers the option of enrolling in the privacy protection program available to judges, politicians and victims of domestic abuse, so they could keep their personal information private.

All of which are a good start.

Still, the overwhelming majority of election workers surveyed by the Brennan Center felt the federal government hasnt done enough to protect them. More than 3 in 4 also believe social media companies could do a better job stopping the spread of false information that has left so many of them under siege.

Fontes, a former Marine, said many election officials take the job for the same reason people enlist in the military. Its a calling, he said. Its a duty.

Not one, however, that should carry the risk of physical danger or emotional abuse.

After losing his run for a second term, Fontes is seeking the Democratic nomination for secretary of state, the official in charge of Arizonas elections.

He sees the threats against election workers as part of a deliberate strategy; Trump and his allies have made no secret of their attempt to hijack the voting system by taking over positions from secretary of state and attorney general down to the county and precinct levels.

This is horrific for our democracy, Fontes said. Theyre intimidating good people out of these jobs so they can replace them with sycophants. Its not complicated, and people should care. Because its happening right under our noses.
Makenzie Rankin is a military spouse and mother of two. She loves gardening and crafting and can be found volunteering at the Childrens Storybook Garden and Museum in historic downtown Hanford every weekend. Rankin's blog can be found at www.anchorsandwhiskers.com, where she uses her voice to uplift members of the community.
DECATUR  Families and friends took part in the Decatur Area Arts Council's pysanky Ukrainian egg program Saturday where they learned about the various designs and how to create them.

"This is a totally new technique that some people have never done before," said art teacher Jenny Shields Cowgill. "People don't realize that anybody can do art, but they can also learn a lot and it can help them in their life and not just in art."

Pysanka eggs are created with traditional Ukrainian folk designs using a stylus known as a "kystka," which allows for melted beeswax to flow through and be placed on the outer shell of an egg. This method derives from the verb "pysaty," which means "to write" or "to inscribe," as the designs are not painted on but written.

Traditionally, pysanka eggs consist of symbols ranging from fauna and animals to Christian-inspired motifs like churches and crosses, but really they can be created with just about any design a person desires, Shields Cowgill said.

Pysanka egg programs started in Decatur about eight years ago after Shields Cowgill was introduced to the artform by a colleague who made his pysanka designs onto ostrich eggs.

"There's always a new group of people who've never done it before and it's such a cool process," Shields Cowgill said. "Sometimes we repeat participants, but it's also just a fun activity to do together like it's a social event."

Participant Donja Small said she first learned about decorating pysanka eggs while majoring in Russian at the University of Alabama 20 years ago. On Saturday, she brought her daughter Resmiranda and father, Roy, to learn how to make their own.

"I want to make Easter eggs that last forever," said Resmiranda. "I like to make my own kind."

Dorothy Murrell came with her granddaughter Taylor Michalek to hopefully give her a better understanding of her Ukrainian ethnicity and take a shot at creating her own pysanka design.

"I've done this before, but I'm not very good at," Murrell said. "My mother used to be very good at it and her eggs were so pretty that she used to sell them around Easter."

Amy Leman brought her daughter Quinn, 8, and her niece Emery Bunselmeyer out to the program after seeing a post on Facebook and thought it would make for a fun Saturday afternoon activity.

Bunselmeyer said she wanted to create a pysanka egg for her grandmother who just got out of the hospital. She decided to make a tree design, which is supposed to a symbol of wisdom and new life, and to use her grandmother's favorite colors, including orange, gold, pink and purple.

"My mom did this in a workshop a few years back and I thought I would try it too," Bunselmeyer said. "My grandma feels lucky to be alive and I thought I'd make her one to give her when I see her."

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CHICAGO  A former Chicago alderman has been sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to spending cash from a political fund on vacations, jewelry and other personal expenses.

Before he sentenced Ricardo Munoz on Thursday, U.S. District Judge John Kness told the former six-term 22nd Ward alderman that if he allowed him to avoid prison, the community "would draw the wrong message, and a negative message."

"People need to get the message that public figures are held to a higher standard. And if you didn't want to be held to a higher standard, you shouldn't run six times for alderman," Kness added.

Munoz pleaded guilty in September to wire fraud and money laundering, admitting to stealing nearly $38,000 from the Progressive Reform Caucus, for which he served as chairman and performed the duties of its treasurer. He used the money for personal expenses, including a family member's college tuition, jewelry, clothing and vacations.

Prosecutors filed a motion in December asking that Munoz serve a one-year prison sentence.

A lawyer for Munoz, Richard Kling, noted in court that Munoz had paid back all but $6,891 of the stolen funds, which the judge ordered him to pay in restitution.

Munoz, who announced his retirement from the City Council in 2018, is the latest in a long line of Chicago City Council members convicted of federal crimes.

Patrick Daley Thompson, a grandson and nephew of Chicago's two longest-serving mayors, was convicted by a federal jury last month of tax crimes and making false statements. The conviction cost Thompson, who is set for sentencing on July 6, his seat on the council.

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SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the launch of an initiative Friday to improve behavioral and mental health services for children.

The Childrens Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative will help build a coordinated response between six state agencies in an effort to support children with behavioral health needs while increasing transparency in the process.

At the governors direction, the departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services, Public Health, Healthcare and Family Services, Juvenile Justice and State Board of Education are to take part in a working group aimed at bettering support for children in need of behavioral health services.

Dr. Dana Weiner, Chapin Hall child welfare expert at the University of Chicago, will serve as the director of the initiative. Weiner will work alongside members of the Pritzker administration to develop a blueprint by the end of the year for overhauling the states response to children's behavioral and mental health needs.

Our current system is difficult to navigate and does not provide families with consistent, transparent solutions to the challenges they face, Weiner said. This uncertainty can threaten the health development of children and the integrity and stability of families.

Michelle Trager, a mother of four, told the story of how her oldest son, who is now 16 years old and lives in a residential facility in another state, has been in and out of the juvenile justice system due to significant health struggles.

Trager said they adopted him when he was 14 months old and as he aged he increasingly struggled with emotional and behavioral problems that impacted his everyday life. For more than a decade, Trager sought interventions and recommendations from professionals to help her son.

But she said it came to a point when her sons behavior was disruptive and dangerous to himself and those around him. A comprehensive evaluation was performed that revealed the likelihood of her son having prenatal alcohol exposure with a background of early childhood trauma.

By the time Trager was advised and required by the school district to seek residential treatment, none of the limited number of facilities would or could accept him. Trager said at age 14, her son spent 331 days in county detention and continually harmed himself, resulting in multiple trips to the emergency room.

Out of 10 (visits), only once was the hospital able to secure admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit which sent him back to detention after two weeks of ineffective treatment, Trager said.

Her son was eventually moved to the Department of Juvenile Justice where they realized he needed treatment and not incarceration. Due to her son meeting his time limit at the DJJ, he was discharged even though he was not deemed safe to return home.

With no Illinois State Police-approved facilities available for help, Trager said they had to find a residential placement out-of-state but had to go through due process in court to send him to an out-of-state facility.

The six state agencies are to work through a step-by-step process that examines and reviews if children and their families have access to behavioral health services in their community, schools or through residential programs.

Agencies will review the allocation of resources to meet needs within existing programs, eligibility requirements for different levels of care, barriers to interagency coordination and the best practices from other child-serving systems across the country.

Rich Bobby said the nonprofit Little City facility at which he is senior chief program officer serves children and adults who are impacted by autism, intellectual, and other mental and behavioral health challenges.

Bobby noted that problems regarding the states behavioral health response date back more than a decade, but the pandemic has made it incomprehensible to a point where families are just at their wits end.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that childrens mental-health related emergency visits increased from March to October 2020. In Illinois, more than 100,000 students with disabilities receive social, psychological or counseling services.

In the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023, DHS would receive $50 million from federal funds for programs that address trauma, mental and behavioral health.

DHS and the other five state agencies would partner with community-based organizations to establish and support the new federal 988 crisis line and response services for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

The budget also includes $150 million to fully implement the Pathways to Success Program for children with serious mental illnesses.

Pathways to Success is a program through DHS for Medicaid-enrolled children under the age of 21 who have behavioral and mental health needs. The program provides access to an evidence-based model of intensive care coordination and home and community-based services.

Our children are our greatest treasure and not one of them should fall through the cracks because of an antiquated system that is too small and too slow to fit the scope of their needs, Pritzker said.

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
By Trend





Russia and Ukraine are 'halfway' on the issue of Ukraine's demilitarization, Head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky said, Trend reports referring to TASS.

He also said that Moscow and Kyiv had almost reached a consensus on the issues of Ukraine's neutral status and its non-entry into NATO.
If You Go  Who & What: Gennady and Mina Podgaisky, Missionaries to Ukraine  When: Sunday, March 27, at 11 a.m. (they will also appear at a churchwide breakfast and Q&A)  Where: First Baptist Church, 125 Sedgefield St., Bristol, Va.  Admission: Free, though donations to Ukraine relief are accepted  Info: 276-669-8191  Web, audio and video: www.fbcbristol.org

Imagine if it was our own town under Russian attack: bombs whistling overhead, armed troops on the ground, bullets in the blue sky.

Thats Ukraine right now. A political powder keg that burst upon invasion from neighboring Russia, Ukrainian people under siege and threat of death literally do not know what tomorrow will bring.

Gennady and Mina Podgaisky offer hope. Longtime missionaries to Ukraine, they will appear and speak in downtown Bristol on Sunday, March 27, during the 11 a.m. worship service at First Baptist Church.

Gennady and Mina run a foster ministry in Ukraine, said Kris Aaron, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Bristol, Virginia. It has been bombed and destroyed.

Their ministry, the Village of Hope, consists of a group of buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine.

During the onslaught in Ukraine, the Podgaiskys  who left Ukraine on Dec. 4, reside in North Carolina.

Somehow, a rocket went through a window, and exploded, said Mina Podgaisky by phone from North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon. One of the largest buildings, which houses the offices and some foster families, has been hit.

A Ukrainian guard, who filmed the rubble from across the street from the Village of Hope, sent a video to the Podgaiskys mere days ago.

One of the walls is still standing, Podgaisky said. That building is called The Lighthouse. It has been destroyed.

Inhabitants, which included a woman in her mid-50s by the name of Galina, had been evacuated. No one occupied the Village of Hopes building when it came under fire.

They have been practicing to go into bunkers from World War II since December, Podgaisky said. They went to a Baptist church, which is one block away. They were there for 15 days. But they are in Kyiv, and Kyiv is being bombed as we speak.

Galina does not have to imagine the threats under which hers and the lives of other Ukrainians remain. In a communication with the Podgaiskys, Galina described the experience as one of hell, that she was in living hell.

Its as if Dantes Inferno opened wide and gulped.

You can help those people. What may seem a world away from Bristol, isnt so far at all.

The world is smaller than people realize, Aaron said, whose First Baptist Church hosted the Podgaiskys last summer via Zoom. We are not as isolated as we think we are. Because the world is smaller, our impact to do good is greater.

The Podgaiskys work as field personnel in Kyiv, Ukraine, as part of Georgia-based Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). They founded the Village of Hope, a ministry center that comprises a number of buildings, in December 2002. They serve foster families. According to their website, they currently serve three foster families with a total of 21 children.

Each of them has been displaced during Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Once again, you can help. They are in need of Neosporin, gauze, medical tape, and toothbrushes. Items can be dropped off at First Baptist Church. Likewise, monetary donations, which can be transferred quickly and directly to people in Ukraine, are needed.

People do want to help, Aaron said. We want to give people the opportunity to help. You dont have to be a member of First Baptist to attend and help. We would love for you to come by and drop off supplies. Theres a huge need.

Multiple avenues through which people can donate exist.

They can give to CBF International, they can give online, or they can give to us, Mina Podgaisky said. One hundred percent of the money goes to Ukrainian relief.

Gennady and Mina Podgaisky will accept donations during their visit to First Baptist Church in Bristol. Additionally, they will speak of their two-decade mission past as well as obvious challenges in the moment and beyond that Ukrainians face.

They are resilient people, Mina Podgaisky said. We will be speaking about the ministry we have been doing for 19 years in Ukraine. It began as a childrens ministry. Unfortunately, were seeing a repeat of history. Now like never before, [the numbers of orphans] has grown.

Miracles abound. Prayer works, Podgaisky said. In addition to tangible aid, they seek prayers from people worldwide, including those of whom live in Bristol.

The number one thing would be prayer, she said. Weve seen many miracles done by God. Pray that the tanks will run out of gas. Pray that the rifles will not work.

Again, imagine those tanks motoring down State Street and firing upon the citizenry of Bristol. Whether one resides in Ukraine or Appalachia, no one wants to hunker in bunkers to avoid incoming rocket fire.

Theyre losing places they call home  their schools, their homes, and of course, people are losing their lives, Podgaisky said. Theres so much evil. Grieving will go on for years and years. But they are trying to survive.

Once more, picture as best you can, incoming missiles that obliterate your neighbors house. Perhaps your entire neighborhood was reduced to rubble. Maybe even your own home, gone, the lives of loved ones, obliterated.

Thats reality for countless citizens of Ukraine yesterday, today, and for an indeterminate number of tomorrows.

And you can help. Moneys tight for many, but time for prayer is upon us. Prayer works, Podgaisky said.

The Bible says that prayers of the just can move mountains, Podgaisky said. Pray for the families. Pray for the families separated.

Tom Netherland is a freelance writer. He may be reached at features@bristolnews.com.
When it comes to exploring what Americans think about Jesus, a new study offers Christian leaders both good news and bad news.

The good news is that 76% of Americans affirm the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth, although its also interesting to note that if 89% of self-identified Christians embraced that statement, the implication is that 11% are not sure.

Meanwhile, 84% of participants in a new Jesus in America study  conducted by the global Ipsos research company for the Episcopal Church  agreed that Jesus was an important spiritual figure.

The bad news? While 50% of not religious Americans accepted this important spiritual figure language, they were much less impressed with the believers who represent Jesus.

When asked, What characteristics do you associate with Christians in general? the nonreligious selected these words from the polls options  hypocritical (55%), judgmental (54%) and self-righteous (50%). Next up: arrogant, unforgiving and disrespectful.

It appears that one of the goals of this poll  with questions about racism, social justice and last years attack on the U.S. Capitol  was to see if nonbelievers have different attitudes about liberal and conservative Christians, said political scientist Ryan Burge of Eastern Illinois University, author of the new book 20 Myths about Religion and Politics in America. He is co-founder of the Religion in Public website and a contributor at GetReligion.org, which I have led since 2004.

This is the million-dollar question, said Burge, who is also a pastor in the progressive American Baptist Church. If nonreligious people are turned off by what they see as the stricter faith of many Christians, evangelicals in particular, then wouldnt it make sense for them to seek more flexible alternatives?

If theres all kinds of room in mainline Protestant churches these days, and thats putting it mildly, then why arent these kinds of people filling up some of those pews?

In a statement backing the survey, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said it was encouraging that Americans still find Jesus compelling. However, its obvious the behavior of many of his followers is a problem, and its not just certain Christians: Its all Christians. Thus, he added, Episcopalians are refocusing our efforts on being a church that looks and acts like Jesus.

One of the most provocative findings in Jesus in America, said Burge, was the studys claim that only 38% of Americans believe religion makes the country stronger, with 28% seeing religion as a divisive force and another 6% saying religion makes the country weaker.

In a 2021 survey, the Pew Research Center found that 62% of Americans believe the impact of churches and religious organizations is positive, in contrast with 35% who said negative. In political terms, 76% of Republicans expressed positive views, with 22% negative, as opposed to those of Democrats, which were 52% positive, with 46% negative.

Theres a big gap between those numbers, said Burge. This is unusual, since the surveys were only a year apart.

On one hot-button political issue, Ipsos asked: Do you think the events at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6 are associated with organized religion? Overall, only 11% said yes. Among those who answered yes, 63% associated the attack with evangelical Protestants, including 76% of the non-Christians in that group.

When asked if Americans who talk about their conservative beliefs are often disrespected, 41% of participants agreed, including 45% of evangelicals, 40% of nonevangelical Christians and 33% of the nonreligious. Republicans were more likely to agree with this statement than Democrats.

There were striking agreements, and contrasts, between mainline and evangelical Protestants when the pollsters asked: What values and lessons do you believe Jesus teaches?

Love your neighbor was the top response overall, including 70% of mainliners and 80% of evangelicals. Love your enemies was affirmed by 54% of mainliners and 70% of evangelicals. For feed the hungry, it was 55% of mainliners and 60% of evangelicals.

Repent and believe was chosen by 48% of the mainline Protestants, as opposed to 73% of evangelicals.

If the purpose of this study was to spotlight a Jesus who comforts the afflicted, but not one who afflicts the comfortable, then there is a problem, said Father Kendall Harmon, a popular Anglican blogger and theological conservative.

The Bible gives us a Jesus who is both.

Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
SALTVILLE, Va.  A woman who fatally shot her boyfriend earlier this year in Saltville will not be prosecuted, the Smyth County Sheriffs Office said Friday.

The SCSO said James McCloud, 60, was found dead on Jan. 17 at a home on Roberts Chapel Road. Investigators described the mans girlfriend, who they did not identify, as a victim.

An incident between the two became physical and the woman fired one round from a handgun, according to a news release.

According to the release, the investigation revealed that McCloud had a blood alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit. In a search warrant seeking ADT security footage from inside the home, SCSO Captain Bill Eller noted that the woman told investigators that McCloud had started drinking on Jan. 15.

There was a history of domestic violence between the two in Alabama, the release added.
Peckish for a little bear meat? Perhaps some rabbit dumplings or wild boar ribs? The good news is you dont have to wait much longer to indulge. Everyones favorite place to chow down on everything from deer and pheasant to alligator and shark is back after a two-year COVID-induced hiatus.

One of Bland Countys biggest and most popular events, the Mechanicsburg Christian Church Wild Game Banquet, returns March 25 and 26. The dinner begins at 6 each night at the church, 10744 East Bluegrass Trail.

The Wild Game Banquet debuted in 2007 when 125 people dined inside the church fellowship hall. Last year, more than 900 people enjoyed the feast. The banquet has become so popular that the church now spreads it out over two nights. People drive from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky to eat the wild game.

Pastor Tom Maurer is not sure the dinner will lure in the more than 900 people that attended in 2019, but he thinks it will be close.

The evening will also feature an address by keynote speaker Chris Well, chaplain for the Fellowship of Christian Anglers of the Bassmaster Elite Series.

This years banquet promises a smorgasbord for hunters and adventurous diners. The menu includes bear, elk, pheasant, rabbit, wild boar, deer, alligator, dove, goose and squirrel. New on the menu this year is shark and ram.

Theres a guy in church who has a friend that fishes off shore, Maurer said.

He caught some shark and donated it to us. We will probably cut it in strips and deep-fry it.

One of the most anticipated dishes is pheasant bites: a piece of pheasant breast nestled between green pepper and onion, wrapped in bacon and grilled to perfection. Also popular are Maurers Bear Cowboy Beans.

This year, Maurer will debut a new menu item: egg roll in a bowl with wild boar sausage.

In addition to the wild game, there will be items for the less adventurous diners, including ham, green beans and coleslaw. But dont over indulge; save room for homemade desserts.

Church members hunt all year for the feast and take donations from as far away as Georgia. The meat is stored in freezers at the church, Maurers home and at the homes of others in the community.

Maurer said a group from the church went on a wild boar hunt in Georgia in January.

We killed quite a few between all of us; I put six in the freezer for the banquet, Maurer said.

The pastor said the entire church, along with others from the community volunteer to help with the banquet.

Im excited about it and am glad we are able to do it, Maurer said. Its a lot of work, and Im always glad to see it get done, as well.

In addition to food and drinks, there is thousands of dollars worth of door prizes waiting to be won, including guns and a gun cabinet. Two of banquets main corporate sponsors are Wytheville businesses, R&R Septic and Somic America.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children 12 and under. They are available on the Mechanicsburg Christian Church Facebook page and also on the church website at www.mechanicsburgchristianchurch.org. Tickets are also available at Olykoek Donuts and Max Meadows Grocery in Wythe County. In Bland County, they are available at the First Sentinel Bank, NAPA Auto Parts and Trents Grocery. You can also purchase them at Mercer Christian Academy school office in Princeton.

We dont make anything off of the banquet; proceeds go right back into the banquet, Maurer said. We invite anybody and everybody to come. Its a lot of work, but we do it reach out to our community for Christ. We want people to know that God loves them, and we love them. We want people to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and thats what its all about.

To reach reporter Millie Rothrock, call 276-228-6611, ext. 573, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.

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Turns out, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is a quick study.

In a little-noticed, high-stakes clash with the overseers of Virginias community colleges  all Democratic appointees  the Republican torpedoed what looked suspiciously like an inside job to install as the leader of the 23-school system a former education secretary, interim university president and State Board of Education member whose credentials also include a four-year stint as first lady.

Anne Holton  wife of Tim Kaine, the Democratic governor-turned-U.S. senator  was widely expected to be selected as chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, succeeding Glenn DuBois, who is retiring this summer after 21 years.

But Holton  worried, friends said, over the troubling optics of a tussle that further escalates the partisan duel over a treasured political goody: appointments  withdrew her candidacy this past week after Youngkin publicly complained that hed been shut out of the search process, even though, by law, the State Board for Community Colleges hires and fires the chancellor.

But the governor hires and fires the trustees of the community college system and Virginias 15 public four-year colleges and universities.

And Youngkins none-too-subtle reminder of his prerogative  and the implication that he was prepared to fully exercise it  came down to one word in a letter to Nathanial Bishop, head of the community college board and its search committee: misfeasance.

Embedded in the Code of Virginia, that word speaks to the chief executives authority to determine whether an overseer of the two-year community colleges as well as the senior schools is behaving badly and deserves the boot: The governor may remove from office for malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty any member of the board of any public institution of higher education and fill the vacancy resulting from the removal.

The law requires that the governor set forth in a written public statement his reasons for removing any member.

For Youngkin, those reasons apparently include the community college board trying to pull a fast one.

In this instance, a board dominated by loyalists of Govs. Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam hiring as chancellor someone who is  to use Youngkins word from his letter to Bishop  aligned, not with the Republican administration but with the Democratic appointees who, like a lot of Virginians, were anticipating a second term for McAuliffe.

It was The Macker who named Holton as education secretary in 2014. She resigned in 2016 when Kaine was nominated as Hillary Clintons vice presidential running mate. Holton later joined the faculty of the education school at George Mason University, where she was acting president for a year. Holton has since returned to the education program.

She might have been among the Democratic appointees sunk by House Republicans in retaliation for Senate Democrats rejecting Andrew Wheeler, Donald Trumps environmental chief, for natural resources secretary. Holton, appointed by Northam to the Board of Education, was spared. Eleven were not.

That Holton, who did not return a text seeking comment, wasnt yanked from the Board of Education left some to believe Republicans had concluded sinking someone with her pedigree  her late father, Linwood, was Virginias first GOP governor of the 20th century and a strong proponent of public school desegregation  was an invitation for trouble.

Elevating suspicions the fix was in for Holton: two other Virginia candidates had been cut  Sharon Morrissey, vice chancellor for academic services, and Megan Healy, Northams labor secretary (Disclosure: My son, Felix, hired in the governors office in 2015, was assistant secretary, reporting to Healy.).

And in a scenario advanced by Democrats and Republicans, Holton would have been paired with two out-of-state candidates, providing the board cover to do what it might have planned all along.

That is, select someone it knew and someone who knew Virginias education system  and perhaps make that selection before Youngkin took office in January.

Officially, however, the search for DuBois successor was technically still underway more than a week ago when Youngkin, the Apprentice Governor, pulled on his big-boy pants in a crisp display of gubernatorial power helped by two aides who have a lot of what Youngkin and many members of his personal staff lack in spades: experience in state government.

They were Matthew Moran, deputy chief of staff and previously a top assistant to House Speakers Bill Howell and Kirk Cox; and Richard Cullen, who as a former attorney general, federal prosecutor and head of a giant law and lobbying firm, is in Richmond  as was said of Edward Bennett Williams, the famed Washington consigliere  The Man to See.

What is not clear is whether Youngkins objection is with the search process, Holton  or both. His press secretary, Macaulay Porter, wouldnt say whether Holton was the governors intended target. Nor would Porter say if Youngkin was prepared to remove board members for  heres that clunky word again  misfeasance.

The message clearly was received.

Bishop, whos reportedly met with Youngkin, has said the next chancellor should be in synch with the governor. And other applications have been submitted. Among them: Norfolk Mayor Ken Alexanders. A former state legislator and McAuliffe ally, Alexander is also an executive of a for-profit college that trains aviation mechanics and drone pilots.

The dust-up over selecting a new chancellor is a political distraction from a nagging problem for the community college system, long a job-training hub: Enrollment has fallen nearly 30% over the past decade, 9% since 2019, just ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, now in its second year.

Despite programs promoting the community colleges as a conduit to employment, 300,000 jobs remain unfilled and there are 200,000 fewer positions. With birth rates falling, demand for higher education is, too. That is posing a sustained financial threat to two- and four-year colleges.

Since the 1980s, at least four Virginia governors  Republicans Jim Gilmore and Bob McDonnell and Democrats Jerry Baliles and Doug Wilder  have invoked, or threatened to invoke, against recalcitrant higher ed trustees the provision in law that Youngkin is wielding as a loaded, high-caliber pistol.

And its not the first time the search for a community college chancellor has boiled over in controversy.

In 1983, there was a push to reinstate the systems first leader, Dana Hamel, who had quit after 13 years in 1979 amid complaints of financial mismanagement and possible enrollment padding. Hamels attempted do-over was scuttled by the disclosure that part of his doctoral thesis had been plagiarized, though academic officials said it was not intentional.

The governor at the time, Democrat Chuck Robb, had signaled to his appointees to resist Hamels candidacy, which had been pushed by Republicans put on the board by Robbs immediate predecessor, John Dalton. Well after Hamel was done for, Robb appointees recalled that sinking his application had become a non-negotiable demand.

Nearly 40 years later, Youngkin is making the community college board an offer it cant refuse.

Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or jschapiro@timesdispatch.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter, @RTDSchapiro.
Central Georgia Technical College President Ivan Allen (left) and Development Authority of Houston County Executive Director Angie Gheesling (right) were the guest speakers at the Robins Regional Chamber Eggs & Issues meeting Thursday. They provided some perspective on countywide workforce development.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga.  Representatives of Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC), the Development Authority of Houston County and the Robins Regional Chamber joined forces Thursday to discuss countywide workforce development strategies and progress at the March edition of Eggs & Issues.



Robins Regional Chamber Chairman David Danzie, also vice-president of Cadence Bank, said building and maintaining a network for workforce development is an important task in a job market such as the present one. He also recognized CGTC President Ivan Allen  one of the guest speakers  and his recent recognition as a National Defense Community Champion.

"We are all aware of the critical nature that we find ourselves in with workforce and the need for workforce development, Danzie said. "So, were happy with our partnerships that we have developed here, and we look forward to the expertise that well hear from the panel as we continue to try to increase our pipeline  because thats really what we need in our community to make sure that we are progressing, and we find ourselves in the right place for the future.

Robins Regional Chamber President and CEO April Bragg said, "luck has nothing to do with it, when speaking on economic development and growing the Houston County workforce pipeline. She asked the first guest speaker about what made Houston County so successful in light of a pandemic.

The first guest speaker was Angie Gheesling, executive director for the Development Authority of Houston County. She cited partnerships with other local entities as the reason for the success.

"Yes, theres been a lot of success, and there will continue to be a lot of success  but really, at the end of the day, its about partnerships, Gheesling said. "April [Bragg] has already said that no one person, no one entity even, can make the workforce what we need for it to be; it takes all of us working together.

Gheesling continued, describing her work alongside CGTC President Allen for the last few months.

"Weve been working on a project now since October, Gheesling said. "We have visited with this one company six times, this is not counting any virtual calls that we have had but six actual visits  and when you get to this part of the process, which was probably the fifth visit, and the company says, We want you to come and see what we do at our home, then you know youve gotten pretty far along in the process.

She spoke regarding the continued expansion of the Frito-Lay facility in Kathleen and the Sandler Nonwoven Corporation of Perry, among other countywide successes.

"Frito-Lay and Sandler continue to greatly expand their facilities, Gheesling said. "Between the two of them, youre looking at almost a $300 million investment and 200 jobs; that says something.

Another existing industry should announce their expansion here in a couple of months, including a $90 million investment and 70 jobs, she added.

Three defense contractors are also expanding and hiring, one with as many as 250 employees at full ramp-up.

CGTC President Allen spoke on his experience in assisting in the process of negotiating with some of these new industries coming to the area.

"You must have an infrastructure for success in place, and we have that, Allen said. "Look around this room; think about our community.

"We have solid elected officials with integrity. You might not always agree with every decision, but they have integrity. The people who lead us, the people we count on, we know that they have integrity.

He went on to explain how a successful education system also plays a role in a solid infrastructure.

"Second, you have to have the foundation for it all: education, Allen said. "And we have one of the strongest systems in our country. You should be proud of what our K-12 leaders are doing.

Dual-enrollment and countywide educational opportunities offer students a way to acquire an education for little to no cost. Anyone 62 years or older can go to school tuition-free, Allen said.

A strong healthcare system is a factor into successful infrastructure, he said.

"So, you must have an infrastructure for success,  Allen said. "And then, most of all, you have to have committed and willing people who will actually lay aside differences and work together toward a common goal, and thats what we have as a community.

He described the importance of small businesses in the overall picture of infrastructure and workforce.

"Why do we continue to attract talent? Allen asked. "We continue to attract talent because of the community we are.

He made some closing remarks in light of all the points he and Gheesling made throughout the meeting.

"For our elected officials: Keep the integrity, Allen said. "For our school system: Keep laying the foundation for the rest of us. For every business owner in this room: Keep fighting the good fight. Keep fighting for each other, rather than with each other, and dont let our differences divide us.

The next Eggs & Issues meeting will take place Thursday, April 7.
By Trend





The UK provides full support to the development of renewable energy sources (RES) in Azerbaijan, UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp said while answering a question from a Trend correspondent.

According to him, the UK conducts constant negotiations with the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, particularly with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources on strengthening the commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"We also hope that the joint project of bp, ministries of energy and economy of Azerbaijan on the construction of a solar power plant in the liberated territories will be implemented soon," Sharp said.
" " Louis Calhern (left) portayed Julius Caesar in the 1953 film of the same name. Marlon Brando (center) played Mark Antony and Greer Garson (right) played Caesar's wife Calpurnia. Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Julius Caesar (100 B.C.E.-44 B.C.E.) was a towering figure of ancient Rome, a populist politician and brilliant military strategist who overthrew a corrupt Roman republic and crowned himself dictator for life. His romantic exploits and bloody betrayal were juicy enough to fuel two different Shakespeare plays, and historians have wrestled over his legacy  savior, tyrant or tragic hero?  for more than 2,000 years.

And today most people still know his name, even though they're not sure why. Here are nine must-know facts about Caesar.

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1. He Wasn't Born by C-Section

First, let's dispel the age-old rumor that Caesar was the original, or at least the most famous Caesarean baby. Philip Freeman, a classics professor at Pepperdine University and author of the biography "Julius Caesar," says it's extremely unlike that Caesar was surgically birthed millennia before anesthesia or antibiotics.

"In those days, a C-section was almost always a death sentence for a mother, but Caesar's mother lived 50 years after his birth," says Freeman in an email interview. "The story probably comes from Caesar's name in Latin, which looks very much like the word 'to cut.'"

And for the record, Caesar had nothing to do with the Caesar salad either. That was invented in 1924 by an Italian-born chef named Caesar Cardini working in Tijuana, Mexico.

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2. He Was a Political 'Progressive'

"Conservative" and "progressive" are modern terms, but they're often applied to the partisan feud between Caesar's followers and those of his Roman political foe, Cato the Younger.

Richard Billows, a history professor at Columbia University and author of "Julius Caesar, The Colossus of Rome," says that Rome in the first century B.C.E. had become hopelessly corrupt, dominated by elite families called Optimates who doled out political favors for cash.

"Cato the Younger, the leading conservative, insisted that the traditional governing system ruled by the elites was absolutely fine as it was," says Billows. "The corruption problem wasn't institutional or systemic, argued Cato the Younger, but a moral one."

Caesar thought that was nonsense. The only way to root out corruption was to replace the incompetent elites with skilled governors and generals, some recruited from outside of Rome in its expanding foreign provinces.

Cicero, the great writer and orator, argued that the best way to keep corrupt officials in line was to install a rector of impeccable personal standing to act as a kind of supreme judge. Caesar liked the rector idea but wanted to take it a step further.

"Caesar believed that ending corruption was not something you could do by moral persuasion; you needed real power," says Billows. "The rector needed to have the power to depose and punish generals and governors who didn't behave themselves. In other words, Rome needed a dictator."

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3. He Viciously Conquered Gaul (Modern France)

Caesar proved his political genius early, forming pacts with political rivals and getting elected as consul of Rome in 59 B.C.E. at 41 years old. But if he was going to make his case for becoming the sovereign ruler of Rome, he needed to show his strength as a military leader.

For centuries, Rome and its territories had been terrorized by invading tribes from the north. Rather than just fighting off these Germanic and Celtic hordes, Caesar decided to push north and conquer the whole of Gaul, which had roughly the same borders as modern France.

By Caesar's admittedly exaggerated account of his seven-year war in Gaul, his armies killed 1 million people, enslaved another 1 million, and subjugated the remaining 1 million.

"Not anywhere near a million were killed or enslaved, but it certainly illustrates that it was a pretty atrocious process," says Billows. "Caesar believed in the Roman Empire, and he clearly felt that it was necessary for Roman power to extend up through Gaul."

More importantly, says Billows, Caesar knew from experience that political fights in Rome were seldom settled by philosophical debate. Ultimately, if he wanted to defeat his political foes, he would need to use force.

"So, the conquest of Gaul, to a great part, is about the training of an army that he could rely on to take control of Rome," says Billows.

" " 'Caesar Crossing the Rubicon', 1890, taken from "Cassell's Illustrated Universal History Vol. II - Rome", by Edmund Ollier. Artist Unknown. The Print Collector via Getty Images

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4. He Was Behind the Phrase 'Cross the Rubicon'

In modern parlance, "crossing the Rubicon" is making a decision or taking a step from which there is no turning back. In the year 49 B.C.E., Caesar marched his army out of Gaul and back toward Rome.

"The Rubicon River was the boundary between Caesar's province as governor and Italy proper, which no governor was allowed to enter with an army," says Freeman. "When he crossed the Rubicon with his troops, he was in open rebellion against Rome."

Writing a century later, the Roman historian Plutarch described Caesar's internal turmoil as he took "the dreadful step" and "thought of the sufferings which his crossing the river would bring upon mankind, as well as "the fame of the story of it which they would leave to posterity." Indeed Caesar's decision to cross the Rubicon thrust Rome into a bloody civil war in which Caesar defeated the much larger army of the Senate led by Pompey the Great.

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5. He Eschewed the Title of 'King' for 'Dictator for Life'

Billows says that Caesar's victory in the civil war effectively ended the traditional Roman system of government.

"From that point on, Rome is governed by a monarch who oversees the whole system and determines who is going to govern where, who is going to lead which armies, where Rome goes to war and where it makes peace," says Billows. "It was an efficient, effective, centralized system where everything is answerable to one central authority figure."

Officially, Caesar's title was dictator, which literally means "the one who dictates" or gives orders. In Ancient Rome, dictators were special magistrates brought in to solve temporary emergencies. Today, the word "dictator" holds strong negative connotations, but in Caesar's time the title everyone avoided was "king."

"Romans grew up on stories on how the kings had become cruel and tyrannical, and that's why they had to be overthrown so Rome could become a republic," says Billows. "Caesar's enemies constantly accused him of trying to crown himself king, and Caesar always said, 'Rome will never be ruled by a king.' But what's in a word?"

In 45 B.C.E., Caesar declared himself "dictator for perpetuity." So much for the temporary gig.

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6. He Lent His Name to the Titles of 'Czar' and 'Kaiser'

When Caesar's adoptive heir Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, he went by the name Caesar Augustus, and all subsequent Roman emperors also carried the title Caesar, a sign of how venerated Caesar was as a military and political leader.

That respect/fear carried over into other cultures. The Russian word czar or tsar is a variant of Caesar, as is Kaiser in German.

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7. That Fling With Cleopatra Was Mainly for Political Reasons

When Caesar and his army drove Pompey out of Rome in the civil war, Caesar chased Pompey's men all the way to Egypt. There, Caesar met Queen Cleopatra, with whom he had a secret love affair. For Cleopatra, half Caesar's age and hungry for political leverage, love likely had nothing to do with it. In fact contemporary accounts place more emphasis on Cleopatra's intellect and cunning rather than her supposed beauty.

"[Caesarion, the son she bore to Caesar] definitely gave Cleopatra status in the eyes of the Egyptians, but more importantly it bound Caesar to her," says Freeman. In fact, Cleopatra moved to Rome after their son was born and lived there until Caesar was assassinated. He even erected a statue to her, much to the dismay of the Romans.

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8. Caesar Was a Terrific Writer

In addition to being a political genius and military leader, Caesar was also a prolific and accomplished writer. He wrote lengthy histories of his military conquests, penned his own speeches and even dabbled in poetry.

"I can't think of anyone else in history who has shown such extraordinary command of three different fields: politics, war and literature," says Billows.

The story goes that Caesar was such a wizard with words that he could dictate several different pieces of writing at the same time. He'd have three scribes in the same room, one taking dictation for an administrative letter, one writing up a speech to the Senate and another writing down Caesar's exploits in Gaul. Billows says Caesar would alternate seamlessly between each scribe like a chess master playing multiple games at once.

Caesar even published a joke book. They weren't his jokes, but he was a fan of humor, especially Cicero's. So, Caesar had a scribe follow Cicero around writing down his best zingers, which he assembled into a book.

Caesar also found time to reform the yearly calendar to the one we still use now.

" " The death of Julius Caesar in the Roman Senate, painted by Vincenzo Camuccini (1771-1844). Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images

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9. He May Not Have Said 'Et Tu, Brute'

Although he had rabid support among the people, Caesar made more than his fair share of political enemies in the Roman Senate, including Marcus Junius Brutus, who had backed Pompey in the civil war. They felt that Caesar had amassed too much power.

On March 15, the infamous "Ides of March," Brutus and a cadre of conspirators murdered Caesar, stabbing him 23 times with double-edged daggers. They did it at a Senate meeting in full view of 200 witnesses, but the plotters were pardoned.

According to some sources, Caesar's last words weren't Shakespeare's famous "Et tu, Brute?" ("You, too, Brutus?") but "You, too, my child?" Either way, Caesar was shocked to see his friend among the people stabbing him.

After Caesar's death, his birth month of Quintilis was renamed in his honor as "Julius"  what we known in English as "July."

HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site.

Now That's Interesting The "Caesar haircut," unlike the salad, may owe its clipped-bangs look to Julius Caesar. Some Roman writers criticized him for being overly vain, especially about his thinning hairline, which he tried to cover up by combing his hair forward.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

The Midwest Dairy Ambassador Program is invested in creating dairy advocates and developing the next generation of leaders. This years program selected six college students and two high school students for 2022. New this year is the Junior Dairy Ambassador Program designed for high school junior and senior students, where the original program (Senior) is designed for post-secondary students.



The 2022 Senior Dairy Ambassadors shared details about themselves included below.

Jenna Albers was raised on a small farm near Randolph, Nebraska. She currently attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she is a freshman. Her major is undeclared with a strong interest in Animal Science or Ag Education.

was raised on a small farm near Randolph, Nebraska. She currently attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she is a freshman. Her major is undeclared with a strong interest in Animal Science or Ag Education. Caitlyn Childres is a senior Animal Science major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is originally from the Central Valley of California.

is a senior Animal Science major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is originally from the Central Valley of California. Whitney Hochstein is currently a senior at Wayne State College majoring in Graphic Design Marketing.

is currently a senior at Wayne State College majoring in Graphic Design Marketing. Abigail Langdon is originally from Clarkson, Nebraska and is a Junior at UNL studying Agricultural Economics.

is originally from Clarkson, Nebraska and is a Junior at UNL studying Agricultural Economics. Mikayla Martensen is a sophomore Agricultural Education major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from Humphrey, Nebraska.

is a sophomore Agricultural Education major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from Humphrey, Nebraska. Jaycie Meggison is a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying Agribusiness with an emphasis in Animal Science.



Below is what the 2022 Junior Dairy Ambassadors shared about themselves.

Kaitlyn Hanson is a senior at Mead High School. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for Animal Science.

is a senior at Mead High School. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for Animal Science. Chancey Hoblyn-Bittner is a 5th generation rancher from Central, Nebraska.

The Dairy Ambassador Program is an educational and leadership opportunity for college students and high school juniors and seniors passionate about dairy. Dairy Ambassadors will have the opportunity to connect with consumers and share dairys story while networking with their peers and industry professionals. They will spend a year representing dairy farmers in Nebraska. At the end of their year, Senior Ambassadors are eligible to apply for educational scholarships up to $1,000 and Junior Ambassadors up to $500.

These Dairy Ambassadors engage in communication with consumers at a variety of events. Some of the events that the Dairy Ambassadors have an opportunity to participate in include Ag Literacy Festivals, Nebraska State Dairy Association Convention, Nebraska State Fair, agribusiness tours, and television and radio interviews.

To inquire about Nebraska Dairy Ambassador event support, please contact Dawn Eckel, Nebraska Dairy Ambassador Coordinator, at dklabenes16@gmail.com.

For more information on the Nebraska Dairy Ambassador program, visit midwestdairy.com.


The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

World Dairy Expo is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Expo Recognition Awards. Nominated and selected by their peers, these individuals have made remarkable contributions to the dairy industry and their communities. Honorees will be formally honored during the Recognition Awards Banquet at World Dairy Expo on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Banquet tickets will be available at worlddairyexpo.com beginning on July 1.



The 2022 Expo Recognition Award honorees are as follows:

Dairy Producer of the Year

John Ruedinger, Van Dyne, Wis., Ruedinger Farms, Inc.

John Ruedinger, Van Dayne, Wis., is a leader in the dairy industry not only on his own farm but in organizations supporting his community and the global dairy industry. Ruedinger has served in leadership roles that placed him in the room during the creation of Cooperative Resources International and URUS. On the farm, Ruedinger, his wife, Karen, and daughter and son-in-law, Jamie and David Zappa, operate Ruedinger Farms, Inc. together. The teams 1,500-cow dairy has an average production of 90 pounds of milk and 6.75 pounds of solids per cow per day.





Industry Person of the Year

Shelly Mayer, Slinger, Wis., Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW), Mayer Farm, Folks Song Farm and Mayer Farms Beef

Shelly Mayer of Slinger, Wisconsin is synonymous with dairy industry leadership in Wisconsin. A dairy farmer, direct-sale beef producer and agri-tourism host, Mayer also works as the Executive Director of Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW). Through this organization, she has been on the leading edge of animal welfare, defining the founding parts of what is now the FARM program, maintaining customers confidence in the dairy industry, and providing dairy producers with resources to proactively manage challenges. Mayers commitment to the dairy industry was on full display in 2018 when she helped lead the team responsible for the creation of the $7.8 million Dairy Innovation Hub, a research institution in Wisconsin focused on cutting-edge dairy research.

International Person of the Year

Mark Comfort, Cardinal, Ontario, Canada, Udder Comfort, Comfort Holsteins and Comfort Tunis

Co-founder and co-owner of Udder Comfort, Mark Comfort from Cardinal, Ontario, Canada has been helping dairy producers around the globe improve animal care with his naturally based products since 1998. His testimonial driven marketing spotlights individual success stories centered around Udder Comfort from World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion exhibitors to commercial dairy producers in 21 countries. In the 1980s, Comfort played an integral role in establishing cross-border relationships between Canada and the United States through his company Transfer Genetics, which became TransCanada Select Sires and was sold to Select Sires in 2000. Comfort remains active as a dairy cattle breeder through Comfort Holsteins and has bred a #1 sire in Germany and Japan. He and his wife Bev are also sheep breeders with Comfort Tunis.

Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo brings together the latest in dairy innovation and the best cattle in North America. The dairy industry will return to Madison, Wisconsin for the 55th event, October 2  7, 2022, when the worlds largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars, a world-class dairy cattle show and more will be on display. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile event app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube for more information.


Dean's Update

March 18, 2022 - Aron Sousa, MD

Friends,

Today is Match Day! Each year, graduating medical students apply to and interview with residencies in their specialty of interest. After the interview process, the students rank their programs in the order of their preference, and the programs rank applicants in the order of their preference. A computer algorithm places students in the residency highest in their rank order list that matches the residency preference list. In the best case, the process results in the vast majority of students and residencies being happy with the result. This year I am confident we have a very large number of very happy people. We no longer get information on where on rank order lists our students matched, but this year 97.6% of our students matched, and that is excellent.

Forty-three percent of our graduates are entering a primary care residency (i.e., family medicine, internal medicine, medicine/pediatrics, and pediatrics) and 45.2% will remain in Michigan for their residencies.

Each year, match week begins with a few people who did not match, and our teams spend the week with these students helping them interview with unfilled programs and get matched. This year we had a small number in that camp, and our chairs, community assistant deans, and student affairs/careers leadership did a great job helping people find a good job.

Earlier in the week, the college crushed its Give Green Day fund raising goal ($15K) for student scholarships. The College of Human Medicine Alumni Board created leading and matching gifts to help drive our total to nearly $38,000 in scholarship donations. We do a couple of special giving days each year, and this was our best ever. My deep thanks to the alumni board and its president, Ross Ramsey, MD (CHM 09), for their leadership and generosity taking us to this record donation level. Scholarship funding is our highest fundraising priority, and three quarters of the way into the fiscal year, we have already raised more scholarship money than in any other year.

Last week, the college lost a great partner and leader with the death of Diane Postler-Slatterly and her husband in a plane crash outside Panama City, Florida. Diane was the CEO and president of MyMichigan Health, formerly MidMichigan Health, based in Midland. She has been a strong supporter of our campus in Midland and was always interested in improving the experience of students in the system. She was a great leader for MyMichigan and will be deeply missed by so many of us who worked with her. My thoughts are with their family, the people of Midland, and our partners at MyMichigan.

As COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all continue to wane in the US, data from the UK show COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all moving up again after weeks of decreases. Based on an impressive surveillance program in England, it appears that these increases correspond with increases in omicron BA.2 compared to the baseline omicron BA.1 variant. Recall that the vaccines do not work as well for omicron as they did for the alpha and delta variants. It is probably the case that vaccine effectiveness for BA.2 is similar but slightly worse than the original omicron BA.1. It is clear that vaccines waned in effectiveness against infection back in the days of delta  that phenomenon will continue as time goes by.

I want to be careful here, because it is unlikely there will be another big surge in the UK or the US with high mortality, but cases will go up again and those most at risk of disease or transmitting disease may need a fourth shot. This is going to be the way of endemic coronavirus infections. Evolution and survival of the fittest is a remarkable driver for even a lowlife virus. So, I suspect we will hear from SARS-CoV2 again but at a lower volume not requiring us to shut down, close schools, or return to virtual classes.

Just as a bit of an update from Mary Marshall, MD regarding the war in Ukraine, there will be a rally at the state capitol in support of the Ukrainian people on Sunday at 2:00 PM  all are welcome. And today, 27 palates of medical supplies are on their way to Poland and then on to Ukraine. My deep thanks to everyone who has contributed to this effort, and please keep working.

We are going to do a traditional graduation in the Breslin Center this year on May 14, and we will celebrate our recently matched fourth year students as they cross the stage to be hooded. We will also welcome back some 2020 graduates who did not get a chance for an in-person graduation in 2020. Their virtual speaker back then was Dean Marsha Rappley, and I am happy to say that Marsha has agreed to be our in-person speaker this year. She was a transformative leader at the college and a great leader nationally at the FDA and as chair of the board of the AAMC  it will be great to have her back with us.

Serving the people with you,

Aron



Aron Sousa, MD

Interim Dean
By Trend





Azerbaijan calls on the UN organizations to be more actively involved in the reconstruction of the Azerbaijani lands liberated from Armenias occupation, Assistant of the Azerbaijani president, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters at an event in Shusha city dedicated to the 30th anniversary of partnership between Azerbaijan and the UN, Trend reports.

"Fruitful discussions were held," Hajiyev added. "The government is involved in reconstruction work, but at the same time it needs active support of international community."

In turn, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stressed that Azerbaijan appreciates the support for the restoration of its territories affected as a result of the Karabakh conflict and calls for active participation in this sphere.

"Azerbaijan supports sustainable development goals at the global level," Bayramov said.

UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva said that the UN highly appreciates Azerbaijans contribution and initiatives.

"We will continue working actively with Azerbaijan in the future," Andreeva said.
The statements of the Russian side are only their requests, which are intended only to provoke tension in the media, Ukrainian positions are unchanged, adviser to the head of the President's Office of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak has said.

"Negotiation status. The statements of the Russian side are only their requesting positions. All statements are intended, inter alia, to provoke tension in the media. Our positions are unchanged. Ceasefire, withdrawal of troops and strong security guarantees with concrete formulas," Podoliak said in the statement on Twitter.

Head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, told reporters on Friday, in particular, that the Russian delegations and Ukraine had brought their positions on the topic of Ukraine's neutral status and non-participation into NATO as close as possible during the talks.

According to him, there are nuances related to security guarantees for Ukraine. "The nuances related to what security guarantees Ukraine receives in addition to the existing ones, in case of refusal to join the NATO bloc," Medinsky said.
MATTOON  Ameren Illinois and its employees have made a donation to the United Way of Coles County.

We are beyond grateful for the $15,000 contribution from Ameren Illinois and for its employees who continue to support the United Way, said Kennedy Polanski, executive director, United Way of Coles County. These funds will allow us to continue to help improve the lives of those in our community.

Coles County was one of 24 United Ways across the Ameren service area sharing in nearly $1.3 million.

"At Ameren Illinois we are committed to empowering the communities we share by giving back to the places we call home," said Colby Sawin, regional director of Gas Operations for Ameren Illinois, Ameren Illinois. "From mentoring programs to helping families in crisis, the United Way of Coles County is helping build a stronger community and we are proud to support their efforts."

While the company contributed nearly $1 million, Ameren Illinois employees pledged nearly $300,000 to support the company's 2021 United Way employee campaign.

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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

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In 2017, playwright Lucas Hnaths A Dolls House, Part 2 opened at South Coast Repertory Theatre in California before transferring to a well-received run on Broadway.

Winston-Salems 40-Plus Stage Company brings Hnaths look at the family of Nora and Torvald Helmer, their daughter Emmy and nanny Anne Marie to the Rhodes Arts Centers Mountcastle Theatre for two weekends starting Friday.

Hnaths script takes a fresh look at Henrik Ibsens 1879 A Dolls House, reopening the story 15 years later. It opens with Nora unexpectedly returning home  but the homes residents dont know why.

Christine Gorelick is directing the cast of Shelley Segal (as Nora), Ray Collins (Torvald), Deborah Koerner (Anne Marie) and Annabelle Baker (Emmy).

Youd think that a play with just four characters would be easy to direct, but Im here to tell you thats not necessarily true, Gorelick said. Nora is onstage for the entire 90 minutes, and shes got a lot of maneuvering  both physically and emotionally  to do. The other three characters, her husband, the housekeeper and her daughter, come in and out of the house and, in turns, assume their roles in the dolls house theyve created.

She refers to her actors as talented and accomplished. The characters are complex, the dialogue is realistic and conversational, even funny. And the subject matter is universal.

Gorelick had seen Hnaths Part 2 in New York with her family and had read Ibsens original play before she was asked to direct.

Id read Ibsens play years ago and remembered that Nora left, but no other details, she said. In New York, we happened into a matinee of Part 2 on a very hot August Sunday. We didnt know anything about the show, but it sounded intriguing. Our two 20-something sons, my husband and I sat in the front row.

From the moment Nora walked through the door, we were riveted, even the boys! Then I read that 40-Plus Stage Company was producing the play, Gorelick added. Mark Pirolo, the artistic director and a long-time friend, asked me if I might be interested in directing, and the rest is history.

In the original 1879 play, the wife, Nora, leaves her family behind at the end to escape a marriage she finds stifling. But audience members dont necessarily need to know that script to enjoy Part 2.

The play stands on its own, which is part of its genius, Gorelick said. Hnath takes Ibsens iconic 19th-century characters and makes them ring true to us today. There are allusions to the original story, which provide a few inside jokes, but not knowing them doesnt detract from an understanding of his play.

For Shelley Segal, who plays Nora, although she had read Ibsens story many years ago, the Hnath sequel was a new experience.

In discovering the character, Segal said, My approach has been different with this play. In addition to analyzing Noras back story and her feminist views, doing speed reads of the text was helpful. Theres a rhythm to her speech that leads to her personality.

Ive also highlighted changes in tone and beat because they work as a guide. What really helps, though, she said, is that I completely relate to Nora and her feelings about a modern womans place in society.

As Torvald, the husband who stayed home, Ray Collins was familiar with the Ibsen play but is also discovering the Hnath follow-up for the first time.

I went back and read the original, researched other productions and studied the social period of 1879 as part of my preparation, Collins said.

For Collins, Its funny to hear Torvald argue his views on marriage and how women should behave. Nora seeks a true marriage. For Torvald, this is completely alien, and he spends a lot of time defending his views and societys expected requirements of marriage. Its as if Nora has time traveled and brought back modern ideas of marriage.

Ive told my friends and family that I wont allow them to miss a play with so much brutality and humor, Segal said. Its everything youve always wanted to know about marriage but were afraid to ask. Nora is ahead of her time. Her ideas are smart, engaging and will probably inspire some spirited discourse on the way home.

Part 2 asks thoughtful questions about marriage, and how difficult it was for women living in the 19th century to have equal rights, Collins said.

As the director, Gorelick said the play is about our need to be loved and appreciated. It is an examination of how people live their lives and the consequences of the choices they make.

But in terms of the action of the play, I only need to tell potential ticket buyers one thing: Nora walks back through the door, and all hell breaks loose!
By Trend





Presentation of a postage stamp dedicated to the 30th anniversary of partnership between Azerbaijan and the UN took place in Shusha city [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war], Trend reports.

The postage stamp was presented at the meeting dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the country's membership in the UN.

At first the participants of the meeting arrived by plane at the Fuzuli International Airport, and after getting acquainted with it, they went to Shusha on the Victory Road [symbolizing a path used by Azerbaijani army to reach and liberate the city].

The main purpose of the Shusha meeting is to establish a favorable platform for reviewing the path of the Azerbaijan-UN partnership towards the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as discussing Azerbaijan's new priorities and opportunities in post-pandemic and post-conflict realities.

Discussions at the meeting will be held on two panels.

At the first panel current challenges and opportunities in the field of the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-conflict period will be considered, exchange of views on issues such as ensuring safe and dignified return of former internally displaced persons to the liberated territories, using the potential of "green energy", humanitarian activities, cleaning up territories from mines, will be assessed.

During the second panel, such issues as the state of the world after the COVID-19 pandemic, post-pandemic realities, assessing opportunities to reduce the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on the global environment, and Azerbaijan's global initiatives in this area will be discussed.

Among the participants of the meeting are the officials of Azerbaijan, the UN resident coordinator, the leadership of the structures of the world organization in our country.
Book event

As part of its 250th anniversary celebration, Salem Academy and College and Bookmarks will host author Chelsea Clinton in conversation with Salem President Summer McGee at 7 p.m. April 4 at Elberson Fine Arts Center on Salems campus 601 Church St. S in Winston-Salem.

Much of the April 4 event will focus on Clintons new book for young readers called She Persisted in Science. Published by Penguin Young Readers Group and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, She Persisted in Science was released on March 1.

The book shares the stories of women who became successful scientists and is part of Clintons No. 1 New York Times bestselling She Persisted series. Salem Academy and College is exclusively focused on developing tomorrows health leaders and change agents in STEAM fields and beyond.

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, said McGee.

In She Persisted in Science, 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.

The cost to attend the event is $25 at bookmarksnc.org/chelseaclinton and includes a copy of She Persisted in Science. Attendees can donate their books back to Bookmarks as part of its program to increase access to books for children in Winston-Salem.

Cinderella

Professional dancer Jessica Fry McAlister had longed to dance the role of Cinderella. But being a brunette who stands just over 5-foot-3, McAlister didnt look like the traditional Cinderella. But now she has her chance.

Greensboro Ballet will present Cinderella with McAlister in the titular role at 5 p.m. March 26 and 3 p.m. March 27 at Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St. in Greensboro.

Tickets are $20-$40 with a $5 discount for children, students, seniors and the military at 336-333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.

Masks are recommended but not required. Social distancing is encouraged.

Cinderellas Ball, a gala for adults to benefit the Greensboro Ballet will be at 7 p.m. March 26 at Renaissance Room at Carolina Theatre. Donor admission is $60 per ticket or $100 per couple at greensboroballet.org.

Exhibit

The art exhibition A Joy Forever: Asian Brush Paintings by artist and art historian Barbara Rizza Mellin will be on display through March 30 at Forsyth Central Library, Second Floor Art Gallery at 660 W. Fifth St. in Winston-Salem.

Taking its title from a John Keats line of poetry, A thing of beauty is a joy forever, this exhibit features 23 works created in a modern interpretation of an ancient Chinese technique.

What I love about Asian brush painting is the simple elegance of the natural subjects, plus the real and apparent spontaneity of the process, Mellin explains.

She creates each image at one sitting, with no preliminary drawing. The idea is to capture the natural essence of the flowers rather than a detailed botanical copy. She uses water color painting and calligraphic line drawing with bamboo brushes. Mellin is a member of Artworks Gallery and national, international and local arts organizations.

Supporting Ukraine

Winston-Salem Symphony has performed, recorded and is now streaming the state anthem of Ukraine.

During the past two weeks, musicians, staff and board members at Winston-Salem Symphony have been watching the situation in Ukraine and felt the need to respond to this ongoing tragedy. Guest conductor Stephen Mulligan suggested performing the state anthem of Ukraine because it would involve the full orchestra, and combined with blue and yellow stage lighting, would make a powerful statement without any additional commentary needed.

Music and the arts have the power to transcend borders, and this small gesture was the Winston-Salem Symphonys way of bringing us all a little closer together during this crisis.

The performance was March 5-6 at the Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem.

The performance is available for streaming at tinyurl.com/yse442zx.

Original art

The Stokes County Arts Council will present an exhibit of original art by Wendee Smith and Maasai Tabari in the Apple Gallery at 500 Main St. in Danbury, through March 31.

Smith was raised in Winston-Salem and lived in New York briefly as a child. She is a teacher with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and has been teaching for 14 years, with eight of those teaching art. Her work in this exhibit includes portraits, paintings, drawings and abstract work, created mostly with acrylic paint and oil pastels.

Maasai Tabari was born and raised in New York City. Most of her family is from Winston-Salem, where she now lives part-time. Tabari typically uses a mix of aquarelle watercolor crayons, oil crayons with vibrant colors, opaque gauche and acrylic paints. Shes also creating with digital platforms and uses mixed media, such as painting on top of printed paper, mixing paper collaging with a traditional painting style.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Exhibit

A new exhibit called Transitioning will run through March 26 at Artworks Gallery at 564 N. Trade St. in Winston-Salem.

The display will feature work by Alix Hitchcock and Lea Lackey-Zachmann. Hitchcock, who is exhibiting work on paper using hand-pulled prints made into collages and abstract paintings on paper, is interested in the symbolism of humans struggling with their place in the natural world. Lea Lackey-Zachmann, who is exhibiting paintings, prints and drawings, shows a mixture of past thoughts and a beginning of new ideas for discovery and growth in her work  Transitioning.

An opening reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. March 6.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Call 336-723-5890 or go to www.Artworks-Gallery.org.

Colored pencil exhibit

Yadkin Arts Council presents The Fine Art of Colored Pencil by the Colored Pencil Society of America (District Chapter 114 Raleigh-Durham) through April 29 at 226 E. Main St. in Yadkinville.

The group exhibit will highlight the beautiful and versatile medium of colored pencil. An opening reception will be at 5 p.m. March 11. The reception is free and open to the public.

Founded in 1990 by Vera Curnow, the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) is a nonprofit representing almost 2,000 members worldwide who work with colored pencils.

Artwork needed

Piedmont Triad Airport Authority is looking for art to feature from N.C. and southern Virginia artists, including two-dimensional paintings, photographs, mixed media and three-dimensional sculpture for inside and outside.

The artwork will be on loan to the PTAA for one year. An agreed-upon fee will be paid for installation time.

Visit flyfrompti.com/art-walking-tour to see current artwork on display or flyfrompti.com/2022-call-to-artists for art submission details.

Art exhibit

A new exhibit called Lorraine OGrady: Both/And will run through April 30 at Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St. in Greensboro. The exhibit is on loan from Brooklyn Museum in New York. Its the first comprehensive overview of the work of Lorraine OGrady (born in Boston in 1934), one of the most significant figures in contemporary performance, conceptual and feminist art.

Her work also includes video, photomontage, concrete poetry, cultural criticism and public art.

Raised in Boston by middle-class Jamaican immigrant parents and educated at Wellesley College, OGrady spent years working as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. government, as a translator, and as a rock music critic before beginning her career as a visual artist in the late 1970s at the age of 45.

OGrady calls attention to the segregated nature of the art world.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.
Q: I was coming into town on University Parkway recently and saw new signs pointing the way to Truist Field and the fairgrounds. I was a little confused, because the sign said County Fairgrounds. I thought the City of Winston-Salem owned the fairgrounds. Did something change?

M.H.

Answer: This might come under the heading, You had one job....

Nothing has changed. It was a mistake, and the city still owns the fairgrounds.

Ben Rowe, an assistant city manager explained what happened.

They were fabricated incorrectly and should have read Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. Installation has stopped, and the correct signs will be installed soon, he said.

Q: Are there any locations where one could drop off old unused prescription drugs? I know that in the past there have been events held periodically for this purpose.

N.D.D.

Answer: As part of the Creek Week activities there will be medicine drop-offs at various locations.

For all of the drop-offs, it is for household use only. Expired, unwanted or unused prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can be disposed. Pills from businesses, health care facilities, long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical representatives, pharmacies, doctor offices and veterinary clinics will not be accepted.

Also, no liquids, needles and inhalants will be accepted.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday the Clemmons Fire Department in association with the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office will have a drive-thru medicine drop-off at the Clemmons Fire Department station at 5931 James St., Clemmons. Remain in your vehicle.

Kernersville Police Department, 134 E. Mountain St., Kernersville, will have a pill drop-off through March 27 in the lobby. You may drop off medications anytime. The lobby is open 24 hours.

The Winston-Salem Police Departments pill drop-off will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The department has drop-boxes in several locations:

Vivian H. Burke Public Safety Center lobby, 725 N. Cherry St., Winston-Salem. Check in with the officer at the front desk first for instructions before getting started.

District 1 Police Station

7836 North Point Blvd., Winston-Salem

District 2 Police Station

1539 Waughtown St., Winston-Salem

District 3 Police Station

2393 Winterhaven Lane, Winston-Salem

Remember, never flush medications down the toilet. Sewage systems cannot remove drugs from the water.

Q: My email address has changed since I filed my state income return. Who should I contact to get it sent to this new email address?

B.C.

Answer: Dia Harris, the director of public affairs for the North Carolina Department of Revenue said, The North Carolina Department of Revenue does not require the taxpayers updated email address in order to correspond with him/her or for the taxpayer to receive a refund that may be due.

If the NCDOR needs to contact the taxpayer, we will send correspondence via the US Postal Service or contact him/her by phone.

Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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Robin Paul, the mother of NBA star Chris Paul, said the five men (four of whom are trying to prove their innocence; the fifth was killed in 2019) are guilty in her father's murder. Nathaniel Jones, 61, was murdered on Nov. 15, 2019 in the carport of his home on Moravia Street. The five men, who were teenagers when they were convicted, are Nathaniel Cauthen, Rayshawn Banner, Christopher Bryant, Jermal Tolliver and Dorrell Brayboy, who was stabbed to death on Aug. 28, 2019. The men said Winston-Salem police coerced them into making false confessions.
After State Sen. Ham Horton died on Jan. 31, 2006, the executive committee of the Forsyth County Republican Party recommended that William Benjamin Miller Sr. serve the remainder of Hortons term in the N.C. General Assembly.

Gov. Mike Easley appointed Miller, a Republican, as a state senator on March 8, 2006. Miller represented District 31 in Forsyth County.

He was a true leader, William Miller Jr. said of his father.

William Benjamin Miller Sr. died Monday from complications of pneumonia, his son said. Miller was 92.

Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Saturday in Millers honor.

Im grateful for former North Carolina Senator Bill Millers service to Forsyth County and North Carolina, and our prayers are with his friends and family, Cooper said in a statement issued Friday.

According to his obituary, Miller began involved in politics later in his life, serving eight years as chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party prior to his time as a state senator.

Miller stated that serving as a senator has been a privilege that I did not expect to have during my life, his obituary says.

Miller met with Republican President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., according to his obituary.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, issued a statement Friday about Miller.

Serving as a County Chair is always a major challenge, and I am grateful that Mr. Miller was willing to take on that challenge for eight full years  and for his service in the North Carolina State Senate, Foxx said. His passion for advancing conservative principles will be sorely missed in North Carolina.

A native of Charleston, S.C., Miller attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., for two years, his son said.

Before his father died, he told his son that it was time to pass the torch to us and those he may have helped throughout his life.

He always emphasized how important it was to center yourself first and have honor and integrity, Miller Jr. said, quoting his father. That was basically the message he passed on to me, my family.

That with hard work, you achieve success, Miller Jr. said, quoting his father. You maintained your values. And its old school values that made our country great.

A graveside service for William Benjamin Miller Sr. is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Forsyth Memorial Park.

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I had never imagined my own murder until one morning in January at the small church my husband and I attend in northern Alabama.

I am sitting in the back pew in the church the Sunday after Epiphany. A man with a military-style haircut opens the front door. The service is almost over. He smiles at me over his face mask as he quietly closes the door. I smile back with my eyes. He whispers, Can I sit here? nodding to the empty space beside me. I nod back.

Then I see the gun on his hip and my eyes widen. My heart jump-starts, my knees lock, my body goes cold. He is clothed in olive green, and I cant tell if he is military or paramilitary, a Proud Boy or a plainclothes cop. Is he going to murder us all?

In Alabama, a bill allowing churches to set up their own police forces was signed into law in 2019. The legislation was inspired by a 4,000-person megachurch in Birmingham that was concerned private security measures were inadequate in an era of mass shootings.

Twenty years ago, my husband, Hugo, and I built a getaway cabin on Lookout Mountain at the tail end of the Appalachians. Its a peaceful place to relax with family. Theres a resilient, rebellious spirit alive and well here, along with a thriving community of artists.

Next to me, the mans automatic pistol, two cartridges heavy on his other hip, is only inches away. Do I shake off my good Southern manners and go up to the crows nest where my husband is streaming the service on Zoom to alert him to the danger? A thin layer of sweat gathers under my arms in the chilly church. Fear floats beneath the surface of my awareness, an anxiety fed by the frequent news about mass murders in sacred places like schools and churches and synagogues.

As the man with the gun sings along with the congregation, I can only envision our massacred bodies and imagine myself tackling him no matter what he does. I convince myself I will fight back, but my body betrays me as I remain frozen, unable to act.

Alabama is an open-carry state and has no laws prohibiting firearms in places of worship. During a service in 2015, a pastor in East Selma, Ala., tried to wrestle a gun from a man after he shot his girlfriend and her son at church. After the pastor was shot, congregants grabbed the gun from the shooter.

Before 1963, no mass murders  defined as four or more peopled killed  had been carried out on a faith-based property in the U.S., according to Carl Chinn, a church security expert and author of Evil Invades the Sanctuary.

At the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a gunman stormed a service in 2017, killing 26 people and injuring 20 more. It remains the deadliest shooting at a house of worship in the U.S. in modern times.

The man with the gun takes Communion, and still I do nothing but watch as Hugo follows him and kneels beside him at the altar. I take refuge in the belief Hugo will do something if he feels we are threatened. When Father Bill leans toward the man with the gun, he says, I hope youre a sheriff, as he offers him the thin, tasteless wafer and recites, Bread of Heaven.

At the end of the service, Father Bill is standing a few feet away from the man with the gun. May the peace of the Lord that passeth all understanding go forth with you, he says. His eyes flicker across the gun. As we file out, I realize the man is a sheriff when a parishioner greets him as such and shakes his hand, thanking him for his service.

Later, I ask Father Bill what he thought when he first eyed this gun-toting man. I started rushing through the service, wondering if I needed to stop and tell everyone to scatter, he says. Then he imagined his own death. My friend just died of COVID, and I realized it might not be COVID that kills me. It might be the unknown man with a Glock instead. Hes so upset hes considering hiring private security for future services.

Twenty-five years ago, if a man with a gun on his hip walked into church or anywhere else, I would have widened my eyes, but I would have assumed, without hesitation, that he worked in law enforcement. Not today. When so much of America is armed, how am I supposed to tell the difference between a would-be terrorist or an undercover cop?

And as long as this is the case, I will continue to live in a heightened state of fear, never truly at peace, especially in a church in an open-carry state.

Lanier Scott Isom is an author and journalist in Birmingham, Ala. She co-wrote Lilly Ledbetters memoir, Grace and Grit: How I Won My Fight at Goodyear and Beyond.
Plenty of startup companies founded by University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and alums have grown up into huge successes.

Think Hudl or opendorse or Virtual Incision.

But could they have grown faster or bigger if they had more access to capital early on?

After Emily Kist had an internship with Nelnet and the Nebraska Angels in 2020, she pondered a similar question. Could the university do something to not only help those early stage companies but also give students more opportunities on campus to learn about venture capital investing?

After her internship ended, Kist got to work answering that question.

The finance major started talking to university officials, community members and others about whether they would support the idea, "and I got a lot of yeses," she said.

Kist also happened to meet another UNL student, Adam Folsom, who had the same idea.

At the same time, someone else on campus was working on a similar concept.

Joe Petsick, who co-founded Omaha-based online auction company Proxibid, had been hired a few years ago as entrepreneur in residence at UNL.

He said a big part of his job was to look at the College of Business through an entrepreneurial lens and seek ways to get the Center for Entrepreneurship better connected to both the startup and overall business communities.

One of the areas he immediately identified where he thought the university could make a bigger impact was in venture capital investing.

"Probably one of the largest complaints you'll hear about our ecosystem is related to a lack of available capital," said Petsick.

While things have improved over the past few years in terms of money available at the seed capital stage and later, there is still a gap when it comes to early stage capital.

Petsick said he realized a UNL venture capital fund could solve two problems. It would provide needed capital for early stage companies that may not access it otherwise, and it would provide more opportunities for students to learn about how the venture capital process works.

And it also would put UNL on par with the hundreds of other universities that have venture capital funds or formal programs, including the University of Nebraska at Omaha and most of the schools in the Big Ten.

As he moved further along in the process, he found out about Kist and Folsom and their similar efforts.

Petsick said he eventually took the idea to Kathy Farrell, dean of the College of Business, "and she immediately agreed that it was a good idea and we should try to pursue it."

He said the decision was made to create an "evergreen" fund, which essentially means that any profits go back into the fund to be used for future investments.

Petsick said he then got in touch with Invest Nebraska, which is a public-private partnership that invests in early stage companies in the state.

Ben Williamson, principal and general counsel of Invest Nebraska, said it wasn't the first time he'd fielded a proposal for a student venture fund.

"It would come up every once and awhile and for whatever reason it never got any traction," Williamson said. But the idea seemed to have better footing this time, largely because "the startup ecosystem is in a more mature place."

Williamson said he told the organizers that if they could raise the funds and get the needed buy-in from the university and the startup community, then Invest Nebraska would be willing to act as sort of a sponsor, providing oversight and advice to the students on elements such as how to structure deals.

The Husker Venture Fund officially launched last fall with nearly $1 million in capital raised from businesses and individuals, many of them alumni of the university. More than two dozen students were chosen to participate in the inaugural version of the fund.

Its goal is to focus on companies affiliated with UNL, with a priority given to student-founded firms.

Last month the fund it made its first-ever investment, $25,000 to Sentinel Fertigation, a company started by Jackson Stansell, who's pursuing a doctorate in biological engineering at UNL.

Stansell, whose company uses technology to make nitrogen fertilization more efficient, said he was impressed by the vetting process he had to go through.

"They asked some of the best questions I've gotten in my entire investment or fundraising process," he said.

Williamson said he's been pleasantly surprised by the professional work done by the students. He was prepared to have to do a lot of hand-holding, but that has not been the case.

"Honestly, Adam and Emily have done all the hard work, and we've just kind of tried to support them along the way," Williamson said.

Kist, who is one of the managing directors of the fund along with Folsom and Keith Nordling, said the goal of the fund is to provide four $25,000 investments each academic year, and although it probably won't reach that goal this year, it is looking to finalize a couple more deals before the end of the semester.

Kist said that while it would be nice to fund a company that turns out to be as successful as Hudl, the students and their advisors understand that what they are doing is early stage investing, and they may have more failures than successes.

"It's just really fun to support founders and help them get to that next stage of growth, and so we kind of have that mindset when we go into each investment," she said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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In the wake of a global pandemic that has presented challenges to many businesses, Lincoln-based Union Bank & Trust is still making big moves.

Later this year, Union Bank plans to move into the iconic bank tower in downtown Lincoln that has housed Wells Fargo and, before that, National Bank of Commerce. Union Bank is also preparing to open another location in Omaha near 144th and Dodge streets.

The banks space in the Wells Fargo building will undergo an extensive renovation, executive vice president Doris Robertson said, which will include the addition of community space that will be free and open to the public.

The community space could serve as a meeting location for startups, customers, nonprofits or any other group that signs up. Its expansion plans are in line with Union Bank's people-centered mission that aims to provide opportunity to all.

Theres a lot of banks that are moving away from the brick and mortar, but we still feel like theres a lot of customers who truly want that personal experience and that one-on-one relationship, and our bank is truly based on relationships, Robertson said.

Renovations to transform the Wells Fargo building into Union Bank's newest location will begin this spring and are expected to wrap up in the fall, Robertson said.

The company's growth plans are reflective of the bank's quick-thinking at the start of the pandemic. The actions the bank took early on saved the livelihoods of many small business owners in Lincoln and beyond, Robertson said.

Stephanie Dinger, vice president of small business at Union Bank, played an active role in connecting both customers and noncustomers to federal stimulus funds.

In fact, Dinger and her team were so instrumental to the community that their work gained national attention in the Washington Post.

In 2020, the federal government offered assistance to small businesses as part of the Paycheck Protection Program, a Small Business Association initiative that helped protect and pay workers during COVID-19. Bankers like Dinger acted as liaisons to those funds and assisted with any other issues the business owners faced during the global shutdown.

"It was a very scary time," Dinger said.

With many people staying home and health measures either forcing businesses to close or limit capacity, many of the bank's customers were attempting to move onto a mobile platform while having very little experience with building a website or utilizing social media. Through those stressful times, she shouldered their burdens and even acted as a sort of therapist.

The bank's staff is easy to talk to, Dinger said, because customers realize their banking professionals are navigating life alongside them.

They know that they have someone in the community that is walking down the street with them, who is purchasing from them, who is going to church with them, and that means a lot to know that were here and we really care, she said.

But it wasnt just the teams interactions with customers that allowed Union Bank to connect clients with federal assistance. In an all-hands-on-deck effort, the banks employees worked tirelessly to create an online application platform for the Paycheck Protection Program loans. The initiative was so successful, Union Bank at one point was No. 2 in the nation for PPP loan requests.

Our community pulled together to save these businesses, Dinger said. That, to me, is the most important work Ive done as a professional.

Robertson said Union Bank staff have carried on the things they learned from their early pandemic adjustments. They continue to practice adaptability, innovation and genuine care for their customers, she said.

The pandemic also made their business more technology-focused, she said, because the staff had to conduct business remotely in the early days of the pandemic.

Looking ahead, Robertson said she is excited to continue to provide the banks community-focused service while opening up a new space for all of downtown Lincoln to enjoy. Following the companys innovative spirit, the space will utilize all the latest technology available to the banking world.

She said the company has been able to continue to grow because the bank was there for Lincoln businesses in their most vulnerable moment, and that solidified Union Bank's presence in the city.

Our culture is based on the fact that we really care about our employees, Robertson said. We care about our customers, and we care about our community.

Reach the writer at jthompson@journalstar.com

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VALPARAISO  Darrin Pecka first met Jay Henderson through his dad, Duane, who had taken Hendersons industrial tech class when he was a student at Raymond Central High School in the late 60s.

But it was Hendersons matte-black Hudson coupe  recognizable by many in Valparaiso  that drew Peckas admiration early on.

Everybody knew who he was. Everybody knows what he had, Pecka said.

Henderson drove that car to school every day, and the family took it into Lincoln to get groceries. It was the family car, Henderson's wife, Polly, said.

Everybody in the four (Raymond Central) towns, they all knew that was Jay Henderson driving that Hudson, she said.

That car, and all of those industrial tech classes, are part of what made Henderson a local legend. Even as a kid, Pecka would knock on Jay and Pollys front door and remind them that Mr. Henderson cant retire until I get to take his class.

Pecka graduated in 2012. Henderson retired the next year.

Theyve remained good friends, and now Pecka, with help from other former Raymond Central students, is preparing Henderson's Hudson car collection for auction.

On a Friday in late February, the afternoon sun is shining down on Pecka's shoulders and his stocking cap. He rummages through rusted car doors, fenders and bumpers that have accumulated over the years, mixing and matching the pieces to create some semblance of organization. His hands are protected by winter work gloves as he inspects the car body parts strewn over straw-colored grass.

He doesnt mind the work, though. He figures its the least he can do.

(Jay) and Polly always say Im like another kid, Pecka said. "Theyre older than that for me. Theyre like another pair of grandparents.

Juncos and sparrows chirp from a winter-worn maple tree nearby, the base of which is keeping company with a late-30s Hudson Terraplane coupe with suspended headlights. Thats Pollys favorite, though Jay interjects that the Terraplane series was an economy line and couldnt keep up with a Hudson on a closed course.

Hendersons love of Hudsons was long and unconditional. But it took a fascination with some earlier cars to eventually lead him to the Hudsons. He was in elementary school when a neighbor who raced stock cars asked Jays dad, Wesley, to fix his 35 Plymouth with the fenders partially removed.

Online auction Information on the Hendersons auction is available at vandertook.com. The auction begins Monday and runs through March 30.

Id never seen anything with the fenders off like that, Jay said. And I thought, How do I get one of those?'

Wesley Henderson had never thought of working on stock cars before the Plymouth came along, but as Jay says, his dad could make any car run good. It started a long and successful run racing stock cars in the summer.

Jay first saw a Hudson one summer when two drivers from Hastings brought a pair of them to a race in York.

I dont remember if we won or anything, but when I saw those Hudsons, I just went nuts, and have ever since then, he said.

He was drawn to the eight-cylinder coupes long wheelbase and its raised, plateau-like hood, which was built about six inches longer than the others, in order to conceal its straight-eight engine.

Henderson's search for a stable of Hudsons started in Kearney during his college years.

His idea of a date night with Polly in those days was taking her on a drive around the Nebraska countryside with their eyes peeled. The search took them to Colorado, Iowa and Kansas.

He would keep his eye out for just about anything Hudson, Polly said.

He accumulated up to 14 Hudsons over the years and restored three of them. He sold one to his brother, and it wound up on the cover of Street Rodder magazine. He got rid of the other two out of concerns that they would get dinged up.

Once you get them done and you start driving them and theyre all painted up real nice, youre worried about somebody jumping on them, he said.

But Hendersons pride and joy is his matte-black Hudson with the hood and trunk painted bright-orange. He modified the car from a four-door frame, replaced it with a coupe body and installed a Chevy engine.

The license plate proudly reads 55J  the 55 a reference to the first year that he ran a Hudson in a stock car series, and the J referring to his name.

The door of that Hudson stock car still rests in Jays mammoth storage shed behind his and Pollys home. A bright-red 55 is emblazoned over a cream coat.

That same shed housed Hendersons Hudson collection for years. Pecka said he had never seen the cars outside.

Nobody could believe that he had those cars in that building, Polly said.

Theyre lined up in the backyard now. Some rusted, others heavily modified. Two of them look road-ready: a cream-colored one and a beige one, which was last registered in 1969, according to its license plate sticker.

The cars are the crown jewels of an online auction including automotive equipment, tools and memorabilia that Henderson has accumulated over the years.

Henderson suffered a stroke last summer, and doctors told him and Polly that its effects will eventually lead to dementia. They plan to move into a senior living center in Lincoln.

We will be there where he can walk the halls, and then he could go talk to the other guys there, Polly said.

Its Pecka's job to get the cars and parts organized. He doesnt mind the work. He figures he owes Jay and Polly for all theyve done for him and the Raymond Central community over the years.

Henderson taught thousands of kids in his 47 years at the school. He and Polly  who worked as a school secretary  joined the district in 1966, the year before Valparaiso, Ceresco, Davey and Raymond consolidated.

He dedicated his life to the school and the kids, Polly said. He was there on weekends and at night. He wanted to make sure that the kids all got a good start, having a good idea of what occupational things were available.

Some of Pecka's fondest memories with the Hendersons were on trips to Power Drive competitions, which tasked students with building light, safe and fast electric vehicles.

Henderson led the Raymond Central team, and Pecka recalls a national race at Kansas City Motor Speedway. Rain pelted the cars, and Pecka was in the drivers seat, with water seeping in through the wheel wells.

Pecka remembers getting out of the car, soaked from the waist down.

But we ended up winning that national race, and I could tell (Jay) was so excited, he said.

When Pecka called in others to help prepare the Hudson collection for the auction, 25 former students  an assortment of machinists, body men and electricians  showed up at the Hendersons house in Valparaiso, at the end of First Street, next to the railroad tracks.

What meant the most to Henderson was that each former student was doing well, and many of them had gone into mechanical fields. He watched as his old students mingled.

They were all laughing and having fun, and I thought, I think this all worked out, he said.

The 55J matte-black Hudson wont be part of the auction, which Pecka was pleased to hear. He said hed hate for the car to end up with an owner who wouldnt take proper care of it.

But after the stroke, Hendersons days of driving it are done. Yet on this day, someone needed to get the car out of the shed. Jay and Polly got in, backed it out and drove it around the trees. Just the two of them. One last time.

It was just so much fun, Polly said. It was like old times.

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With spring burning season underway, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) encourages local residents to monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) to determine if levels of smoke in the air are unhealthy.

Over the next few weeks, smoke from controlled burning across the Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma may cause elevated smoke levels in Lincoln and Lancaster County. Widespread drought conditions throughout the central and western U.S. have also increased the risk of wildfires.

Smoke from controlled burning and wildfires can cause health issues, especially for children, older adults and those with asthma, lung disease, other respiratory conditions or heart disease. Those at risk are encouraged to check the AQI before doing any strenuous activities outdoors, take plenty of breaks and watch for symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or chest pain.

The LLCHD monitors air quality 24 hours a day, and the Air Quality Index (AQI) at airnow.gov is updated hourly. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also provides AirNow and SmokeSense smart phone applications to help people stay informed of the AQI in their area.

The air quality levels are color-coded on the AQI chart as follows:

 AQI values below 100 (green or yellow) are not expected to cause health problems for the vast majority of people.

 AQI values between 101 and 150 (orange) indicate that air quality is unhealthy for sensitive individuals. People with asthma should follow their asthma action plans and have quick relief medicine readily available. Children, older adults and those with heart or lung disease should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion during outdoor activities.

 AQI values higher than 150 (red, purple and maroon) indicate that air quality is unhealthy for all people. Outdoor activities should be moved indoors or rescheduled to a time when air quality will be better. Children, older adults and people with asthma or heart or lung disease should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion during outdoor activities. All others should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion during outdoor activities and take more breaks during those activities.

When air quality is unhealthy, those at risk can further protect their health by staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, using a HEPA filter and using the recirculate setting when using a vehicle air conditioner. Those who experience difficulty breathing, coughing, unusual fatigue, heart palpitations, tightness in the chest or angina should contact a medical care provider.

For more information on LLCHD, visit lincoln.ne.gov/health.

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The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska will celebrate the grand opening of its new health center, Ponca Health Services-Lincoln, Monday at 11 a.m.

This state-of-the-art tribal health care facility, located at 1600 Windhoek Drive, offers increased health care access for all Native Americans, a focus on holistic healing approaches and methods that are cognizant and respectful of Native culture, and the convenience of offering a variety of health services at a central location.

The opening of Ponca Health Services-Lincoln, which had its soft opening in October and began scheduling its first patients in December, marks expanded services for the native community in the Lincoln area, providing medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral health and social services to eligible beneficiaries.

Ponca Health Services-Lincoln joins two other Ponca Health Services facilities operated by the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska: the Fred LeRoy Health and Wellness Center in Omaha, and the Ponca Hills Health and Wellness Center in Norfolk.

The remainder of the new facility, scheduled for completion in 2022, will house Tribal Affairs staff, along with community space for tribal and member events, and a fitness facility for Ponca members, health facility patients and clients receiving services from Ponca Tribal programs.

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Chinese envoy calls for response, clarification over biological security issue in Ukraine

Xinhua) 09:03, March 19, 2022

Zhang Jun (C, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the Ukraine refugee issue at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)

"We do not consider it too much to ask. And on this issue, no double standards should be applied," said a Chinese envoy.

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community.

China was once a victim of chemical and biological weapons. China believes that any information and lead on biological military activities should trigger heightened concern and attention of the international community to avoid irreparable harm, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"In this regard, relevant parties should take a responsible approach. Russia has further revealed newly discovered relevant documents. The party concerned should respond to questions, and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community," he told a Security Council meeting on the biological security issue in Ukraine.

"We do not consider it too much to ask. And on this issue, no double standards should be applied," he said.

China's position on weapons of mass destruction and biological security is consistent and clear. China stands for the complete prohibition and destruction of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, said Zhang.

China resolutely opposes the development, possession or use of biological and chemical weapons by any country under any circumstances, and urges countries that have not done so to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles as soon as possible. Complying with the Biological Weapons Convention is the obligation of all state parties. China calls for early negotiations on the establishment of a verification regime under the convention, which will help improve global biosecurity, he said.

Firefighters work near a building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 13, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua)

Under the current situation, it is the shared desire of the international community to achieve a cease-fire in Ukraine as soon as possible to avoid more civilian casualties and to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis. China shares this wish, said Zhang.

Direct negotiations between the parties concerned are the fundamental way to solve the problem. Russia and Ukraine have held four rounds of negotiations. While the negotiations are kept going, there is hope for a cease-fire and a peaceful future. China will continue to facilitate dialogues for peace. China supports the United Nations and all parties in ramping up mediation efforts, and hopes that all parties can do more to promote peace talks, rather than adding fuel to the fire.

"Behind the Ukraine crisis is the issue of European security. It is our hope that the United States, the European Union and NATO can sit down with Russia for in-depth and comprehensive dialogues and explore ways to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism based on the principle of indivisible security so as to achieve lasting peace and stability in Europe."

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
By Trend





Presidents of the Russian Federation and France Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron reviewed the course of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in a telephone conversation. At the same time, the President of Russia outlined the fundamental approaches to the development of possible agreements, the Kremlin press service reports, Trend reports citing TASS.

"Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron discussed the state of affairs at the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives. In this context, the principal approaches of the Russian side to the development of possible agreements were outlined," the report said.

It is noted that the leaders agreed to stay in touch.
ACLU of Nebraska named a new interim executive director Friday.

Maria Funk, who was previously deputy director, has worked for ACLU of Nebraska since 2014. In that time, Funk led the organization's financial and human resources operations, expanding the team from four staffers to eight full-time employees with two attorneys.

Funk will fill the role of Danielle Conrad, whose resignation was announced March 1.

The organization's board of directors will continue to search for a permanent replacement for Conrad.

ACLU of Nebraska Board President Ashlei Spivey said she was confident in the board's decision to appoint Funk.

"(Funk) has earned the respect and trust of the staff and board time and again," Spivey said. "Her deliberative, consensus-building leadership style will continue to be an asset to all of us as she takes on these new responsibilities."

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As part of Judge Timothy Phillips' ruling, Kylie Hill will also pay a $250 fine, complete a victim empathy class, a driver's safety course and may serve up to 30 days in jail, though that suspended stint may be waived altogether based on Hill's compliance with her other sentencing conditions.

The Lancaster County Court ruling comes just more than a year after Hill, then 18, was driving a 2008 Pontiac Torrent south on 27th Street before turning left onto Tierra Drive at about 9:30 p.m. on March 3, 2021.

That's when, police say, the Pontiac collided with a northbound Suzuki motorcycle ridden by 19-year-old Simon Blair, who died of his injuries at a local hospital early the next morning.

"These are hard cases," Phillips said in front of a crowded courtroom Friday. "It's a crime where there was no intent. I have people appear in front of me every day on charges of failure to yield the right of way.

"It's the result that we ended up with here that makes this a Class 1 misdemeanor."

The crime was punishable by up to a year in jail. Instead, Hill will only serve time if she fails to meet the conditions of her probation.

Ryan Decker, who prosecuted the case, pointed to Hill's own statements in the case's pre-sentencing investigation, in which she told the court she felt like she did "everything right," Decker said.

Hill also wrote to the court that she hoped to bring awareness to motorcyclists and "important and proper training on riding a motorcycle," Decker said.

"That stands out to me, because that's not what the evidence in this case is," the prosecutor said. "And it doesn't sound like an apology to me."

Decker noted that witnesses told police Blair hadn't been speeding in the moment before the crash, though Hill said he was. And the prosecutor highlighted the account of Lincoln Police officers who said in a search warrant that there was a strong odor of marijuana coming from the Pontiac and a red-glass water pipe in the cargo area of the SUV.

Then, Decker turned his attention to what he said was most important in the case.

"And that's Simon," he said, before describing the teen's favorite things: his job as a mechanic, his family and his friends, who referred to Blair's mom as their own.

Hill's attorney, Jon Braaten, acknowledged the pain the crash has caused to the families of both parties, pain he said wouldn't disappear with any ruling Phillips made.

"These are hard cases for everybody," Braaten said.

He said both families would remember March 3, 2021, every day for the rest of their lives, and he asked Phillips to sentence Hill to probation.

In the end, that's what the judge did.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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A top aide to U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry said the Nebraska congressman followed the proper protocol when he requested to vote by proxy and the matter is "a total non-issue."

The remarks are, in part, a response to the criticism directed at Fortenberry for using the pandemic-inspired proxy vote as he stands trial for three felony counts in Los Angeles.

"I don't know why this is blowing up," Fortenberry's chief of staff Andy Braner said of the proxy vote request.

The issue started after Fortenberry wrote a letter, dated Tuesday, to the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, informing the clerk that he would not be attending votes but would vote by proxy.

Fortenberry, who represents Nebraskas 1st District, is on trial for three felony counts alleging that he misled authorities about whether he knew that a Nigerian billionaire had funneled $30,000 to his campaign at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles. The trial opened Thursday.

His trial was delayed because of the surge of COVID-19 omicron cases in California, Braner said, so Fortenberry submitted a request to vote by proxy due to "the ongoing public health emergency."

Braner previously told the Omaha World-Herald that Fortenberry sought approval from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to vote by proxy and received it, but Pelosi's office denied that.

For the last two years, Speaker Pelosi has ruled, the only reason for members to be absent for votes is due to the COVID emergency, Braner said in a statement Thursday. As Mr. Fortenberrys trial (originally scheduled for February) was delayed due to the COVID shutdown of the California courts, (Pelosis) office allowed for Mr. Fortenberry to vote proxy (now).

I would also note, there have been hundreds of members submit a similar letter to navigate COVID effects on a variety of scheduling conflicts. This isnt something abnormal.

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, told the Nebraska Examiner on Thursday that Pelosis office did not evaluate Fortenberrys letter, nor does it approve or deny any member's reasons for asking a colleague to vote on their behalf.

The statement implies that there was a special dispensation given (by the Speaker), and that is not accurate," Hammill told the Examiner.

Pelosi does not grant permission for individual representatives to vote by proxy, according to the Clerk's Office. Instead, starting in 2020, Pelosi allowed representatives to vote by proxy, but only if they were unable to attend the vote due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representatives must submit a letter to the clerk requesting to vote by proxy. The Clerk's Office then compiles the letters on record. Since Fortenberry sent his letter, more than 50 other representatives submitted similar letters, all citing "the ongoing public health emergency" as the reason for their absence, according to the Clerk's Office website.

"We followed the rules," Braner said.

While Republican House leadership has blasted the proxy vote practice, some GOP members have voted by proxy, including Fortenberry. The congressman announced Jan. 18 he had been diagnosed with a moderate case of COVID-19 and that he would vote by proxy and work from home.

In Fortenberry's current absence, Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., will serve as his proxy. Braner said Fortenberry is in communication with Moolenaar to make sure his district is represented in upcoming votes.

World-Herald Staff Writer Todd Cooper contributed to this report.

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Nebraska lawmakers looking to give money back to taxpayers will have two very different options to consider in the coming week.

One would give more money back to taxpayers while cutting top individual and corporate income tax rates. The changes would be phased in over five years.

The other would give $200 cash to every Nebraskan this year while cutting the tax rate on a middle-income tax bracket starting next year.

Both options have been introduced as amendments to LB939, introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Revenue Committee chairwoman. Lawmakers are slated to debate the bill again Tuesday.

As advanced on first round, the bill would reduce the top individual income tax rate by 14.6% over three years and cut the top corporate rate by 22% over four years. It would not make any property tax changes or send money to lower- and middle-income Nebraskans.

Linehan worked on the property tax amendment with Sen. Tom Briese of Albion. She said she backed the property tax change to help win support for LB939 and overcome a potential filibuster.

"We're trying to build a package that we can get to 33 (votes)," Linehan said. "We've got to keep this rolling."

The bill cleared the first of three rounds of debate on a 40-1 vote but several senators said they backed it only to keep the bill in play until the states fiscal picture became clearer. Since then, the fiscal picture has brightened, with the state now projected to collect $775 million more than previously expected for the two years ending June 30, 2023.

Briese said many lawmakers and constituents put a high priority on easing property taxes. The amendment would further that goal by allowing property owners to claim refundable income tax credits equal to a portion of what they paid in community college property taxes.

The new credit program would be similar to one created by LB1107 two years ago. The existing program offsets a portion of what property owners pay in school property taxes. For this year, the LB1107 credit program will offer $548 million worth of credits, equal to about one-quarter of school property taxes.

The proposed community college credit program would start at $50 million this year and ramp up to $195 million by 2026. At full implementation, the program could offset about three-quarters of community college property taxes.

"What we're putting in place is meaningful and substantial tax relief for all Nebraskans but it's done in a fiscally responsible manner," Briese said.

The Linehan-Briese amendment would still ratchet down the top corporate and individual income tax rates to 5.84% but at a slower pace. Under current law, the top corporate rate is 7.5% for this year and is slated to drop to 7% next year. The top individual rate is 6.84% now.

With the amendment, the bill would reduce state revenues by an estimated $74.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. That's about $10 million more than under the current version of the bill.

By 2027, after all of the pieces are fully implemented, it would shrink state revenues by about $660 million a year.

Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha introduced the other amendment. It would provide every Nebraskan with a $200 debit card this year at a cost of about $400 million but take a more conservative approach to reducing income taxes.

Instead of cutting the top rate, it would take the next lower rate from the current 5.01% down to 4.01% in one year. The change would reduce state revenues by an estimated $97 million.

Cavanaugh said his approach would achieve the goal of returning money to taxpayers, while ensuring that the state does not overextend itself on tax cuts. He said it also provides more relief to middle-income Nebraskans than the current version of LB939.

"When it comes to things like this, we should do it slowly," he said. "It doesn't mean we can't come back in the future and take another step."

Cavanaugh's amendment would benefit single filers making more than $28,086 a year and married filers making more than $56,182, after accounting for personal exemptions and standard deductions.

Changing the top tax rate, as proposed in LB939, would benefit single filers making more than $40,676 and married filers making more than $81,352.

Cavanaugh and others have objected that LB939 directs most of the tax cuts to the wealthiest Nebraskans and leaves out large number of lower- and middle-income taxpayers. But Linehan has said that cutting the top tax rate is key to making Nebraska competitive with neighboring states.

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Hailey Haar, a junior broadcasting major from Lincoln at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, won first place in the 2022 Philip Perry Photojournalism Challenge for her essay Echoes of a Matriarch.

Haar will receive a $7,000 scholarship to complete her studies at UNL. Her essay examined the impact of the death of a matriarch on a Nebraska family.

Two additional students from Lincoln -- Naomi Delkamiller, a freshman advertising and public relations major, and Jordan Moore, a sophomore journalism major -- received honorable mentions.

The annual competition is a test of determination and drive. The students had 24 hours to shoot and compose a photo essay of up to 12 images around the theme "Life After." The competition kicked off at 5 p.m. March 4. The students were free to interpret the theme as they saw fit, producing an essay at any location of their choosing. Submissions were due at 5 p.m. March 5.

The essays were judged by five photojournalism professionals in two rounds. In the initial round, participants were narrowed to five finalists, who were invited to present their essays to the judges and the general public. Following the presentations, the judges conferred to select the winners.

This year's judges were Robert Cohen, a staff photojournalist with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Calla Kessler, a freelance photographer in New York City; Allen Schaben, a staff photographer with the Los Angeles Times; Anna Reed, a photojournalist with the Omaha World-Herald; and Steve Smith, professor of visual communication at the University of Connecticut.

The Perry Photojournalism Challenge is supported by donations from Philip Perry, CEO of Perry Reid Properties.

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Even with petroleum prices rocketing in recent weeks, oilfield operators did not add any new drill rigs in North Dakota.

Nationwide, the drill rig count  a key indicator of new oil production  has risen, but it's still nowhere near its pre-pandemic level.

"It makes you a little a curious as to why our largest oil and gas companies are not ramping up," Lynn Helms, North Dakota's mineral resources director, said Tuesday during a monthly call with reporters.

With war in Ukraine, West Texas Intermediate  the benchmark U.S. crude price  topped $130 a barrel last week before falling back to Earth in recent days, settling Tuesday around $95 a barrel.

Helms said he expects oil prices to range from $95 a barrel to $125 a barrel "on any given day." That should translate into gasoline prices of $3.50 to $4 per gallon in the Midwest, he added.

North Dakota released its January oil production numbers Tuesday, and they were grim. Output fell 5 % from the previous month to 1.09 million barrels per day, the most significant drop since COVID-19 hit in 2020, Helms said. Natural gas production fell 7%.

Particularly cold weather was to blame in January, which gummed up machinery, he said.

There were far broader problems, though. North Dakota's rig count currently stands at 33  and has barely moved for several months. The rig count was in the mid-50s prior to the pandemic.

Yet WTI was trading above $70 per barrel for most of the past six months  well above the break-even price in North Dakota and other U.S. shale oil regions.

The Biden administration has even tried to cajole U.S. oil companies to boost production.

Last week, at an annual energy conference in Houston known as CERAWeek, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the country was on a "war footing" and that oil and natural gas production needed to rise.

At that same conference, several oil company executives contended that the oil market wouldn't be so tight had the federal government been more supportive of the industry, Reuters reported.

Helms said oil company executives have told him that the Biden administration is reducing their appetite for new investment risk. Their outlook: "Long term, this administration doesn't want your business," Helms said.

Shale drillers, who dominate U.S. production, have been particularly irked by the Biden administration's moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal land. "The total number of leases is really low," Helms said.

Federal lands, though, account for only 24% of U.S. oil output, according to a 2018 report from the Congressional Research Service.

Thousands of potentially productive leases are essentially being inventoried by oil producers. The shale oil industry's reticence to drill reflects a newfound financial discipline.

For years, publicly traded shale companies expanded production non-strategically as oil prices rose, only to see shareholder disasters  like cascading losses and bankruptcies  during market pullbacks.

Energy stocks were one of the worst equity investments for much of the past decade.

Rebuked by investors, shale companies since COVID have been eschewing rapid expansion in favor of returning cash to shareholders. With high oil prices, they're raking in profits.

The executives of two major shale oil companies  Pioneer Natural Resources and Devon Energy  signaled last month during earnings conference calls that they intend to remain disciplined.

"I want to be clear that there is no change to our cash return playbook," Devon CEO Rick Muncrief told stock analysts. Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield told analysts, "We're not going to let the growth rate jump."

In October, Sheffield told the Financial Times that even if prices topped $100 a barrel, frackers would be cautious. "All the shareholders that I've talked to said that if anybody goes back to growth, they will punish those companies," he said.

After COVID caused shutdowns in the U.S. in March 2020, global oil demand cratered as factories cut back production and motor vehicle drivers stayed home. WTI stayed below $50 a barrel for much of 2020.

But over the past year, demand for oil has outpaced the industry's output. OPEC and other oil exporting nations  who control over half the world's supply  have been disciplined, too.

And like many industries, the oil business faces a tight supply chain for oilfield equipment and other supplies. Plus, oil companies been scrambling to find workers, another disincentive for production, Helms said.

"We have seen a lot of pressure on fracking crews," he said.

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CALEDONIA  A South Milwaukee man allegedly sold over 246 grams (8.68 ounces) of ecstasy over a 3-month span.

David A. Horst, 19, has been charged with three felony counts of deliver designer drugs between 10-50 grams and maintaining a drug trafficking place and felony counts of deliver designer drugs over 50 grams, possession with intent to deliver other schedule I controlled substances between 10-50 grams and possession with intent to deliver narcotics.

According to a criminal complaint:

Between January and March, a confidential informant met with Horst and purchased 521 pills of ecstasy weighing 246 grams over that time.

On March 1, agents conducted a traffic stop on a black Ford in which Horst was the passenger. A baggie of 46 ecstasy pills weighing 21 grams was located in his pocket. Horst's apartment in South Milwaukee was searched and officers recovered additional ecstasy pills, packaging materials, a marijuana grinder, a digital scale and several guns.

Horst was given a $7,500 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Thursday. A preliminary hearing is set for April 7 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show.

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RACINE  A Racine teenager allegedly assaulted a student at Horlick High School because they stepped on his shoes.

Anthony F. Rios, 17, of the 2900 block of Fleetwood Drive, was charged with a felony count of substantial battery.

According to a criminal complaint:

On Wednesday, an officer who was assigned as the school resource officer at Horlick High School was called down to the nurses officer for an assault victim.

Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the student who had a black and blue nose that was swollen. He said that he was assaulted by Rios in the bathroom. He punched him in the face and kicked and stomped him while he was on the ground. He said Rios assaulted him because he accidentally stepped on his shoes outside.

Surveillance video showed both the student at Rios enter the bathroom, Rios then left and the student left afterward while holding his nose. The officer was later advised that the student suffered a concussion and sprained ankle.

Anthony Rios was given a $3,500 signature bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Thursday. A preliminary hearing is set for March 30 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show.

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WATERFORD  Voters in the April 5 election will fill three seats on the Waterford Village Board, with four candidates vying for elected office in local government.

Each voter will make three choices, and the top three finishers will each win a two-year term on the Village Board.

Village trustees collect a salary of $5,400, plus $40 per meeting.

On the ballot this year will be incumbents Andrew Ewert, Adam Jaskie and Robert Nash, and challenger Michael Robertson.

Here is how the candidates responded to questions posed by the Journal Times.

Now that the Town of Waterfords incorporation effort has failed, how should the village respond in its relations with the town?

EWERT: The village should continue to do what theyve done in the past. Being a good neighbor to all their surrounding communities and offer services and assistance when asked. I look forward to further collaboration, as cross-border cooperation can increase public safety and reduce the overall tax burden for all communities involved.

JASKIE: I have a strong belief, both today and when I previously ran, that our focus should be on acting neighborly. By that I mean respecting the vision and path our neighboring municipalities choose to take while also keeping open lines of communication. I am always available to meet with any neighboring municipalities elected leaders or residents, and I know the board I serve with at the village feels the same. Both the town and village have many great things to offer the community of Waterford as a whole. I will do whatever I can to foster and develop better relationships.

NASH: I look forward to continuing our relationship with the Town of Waterford. We have many services that intersect, and an ongoing and healthy relationship with the town is in the best interest of all of our citizens.

ROBERTSON: I believe we should focus on topics where we agree and support that common ground. Its unfortunate that the town felt they needed to incorporate to protect their interests. I truly believe that the interests of all neighboring communities are interlocked. When one improves or succeeds, we all do. I would love to work with the boards of the Town of Waterford and the Village of Rochester to help each of our communities grow. As a new face on the Village Board, I have no desire to continue highlighting any previous disagreements. We should find ways to say yes.

What is your opinion of law enforcement in the village under the current contract with the Town of Waterford police department? Do you think any changes are needed?

EWERT: The Waterford community was recently ranked the Safest Community in Wisconsin. This speaks volumes about our commitment to public safety. The current model of policing in Waterford works well. At this time, nothing needs to be changed.

JASKIE: I wholeheartedly believe the current law enforcement in the Village of Waterford, which is contracted through the Town of Waterford police department, is nothing less than superb. When I am out in the community and see any of the law enforcement vehicles or officers, their cars and badges represent the entire Waterford community. The quality of service is evident by the fact that Safewise just ranked Waterford the #1 Safest City in the state of Wisconsin. Additionally the Waterford Village Board, alongside the high school, continues to prioritize funding a full time SRO throughout the school year.

NASH: I am satisfied with the current police contract. Our residents can rely on our police department. When called to serve and protect, Waterford police will be there. I am also extremely pleased with the decision by the Village of Waterford to continue to support the School Resource Officer.

ROBERTSON: I like our current contract. The Town of Waterford police department provides very capable coverage for both communities. And the naming of Waterford as The safest city in Wisconsin is proof that the current police agreement is working well. However, I do suggest taking another look into offering a similar shared-services contract between the village and the town for fire and emergency services. I believe the current contract wastes money and jeopardizes public safety. The Village of Waterford can provide full-time 24/7 firefighters, licensed paramedics, all at a lower cost. Why should a heart attack or fire in the town be handled by lesser trained personnel than in the village?

What should be the villages role in attracting new business to the village? And what kind of new businesses would you like to pursue?

EWERT: In 2018 the village put forth a strategy to create a master plan for growth. The village held many listening sessions with their citizens. Based off that feedback, the village went after the businesses the citizens requested. The vision is to have a small town feel downtown with unique shops and restaurants, I concur with this vision. I would like to see development on HWY 36 with businesses that need larger spaces to cater to their customers. The villages role in this endeavor is to listen to citizen input and use the tools granted to them to attract business.

JASKIE: The village should be very involved in attracting new businesses. Not only does their role include being willing to attract both small and large businesses but it also encompasses thinking outside of the traditional business model and/or box. I would like to see some additional restaurant options, as well as another grocery story. And, if we feel like getting ambitious, I would like to go after a popular general merchandise retailer so our residents dont have to drive twenty minutes or more to reach one.

NASH: I have been very fortunate to serve my village in the recent economic development strategies that we have unfolded. It is very reassuring to see our work come to fruition. Our village is becoming revitalized and refreshed. Many more businesses are now inquiring about the Village of Waterford. The future of the village looks very bright.

ROBERTSON: Im a fiscal conservative. I believe in the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) theory of expansion. Identify a need and if possible fill that need. Too often, politicians let their decision-making process get sidetracked. A simple google search of 50 Things a Small Town Needs shows that were lacking a Bakery and a Butcher Shop in our community. Why havent we pursued these? What about a Cheese Store like Mars Cheese? People drive for miles to shop there. What about a trampoline business like Sky Zone? Or a hotel/waterpark? Contact owners of successful businesses and find people willing to expand.

Michael Robertson AGE: 55 ADDRESS: 133 Riverview Drive, Waterford OCCUPATION: Owner and operator, Kona Blue Inc. EXPERIENCE: None COMMUNITY SERVICE: None EDUCATION: University of Phoenix, bachelor's degree, business

Robert Nash AGE: 48 ADDRESS: 201 S. River Street, Waterford OCCUPATION: Owner and president, Sawfish General Contracting LLC EXPERIENCE: Waterford Village Board, 2018-present COMMUNITY SERVICE: None EDUCATION: Milwaukee Hamilton High School

Adam Jaskie AGE: 40 ADDRESS: 459 Woodfield Circle, Waterford OCCUPATION: Stay-at-home father EXPERIENCE: Waterford Village Board, 2020-present COMMUNITY SERVICE: Wisconsin State Superintendent Parent Advisory Council EDUCATION: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, political science & public administration

Andrew Ewert AGE: 50 ADDRESS: 626 Woodland Circle, Waterford OCCUPATION: Territory manager, Jostens College Division EXPERIENCE: Waterford Village Board, 2016-present COMMUNITY SERVICE: Waterford Graded School District Strategic Planning Committee EDUCATION: University of Iowa, bachelor's degree

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RACINE  After a two-year hiatus, the Downtown Racine St. Patricks Day Parade is back for its 14th year at noon today.

The parade draws in more than 2,000 people from the community and the surrounding areas. The parade itself will officially begin on the corner of State and Main streets. The route will proceed south on Main Street, turn west onto Sixth Street and end near City Hall.

This parade is the official kickoff to spring in Downtown and we are thrilled to be back after two years off and once again be able to offer a fun and festive event to our community, Kelly Kruse, DRC executive director, said in a statement.

5K

The DRC in partnership with 5kevents.org, will be host to a St. Pats Day 5K prior to the parade. For those working their way up to a 5K, the race organizers are also featuring a Paddys 0.08ish K. Both will start at State and Main streets. Registration will take place inside Littleport Brewery. Look for the top male and female finishers as they will join the parade procession upon their completion of the 5K.

Immediately following the race at noon, dozens of parade entries will march the downtown streets, celebrating one of the communitys favorite traditions. This years grand marshals will be the Dancing Grannies. Other notable entries include fan favorite Lighthouse Brigade, Root River Rollers, and multiple singing and dancing groups.

Bars and restaurants that will be featuring St. Patricks Day specials all day long.

Parking

Parking can be found for $2 all day at the Lake Avenue Ramp, 300 Lake Ave.; Civic Centre Ramp, 501 Lake Ave.; and the McMynn Ramp, 120 Seventh St.

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By Trend





Ankara stands for peace and stability in the Black Sea region, Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said at a solemn event dedicated to the 107th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Canakkale, Trend reports.

According to the minister, Turkey is closely monitoring what is happening in Ukraine and, at every opportunity, emphasizes the importance of reaching an agreement on an immediate ceasefire, which will stop the bloodshed and restore stability in this country.

Hulusi Akar drew attention to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, including in the area of the city of Mariupol.

"The Turkish side is actively in contact with both Kiev and Moscow in order to safely evacuate Turkish citizens and the entire civilian population from this region of Ukraine. Turkey continues to do everything in its power for peace and stability in the Black Sea region, including using the possibilities of the Montreux Convention on the Status of the Straits (of 1936)". And so it will continue to be, said the minister.
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
KEARNEY  Aisha Moore didnt miss a beat when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped her from knocking on doors as a member of the Jehovahs Witnesses. She sat down and wrote a letter of gratitude to her third-grade teacher.

Ive been meaning to write to her all these years to say thanks for being such a great teacher. I wanted to let her know that Id been thinking about her, Moore said. I had heard she had lost her husband, so I offered her a comforting verse. She called me back and we talked for over an hour.

The teacher also accepted Moores invitation to attend a virtual Jehovahs Witnesses meeting. Weve kept in touch. This was a highlight. It has made a difference, Moore said.

Responses like this are what Moores evangelism efforts are all about.

Since Jehovahs Witnesses shut down in-person services on March 20, 2020, the denomination has carried on its ministry through letters and phone calls and twice-a-week virtual meetings. Jehovahs Witnesses across the nation will return to in-person meetings in April, but its door-to-door ministry will not resume. It will continue its alternative ministry instead.

For Moore, who became a Jehovahs Witness member in 1990, transitioning to other methods was a challenge, but she found that more people were home and eager to pick up the phone during COVID-19. This has been encouraging, she said.

Moore also used a public directory to find people she called neighbors in Kearney, Gibbon and other area towns. She called them, wrote them letters and used Zoom for one-on-one conversations.

One recipient told me, Its nice to receive something positive, she said. Also, I talked to one person who really appreciated someone taking the time to see how things are going, and hear something positive from the Bible.

Moore also offered to text her relatives a Scripture passage once a day for 10 days. None is a Jehovahs Witness, and they are spread out all over the country, but their responses were really amazing. Some said, This came at just the right time or This is just what I needed today, she said.

Moore has lived in Kearney since 2005. She works 30 hours a week in Kearneys educational system and devotes 70 hours a month to her evangelizing. Thats not a set time. Its a personal goal. Its pleasing to see how many people have responded positively, she said.

While she enjoyed knocking on doors, shell continue this new way of ministry. There are 6,175 Jehovahs Witness congregants in Nebraska. While most are in Lincoln and Omaha, pockets of members can be found in Scottsbluff, Red Cloud and ONeill as well as Kearney.

Although there are nearly 1.3 million Jehovahs Witnesses in 13,000 congregations across the nation, average attendance at virtual meetings nationwide during the pandemic exceeded 1.5 million.

The decision to close down meetings and more was based on the sanctity of life and the love of neighbor, two key Jehovahs Witnesses principles, according to Justin Cassel, a public communication representative for Jehovahs Witnesses in Grand Island. Spreading a deadly disease among our congregants, in our community or at our neighbors home was unthinkable, he said.

He said from March 2020 to November 2021, Jehovahs Witnesses spent more than 400 million hours engaging in their virtual ministry in the U.S., and 44,089 people were baptized. Weve received countless letters of appreciation and phone calls to express gratitude for our comforting letters and phone calls, he added.

We realize that the majority of people will either be indifferent to our letter or phone calls, or may even be opposed to it. We respect that. What keeps us going is our desire to obey Jesus, whose final command to his disciples was to preach the word. Being obedient to that is, in itself, a reward, he said.

When someone does respond, its the best feeling in the world. Helping people come to a knowledge of Bible truth brings great happiness to us. We know we have given them a gift that will improve their lives forever.

Ultimately, he said, it is the heart of a person that matters, not necessarily the method used to reach them.

Two global events will be held in April for Jehovahs Witnesses. Both can be seen at the Kingdom Hall at 3901 I Ave. in Kearney. The first, on April 10, is a lecture entitled Where Can You Find Real Hope? The second is the annual commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ will be held April 15, which is Good Friday for most Christians around the world.
By Trend





Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry denied media reports that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would visit the kingdom in the near future, state news agency (SPA) reported on Saturday, Trend reports citing Reuters.

An official from the ministry was cited as saying on Friday that Saudi Arabia was looking forward to welcoming Blinken to strengthen ongoing "positive" discussions, though no meeting has been scheduled yet in Riyadh.
This will make us unpopular among the Hubs many conservative readers, but we have grave concerns about the conceal-carry proposal thats barreling through the Nebraska Legislature, so were compelled to speak out.

We oppose LB773 because it sidesteps the most important among the principles that underpin our democratic nation: Rights come with responsibilities.

The legislation is long on rights. Its based on the notion that almost anyone in Nebraska is entitled to carry a concealed weapon, no questions asked.

However, the bill is woefully short on responsibility. For the right to carry a concealed weapon, the bill prescribes virtually no responsibility.

No need to apply for a permit, no requirement to have a background check and no safety training.

As if were still living in the wild West, LB773 would enshrine the right to carry a deadly weapon without asking gun toters to prove who they are and to prepare themselves to safely exercise their right.

Think about it, Nebraskas lawmakers are just one vote away from passing a bill thats opposed by law officers and legislators from our states largest cities because they fear the law will multiply gun-related problems. We would like to know why lawmakers supporting the bill can vote for a proposal that will increase danger in our state without even requiring safety training. Training might help prevent them from committing a deadly mistake they would regret the rest of their life.

State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, who introduced LB773, likes to refer to his conceal carry law as constitutional carry. In Brewers view and according to some gun rights activists, the U.S. Constitution gives Americans the right to carry concealed guns. They believe that not even a permit should infringe on their right, but we believe rights come with responsibilities.

If Brewer and the host of other lawmakers who support LB773 believe its smart to get rid of conceal carry permits, why not drop every firearm permit? For example, lets drop permits to purchase firearms. If its our right to conceal carry without a permit, it follows that it also is our right to buy guns without a permit. Why bother with the hassle of proving were not a convicted felon, an undocumented immigrant or domestic abuser.

Nebraskans support background checks because we dont want the wrong people owning guns.

The Hub always has supported the Second Amendment and Americans right to bear arms. However, the right to bear arms comes with responsibility.

Ninety-nine percent of gun owners are conscientious and responsible. Theyre OK with permits and accept that the right to own comes with the need for safety training. Whats so unreasonable about that?
Eliza Grier (1864-1902), an emancipated slave, believed she could be most helpful to other African Americans by getting a medical education. To pay for it, she alternated every year of her studies with a year of picking cotton. It took her seven years to graduate.

In 1898, she became the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in the state of Georgia, and although she was plagued with financial difficulties throughout her education and her career, she fought tenaciously for her right to earn a living as a woman doctor.

She was born in 1864, during the Civil War (1861-65), in Mecklenburg County, NC, to Emily and George Washington Grier. In 1884 she enrolled in the Normal Department at Fisk University in Nashville. She worked her way through school, alternating years between course work and jobs, yet remained active in extracurricular activities, including serving in 1890 as president of the Young Ladies Lyceum.

After graduating from Fisk in 1891, Dr. Grier moved to Augusta, Georgia, where she taught at the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute. Soon after arriving at Haines, Dr. Grier was accepted into the Womans Medical College in Pennsylvania (later part of Drexel University College of Medicine), where she began her studies in 1893.

Despite overwhelming difficulties, she remained determined and engaged in opportunities to improve health and hygiene standards for African Americans in the rural South. She fell ill in 1901, just three years after opening her practice, and was unable to work.

She moved to Albany, Georgia, where her brother Richard Edgar Grier, also a physician, worked. She died in 1902, just five years after beginning to practice medicine, and was buried in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sponsored by AAUW La Crosse; researched by Erica Koonmen.

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When: East Lampeter Township supervisors meeting, March 7.

What happened: Township supervisors approved a three-month extension for land development plans for Mister Car Wash, 2175 Lincoln Highway.

Why its important: Mister Car Wash plans to build on the site where Perkins Restaurant was formerly located.

Background: It is the second time developers have asked for an extension regarding their land development plans. The extended time, until June 20, will be used to continue working with township engineers, to obtain approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the necessary permits, Township Manager Ralph Hutchison said.

New police impound lot: The board awarded a $124,540 contract to H.L. Wiker Inc. for construction of the new police impound lot. The existing lot will be converted to a parking area. Chief Stephen Zerbe said the new lot will provide more storage for vehicles that are the subject of serious or fatal vehicle accidents investigation and/or evidence in criminal investigations. Tow trucks will be able to pull in, drop the towed vehicle in an angled space and exit without needing to turn around. The new lot will allow for 20 vehicles, where the current one allows for only 10-12 vehicles.

Other news: Supervisors discussed Lancaster Countys request to fund the Drug Task Force but took no action. The supervisors have not contributed to the drug task force since 2020 and did not budget for it in 2022 either.

Flashing signal: The supervisors agreed to submit an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for a permit to install rapid flashing beacon signals at the Lancaster Heritage Pathway crossing and Ben Franklin Boulevard.

Whats next: The next supervisors meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 21.
South Coatesville Borough Council held a special meeting March 17 to rescind the appointment of resident Gilbert Parker to fill a vacancy that occurred at the March 8 council meeting.

The meeting was originally scheduled for March 14 but was canceled due to it not being properly advertised in a local newspaper, mandated by the Sunshine Act. Officials did acknowledge a lawful executive session occurred March 14.

Borough Council voted 4-2 to rescind Parkers appointment due to aggravated assault charges in 1987 and 2018, a felony in the second degree listed on his public records. Council President Montez Jones, Vice President Ken Bond, and council members Bob Floyd and Tom Roney voted to rescind. Council members Renee Carey and Sylvia Washington voted against it.

Parker, who was at the meeting, said he was not convicted of stalking in 2003. South Coatesville police Chief Kevin Pierce responded even though he was not convicted, it will still appear on his record.

With the information provided by our solicitor and through all of the executive sessions we had, we made the best and right decision for the moment, Jones said.

Jones was the only council member who changed his vote. He said as Parkers minister and friend, he will continue to be with him.

Added Jones, My mindset and vote tonight had nothing to do with whether his sins were forgiven.

Bond said borough and county laws do not supersede state law. He also said the borough is not in a position to change it and cannot argue against it. Attorney Chris Gerber, the borough solicitor from Siana Bellwoar, said South Coatesville is bound by the decisions of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that is in charge of interpreting the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Bond said, Its not about friendship; its not about anything other than reality.

Washington, who voted no said Parker would have been an asset to Borough Council. She said the definition of hereafter in the ineligibility by criminal convictions section of the Constitution states after a person is in office and they commit a crime. Carey also cited the phrase in office under section 904.1 of the Pennsylvania Borough Code. It states, (3) On conviction of misbehavior in office or of an infamous crime is when an appointee is removed. Carey said in office is different than going into office interpreting Parker would have been eligible.

People are going to be accountable for interpreting law just to keep somebody out of office, Washington said.

I have heard a lot of statements that what has happened here is wrong and unjust. I understand that certain folks are not happy with the outcome. Its not worth my license or my reputation to give you advice that is contrary to law, Gerber said.

Council will hold its next hybrid meeting at 7 p.m. March 22.
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As Vladimir Putin began his brutal invasion of Ukraine, alarm bells went off in the West. A new Cold War was emerging, more complex and challenging than before. China, Russia and Iran had shown their teeth for some time. However, this Cold War II has taken on a deadly cast with the Ukrainian devastation and horror before our eyes. What can we learn from the 45 years of the original Cold War struggle? A great deal, I believe.

The Harry Truman administration learned from its early mistakes and successfully constructed the architecture to pursue the Cold War. The Korean War, a signature moment, contains lessons for the war now happening in Ukraine.

Lesson one: Do not tell your enemy what you will not do. In June 1950, with Josef Stalins blessing and support, North Korea launched a military invasion of South Korea. Previously, Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the Army commander in Japan, had signaled publicly that South Korea was not within the American defense perimeter. American occupation forces had left South Korea early in 1950, and Congress had delayed military aid. Just as President Joe Biden assured Putin that the U.S. would not put troops in Ukraine, the Truman administration publicly declared what we would not do. Both presidents rued the day.

Lesson two: Separating vital interests from peripheral interests is inordinately complex. Trumans decision to intervene in support of South Korea, supported by all of his senior advisers, reflected an immediate realization of that complexity. Leaving certain allies in limbo, such as South Korea, yet protecting others with binding treaties, is a line not drawn in the sand but water.

American credibility and its willingness to defend vital interests in Japan and NATO were at stake in Korea. Abandoning one ally, no matter the legal understanding, unnerves the others. Truman and Acheson understood that immediately and considered a failure in Korea unthinkable. Should Ukraine not receive continuous support from the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, how would the new Eastern European NATO members regard the sturdiness of that alliance? Such economic and military assistance must be sustained and effective, as it was in Korea.

Lesson three: Bring as many allies into the fight as possible. Acheson persuaded Truman to ask for a U.N. Security Council resolution to demand a North Korean withdrawal and summon U.N. members to aid the South Korean defense. With the Soviets having walked out of the Security Council over the refusal to seat Communist China, the U.N. was able to comply.

It was more than a paper commitment. Numerous nations contributed military and non-combatant support. By August 1950, 9,000 non-American and non-South Korean troops were in Korea, with 27,000 more on the way.

When Poland offered to send MiG fighters to Ukraine, Biden should have found a way to do it. These steps would encourage other allies to do more.

Lesson four: Terroristic bombing takes needless lives and cannot alone win a war. The United States learned this in Korea (and later in Vietnam), and Putin may be learning it now. Truman ordered air and naval forces to help the retreating South Koreans. More important, MacArthur was to lead U.S. troops under his command in Japan into the fight on the ground.

For several months, these measures seemed inadequate. MacArthurs troops were occupation forces in Japan and not combat-ready. The massive bombing of North Korean cities did little to stop their army, just as the brutal Russian bombing has not ended Ukrainian resistance.

By August 1950, American, South Korean and other allied troops were defending a small perimeter around the port of Pusan.

Lesson five: When a tyrant says he will do something, he often does. MacArthurs successful invasion of Inchon harbor north of Seoul allowed the allied troops, now reinforced, to break out of the Pusan perimeter and surge north.

Initially, the U.N. and the U.S. had declared that intervention was to protect South Koreas sovereignty, not unify Korea. MacArthurs rapid military success gave the Truman administration dreams of unifying Korea. The U.N. General Assembly agreed and endorsed this new war aim.

Caution was overtaken by excessive optimism, and another miscalculation ensued. Mao Zedong had warned through intermediaries that the Chinese forces would intervene if the U.N. forces crossed the 38th parallel. Dismissing that threat, MacArthur, with the Truman administrations support, continued north and foolishly spread out his troops as they reached the Manchurian border. Chinese troops flooded in, driving the allied forces south of the 38th parallel. Failure to take Mao seriously led to a protracted conflict.

Putin made it clear that he would invade Ukraine if it did not accept his terms of neutrality and disarmament. Forewarned is forearmed. The Biden administration, as did the Truman administration with Mao, did not take Putin at face value. The Biden administration should have given the Ukrainians the level of military support to turn that country into a porcupine for any potential invader.

Lesson six: Fight a war with a clear and limited strategic purpose, understanding its broader significance. In the face of Chinese intervention, MacArthur wanted to expand the war, bomb Chinese bases in Manchuria, blockade the Chinese coast and arm nationalist troops to conduct guerrilla warfare in mainland China.

Acheson saw the war in a broader context, arguing that reopening the Chinese Civil War would shatter the NATO alliance and begin an endless struggle. Truman took Achesons advice and eventually dismissed MacArthur, who had publicly challenged the president. The war was limited to the Korean peninsula, and American and South Korean troops fought for two years before an armistice was signed, mainly on American terms.

The United States, NATO and the Ukrainians must wage war within limits, requiring a fine line.

Lesson seven: Prepare the American people for a long struggle, ask them to sacrifice and put steel in their spine. As the Korean War began, the Truman administration understood that America must remobilize, as Acheson had long insisted.

The defense budget tripled from $14 billion to nearly $43 billion, the draft calls doubled, the Navy and Air Force expanded, and additional Army divisions went to Western Europe. Even with the gross national product and personal income a fraction of today's and five years removed from World War II, the American people supported every step.

Our adversaries in Russia are more brutal and reckless; in China they are richer and more calculated; and in Iran they are led by religious extremists. Truman and his successors were steadfast in their struggle, as was the public. Do we have such leadership today? Are the American people as tough and self-sacrificing as those generations? We better be.

Robert J. Bresler is professor emeritus of public policy at Penn State Harrisburg. He lives in East Hempfield Township.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation agrees with the March 15 op-ed by state House Speaker Bryan Cutler and state Sen. Scott Martin, stating that modern farming and healthy rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay can coexist (We must restore balance between streams and bay).

Pennsylvania has some catching up to do to meet its 2025 Clean Water Blueprint commitments, and supporting agriculture can get the job done.

More than 80% of the remaining pollution reductions must come from agriculture, and Lancaster County is at the epicenter of important work. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation applauds the progress made by the Lancaster Clean Water Partners.

Farmers want to leave their farms better than when they found them, but they cannot do it alone. State Senate Bill 832 and state House Bill 1901, mentioned by Cutler and Martin, would provide critical support by establishing a Clean Streams Fund.

The fund would allocate $250 million in federal pandemic relief funds to keep soils and nutrients on farmland. A proposed Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program would provide vital cost-share funds to farmers.

Investing in agriculture pays dividends by helping mitigate the effects of climate change, sequestering carbon, reducing flooding and improving herd health.

We all want agriculture to succeed. Farmers deserve the financial and technical support to install clean water practices. Our health, economy and quality of life depend on it.

We look forward to working with the Legislature to support farmers and leave a legacy of clean, local water for future generations.

Shannon Gority

Pennsylvania executive director

Chesapeake Bay Foundation
The American state of Wyoming has created a tool to help citizens collect animals killed in road accidents.

The tool permits people to legally claim the animals, known as roadkill, for food. The program also aims to collect data to help officials decide on measures to improve road safety.

State wildlife and highway officials added the system to a state-operated app that provides information on road conditions and traffic.

Users can register sightings of roadkill accidents and seek permission to remove the animals within the states rules and guidelines. Wyoming defines road killed wildlife as any deer, antelope, elk, moose, wild bison or wild turkey that was killed in an accidental vehicle crash.

State rules require the full animal remains to be collected. For safety reasons, roadkill may not be picked up after dark, along interstate highways or in areas where road repairs are happening.

The app provides state officials with data on the number of roadkill accidents and where the crashes are happening. This helps wildlife and transportation officials decide where to put up warning signs for animal crossings.

Officials estimate at least 6,000 animals are killed on state roads in Wyoming each year. That's quite a lot, said Sara DiRienzo. She is a spokesperson for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. She added, And we know that the majority of those are mule deer.

Mule deer live in the western half of North America and are generally bigger than the whitetail deer found across the whole continent. Wyoming is home to about 400,000 mule deer. The animals are widely hunted across the state. But dry climate and disappearing living environments have led to a nearly 30 percent reduction in the states mule deer population over the past 30 years.

Mule deer already are struggling because of a number of factors. Roadkill collisions don't help that, DiRienzo said.

Another problem is that other animals that feed on roadkill risk getting hit on roads, as well. These animals often include coyotes, eagles, skunks and others.

Jaden Bales is a spokesperson for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. He supported new legislation last year on the use of roadkill. Bales was recently informed of a deer that had been killed on a road not far from his home in the town of Lander. He used the app to report and collect the deer. He then processed the animals remains for food.

Bales said some people might think it is acceptable to leave roadkill where it is so that the circle of life can be completed. In this way, other creatures show up to feed on the dead animals.

But this, he added, presents big risks to the other animals. Whenever youve got roadkill, it is really dangerous for any of the critters who come and try to eat it.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report 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

app  n. a computer program that performs a special function, usually found on mobile phones

factor  n. one of the things that has an effect on a particular situation, decision, event, etc.

collision  n. a crash

critter  n. a living creature such as an animal
By Trend





The UK further strives to provide all possible support to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) in the de-mining process, as well as to raise people's awareness of the mine threat, UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp told Trend.

"This process is extremely important, primarily for the return of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons to their native lands," Sharp said.

The ambassador also noted that he personally visited liberated Jabrayil district, where the UK companies were conducting mine clearance trainings to accelerate the process.
The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) says Switzerlands banking system holds up to $213 billion of Russian money.

These bank accounts are now getting attention as nations establish sanctions against Russia and its leaders.

The SBA disclosure is rare for a country where generations of rich people from around the world have placed their money.

For years, Switzerland has stayed neutral in worldwide conflicts. During that time, its bankers have refused requests for information.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland announced that it would follow economic measures established by the European Union. The government ordered a freeze of all money that belongs to over 200 Russian individuals and groups.

Mattea Meyer is a member of the Swiss National Council. She said Switzerland must stop Russians with ties to President Vladimir Putin and his government from getting the money. The money and their activity ... help finance the war," she said.

The Russian wealth of $213 billion in Swiss banks is greater than the value of all economic activities, or GDP, of more than 150 nations. It is larger than the GDP of countries like New Zealand, Greece and Hungary.

However, the SBA said the amount was very small compared to the overall wealth held in Switzerland. Many rich individuals consider the country a safe place to keep their money.

The organization said in an email to Reuters that it added up to a low single-digit percentage of offshore wealth in Swiss banks. Offshore describes something held in a foreign country.

Other experts have said that, based on public information, the Swiss banking system could deal with limits on Russian money.

Switzerlands biggest bank, UBS, said its exposure to Russian money is "limited." But more sanctions and new restrictions could keep the bank busy.

Im Ashley Thompson.

Hai Do adapted this Reuters story for VOA Learning English with additional materials.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sanctions - n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country

disclosure n. the act of making something known : the act of disclosing something

exposure n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something : the condition of being exposed to something

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Clarissa Ward stopped her live television report on Ukrainian refugees to help a frightened older man, then a woman, down a steep path. She urged them along in Ukrainian.

A day later, Lynsey Addario, a photographer for The New York Times, captured a shocking image just after a Russian shell exploded in Irpin, Ukraine: A mother and her two children dead in the road, killed as they were trying to flee the city for safety. A friend who was helping them, lies near, dying as Ukrainian forces try to save him.

The memorable reports show both the skill and bravery of female reporters serving as eyewitnesses to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Men dominate journalism, in general, and war reporting, especially. But the number of women war correspondents has risen substantially in the last fifty or so years. And, their growing presence has expanded content coverage in war zones.

Women report on the tactics of war, like more traditional reporting, but give equal measure to its human costs. The stories reporters provide of events on the ground today are, arguably, more inclusive than in the past.

Wards reported captured the struggle of those trying to flee.

People are so exhausted, they can barely walk, Ward said during her report. And theyre the lucky ones.

Seeking a more human side to war coverage

Any and all war reporters working in a conflict area can face serious danger, including death. Women journalists started braving the threats professionally most notably in the middle of the 20th century.

Writer Elizabeth Becker explores the influence of early women war reporters in her 2021 book, You Don't Belong Here. It tells about American Frances FitzGerald, Kate Webb of Australia and Catherine Leroy of France who Becker says were central to modern war reporting. They looked at the more human side of violent conflicts, Becker said.

The women were very driven as well. They travelled to Southeast Asia on their own money, without a staff job and little or no reporting experience. They broke the traditional male control on war reporting.

Traditionally, the coverage was the battlefield, which is important, said award-winning journalist Becker, a 1970s war reporter. She said it took newcomer FitzGerald to ask, OK, what does this mean in terms of the Vietnamese and the villages?

FitzGerald earned a 1973 Pulitzer Prize and other honors for her book Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam.

Danger and discrimination

In major 20th-century conflicts before Vietnam, including World War II and the Korean War, women faced military barriers and professional discrimination. Reporter-novelist Martha Gellhorn famously traveled secretly on a hospital ship to cover the World War Two D-Day landing in France after she and other women were denied frontline access.

Newspaper reporter Marguerite Higgins, who had also covered World War Two, was ordered out of Korea by an American officer when war broke out there in 1950. She appealed the decision to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and won. Higgins earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1951 for her reporting, with the jury noting she was "entitled to special consideration by reason of being a woman, since she had to work under unusual dangers.

Edith M. Lederer was the first woman assigned full-time to the Vietnam War staff of The Associated Press. She remembers arriving in 1972 and meeting those who came before her, including Denby Fawcett. Fawcett began covering the war in 1966 for the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper.

Fawcett and several other women succeeded in breaking the barrier and getting women onto the battlefield on an equal basis with men. That was a huge breakthrough, said Lederer, who is AP's chief United Nations correspondent.

Did women have any effect on the war reporting itself?

I wrote some stories in Vietnam that I dont necessarily think that my male colleagues would have done," Lederer said.

They were more interested in the way the war was playing out, which of course was the main reason they were, and I was there.

But she also took time to cover a hospital where children, including victims of bombings and shootings, were being treated. When she arrived with balloons for the patients, youngsters of all ages shouting with delight almost bowled me over," Lederer said, reading from War Torn, the 2004 book in which she and other women who covered Vietnam tell about their experiences.

Telling the whole story

A new generation is covering Ukraine, with female reporters well-represented among TV, radio, newspapers and online media.

War reporting is a sense of mission, its a sense of purpose, its a sense of being able to tell a story, said Christiane Amanpour, the London-born chief international anchor for CNN. And women," she added, "are really very good at it, it seems.

It makes sense to Holly Williams, the Istanbul-based correspondent for CBS News reporting currently from Ukraine.

Im acutely aware of the fact that if you dont tell womens stories, youre missing at least half of the picture, Williams said. The Australian-born reporter has covered conflicts in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Earlier, she worked for BBC News.

Clarissa Ward worked for CBS News before joining CNN and, before that, was based in Moscow and Beijing for ABC News.

Often women do have a different perspective on war, and for a long time that was not really at the forefront of a lot of coverage, Ward said. She says she seeks out the humanity behind the story, the experience of ordinary people who are living in war zones.

Yonat Friling is a Jerusalem-based senior producer with Fox News Channel. She was deeply moved by her recent experience covering the war in Ukraine. Covering the flood of refugees leaving Kiev made her think, she said, of her own familys flight from war in Europe in the 1940s.

She said I saw children and women, and my grandparents in their faces. ... I know how much this is going to influence their whole life and the next generations."

Im Caty Weaver. And Im Mario Ritter Jr.

The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

Words in This Story

steep  adj. having a very sharp slope : almost straight up and down

dominate  v. to occupy a higher or stronger position

tactic  n. a method of employing forces in combat

exhausted  adj. extremely tired

delight  n. something that gives great pleasure

staff  n. a group of people who work for an organization or business

bowl over  phrasal verb to greatly surprise or shock

access  n. a way to enter

mission  n. an operation or effort of great value

anchor  n. a broadcaster (as on a news program) who introduces reports by other broadcasters and usually reads the news

perspective  n. a way of looking at or considering something; a particular viewing position

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The Lebanon Police Department has arrested a Prineville man for allegedly assaulting his wife and driving while under the influence of intoxicants.
Repayment rate shrinks on Lebanon bond proposal, but not as much as first told
LEXINGTON  The Lexington Rotary Club and high school students learned about the Rotary International Study Abroad Scholarship Program on Thursday, March 17.

Lisa Jorgenson, the outbound coordinator for Rotary District 5630, spoke during the Rotary meeting about the Rotary Youth Exchange.

She said many students join for the adventure, experiencing a new culture and language, find new interests, increase resiliency, flexibility and creativity and enrich their college and job application prospects.

She said the Rotary Exchange is a true exchange program, not just a study abroad program, and have been sponsoring international exchanges since 1964. Over 600 students from District 5630 have studied abroad over the years.

Jorgenson also spoke about the, significant support system, they offer exchange students when they go abroad.

Lexington has hosted several students over the decades, including ones from Argentina in 1969; New Zealand and Australia, 1984; Spain, 1992; Mexico, 1995 and India, 1999.

Lexington students have also been able to travel abroad through Rotary, including, Lisa Burkey to New Zealand in 1984; Katrina OBrian to Japan, 1993; Chris Longly to Australia, 1995 and Joel Roos to Japan in 2002.

Jorgenson said the district offers a flat fee program for students that includes, round-trip travel, visa, travel agency fees, insurance, language camps, outbound training, rebound debriefing and local support.

The local Rotary Club can also act as hosts by agreeing to accept a foreign student, secure school acceptance, allocate a stipend, recruit 3-4 host families trained by a District committee, provide local counselor, invite and include students in Rotary meetings and contribute to their wish list.

Jorgenson said she took part in the Rotary exchange and traveled to Sweden in the 1980s, her own daughter, Madeline, also traveled to Sweden in 2020. She said her trip was postponed at first due to COVID-19, but traveled later amid the restrictions.

Madeline was on hand to answer the questions from the Lexington High School student considering taking part in the exchange program.

When asked by the Clipper-Herald about any culture shock she experienced in Sweden, Madeline said she was surprised at how similar the Swedish public school system was to a collegiate system. She also said the food was quite different and it took her some time to adjust.

Madeline was in Sweden from August to June and had time to take in the culture, learn the language and become more familiar with the country.

When asked if there was any shock returning to the United States, she said trying to fit back into her biological family took some adjustment and she said she sounded strange speaking English full-time again.

Students in the exchange program also find themselves being the sole ambassador of their country and Madeline said while many people had polite questions to ask, others have strong opinions about the United States and talked at her rather than have a dialogue with her.

Madeline also found herself abroad in Sweden as the rancor of the 2020 election reached a zenith and the Jan. 6, 2020 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol took place. She said she found herself answering many questions and hearing just about as many opinions.

However, Madeline said the 10 months she spent in Sweden flew by and at the end she didnt want to leave.

For more information, families can contact Paula Witt, District 5630 Youth Exchange at 402-460-0005 or sign up at www.5630rye.org.
Lapwai, ID (83501)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 52F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 52F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
By Trend

Over 30 tons of humanitarian aid was sent from Azerbaijan to Kyiv, the Executive Power (EP) of Baku city told Trend.

"In response to the appeal of the Embassy of Ukraine in Azerbaijan, humanitarian assistance in the amount of more than 30 tons of food and other necessary means provided was sent to people affected by the recent developments in Ukraine. The aid was provided by the Executive Powers of Baku and its districts, as well as city residents," said the statement.
PEWAUKEE - No one was hurt after a Canadian Pacific cargo train derailed Saturday morning while traveling through Pewaukee.

The derailment happened about 6:37 a.m. near Somerset Lane and Parkside Road in the city of Pewaukee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. No injuries, power outages, private property or environmental damage has been reported, authorities said.

As the train slowed to a stop, a boxcar derailed from the track, causing one tanker and seven additional boxcars to derail. Only one of the derailed boxcars was hauling freight; the other boxcars and the tanker were empty, authorities said.

The derailment blocked portions of Parkside Road, restricting access to homes there, but otherwise did not affect traffic. The incident remains under investigation by Canadian Pacific.
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.

Wisconsin Supreme Court hears arguments in regulator bias case spawned by power line The court is being asked to decide if a former utility regulators personal relationships could invalidate a power-line permit.

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.

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Four candidates, including one incumbent (I), are vying for two seats on the Cambridge School Board in the April 5 election. The terms are for three years.

Adam Heb

Age: 40

Address: W9525 Rucks Road, Cambridge

Family: Engaged with three children, including two in Cambridge School District

Job: Owner of Air Care Specialists, Commercial Refrigerator, Heating and Cooling (residential and commercial)

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: None

Education: Beloit Turner High School graduate; associate degree in commercial refrigeration; associate degree in psychology and sociology, economics

Email or website: aircarespecialists@outlook.com

Courtney Reed Jenkins (I)

Age: 51

Address: N4390 Park Road, Cambridge

Family: Married with two children in Cambridge School District

Job: Assistant state director of special education, Department of Public Instruction

Prior elected office: School board member for five years

Other public service: Active in community, state and national organizations and boards

Education: Proud graduate of public schools from kindergarten through law school

Email or website: courtneyreedjenkins@hotmail.com

Tara J. Vasby

Age: 48

Address: 3000 Clear View Road, Cambridge

Family: Divorced, single mom with two children

Job: Executive staff assistant, Division of Public Health

Prior elected office: No response

Other public service: No response

Education: Cambridge High School; bachelors degree in political science, UW-Whitewater; masters degree in adult learning, Edgewood College

Email or website: www.facebook.com/groups/3148587222044295

Angela Wurtz

Age: 36

Address: W9221 Forested Road, Cambridge

Family: Married with three children

Job: Human resources

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: None

Education: Cambridge High School graduate; bachelors degree in business administration with an emphasis in HR development

Email or website: angelawurtz@gmail.com

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

Heb: I am the best candidate because I am honest and loyal. I will tell you my views without sugar coating. I am not here to sell myself to win, rather, I am here to speak honestly and boldly for the school district and community.

Reed Jenkins: I have the experience, commitment, and time to ensure that the return on taxpayer investments is well-rounded, engaged students who are ready to go into the world as kind, compassionate adults who will make the world a better place. I believe that public education is the foundation of our democracy, and I am proud that I have worked in education for my entire career  I love the commitment that Cambridge teachers have to our community kids. I am invested in public education.

Vasby: I believe that everyone has a different way of learning and knowing. Schools should be safe environments where students can bring their whole authentic selves to class every day. This includes applying a lens of equity in all policies to ensure that the district is providing safe and open spaces for all students and staff. Our schools are perhaps the most vibrant part of our community and the community of Cambridge is thriving because of it.

Wurtz: I will fight to move this community forward with our children as the focus. I know that I am well equipped to navigate complex decision-making processes, while representing the members of our community. I care about making every family in the Cambridge School District feel heard and welcome. Cambridge needs open minded people on the board to represent all opinions and values. A balanced board is a healthy board, and something that will benefit us all.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

Heb: The most important issue in this election is addressing the health and well being of our students and teachers due to the effects of COVID and bringing awareness to parents and community on curriculum changes in social emotion health and learning. I plan on addressing these issues through the eye of the public with open communication and transparency within the school board.

Reed Jenkins: The major short-term issues will be to navigate through the consequences of the global pandemic: the mental health needs of our students and staff, learning loss, and the fiscal impacts of federal and state funding decisions. Education is the foundation of democracy, and Im proud that Cambridge continues to invest in the education of our next generation  they are amazing people who will go out into the world as compassionate, kind people and make a difference.

Vasby: It is crucial to promote critical thinking skills for our students. We need to retain well qualified teaching staff and provide access to a wide breadth of quality learning materials. Providing additional optional materials to students to give them a broader world view beyond textbooks. We should encourage students to ask critical and thoughtful questions and provide them an opportunity to have difficult discussions in safe spaces

Wurtz: The most important issue that Ive seen, and an important reason why Im running for school board, is that there are many parents in our community who havent felt heard by their elected officials when it comes to our most precious constituentsour kids. I intend to encourage transparency and community involvement in school.

What would you ask lawmakers to include in the next state budget to improve K-12 education in your district?

Heb: I would like to see more funding available for opportunities having to do with trades in our community.

Reed Jenkins: Please fully fund special education so that local communities can decide how to use local tax dollars. Right now, local communities are subsidizing federal and state laws related to special education, which puts artificial limits to local control.

Vasby: I have 14 years of experience working in the state Legislature and am well versed in how state politics can and does impact schools. I am concerned about the current slate of proposals by the Majority Party that include: unlimited statewide voucher expansion; removing authority for charter schools from local school boards; and the so-called Parental Bill of Rights.

Wurtz: Additional funding for mental health services and accelerated learning is key to begin to recover from lost learning over the last two years. Further, we should invest in more interventionists and broaden the criteria for more students to take advantage of this amazing resource.
Four candidates including three incumbents (I) are vying for three seats to represent the Village of DeForest on the DeForest School Board in the April 5 election. One candidate, Ryan Weis, did not respond. There are two three-year terms and one two-year term.

Jan Berg (I)

Age: 71

Address: 728 South St., DeForest

Family: Children and grandchildren grown and not in area

Job: Director, DeForest Area Public Library

Prior elected office: School board for 24 years

Other public service: Public library volunteer; Chamber of Commerce member

Education: Oak Park River Forest High School; masters degree in library/information science, Rosary College, Dominican University

Email or website: spikeberg@hotmail.com

Brian Coker (I)

Age: 47

Address: 707 Sunnybrook Drive, DeForest

Family: Married with two children

Job: Plant manager for Renewable Energy Group

Prior elected office: School board for six years

Other public service: Scout BSA Troop 35 committee chair; Merit Badge counselor; volunteer with scouting for seven years; election worker for two years; delivered meals through the senior center for two years

Education: Marian Catholic High School; attended U.S. Air Force Academy, 2 years; bachelors degree in computer science, University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana); masters degree in business administration, Kellogg School at Northwestern University

Email or website: brian.coker@gmail.com

Gussie Lewis (I)

Age: 50

Address: 413 Trailside Drive, DeForest

Family: Married with three children

Job: Quality assurance specialist, Waisman Biomanufacturing

Prior elected office: DeForest Area School Board member since 2021

Other public service: Election worker, 2016

Education: Franklin County High School; bachelors degree in biology, Savannah State University; masters degree in biology, Purdue University

Email or website: Facebook page

Ryan Weis

Age: No response

Address: 405 Rosemal Lane, DeForest

Family: No response

Job: No response

Prior elected office: No response

Other public service: No response

Education: No response

Email or website: rjweis03@gmail.com

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

Berg: I have lived in the community for over 30 years. I understand much of the history of the community as well as the history of the school district. I have a proven track record of leadership both on the school board and as a public library director. I have moved the school district toward greater engagement with the public using stakeholder events. I have served the district and the communitys children for all these years because I believe passionately in public education.

Coker: I bring a unique perspective and experience to the board; from my experience starting a small business and reporting to a board of investors, my MBA experience with a specialty in nonprofit management and board governance, and the training/growth I have been fortunate enough to have working with my current company, I believe that I help make the board more productive and focused on student achievement. I am passionate about education and want the best for all students.

Lewis: Public service is important in our family from my husbands two decades as a police officer to my time as a substitute teacher, troop leader, and election worker. As the parent of a DASD graduate, a middle school student and a high school student, serving on the school board is an opportunity for me to give back to my community. Ive gained valuable experience and established good relationships within our district as a current board member. Students, teachers and staff are my priority.

Weis: No response.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

Berg: Addressing the aftereffects of the pandemic which include loss of learning and mental health issues, and the shortage of teachers are incredibly important issues. Getting enough staff support in place can help with the mental health issues, but the community needs to be involved as well. Advocating with the state for increased funds and streamlined certification will aid recruitment of staff. An equity lens needs to be used when dealing with these issues too.

Coker: Short term, our biggest issue is recovering from COVID  making sure that the mental, social and educational needs of all our students and staff are being met. We need to utilize the resources we have, both through strategic use of our budget as well as the ESSER funds from the government to fill in gaps so that staff have the support and time they need to help our students and make sure they have the tools to be successful going forward.

Lewis: Improving academic performance and mental health wellness are important to our district. Increased access to tutoring by utilizing community volunteers and making mental health professionals available in schools for students, teachers and staff.

Weis: No response.

What would you ask lawmakers to include in the next state budget to improve K-12 education in your district?

Berg: More per-student dollars would certainly help. Having zero dollar increase in per-student spending is moving education backward. Incentives for recruiting and retaining educators through student loan forgiveness for teaching a number of years should seriously be looked at. Streamlining certification of teachers and educational assistants to help reduce the staff shortage.

Coker: First and foremost, they need to increase per-pupil aid. ESSER funds were designed to supplement base funding for schools and help us recover from the pandemic, and that is what they should be used for; the single greatest investment our state can make is in providing for student success. They also need to fund their commitments to special education so all kids have what they need to become successful and productive adults.

Lewis: I would ask for more funding for our schools.

Weis: No response.
Five candidates, including one incumbent (I), are vying for three seats on the Sun Prairie School Board in the April 5 election. One candidate, Lisa Goldsberry, declined to answer the questions. The top three vote-getters will be assigned to the board. The terms are for three years.

Stephen Elmer

Age: 42

Address: 1378 Overlook Pass, Sun Prairie

Family: Married with three children in Sun Prairie schools

Job: Financial analyst, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: None

Education: Bachelors degree of business administration in accounting and economics, masters degree of business administration in finance, training and development, process improvement, UW-Whitewater; Licensed Certified Public Accountant in Wisconsin

Email or website: Stephen Elmer for School Board on Facebook

Lisa Goldsberry

Age: No response

Address: 708 Frances Court #4, Sun Prairie

Family: No response

Job: No response

Prior elected office: None

Other community service: No response

Education: No response

Email or website: lrgberry74@gmail.com

Latoya Holiday

Age: 39

Address: 142 Caraway Place, Sun Prairie

Family: Married with four children.

Job: Former special assistant to the state Superintendent (transitioned out of this role February 2022); beginning March 2022 will serve as an educational policy specialist at UW-Madison School of Education

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: None

Education: Bachelors degree in English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; masters degree in educational policy studies, UW-Madison

Email or website: latoya.holiday@gmail.com

Diana McFarland

Age: 35

Address: 2360 Colorado Ave., Sun Prairie

Family: Married with four children in Sun Prairie schools

Job: Substitute teacher for Sun Prairie and Madison, graduate student in learning analytics at UW-Madison

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: Member of Sun Prairie Parent Leadership Council (five years); executive board of Royal Oaks Elementary School Community Organization (five years, two as secretary, three as president); Girl Scout troop leader (13 years); Participant in Sun Prairie Area School District Communications Committee and Boundary Taskforces

Education: Bachelors degree in elementary education and psychology, UW-Madison

Email or website: dmdmmcfarland@gmail.com

Steve Schroeder (I)

Age: 48

Address: 1300 Fitness Run, Sun Prairie

Family: Married with two children

Job: Director of administration, Association of Wisconsin School Administrators

Prior elected office: Sun Prairie School Board since 2012

Other public service: None

Education: Bachelors degree in history and political science and masters degree in educational administration, UW-Madison; doctorate in educational leadership, Edgewood College

Email or website: steve4sp.com/

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

Elmer: I am a CPA with 20 years of accounting, budgeting, and finance experience. The district will be facing some tough financial challenges in the upcoming years due to lower revenues from decreasing enrollments. The board needs someone with the financial expertise and experience to help budget and allocate the increasingly limited resources while still supporting teachers and staff, and providing the best educational experience possible for all Sun Prairie students.

Goldsberry: No response.

Holiday: I am a strong candidate for Sun Prairie School Board due to my education, knowledge, experience and perspective. I have completed graduate studies in Educational Policy at UW-Madison and have spent my entire 17-year career in education both at the state-level and briefly as a part of the UW-System. As a mom of four, black woman and native of Chicago, I bring a rich perspective and lived experience that will aid the district in fully supporting the needs of our diverse student body and community

McFarland: I have been a Sun Prairie resident for 15 years, and have always been an active community volunteer. I believe deeply that all children have the right to a quality public education, and am vested in this district as a parent of two SPASD graduates and two current SPASD students. I have taught in our schools for years, and understand the viewpoints of staff as well as parents. I have shown my commitment by attending every school board meeting in person since declaring my candidacy.

Schroeder: There are other qualified candidates running for the Sun Prairie School Board and I do not think I am better than anyone. What I do have is 10 years of service and experience on the school board in which I have been president for four years and vice president for five years. I have a strong voting record that supports equity, educator support, and being a voice for those who often feel like they do not have a voice. I am a collaborator. I am a product of public education as are my children.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

Elmer: There is a growing number of parents in Sun Prairie who feel that their voices are not being heard at all when major decisions are made by the current Board and/or by the administration. Parents need a representative on the Board who is committed to listening to and understanding their concerns, is willing to create change when necessary, and is willing to keep the administration transparent and accountable for their decisions.

Goldsberry: No response.

Holiday: The most important issue in this election is how we recover and continue to progress through the pandemic. Students have had varying experiences across the board. We must leverage high-impact, research-based practices that will accelerate learning for our most underserved students. We must also create innovative learning opportunities and new educational experiences that center students, meets their needs and prepares them for life beyond high school.

McFarland: Our top priority must be the physical and emotional safety of our students and staff as we come out of the pandemic. The board must ensure that district administration implements school safety policies effectively, and communicates transparently with families and the community. I would expect this to include high expectations for student behavior, a strong social-emotional learning curriculum, staff professional development on trauma informed teaching, and administrative support of staff.

Schroeder: The most important issue to me is ensuring every child receives the quality education they deserve. A focus on social and emotional learning, decreased emphasis on standardized tests, make sure every child feels safe, seen, and loved in school, equitable policies and school funding, and supporting public educators is what I have done for ten years. We must work together to meet the needs of every child, every day. That is what I have done and will continue to do.

What would you ask lawmakers to include in the next state budget to improve K-12 education in your district?

Elmer: I would ask the Legislature to fully fund public schools, rather than cutting funding and forcing school districts to use federal relief funding to balance budgets.

Goldsberry: No response.

Holiday: Lawmakers should include sufficient state funding to support the real and true needs of districts.

McFarland: The next state budget should include revenue increases which do not rely on ESSER dollars to balance district budgets. I would ask lawmakers to fully fund special education services within our public schools. We currently have a state surplus, and can afford to adequately invest in our students. Todays children are tomorrows leaders, they are our future.

Schroeder: We must increase funding to public schools and stop siphoning funds from public schools for private schools. If lawmakers want to fund private schools, provide them their own budget, not take from the public schools.
Wisconsin lawmakers went home last week leaving a slate of energy and environmental policy bills on the table, but some advocates see signs that clean energy may be gaining traction, even among Republicans who control both chambers.

The Legislature passed just one significant energy-related bill, an expansion of a clean energy financing tool, while a handful of GOP-sponsored bills almost made it to the finish line.

Meanwhile a package of nearly two dozen Democratic proposals aimed at curbing and adapting to climate change languished without so much as a committee hearing after Assembly Speaker Robin Voss dismissed them as nothing more than pandering to the very liberal base.

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, a vocal leader on clean energy and climate policy, gave the session a grade of incomplete.

There was some discussion, but very minimal action, she said.

But while Republican leadership stymied the Democrats climate bills, Neubauer sees signs that some in the party are becoming more receptive to clean energy.

The discussion has changed significantly in the last couple of years, she said.

Republicans introduced bills to expand access to solar energy, spur investments in electric vehicle charging stations and foster markets for farmers to sell carbon offsets.

By my count there were eight GOP-led bills on clean energy or electric vehicles, said Scott Coenen, head of the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum. Thats eight more than last session.

Coenen said at least some Republicans recognize the economic and social benefits of home-grown energy.

We proved the concepts: There can be conservative, free-market centered clean energy policy, he said. You can do it in Wisconsin.

Nick Hylla, executive director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, had a less charitable take on the majority partys forays into clean energy.

You can introduce, if youre a Republican, anything you want. But you also know that its not going to get out of committee unless a supermajority is going to vote for it, he said. They just do it to look good.

The only significant energy bill passed was an expansion of Wisconsins Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, a tool for financing clean energy, energy efficiency and water conservation projects.

The bill, passed unanimously and signed into law last week by Gov. Tony Evers, will allow financing for projects including storm water infrastructure, such as green roofs and permeable pavement, as well as electric vehicle charging stations at commercial and industrial properties.

Jim Boullion, legislative director for Renew Wisconsin, said clean energys technological advances and falling prices in recent years have made a great story -- not just about reduced greenhouse gas emissions but also one of economic development, job creation and cost savings.

We are definitely making in-roads with legislators from both sides of the aisle, Bouillon said. Even if there are still hurdles to overcome, everyone is interested in learning more.

Neubauer believes Republicans will have to move further in order to win over suburban voters and as traditionally red districts are increasingly affected by climate change.

We are being pushed in the Capitol from outside, Neubauer said. I do think theyll feel increasing pressure to take action on these issues.

Below are a selection of energy-related bills that failed to pass this session:

Forward on Climate

Late last year Democrats introduced a package of 22 bills based on recommendations of the governors climate change task force that would have doubled funding for energy conservation and funneled more of that money to low-income households, reduced food waste, and provided money for climate-related research and planning, among other things.

None of the bills received a committee hearing or vote.

Voss said on Twitter, This isn't a serious effort and is nothing more than pandering to the very liberal base of WI Dems. And they wonder why they can't win elections outside of Madison and Milwaukee?

Hylla suggested Democrats made a marketing blunder by focusing on climate change rather than economic development, jobs and consumer empowerment.

Who are you trying to win over? Hylla said. You already have those people.

Neubauer said politicians need to highlight both messages.

I think it is important that we continue to talk about climate change, she said. It is a crisis thats looming.

Electric vehicles

Legislation stipulating who can sell electric vehicles, who can provide charging services and how customers pay for the electricity stalled amid disputes over the role for local governments and the source of electricity.

One GOP bill would have allowed companies other than utilities to charge for the amount of electricity sold rather than by the minute, clearing the way for private companies to operate charging stations more fairly.

But amendments stipulated that providers could only charge for electricity from local utilities, effectively prohibiting solar-powered charging stations, and limited the role of local governments, which opponents said would lead to charging deserts in rural areas and other places that might not be profitable.

Advocates saw the final legislation as a step backwards but say updates are needed to prepare for widespread adoption of electric vehicles and the influx of at least $79 million in federal funding for EV infrastructure.

We are at a key moment when important policy decisions have to be made, Boullion said.

Expanding solar access

A pair of Republican-sponsored bills that would have made solar energy accessible to more people failed to get through the committee hearing process amid heavy opposition from utilities.

One was intended to address an ambiguity in state law that has allowed utilities to refuse to hook up solar panels their customers lease from independent providers, which proponents say is key to expanding solar access for local governments and nonprofit organizations as well as individuals who cant afford the up-front costs.

The other bill would have required utilities to purchase energy from community-owned solar farms, a popular way for those who cant put solar panels on their roofs to share in the economic and environmental benefits.

Utility competition

Despite vigorous lobbying by a state utility regulator, the Legislature did not pass a bill to limit competitive bidding on the long-distance power lines that will be needed to deliver clean energy to population centers.

The bipartisan bill would have given the states three transmission utilities exclusive rights to build projects approved by the Midwest grid operator, which is expected to approve at least $30 billion worth of new lines next year.

Commissioner Ellen Nowak of the Public Service Commission pushed for the bill, which had support from utilities and labor unions, as a matter of preserving reliability and state control. But a coalition of consumer, industry and free market groups argued it was simply about protecting utility profits at the expense of ratepayers.

Natural resources bills Two bills that drew sharp criticism from environmental organizations died for lack of a vote: Drafted with input from a pesticide industry lobbyist, the proposal would have given industry and politicians more control over environmental protection, allowing anyone to stall and modify administrative rules or block state scientists from even recommending health-based groundwater standards.

A bill to allow the sale of some lands purchased with Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds, a state program that helps local governments and nonprofit organizations preserve land for use by the public.

Protecting natural gas

Another GOP bill introduced in the final days of the session would have prohibited cities, towns and villages from banning natural gas hookups in new buildings.

Such laws hamstring local governments ability to fight air pollution and climate change, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

At least 21 other states have adopted similar pre-emption laws since 2019 when Berkeley, California, became the first U.S. city to ban gas hookups in new buildings. Dozens of other cities -- most recently and notably New York -- have since followed suit.

Carbon trading

Introduced in the final days of the session, the Republian bill sought to establish a voluntary market for farmers to trade carbon emission offsets and to make it easier for producers to sell renewable gas produced from manure and food waste.

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Dane County has joined a nationwide relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions, but the immunocompromised and their doctors worry the absence of guidelines puts those with vulnerable immune systems at increased risk.

Dr. Jeannina Smith, medical director of the Transplant Infectious Disease Program at UW Hospitals and Clinics, said the updated guidelines leave her patients behind.

They really matter and theyre worth protecting, Smith said. And our current plan does not protect them at all.

Dane County let its indoor mask mandate expire on March 1 in accordance with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which redefined how it evaluates community-level risk and now only recommends universal masking in high-risk areas.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said earlier this month it supports the CDCs new guidelines. Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for the department, said the end of a mask requirement doesnt mean people hosting events or otherwise bringing people together should disregard the needs of people with increased risk from COVID-19.

When we gather together, we can be mindful of that, and ... we should incorporate that perspective on decisions about groups that share an indoor space about wearing masks, he said.

Smith emphasized the CDC is no longer aiming to prevent infection, but rather its goal is to reduce the number of patients who are hospitalized, which she said doesnt take into account the increased risk for immunocompromised people. While the CDC previously evaluated community transmission using case counts and percent of positive tests, they now focus on COVID-related hospital admissions and the percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, along with new cases.

A study from July found that vaccinated transplant recipients are more than 80 times more likely to get a breakthrough COVID infection than the general population of vaccinated adults, and they are 485 times more likely to face hospitalization or death as a result.

Immunocompromised people include more than just transplant patients. Smith said they also include cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or people suffering from immune system-related diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. For the latter, patients often take medication that suppresses their immune system. The CDC has a list of other medical conditions that may increase ones risk of serious illness from COVID-19, including disabilities, diabetes, pregnancy and others.

Its estimated 3% of the U.S. population is immunocompromised, but theres a misconception that people who are immunocompromised are sick or not healthy, Smith said. Theyre really active and productive members of society who therefore get exposed to COVID in their activities.

Patient perspective

Natalie Gaba, a 56-year-old Verona resident with chronic cancer, is very disappointed that Dane County dropped its mask mandate and said shes even more cautious about going out in public now that its gone.

At least with the mandate, there was a certain modicum of protection, Gaba said.

When grocery shopping, Gaba said she looks to see if employees are wearing masks or if the store is crowded before deciding to enter. Once inside, she tries to shop as quickly as possible.

I just wish more folks would understand and think about other people that are involved, said Gaba, who is also a retired health care worker.

Smith recommended that all individuals continue to wear masks in places that are hard to avoid such as grocery stores, pharmacies and clinics.

You dont know if the person whos in front of you in line at the checkout is a mother whos receiving chemotherapy for her breast cancer, and you dont know if its a kidney transplant recipient, Smith said, adding that COVID can still spread from those who are asymptomatic.

Dane County Board Sup. Michele Doolan, 48, a Cross Plains resident with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, which requires her to take medication that suppresses her immune system, said the pandemic has forced her to limit her social interactions significantly.

I want to meet people, I want to do things, but gosh, its kind of a calculated risk, Doolan said.

Doolan said she caught COVID at her job in January, even while wearing a mask, and said she has a harder time walking now as a result.

I worry because I wont go (door-to-door), personally, for my campaign (for reelection for county supervisor), Doolan said. Instead, shes opting to call voters or pick a public place where voters can talk to her while socially distanced.

Dave Ogden, a Madison financial adviser with type 1 diabetes, said he feels comfortable and confident going out in public, sometimes without a mask, because he was able to get vaccinated and boosted and maintain his diabetes well. However, Ogden also said he would comply with any future mask mandates.

Jesika Bornsen, a 48-year-old Madison resident with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, said shes OK with the lifting of mask mandates because she feels masking should be a personal choice. She takes issue with vaccine mandates, because she said they often discount those who are unable to get vaccinated due to various medical conditions, like herself.

Child challenges

There are special considerations for how COVID-19 can affect children, especially since a recent study in New York state found that the Pfizer vaccine isnt as effective at preventing infection for children ages 5 to 11, and children under 5 still dont have a vaccine available to them.

Its harder, because now Im like, can I really go out in the community with my kids? said Anna Stevens, one of the founders of Madtown Mommas, an advocacy group for parents of children with disabilities.

The Madison School District is requiring masks until after spring break, though the district is already taking a phased approach to modifying COVID restrictions.

Martha Siravo, another founder of Madtown Mommas, said lifting the county mask mandate felt like a huge turnaround from previous masking guidance.

Its concerning, because there was never really any middle ground for it, she said, adding that previous decisions have often been walked back. In June, Dane County lifted all COVID restrictions only to reinstate an indoor mask mandate by mid-August.

Smith emphasized that due to the nature of COVID-19, I can tell my patients to wear a mask, but we do know that its most effective when everyone masks.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Tunisia Kais Saied on the occasion of the national holiday of Tunisia.

"Dear Mr. President,

I wholeheartedly congratulate you and through you, your entire people on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Tunisia - the Independence Day.

I believe that the development of the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Tunisia both in the bilateral format and in the framework of international organizations will continue to serve the interests of our peoples.

On this festive day, I convey my best wishes to you and wish peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Tunisia," the head of state said.
Gary Cannalte, WISC-TV (Ch. 3) chief meteorologist, had a harrowing experience with COVID-19 early in the pandemic that landed him in the hospital on Thanksgiving 2020. He stayed there for five nights and still has some lingering effects.

I dont have the fog or anything else like that, but I literally dont have any smell or taste, he said. Thats probably going to be permanent, it would be my guess.

Because COVID-19 has only been around for about two years, its hard to know conclusively about any of its long-term issues, he said.

Cannalte, 60, said he was fortunate to get to UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital when he did, and put on oxygen. Once he got off the oxygen, he said, he recovered quickly other than losing his sense of smell and taste.

So, I tell people, get your vaccines, he said. I mean, dont take the chance.

Cannalte grew up in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates and got a degree in meteorology from Northern Illinois University with a minor in communications.

A job at WJFW-TV in Rhinelander brought him to Wisconsin in 1988, and he started at WISC-TV two years later.

He and his wife, Jean Marty, a recently retired middle school teacher, live in Verona. Their son, Chuck, is set to graduate this spring with a degree in criminal justice from UW-Milwaukee.

Your experience with COVID-19 was a scary one. How are you coping with losing your sense of taste and smell?

You know, maybe Im fortunate in the fact that when I got it I was almost 60 years old. I know what a steak tastes like, so I can, at least in my mind, kind of remember what its like. I mean, it actually has a little bit of a benefit that keeps me from overeating because you dont enjoy food as much. Although I can tell the difference between sweet and salty and spicy. So I eat more spicy food now, but if I was 20 years old and had to face a life of not being able to taste food, it would probably be a little bit different.

Does that mean you have some remaining sense of taste?

I can sometimes taste the first bite of food, but that may be my mind telling me, Yeah, thats what a steak tastes like. But after that, I can only detect texture and whether the food is spicy, sweet, salty, etc. From most of the experiences that I have read about, people get their smell and taste back pretty quickly after COVID, otherwise, they dont get it back. Some doctors have theorized it could be a form of nerve damage. There have been some experiments with training the mind to regain smell by having people smell very strong odors repeatedly, but this requires time and isnt always successful.

When did your interest in meteorology begin?

1967. I was 5 years old. I was in kindergarten, and in Chicago we had the blizzard of 1967, Jan. 26. And then in April  April 21  there was the Belvidere, Lake Zurich and Oak Lawn tornadoes. And between those two events, thats what really got my interest. And at that point I wanted to be a meteorologist. I was only 5 years old, but the only thing I never anticipated doing was going into television. I always thought Id be behind the camera in research and it wasnt until college that I even considered television.

What drew you toward television?

Well, actually my senior year in high school ... I was taking a lot of college prep courses and I took a speech course. ... And my speech teacher said, Hey, youve got a good voice for radio. Weve got an event in forensics, a speech team called radio speaking, where you put together a radio newscast. Why dont you consider coming out for the team? So, I did, and did pretty well in it. And then at that point I started thinking, maybe broadcasting is something to look into. And then when I went to college at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, I got involved with the radio station for three years.

You seem to enjoy talking about the weather, but also the science of making the forecast. Which part appeals to you more? Or is it about equal?

Its always been the science part that interests me. Its now a matter of being able to put that forecast and put that knowledge in a way that I can communicate to the average person whos watching. They want to know what the weathers going to be. They want to know why the weather is the way it is. We get questions all the time about that. So it starts with the forecast, and then the second part of it is the communication and being able to present that on the air.

What do you make of WKOW-TVs 4 Degree Guarantee, in which if the stations 10 p.m. forecast is off by more than 4 degrees, viewers can win money?

Personally, I like it. I mean, theyve done it for many years. But we just actually ... got notified that we have earned the WeatheRate seal of approval for the second year in a row, meaning that we have the most accurate weather forecast in Madison. WeatheRate is an independent company based out of Arizona. They monitor TV weather broadcasts across the top 95 markets in the United States. And they compare every TV station and their forecast on a day-by-day basis. They look at a number of different things besides just the temperature. They look at when youre predicting precipitation, whether or not youre predicting severe weather, whether youre predicting rain or snow or mixed precipitation. They look at it out to four days in advance and they can constantly update it every day of the year.

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Many mornings I wake up feeling as though every one of my joints is completely rusted out. On good days, its just a piercing headache that bedevils me as I awake. On bad mornings, I feel as though I got hit by a bus the day prior.

Every day, however, is a day that I feel pain  sometimes stabbing, other times throbbing, aching and burning, and always acute. For most of the day and night. Sometimes Ill feel like I have a terrible sunburn on various parts of my body. Almost all of the time I feel chilled to the bone and so tired. Exquisitely tired (as in, I might actually fall asleep at the keyboard) despite sustained attempts at excellent sleep hygiene due to bouts with insomnia.

My hands rarely open and close without pain. That makes it tough opening the seven or eight bottles of prescription nerve-regulating medicine, over-the-counter painkillers and vitamins I take just to sustain my existence.

Other times my hips, legs or feet hurt so much that I need a cane to walk.

I have a chronic illness with no known cure and few options for relief. Every day is a struggle to want to keep going. But the novel coronavirus may prove an unexpected lifeline because of how many people it has infected and how differently it manifests itself in disparate portions of the population.

More than half of the 236 million people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide since December 2019 will experience post-COVID symptoms  more commonly known as long COVID  up to six months after recovering, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. The research team said that governments, health care organizations and public health professionals should prepare for the large number of COVID-19 survivors who will need care for a variety of psychological and physical symptoms.

This means that people who have chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia (my current diagnosis) and autoimmune disorders such as lupus or inflammatory bowel disease have hope that such a large number of people suffering in similarly mysterious ways will enable finding some palliative care, if not a cure.

In a recent paper describing post-treatment COVID, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, described the syndromes symptoms as fatigue, malaise, dyspnea, defects in memory and concentration and a variety of neuropsychiatric syndromes as the major manifestations, and several organ systems can be involved  [resulting in] persistent inflammation, induced autoimmunity and [presumed] viral reservoirs.

It is incredibly hopeful that these researchers ended their paper with suggestions for diagnostic strategies to better understand what tends to be a shape-shifter disorder.

I wouldnt have made this connection had I not picked up New York Times columnist Ross Douthats horrific, but disturbingly comforting new book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery.

Douthat describes a long and tortured march of pain through his post-treatment Lyme disease  another ailment, along with fibromyalgia and autoimmune disorders, that bedevil patients and stump doctors. Douthat describes how doctors can come to believe these diseases are mostly just in the mind of the patient.

Overwhelmingly its women who are told its all in your head, get healthy and eliminate stress. Do yoga, they say. Meditate.

So it matters greatly that Douthat  a straight, white, conservative and religious man  tell his story of burning sensations, wrenching pain and his sickness degrading his mind and psyche. The hope is that such a testimonial might make the pain real to the overwhelmingly male physician corps who witness so many Lyme disease patients recover easily. They begin to believe that the few stragglers who struggle to recover are the real problem.

I felt very validated when Douthat admitted he felt the brain fog that so many Lyme patients talk about, descending like a cloud over my mind, and my capacity to write  the one thing that had been preserved for me throughout my illness  began to slip away. With the cloud came, for the first time in my life, a suicidal current in my thoughts  temporary like all my symptoms and therefore survivable, but still a repeated pulse of just kill yourself, just kill yourself, just kill yourself that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to an hour before it fled.

I empathized because my pain has been that bad and that real.

Testimonials by upstanding men such as Douthat might help the medical establishment recognize that whatever is at work in long-haul COVID, post-treatment Lyme disease and other mysterious chronic illnesses has nothing to do with being hysterical or crazy.

Now is the time for researchers to find a way to connect the dots between these similar, if disparate, causes of chronic pain and maybe find solutions for its management.

But it has to start with believing patients whose pain problem cant easily be diagnosed by a checklist in an electronic medical records management software system.

Latino votes up for grabs

Someday in the not-too-distant future, the term Latino vote will die out quietly. No more talk of sleeping giants. No more voting blocs that are assumed to be easy gets for any Democrat who says nice things about Latinos whenever Republicans dehumanize immigrants.

Several prominent news stories in recent days have marveled at how the GOP is managing to attract the attention of Hispanic voters by funding community centers in Hispanic neighborhoods and financing the election campaigns of Latinos. In some cases, previously Democrat-identifying Hispanics switch their party.

This isnt so surprising, really. Ive been covering the demographic story of Hispanics in America since the results of the 2010 Census spurred a million headlines about the coming demographic tsunami, which implied Latinos were going to cause white people to go extinct.

Its more the other way around, from what I can see.

Just ask any elementary school teacher in America, regardless of whether they teach in a rural, suburban or urban district  Latinos are mixing in with other races. Across the K-12 school system and in colleges across the country, white, Asian, Black and Indigenous Latino-identifying young people with names such as Xochitl Smith, Kristie Ochoa, Brad Chavez and Rick Sanchez hint at a double identity.

And many, many American men and women have traditional, white-sounding names who may (or may not) speak Spanish but who identify as Mexican American, Cuban American, etc. due to their immediate ancestry.

Usually a group of people who all have one thing in common  at least one ancestor from Latin America  would be considered to have an affinity.

But that only makes sense in the context of believing, as some truly do, that all Latinos are illegal immigrants, that they all speak Spanish, and that they are all poor and undereducated.

Actually, the Latino population in this country represents a community-in-name-only with a wide range of educational levels, professional experiences, household incomes and varying degrees of attachment to Christian religions.

Democratic powerbrokers often ignore Latino voters because they believe that Republican opponents could never appeal to Hispanics.

Republicans, on the other hand, take nothing for granted. They know that they stand to do well with Latinos who are older (as in Generation X age and older), more closely linked to religious traditions, and Latinos who have higher-than-average household incomes.

This is despite huge skepticism about what real commitments Republicans can make (and keep) in an effort to swing Latinos, who are very impressionable at this time. A December Wall Street Journal poll on congressional races found that 37% of Hispanic voters favored a Democrat candidate, 37% favored a Republican candidate, while 22% of respondents said they were still undecided.

Its also true that lots of Latino voters cast their ballots for former President Donald Trump and other Republicans during the last election.

The progressive data analysis firm Catalist wrote in a report on What Happened in 2020: Along with massive increases in turnout, Latino vote share as a whole swung towards Trump by 8 points in two-way vote share compared to 2016, though Biden-Harris still enjoyed solid majority (61%) support among this group. Some of the shift from 2016 appears to be a result of changing voting preferences among people who voted in both elections, and some may come from new voters who were more evenly split in their vote choice than previous Latino voters.

Last month, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, was at a GOP-financed community center in a heavily immigrant and Latino Milwaukee neighborhood, trying to make nice by talking with actual Latinos about school vouchers, crime prevention and immigration policy.

Johnson and all other high-visibility candidates need to do the same  Latinos are now Wisconsins largest minority group. And theres no teasing out which ones are susceptible to a Republican fiscally conservative, socially liberal message.

In a story about the rise of Republican Latino legislators, Texas Monthly described the appeal: Shared immigrant stories and opposition to Democratic Party policies that are unpopular in the region, combined with Trumpian rhetoric.

I hate to say that I kinda get it.

Democrats have paid little more than lip service to Latino-centric concerns about the economy, education and health care, much less immigration  a contentious topic that doesnt define Latinos, but very much affects them and their families, even if theyre U.S.-born.

And Democrats are, lets face it, a hot mess of internecine battles over high-minded liberal and progressive issues that seriously turn off working-class folks who are living through precarious times.

Its difficult to estimate what percentage of Wisconsins approximately 190,000 registered Latino voters (they represent only 4% of all eligible voters) will turn out during the next midterm elections.

Whats easy is noting, for the umpteenth time, that Latino votes are up for grabs. Every political party should be doing whatever it takes to welcome, court and win over this growing, eager and non-homogenous electorate.

1,000 families are still apart

Kids in cages.

Kids in cages.

Kids in cages.

There, I said it.

I know a global pandemic is still going on, in addition to war in Ukraine and all sorts of other suffering. But we cannot forget that we still have an immigration crisis in the United States in which people, especially children, are still suffering.

Democratic-leaning organizations seem to have some unspoken agreement to steer clear of openly criticizing Team Biden on immigration, but children are still lost, families are separated and cruel treatment remains at our border.

It needs to end.

Those of us who were waiting for leadership on the immigration front were disappointed during President Joe Bidens State of the Union address. He hit the usual beats: Provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, temporary status recipients, farmworkers and essential workers to help with the national labor shortages.

Revise our laws so businesses have the workers they need and families dont wait decades to reunite, Biden said. Its not only the right thing to do  its the economically smart thing to do.

Ugh. Immigration advocacy groups began framing humanitarian issues as economic puzzles with built-in solutions because  the thinking went, over a decade ago  that using cold hard business facts about immigrants worth as human capital would get certain conservatives to re-imagine how immigration reform could pay off.

Its a strategy that will never pay off big because so many legislators, in Washington and beyond, dont care about facts. They care only about promoting a boogeyman wedge issue that relies on demonizing immigrants.

Pathway to citizenship and reform are the most vague and simplistic platitudes you can make on immigration. This is what the Biden administration calls leadership?

Cepeda, of Madison, can be reached at ejc@estherjcepeda.com and @estherjcepeda.
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.

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.

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.

Then he showed a before-and-after video of once-peaceful Ukrainian cities  like Kharkiv, Mariupol and increasingly Kyiv  where hospitals, schools, cultural and business centers, and high-rise apartment buildings are being wiped out by Russian missiles and bombs.

I have a dream, Zelenskyy told Congress. I have a need. I need to protect our sky. I need your decision, your help.

Out of desperation, the Ukrainian leader appears to have given up his goal of a NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine. Biden once again rejected that request Wednesday. Both parties in Congress, as well as other NATO countries, have nixed it because it would require destroying Russian missile batteries and planes.

Even 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. Many security experts (and this columnist) believe this option is worth exploring  by which NATO planes would make clear their purpose was peaceful and would protect refugee flows and a free city of Lviv.

Yet the White House and NATO have let Putins nuclear blackmail rule this out.

Ditto for Zelenskyys continued effort to obtain Polands MiG-29 planes.

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. Those include Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Greece, which has the largest number. 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.

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. If he cannot make the country cower, he appears ready to wipe it out and then drag on negotiations forever, while declaring victory. A destroyed Ukraine may even suit Putin better than an occupation, which Russian forces arent capable of carrying out.

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 MG-29s to Ukraine. If Zelenskyy says he needs them, I believe him over Pentagon claims that he does not.

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.

Rubin writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer: trubin@phillynews.com.
BOISE  An Idaho man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the beating death of his 9-year-old son.

Erik Osuna made the guilty plea on Wednesday in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to seek the death penalty, the Ada County Prosecutors office said in a press release. The boys stepmother, Monique Osuna, pleaded guilty to murder in February. Both face up to life in prison when they are sentenced in June. Emrik Osuna died in September 2020, a day after someone called police to report a medical emergency at his home. When Meridian Police officers arrived at the house, they could not detect Emriks heartbeat, and they said they saw signs of abuse. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead the next day.

Nanny cameras from inside the home showed that the child was forced to do strenuous physical exercises for hours at a time, and in a written statement Monique Osuna said she beat the child with objects including a frying pan to make him continue exercising. The child appeared severely malnourished in the video clips played during a court hearing last year. Three other children lived in the home, including an infant, but police previously said the others did not appear to be abused.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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BOISE  Roughly 300 people gathered Saturday at the Idaho state Capitol to protest an abortion bill that could ban the procedure after about six weeks and would make Idaho one of the most restrictive abortion-access states in the country.

Demonstrators rallied at the Capitol before marching to the Post Office on Bannock Street to mail letters asking Gov. Brad Little to veto the bill. Legislators sent the bill to the governors desk on Monday, after the House passed the piece of legislation 51-14.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, spoke at Saturdays rally and said she opposed the bill to represent the majority of Idahoans who believe that women and people who are pregnant deserve to have access to a full range of health care.

Its more than ink on paper. Its more than lines through words, she said. These are my very rights. This is my very humanity and my dignity that you are trying to erase.

The right to an abortion in the U.S. is protected by a 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which maintains the right until a fetus is viable outside the womb, or at about 23 weeks of pregnancy.

But Idahos bill, which is widely viewed as a copy of a similar albeit more restrictive Texas law passed last May, would ban the procedure after cardiac activity in a fetus is detectable, which usually occurs at around six weeks and is before the time some women know they are pregnant. The bill has an unusual civilian enforcement mechanism, allowing a fetuss father, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle to sue the abortion provider for a minimum of $20,000 and legal fees within four years of the abortion.

By avoiding state enforcement, the bill aims to circumvent legal challenges on constitutional grounds. The approach has so far worked in Texas, where the Texas Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court have declined to intervene, citing the fact that the private enforcement mechanism makes it difficult to dispute in court, as state officials cannot be challenged in court by its opponents.

One month after the Texas bill became law, the number of abortions performed by registered providers in the state fell by 60%, according to state figures.

Unlike the Texas bill, only family members could sue under the Idaho law, and potential legal action could only be pursued against providers. The law in Texas also allows legal action to be taken against people who assist a woman in getting an abortion.

I think its important that people know that this is a coordinated effort to try to take away abortion rights as quickly and extremely as possible, Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, told the Statesman.

The bill would take effect 30 days after the governor signs it, and is likely to face legal challenges.

A coalition of abortion rights groups organized Saturdays rally at the Capitol, including Planned Parenthood, Freeing Idaho, Legal Voice, the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence and Add the Words, Idaho.

Rally attendees carried signs reading Ban Off Our Bodies and Im a woman not a womb. Demonstrators sent invoices to the Republican governor noting the cost Idahoans may have to sustain to receive an abortion out of state if the bill becomes law. Neighboring states like Oregon and Washington have relatively nonrestrictive abortion laws.

I dont want people to die for something that they have a right to, Levi Dorosh told the Statesman as they marched to the Post Office, referring to the large number of people who often pursue and receive unsafe abortions when the procedure is illegal or restricted.

Unlike the Texas law, the Idaho bill allows some exceptions in the case of rape or incest, but only if women have filed a police report and can show it to their provider. On Monday, one of the bills co-sponsors said that family members of a rapist could, under the law, still sue the provider.

Last year, Little signed another abortion bill that would outlaw abortions once cardiac activity is detected. But that bill contains a trigger provision, meaning it will not take effect until a federal appeals court upholds similar legislation anywhere in the country.

Rally organizers on Saturday said that opponents of the bill had sent thousands of messages and made over 2,000 phone calls to legislators, as well as hundreds of calls a day to the governors office since the bill left the Legislature.

Dorosh said they hope Saturdays rally will keep Little from signing the legislation.

Im hoping seeing all these people will keep him from doing it, they said.

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Katya Hill tried to talk her brother out of it. She urged Jimmy Hill to postpone his trip to Ukraine as she saw reports of Russian tanks lining up at the border. But he needed to help his longtime partner, who has been suffering from progressive multiple sclerosis.

He said, I dont know what I would do if I lost her, I have to try to do everything I can to try to stop the progression of MS, Katya said. My brother sacrificed his life for her.

James Jimmy Hill, 68, was killed in a Russian attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that was reported Thursday, as his partner Irina Teslenko received treatment at a local hospital. His family says she and her mother are trying to leave the city, but because of her condition they would need an ambulance to help and it was unclear when or if that could happen.

In an interview from Pittsburgh Saturday, Hills sister called her brothers relationship with Irina a beautiful love story, but unfortunately it has a tragic ending.

Katya Hill said Irinas illness had progressed to the point that she had lost the ability to walk and much of the use of her hands. She said her brother  a native of Eveleth, Minnesota, who was living in Driggs, Idaho  had spent months trying to secure treatments to stop the progression of the disease and had finally arranged for treatment in February.

Katya said her brother thought the world wouldnt let the invasion happen.

Katya said the two met while her brother, who taught social work and forensic psychology at universities in various countries, was teaching a class in Ukraine. He knew instantly that he was in love and they spent years together, talking for hours every day on the phone when Jimmy was back in the Unites States.

Katya said in the last few weeks as the bombings grew more frequent and resources more scarce, her brother had been daydreaming of ways to get Ukrainian families to the U.S. to set up a little Ukraine at his Airbnb properties he owned in Idaho and Montana. She said her brother loved Ukraine and even on the day he was killed, friends had helped her piece together that he had decided to stay to be with Teslenko and her mother at the hospital.

It was initially reported that Jimmy was gunned down while waiting in a breadline, but Katya said the family had received new details through their senators and from Jimmys friends in Ukraine Saturday.

Katya said Jimmy and a friend who lives near the hospital had gone to an area where they had heard buses were waiting to evacuate people who wanted to leave the city via a safe corridor. There were more than a thousand people already waiting in line, and Jimmy told the friend he was going to return to the hospital. The friend told Katya that Russian shelling began as he was leaving, and the blast that killed her brother had caused the friend to lose hearing in one of her ears.

Katya said her family is still waiting to hear directly from the U.S. State Department to get details of where his body is.

Chernihiv police and the State Department confirmed the death of an American but did not identify him. The Associated Press reached out to the State Department to confirm details of Hills death, but had not received information as of early Saturday.

In poignant posts on Facebook in the weeks before his death, Hill described indiscriminate bombing in a city under siege. Katya said he had described increasing hardships in a Facebook Messenger group, starting each day by saying he was still alive.

But electricity and heat had been cut off, and food and supplies were becoming more scarce. Katya said he would go out to wait in line for food and supplies and bring back whatever he could for the hospital staff.

Most patients at the hospital had moved to the basement bomb shelter, but Irina and her mother remained in the upper levels because of the cold and so she could continue the treatment.

Katya said Irinas mother had been told about Jimmys death, but had not wanted to tell her daughter. She said they had hoped for help to evacuate back to their home village southeast of Kyiv, where Irinas father was waiting, but it was unclear whether they could find an ambulance to take them or a safe route for the trip.

Associated Press journalist Derek Karikari contributed to this report from New York.

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In recent weeks, I have heard some questions from Idahoans about a bill in Congress that I am cosponsoring: H.R. 1440, the Fairness for All Act. It has come to my attention that certain misconceptions about this bill have spread via social media and even the press, and I would like to take the time to give the facts about this important bill.

In 2019, one year into their new majority status, House Democrats made good on a campaign promise to introduce civil rights legislation aimed at prohibiting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. H.R. 5, which Democrats dubbed the Equality Act, proposed to amend the Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. However, the bill did not include traditional religious liberty protections. In fact, it sought to revoke the conscience protections in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, meaning that under the Democrats bill, doctors and nurses could be forced to provide abortion-related services or transgender surgeries, regardless of their religious or moral objections. It even threatened to insert the federal government into a churchs employment decisions and to turn houses of worship into places of public accommodation, as if a chapel or synagogue is legally the same as a gas station. H.R. 5 also weakened Title IXs protections for women and girls sports, eliminating the ability to provide separate spaces, services, and protections for the privacy of women and girls.

I oppose discrimination of all kinds, and I support efforts to ensure that no one is treated unfairly. However, I also believe that Americans Constitutional right to religious freedom is a foundational liberty that must not be eroded. I voted against H.R. 5 when it came before the House of Representatives in 2019 and 2021 for many reasons, but the threat to religious liberty was chief among them.

Some Republicans in Congress, led by Representative Chris Stewart (R-UT), recognized that while H.R. 5 was bad policy, it was not enough to simply vote against the legislation. Democrats are committed to passing a bill that prevents LGBT discrimination, and it is important to offer a counter proposal that achieves that goal while also ensuring strong protections for religious freedom. That is why, when Rep. Stewart introduced the Fairness For All Act (FFAA, H.R. 1440 in the 117th Congress), I joined as a cosponsor. Currently, there are 18 Republican cosponsors of the legislation, and no Democrat cosponsors. The bill has not yet received a vote in Congress.

FFAA is based on the principles that no American should lose their home or job simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and that all religious persons should be free to live, work or serve their community in ways that are consistent with their faith. The bill is the result of many months of negotiations between LGBT advocacy and religious groups, and is based on Utahs SB296, a hard-fought compromise bill that passed in 2015. Notably, related lawsuits in Utah have all but ceased since SB296s passage. In Idaho, former Idaho Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, set up a working group in 2019 to develop legislation to protect LGBT Idahoans from discrimination while also protecting religious rights. Senator Hill was right when at that time he said, The risks of doing nothing are great on both sides.[1]

Contrary to some misinformation I have seen, the Fairness For All Act would not prioritize any persons rights above anyone else. At a time when Democrats are passing legislation that would decimate religious liberties and conscience rights, H.R. 1440 presents a conservative alternative, crafted to preserve the First Amendment right of all persons to freely exercise their religion. The bill defines gender identity as an evidence-based status that must be sincerely held and not asserted for an improper purpose. These restrictions prevent someone from trying to enter a bathroom or shower area to commit a crime or to interfere with others privacy. Under this legislation, crimes  like violations of privacy or sexual violence  remain crimes.

Most importantly, the bill protects the tax-exempt status of religious organizations and religious colleges and universities and protects health care providers and owners of small businesses whose religious and moral principles prevent them from participating in activities that are contrary to their conscience and beliefs. The Fairness For All Act is endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the AND Campaign, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The National Association of Evangelicals and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America have also expressed support for protecting both sets of rights, as the FFAA does. Along with these religious organizations, I believe it is time to put the fight over civil liberties to rest by supporting conservative legislation, like the Fairness for All Act, that secures religious liberties once and for all.

Mike Simpson represents Idahos second district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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This year, Marion will celebrate Juneteenth with a three-day festival for everyone to enjoy.

That announcement was made Tuesday evening during the regular meeting of the Marion City Council.

City officials heard a presentation by leaders of the West Marion Community Forum. They informed the council members that a three-day Juneteenth festival will take place here from Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19. Dawna Goode-Ledbetter, Paula Swepson and other leaders of the West Marion forum asked the city officials if they were familiar with Juneteenth. All of them said yes.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed by federal troops they were free. The news arrived to them more than two and half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. That historic day became known as Juneteenth, a word created by joining the words June and nineteenth together. Juneteenth is also a celebration of the freedom, culture and empowerment of African-Americans. Last year, President Biden signed an act establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, according to online resources.

The West Marion Community Forum leaders said the local Juneteenth celebration will be a celebration for all people in Marion and McDowell County, not just the African-American community.

We all live here together, said Goode-Ledbetter. We all need to celebrate together.

It will include events at the Paddys Creek section of Lake James State Park and the West Marion Neighborhood Park. There will be food, music and a Miss Juneteenth Pageant.

The West Marion forum leaders were joined by Rossi Martin, owner of Spillway Bridge & Co. for this announcement.

More details about the Juneteenth festival will be announced in the near future.

City of Marion officials commended the West Marion forum and other leaders with creating this new festival.

I just want to commend the forum for bringing history alive, said Council Member Chet Effler. Its imperative we learn from each other.

In other matters, the City Council heard about a plan to install new signs to guide tourists in McDowell.

Carol Price with the McDowell Tourism Development Authority and Candace B. Hladick with J.M. Teague Engineering & Planning gave a presentation to council about the new wayfinding signs.

More than 40 of these colorful and eye-catching signs will be placed at key intersections as a way to guide people to interesting places in Marion, Old Fort, Little Switzerland and other parts of McDowell County. They will point the tourists to downtown destinations, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Lake James.

Price said the TDA will seek requests for proposals for the installation of the signs. Once the state Department of Transportation sends its official approval, the next step is to send the requests for proposals to potential sign manufacturers.

I hope this takes place by the first of May, Price told The McDowell News. It is possible to begin sign installation in June or July.

In other business, the Marion City Council:

Held a public hearing about assigning a new zoning for the 6.2-acre property on Old Morganton Road. The current property is vacant and is in an area of single-family housing types and industry. The property owner intends to build 26 affordable single-family homes on one parcel and either multi-family housing or additional single-family housing on the other. City staff recommended that this property be assigned the R-2 Neighborhood Residential zoning. After a hearing, council agreed to assign the R-2 zoning for the property.

Approved changes in the citys United Development Ordinance to help clarify state building code requirements for materials used in the citys primary fire district.

Approved the start of condemnation procedures for a dilapidated house at 891 E. Court St. This large two-story frame house has been deemed a health and safety hazard. The action taken by council on Tuesday authorizes the city to investigate the conditions further and hold an administrative hearing with the property owner to determine if the house can be repaired or should be demolished to protect public health and safety.

Adopted the local water supply plan.

Approved three-year contracts for the mowing of both the street rights of way and Oak Grove Cemetery. Elite Lawn Care & Fence was awarded the contract.

Awarded the contract for landscaping services at the South Main Street Park. The contract was awarded to Lawrence Moore.

Heard a report from Planning Director Heather Cotton about the Adopt-A-Street program.

Heard an update about the Arbor Day celebration, which will be held Saturday, April 19. City Clerk/Public Information Officer Landdis Hollifield said it will take place at the Community Building Park.
By Trend





The Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport has organized the 71st regular bus trip to Azerbaijan's Shusha and Aghdam cities, liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 second Karabakh war], the ministry told Trend.

According to the ministry, so far, 3,196 passengers have been totally transported to the mentioned cities since January 24, 2022.

Taking into account the numerous appeals of citizens, the decision was made to carry out daily bus trips on the Baku-Shusha-Baku route during the Novruz holiday, added the ministry.
Dr. Thomas Brothers is working to improve addiction treatment and harm reduction care in the Maritimes. Credit: Dalhousie University

When we walk through the doors of a hospital, as a patient we expect to receive the best care that is medically available.

Dr. Thomas Brothers, a Dalhousie University general internal medicine resident, has taken a deep dive into addiction treatment and harm reduction services at the Saint John Regional Hospital and the QEII and results show there is room for improvement.

The manuscript, "Unequal access to opioid agonist treatment and sterile injecting equipment among hospitalized patients with injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis" (IDU-IE), was recently published in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal produced by the Public Library of Science. Dr. Brothers and his colleagues, including Dalhousie faculty in both Halifax and New Brunswick, gathered hospital data over an 18-month period between 20152017 and found that patients with IDU-IE in the Canadian Maritimes have unequal access to addiction care depending on where they are hospitalized, which also differs greatly from the community-based standard of care.

The study was inspired by a desire to identify how people were being admitted to hospital with IDU-IE and how many were offered appropriate care. While Dr. Brothers was completing his medical school training at Dalhousie, he noted the frequency with which patients were admitted with serious, life-threatening bacterial infections such as endocarditis resulting from injection drug-use. The pattern following these admissions alerted him to the need to help these patients.

"They would not do very well," he recalls. "They would present in serious pain and withdrawal and would often leave the hospital to get drugs to treat their symptoms, and it seemed like nobody really knew how to help."

An alarmingly high 1020% of patients on the internal medicine ward are there with medical complications from addiction. Traditionally, the focus has been on medical treatment: antibiotics for bacterial infections, diuretics for those with liver disease or heart failure from alcohol, and consultations with social work to offer counseling and other supports. In Halifax, addiction treatment in hospital with evidence-based medications simply was not available.

A community of care

While witnessing the hospital situation, Dr. Brothers was completing electives at local harm reduction organizations such as Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH) and Mainline Needle Exchange. It was at MOSH that he met founder Patti Melanson, a registered nurse and co-author on the paper, who introduced him to compassionate, expert harm reduction care in the community. What they offered was so drastically different from what was available in hospital that Dr. Brothers set out to determine how to incorporate what was provided in the community into acute care settings.

He was subsequently introduced to Dr. Duncan Webster, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, and an infectious disease specialist in New Brunswick, who had been providing addiction and harm reduction care to hospitalized patients in Saint John since the early 2000s. Dr. Webster initiated the program after a troubling hospital encounter with a young woman with endocarditis, eager for opioid addiction treatment with methadone and with no availability at the local outpatient clinics for six months.

"I can remember her comment to me was, "So you're gonna throw me back to the wolves,'" says Dr. Webster. "There were just so many obvious gaps in the system."

Dr. Webster and his team in the Division of Infectious Diseases began offering patients opioid agonist treatment (OAT; e.g. methadone, buprenorphine) and access to sterile drug injecting equipment in hospital with continued care upon discharge into the community.

Learning of this program, Dr. Brothers was motivated to adopt something similar in Nova Scotia.

"If they're doing this in Saint John, why can't we do this in Halifax?"

Disparities in care

In 2017, Dr. Brothers and his team, in consultation with addiction support providers in the community and in hospital, began to gather data to establish a baseline for what was happening and determine where things could be improved. Results showed that OAT was offered to 36% of patients suffering from IDU-IE in Halifax, and 100% of patients in Saint John. Once patients were offered this care, most initiated and planned to continue OAT after discharge. In Halifax, no patients were offered sterile injection equipment, while several patients were offered this in Saint John.

The team also used the data to identify descriptions of unmet care needs documented in the medical records of patients with IDU-IE at each hospital. They found this often included undertreated pain or opioid withdrawal, illicit/non-medical drug use in hospital, and patient-initiated discharges against medical advice. Several patients at both hospitals had their belongings searched and had their own injecting equipment confiscated, despite the existing policy in Saint John.

An opportunity for change

Dr. Brothers, who is part of the Clinician Investigator Program at Dalhousie, as well as a Ph.D. candidate at University College London (both while he finishes his subspecialty training in general internal medicine and addiction medicine), worked with his colleagues using the data to make a case for change. Their recommendations include: employment of healthcare providers with addiction medicine expertise by the hospitals, as well as the development of harm reduction-oriented policies to promote patient safety. As is the case in Saint John, hospital-based addiction care could be improved through integrating addiction medicine and infectious diseases specialist practice, or through establishing specialized addiction medicine consultation services and incorporating these providers into multidisciplinary endocarditis care teams.

Recommendations aside, Dr. Webster says that it's great to see change in the culture, attitudes, and understanding around opioid agonist treatment and the harm reduction approach.

"For a lot of the clinical people who weren't so sure about it initially, now there's not even a discussion and it's just taken as, "Yes this works, and this is the way to do it.'"

What has transpired over the last several years is the commitment of both hospitals to work on improving their policies for supporting people who use drugs and people with addiction while they're in hospital. In Saint John, they continue to offer harm reduction services to patients, and they have improved their inpatient needle exchange program and provide sterile equipment routinely. In Halifax, an unofficial, trainee-organized, hospital addiction medicine consultation service staffed by residents and supervised by Dr. John Fraser, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and other community-based addiction physicians, provides care in an area that remains without a formal complement of staff. Dr. Brothers, who helped lead this initiative received recognition for his work with the Canadian Medical Association's 2021 Award for Young Leaders, but knows more is needed.

"We're providing this care informally to fill the gap while we're advocating for a formal service so we can have specialist addiction medicine providers available in the moment, everyday, seeing patients, managing withdrawal, offering medications, and doing counseling."

The way forward

Progress, whether formal or not, has been made, but Dr. Brothers knows there is more work to do. He would like to see the hospitals work more closely with harm reduction organizations, who are leaders in the field, to incorporate their expertise into a model of care.

"The best way to support people when they're medically sick and when they are ready to engage in addiction treatment is to have the best available treatment options."

More information: Thomas D. Brothers et al, Unequal access to opioid agonist treatment and sterile injecting equipment among hospitalized patients with injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis, PLOS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE Thomas D. Brothers et al, Unequal access to opioid agonist treatment and sterile injecting equipment among hospitalized patients with injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263156
After years of attempts and false starts, Sterling HolyWhiteMountain found a way to write a story thats all voice  specifically, the way folks talk on the Blackfeet Reservation, where he grew up.

These are the voices I know, he said. This is the English that makes sense to me at the deepest level, this is the English that I love.

This Then Is a Song, We Are Singing was published in The Paris Reviews winter issue, following two pieces in the New Yorker last year. The 40-page story is written entirely in the form of a stream-of-consciousness social media post, typed in the middle of the night by its protagonist, a young Blackfeet man in the midst of a relationship crisis, followed by a chorus of comments in response.

After years of puzzling over the idea, the post format proved the key, in which the narrators voice would be uninterrupted. HolyWhiteMountain said that rural writers all face a problem  the writing has to function aesthetically, and its really hard to do that when youre also trying to represent a dialect and a specific place.

In that story, I think I did both  I hope, he said.

The post, which is an online monologue, gradually unveils the history of narrator Wayne Flurry Thunder Jr.s relationship with Lulu, which began after she moved back to the reservation. While once promising, it reaches an impasse and now he spills their business into view, speaking not just to the reader but very deliberately to everyone in his town via social media.

David Treuer, author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, called the story and one of the New Yorker stories incredible, formally challenging, immensely readable short stories, in the Los Angeles Times.

Coming up

HolyWhiteMountain, 43, grew up in East Glacier on the Blackfeet Reservation  his father is Blackfeet, but he isnt recognized as a tribal member due to the enrollment requirements.

He came to the University of Montana for creative writing, where he studied with authors including Kevin Canty, Debra Magpie Earling, Deirdre Dee McNamer and Brady Udall. Then he headed to the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop for his MFA. Afterward, he moved back to the reservation and directed the writing center at Blackfeet Community College.

For 2018-2020, he was awarded a Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. Other Montana writers who've been selected include Caroline Patterson, Neil McMahon, William Kittredge, Thomas McGuane and William Hjortsberg.

The two-year fellowship provided a weekly workshop with faculty, and beyond that, the time and space to write. After the fellowship, he was awarded a Jones Lectureship at Stanford, and has been teaching creative writing to undergraduates. When the pandemic struck, he bolted from the Bay Area and set up in East Glacier and taught remotely for a year. Currently, hes in Provincetown, Mass., at the Fine Arts Work Center for a fellowship.

One New Yorker piece, Featherweight, centers on a fledgling writer leaving the reservation to attend college on a nearby campus, Clarkston. The narrator describes immersing himself in a new world populated with girls from exotic lands like Portland, before meeting Allie, who's from a different reservation. Hes a literary type  shes drawn toward academia and social justice  and the story explores their experiences dating and carefully tracks the way aspiration and optimism collide with disappointment and uncertainty during the early years of college.

The New Yorker also published a nonfiction piece in July 2021, The Buffalo Robe and the Radio, about him moving into his own bedroom for the first time as a teenager  listening to music for the first time seriously while sleeping on buffalo robes.

Mid-pandemic, the Paris Review asked him to interview acclaimed author Louise Erdrich (it will be published this year), and asked him to submit a story.

Voices on the page

Hed long wanted to write a piece that reflected the way that Native people use Facebook, and what it looks like when a community is active on a 24/7 platform.

"You realize that the way English is spoken generally on the reservation actually exists in a space between what one might consider a more standard American English and Blackfoot," he said.

This story, he said, feels representative of his subject while also meeting the aesthetic demands of literary fiction.

In some ways, he said the approach looks back to modernist fiction  the latter third in particular becomes more experimental and demanding, even though the initial hook is seemingly "casual" online writing.

After considering problems like whether to use emojis, he limited himself to the text and post alone, since what matters is actually just all these voices together in the same place. He wrote an early draft, some 50 pages double-spaced, in a two-day sprint while hoping the result of the experiment worked. That was my writer's prayer for that day. I hope people will go past the first page,  he said.

Spoilers ahead: The first section comprises Flurrys late-night burst, which draws on readers internalized response to social media posts, and the familiar tempo of confessional immediacy. The second half is the thread of a chorus of comments in reaction  equally frantic, worried, shocked and (again) humorous. A deliberate darkness settles into the final act.

He wrote much of the latter portion on Facebook as drafts to get himself in the right mindset  he noticed that he writes, and thinks, differently himself on social media. The social network is built for fast, long, unedited prose, with little in the way of capitalization or punctuation. Absent the natural pauses of commas, his jokes and all-caps interjections become a natural breathing point. (Flurrys a not-safe-for-work narrator, by the way.)

Within the challenge of a lengthy status update, the writing operates on a steady flow that pulls the reader along. Describing a happier time in the relationship, Flurry recalls a drive they took: we did that a lot then bcuz we had money all of a sudden we felt cashy so we would fill up at ye old town pump and go for an afternoon drive the way you see white people do in movies wed go out to the mountains and park up on there on a pull-off and sit there looking at the best mountains in the world and we would talk about whatever or not  

When they drive through La Fleur, a fictionalized nearby town, it can span from poetic to humorous in a short and rhythmic span: it was one of those quiet real real quiet sunday afternoons in a white man town where you didnt even hear any lawnmowers which is kinna like a f-in small miracle in a white man town in summer it was quiet tho like eerie like when a mountain lion or bear is nearby and all the birds and bugs and even the fish go quiet haha.

For a sample of the all-caps humor, theres a shout-out to a regional fast-food chain: you ever got a problem in life you just take a little trip over to taco juans and get yourself some mexitatos and everything will be ALL F------ GOOD HEY.

Thinking big

HolyWhiteMountains sentences, paragraphs and sheer word count in these stories are maximal. This Then Is a Song is 40 pages, Featherweight is 5,600 words.

While he was immersing himself in literature when he was young, he was attracted to writers like Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver, both masters of a minimalist style.

He tried to emulate them, but found it restrictive: Their approach was suited to settings and contexts the reader was familiar with, which he said isnt true for Indigenous writers.

This is something that every Native writer has to deal with: How much are you going to give to the reader so that they understand what youre doing? he said. In comparison, Carvers audience, regardless of race, was familiar with the world he wrote about because it was ubiquitous in popular culture and art and its easier for the reader to fill in the gaps.

Hes glad he studied that type of minimalism, since it does teach you how to write a powerful sentence. But a more expansive way of writing felt necessary for him.

Historically, a lot of Native writing has gone out of its way to make sure its palatable to non-Indians, he said, which means that the writer is doing the work for the reader to a degree that some elements are being sacrificed, including the reasons they began writing in the first place.

Part of the impulse for Native writers in my experience is this drive to get on the page what you have never seen yourself on the page," he said, "because nobody else has written it.

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A new documentary from Montana PBS seeks to tell the story of the Montana Freemen in a way that nobody else has done.

The film, called The Rise of the Freemen, chronicles the anti-government militia group who, in 1996, engaged in an 81-day standoff with federal agents outside of Jordan.

The Rise of the Freemen was produced, written and edited by Anna Rau, Montana PBSs Investigative/Public Affairs Producer.

The documentary was a two-and-a-half year journey for Rau. She got her start working for Billings news station KTVQ in 1997, a year after the standoff ended.

I was always interested in it, she said, explaining that during her time at the University of Montanas School of Journalism, she kept up on the Freemen, and even covered some of the trials for KTVQ.

But the real impetus for the documentary happening now was the passing of time. I thought there were probably some stories that weve never heard, so it had to mellow for a few years, she said. She filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI and the Department of Justice, asking for files and documents from the standoff to be unsealed.

The request was answered, although the federal government was only one of the many sources Rau used. She interviewed myriad people involved with the Freemen and the standoff. Chief among them were former Special Agents Tom Canady and Tim Healy, both of whom were instrumental in the FBIs involvement. The two were an invaluable resource, sharing their own personal photos from the time and even Healy's handwritten notes, many from his time undercover in the Freemen.

The documentary also prominently features voices from outside the region of Jordan. Notable among those are Mitchell Dutch Van Syckel, former Musselshell County deputy, and the countys former Deputy Sheriff Orville Buzz Jones.

The documentary hits its narrative height while Van Syckel and Jones discuss the Freemen cabin on Johnnys Coal Rd. outside of Roundup, in the Bull Mountains north of Billings, and their subsequent clashes with the group. The tensions culminated in a kidnapping attempt by the Freemen thwarted by Van Syckel and Jones, which they recall in great detail.

Rau said she originally had planned on doing a documentary about the standoff, and the federal governments attempts to use third party negotiators to avoid a repeat of the tragedies at Waco, Texas and Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

But as I started digging more, Rau said, I thought, The story here that nobodys ever heard is how this escalated. All the drama was before the standoff. The standoff was mostly hurry up and wait.

In addition to the interviews, The Rise of the Freemen uses reams of archival footage. Much of it was gathered from the KTVQ archives and parsing of national news thats been preserved online. The documentary features film of the Freemen robbing an ABC news team, which had only ever previously been shown at trial. Rau had to get that footage straight from the DOJ in Washington, D.C.

Canady and Healy shared personal photos theyd taken, as well as their notes from the time. One of the biggest pieces of never-before-published media was from a phone call where a rancher threatened to hang Garfield County Sheriff Charles Phipps from a bridge. The audio from the call was thought to have been lost in a fire in the Garfield County Courthouse, but the tape was found in a smoke damaged box from the bowels of the current building, Rau said.

One voice missing from the documentary is that of the Freemen who have since been let out of prison. Rau said she tried repeatedly to contact former Freemen, and wasnt able to get any to go on the record. Some are wary of the media, some simply dont want to revisit that volatile time. Its still just so raw, Rau said.

Still, Rau believes the documentary captures the Freemen as theyve never before been seen. I have greater empathy and understanding for the people who were involved in the compound, she said. I hope that [the documentary] is a full picture of what was going on.

They werent terrible people, Rau said. They were just people.

The Rise of the Freemen is available to stream on montanapbs.org, the Montana PBS app or on the Montana PBS Facebook page. In addition, it will air this weekend on Montana PBS, with showings on Saturday, March 19 at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, March 20 at 10 a.m., and Monday, March 21 at 1 a.m.

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The Burke County Register of Deeds office has debuted a convenient way to register an assumed business name.

The office now offers an option to file assumed business name certificates online.

Stephanie A. Norman, Burke County register of deeds, is proud that Burke County has one of only four register of deeds offices in the state to be selected by Courthouse Computer Systems, its land records management software vendor, to implement this new service before it is introduced to the rest of the state.

Assumed business names can be electronically filed through our Get Certificate Now vendor, Courthouse Computer Systems, Norman said. This does not replace eRecording for eRecording submitters. Instead, this is a way for the general public to electronically submit assumed business name certificates from their bank or from the convenience of their home or business.

The vendor charges a $15 convenience fee to electronically file an assumed business, and it costs $26 to record an assumed business name certificate. The total charge would be $41 to file an assumed business name electronically through Get Certificate Now.

A hold is placed on the filers credit card when the assumed business name is filed, and the card is charged once the recording is complete.

North Carolina law requires individuals, limited and general partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations and other people who engage in business in this state under an assumed name to file an assumed business name certificate with a register of deeds in a county in which the person or entity will be engaging in business. However, a single registration can be effective for multiple counties.

Currently, only assumed business names can be filed through Get Certificate Now. Assumed business name withdrawals or amendments must be presented in person, through the mail or through an eRecording account.

Emails confirming the status of an assumed business name filing are sent to the filer as it moves through the recording process. If the assumed business name filing is rejected, a rejection reason will be sent to the filer in a status update email. The status of an assumed business name filing through Get Certificate Now can be checked manually where the filer submitted the assumed business name certificate on the Burke County register of deeds website.

Norman said that the law regarding assumed business names changed Dec. 1, 2017. Any assumed business names filed before Dec. 1, 2017, will expire Dec. 1, 2022.

Someone who filed an assumed business name before Dec. 1, 2017 who wants to continue doing business in North Carolina under that name must file a new assumed business name at the register of deeds office if they have not already done so. The cost to file a new assumed business name certificate is $26.

For information, call the Burke County register of deeds office at 828-764-9340, and select option 6.
LINVILLE  Its a bird! Its a plane! Its a Carolina northern flying squirrel!

In February, researchers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation conducted their annual population count of one of North Carolinas endangered species found on Grandfather Mountain: the Carolina northern flying squirrel.

During the commissions recent study on the mountain, the state agency was able to identify five Carolina northern flying squirrels using a series of nest boxes along a transect line. The researchers monitor trends in occupancy, or presence/absence of flying squirrels that exist on the mountain based on the squirrels researchers find in their studies. They then use this data to examine trends in occupancy over time.

Currently, up-to-date monitoring data are not available to the public. However, John Caveny, director of education and natural resources with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Linville nature park, has participated in the studies for the past several years and said that, on average, it is typical to find six to 10 squirrels during one of these studies.

For the most part, it is safe to say that our population at Grandfather Mountain is stable, Caveny said.

The number of squirrels detected annually has varied throughout the study. This is due in part to the fact that northern flying squirrels have multiple den sites and might not be using a nest box on the day of the survey. Biologists suspect a variety of factors influence use of boxes, including recent weather and food availability. Imperfect detection of a rare, elusive, nocturnal species often requires multiple survey and monitoring techniques. Commission biologists supplement the nest box monitoring with acoustic monitoring that uses an automated recording unit to record the vocalizations of flying squirrels.

As part of the winter nest box monitoring, researchers gently coax the squirrel out of a nest box, which the squirrels use for denning and rearing their young, and into a mesh bag. They then measure the squirrels hind foot length in order to verify if it is a Carolina northern flying squirrel, whose feet are longer than the more common southern flying squirrel.

Moreover, the range of the northern species is restricted to high-elevation forests, while southern flying squirrels are more commonly found in lower elevations. Northern flying squirrels have bright cinnamon-brown colored fur and a cape of loose skin that stretches from their wrists to ankles, allowing them the ability to glide through the air. Other features that set the northern flying squirrel apart include bicolored belly hairs (gray and white) and the fact that these squirrels weigh nearly twice as much as their southern counterparts.

Biologists also examine the color of the squirrels tail, which indicates its age, and they also verify its weight, sex and reproductive condition. All five of the squirrels that the researchers found were male, which is not unusual given that the study is conducted during one of the squirrels breeding periods when males are particularly active.

As a distinct sub-species of the more commonly found northern flying squirrel, which thrives in the boreal forests of Canada, the Carolina northern flying squirrel is a species that plays a critical role in determining the health of its environment. These squirrels are known as an indicator species, meaning that the health of this population of squirrels corresponds with the health of the forest as a whole.

This species is only found in the spruce-fir forest and northern hardwood forests, Caveny said. Spruce-fir forests are the second most endangered forest community in the US. If we lose these forests, then we lose these squirrels. What population trends can help show us is if there is something going on in that habitat, such as an invasive species like the balsam woolly adelgid thats killing trees that the squirrels den in or some other invasive species that is out-competing them for the food sources they have.

The Carolina northern flying squirrel perpetuates its own forest habitat. Unlike other species of squirrel that help populate the forests trees and other plants by burying acorns and seeds, the Carolina northern flying squirrel does so by primarily feeding on and spreading truffles, a type of fungi that is found on the roots of trees.

These fungi are a critical organism that trees use as a source of water, while the fungi themselves use the trees as a source for sugar. As the squirrels eat the outer shell of the truffle, they inadvertently consume and then pass the undigested spores from the truffle throughout the forest in a way that only flying squirrels can.

As one of Grandfather Mountains 72 threatened or endangered species, the Carolina northern flying squirrel has been studied at Grandfather Mountain since the 1990s. The species was first discovered in North Carolina in the 1950s and later listed as federally endangered in 1985. The Carolina northern flying squirrel is only found in nine locations throughout western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and southwest Virginia.

The species was identified at Grandfather Mountain once research expanded beyond Mount Mitchell, Roan Mountain and the Great Smoky Mountains after it was classified endangered. Ever since, staff from Grandfather Mountain and Grandfather Mountain State Park have assisted in research.

To learn more about the endangered species that exist on Grandfather Mountain, visit grandfather.com/protecting-endangered-species.

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For information, call 800-468-7325 or visit grandfather.com to book a trip.
Editors note: March is Red Cross Month  a national tradition started nearly 80 years ago when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first national Red Cross Month proclamation. Its also an opportunity for the humanitarian organization to recognize those who make its work possible, including its volunteers who respond to disasters big and small and its blood donors who roll up their sleeves to make sure hospitals have the blood their patients depend on. Featured below is one of those longtime blood donors, Rich Paul of Lincoln.

Rich Paul was at boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio in the early 1960s when an instructor came in with an announcement.

There was girl at the military hospital who had cancer, and they needed blood donors.

He said, Well give you the rest of the day off if you give blood now.' So I raised my hand right away, Paul said. It sounded like a good deal to me.

Six decades and more than 215 donations later, Paul is still raising his hand as a loyal Red Cross blood donor.

Hell, I got lots of blood, he said. If I could do something to help somebody its just a gift as far as Im concerned.

Eighty-three years old, Paul lives just west of Lincoln and donates at community drives there as often as he can. Fellow donors and the Red Cross crew know him well.

Its like old-home week every 60 days, he said. I walk in the door and a good percentage of them say Hi Rich, I havent seen you in a couple months.

Pauls daughter, Dawn Charron, said her dad certainly draws a crowd.

He gets plenty of hugs and kisses on a give-blood day, she said. Ill let him tell you about that.

Sherry Sidell is the blood program leader in Lincoln and helps organize the community drives. She said Paul is always lending his time to others, whether its giving blood, climbing a ladder to help paint a house or with his incredible carpentry skills.

Hes a very amazing man and good friend of everybody in town, she said. Hes just got a very big heart.

Paul spent almost 33 years as guardsman with the Montana Air National Guard and 28 years as a civil service technician with the Guard. Besides Lincoln, hes also lived in Great Falls and has had a long list of employers including Caterpillar, the Anaconda Co., Albertsons and Riverside Machine Works. Through it all, hes made helping others a key part of his life.

Giving blood is kind of like walking down the street and seeing somebody whos having a hard time and they need money or whatever and Ill give it to them, he said. Im also a good tipper.

Its something that has made my heart feel good, and probably bigger, because of what I do. Ive been that way for 60-some years.

Blood donation has been part of his family as well. His mother was a blood donor back in the 50s before she got sick and needed blood herself. Paul said he dreads the day when hes no longer able to give.

Some days I think How much longer can I do this, and Im concerned about it cause I dont want that to sneak up on me, he said. When they tell me I cant give blood anymore, its going to hurt. Its going to hurt my heart.

For all hes given others, Paul says hes gotten back just as much along the way. Thats why he goes by Rich  and not his given name, Richard.

The reason hes been Paul all his life isnt because hes got money or its his name, Dawn said. Its because of all the people, places and things that hes had in his life. Thats what makes him Rich.

For more on being a blood donor, visit montanaredcross.org

MONTANA RED CROSS

With a team of more than 450 volunteers, Montana Red Cross provides comfort and care in communities across the state.

Each year, Montana Red Cross helps more than 700 people following disasters like wildfires, home fires and flooding by meeting their most immediate needs. This included families displaced by wildfires near Lame Deer, Polson and Hays last summer and grassfires in Great Falls and Denton in December.

Through its Pillowcase and Prepare with Pedro programs, Red Cross teaches Montana youngsters how to be ready in case of a disaster and helps them build their own emergency kit.

Last year, the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program provided support to more than 1,680 Montana military families. This includes helping service members return home for a funeral or the birth of the child and giving families tools to cope with the stresses of a deployment.

Red Cross also collects more than 40,000 units of lifesaving blood at more than 1,900 blood drives across Montana each year. Those blood products are used to help cancer patients, accident victims, expecting moms and countless others.

To learn more about Montana Red Cross and find out how to get involved as a volunteer, financial supporter or blood donor, visit montanaredcross.org or call 800-272-6668.

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President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on awarding the country's public figure Bahar Muradova with the 2nd class Order of Merit for the Motherland, for productive activities in the public-political life of Azerbaijan.




Koeberg has disgraced itself. It has just shown almost unbelievable incompetence as if its senior management does not know what it is doing.

I must emphasise that this blunder presents no danger either to Koeberg workers or to the local public. This is not a safety matter but an operational one, and it hurts all the more since Koeberg has had a good operational record.

It is the best power station in South Africa and, where the coal stations have been failing all the time, resulting in blackout after blackout (sorry! load-shedding after load-shedding), Koeberg has been quietly producing large amounts of cheap, clean, reliable electricity. It still promises to do so, but it has stumbled badly.

Koeberg has two units of 960 MW each. On 18 January 2022, Unit 2 went down for maintenance and refuelling (which takes place every 18 months) and a big modification: replacing its three steam generators (SG) with new ones.

The replacement was decided upon in 2010. Koeberg had 12 years to prepare for this routine modification, which has been done on many similar nuclear reactors around the world.

When the French contractor, Framatome, arrived on-site, they found Koeberg had not made one of the most obvious preparations. Framatome was horrified. So, the replacement has been postponed until the next outage.

The hapless Jan Oberholzer, Eskoms chief operating officer, blushing with shame, appeared in a press conference to explain the SG replacement had been postponed so that Unit 2 could come back online before the winter peak demand. Oh, please!

They knew long beforehand about the winter peak and should have timed the SG replacement to finish before it.

Koeberg uses pressured water reactors (PWR), by far the most popular reactors globally, with a superb safety record.

The reactor itself does not make steam; it only makes hot water under pressure.

The hot water goes to three heat exchangers (SG). Each SG is 21 metres high and has two flows.

Hot water from the reactor goes in, loses heat, and goes out as somewhat cooler hot water in one flow.

In the other flow, cold water goes in from the feed pumps, picks up heat, turns to steam, and goes out to the turbines that drive the generators to make electricity. The reactor and SGs are in a massively strong containment building.

Koebergs containment buildings look rather like round blocks of flats without windows.

Koebergs construction began in 1976, is a bog-standard Generation 2 PWR. It was built by the French, who then had probably the worlds most successful nuclear programme (they have lost their way recently).

It was simple, reliable, successful and safe. Modifications over the years have made it even safer.

The Achilles heel in that generation of PWRs were the SGs. They suffered corrosion where the tubes meet the tube sheets. Materials engineers then designed new SGs with different steels and this solved the problems.

Across the world, the old SGs were cut out and replaced with new ones.

It was rather like a hip replacement: a major operation but a routine one and very successful.

Interestingly enough, Koebergs SGs were probably the best-performing in the world; they suffered very little corrosion and remained in good condition.

This was probably because of Koebergs excellent water purification plant and the decision to run the reactor at 10 C below the maximum temperature to prolong its life.

However, in 2010, Eskom decided to replace them simply as good practice and to be in step with the rest of the world. Then the blunders, and worse, began.

Eskom went out to tender for the SG replacements. The contract was worth about R4bn. Two companies tendered: Areva of France and Westinghouse of Japan-America.

All the Eskom technical and commercial experts recommended Westinghouse, which seemed a certainty to win the award.

But at the last moment, in April 2011, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, vetoed Eskoms recommendation on the most improbable of grounds.

They had to go out on tender again, and things got even worse, with a stench of corruption in the air (although it was never discovered who was corrupting whom).

Again, the award went to Areva on even more suspicious grounds. Westinghouse went to court against the award, and a series of most disturbing court judgements followed.

Finally, Areva got the contract and handed it over to Framatome, its nuclear engineering arm, which proceeded to make an almighty mess of manufacturing the SGs.

Eventually, they did manage to have made six good SGs, which they delivered to Koeberg in September 2020.

This is how you replace SGs and remove the old ones to a place of final disposal. A team with special grinding and welding machines comes onto the site.

The unit is shut down, and the plant prepared. Each SG has four pipes that must be cut out. The old SGs are then removed to a special building for cleaning and sealing.

The new SGs are moved into position, welding preparations are made, and the SGs are welded in with robot welders.

The old SGs contain radioactive debris from the primary water of the reactor (they receive far too low radiation to cause nuclear reactions in their own materials).

In the special room, the old SGs are washed out carefully to remove as much as possible of the radioactive debris, which is then separated and concentrated and put into suitable containers for final disposal. The SGs are sealed up, perhaps painted and covered.

Eventually, they would be taken to Vaalputs, the nuclear waste disposal site in the Northern Cape for final disposal. Vaalputs is perfectly suited for this; it is in remote desert, very stable geologically, arid, unpopulated with very low commercial value.

When the contractors, Framatome, arrived on site to do the replacement, they asked Koeberg where they had built the special building for receiving the old SGs. They gaped when Koeberg told them they had not built one. Koeberg had 12 years to do so!

The Koeberg staff blustered something along the lines that, Well build one now. Framatome said something, or at any rate thought something, along the lines of, You must be joking! After various confused meetings, the replacement was cancelled, and Oberholzer had to appear red-faced before the public.

Simple shed

This special building is not a containment building, as some over-excited energy expert described it. It is a simple shed, probably sealed from the outside air and under a slight vacuum.

It is just a place where the SGs can be cleaned and tidied up. Thats all. But Koeberg could not manage even that. Heads must roll.

The power station manager, whoever he or she is, must be fired. It is just by very good luck that Koebergs SGs are still in good shape and can indeed run safely until the next outage.

But the incompetence of the Koeberg staff over this cannot be ignored. There must be changes.

It gets worse. Unit 2 was shut down on 22 January. Eskom now says that, without changing the SGs, it will return to service in June. Five months for a routine refuelling outage!

In the USA, the average such outage takes 32 days. I am told that housekeeping at Koeberg is not what it should be and that any procurement gets bogged down with endless dithering, bureaucracy and indecision.

Nuclear has advantages over coal in resisting the corruption, incompetence and racial engineering with which the ANC has wrecked the rest of Eskom.

Nuclear reactor designs are standardised, so Eskom could not use a crazy new design as it did at Medupi.

Strict international nuclear regulation limits the naughty stuff that goes on at the coal stations.

Nuclear operators have to pass very strict, regular exams on a nuclear simulator (similar to those for airline pilots) so that rules out appointments on skin colour or political connections alone.

Unfortunately, BEE procurement and employment equity do affect nuclear, too.

This was made worse at Koeberg when it was decided on high that the racial proportions at Koeberg should try to be the same as those in South Africa at large, where coloureds are 9% of the population, rather than the Western Cape, where they are 54%.

Last year, Oberholzer said in public, he was absolutely horrified at the number of highly skilled and experienced technicians and engineers who were leaving Koeberg.

There is a worldwide demand for Koebergs nuclear experts, who can earn more money abroad but many of them are leaving without new jobs to go to.

Why are they so desperate to get out? Could one of the reasons be that whites and coloureds are made to feel not wanted?

Right now, Koeberg still has more skills and experience than it had in 1984, when the first unit started up, but it is a worry. Does Eskom care? Probably not, as long as their senior managers receive their bonuses for meeting their equity targets.

This article by Andrew Kenny was first published on Biznews, and republished here with permission.
Robot dogs could make jobs safer and more efficient for police, miners, construction workers, farmers, and various other industries.

That is according to a team from the University of Pretorias (UPs) civil engineering department, who recently visited MyBroadbands office to showcase several projects they were working on.

The department falls under UPs Faculty of Engineering, Build Environment and IT.

Headed by Professor Wynand Steyn, the team recently acquired a quadrupedal robot they baptised SmWoef, short for smart woef. The latter is an informal Afrikaans word for dog.

SmWoef is a Unitree A1, weighing about 12kg and standing less than half a metre tall when on all fours.

Civil technologist Jordan Mostert is one of the team members who has been investigating the real-life application of SmWoef.

SmWoef is operated using four motors connected to limbs that enable him to move at speeds of up to 4.4km/h.

These also let him perform a wide range of manoeuvres, including dancing, lying down, rolling over, standing on his hind legs, and doing a backflip.

Underneath SmWoefs paws are sensory needles that relay information to his onboard computers to allow him to navigate his terrain.

He can also recover from a push or bump to remain in, or return to, his standing position.

SmWoefs head boasts two 1080p vision cameras and a depth-perception lens to provide visual guidance. He is also capable of viewing in a thermal mode.

Mostert said SmWoef could be programmed to lock onto certain visual objects and follow them around.

For processing capabilities, he comes fitted with an Nvidia TX2 AI computer towards the front and an x86-based computer in the back of his main body.

These two systems work together to translate and send instructions to SmWoefs motors.

The TX2 contains most of the programming, which is currently written in C++ but can also be changed to Python.

SmWoef can be controlled via remote at up to 8 metres or programmed to automatically perform tasks at longer distances.

His modular design allows for mounting various equipment up to a maximum payload of 5kg.

There is a wide assortment of ports on his back for inputting instructions and attaching other hardware.

That includes two Ethernet ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and two HDMI ports.

The connections enable adding sophisticated sensory tools such as a LiDAR scanner, temperature sensors, and even an artificial nose.

Mostert said with LiDAR, SmWoef can autonomously and safely navigate from one point to the next.

Adding a thermometer provides the ability to measure temperatures in areas that might be uncomfortable for humans, like close to the ground in a farmers crop.

The artificial nose can detect gasses and other materials that might pose a danger to humans.

We can tell it to analyse a specific scent or chemical and follow that to a concentrated area, similar to a sniffer dog, Mostert explained.

The robot can also step onto crime scenes before human teams to perform forensic tasks such as taking pictures and samples.

That lowers the risk of contamination of evidence and facing potential criminal threats.

In addition, the robot can be used for data collection in dangerous environments like mines, construction sites, or production facilities and perform analyses on the state of roads.

The video and images below show some of SmWoefs tricks during his visit to the MyBroadband office.
In the midst of a better budget year than initially expected, the Napa City Council reallocated most of its $15.12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to, by and large, help fund areas that have gone underfunded during the pandemic.

But the council will be seeking public input on how to allocate $1.15 million of those funds, which were recommended to be dedicated to a community recovery bank.

I think theres tremendous value in soliciting public input, whether its through a workshop or taking public input of some kind, said city manager Steve Potter at the meeting. Ive talked to other city managers who have done an internal process, and they actually got grief from their communities because they did not feel there was input or the opportunity to speak.

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The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law about a year ago, with the intent of providing $350 billion in relief from the pandemic across the United States. The goals of the ARPA, said city finance director Anne Cardwell, is to support COVID response efforts, replace public sector lost revenue, support economic stabilization for households and businesses, and address systemic public health and economic challenges.

Our city departments were tasked with identifying key projects and programs that were deferred due to, or necessary because of, the pandemic, Cardwell said. Departments were also asked to be cognizant of other considerations, such as focusing on larger one-time needs that would be beneficial across departments and/or to the community.

Cardwell said the citys finance department also considered some of the citys recently identified priorities.

She said the funds need to be obligated by December 2024 and expended two years later, by December 2026. And, she said, compliance and reporting guidelines for spending the money are relatively stringent.

The city initially allocated half of its funding  the half that its currently received  to balancing the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget. That funding was taken out of the budget when it turned out the city, because of rising tax revenues, didnt require it to balance the budget.

The first focus of the reallocated funding was organized around supporting the citys public health response, Cardwell said, coming out to a total cost of $2.135 million. That includes about $300,000 in expenses related to COVID, such as the cost of internal contact-tracing. It also includes a $1.5 million allocation to add an alternate answer point for Napas dispatch system; $150,000 for alerting systems at the citys fire stations; $85,000 for emergency operations plans; and $100,000 for emergency services cooling centers and backup power.

Another category identified was services to disproportionally impacted communities, adding up to a $3.5 million allocation. That includes a $2.8 million local contribution to Project Roomkey  the state of Californias effort to house people experiencing homelessness in hotels during the pandemic  and a $300,000 allocation to support homeless street outreach. Additionally, the council approved spending $400,000 on ongoing tenancy care and housing support for Project Homekey sites, essentially a permanent version of Project Roomkey.

The largest portion of ARPA funds, $5.2 million, is going to storm drain infrastructure. Cardwell said $5 million is needed for direct storm drain infrastructure funding  $4.175 million is budgeted  and $500,000 is for a storm drain condition assessment.

This is a significant need that is very difficult to fund, and so ARPA provides an excellent opportunity to make some headway in this area, Cardwell said.

Another $3.1 million was allocated to replacing public sector revenue loss. That includes adding generators to several city facilities ($700,000); Public Works advancement with Geographic Information System Mapping ($500,000); an HVAC  heating, ventilation and air conditioning  system for the Napa Police Department Building ($750,000); replenishing part time funding for the police department ($250,000); a records inventory project ($101,240); and funding for the citys Highway 29 undercrossing ($815,000).

And the final, yet to be determined $1.15 million, the community recovery bank, will be up for public discussion.

Councilmember Mary Luros said she appreciated that the citys departments came together to figure out how to spend the funds. She said she thinks the community recovery bank is a good idea, but shed like to see an online community workshop where the city can hear from the community about their ideas of how to use the funding.

Other councilmembers concurred with Luros, and some mentioned their own suggestions, such as funding restrooms at Alston Park or using the funds to soften the blow to Napa's landscaping businesses that use gas powered leaf blowers once the statewide ban on those blowers comes into effect next year.

"I do think its really important that the community is involved at least in some aspect of this," Luros said. "Ive watched what other jurisdictions are doing and a lot of them are being slammed for not involving people in the conversation."

You can reach Edward Booth at (707) 256-2213.

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Redevelopment plans for the Kohls property in downtown Napa have taken a new turn.

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Owner Napa Parkway Plaza LLC (which includes partner Zapolski Real Estate) sold the First Street parcel on March 8 for $37 million.

The new owner is Coombs Street LLC of San Ramon.

Weve been very inspired by Napa, said Jerry Hunt of 300 Venture Group of Danville. Hunt explained that 300 Venture Group is the development partner working with Coombs Street LLC to redevelop Parkway Plaza/Kohl's.

Its extraordinary real estate, Hunt said. The city of Napa and the Zapolski development company have done a spectacular job transforming downtown Napa.

Were excited to do a project that the city and community can be very proud of, said Hunt.

Zapolski Real Estate, also a developer partner of the adjacent First Street Napa complex, remains part of the project.

Zapolski Real Estate has a financial stake in the new venture and in the eventual profitability of a redevelopment, said Andrew Mazotti, director at Zapolski Real Estate. (Mazotti is also a Napa County Planning Commissioner.)

The main difference is that We have new partners (and) a bigger development team now, said Mazotti. We are taking a significant step forward in the pursuit of a higher and better use of the site."

Located at 1116 First St., Parkway Plaza tenants include Kohl's, Don Perico Mexican Restaurant, JAX White Mule Diner & Lounge, Napa Noodles and Miyamo boutique. The space totals an estimated 76,000 square feet.

Then, in 2020, Zapolski and partners announced plans to build what could be downtown Napas most expensive redevelopment project. Estimated to cost $250 million, it was to include a hotel, apartments and retail/commercial space.

Kohls would move to a new commercial complex at 333 Soscol Ave. That project is being developed by Ronmor Developers Inc. of Canada.

A representative from Ronmor could not be immediately reached, but according to Mazotti, nothing has changed with plans to relocate Kohls to Soscol Avenue. Such a move is a win-win for the city, he said. Kohls is still staying in the market (and) at an even better store.

Hes aware that some locals dont favor more development in downtown Napa or another hotel.

We are doing our homework and exploring what the best uses are for the site, Mazotti said.

In fact, What we think makes sense today may not make sense in 12 months so flexibility is key. The world is in limbo right now. A lot of research and work needs to be done. I can confidently say it will be a mix of uses though, which is the future of development and our downtown. Live, work, play  thats the goal; with walkability and connectivity.

To Mazotti, Its important for the community to realize how lucky Napa is that we have people who want to invest their money and time to improve our city, he said.

In March and April of 2020, we all were scared. We had no idea what was going to happen. It was doomsday and now here we are with a recapitalization of the project and group coming in saying were willing to make a massive investment and improve what 99% of people can agree is an unattractive property. We have an opportunity to go in and take downtown to the next level.

Current Parkway Plaza tenants, many popular with locals as well as visitors, will not be forced out, said Mazotti.

Naturally there will be conversations with existing tenants, but it is their right to stay in their current locations, and we will honor and respect that.

"We have had a great dialogue with the tenants over the years and have been transparent about our future intentions so taking steps toward a redevelopment wont come as a surprise to anyone.

Clearly Andrew and Todd have done a tremendous amount of work transforming Napa, Hunt said. Our intention is to pick up on that momentum and bring a project forward. We are vigorously wrapping our arms around the project.

According to Hunt, downtown Napa has become quite alluring especially for people who live in a 90-minute commute radius.

If you are a Bay Area resident, its never been more desirable or easier to visit Napa and spend the night in downtown.

What about those locals who dont seem to want a hotel or redevelopment at Parkway Plaza?

Hunt assures that his group develops mindful projects which include community outreach.

Were at the front end of that process, said Hunt. I have every confidence we will end up bringing a product that people can be proud of.

Jim Keller, another downtown Napa developer, said hes not surprised to hear of the Parkway Plaza sale.

Theres a lot of money chasing assets in downtown, said Keller. The trophy assets in great places in Napa are harder to find these days, he said. Investors and developers want to put their money where people want to be. And thats Napa, he said.

The Parkway Plaza sale demonstrates that outside capital continues to value the evolution and promise of Napa's downtown over the past 7 years, said Joe Fischer, senior vice president of real estate at Strong & Hayden commercial real estate.

Clearly, the new investor would not have paid what they paid for a continuation of simply receiving rent from Kohl's and the other existing tenants. They are betting on the redevelopment plan of a new hotel paired with new residential and retail.

You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com

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Napa Valleys CRUSH MS recently announced that a research project it partially funded has been published by the journal NATURE  a groundbreaking step for the organization that has been rallying against the disease since 2014.

With the wine worlds Kevin Reid and Julie Hare at the head of the effort, the group comes together each year to pour wine, raise money and spread awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) research, and now, they are finally seeing the fruits of their labor ripening.

We got an email from Dr. Jeffrey Dunn, who's my neurologist but he's also the Chief of Neuroimmunology at Stanford, saying, We're so excited, CRUSH MS helped fund this study that is going to be published, and it's potentially game-changing, Reid said.

The specific study  which was conducted by 30 MS specialists from Stanford, Oxford, UCSF and beyond  piggybacked off another recent project that established a link between the disease and the mono-causing Epstein-Barr virus. Together, Reid says these studies breakthroughs could help arm scientists with the information needed to prevent and potentially treat MS, which is the core of his organizations mission.

In theory, you should be able to vaccinate against MS, and so that is what this study is opening the door for  to be able to really pinpoint the process of how MS could potentially begin, he said. So if there's a way to prevent it from ever happening again, I am glad that we're able to be part of that.

I've always said I want the cure for MS to come out of Napa Valley, he added.

Dunn echoes this excitement, saying that the studys results are a breakthrough of great consequence.

It allows us to begin considering new therapy that could lead to the eradication of MS, he said in a press release.

And while eradicating MS  which impacts over 2 million people worldwide  seems like a daunting task, to Reid, it is personal.

Diagnosed in 2002, Reids MS has progressed over the years, forcing him to leave his music teacher gig to work in the wheelchair-friendly digital marketing sector, and he has since staked his claim as an advocate.

It can potentially be devastating because now neither one of my legs work and my left arm and hand don't work, and hopefully, we're trying to find a cause and a cure for this thing before my right hand goes away, he said.

Reid also tells others that the medication journey  while frustrating and uncomfortable  is also integral to supporting those living with MS.

They first started me on a self-injectable [medication], where you have to give yourself a shot every couple of days and that was a really great medication, but I eventually did not stick with it because giving yourself a shot is totally unnatural and there's an aversion to doing that, even if it's important, he said. I am pretty sure that me not doing that shot at that time years ago was basically why it progressed into where I am now in the wheelchair  I can't say for sure if that led to it, but I would kick myself, if I could use my legs, for not sticking to that one.

Since then, Reid has found a regimen of pain management tools and medications to help with the symptoms associated with MS, and remains adamant in telling other folks within the MS community that a diagnosis doesnt equate to a death sentence. For the last five years, he has been on a medication called Ocrevus, which requires an infusion twice annually.

A lot of people get diagnosed with this and don't have any other symptoms the rest of their lives, or they might have little fleeting things here and there and not ever end up in a wheelchair or even need a cane or assisted walking device, and that's great, he said. The hope is that people don't need this  If you're diagnosed with this, it's not the end of the world.

In addition to funding research, CRUSH MS also donates to programs like the International Progressive MS Alliance, the MS Achievement Center in Sacramento, and Canine Companions in Santa Rosa, which provided co-founder Julie Hare with her own service dog.

Now when someone is diagnosed, I say it's the disease to get because there's a ton of attention being paid to it and research being done, said Reid. There is a lot of energy focusing on this specific disease.

Learn more about CRUSH MS and its upcoming July 30 fundraiser event at www.crushms.org.

You can reach Sam Jones at 707-256-2221 and sjones@napanews.com.

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Construction could soon begin on a St. Helena-Calistoga Napa Valley Vine Trail segment with views of iconic wine country sights, from landmark wineries to vineyards to redwoods to volcanic mountains.

But the final preparation steps aren't coming easily.

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The Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA) Board of Directors on Wednesday awarded a $12.6 million construction contract to Ghilotti Construction Co. The milestone came with rough patches.

Ghilotti and Mercer-Fraser Co. clashed over which firm submitted the lowest bid. Mercer-Fraser, as calculated by the NVTA, bid $11.8 million. But the NVTA agreed with Ghilotti that Mercer-Fraser failed to submit two required documents.

Also, transportation officials are working to bridge an eleventh-hour, $4.2 million budget shortfall caused in part because bids came in higher than expected. The Ghilotti contract award is contingent on the planned steps coming to fruition.

All of this follows several years of delays that included right-of-way challenges and cost overruns. Chuck McMinn, founder of the nonprofit Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition, recommended savoring the moment.

"As complicated as it is, this is a fantastic day," he told the NVTA Board of Directors. "I want to thank you all for being great partners.

The Vine Trail segment is something that will last for 100 years, he said. Everyone should enjoy the fact that the community is able to do the project, he said.

Ive been a big fan of the Vine Trail project for years, and Im glad to see it move forward," NVTA Board Member and American Canyon City Councilmember Mark Joseph said.

Board Member and Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley backed the project, though with a bit of sticker shock.

The cost is phenomenal. Thats about $2 million a mile but I guess it is what it is," Sedgley said.

This 7-mile stretch of the biking-and-walking path through famed Napa Valley wine country appears to be moving ahead. People could be using it in the fall of 2023, if everything goes smoothly from this point on.

The Napa Valley Vine Trail is to be a 47-mile trail running from the Vallejo ferry station to Calistoga. About 17 miles are built, the bulk between the southern city of Napa and northern Yountville.

A stated goal of Vine Trail advocates is to create a trail that is so safe that parents feel comfortable having children bike ahead of them. The trail is separated from major roads and is 10 feet wide with 2-foot shoulders.

The St. Helena-Calistoga segment is a key piece of the Vine Trail vision.

Northbound riders will start at St. Helena city limits on the east side of Highway 29. Theyll pass Beringer winery, the elm tunnel, The Culinary Institute of America and Charles Krug winery.

Near Big Tree Road, theyll cross Highway 29 to the west side at a crossing with a beacon to stop traffic. Theyll pass through the forests of Bothe-Napa Valley State Park for about a mile, then cross Highway 29 back to the east side, once again at a beacon.

Theyll follow the trail near Highway 29 until south of Dunaweal Lane, then cut east away from the highway. This new segment of Vine Trail will end along Dunaweal Lane at an existing section of Vine Trail near Sterling Vineyards.

Vine Trail users can already take this section north for a mile to the Calistoga Public Works Center on Washington Street. From there, the to-be-built, half-mile Fairway Path Extension will extend the trail to Calistogas downtown main street of Lincoln Avenue/Highway 29.

Hopes of building the St. Helena-Calistoga segment of Vine Trail picked up in 2015. The state that year awarded a $6.2 million grant. Vine Trail advocates said a project then estimated at $9.2 million could begin construction in 2017.

But challenges arose, among them securing a number of easements over private land. A recent NVTA report said the project to date has cost $4.1 million for preconstruction work and will cost $14.4 million for construction, including a contingency.

Another $4.2 million is needed. Part of the NVTAs plan is moving $2 million in One Bay Area grant funds, of which $1.2 million is targeted for St. Helenas Main Street pedestrian improvements and $1 million for American Canyons Green Island Road bike path.

These projects would be prioritized for future One Bay Area grants. However, the move leaves Napa County with very little funding available for new projects in the next grant cycle, an NVTA report said.

The remaining $2 million to cover the shortfall could come from using state funds anticipated to be saved on the Soscol Junction project, the report said.

You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com.

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The U.S. Commerce Department on Friday moved to effectively ground 100 airplanes that have recently flown to Russia and are believed to violate U.S. export controls, including a plane used by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, Reuters reported.

The list includes 99 Boeing airplanes operated by Russian passenger and cargo carriers including Aeroflot, AirBridge Cargo, Utair, Nordwind, Azur Air and Aviastar-TUas well as Abramovich's Gulfstream G650and could further hinder Russian efforts to continue some international flights.

The Commerce Department warned companies and other entities around the world that any refueling, maintenance, repair, or spare parts or services violate U.S. export controls and subject companies to U.S. enforcement actions that could include "substantial jail time, fines, loss of export privileges, or other restrictions," the department said.

The department said in a statement the action means "international flights from Russia on these aircraft are effectively grounded." Officials told Reuters said it could also prevent domestic Russia flights because of U.S. enforcement actions that could target companies servicing planes in Russia.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimando said in a statement the department is "publishing this list to put the world on noticewe will not allow Russian and Belarusian companies and oligarchs to travel with impunity in violation of our laws."

The department released specific tail numbers of the planes, including 33 Boeing planes operated by Aeroflot (AFLT.MM), and 12 Boeing 747 cargo planes operated by AirBridge Cargo, a unit of Russia's biggest cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Group.

The rules apply to any U.S. manufactured aircraft or any with more than 25% U.S.-origin controlled content that were re-exported to Russia after the new stringent controls on aviation-related items for Russia took effect on Feb. 24.

This week, Reuters reported Russian airlines have weeks to orchestrate alternative supplies of banned aircraft parts or start grounding jets to avoid safety concerns as Western sanctions following Russian's invasion of Ukraine threaten their post-Soviet revival.

Boeing said earlier this month it was suspending parts, maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines.

The United States, Canada, and much of Europe have barred Russian planes from flying over their airspace, which has forced the cancellation of much of Russia's international flights.
YEREVAN. - Past daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: As it seems, the NA [(National Assembly)] regular sittings starting on Monday will be a new "examination" period for [PM] Nikol Pashinyan and his MPs.

In particular, according to the information we have, the opposition "Armenia" and "With Honor" factions of the parliament are going to push forward a number of urgent issues during the forthcoming four-day [sitting]. For example, yesterday they informed that they have put a draft statement into circulation, and at their request a discussion will be held with the agenda of the humanitarian situation, threats, and urgent actions in the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Republic.

According to the information of Past newspaper, the authorities will try at all costs to thwart this important discussion as well, or at least to "make scenes" and "blur" the topic.

According to the parliamentary sources of the newspaper, the "examination" of the [ruling] CC [(Civil Contract) parliamentary faction] members will not end with this. The opposition is serious also about the NA-Government question and answer session. They say it will be quite full and sharp, as the inquiries will refer to a number of painful processes () taking place in the RA.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told CNN that President Joe Biden has "been very clear about the fact that we won't have troops engaged in combat with Russia in Ukraine," CNN reported.

Austin said that if the US were to put into place a no-fly zone, it would require controlling the skies, engaging Russian aircraft, and taking out aircraft systems in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

"So that would mean that we're in combat with Russia. These are two nuclear powered countries that nobody wants to see engage in the conflict. It's not good for the region. It's not good for the world," he said.

He said the US is focused on providing the type of assistance to Ukraine that "we know are making a difference" and doing "everything within our power to defend every inch of NATO territory."

Austin was also asked about China's position on the war in Ukraine.

Austin told CNN that it's "hard to say" what China will do and declined to speculate.

"I would hope that China would not support this despicable act by Putin, I would hope that they would recognize a need to respect sovereign territory," he told CNN, adding that, "We've been clear that if they do that, we think that's a bad choice."

Russia has also requested military support and economic assistance support from China, two US officials told CNN this week.

China has conveyed some openness to offering help to Russia, according to a US diplomatic cable to allies. Both Russia and Beijing have denied that there have been any such requests

On Friday, President Joe Biden sought to dissuade China's President Xi Jinping from assisting Russia, warning his Chinese counterpartduring a 110-minute long video callof the "implications and consequences" for Beijing if it were to provide material support to Moscow.
By Trend





The inauguration of the elected President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow took place in Ashgabat, Trend reports via Turkmenistan: Golden Age news agency.

Berdimuhamedow putting his hand on the constitution, took the presidential oath, pledging to "strictly follow the constitution and laws of Turkmenistan, guarantee the rights and freedoms of citizens, conscientiously fulfill the duties assigned to the President of Turkmenistan."

Presidential election in the country were held on March 12, 2022. The voter turnout was 97.17 percent or 3.3 million people. The Central Election Commission (CEC), after counting all the ballots, announced the victory of the candidate from the Democratic Party, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, who received 72.97 percent of the vote.

Presidential election in Turkmenistan is held every seven years.
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
YEREVAN.  These authorities have no right to say that they have received the mandate of the people, as they are following a clear path to the Armenian-Azerbaijani genocidal policy. The First Ombudsperson of Armenia and human rights activist Larisa Alaverdyan told this to a press conference Saturdayand referring to the incumbent Armenian authorities.

"It can no longer be said that the people have been deceived; this is no longer an excuse because everything is obvious. The people who came to power [in Armenia], obviously, sayone after anotherresolutions that are not acceptable for the people. (). To say that in 1991 Armenia recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is ignorance," Alaverdyan said, referring to a recent statement by Eduard Aghajanyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and an MP from the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the National Assembly of Armenia.

According to Alaverdyan, Armenia is facing great geopolitical challenges.

"The purpose of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyys coming to power was only war. Here Armenia can play two roles for the collective West. The current [Armenian] authorities are doing everything against Russia to please the West in the case when the Russian peacekeepers are standingwith weaponsin Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)]," said Larisa Alaverdyan.
YEREVAN.  Acting UN Resident Coordinator Lila Peters Yahya was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MDA) of Armenia on Saturday, the ministry informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

During the meeting, the Acting UN Resident Coordinator was informed that the MFA of Armenia strongly condemns the participation of the UN Office in Azerbaijan in Fridays event in Shushi, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and a respective note of protest by MFA was submitted.

Also the MFA of Armenia demanded that the UN take steps to restore its neutral position in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Oklahoma Peanut EXPO is March 24

Media Contact: Alisa Boswell-Gore | Agricultural Communications Services | 405-744-7115 | alisa.gore@okstate.edu

The 2022 Oklahoma Peanut EXPO will be held March 24 at the Business Enterprise Center at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.

Attendees will receive updates from peanut experts on everything from variety and market type selection to marketing and industry outlook.

Its a great opportunity to learn from and speak with leading experts in the field and to interact with other peanut producers and industry members, said Ron Sholar, executive director of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission (OPC). This will be the premier peanut education and training event in the region.

The Oklahoma Peanut EXPO is a joint effort of the OPC, Oklahoma State University Agriculture, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, the National Peanut Board and partners in the peanut industry. The event is free, and lunch will be provided.

The peanut EXPO will kick off with registration and exhibits at 9 a.m. and a program of events from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The following is the schedule for the event:

Presentation by Marshall Lamb, a peanut scientist from Dawson, Georgia, will update attendees on the peanut market outlook for 2022.

Ryan Lepicier, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the National Peanut Board, will discuss opportunities for peanuts in both the domestic and international markets.

A grower panel of top producers will share techniques they use to achieve high yields and quality.

A weed control update will be provided by Todd Baughman, OSU Extension specialist for row crop weeds.

Researchers from the USDA-ARS Center for Peanut Improvement in Stillwater will discuss their work and latest results.

OPC will hold a nominations election to select two nominees and an alternate for the National Peanut Board. Eligible producers are those who are engaged in the production and sale of peanuts and who own or share ownership and risk of loss of the crop. OPC election caucuses for Districts 2 and 3 will be held at the conclusion of the meeting.

The peanut EXPO also provides an opportunity for attendees to visit with industry representatives who supply the equipment, products and services needed to produce their crops, said Josh Bushong, northwest area Extension specialist for agronomy.

For additional information, contact Bushong at josh.bushong@okstate.edu or 580-237-7677 or Sholar at okpeanutcomm@aol.com or 405-780-0113.
Health authorities on Saturday reported 16,597 new Covid-19 infections  a three-week low and 3,485 cases fewer than the day before.Of the new cases, 7,528 were detected by PCR tests, while 9,069 were reported by people who took rapid tests themselves.There were 14 imported cases, including 13 who flew in from IndonesiaDr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection noted daily infection figures have been slowly falling, but added the figures do not reflect cases where people did not show symptoms or get tested.She urged people to stay vigilant and maintain social distancing.Meanwhile, authorities said 182 more people died with Covid at public hospitals in the past 24 hours, involving patients aged between 30 and 109. Most of them were aged 65 or above.Of the 182 patients, 127 were unvaccinated, 32 had taken one Covid dose, 20 had received two doses, while three of them had had three shots.Dr Lau Ka-hin from the Hospital Authority said the Coroners Court will look into the death of a 30-year-old patient who had died with Covid. He noted that the patient had had G6PD deficiency and a mental illness, adding that his condition had deteriorated rapidly.Authorities also said 61 more people had died in hospitals with Covid earlier but had not been reported previously, in addition to six more people who had passed away outside hospitals.In all, there have been 1,020,910 Covid cases and 5,437 deaths so far in the latest wave of infections, authorities said.______________________________General Covid-19 situation: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/ Covid-19 testing: https://www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/ Community Clinics for Covid-19 patients: https://bit.ly/3q3tz6G RAT reporting platform: https://www.chp.gov.hk/ratp/ Vaccination programme: https://www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/ Vaccination pass scheme: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/vaccine-pass.html Hotline for Covid-positive patients: 1836 115
Russia and Ukraine brought their positions closer on such points as the neutral status of Ukraine and its non-entry into NATO, said the head of the Russian delegation, and the President's assistant Vladimir Medinsky. At the same time, according to him, in the issue of demilitarisation of Ukraine, Moscow and Kyiv are "somewhere halfway." He also added that it would be possible to talk about a possible meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky only after the approval of the text of the agreement between the two countries, RT reported. Medinsky said that the position on Donbass was clearly formulated and Russia would not back down from it. "The fact is that our position is very clear, it has been formed repeatedly by the President, supported by our entire country. And we have no way to retreat from it," he said. Medinsky also said that the issue of managing Donbass is a key one in the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. "The Ukrainian side believes that the issue of governance of the territories should be decided centrally in Kyiv, and we believe that the issue of governance should be decided by the people of Donbass," he said. According to Medinsky, the people of Donbass spoke out on this issue eight years ago and since then "have been forced to wage war, defending their own decision". --IANS san/ ( 240 Words) 2022-03-18-22:30:04 (IANS)
By Trend





The departure of Azerbaijan's Buta Airways flight J2-9103 en route Baku-Istanbul (Sabiha Gokcen International Airport) has been delayed due to adverse weather conditions at the destination, Trend reports citing the airline.

"A heavy snowfall is observed at the Istanbul airport. All passengers on the delayed flight are provided with everything necessary in accordance with the rules of the airline," Buta Airways said.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine, which has been temporarily relocated from Kiev to Warsaw due to the fighting, on Friday said that it has been functioning round the clock for Indian nationals in Ukraine who are trying to seek assistance and they can contact it through email and help line numbers. In an advisory, it also circulated the email: cons1.kyiv@mea.gov.in and the official numbers- +3809333559958,+919205290802,+917428022564. Soon after the war broke out between Ukraine and Russia on February 24, the majority of the Indian diplomats had moved from the Ukrainian capital to Lviv which is close to the Ukraine-Poland border. But the Indian Embassy in Kiev was kept functional, with a few officials stationed there to coordinate with the Ukrainian authorities on the evacuation of Indians from the country. The External Affairs Ministry recently decided to temporarily shift the embassy in Warsaw after the Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian city increased as by that time, the evacuation of the Indian nationals was almost done. In a statement on March 13, the MEA said: "In view of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Ukraine, including attacks in the western parts of the country, it has been decided that the Indian Embassy in Ukraine will be temporarily relocated in Poland." The situation will be reassessed in the light of further developments, it added. --IANS ams/vd ( 239 Words) 2022-03-18-22:42:04 (IANS)
The United States does not allow Ukraine to agree to the conditions put forward by Russia in the negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Saturday. According to Lavrov, the dialogues have improved, but the United States can "hold the hand" of the Ukrainian delegation. At the same time, the minister expressed hope that the military operation would end with a comprehensive agreement on the neutral status of Ukraine with security guarantees for it, RT reported. Commenting on the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Lavrov noted that these events were the culmination of the course that the West has pursued against Russia since the early 1990s. Lavrov also noted that statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he does not support neo-Nazis are at odds with his real actions. "To my great regret and shame, President Zelensky declares that how can he be a Nazi when he is of Jewish origin, and he says this exactly on the days when Ukraine defiantly withdraws from the agreement on the protection of monuments of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War - such an agreement within the framework of the CIS existed," Lavrov said. The minister added that when Zelensky patronises such trends, it becomes "difficult to take the policies of the Ukrainian leadership seriously". --IANS san/arm ( 230 Words) 2022-03-19-21:08:04 (IANS)
British shipping company P&O Ferries sacked 800 of its employees en masse over a Zoom call that lasted only 3 minutes and the employees were not allowed to serve a notice period, reports Daily Mail.

"I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy," Daily Mail quoted the P&O chief during his Zoom call as saying.

The firm said it has suspended sailings "for the next few days" while Transport Secretary Roubert Courts warned passengers to expect up to 10 days of disruption.

The senior P&O manager told seafarers on Thursday: "The company has made the decision that its vessels going forward will be primarily crewed by a third-party crew provider."

The British company had received 10 million pounds from the UK government in furlough cash during the Covid-19 lockdown to make payments to 1,100 employees.

In December 2021, Garg laid off nearly 900 employees even after his company, which is a digital mortgage lender, had announced it received a cash infusion of about $750 million from Aurora Acquisition Corp and SoftBank.

Last week, the company started laying off thousands of employees in the US and India, in another round of mass layoffs, and they received severance cheques in the payroll app.

An estimated 3,000 of the company's 8,000 employees in the US and India were asked to go.

--IANS na/vd

( 280 Words)

2022-03-18-22:44:05 (IANS)
New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI/Target Media): It is crucial for all kinds of businesses to hire a financial consultant if they want to operate smoothly and achieve success. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chandraprakash Pandey, from CP Pandey & Associates, is one such widely known and well-established financial consultant. Chandraprakash has helped a diverse spectrum of businesses to grow and operate smoothly by providing them with expert financial guidance and consultancy services. Leading press release and public relations organization, Times Applaud, has hence acknowledged the services of Chandraprakash by bestowing the Trendsetter 2022 award to him. During an event held last month, Chandraprakash received the Times Applaud Trendsetter 2022 award from Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari for being an Iconic Industrial Financial Consultant. Times Applaud hosted the sparkling event on February 24, 2022, at Governor House Raj Bhawan in Malabar Hill, Mumbai. Financial consultants or advisors provide clients with a comprehensive assessment of their finances. They dissect all elements of a client's financial life, including assets, expenses, and income, and assist them in developing a financial plan to achieve various types of goals and business success. As a financial consultant, Chandraprakash Pandey, who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) since 2012, has worked with a vast range of professionally managed corporations. He holds almost a decade of expertise handling corporate matters in many fields. He has assisted numerous businesses in establishing, running, and expanding their operations in India. As a certified public accountant (CPA), Chandraprakash Pandey plays an important part in a wide range of financial planning and transactions. His services are beneficial to individuals and companies seeking to accomplish lofty financial goals. He provides financial guidance to a diverse spectrum of clients, including large corporations and governmental agencies, as well as small independent enterprises and individuals. Some of his clients are engaged in public practice work, while being employed in the private sector or for government agencies. He is an expert in particular areas of practice, including audit, management consultancy, recovery, forensic accountancy, taxation, assurance, corporate finance, compiling and presenting reports, budgets, business plans, commentaries, and financial statements. In his opinion, the more value he provides to the client, the more pleasantly he will be compensated. To deliver this value he is well-equipped with significant skills and qualities. He works in all fields of business and finance, including auditing, taxation, financial, and general management. Chandraprakash Pandey is the founder of one of the leading companies of Chartered Accountants in India, C P Pandey & Co. The company was founded in 2012 and now operates from its Head Office in Mumbai. C P Pandey & Co aims to add value to businesses by providing them with a professional, proactive & flexible audit service that is tailored to meet their needs now and in the future. C P Pandey & Co is a professional in Company Registration including Patent Registration; Public Limited Company Registration; and Class 3 Digital Signature, etc. They provide Licenses and Certificate including Income Tax Return; ISO certification; FSSAI Food License; Trademark Registration; and RERA Registration. Company Compliances including GST registration; GST Return Filing; and TDS Return Filing, etc. are also prime services of C P Pandey & Co. C P Pandey & Co is committed to creating and sustaining long-term relationships which draw on the company's experience and expertise to help our clients achieve real success in the business world. The company believes that a good example has twice the value of good advice. C P Pandey & Co believes that the success of its clients is truly theirs and the company just plays a role in it. Growth comes only through continuous effort and struggle. Hence, the mission of C P Pandey & Co is to simplify all types of compliance and fulfill all the needs of business owners. Website: www.cacppandey.com This story is provided by Target Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Target Media)
New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI/Target Media): More and more women are being honoured and recognized for their hard work, and remarkable achievements in the global corporate world. Jyothi Adhav is a humanitarian, who has made her mark not only in the corporate world but also as an artist. She has hence been honoured with the Trendsetter 2022 award by Times Applaud, a leading press release and public relations agency. Jyothi Adhav is one of the gifted artists whose work has been recognized by renowned artists in India. But, that's not all, as Jyothi is also a sophisticated businesswoman who has rendered significant service to humanity. During a mega-event held recently in Mumbai, the Honorable Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari honoured Jyothi with Times Applaud's Trendsetter 2022. When people are rewarded, their need for appreciation is fulfilled. This also motivates others to put in their best efforts to create or do something valuable for the world. Women have made great strides in every field and need to be noticed and valued for delivering excellent services to society. Times Applaud understands this need for appreciation and hence organizes the Trendsetter award ceremony every year to felicitate leaders in various fields for their invaluable knowledge and delivering quality, excellent services to society. Times Applaud hosted the Trendsetter 2022 award ceremony to honour, appreciate and applaud the success of people like Jyothi for their remarkable role as trendsetters in different fields. Jyothi Adhav is a self-taught abstract painter whose raw and visceral depiction of human survival brings into open creation process a struggle between physical act of creating and canvas. She is one of the gifted artists whose work has been recognised by renowned artists in India. Being an unblemished portrait of an artist, businesswoman, and a caring mother, she is the epitome of confidence and professionalism. Jyothi is currently doing her PhD in Fine Arts. Being an artist and a businesswoman at the same time is no easy task. But, other than being an extremely creative artist, Jyothi Adhav is also a successful businesswoman. In fact, you will be amazed when you have a look at all the key roles she plays in different enterprises, including an NGO. Jyothi is the Founder/Director/Artist of Jyo Arts and Decors, a brand under Trio Arts and Decor, which is an ultra-modern art studio. Here, she showcases her fine art skills through explicit and exclusive decor products. Jyothi is also one of the directors of Safpro Industries, a condiment manufacturing company, based in Pune. In this business, she makes sure to streamline daily operations to sales. The company has gradually grown during the last few years and is taking its products to more continents. Apart from being a prolific artist and businesswoman, Jyothi is also a humanitarian, who is passionate about giving back to society. She has served humanity through the establishment of Vasumati Welfare Foundation with the cooperation of her husband Vijay Adhav. Vasumati Welfare Foundation is an NGO that the couple launched on January 26, Republic Day, 2020, with the noble cause of helping the poor and deprived. The organisation works to provide medical facilities and conduct food donation drives for the needy. Vasumati Welfare Foundation is also playing a key role in woman empowerment by sponsoring the girl child's education. The organisation believes education is a tool for a better future, and is hence sponsoring the education till Std. X, for a young girl who is a Std. IV student. Vasumati Welfare Foundation has also been rendering service to humanity during the Covid-19 pandemic period. It organized free health check-up and consultations to help people recover from post COVID symptoms. During this drive, people were provided with Ayurvedic medicines and therapies with consultation from expert members of the medical fraternity. Vasumati Welfare Foundation also distributed free food packets and immunity kits during the pandemic. It held a grocery donation drive in January 2022 to provide basic necessities to poor families. The organisation also created and distributed free immunity kits. In association with Ayurvedic brand Dhanawantri Kerala, it created and distributed free kits to boost immunity for protection from Covid-19. Jyothi Adhav has now become an excellent role model for women's empowerment and inspiration for many people. She truly deserves the Trendsetter 2022 award, which she received on February 24, 2022, at Governor's House Raj Bhavan in Malabar Hill, Mumbai. We wish Jyothi the best for all her future endeavours in art, business, and service to humanity. This story is provided by Target Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Target Media)
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 19 (ANI/PNN): Adding yet another feather to its cap of scripting scores of success stories, Odisha's veteran stevedoring firm Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL), under the able stewardship of its managing director (MD) Mahimananda Mishra, has achieved its mission of handling and transferring heavy lift cargo via riverine navigation from Paradip Port. Accordingly, OSL has been successful in discharging heavy lifts of about 400 metric tonnes (MT) at Paradip Port as well as positioning the cargo at Luna Jetty by virtue of riverine navigation. Pertinent to note that Luna Jetty is about 45 km away from Paradip Port. Also, need to be mentioned here that Tata Steel had imported four (04) heavy lifts from China through Paradip Port in association with freight forwarder Deugro/Golden Coast. Since the packages could not be traversed through the road from the port to destination (Kalinga Nagar in Odisha's Jajpur district), the task of transferring the same was awarded to OSL as the premier stevedoring organization possesses the unique expertise in handling heavy lifts and transferring the cargo via riverine navigation. Soon after unloading the heavy-lift cargo from the mother vessel MV Yangez Venus, the heavy lifts were loaded onto Pontoon Sanvi. With the help of tow, Sanvi was navigated to Luna jetty, and subsequently, the packages were discharged by roll-off method and transferred to their destination. It is significant to mention here that OSL, a veteran of stevedoring in Odisha for over 46 years, is now venturing into riverine navigations to give one-stop solutions to all types of cargo, including the last-mile delivery, which had been a logistical challenge for many. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Just a few days after revealing Pete Davidson would be joining their next flight, the Jeff Bezos-founded company announced that the date of the flight had moved and Davidson would no longer be part of the excursion.

"Blue Origin's 20th flight of New Shepard has shifted to Tuesday, March 29. Pete Davidson is no longer able to join the NS-20 crew on this mission. We will announce the sixth crew member in the coming days," Blue Origin Flight announced on their official Twitter handle.

The reason for Davidson's departure from the flight has not been revealed yet.

The flight was originally set for March 23.

Apart from Davidson, the rest of the crew included Party America CEO Marty Allen; philanthropist and real estate mogul Marc Hagle and his wife, Sharon Hagle; University of North Carolina professor Jim Kitchen; and Dr George Nield, president of Commercial Space Technologies, as per Variety.

The excursion will mark the fourth human flight launched by the private aerospace company, and its 20th in total.

Earlier, the company has taken a slew of celebrities aboard its missions including 'Star Trek' actor William Shatner, who is 90 and broke the record for the oldest person to travel to space when he boarded Blue Origin's second flight.

Most recently, 'Good Morning America' host Michael Strahan also boarded the trip. (ANI)
The SUV, which ran over street vendors, killing a two-month-old child, in Hyderabad on Thursday night belonged to a relative of a legislator. Amir Shakil, a member of Legislative Assembly of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), on Friday admitted that the car belonged to his cousin and sometimes, he also uses it. The MLA from Bodhan stated in a video message that after the accident, he spoke to his cousin and asked him to pay compensation to the family of the deceased. Terming the incident unfortunate, he said the police should take action as per law after investigation and scanning CCTV footage. Shakil denied reports that his son was driving the vehicle. The MLA said the son of his cousin was at the wheels at the time of the accident and he escaped as some people present there had started beating him up. A child was killed and four others injured as the speeding SUV hit street vendors in posh Jubilee Hills area on Thursday night. The vehicle, which had temporary registration number, rammed a group of women selling balloons on Jubilee Hills Road Number 45 near the Cable Bridge. An MLA sticker was found pasted on Mahindra Thar. After knocking down the vendors, the person driving the SUV escaped from the scene. The police on Friday arrested him. He was identified as Meraj. According to police, after crossing the Cable Bridge, the SUV coming from Madhapur side hit the footpath vendors. Two infants who were in the laps of their mothers fell down. Later, one of them was declared dead at a nearby hospital. Three women and a one-year-old child were taken to Apollo Hospital and later shifted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). The victims were all migrants from Maharashtra who were living on the streets by selling balloons and begging. They said the speeding vehicle knocked them down when they were standing on the footpath and demanded justice. However, in a curious turn on Friday, one of the women, Kajal left NIMS. Her relatives enquired with the hospital staff but did not get a convincing reply. Later, other injured women and their relatives also went untraced. --IANS ms/vd ( 378 Words) 2022-03-18-20:08:02 (IANS)
In a bid to ensure peace and security in the district, police beefed up security arrangements on Friday in Madhya Pradesh's Indore as Holi celebrations coincided with Shab-e-Barat this year. "Today there is Juma (Friday) and Shab-e-Barat along with Holi, so to ensure peace in the district we have taken various measures," said Rajesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Indore. "CCTVs have been installed, drones are also being used to keep vigil in the area. The district police, state armed force, home guard and the members of District Security committee have been commissioned in the sensitive areas," said Singh. Meanwhile, people in the district rejoice as they got a chance to play Holi after almost two years due to prevailing COVID-19 guidelines during the last two Holi. "I am happy that we got a chance to play Holi this year after two years. I am visiting my friends as I am excited to play Holi with them," said Khushbu Jaiswal, a local. "Even though I have an exam tomorrow, I am taking out time to play Holi," said Priyanshi Sahu, another local. 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 commenced on the evening of March 18 and will end on the evening of March 19. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. It was celebrated across the country on March 18. (ANI)
"Pradyunya Kamble (22) was murdered by four persons on Wednesday in Dangat Patil Industrial Estate area of Pune," said Shankar Khatke, Police Inspector, Warje Police station.

According to Khatke, the initial investigation has so far revealed that the accused family was not ready to accept the love affair between the girl and the deceased. They wanted Kamble to end the relationship with the girl.

"Kamble had gone to the Dangat Patil Industrial Estate area on Wednesday night. The accused attacked him with knife, cement block and iron rod leading to his death," said Khatke.

Police have arrested Vijay Paygude, his son Ajay Paygude, and his wife in connection with the case. One Ajay's friend has also been arrested in connection with the case.

An FIR has been registered against the four of them at Warje Malwadi police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including charges of murder. (ANI)
Ukraine's positions at peace talks with Russia remain unchanged: Ukraine's presidential advisor

Xinhua) 09:04, March 19, 2022

A local resident sits near a damaged building in Volnovakha of Donetsk, March 15, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

"Our positions remain unchanged: a ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops and strict security guarantees with specific formulas," Podolyak said.

KIEV, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's positions at the peace talks with Russia remain unchanged, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday.

"Our positions remain unchanged: a ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops and strict security guarantees with specific formulas," Podolyak, who is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, tweeted.

The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link.

On Wednesday, Podolyak said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, one of the worlds leading luxury hospitality companies, and Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), the developer of the Diriyah master plan, have announced plans for Four Seasons Hotel Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

A 300-year-old site located just outside of Riyadh, Diriyah is considered to be the birthplace of the kingdom and the capital of the first Saudi state. The area is home to the Unesco World Heritage Site, At-Turaif, the valley and lush palm groves of Wadi Hanifah, and will soon include the Diriyah development  an acclaimed project that pays homage to the history of Saudi Arabia.

Located 15 minutes from the centre of Riyadh, Diriyah will comprise 13 unique districts inclusive of residences, hospitality offerings, office space, retail, museums, cultural institutions, outdoor attractions and more. The development is a key driver of the Kingdoms Saudi Vision 2030.

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, commented: It is a delight to be partnering with Four Seasons. Renowned for their unforgettable guest experiences, Four Seasons is working alongside DGDA to elevate what travellers can experience within Diriyah, showcasing their timeless approach to hospitality whilst staying true to Diriyahs rich cultural past. We are excited to share further developments on this project in the coming months.

Four Seasons Hotel Diriyah, Saudi Arabia will include approximately 150 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites, expansive meeting and event spaces, a wellness spa with seven treatment rooms and a fitness centre, as well as two outdoor pools with private cabanas. The Hotel will also offer four culinary outlets, including a poolside restaurant and Sunset lounge.

The Diriyah development will become one of the Middle Easts most walkable, pedestrianised cities, and upon completion will be the worlds largest cultural and heritage site. It has been designed to honour the heritage of the area with traditional Najdi architectural design principles, including low-rise, compact and organic architecture, rooftop terraces, decorated doors, and large courtyards. Each district within the development will be highly walkable with easy connections to the sights and attractions within the area.

Diriyah is an exceptional project that speaks to the tremendous growth and economic development in the region, while remaining deeply rooted in the destinations historic and cultural past, says Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Saudi Arabia is an important growth market for Four Seasons, and we are proud to be part of Diriyahs exciting future. We look forward to partnering with DGDA to bring the Four Seasons luxury experience to life within this iconic, landmark development.

The hotel will be located adjacent to Diriyahs culturally rooted district along the Wadi Hanifah escarpment, with incredible views towards the west and the Unesco World Heritage Site, At-Turaif. Inspired by local tradition, the hotel design will have a unique aesthetic that is being developed by leading design architects, Aedas and Elastik interior designers.

Four Seasons Hotel Diriyah, Saudi Arabia will join Four Seasons' growing portfolio of properties in the Middle East and will be a short drive from the existing Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre. - TradeArabia News Service
This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside the national capital.

According to sources, the Union Home Minister will review the security arrangements ahead of Amarnath Yatra and the proposed assembly elections.

Meanwhile, this is the second visit of Shah to Jammu in the last five months. Earlier, he had visited Jammu and Kashmir for five days.

CRPF Raising Day is marked on the day when in 1950 the then Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented colours to the CRPF after the CRPF Act was enacted and the force rechristened to its present name. The CRPF was raised in 1939 as the Crown Representative's Police. (ANI)
Telegram has been banned in Brazil following a ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court. On Friday, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the internet providers and digital stores to block the messaging application across the nation as it failed to comply with orders from Brazilian authorities and remove messages found to contain disinformation, The Verge reported. The move comes at the time when President Jair Bolsonaro has been reportedly encouraging his base to follow him on Telegram as he is all set to seek re-election in October. After facing the shutdown in Brazil, Telegram's founder and CEO Pavel Durov issued a statement, citing the ban happened because his company was checking the wrong email address. "It seems that we had an issue with emails going between our telegram.org corporate addresses and the Brazilian Supreme Court. As a result of this miscommunication, the Court ruled to ban Telegram for being unresponsive. On behalf of our team, I apologize to the Brazilian Supreme Court for our negligence. We definitely could have done a better job," he said. Durov added, "We complied with an earlier court decision in late February and responded with a suggestion to send future takedown requests to a dedicated email address. Unfortunately, our response must have been lost, because the Court used the old general-purpose email address in further attempts to reach us. As a result, we missed its decision in early March that contained a follow-up takedown request. Luckily, we have now found and processed it, delivering another report to the Court today." Durov also urged the court to "consider delaying its ruling." "Because tens of millions of Brazilians rely on Telegram to communicate with family, friends and colleagues, I ask the Court to consider delaying its ruling for a few days at its discretion to allow us to remedy the situation by appointing a representative in Brazil and setting up a framework to react to future pressing issues like this in an expedited manner. The last 3 weeks have been unprecedented for the world and for Telegram. Our content moderation team was flooded with requests from multiple parties. However, I am certain that once a reliable channel of communication is established, we'll be able to efficiently process takedown requests for public channels that are illegal in Brazil," the statement concluded. Telegram was founded in 2013. (ANI)
Security arrangements were beefed up in Delhi on the occasion of Shab-E-Barat. "Additional forces have been deployed here in the national capital on the occasion of Shab-E-Barat. The maximum number of officers have been deployed here in Jama Masjid. We are ensuring that crowd management remains intact so that untoward incidents can be avoided," said Shweta Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District while speaking to ANI on Friday. Chauhan further informed that proper barricading has been done around the area and drones have also been deployed in the region to keep a vigil. "The police are keeping an extra vigil on routes towards Delhi. Vehicles being impounded if violating rules," she said. Meanwhile, the celebrations of Shab-e-Barat, which is also known as the "night of forgiveness," started all across the country on Friday night. In Mumbai, devotees visited Bada Qabrastan in Marine Lines to celebrate the festival. "The festival is regarded as Eid of the deceased, and we celebrate it every year. The security arrangements are very good and people are also cooperating with the police to ensure peaceful Shab-E-Barat celebrations," said Salman Qureshi, a local resident. Mohammad Yakub, another resident said, "On this day we visit graveyards to pray for the departed soul of our loved ones." Shab-e-Barat 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 commenced on the evening of March 18 and will 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. During the 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 the eternal peace of the departed 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. (ANI)
The VHP has also urged the Government of India to take cognisance of the incident in Dhaka.

"The attack on the ISKCON temple in Dhaka on the eve of Holi is very worrying, condemnable and exposes the human rights and islamophobia. The Government of Bangladesh should ensure the safety of Hindus and give harsh punishment to the attackers and the Government of India also come forward for this," the VHP tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).

A mob of over 200 led by Islamist Haji Shafiullah vandalised the ISKCON temple in the Wari area of Dhaka on March 17, took away idols and injured several devotees, a temple official said on Friday.

The ISKCON is affiliated with Radhakanta Jeev temple.

According to sources, the High Commission of India is in touch with Bangladeshi authorities following the incident.

The pre-Holi temple attack took place after a series of attacks on religious places of the minority community in Bangladesh last October.

An ISKCON temple in Noakhali city was vandalised in October last year. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday participated in the 83rd Raising Day program of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu. This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside the national capital. The CRPF Raising Day is held on March 19 after India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented colours to the CRPF following the enactment of the CRPF Act by the Parliament in 1950. The CRPF was raised in 1939 and was then known as the Crown Representative's Police. The CRPF was raised as the Crown Representative's Police on this very day in 1939. It was given a fresh lease of life soon after Independence when it was renamed and redesigned as the Central Reserve Police on 28th December 1949 and was mandated to secure the internal security of the country. After reaching Jammu, Shah on Friday handed over job appointment letters to kin of Jammu and Kashmir police personnel who were killed in terrorist incidents. "The entire nation is proud of their dedication and valour to keep Jammu and Kashmir safe. The Narendra Modi government is committed to the welfare of all the policemen and their families in J-K," Shah said in a tweet (roughly translated from Hindi). This is the second visit of Shah to Jammu in the last five months. Earlier, he had visited Jammu and Kashmir for five days. According to sources, the Union Home Minister will review the security arrangements ahead of Amarnath Yatra. (ANI)
The Cheif Minister on Saturday participated in 'Bhagwan Narsingh Holikotsav Shobha Yatra' in Gorakhpur, under the aegis of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Addressing the people at the event, Adityanath referred to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory in the recently concluded state Assembly polls and said, "You are connected to the enthusiasm of Holi for past 10 days. For the first time in 2 years, Corona is under control on Holi and we have the opportunity to participate in the event, in person. Secondly, Uttar Pradesh once again chose a government for nationalism and good governance."

Adityanath on March 17 had participated in the function of 'Holika Dahan' in Gorakhpur. He had also visited Gorakhanath Temple on the same day.

"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 had said.

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 Assembly elections.

The BJP has retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. (ANI)
The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is likely to take key decisions in its first Cabinet meeting on Saturday, informed sources. The first meeting of the council of ministers will be held after the expansion of the Cabinet with the swearing-in of 10 ministers, which will take place around 11 am today. According to the sources, the Bhagwant Mann government is likely to take the decision in the Cabinet meeting to implement one of the election promises of the Aam Admi Party (AAP). Among other poll promises of the AAP in Punjab, the national convenor of the party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to improve the condition of government schools and hospitals in the state, generate employment avenues, free electricity up to 300 units per billing cycle and also promised Rs 1,000 per month to women above 18 years. He had also promised a corruption-free government and controlling drug menace in the state. Earlier on Thursday, the Punjab Chief Minister announced that an anti-corruption helpline will be launched in the state on 'Shaheed Diwas (Martyr's Day)' on March 23. Mann had said that the people will be able to lodge complaints against corruption via WhatsApp. A day after Mann assumed office, the AAP-led Punjab government took the first step towards fulfilling the promises which it had made in 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. Earlier, on March 17, Punjab's newly-elected MLAs, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly. The AAP leader and the party's face for recently held Punjab Assembly polls took oath as the Chief Minister of the state on March 16. The AAP won a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins of the electoral politics in the state. (ANI)
With speculations doing the rounds of the likelihood of her attending the swearing-in ceremony of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Saturday said that the interim president of the party Sonia Gandhi shouldn't attend the function as it may send a wrong message to the minority community. The BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, who led his party to a thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, is likely to take oath as Chief Minister of the state for the second tenure on March 25, according to sources. Speaking to ANI, Alvi said, "Sonia Gandhi should not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Yogi Adityanath because it will send a wrong message to the minority community." According to the sources, besides Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati are among the likely invitees from the opposition parties. He further said that not only Sonia Gandhi but Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should also not go to the swearing-in ceremony of Adityanath. "Adityanath has only spread hatred in Uttar Pradesh in the last five years during his tenure. He won the elections because of 80 versus 20 slogans. He was only talking about running 'bulldozers'. Therefore, any leader who believes in the tradition, values or culture of India should not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Adityanath," said Alvi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the BJP national president JP Nadda are among the list of invitees scheduled to attend the oath-taking ceremony, said sources. Beneficiaries of various central and state-run welfare schemes have also been invited to the oath-taking ceremony with a special focus on women beneficiaries. Preparations for the grand ceremony have begun in Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.As per sources, the names of cabinet members have already been finalized by the BJP. 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. (ANI)
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday condemned the attack at the ISKCON Radhakanta temple in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka and urged international organisations including the UN to take cognizance of the recent attacks against Hindus in the country. "Recently, preparations for the full moon festival were going on at the famous Radhakanta temple located in Dhaka. It is very unfortunate that more than 200 Jihadis attacked and vandalized idols and assaulted the attendees. This is not the first time that such an incident is taking place in Bangladesh. There is not a single festival that Hindus would not have organized under the shadow of fear," International Joint General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Surendra Jain told ANI. The ISKCON Radhakanta temple in Bangladesh's Dhaka was vandalized by alleged extremist elements on Thursday. The incident comes a few months following a series of attacks on minority religious places in Bangladesh that took place last October. The senior VHP leader has urged that the Bangladesh government and administration should address their concerns. "How long will the atrocities continue? How long will the attacks on temples continue? Whenever there are attacks on Hindus, the government of Bangladesh calls it an attempt to defame the government," he said. Further, he said that if the Bangladesh government is really honest towards the Hindu community, then they should introduce changes in their constitution. "As long as there is Sharia law, the Hindu society can never live in peace under the shadow of Jihadis," he added. VHP also appealed to the United Nations and human rights organizations to take cognizance of the recent attack on Hindus in Bangladesh. "The United Nation and human rights organizations should take the initiative on the issue of Bangladesh by going ahead and setting up an investigation because these atrocities have been happening on Hindu society since the creation of Bangladesh," Jain said. Urging the Indian government to raise this issue, he added, "The Government of India must also be concerned as much as it worries about the atrocities on Hindus in Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is a perception in the Hindu society in Bangladesh that the Government of India is indifferent to the atrocities being committed on them. If the central government wants, it can change this perception there and also the fate of Hindus." (ANI)
According to a new study led by the University of South Australia, reading aloud can build a child's resilience at school, particularly for children at risk. The study was published in the journal, 'Child Abuse and Neglect'. Focussing on early primary-aged children who had suffered abuse or neglect, the study explored factors that could modify the negative effects of adverse life circumstances, finding that one of the biggest predictors of resilience in both boys and girls in struggling families was being read to at home. While reading to children at home has long been associated with school readiness and scholastic outcomes, this is the first study that has shown the benefits of reading to mitigate some of the detrimental trajectories of child maltreatment. In Australia in 2021, nearly 300,000 children aged 0-17years had one or more child protection notifications with 105,000 the subject of an investigation and nearly 50,000 the subject of substantiated abuse or neglect. The study found that victims of child maltreatment are generally more developmentally vulnerable than their peers at the start of school. Lead researcher, Professor Leonie Segal said that there is an acute need to support these children and their families, before the children start school, with reading being a key factor for success. "A good start to school is predictive of later outcomes, so it's vital that we not only identify those at risk early on but also find ways to support children's emotional, social and physical development before they start school," Prof Segal said. "Reading out loud can create many positive outcomes for children. As a shared experience between parent and child, it encourages connection, while also directly contributing to child development through exposure to words and stories," she continued. "Children in families that are struggling to create a nurturing environment will especially benefit from reading with a parent or carer, improving their resilience and keeping them developmentally more on track, despite their adversity exposure," she added. The study analysed data covering 65,083 children who had completed the Early Australian Development Census (AEDC) at 5 to 6 years old, when starting primary school, identifying 3414 high-risk children who had experienced maltreatment. Boys were found to be developmentally behind girls, particularly those who had been exposed to abuse or neglect. Prof Segal said the education sector must look at strategies to better support boys in early learning environments. "Our study found that boys had a much higher risk of being developmentally behind than girls, as did children living in remote or rural areas, and those with a physical, sensory, or learning disability. All these groups need far greater support," Prof Segal said. "Paying particular attention to boys, especially those who are victims of child maltreatment is critical. Encouraging parents to read to their boys while valuable, is not enough, the onus is on the education sector to identify other mechanisms to support boys," she continued. "This could include recruiting more male educators into early childhood settings and ensuring learning approaches are sensitive to the specific needs of boys," she added. "Males currently make up less than five per cent of the early childhood education workforce, with their presence in primary schools also declining. Boosting the gender balance among educators could be an important step to helping boys," Prof Segal continued. "Understanding which attributes can help young children to be more resilient -- or conversely which factors can put them at greater risk -- can form the basis of interventions for child victims of maltreatment to improve life trajectories. Every child deserves the chance for a bright future. We must not overlook those most at risk," she concluded. (ANI)
Top companies coming from some of the world's premier investor countries have confirmed their participation at a specialised 'Global Real Estate Professional' Program, which is being co-hosted simultaneously by this year's edition of the International Property Show (IPS 2022).

An ultimate sales platform for both local and international real estate markets, IPS will be running from March 24 to 26 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The 10-day exclusive programme will provide a diverse set of activities for delegates attending IPS 2022.

The event has partnered with Invest in Dubai Real Estate for this bespoke programme, which brings in some of the world's top realtors and real estate professionals to meet investors and government officials from more than 170 countries.

Investors from Scotland, India, Mongolia, UK and Malaysia have also confirmed their participation among other countries.

These include Hazem Fayyad, Founder and CEO, Transfromology XR; Sedarth Mall, Realtor Agent, Bhumika Realty; John Hanna, Managing Director, GDP Global Partner and National Leader; Mohit Bhasin, Director for Global Business and Development, KPMG, among other key investors from around the world.

In addition, participants of the programme can take advantage of the many offered benefits, including membership to the Property Network Partnership (PNP). There will also be a series of B2B meetings for the delegation and opportunities to sign MOUs with global organizations and participate in many global press conferences as well.

Nuno Duarte Silva, Director of International Department, Remax Grupo Vantagem, said: "We have long been supporters and participants of IPS. Taking part at IPS affords us the opportunity to promote and showcase our amazing country, Portugal, along with its offered investor programs that provide second citizenship."

"This is also a key time for us to throw the spotlight on our client's properties--presenting a wide range of investment opportunities, from luxury properties, palaces, apartments, villas, lands, entire buildings, hotels, and commercial areas, to a wider market. We are excited to be at this year's show, which is one of the largest real estate fairs in the Middle East," stated Silva.

Juri Michaelsen, CEO, TerraConcept, said: "This is our first time to join IPS and our key goal is to introduce Tenerife, Canary Islands in Spain as an attractive investment opportunity for the Middle East and the Far East clients. To date, we are offering a diverse set of private villas and apartments, in along with investment opportunities like building plots and hotels."

"We are confident that our time at the show will give us the opportunity to meet potential investors seeking secondary citizenship," he added.

David Moya Allvarez, CEO- Business Principal Properties, Spain said: "We are glad to be a part of IPS. As one of the leading property shows in the region, we are looking to increase the activities and visibility of our offices in Dubai, providing GCC customers with the possibility to access unique investment opportunities in Spain, with the security to count in our expert Real Estate expertise and guidance, which will ensure their investment is successful. Overall, we are confident that IPS will serve as a catalyst for introducing our offerings to a global audience,"

The upcoming event will also be featuring an exhibition, workshops, training, B2B and B2C meetings, country pavilions, an Investment Destination Forum, and a series of MOU signings from participating companies and businesses, stated Allvarez.

"IPS is a premium property event and our participation at this show will provide us a strategic platform to display and show our offerings to international Investors, said Kevin Sharpe, President, Sharpe Industries.

"While visitors to the show will have a chance to access some of our new multi-family developments in the Ottawa and Toronto real estate markets, we are also keen to network and learn about new technologies and trends occurring in the real estate industry across the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
"We have received a letter from the central government to be on alert as there is a surge in COVID cases across European Countries, South Korea and China. Accordingly, our health department had issued a letter to DCs to be cautious and take necessary steps," Tope said.

Maharashtra reported 171 new COVID cases and three deaths on Friday.

According to the state health department, 394 people recovered from the disease on Friday while the active number of cases stood at 1,680. With the new cases, the infection tally in the state reached 78,72,203. The new fatalities pushed the COVID death toll in Maharashtra to 1,43,765. (ANI)
The incident took place on Friday when a speeding car, with a temporary registration number, hit a group of street vendors, resulting in three women vendors sustaining injuries.

Two people, including the cousin of Bodhan MLA Shakeel, identified as Mirza have been arrested in connection with the accident, said Jubilee Hills Inspector S Rajasekhar Reddy.

According to the complainant, Mirza was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle.

However, the police said they are yet to ascertain the claim of the complainant because of the non-availability of CCTV footage.

The police said the two women sustained injuries while the third woman, who is the mother of the deceased infant, has been grievously injured and shifted to NIMS hospital for further treatment.

Meanwhile, MLA Shakeel demanded a police probe into the accident and also said that he took stock of the incident and asked his cousin to compensate the family for their loss.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
TDP MLA Gadde Ramamohan, one of the protesters claimed that the liquor brands sold in Andhra Pradesh are manufactured by YSRCP MLAs and the chief minister's relatives for making money.

"These liquor brands sold in Andhra Pradesh aren't sold in other states. It's manufactured by YSRCP MLAs and CM's relatives, they are making money," Ramamohan told ANI while showing the liquor brands.

He also alleged that these liquor brands are of "low quality" and "slow poison". "The liquor being sold is of low quality and is a slow poison. This is a scam of Rs 10,000-20,000 crores," he added.

The TDP MLAs have been holding a protest led by Nara Lokesh, outside the Andhra Pradesh Assembly since 14 March 2022 alleging that 'J' brand liquor is responsible for 26 deaths that have occurred in the state from mid-February to the first week of March.

At the protest site, the protesters demonstrated carrying placards that read that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was killing people with the J-brand. (ANI)
"The Governor of Punjab in the exercise of the powers conferred under Article 165 of the Consitution of India is pleased to appoint Dr Anmol Rattan Sidhu, senior Advocate Punjab and Haryana High Court as Advocate General for the state of Punjab with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office," reads the state government notification.

The decision comes after the Aam Admi Party (AAP) government was elected to power in Punjab and Bhagwant Mann took office as the chief minister.

The AAP won a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins of the electoral politics in the state. (ANI)
A total of six fire tenders have reached the spot to douse the fire after receiving the information about the incident.

Pune Fire department informed that the fire is under control at present and no casualty reported so far. (ANI)
In a video, the constable Fakhruddin Ahmed was seen thrashing a motorcycle-borne man at Paltan Bazar area in the city on Friday. The video which has gone viral on social media captures the man travelling along with his wife and daughter when the traffic police constable repeatedly assaults him.

Guwahati Police Commissioner Harmeet Singh suspended the traffic police constable identified as Fakhruddin Ahmed

In a separate order, traffic police in charge at Paltan Bazaar, Pranab Kumar Deka was reserved closed at Police Reserve-Guwahati by the police commissioner. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Hamidia hospital in Bhopal where he met people who were injured in clashes in Raisen.

Speaking to ANI after meeting the injured and taking stock of the situation, the Chief Minister said, "One person has died while two persons are critically injured. Stringent action will be taken against the perpetrators. We will make sure that injured are given free treatment."

"Rs 5 lakhs will be given to the family of deceased, Rs 2 lakhs to severely injured and Rs 50,000 to moderately injured," he said.

In a viral video, it is believed that two boys of a group had a dispute with a few people of another group. Following the issue, they had a clash wherein a few opened fire leaving several injured. (ANI)
The AIMIM party, which has often been accused of being the BJP's 'B-Team' by other political parties has said that it is willing to enter into an alliance with Congress and the NCP in the upcoming Maharashtra civic polls in order to defeat BJP. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Maharashtra state president Imtiaz Jaleel while speaking to ANI Said, "Whenever the BJP wins, AIMIM is held responsible for it, stating we are the "B" team of BJP. So we have given a proposal to Congress for alliance with our party in Maharashtra." Jaleel, however, said that the Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the NCP and the Congress in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi state government should be kept out. The AIMIM leader added, "I know they will not agree to it as they have an alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, but atleast we will not be held responsible for BJP's victory as we gave a proposal of alliance to them." Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had ruled out an alliance between his party and the AIMIM. Raut had said, "Maharashtra government is formed by three parties, Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. There will be no inclusion of any fourth party." (ANI)
India is in talks with countries like Egypt, Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran and other countries beyond its Asian and South Asian neighbours, to export wheat. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt, while discussions are going on with countries like Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran and others to start wheat export. The export of wheat recorded a huge surge at USD 1,742 million during April-January 2021-22, growing 387 per cent over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched USD 340.17 million. India has reported a wheat export worth USD 2,352.22 million in the last three years, including the first ten months of the current fiscal 2021-22. In 2019-20, the wheat export was worth USD 61.84 million which rose to USD 549.67 million in 2020-21. Though India is not among the top ten wheat exporters in the global trade, its rate of growth in exports has surpassed that of other countries, indicating the rapid strides it is taking in reaching new markets worldwide. India's wheat exports are mainly to neighbouring countries with Bangladesh having the largest share of more than 54 per cent in both volume and value terms in 2020-21. In 2020-21, India entered new wheat markets such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar and Indonesia. Earlier on Thursday, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized a meeting of key stakeholders in the value chain for promoting exports to those countries which have a huge shipment potential. The meeting followed directions from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to scale up shipments in order to alleviate any global supply chain disruptions in view of the geopolitical situation. The meeting witnessed the participation of key stakeholders such as traders, exporters, port officials, policy influencers from the Ministries of Food and Consumer Affairs, Railways and officials from various State governments. At the meeting, the Railways assured to make available sufficient rakes to meet any immediate demand for additional wheat transport. Port authorities have also been asked to augment dedicated terminals along with dedicated containers for wheat. Given the bumper wheat production estimation, the APEDA asked all stakeholders to strengthen its infrastructure for facilitating hassle-free wheat export. According to data by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), the top ten importing countries for Indian wheat in 2020-21 were Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia. The top ten countries accounted for more than 99 per cent share in India's wheat exports in 2020-21 in both volume and value terms. "We are giving thrust on building infrastructure in the value chain for giving boosts to cereal exports in collaboration with the state governments and other stakeholders such as exporters, farmer producer organizations, transporters etc," said M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India accounts for even less than one per cent of world wheat export. However, its share has increased from 0.14 per cent in 2016 to 0.54 per cent in 2020. India is the second-largest producer of wheat with a share of around 14.14 per cent of world total production in 2020. India produces around 107.59 Million MT of wheat annually while a major chunk of it goes towards domestic consumption. Major wheat growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat. The unit price of wheat plays an important role in international trade. While the unit export price of wheat has increased for all countries in the last five years, India's unit export price is slightly higher than that of other countries. This is one of the factors adversely impacting wheat exports from India. APEDA has been focusing on facilitating shipments by Indian exporters and helping them make inroads into new markets. In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be exported, APEDA has recognized 220 labs across India to provide testing services for a wide range of products and exporters. APEDA also assists in upgradation and strengthening of recognized laboratories for export testing and residue monitoring plans. APEDA also provides assistance under the financial assistance schemes of infrastructure development, quality improvement and market development for boosting the export of agricultural products. (ANI)
Days after the Karnataka government hailed Gujarat's decision to introduce Bhagavad Gita in its school syllabus, Karnataka Congress slammed the move stating that new education policy was a cover to bring Hindutva policy in syllabus. Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party's government in Karnataka has hinted at similar plans, with the state education minister saying that the matter will be discussed with the chief minister and textbook committee members. Slamming the developments to introduce Bhagavad Gita in the curriculum of school education, Karnataka Congress leader and ex-Union Minister, K Rahman Khan said, "Karnataka's Education Minister had spoken on the lines of Gujarat that they're going to introduce Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus. I believe that nothing is wrong if they prescribe a religious book in the syllabus, but I believe that India is a country of diversity with several religions." "So, taking note of this, all religious books should be taught to students. However, I feel that BJP has a vested interest. Every religious book teaches 'Dharma'. BJP can't say it's only Gita that teaches 'Dharma' and Indian culture. New Education Policy is a cover to bring Hindutva policy in syllabus, nothing else," said K Rahman Khan. On March 17, Gujarat education minister Jitu Vaghani said that 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. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly during a discussion on budgetary allocation for the education department, Vaghani had 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." Gujarat announced on Thursday that it would introduce the Bhagavad Gita from Class 6 and linked the move to the implementation of the National Education Policy, 2020. (ANI)
Middle East Facilities Management Association (Mefma) has announced that its key event Confex 2022 ended on a high note in Dubai with industry leaders and experts coming together to identify new opportunities and prospects for the future of the FM sector.

The Confex 2022, the region's largest facility management (FM) event, took place from March 14 to 17, with the participation of over 500 industry professionals, experts, and government representatives.

Engineer Dawood Abdul Rahman Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, led the inauguration ceremony, which was followed by a series of workshops, presentations, and panel discussions on industry-related topics.

The welcome address by Jamal Lootah, Co-founder and President of Mefma, highlighted the sector's potential for rapid growth due to the need for efficiency and cost-effectiveness in operations, and how it promotes growth through such events.

The opening day included a series of workshops that presented the latest FM initiatives in digital building and artificial intelligence for the future of FM.

The second day featured a wide range of segments, with industry professionals providing insights on key topics through panel discussions, namely FM Transformation Strategy  What Does it Take and Technology and Data Driven Facility Management  The Core of Business Excellence and Sustainability.

The event further included three streams that had presentation under various topics by FM industry experts.

Additionally, the event featured case studies that highlighted concepts such as the technological transformation in FM and the leadership roles towards adopting technology.

The last two days of Confex consisted of site visits to the ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai, where participants interacted at various pavilions to gain insight and inspiration.

A key highlight of this year's expo was the first Mefma Awards of Excellence in FM 2022, held on March 14. These awards were launched with a vision to promote best practices in the FM industry and drive innovation in the coming years.

It covered various categories such as customer-centric FM, digital transformation, education and development, health and safety, sustainability and energy management, and technology implementation in FM industry.

The winners of the Mefma Awards of Excellence in FM 2022 include: Musanadah Facilities Management in the Customer-centric FM category, Emrill Services (Education and Development in FM category), AG Facilities in the Health and Safety in FM category, Engie Solutions in the Sustainability and Energy Management in FM category, Initial Saudi Group in the Digital Transformation in FM category, and Imdaad in the Technology Implementation in FM category.

The winners were selected based on a distinct set of criteria such as creation, evolution and sustainability, innovation and advancement of FM, corporate outcomes, leadership and success in FM operations, and contributions to FM worldwide, and were acknowledged for their significant contributions to the industry.

Lootah said it was another successful year in pushing for innovative transformation in the FM sector, especially through organising the awards for the first time.

"As part of our first Mefma Awards of Excellence in FM 2022 ceremony, we are proud that we have successfully recognized and rewarded members for showcasing their dedication to the industry. We congratulate all the winners and encourage all to keep working with the same spirit. Our efforts to honour notable contributions will continue in the future, in order to encourage growth and innovation in the FM sector," he noted.

"Moreover, the experience of meeting creative minds and gaining insights from industry professionals has been rewarding, and we look forward to hosting more events in the future, given the success of this years event," he added.

Mefma Confex 2022 provides an ideal opportunity for the FM industry to identify new ways and opportunities for growth, as well as drive innovation for the industry's future.

Ali Al Suwaidi, Vice President of Mefma and Global FM Vice Chair, said: "It has been inspiring to see this years event turn out to be a success again, with many new ideas being presented, as well as discussions on prevailing issues. We are pleased to see the positive feedback from attendees who enjoyed the workshops and discussions that were organised."

"This years event was also notable for our inaugural Mefma Awards of Excellence in FM 2022. Recognition and acknowledgement of members' contributions are crucial, and we are pleased to have done so with the Mefma Awards 2022. We hope to take this culture forward and continue to innovate within the sector," he added.
The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Saturday unanimously elected Independent MLA, T Yangseo Sangtam as the Deputy Speaker of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on the first day of the eleventh Budget session. An official press release by the Commissioner and Secretary of Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Dr PJ Antony stated that Sangtam was elected unopposed and assumed Office with effect from the forenoon March 19. Moreover, the NLA on Saturday became the first in the country to have operationalised the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) programme for conducting a session in paperless mode. Speaker, NLA, Sharingain Longkumer during the 11th Session of Thirteenth Nagaland Legislative Assembly read out the statement on NEVA (National E-VIDHAN). According to the statement, NEVA is a medium focused on paperless platform to work effectively with transparency during the Assembly sessions. "It is to note that Nagaland is the first state in the Country to operationalize NEVA with 90 per cent funded by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and 10 per cent by the State Government," official statement read. The Speaker while appreciating the efforts made by the Ministry urged the Member of the House to make good use of it. The 11th Session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly commenced on Saturday at NLA Secretariat Kohima with Governor of Nagaland and Assam, Prof Jagdish Mukhi addressing the august house. Obituary reference to the passing away of Dr Kakheto Zhimomi, former MLA in February 2022, was made by the Speaker NLA Sharingain Longkumer. Late Dr Kakheto Zhimoni former member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly was born on August 3, 1951 and obtained his MMBS from Guwahati medical College in 1976 and degree in Radiologist diagnostic from AIIMS, New Delhi. He first joined the Medical Department as Assistant Surgeon in Naga Civil Hospital Kohima in 1978 and later served as Radiologist from 1984 till 1986. He resigned from the active Government service in 1986. He first contested the general election as candidate from Naga people's party in 1991 but was not elected. He later on successfully contested from the Ghaspani Assemble constituency in 1993 and was appointed as the Minister of Fisheries and Home Guards and served in the same position till 1998. He passed away at the age of 69 leaving behind his wife and six sons. The Speaker informed that the demise of Late Dr Kakheto Zhimoni was a great loss to the Sumi community in particular and for the Nagas in general. The House observed a five minute silence in respect of the departed soul. (ANI)
The two accused have been identified as Mohamed Ajju and MD Kazam. Mohd Ajju is mainly the organizer and supplier of banned Gutka. He supplies gutka in the pan shops across the Secunderabad area.

N Sudhir, Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP) of Gopalpuram Division, North zone said, "Today in the wee hours, we received credible information and arrested two accused who were organizing gutka sales business in the Secunderabad area to earn easy money illegally by delivering to the needy customers in and around the railway station and Regional passport office, Secunderabad."

He further said that on receiving the information, the police conducted a surprise check and apprehended the two.

"One of the accused told us that he purchased the Gutka from Karnataka and other places to distribute it here at the pan shops. We have seized gutka and tobacco worth Rs 2,47,050 from them," ACP added.

Further investigation is underway, the police said. (ANI)
The tripartite partnership for One Health, bringing together the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), formally became a quadripartite as it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The One Health approach aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, ecosystems and the wider environment. It mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems. It also addresses the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development. India too has adopted the OHE approach. The Memorandum of Understanding with the UNEP was signed at the annual executive meeting of the earlier three organisations this week. "We are stronger with UNEP joining the Tripartite, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said, adding: "UNEP is already active in relevant areas of Tripartite work," a release from OHE said. Work to tackle the challenges of human, animal and ecosystem health using a more integrated approach has seen significant progress in the past year, leaders of three international organisations cooperating across these sectors said, as they expanded to include the fourth body. The work of the newly expanded alliance will be focused on a One Health Joint Plan of Action, which includes six main action tracks: enhancing countries' capacity to strengthen health systems under a One Health approach; reducing the risks from emerging or resurfacing zoonotic epidemics and pandemics; controlling and eliminating endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical or vector-borne diseases; strengthening the assessment, management and communication of food safety risks; curbing the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and better integrating the environment into the One Health approach, the release added. OIE Director General, Monique Eloit acknowledged the key milestone of the MoU with UNEP, and said: "UNEP's mandate, expertise and networks will provide an important contribution to advance One Health. This new chapter in our partnership will make us stronger and more prepared to serve our members and address global health challenges." UNEP's Executive Director Inger Andersen said: "What is apparent to everyone involved in One Health is that no one sector can solve the many problems we face alone. To secure human, animal and environment health - to secure the very future of this planet - we need more collaboration and partnerships. We need to stand together and work together if we are to thrive together. UNEP, as the newest full member of the Alliance, is ready to do its part as an equal partner." --IANS niv/pgh ( 454 Words) 2022-03-19-19:20:05 (IANS)
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union law and justice minister Kiren Rijiju will travel to Imphal on Sunday to attend the meeting of the newly-elected BJP MLAs in Manipur. The BJP's central leadership will be accompanied by the Manipur caretaker Chief Minister N Biren Singh and BJP leader Biswajit Singh who are camping in New Delhi discussing government formation with the party's top leadership. "The Legislative party meeting of BJP Manipur is likely to take place at 3 pm on Sunday," said sources. The BJP has not yet declared the name of the next Chief Minister of the state. Both N Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh are being seen as the frontrunners for the post of Chief Minister of Manipur. Biren Singh had said that he has never contested elections "for CM or any other post" but as a worker of BJP. "I never contested elections for CM or any other post but as a worker of my party. The decision (on CM's face) will be taken by higher authorities. I've come to Delhi to meet BJP's central leadership. Chief Minister or no chief Minister, I am somebody who has worked in the interest of the party and will continue to do so," Biren Singh told ANI. Meanwhile, Biswajit Singh has also refused to comment on speculations doing rounds about him in the race for the next Chief Minister of the state. Speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Biswajit Singh said, "I don't want to comment on that (on reports that he is in the race to become the next Chief Minister of Manipur). 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)." The BJP won a clear majority in the recently-concluded Assembly elections in Manipur by bagging 32 seats in the 60-member House. Congress bagged five seats and the NPP won seven seats. Naga People's Front bagged five and the Kuki People's Alliance got two seats. Independents bagged three seats. (ANI)
The Nagaland Assembly Secretariat has attached a tablet or e-book on each table in the 60 members' assembly amid the ongoing Budget session.

"Nagaland becomes India's 1st Legislative Assembly to successfully implement National e-Vidhan project. Now members can use electronic devices to participate in House proceedings. This initiative encourages paperless operations and reflects government's commitment towards Ashta Lakshmi," tweeted Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi as NeVa works under the supervision of his ministry.

According to the official note, NeVA is a work-flow system deployed on NIC Cloud, MeghRaj which helps the Chair of the House to conduct the proceedings of the House smoothly and to conduct Legislative Business of the House in a Paperless manner.

NeVA is a device neutral and member-centric application created to equip them to handle diverse House Business smartly by putting entire information regarding member contact details, rules of procedure, list of business, notices, bulletins, bills, starred/unstarred questions and answers, papers laid, committee reports etc. in their handheld devices/ tablets and equip all Legislatures/Departments to handle it efficiently.

NeVA completely eliminates the process of sending out a notice/request for the collection of data.

The application hosts a secure page for each Member of the House for submitting questions and other notices.

The aim of the project is to bring all the legislatures of the country together, in one platform thereby creating a massive data depository without having the complexity of multiple applications.

Paperless Assembly or e-Assembly is a concept involving electronic means to facilitate the work of Assembly. It enables automation of the entire law-making process, tracking of decisions and documents, sharing of information.

The expenses for implementing NeVA is funded by the Centre and the state government on a 90:10 sharing basis.(ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that a democratic setup at the grassroot level has been established in Jammu and Kashmir post-Narendra Modi becoming Prime Minister of the country. "Since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country in 2014, Jammu and Kashmir has gone through rapid growth and transformation. Grassroot Democratic setup was established in J-K for the first time in decades," said Shah while addressing the gathering on the occasion of 83rd Raising Day celebrations of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu. Union Minister observed that the public representatives in every village of Jammu and Kashmir are taking the Union Territory on the path of development. "More than 30,000 public representatives have become part of the democratic system, which is a matter of great pride for J&K and the entire nation. Now, Panches and Sarpanches, Blockpanchayats, Zilapanchayats in every village of Jammu and Kashmir are taking the villages on the path of development," he said. Home Minister further said that the abrogation of Article 370 by the central government on August 5, 2019, has begun the era of inclusive development in Jammu and Kashmir. "Removal of Article 370 and introduction of new progressive laws has begun the era of all-inclusive development in J-K, connecting the women, pahari and downtrodden sections of society to the mainstream of development," he added. Praising CRPF over its commendable work done to ensure safety and security of the nation, Amit Shah said, "CRPF has played a commendable role, be it in Naxal affected areas, fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Kashmir or restoring peace in the Northeast. "The country's first Home Minister and Iron Man, Sardar Patel visualized a multi-dimensional role for the force it in tune with the changing needs of a newly independent nation," he added. This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside the national capital. The CRPF Raising Day is held on March 19 after India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented colours to the CRPF following the enactment of the CRPF Act by the Parliament in 1950. The CRPF was raised in 1939 and was then known as the Crown Representative's Police. The CRPF was raised as the Crown Representative's Police on this very day in 1939. It was given a fresh lease of life soon after Independence when it was renamed and redesigned as the Central Reserve Police on 28th December 1949 and was mandated to secure the internal security of the country. (ANI)
Reflecting on how Geosciences are integrally related to a sustainable future, touching various aspects of life, the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) to be held virtually during March 20-22 will highlight first-hand information on latest technologies in mining, mineral exploration & management of water, mineral resource and environment. Themed "Geosciences: The Basic Science for a Sustainable Future", the IGC is a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and the Science Academies of Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Described as the 'Olympics of Geosciences', the IGCs are held quadrennial, under the aegis of the International Union of Geological Congress (IUGS), the Scientific Sponsor of the IGCs, a release from the Ministry said. "The event would provide a unique platform for knowledge and experience sharing in the field of geosciences and professional networking. It would give first-hand information on latest technologies in mining, mineral exploration and management of water, mineral resource and environment. It would also facilitate increased academic production and create opportunities for capacity building across geoscientific streams," the release claimed. The Congress is slated to be inaugurated by Union Minister of Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh in the presence of Minister of State for Coal, Mines & Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve and Minster of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan. The scientific programme will reflect on how Geosciences are integrally related to a sustainable future, touching various aspects of life. The talks will also highlight the complex interactions of various phenomena that regulate the Earth processes and their symbiosis with the biosphere, by focusing on emerging paradigms in the realm of geosciences in the context of sustainable development. India, leading its regional partners had bid in the 34th International Geological Congress at Brisbane in 2012 to host the 36th IGC here in 2020. India won the bid. The present Congress originally scheduled to be held during 2-8 March, 2020 was postponed due to Covid pandemic. The 36th IGC will be releasing three commemorative Postage Stamps on the occasion along with the First Day Cover. As many as 58 years ago, India had hosted the 22nd session of the IGC, which was the first IGC on the Asian soil, the release said. --IANS niv/pgh ( 392 Words) 2022-03-19-22:22:03 (IANS)
In this regard, Rao decided to hold a meeting of the TRS Legislature Party at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, March 21 at 11.30 am. The Chief Minister directed all MLAs, MLCs, Party State Executive Committee Members, District Presidents, ZP Chairpersons, Presidents of DCCBs, DCMS and District Presidents of Raithu Bandhu Samithies to attend this programme.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister and delegation of Ministers will leave for Delhi on the same day to meet the Union Ministers and even the Prime Minister to raise this demand, the Chief Minister's office informed.

TRS MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will stage protests in line with the agitation in Telangana on this matter if the concerns are not addressed, it added.

Telangana Government has been demanding the Centre to procure the entire paddy produced in the State. Last year, a delegation of Ministers from the State, had even met union Ministers to make a clear announcement on paddy procurement, including the quantity. However, there has been no amicable solution obtained to the problem yet. (ANI)
A founding member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from Karachi, Najeeb Haroon, has called for the resignation of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying it is the only way to end the current political turmoil, Friday Times reported. Speaking to Geo News, Haroon said that Imran Khan's resignation is "the only way to move forward and bring this crisis to an end", adding that another PTI member should step forward to become the Prime Minister. "The country can no longer sustain instability and PM Imran Khan must shed his stubbornness and somebody else from within the party be brought forward as the prime ministerial candidate," he said. Meanwhile, more disgruntled PTI MPs have publicly voiced their disappointment with Imran Khan's government, indicating that they may vote in favour of the no-confidence motion against him. The latest MNA, Aamir Talal Gopang from Muzaffargarh, Punjab, released a video message distancing himself from the PTI. "I will decide on the no-confidence motion according to the people and my conscience," he said, adding that the incumbent government had done 'no development work' in three-and-a-half years. PTI MNA Afzal Dhandla from Bhakkar also released a message, saying, "I will use my vote in accordance with my conscience and not under any greed or pressure." --IANS san/arm ( 230 Words) 2022-03-19-22:42:04 (IANS)
Manila [Philippines], March 18 (ANI/Xinhua): Over 100,000 foreign tourists have arrived in the Philippines since the Southeast Asian country reopened its borders last month, the government said on Friday. The country famous for pristine white beaches allowed fully-vaccinated foreign nationals from visa-free countries and regions to enter in February. This month it eased further the COVID-19 restrictions, allowing entry to all fully-vaccinated foreign nationals. "Inbound visitor arrivals reached 102,031 as of March 16, a high note for the country since its closure of borders at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said. Puyat expressed optimism the influx of foreign tourists will lead to the "inevitable revival of the sector" hardly hit by the pandemic. "We are happy to see the gradual reopening of our borders finally bearing fruit as evidenced by the much higher foreign visitor arrivals," she said, hoping the reopening will provide more jobs and livelihoods to Filipinos in the tourism sector. As a key economic driver, the tourism industry's contribution to the Philippines' gross domestic product stood at 12.7 per cent in 2019, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. The pandemic has badly hit the tourism sector in the Philippines, forcing hotels and airlines to lay off staff. Almost 1.1 million workers were affected in the tourism industry across the country. Data showed that tourists from the United States topped arrivals, followed by Canada, Britain, South Korea and Australia. "Our numbers are still far from pre-pandemic levels, but we are optimistic that this will continue to increase amid the sustained decline in COVID-19 cases in the country as well as the ongoing efforts of the Philippine government to improve its healthcare capacity," Puyat said. (ANI/Xinhua)
The UAEs National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) has extended its support to the Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFI) for hosting the 3rd edition of Logix India a month after both countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) to boost their merchandise trade to $100 billion over the coming five years.

NAFL is the oldest association of freight logistics service providers in the Middle East region.

The event, to be held in Dubai from March 21 to 23, will see key logistics players from both India and UAE work out ways and means to improve the prospects of the freight and logistics market as the 21st centurys second pandemic comes closer to becoming history after causing unprecedented losses to businesses like tourism, aviation and logistics.

At the opening ceremony, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Director-General of Dubai Customs, Ahmad Mahboob, will address the gathering.

Welcoming the Indian companies, NAFL President Nadia Abdul Aziz said: "This event will open new growth opportunities for both UAE and India as they work their ways towards achieving better results. The event will be an ideal opportunity for the cargo and logistics organisations to meet and set targets as spelt out in the CEPA, which becomes effective by the first week of May."

Logix India will further boost the already strong trade levels between the two countries, she stated.

Abdul Aziz will be working with the Indian freight officials about the areas of collaboration, capacity building and increasing and facilitating trade by the supply chain. She will underscore the benefits of using the UAE as a hub to re-export Indian goods to the world.

Business meetings will be conducted by NAFL UAE for its members to meet Indian businessmen. The participants will visit Jafza, the UAEs first free zone in Jebel Ali spread over 1.58 million sq m and housing over 8,700 global companies, including about 100 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, facilitating trade worth $99.5 billion in 2019. The participants will visit the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Indian logistics market is estimated to grow to $380 billion in 2025 and the freight and logistics market in UAE will generate over $31.41 billion in 2026.

The UAE is Indias third-largest trading partner, after the US and China, with about $59.12 billion of bilateral trade in 2019-20. The UAE is also Indias second-largest export destination with exports of $29 billion in 2019-2020, she stated.

The UAE is the eighth-largest investor in India, having invested $11 billion between April 2000 and March 2021. Investment by Indian companies in the UAE stands at over $85 billion.

Abdul Aziz said Logix India will display solutions for improving cost-effectiveness and operational efficiencies for logistics, investment opportunities in infrastructure and warehousing, technology integration and PPP and private sector infrastructure development.

Being organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and supported by FFI and NAFL, the event will be addressed by dignitaries from both the UAE and India.

On the second day, Omar Khan Abdulla, Director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber, will talk about UAE-India trade potential.

Abdulrahman bin Haider will share details about the World Logistics Passport (WLP), the first global freight loyalty scheme that has two Indian airports -Hyderabad and Mumbai - among 10 countries that are now its part. The other speakers include the Indian Consul General to Dubai, Dr. Aman Puri, and Director-General of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Dr Ajay Sahai.
The Security Council has renewed the mandate of the UN special political mission in the country, with a focus on priorities, ranging from coordinating humanitarian aid delivery to human rights monitoring and facilitating dialogue. Of the Council's 15 members, 14 voted in favour of resolution 2626 (2022), with the Russian representative abstaining. The adopted text renews the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for one year with a shift in priority tasks. Seven months after Afghanistan's fall to the Taliban, the mission now focuses on coordinating the provision of humanitarian assistance, providing outreach and good offices for dialogue, and promoting good governance and the rule of law. Other highlighted tasks included promoting human rights, supporting and promoting gender equality and monitoring, reporting and advocating with regard to the situation for civilians, UN News reported. Through the text, members also called on Afghan political actors and stakeholders - including relevant authorities as needed - to coordinate with UNAMA in implementing its mandate and ensuring the safety, security and freedom of staff movements. Norway Ambassador Mona Juul said the text sends "a clear message" that the Council stands firmly behind the Afghan people at a time of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty. She added the resolution asks UNAMA to engage with all Afghan actors, including the Taliban, on matters relevant to the country's people. UK Ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward said the Council "spoke with one voice" in support of UNAMA and its crucial role. "The Taliban need to demonstrate that extremist groups are no longer able to flourish in the country," she said, expressing regret that one Council member decided to abstain in today's vote, just when the country's people most need support. Explaining his country's position, Russian Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia said that he was compelled to abstain as attempts to secure consent from the host country for a UN presence were ignored. Warning against continuing down the path of "stubborn ignorance" and the pursuit of irrelevant approaches, he stressed that more support from the de facto authorities would help UNAMA achieve its mandate and avoid turning it into a "UN mission impossible." (ANI)
Pakistan government decided to approach the Supreme Court to seek a ruling on whether disgruntled lawmakers from Prime Minister Imran Khan's party could lose their seats ahead of a no-confidence vote against him. According to state-media Geo tv, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said that the federal government has decided to approach the country's top court for interpretation of Article 63-A. "... we will seek the Supreme Court's interpretation as to what will be the standing of a party member's vote who is found in violation of the party's policy and is involved in horsetrading," the federal minister said. According to Article 63 (A) of the Pakistan Constitution, a parliamentarian can be disqualified on grounds of defection if he "votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill or a Constitution (amendment) bill", Dawn reported. The information minister said the government would seek the apex court's guidance on whether a person, who shifts loyalty for monetary benefit, should be ineligible for a lifetime for becoming a lawmaker or whether they could contest polls again and be elected to parliament. "The Supreme Court will be requested to hear the case on a daily basis," he said. This comes during a consultative meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's political committee held today with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair. The meeting was convened to discuss the legal options available to act against the disgruntled lawmakers and counter the Opposition's move to dislodge the government of Imran Khan, Geo tv reported. It is reported that 24 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf sought refuge in Sindh House ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister. 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." However, those lawmakers reportedly shifted from Sindh House to unknown locations. Meanwhile, PTI party workers staged a violent protest in Islamabad today and barged into the Parliamentary lodges to throw the lawmakers out. The party workers chanted slogans against the disgruntled lawmakers. (ANI)
India said on Friday that it is important that the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) is implemented effectively, but did not take a direct stand on Russia's allegations that biological warfare research was carried out in Ukraine. "It is important to ensure full and effective implementation of the BTWC in letter and spirit," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, R. Ravindra, said at the Security Council meeting convened at the request of Russia. "India attaches high importance to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention as a key global and non-discriminatory disarmament convention, prohibiting an entire category of weapons of mass destruction," he said. It was a repeat of a session called last Friday by Russia to air its allegations that biowarfare research was carried out in Ukraine labs in conjunction with the US. While Russia's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia reiterated the allegations citing what he said were documents seized during the invasion of Ukraine, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said the UN "is not aware of any such biological weapons programme". She said that 2,032 civilian casualties have been reported in Ukraine till Wednesday, including 58 children. Nakamitsu said that most of the casualties were caused by "explosive weapons with wide area impact", including cruise and ballistic missiles, and air strikes, which are prohibited by international humanitarian law for use against civilians. US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed the Russian allegations as "Malarkey", a word she said President Joe Biden uses for untrue allegations. She countered that "Russia that has long maintained a biological weapons program in violation of international law. It is Russia that has a well-documented history of using chemical weapons". Albania's Permanent Represntative Ferit Hoxa alleged that Russia was setting the stage for its own use of chemical or biological weapons by making the claims of a US-backed biowarfare programme in Ukraine. To investigate its claims, Russia should agree to a ceasefire and set up 40 km zone free of fighting around the labs Russia claims were used for biowarfare research to enable the UN to investigate, he said. Only China gave some credence to the Russian allegations in the 15-member Council. China's Permanent Representative Zhang Jun said that the "party concerned" should "respond to questions and offer timely and comprehensive clarifications" to "newly discovered the relevant documents" cited by Russia. Nebenzia said that the documents Russia had found "direct funding and supervision of the Pentagon, Defense Threat Reduction Agency" to labs in Ukraine for what he claimed were "military and biological projects". Thomas-Greenfield said, "We aren't going to dignify Russia's disinformation or conspiracy theories. But we will continue to sound the alarm and tell the world where we think Russia is heading. And we will remind the world that Russia has repeatedly, repeatedly, lied to this Council over recent weeks". But she also stated categorically, "There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories not near Russia's border, not anywhere." She added, "There are only public health facilities, proudly -- and I say proudly -- supported and recognised by the US government, the World Health Organization, and other governments and international institutions." Ravindra endorsed Nakamitsu's statement that any concerns about biological weapons should be resolved under the BTWC. "We also believe that any matter relating to obligations under the BTWC should be addressed as per the provisions of the Convention and through consultations and cooperation between the parties concerned," Ravindra said. Article 5 of the 1972 BTWC Convention says, "Parties to this convention undertake to consult one another and to cooperate in solving any problem which may arise in relation to the objective of objective of or in the application of the provisions of this convention." Ravindra said that "India remains deeply concerned at the progressively deteriorating situation in Ukraine" and that it welcomed "the latest round of diplomatic talks between the Russian Federation and Ukraine". "We need to undertake this engagement keeping in mind the need to respect the principles of the UN Charter, international law and sovereignty and territorial integrity of states", he said while calling for an immediate end to hostilities. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) --IANS al/arm ( 701 Words) 2022-03-18-23:26:02 (IANS)
The lower house of Italy's parliament has approved a motion calling on the government to pay attention to the Indo-Pacific region and to place importance on the situation across the Taiwan Strait. The Italian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed a motion urging the Italian government to work with partners in the EU and NATO to elaborate an Indo-Pacific strategy as China might use the Russian invasion in Ukraine to undertake action against Taiwan, reported Taipei Times. The motion -- introduced by Paolo Formentini, the chamber's Permanent Commission of Foreign Affairs deputy chairman -- passed the lower house largely unopposed, garnering 387 votes in support, 19 votes against and 11 abstentions. The motion was one of the most important bills about Taiwan deliberated before the Italian parliament and received backing from the ruling coalition's five parties, including the Five Star Movement, which has favoured policies friendly to Beijing, reported Taipei Times. After the vote, Formentini told Radio Radicale that the near-unanimous support for the motion showed that the Italian government must re-examine the country's position and strategy regarding the Indo-Pacific region. In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the Italian lower house, saying in a statement that the two countries have a strong partnership based on a shared belief in universal values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, reported Taipei Times. Taiwan and Italy have a common interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific, it said, adding that Taipei would continue to work with Rome and other like-minded countries to protect world peace. (ANI)
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government for their assistance in evacuating Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in the Sumy oblast of Ukraine. "I write to express my sincere thanks to you and your government for extending support and assistance in rescuing and evacuating some Bangladeshi nationals along with the Indians who were stranded in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine," Hasina said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi. "The wholehearted cooperation that your government has been extending in this regard is a testament to the unique and enduring relationship that our two countries have been enjoying over the years," the letter further read. She also recalled PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh last year on the occasion of the birth centenary of the country's first Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, adding that the bilateral ties between the two countries have strengthened over the past few years. "I gratefully recall your visit to Bangladesh during the celebration of the birth centenary of our father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman last year," Hasina said, adding, "Our bilateral ties have been further consolidated through meaningful engagement at all levels over the past years." She also extended Holi greetings and expressed confidence that the two countries will continue to stand by each other. "I am confident that both Bangladesh and India would continue to stand by each other always and work together to realise the collective aspirations of the people of the two countries. I wish you good health and a very happy Holi ahead," Hasina said. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister had even earlier extended her thanks to her Indian counterpart on March 9 for the evacuation of Bangladeshi nationals under Operation Ganga. Under 'Operation Ganga' to rescue Indian citizens from Ukraine's neighbouring countries, more than 20,000 Indians and other nationals were brought back by special flights to India. (ANI)
Human rights advocate Lee Ming-che could be kept in China two years beyond his release date in conditions that human rights groups called "inhumane". Human rights groups on Friday expressed concern that Beijing could conceive a way to extend Lee Ming-che's prison term after the Taiwanese human rights advocate completes his sentence in China next month, reported Taipei Times. Lee was detained in March 2017 while travelling in China and convicted of subverting state power six months later by a court in Hunan Province, for which he was to serve a five-year sentence of imprisonment. A coalition of human rights groups said that Lee's release was not guaranteed as his wife, Lee Ching-yu, never received a copy of the verdict nor the date of her husband's release from Chinese authorities, they said at a news conference outside of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. Conditions of the facility where Lee Ming-che has been incarcerated are "inhumane," as he was deprived of warm clothing, served spoiled food and denied phone calls and visits, Amnesty International Taiwan secretary-general Chiu Ee-ling said, reported Taipei Times. Lee Ching-yu tried to visit her husband 16 times since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and was refused each time, Chiu said. Amnesty International called for Beijing to confirm the date of Lee Ming-che's release and not prolong his incarceration, Chiu said, adding that failure to release the man will result in large-scale protests by the organization, reported Taipei Times. A suspension of political rights for two years following the five-year prison term was included in the sentence, meaning that Lee Ming-che could be prevented from leaving China before April 2024, Taipei Bar Association human rights committee chairman Chiang Jung-hsiang said. "If Beijing stops Lee Ming-che from exercising his civil rights in Taiwan by keeping him detained in China, it would sever his connection with society and impose economic hardships that constitute cruel and unusual punishment," he said. Covenants Watch convener Huang Song-lih said that four other Taiwanese -- Morrison Lee, Shih Cheng-ping, Tsai Chin-shu and Cheng Yu-chin -- have also been imprisoned in China on unfounded charges of espionage. (ANI)
China on Friday sailed its aircraft carrier Shandong through the Taiwan Strait. The 'Shandong' was shadowed as it sailed near Kinmen by a US destroyer conducting what the US called a 'routine Taiwan Strait transit' of its vessel, reported Taipei Times. The incident took place just hours before the Chinese and US presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden were due to talk, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter. "Around 10:30 am the CV-17 (Shandong) appeared around 30 nautical miles to the southwest of Kinmen, and was photographed by a passenger on a civilian flight," the source said, referring to the Shandong's official service number, reported Taipei Times. The source described the timing of the Shandong's movement so close to that call as "provocative," and said it was unusual that the vessel sailed during daylight hours, with previous missions happening at night. The USS Ralph Johnson, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, shadowed the carrier, which did not have aircraft on its deck and sailed north through the Strait, the source added. Taiwan also sent warships to monitor the situation, the source said. The Ministry of National Defense declined to comment, but said its forces always keep close tabs on Chinese activity in the Strait and "respond in accordance with standard procedures." Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian referred questions to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said the Shandong has a "routine training schedule." "We should not associate this with the communication between the heads of state of China and the United States. You may think it is too sensitive. What is sensitive is you, not the Taiwan Strait," Zhao told reporters in Beijing, reported Taipei Times. The Chinese navy in April last year said a carrier group, led by the Liaoning, the country's first aircraft carrier put into active service, was carrying out routine drills near Taiwan. The Shandong is China's newest aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2019. In December 2019, shortly before presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan, the Shandong sailed through the Strait, a move Taiwan condemned as attempted intimidation. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. China has threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. (ANI)
Other nominations included Candace Bond as the Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Timmy Davis as Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Nasser Paydar as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education and Michael Lombardo as Member of the National Council on the Arts.

Puneet Talwar has held senior national security and foreign policy positions in the State Department, White House, and the United States Senate. He is currently a Senior Advisor at the State Department.

Previously, he has served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council, and as a Senior Professional Staff Member at the Committee on Foreign Relations in the United States Senate.

Talwar's public service also includes key roles in the US House of Representatives and the State Department's Policy Planning Staff.

Outside of government, he has been a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Biden Center, a Counselor to the conflict resolution NGO Inter Mediate, and a non-resident Scholar at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies.

Talwar earned his B.S. Degree in Engineering from Cornell University and his MA in International Affairs from Columbia University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a native of Washington, DC. (ANI)
The United States is aware of an American military aircraft that had a mishap in Norway and is currently assessing the incident, a US Marine Corps spokesperson said in a statement to Sputnik.

Earlier, the Norwegian rescue centre said a search operation was underway after a US military plane carrying out a training mission with four people on board disappeared south of Bodo.

"II Marine Expeditionary Force [MEF] is aware of a mishap involving a US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to II MEF in Norway on March 18, 2022," the spokesperson said on Friday. "The incident is currently being assessed."

The US military is assisting Norwegian authorities in its search and rescue operations, the spokesperson said.

The US Marine Corps representative also said the Osprey aircraft was taking part in a NATO military drill called Exercise Cold Response 2022.

Norwegian authorities said earlier in the day that rescuers failed to reach the suspected site because of the bad weather conditions, which they said are expected to worsen. (ANI/Sputnik)
The device can generate a wave burst measuring 5-megawatts in the Ka-band, a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum increasingly used for both civil and military purposes, citing Asia Times, Taiwan News reported.

Although not powerful enough to shoot targets out of the sky from the ground, the RKA can be mounted onto satellites, which could then be used to attack enemy assets in space by burning out their sensitive electronics.

Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) are systems that use concentrated electromagnetic energy rather than kinetic energy to damage or destroy enemy equipment and/or personnel in a physical conflict.

Although China denies the RKA is a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), if the system were built at scale, it could send beams strong enough to rip through metallic materials moving at speed, reported Taiwan News.

In fact, a Beijing-based space scientist told the media anonymously this tech could function as a high-powered weapon, saying its power was "overwhelming just to think about."

Space is becoming an increasingly hotly contested geopolitical arena. This comes after recent revelations China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that flew through low-orbit space in August last year.

Responding to the news in November, Thomas Karako, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said the US needs to deploy space-based sensors to counter the Chinese military's new missiles, reported Taiwan News.

Moreover, the recent conflict in Ukraine could also birth a greater risk of conflict in space and endanger satellites.

The collaboration Russia and Western countries enjoyed in space for decades may be ending fast with the Russian space director recently threatening Moscow might decline to correct the course of the International Space Station, which would bring it crashing down to earth, reported Taiwan News.

In addition, last year Russia destroyed one of its own legacy satellites which created mass debris in space. (ANI)
Saudi Arabias Ministry of Investment (MISA) has signed a MoU with Amazon in a major step towards creating a dynamic business environment that affords growth opportunities for small and medium enterprises across the kingdom.

As per the deal, Amazon will form a joint committee with the Saudi ministry that will have members from each party who will meet twice per month to explore reforms across a range of areas including development of skills, technology and infrastructure, supporting knowledge and trust in online shopping and e-payments, and working with relevant public sector entities to produce and deliver support and incentive programmes to accelerate the growth and adoption of investments in digital services and e-commerce.

The signing took place at Misas office in the presence of Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Falih and Amazon's Vice President (Mena) Ronaldo Mouchawar.

Al Falih said: "One of our objectives at Misa is to create long-lasting partnerships with leading international organizations that will provide the local market with economic value and global expertise. In line with the Kingdoms Vision 2030, our partnership with Amazon will open growth opportunities for SMEs and address the main challenges facing the sector, creating job opportunities across the Kingdom by harnessing new technologies."

"Furthermore, we will learn from Amazon's global practices and leverage its talents and expertise to bring world-class innovation and sustainable investment practices to the kingdom," stated the minister.

The signing of the MoU with Amazon aims to explore investment opportunities, build local capabilities and contribute to the efforts of the various authorities in the kingdom to develop e-commerce infrastructure across the country.

Mouchawar said: "At Amazon, we always look to innovate on behalf of our customers. Underpinned by our customer-centric culture, we are focused on ensuring our third-party sellers have the tools, technology, and skills to reach more customers in more convenient ways."

"This partnership underscores our commitment to the Kingdom and our customers in it, and will contribute to accelerating the growth of the e-commerce sector, as well as enabling businesses to take advantage of the great growth opportunities that the Kingdom offers," he added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday (local time) held a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict while talking about the efforts to bring an end to the war. "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed the growing number of civilian casualties caused by President Putin's brutal and unjustified war of choice. The Secretary commended the incredible courage and fierce determination of the Ukrainian people as they defend their country against Russian forces who have shown little regard for human life," a US State Department readout said. Secretary of State Blinken also reaffirmed "the United States' steadfast commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and reiterated the American support through assistance. "The Secretary reiterated robust U.S. support for the people of Ukraine through security, humanitarian, and economic assistance," the readout said. "Spoke with @SecBlinken on efforts to bring an end to Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and multiple war crimes. To this end, it is crucial to further strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities, apply more pressure on Russia, and use all available diplomatic tools," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba tweeted. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel discussing further support to Ukraine in the ongoing war. In a video address on the same day, Zelenskyy commented on the Ukrainian-Russian talks on a possible ceasefire, "It is time to meet. It is time to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the justice for Ukraine," Sputnik reported. The developments come amidst the scheduled visit of US President Joe Biden to Brussels on March 24 to attend an extraordinary NATO summit as well as participate in a European Council Summit. (ANI)
The Ministry of National Defense informed that Taiwan's Air Force jets issued radio warnings telling the Chinese aircraft to turn back immediately, reported Taiwan News.

The military also said it deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the activities of the People's Liberation Army Air Force jets and helicopter.

The aircraft was spotted during the day in the southwest sector of the ADIZ off the coast of Taiwan's main island, the Liberty Times reported.

Because there was no land close to the area where the helicopter appeared, speculation was that it had taken off from a Chinese navy vessel, reported Taiwan News.

China's Shandong carrier earlier sailed past the island of Kinmen before heading north through the Taiwan Strait.

The United States guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson was shadowing the Chinese ship, while vessels from Taiwan's Navy were also present in the area, according to the report. (ANI)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (local time) spoke to European Council President Charles Michel and discussed further strengthening of support to the war-torn country and also the membership of the European Union (EU) to Ukraine. "Discussed with President of the Council Charles Michel @eucopresident further support to in countering aggression, strengthening the anti-war coalition, prospects for restoring peace in. Special attention was paid to our movement towards membership in the #EU," Zelenskyy said in a tweet. The European Council President Michel in a series of tweets talked about the discussion and the proposal of setting up a solidarity fund with Ukraine. "We exchanged views with the President @ZelenskyyUa on strengthening our consolidated support for Ukraine. Specific elements of the current talks between Ukraine and Russia were discussed," Michel said, adding, "We support the establishment of the Solidarity Fund with Ukraine to provide basic services and address the urgent needs of citizens." "The fund will provide liquidity to the ongoing support of the government and in the long run will be the basis for rebuilding a free and democratic Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities. Partners can contribute to the Fund through an international donors' conference," Michel explained. Reiterating the EU's support to Ukraine in its war effort against Russia, Michel said, "We are building a broad anti-war coalition. The courage and resilience shown by Ukrainians is impressive. The EU will continue to support you in the face of Kremlin aggression." Meanwhile, in a video address on the same day, Zelenskyy commented on the Ukrainian-Russian talks on a possible ceasefire, "It is time to meet. It is time to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the justice for Ukraine," Sputnik reported. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict while talking about the efforts to bring an end to the war. The developments come amidst the scheduled visit of US President Joe Biden to Brussels on March 24 to attend an extraordinary NATO summit as well as participate in a European Council Summit. (ANI)
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that the country will exclude the large supermarkets and pharmacy chains, as well as other businesses from the next round of government wage subsidies, who remain "unaffected" from the fifth-wave of Covid-19 outbreak. The Hong Kong government planned to release a new round of financial support to local employers under the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) to support the businesses and safeguard the employment amid the city's worst coronavirus outbreak and surging unemployment rate, Hong Kong Free Press reported citing Carrie Lam's press briefing on Friday ESS scheme was launched in 2020 to provide the employers with subsidies to help them retain staff who might have become redundant for the employers during the first year of the pandemic. Dairy Farm Company Limited, Kowloon Motor Bus Company, HKT Services and many more companies were the biggest recipients of the ESS scheme. Previously, the Hong Kong government omitted Airport Authority Hong Kong and the MTR Corporation, government-subsidized universities and social welfare organisations, as well as civil servants from the scheme. Lam further said that those earning over Hong Kong Dollar 30,000 per month would not be able to take the benefit of the scheme. "The monthly subsidy amount for each full-time employee is set at Hong Korean Dollar 8000," Lam was quoted as saying by HKFP She further stated that the scheme will cover the three-month period between May and July and will benefit up to 1.3 million workers. According to a statement released after Lam's briefing, any supermarket and pharmacy chain, property management company, bank, financial institution, delivery business, a telecommunications firm, private hospital and land developer will be excluded from the support scheme if it employs over 50 staff. (ANI)
Amid Russia's plan to transfer their troops from Armenia to support offensive against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video on Saturday, saying that he wants a serious conversation with Moscow as "the time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine". "I want everyone to hear me now, especially (those) in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting; it is time to talk," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera. Zelenskyy also accused Moscow in the video of blocking the humanitarian assistance in the war-torn cities of Ukraine, stating that "this is a deliberate tactic..". Al Jazeera further quoted Zelenskyy saying that "Russia will have to answer for it (the blocking of humanitarian assistance..." Meanwhile, Ukrainian armed forces said that Russia will be transferring their troops from Armenia, according to the Ukraine media outlet, The Kyiv independent. Russia planned to deploy their troops from the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia to support its offensive against Ukraine, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces. Earlier on Friday Zelenskyy spoke to European Council President Charles Michel and discussed further strengthening of support to the war-torn country and also the membership of the European Union (EU) for Ukraine "Discussed with President of the Council Charles Michel @eucopresident further support to (Ukraine) in countering (Russian) aggression, strengthening the anti-war coalition, prospects for restoring peace in (Ukraine). Special attention was paid to our movement towards membership in the #EU," Zelenskyy said in a tweet. On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and discussed the issue of the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict while talking about the efforts to bring an end to the war. The developments came amidst the scheduled visit of US President Joe Biden to Brussels on March 24 to attend an extraordinary NATO summit as well as participate in a European Council Summit. 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. (ANI)
Washington [US], March 19 (ANI/Sputnik): The United States will neither engage in hostilities in Ukraine nor establish a no-fly zone over the country, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told the CNN broadcaster. "Well, the President's [Joe Biden] been very clear about the fact that we won't have troops engaged in combat with Russia and Ukraine in order to affect or put into place a no fly zone," Austin said. "We'd have to control the skies and that would mean that we'd have to engage Russian aircraft we'd also have to take out Russian and aircraft and aircraft systems in Ukraine, in Belarus, and also in Russia. So that would mean that we're in combat with Russia. And these are two nuclear powered countries. That nobody wants to see. It's not good for the region. It's not good for the world," Austin added. (ANI/Sputnik)
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has amended its plan to hold a long march on March 27 in order to counter the Imran Khan government, local media reported. PDM amended its plan after Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tareek-e-Insaf (PTI) government planned to hold a rally at Islamabad's D-Chowk on March 27. However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), a key ally of the PTI-led government, has advised both the ruling party and the opposition to call off their rallies as they could lead to a violent clash, Dawn newspaper reported. "The long march will enter Islamabad on March 27 and it may stay there for two or more days. The decision has been taken in the light of directives of the party leadership -- Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif," Punjab Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s secretary-general Sardar Awais Leghari said. Last week, the PDM had put back the arrival of its march in Islamabad to March 25 from March 23 because of the OIC foreign ministers' meeting, Dawn newspaper reported. According to the schedule, the party will kick its trek from Lahore on March 24. Maryam Nawaz, the PML-N vice president, and Hamza Shehbaz will lead the cavalcade. It will reach Gujranwala the next day and stay there for the night. On March 26, the activists will leave for Rawalpindi, where contingents from other parts of the country will reach the next day and leave together for Islamabad, the Pakistani newspaper reported. On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan has given a call to workers of his party to reach D-Chowk on March 27 for the country's "biggest-ever rally", Dawn newspaper reported. (ANI)
Amid the ongoing political unrest in the country, Founding member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government Najeeb Haroon said the only way to end the turmoil is the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, local media reported. "The PM (Imran Khan) should resign and bring forward any other member from the party to become prime minister," Haroon said in the Geo News programme. "That's the only way to move forward and bring this crisis to an end," he stated. "The country can no longer sustain instability and PM Imran Khan must shed his stubbornness and somebody else from within the party be brought forward as the prime ministerial candidate," he suggested, according to Geo News. As the date of the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan inches closer, several disgruntled Members of National Assembly (MNAs) of the ruling PTI party said that they have parted ways with the ruling party and would not contest the next elections on a PTI ticket. Not only this, one of them has claimed that three federal ministers have already quit the PTI. The opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning 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)
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a fine worth Pakistani Rupees Rs 50,000 against Prime Minister Imran Khan for holding a public gathering in Lower Dir of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The district monitoring officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan directed the Pakistan PM to submit the bank 'challan' by March 22, ARY News reported on Friday. Imran Khan conducted the public rally in Lower Dir on March 11. The ECP's officer for electioneering in Chitral also imposed Rs 50,000 fine against KP Chief Minister's special assistant Wazir Zada for violating the election code of conduct. KP Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA), appeared before the officer but failed to give a satisfactory response to the officer, according to the ECP spokesperson. After the imposition of fines, Wazir said in a statement that ECP's decision was ill-intended and he will file an appeal against it. The Islamabad High Court on Friday called Pakistan PM's rally on March 11 "inappropriate" and rejected his and Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar's plea to suspend the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) notice issued to them for participating in the rally. After the violation of the election code of conduct, ECP served the notices to Pakistani PM, KP Governor Shah Farman, KP CM Mahmood Khan and others for attending the rally in Lower Dir ahead of KP's local government election. Meanwhile, ECP is considering putting off the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that were scheduled to take place in 18 districts of the province on March 31 saying that the election code of conduct was being seriously violated in the districts. ECP believes that the level playing field had been disturbed in the area where the polls would be held and the commission would soon make a decision about when to hold the local government elections, The Express Tribune reported citing sources. Separately, the ECP has also stopped Imran Khan from going ahead with his planned visit to the Malakand district of the province. (ANI)
"We welcome Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as he begins his first official visit to India," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

Schallenberg's India visit comes amid the Ukraine crisis.

Earlier, on Friday, India and Austria held the sixth round of Foreign Office Consultations virtually and discussed various aspects of bilateral relations including political, economic, commercial ties as well as cultural and academic linkages.

The Indian side was led by Dammu Ravi, Additional Secretary (Europe and COVID19), and the Austrian side was led by Ambassador Gregor Koessler, Director General for Political Affairs in the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, according to the MEA.

"India and Austria have warm and cordial relations which are based on shared values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and equality. Our bilateral relations are marked by strong linkages across institutions, academia, culture, and people-to-people ties," MEA said in a statement.

The talks covered the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, and commercial ties as well as cultural and academic linkages, the ministry said.

It further stated that two sides exchanged views on the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery including vaccines. Regional and global issues including developments in the Indo-Pacific, neighbourhood policy, terrorism, and India-EU Relations, amongst others, were discussed.

The ministry added that the deliberations also covered multilateral issues such as United Nations reforms and India's priorities during its term in the United Nations Security Council. (ANI)
Accor, a world leading hospitality group with over 420 hotels across India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, continues to expand its luxury footprint in Saudi Arabia, with the signing of its first Sofitel property in the city of Madinah, scheduled to open in 2023.

With plans to revamp and rebrand under the Sofitel marque next year, the hotel will continue to operate under white label while it undergoes a comprehensive renovation to position it at the pinnacle of the luxury market in Madinah, said the statement from Accor.

The hotel boasts a landmark location in the centre of Madinah, a short walk from the northern entrance of the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi.

The property features 469 keys, including the most luxurious suite in Madinah, two- and three-bedroom suites, three dining outlets, an executive lounge, two meeting rooms and a fitness centre with a gym, it stated.

Upon completion of the revitalization works, the hotel will stand out as a beacon of modern luxury and French savoir-faire, blending the brands unique sense of joie de vivre with the very best of the locale.

Partnering with Waqf Sheikh Abdul Bari Al Shawi, represented by the principal of Sheikh Hamza Al Shawi, the hotel ownership is part of a joint charitable entity that donates a portion of its annual profit to treat patients in need in Madinah, it stated.

"The hotel is another great addition to our luxury portfolio in the kingdom and the region overall," says Mark Willis, CEO of Accor India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey.

"The new Sofitel Madinah is set to become the ultimate choice for travellers, including those partaking in the annual Islamic pilgrimage, that are looking for luxurious hospitality while being strategically located, minutes away from holy landmarks," stated Willis.

"The agreement reinforces and advances the humanitarian message the Waqf stands for. We could not think of a better group to collaborate with than Accor and look forward to a successful partnership in the coming years, remarked Sheikh Hamza Al Shawi, Principle and representative of the Waqf.

The signing of this milestone project further strengthens Accors already dominant position in the religious markets of Madinah and Makkah, providing guests with an unparalleled and diverse offering when visiting these cities.

Accor currently operates 40 properties (14,660 keys) in Saudi Arabia with a pipeline of 42 properties (10,864 keys).
With the army stepping aside, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is fastly losing all options to survive as he could choose suicidal tactics--sacking of the army chief which could make the situation even more perilous or release some damaging videos or documents against his party leaders or opponents to project himself as a martyr, said a media report. The report said that PTI workers' attack on the Sindh House, where a large number of party leaders have taken shelter, show Imran Khan's "final desperation". He has threatened to flood the capital with his party workers on the voting day to browbeat the parliamentarians. These could include his supporters from the ranks of militant groups which he has been supporting in his short tenure. Any mass violence or attack could bring only death and destruction to his country, and his own sad ouster, said the report. From whispers and conspiracies, the rebellion against Imran Khan is now out in Islamabad where pitched battles are being fought on the streets and inside closed-door meetings. Long knives are out in Rawalpindi where there is another battle of nerves between the Chief of Army Staff and a group of senior commanders over Imran Khan and the aftermath of his inevitable ouster, according to the media report. The capital is abuzz with deals reportedly been sealed between various parties--from a new political dispensation in Punjab to the new Army chief later in the year, marginalizing Imran Khan in the process. In all, a nuclear-armed, economically challenged, terrorist infected Pakistan is up for grabs between various stakeholders, making the region highly volatile without a bullet being fired. Things began to unravel when opposition parties managed to overstep their differences and ambitions to present a no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government. Flood gates opened for fence-sitters and dissenters within his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), to desert him in hordes. Reliable media reports put the figure to be above 24 including at least three federal ministers. The numbers could rise till the motion is put to vote on March 28. Clearly, Imran Khan's days are numbered as the premier, said a report. Much of the fault lies with Imran Khan and his blustering ways of governance and managing his own party politics. His arrogance matched his failures in dealing with issues of governance and brewing dissent within his own party. An issue which has rankled his supporters for long has been that of Imran Khan's protege, Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar. Imran Khan has stalled persistent demands from party leaders for Buzdar's removal, said the media report. The reports further said that another grievous error has been playing politics with senior Army commanders. He came to power with the support of the army, especially Lt. General Faiz Hameed who played a key role in managing the electorate for him. Hameed was the ISI chief then and close to the chief, General Qamar Bajwa. But things began to sour between them when Hameed began openly flouting the directives of his chief and hobnobbing with political leaders, the report said. Bajwa moved him out to Peshawar as a Corps Commander last year but Imran Khan chose to delay the appointment of the new ISI chief, a pointer to the collapsing triangle. Bajwa, interested in a second extension, had till then chosen to play along Imran Khan but gave up his ambitions once he realised the rumbles within the top leadership. By all accounts, he has abandoned his one-time protege, Imran Khan. Back against a wall, Imran Khan is flaying like a sinking ship, threatening to take down whoever he could. The problem is the rising number of dissidents within his government and party. The hemorrhaging of his rank and file has been so rapid that Imran Khan is using violence to browbeat his own dissenting supporters, the media report said. Besides the 24 and more Members of National Assembly (MNAs), scores with his own party are waiting for the No-Confidence voting to show their support or anger against Imran Khan. National Assembly Speaker has reportedly sent 20 MNAs abroad on party-funded vacation. (ANI)
"On the night of March 19, Russian operational-tactical, army and unmanned aircraft hit 69 military facilities of Ukraine. Among them were four command posts, including those of a brigade senior management in the settlement of Zabuyannya, four anti-aircraft missile systems, including three S-300s and one Buk-M1," Konashenkov said.

He also stressed that the Russian armed forces hit one radar station for guidance and target designation, three multiple rocket launchers, 12 depots of missiles and artillery weapons, as well as 43 sites of military equipment accumulation.

In addition, Russian air defense shot down 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, Konashenkov said. (ANI/Sputnik)
Pakistan's Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah lashed out at the local police, saying that the Sindh House comptroller called the local police for protection against the PTI lawmakers and workers who marched to Sindh House on Friday but none of them responded on time. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers and workers on Friday stormed the Sindh House in Islamabad after breaking the main entrance. PTI's workers were angry against the dissident members who were staying inside the building. The protestors managed to reach the VIP entrance of Sindh House without any hurdles since no police were deployed in the place, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported citing sources. According to the witnesses, the protestors marched towards the Sindh house without any intervention from law enforcement. Later on, the authorities came into action and tried to disperse the protestors but it was an unsuccessful attempt and even the second wave of protestors gathered outside Sindh House within a few hours, according to Dawn. Sindh Agriculture Minister Anwar Siyal blamed the Islamabad police and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration for their failure to protect the official building. "The so-called Tiger Force is nothing but a pack of jackals, backed by the Islamabad police," Siyal was quoted as saying by Dawn. He also warned the Islamabad police inspector general and the administration to not follow the illegal instructions of the "so-called rulers who do not have the legal standing to remain in power". Earlier, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also lashed out at Pakistani PM for attacking the opposition parties. Bilawal stated that the Pakistani PM has firstly attacked the Opposition by calling the police in the Parliament Lodges and then the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers attacked the Sindh House, an attempt to terrorise the opposition leaders. He also said "...but we won't be cowed down" by these attacks. The PPP chairperson also stated that the Pakistani PM violated Article 6 of the Constitution by using force. (ANI)
"The video shows a strike on a reconnaissance and sabotage unit of the Ukrainian armed formations, carrying out reconnaissance and search operations on four US-made all-terrain military vehicles. After the strike with precision missile weaponry, the group was destroyed," the defence ministry said.

The sabotage group was transported in US-made Humvees military vehicles, the ministry added. The filming was carried out from a drone. (ANI/Sputnik)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to announce a plan to invest USD 42 billion (5 trillion yen) in India over the five years, during his visit to the country on Saturday, according to a media report. Kishida arrived in New Delhi today on a two-day visit, reported Nikkei Asia. During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Japanese Prime Minister is also poised to agree to an approximately 300 billion yen loan and an energy cooperation document concerning carbon reduction is expected to be signed. Kishida, who will reveal the public-private funding during an economic forum, is expected to pledge growth in direct investment in terms of value, as well as an increase in Japanese companies expanding into India, according to the media outlet. During Saturday's public-private forum, the Japanese Prime Minister is also expected to express his support for infrastructure development in India, with an aim to draw Japanese companies here. In his first visit to India after assuming office and also amid the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, Kishida will take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, besides holding bilateral talks with PM Modi. According to the media outlet, Kishida plans to confirm the strengthening of security arrangements with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in mind. The India-Japan Annual Summit had last taken place in Tokyo in October 2018. Kishida's visit to India gains significance amid the western countries slapping sanctions against Russia for its military operation in Ukraine while the major oil-consuming countries are keeping a close watch on the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on oil prices. India and Japan have multi-faceted cooperation as partners within the ambit of their "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 exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Since PM Modi's visit to Japan in 2014, tremendous progress has been made with the implementation of several important decisions taken by both countries. Shinzo Abe was then the Japanese PM. Japan had announced an investment of Yen 3.5 trillion for India, which included public and private participation in various projects. (ANI)
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the Japanese Prime Minister at the airport.

Kishida is scheduled to participate in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, besides holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This is Kishida's first such visit in his role as Prime Minister and the Summit would be the first meeting between the two leaders. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

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)
Ahead of the vote in the no-confidence resolution moved by Opposition to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has issued show-cause notices to 14 dissident members of the National Assembly (MNAs) asking them to apologize and unconditionally join the party within seven days, reported local media. The development came during a meeting chaired by the premier after these MNAs came out in open, indicating their defiance to Imran Khan, reported Samaa TV. Meanwhile, the PTI lawmakers and workers on Friday stormed the Sindh House in Islamabad after breaking the main entrance. PTI's workers were angry against the dissident members who were staying inside the building. Reacting to this, Pakistan People's Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that Imran Khan is trying to provoke the 'third force' by creating a crisis in the country by the use of force. Notably, the opposition parties in Pakistan submitted the no-trust motion against Imran Khan 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)
The heads of the Pakistan opposition parties will meet today to discuss strategy regarding the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, local media citing sources reported on Saturday. The News International citing sources said that the opposition's huddle will be held at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad. PDM chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Balochistan National Party chairman Akhtar Mengal, Awami National Party's Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, and other leaders will be among the attendees. 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. The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning 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) Earlier, the opposition parties rejected the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister, the opposition has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation, reported local media. This comes as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday offered the Opposition a deal to withdraw the no-confidence resolution, saying "let's see what can be given in return", reported The News International. However, the Opposition rejected any option of having negotiations with the government on the subject of the no-confidence resolution. "Our no-confidence motion is not about dissolving assemblies, rather than it is to oust this incompetent government, who has ruined the economy and shown insensitivity towards the masses," the media outlet quoted Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Rana Sanaullah as saying during a Geo News Programme on Monday. "Government did not even bother to shake hand with the Opposition in last four years, therefore now, no dialogue will be held with the government," he added. (ANI)
This comes after Ukraine's armed forces in early March killed Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov near Kharkiv, reported The Kyiv Independent quoting Ukraine's Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Defence Ministry.

Moreover, as Russia has threatened to attack supply chains of S-300 air defence systems to Ukraine after Slovakia announced that it is willing to support Kyiv with the defence system, NATO will send air defence systems to Slovakia.

Germany and the Netherlands will deliver MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 air defence systems to Slovakia, reported The Kyiv Independent.

Earlier on Thursday, Slovakia's defence ministry said that the country is willing to send S-300 long-range air defence systems to Ukraine provided that Western allies give them a "proper replacement" to avoid creating a security gap.

According to Ukraine's armed forces, approximately 14,400 Russian troops have been killed with 466 Russian tanks being destroyed since Russia began its war on Ukraine.According to the data shared by Ukraine's media outlet citing armed forces, 1,470 armoured vehicles of different types, 95 aircraft, 115 helicopters, 213 artillery pieces, and 72 MLRs were hit during the combat.Furthermore, the destroyed facilities also include 60 fuel tanks, 914 vehicles, 17 UAVs, and 44 Russian anti-aircraft warfare systems.Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine. (ANI)
A total of 13 PTI workers were produced before the area magistrate. The magistrate granted the workers bail on personal assurance.

Raising slogans against the turncoats, PTI workers suddenly stormed the Sindh House and broke into the building. Islamabad police arrested the PTI workers. Two Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) who came with the PTI protestors have been arrested by the police.

They were released later on assurance of Shahbaz Gill, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication, reported ARY News.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Police had registered an FIR against PTI workers for violating Section 144 imposed in the capital.

Pakistani Interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed condemned the incident and ordered the Islamabad police to immediately arrest the protestors and MNAs. The Interior Minister said that he has ordered the IG Police Sindh to arrest all the people who were involved in the attack, reported the news channel.

Pakistan is going through political turmoil ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan after dozen of its party members parted ways with the ruling party. (ANI)


Muslim groups in the state are mulling to file a joint petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court verdict which declared wearing hijab as a non-essential practice of Islam.

Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net

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KARNATAKA  The Karnataka High Court verdict that declared Hijab a non-essential religious practice in Islam has sparked outrage in the Muslim community across the country.

On Thursday many parts of Karnataka including the capital city Bengaluru observed a shutdown to protest the court verdict. The call for shutdown was issued by various Muslim groups in the state who questioned the courts right to wade into theological issues.

Anas Tanvir, a Supreme Court lawyer, said that the reasoning of the judgment of the Karnataka High Court is flawed. He said the way the courts analysis of religious scriptures is misconstrued. It shows the court was devoid of proper assistance in this matter.

Navida Asadi, a womens rights activist in Karnataka said that the Muslim groups are mulling to file a joint petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court verdict.

One petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the court ruling. However, the apex court declined to grant an urgent hearing on the plea and said it will look into the matter after the Holi vacations.

Hundreds of school and college-going students have missed their year-end exams after the court ordered an interim ban on Hijab in February.

The court verdict has made students feel dejected, Asadi said.

While some students do not want to lose a year of studies and have taken off the Hijab others have boycotted the exams altogether, she said.

Many Muslim women that TwoCircles.net spoke with said that they were shocked to hear the verdict. We were hopeful and believed that the court would pronounce a just judgment, they said. Many others said that they feel like they have been stripped of their constitutional rights.

Over the last two months, the controversy around the Hijab, in at least three government-run institutions of Karnataka, has left Muslim students disheartened after several Hindu students started demanding that the Hijab should not be allowed in the schools. The controversy started in late December last year after a teacher at a pre-university (PU) College in the Udupi district refused entry of Hijab wearing students inside a classroom.

The picture of the girls sitting on the stairs of the PU College went viral on social networking sites triggering a backlash.

Later, scores of right-wing Hindu students clad in saffron shawls created ruckus in the college campus in Udupi demanding that the Hijab be banned in the schools and colleges.

Wednesdays court verdict has now further complicated the situation of the Muslim girls who expected relief after the interim court ban.

Aliya Meher, a pre-university college student said that she missed her classes and exams after the interim ban and expected the court to make a just ruling. However, she said, she was disheartened. I will prefer to stay home rather than go to school without a Hijab, she said.

Another pre-university college student said that she will appear in the exams without Hijab and spoke to TwoCircles.net on the condition of anonymity. I dont want to lose a precious academic year and hence will appear in the exams without Hijab. She further said that she will continue to fight for the Hijab and will support the groups that will take the case to Supreme Court.

Shehzad Mulla, the Karnataka state president of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), said that there is deep anger among the Muslim masses in the state. He said the verdict spends most of its time arguing that the wearing of the hijab is not an essential practice in Islam.

The questions raised by the petitioners asking the court to examine if Hijab was an impediment to pursuing education have not been answered, he said.

Mulla said that the petitioners had already mentioned that Hijab was an essential religious practice and therefore wanted the court to examine if it was an impediment in the right to education. The court did not respond to the questions raised in the petition and instead came up with a judgment on essential practice.

The President of the Campus Front of India, MS Sajid, took to Twitter to express his displeasure. He wrote, Karnataka HC denies the constitutional rights of the citizens. We never accept the verdict that stands against the constitution and will continue the fight against the attempts to suppress individual rights. We appeal to the secular-minded to join this constitutional fight.

Hiba Sheik (18) who became the face of Muslim women for the fight for hijab after she was confronted by a right-wing Hindu youth group, said that Muslim womens rights have been violated by the verdict. We will continue our struggle legally and democratically, Sheik said.

Students Collective Bangalore in a statement on Thursday said that the verdict has exacerbated the already precarious academic lives of students and further pushed them into crisis. It is further deliberately leaving out marginalized communities from accessing affordable education.



Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets at @MohammadRaafi
The two leaders held productive talks during which ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries were discussed, the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet.

"Advancing friendship with Japan. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @kishida230 held productive talks in New Delhi. Both leaders discussed ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries," the PMO tweeted.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that the 14th annual India-Japan Annual Summit, aimed at enhancing bilateral relations between two countries began today.

"The 14th Annual Summit gets underway with a meeting between PM @narendramodi and Japanese PM @kishida230. Another step toward advancing the India-Japan partnership - a partnership for peace, prosperity and progress," tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today for his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the Japanese Prime Minister at the airport.

Kishida is also set to announce a plan to invest USD 42 billion in India over the next five years and is likely to announce the public-private funding plan during the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, according to a report in Nikkei Asia.

The Summit would also mark the first meeting between the two leaders. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. (ANI)
Rasmani Keshavdas, an eyewitness to the attack on ISKCON Radhakanta temple in Dhaka, has said that no arrests have been made in the case so far and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina "to help them". In an interview with ANI, Keshavdas said a man Haji Shafiullah had been threatening them for years to leave the temple. "He had offered us money too. One of his men, Ishraf Sufi had given us life threats. That day these two, along with 500-600 people, vandalised the temple's wall. Two of our people were hit when they tried to stop the mob. They behaved the same even before Police," Keshavdas said. He said the police supported them and two people are hospitalised. He also said that goons were threatening to kill them if someone came to meet them. "They didn't want to listen to us. They asked us to leave the temple but it's ours. No arrests yet. Two of our people hospitalised, their condition is slightly better. Goons are still threatening us that they'll kill us if someone meets us," he said. Keshavdas said they had been given "a little security" but were still scared. "We were given a little security after making a police complaint. Right now, 10 police personnel are deployed here. We are still scared, though. Through you, we request your Government to help us. Our PM is also trying to help us. We request both PMs to help us," he said. A mob of over 200 people attacked devotees and vandalized the ISKCON Radhakanta Temple in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Thursday. A temple official said on Friday that the mob took away idols and injured several devotees, Amani Krishna Das, the public relations officer of ISKCON temple, told ANI: "More than 200 terrorists led by Haji Shafiullah attacked, vandalized and looted the ISKCON Radhakanta temple at 222, Lal Mohan Saha Street in Wari. The miscreants attempted to break the security wall of the temple," Das said. The devotees who were beaten up by the mob were identified as Sumantra Chandra Shravan, Nihar Haldar, Rajiv Bhadram, he said. This incident comes a few months after a series of attacks on minority religious places in Bangladesh last October.An ISKCON temple in Noakhali city was vandalised in October last year.(ANI)
All the four crew members were on a training mission in Nordland county when their aircraft crashed on the way to Bodo, on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea, north of the Arctic Circle, The Washington Post reported citing a statement by the country's armed forces.

"The search and rescue operation found what was an accident site. It has now sadly been confirmed that the crew on board the American aircraft died in the accident," the media outlet quoted Norway's chief of defence, Gen Eirik Kristoffersen, as saying.

Expressing his condolences, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said, "Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives, and fellow soldiers in their unit."

An investigation has been launched into the crash by the Norwegian police.

Notably, around 30,000 troops from more than 27 NATO countries have gathered to train in Norway. However, the military alliance has clarified that the drills, which started this month and will last until April, have nothing to do with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the media outlet. (ANI)
Earlier, PM Modi met the Japanese PM at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi and the two leaders held productive talks during which ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries were discussed, as per Prime Minister's Office.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that the 14th annual India-Japan Annual Summit, aimed at enhancing bilateral relations between two countries began today.

"The 14th Annual Summit gets underway with a meeting between PM @narendramodi and Japanese PM @kishida230. Another step toward advancing the India-Japan partnership - a partnership for peace, prosperity and progress," tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today for his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the Japanese Prime Minister at the airport.

This is Kishida's first such visit in his role as Prime Minister and the Summit would be the first meeting between the two leaders. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

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)
Noting that goons were still threatening them and they were still scared though "a little security" has been provided', Rasmani Keshavdas, an eyewitness to the attack on ISKCON Radhakanta temple in Dhaka, has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In an interview with ANI, Keshavdas, Medical Officer, ISKCON, said no arrests have been made in the case so far. A mob of over 200 people attacked devotees and vandalized the ISKCON Radhakanta Temple in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Thursday. Keshavdas said the police supported those indulging in violence. He said a man Haji Shafiullah had been threatening them for years to leave the temple. "He had offered us money too. One of his men, Ishraf Sufi had given us life threats. That day these two, along with 500-600 people, vandalised the temple's wall. Two of our people were hit when they tried to stop the mob. They behaved the same even before police," he said. "Police supported them. They didn't want to listen to us. They asked us to leave the temple but it's ours. No arrests yet. Two of our people hospitalised, their condition is slightly better. Goons are still threatening us that they'll kill us if someone meets us," he added. Keshavdas said they had been given "a little security" but were still scared. "We were given a little security after making a police complaint. Right now, 10 police personnel are deployed here. We are still scared, though. Through you, we request your Government to help us. Our PM is also trying to help us. We request both PMs to help us," he said. A temple official said on Friday that the mob took away idols and injured several devotees, Amani Krishna Das, the public relations officer of ISKCON temple, told ANI: "....More than 200 terrorists led by Haji Shafiullah attacked, vandalized and looted the ISKCON Radhakanta temple at 222, Lal Mohan Saha Street in Wari. The miscreants attempted to break the security wall of the temple," Das said. The devotees who were beaten up by the mob were identified as Sumantra Chandra Shravan, Nihar Haldar, Rajiv Bhadram, he said. This incident comes a few months after a series of attacks on minority religious places in Bangladesh last October.An ISKCON temple in Noakhali city was vandalised in October last year. (ANI)
According to some experts, France and Algeria have had good ties for four decades. Luis Martinez, a Maghreb researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris said "Generally, despite appearances and criticism, there has been a stable, very balanced relationship."

Good ties between Algeria and France come despite the devastation caused by the eight-year war of independence that finally ended after the signing of the Evian accords on March 18, 1962, reported France 24.

As per the French historians, half a million civilians and combatants died - 400,000 of them Algerian - while the Algerian authorities believe some 1.5 million were killed. (ANI)
Ahead of the no-trust vote in National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign and go home "if he had any sense of shame left", reported local media. In an apparent reference to Imran Khan, Maryam said, "You cannot save the government, God willing, but if you have any shame left then save it and leave," The News International reported citing the PML-N leaders' Twitter handle. "You are not an elected government which can take a stand so you have opted for hooliganism but that will also backfire," she added. Meanwhile, the heads of the Pakistan opposition parties were scheduled to meet today to discuss strategy regarding the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to the media outlet. According to sources, the opposition's huddle will be held at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad. PDM chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Balochistan National Party chairman Akhtar Mengal, Awami National Party's Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, and other leaders will be among the attendees. The Opposition parties submitted the no-trust motion against Imran Khan 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. Notably, the opposition parties have rejected the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister and has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation. (ANI)
Human rights groups have expressed concern over Taiwanese national Lee Ming-che, who is currently in prison in China. During a press conference held on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Lee's arrest on Friday, Amnesty International Taiwan Secretary-General Chiu I-ling said that Lee's family had been unable to get in touch with Lee since the global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, Focus Taiwan reported. Lee's wife Lee Ching-yu has applied to visit her husband at Chishan Prison in Hunan Province 16 times over the past two years but to no avail, Chiu quoted by the media outlet said. During the same period, Lee was barred from speaking to Lee Ching-yu on the phone or writing to his family, Chiu said, adding that Lee's current status in prison, including his health, remains unclear. According to Chiu, Lee has experienced cruel treatment during his imprisonment which violates the international human rights law, including being fed with rotten food and deprived of warm clothes during the winter. Lee was detained in March 2017 while travelling in China and convicted of subverting state power six months later by a court in Hunan Province, for which he was to serve a five-year sentence of imprisonment. A coalition of human rights groups said that Lee's release was not guaranteed as his wife, Lee Ching-yu, never received a copy of the verdict nor the date of her husband's release from Chinese authorities, they said at a news conference outside of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. Conditions of the facility where Lee Ming-che has been incarcerated are "inhumane," as he was deprived of warm clothing, served spoiled food and denied phone calls and visits, Amnesty International Taiwan secretary-general Chiu Ee-ling said, reported Taipei Time. A suspension of political rights for two years following the five-year prison term was included in the sentence, meaning that Lee Ming-che could be prevented from leaving China before April 2024, Taipei Bar Association human rights committee chairman Chiang Jung-hsiang said. "If Beijing stops Lee Ming-che from exercising his civil rights in Taiwan by keeping him detained in China, it would sever his connection with society and impose economic hardships that constitute cruel and unusual punishment," he said. Covenants Watch convener Huang Song-lih said that four other Taiwanese -- Morrison Lee, Shih Cheng-ping, Tsai Chin-shu and Cheng Yu-chin -- have also been imprisoned in China on unfounded charges of espionage. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida addressed the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit on Saturday. Both leaders will also address the India-Japan Economic Forum today. Earlier, PM Modi met the Japanese PM at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi and the two leaders held productive talks during which ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries were discussed, as per Prime Minister's Office. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that the 14th annual India-Japan Annual Summit, aimed at enhancing bilateral relations between two countries began today. "The 14th Annual Summit gets underway with a meeting between PM @narendramodi and Japanese PM @kishida230. Another step toward advancing the India-Japan partnership - a partnership for peace, prosperity and progress," tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today for his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the Japanese Prime Minister at the airport. This is Kishida's first such visit in his role as Prime Minister and the Summit would be the first meeting between the two leaders. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018. The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. 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)
Pakistan Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday slammed National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for siding with Prime Minister Imran Khan stating that the former should "come to his senses". Addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sharif who is the PML-N President chided the Speaker saying, "Don't let democracy derail, otherwise neither history nor the people of Pakistan would forgive you," reported The News International. Sharif also condemned the recent attack on the Sindh House saying, "Whatever happened at the Sindh House was not a trivial matter." He said that the attack was not only about the integrity of Sindh but it was an assault on Pakistan. "Although the PM accused us [the Opposition] of taking a bribe, the government's allies are testifying that we did not take a single penny from anyone," said Shahbaz. "It was a highly unfortunate incident as rioters invaded the Sindh House," he said. He questioned the ruling PTI about engaging in horse-trading in Balochistan and Azad Kashmir, and said that "such a person [PM Imran Khan] can take any step against the constitutional motion of no-confidence." "He who believes in victory never wants a fight," Shahbaz said, adding that all PTI members should have the right to vote in accordance with their consciences, reported The News International. Commenting on the release of the PTI workers involved in the Sindh attack, Sharif said, "Instead of that, the attackers were released from custody. I suggest Imran Khan is not going to be clean-bowled but will be sent back to the pavilion through a hit-wicket dismissal." Pakistan is going through political turmoil ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan after a dozen of its party members parted ways with the ruling party. (ANI)
It easy to spot the vacant houses in so many of Baltimores older neighborhoods. Its far more difficult to spot ongoing renovation of the citys housing stock.

In the last decade there is a bright spot  the 1700 block of E. Biddle Street, near Broadway and just north of the Johns Hopkins medical campus. The homes are in the Broadway East-Eager Park neighborhood.

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The catalyst for this encouraging transformation is ReBUILD Metro, a community initiative not as well known as it should be. This group, led by Baltimore city church pastors and neighborhood residents, has performed unsung neighborhood and housing miracles in the past decade.

The city government recently acknowledged their success by giving $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to eliminate blight and address vacant housing in the city.

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It was the deaths of three Baltimore firefighters in a South Stricker Street vacant building fire Jan. 25 that renewed attention on the citys vacant house issue.

The citys abundance of vacant housing translates another way. A comparison of the 2010 and 2020 federal censuses revealed that Baltimore lost nearly 35,000 residents.

People do not want to live on a block with vacant houses, said Sean Closkey, a ReBUILD Metro official.

Billions of dollars must be invested over the next 10 years to eradicate the cancer of 15,000 vacant homes, said the Rev. Andrew Connors, a Presbyterian minister who lives on Stricker Street at Union Square in Southwest Baltimore  just a short walk from the place where the firefighters perished.

Once vacant homes in the 1700 block of East Biddle Street have been rebuilt as part of a ReBUILD Metro project. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

Connors is a player on the ReBUILD Metro team.

It was another tragedy, a fire that raged through the Dawson family home in 2002, that sparked the birth of a redevelopment effort in East Baltimores Oliver community, where ReBUILD Metro has been hard at work for years.

Twenty years later, Oliver has literally risen from the ashes of decay and disinvestment, said Connors, the pastor of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. The rate of vacant homes dropped from 48% to below 7%. The median home price has risen from $18,540 to $152,000, while the homicide rate has been cut in half.

Anyone who walks Caroline Street or along North Broadway sees the remarkable changes of the past two decades. The same encouraging story is also true in Baltimores Greenmount West (near the Green Mount Cemetery) and Broadway East neighborhoods.

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At a time when Baltimore was losing population, city data shows that all three of these areas saw a population increases from 31% to 48%, he said.

We achieved all this without displacing a single neighborhood resident, said Connors.

ReBUILD Metro is now focusing its attention on a major revitalization in Johnston Square, near Greenmount Avenue and Preston Street.

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ReBUILD Metro has a strategy: The new development must be directed by the community of residents who live there. These legacy residents must not be priced out or pushed out. Instead, the development should squeeze out blight and vacancy.

And the neighborhoods must be right-sized for the citys current population, reducing density in most neighborhoods through creative design techniques and the expansion of parks and other green spaces.

[ Baltimores blighted vacant homes, like the one where 3 firefighters were killed, take perpetual toll on city ]

The news about Baltimores high vacancy rate and population loss is sobering. ReBUILD says the city loses three homes per day to vacancy.

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Its a euphemism for abandonment, said Closkey. Without a bolder vision, the city will lose 10,000 more homes to abandonment over the next decade, shedding people and tax revenues and hope with it. We believe our work provides more than hope, it is a blueprint to rebuild a vibrant Baltimore

Connors described the $50 million the city is earmarking for vacant houses as a down payment.

The Black community in Baltimore has been disproportionately affected by housing disinvestment, he said.

We have to rebuild the whole housing market in a neighborhood to make our strategy work, he said. We are also looking to build generational wealth in African American families. Home ownership is a key.
Japan will invest Rs 3.2 lakh crore in the next five years in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, noting that the two countries have already achieved the investment target that was set in 2014. In a joint press statement with visiting Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after the 14th summit meeting between the two countries, he said strengthening of bilateral ties will encourage peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and in the world. He said both India and Japan understand the importance of "secure, trusted, predictable aur stable energy supply" and this is important to achieve goals of sustainable economic growth and dealing with climate change. "PM Kishida has been an old friend of India. I have had the opportunity to exchange views with him when he was the Foreign Minister of Japan. Japan is one of the largest investors in India," he said. "I am happy that we have crossed the investment target of 3.5 trillion Yen set in 2014 and we have decided to increase our aspirations. In the coming five years, we have set a new target of 5 trillion Yen investment i.e. about 3.20 lakh crore," he added. The Prime Minister said the world is still coping with the ill effects of COVID-19. "There are obstacles in the global economic recovery process. The geopolitical developments are also posing new challenges. In this context, it is not only important for India and Japan to strengthen their bilateral partnership but it will encourage peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and in the world," he said. He said Japan has made a notable contribution in the flagship projects like Dedicated Freight Corridor aur Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project. "Good progress is being made on Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail," the Prime Minister said. Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today for his first visit to India as Japan Prime Minister. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018. (ANI)
Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today on his maiden visit to India as the head of the Japanese government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Japan will invest Rs 3.2 lakh crores (5 trillion Yen) in the next five years in India. PM Modi's remarks came during a press statement following the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit attended by him along with his Japanese counterpart.

"PM Kishida has been an old friend of India. I have had the opportunity to exchange views with him when he was the Foreign Minister of Japan," said PM Modi.

"There has been progress in the economic partnership between India- Japan economic partnership. Japan is one of the largest investors in India. India-Japan are working as 'One team- One project' on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor," he added.

Speaking on both countries' steps towards achieving sustainable economic growth, PM Modi said, "India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply. This is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth and to deal with climate change."

Earlier, before the summit, the two leaders held productive talks during which ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries were discussed. (ANI)
Noting that countries should ensure that territory under their control is not used to launch terror attacks, India and Japan on Saturday called upon Pakistan to take resolute and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating out of its territory and comply fully with international commitments including to Financial Action Task Force (FATF). They also called upon all countries to work together for rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing channels, According to 'Joint Statement Partnership for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Post-COVID World' released after the summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the two countries also concurred to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in multilateral fora. "The Prime Ministers expressed deep concern at the growing threat of terrorism and underlined the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner. They called upon all countries to work together for rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing channels, and halting cross-border movement of terrorists, the statement said. In this context, they also called upon all countries to ensure that territory under their control is not used to launch terror attacks, to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks. "They reiterated their condemnation of terrorist attacks in India, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks and called upon Pakistan to take resolute and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating out of its territory and comply fully with international commitments including to FATF," the statement said. "They also concurred to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in multilateral fora, and to work together on early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the United Nations," it added. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their intention to collaborate closely to realise peace and stability in Afghanistan, and stressed the importance of addressing humanitarian crisis, promoting human rights and ensuring establishment of a truly representative and inclusive political system. They also reaffirmed the importance of UNSCR 2593 (2021) which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those sanctioned by the UNSC. (ANI)
"Foreign Minister of Madagascar Richard Randriamandrato was the chief guest on the occasion which was graced by Ambassadors of various countries, Heads of International Organizations, Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) alumni and the members of Indian diaspora in Madagascar," the statement further said.

India's Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of the festival.

"Holi, the festival of colours is celebrated in different parts of India with pomp and enthusiasm. Colours are symbols of happiness and renewal. Holi is also known as the Vasantotsav or the festival of spring," Kumar said.

The invited guests applied colours to each other, additionally, special Holi songs and dances were performed by the members of the ITEC alumni to mark the occasion.

Ambassadors of the European Union who attended the event said that they had heard and read about the festival of Holi but this is for the first time that they had experienced in person and was delighted to play Holi. (ANI)
Expressing concern over the situation in Myanmar, India and Japan called for an immediate cessation of violence throughout Myanmar and a return to the path of democracy. Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi reiterated their stance on Myanmar and in a joint press statement on Saturday called for the release of all political detainees. "They reaffirmed their support for ASEAN efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar and welcomed Cambodia's active engagement as ASEAN chair to break the deadlock. They called on Myanmar to urgently implement ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus, the Joint statement said. Both the Prime Ministers expressed their support to the efforts of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in breaking the ongoing political deadlock in the country between the civilian representatives and the military junta. "They reaffirmed their support for ASEAN efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar and welcomed Cambodia's active engagement as ASEAN chair to break the deadlock. They called on Myanmar to urgently implement ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus." The ASEAN's five-point consensus was reached last year and stressed dialogue, humanitarian assistance and an end to violence. The Myanmar military junta took control of the country following a coup on February 1 last year. Myanmar's junta has carried out a brutal nationwide crackdown to suppress those opposing military rule. The junta's systematic and pervasive abuses, including mass killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) had said in a statement on Friday. Since the coup, security forces have killed at least 1,600 people and detained more than 12,000, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Over 500,000 people have been internally displaced since the coup, while tens of thousands have fled as refugees to Thailand and India, the HRW report had further said citing United Nations refugee agency, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) data. The Indian and Japanese Prime Ministers addressed a host of issues in the elaborate joint statement including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, maritime access in the Indo-Pacific, especially the South China sea, bilateral economic partnership and sustainable growth in the post-COVID world. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday reaffirmed the importance of collaborative projects between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region and looked forward to the expansion of such projects to ASEAN, Pacific island countries and others. Issuing a joint press statement, the two leaders also acknowledged the progress in the ongoing projects in Bangladesh. "The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the significance of collaborative projects between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region. They acknowledged the progress in ongoing projects in Bangladesh and looked forward to exploring expansion of such cooperation to ASEAN, Pacific island countries and others," the press statement said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also used the opportunity to welcome India's Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI) launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. The main objective of the IPOI is to ensure the safety, security, and stability of the maritime domain. "The Prime Ministers acknowledged the growing space for cooperation between the IPOI and Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). India appreciated Japan's participation as a lead partner on the connectivity pillar of IPOI," the statement said, adding "They reiterated their strong support for ASEAN's unity and centrality and their full support for the 'ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)' which upholds the principles such as the rule of law, openness, freedom, transparency and inclusiveness". The two leaders also emphasized that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region had a shared interest in the continuance of a rules-based order in the region in general and in the maritime domain in particular while hinting at China's aggressiveness in the South China sea. "They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritizing the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas," the statement said. The leaders underscored their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, while underlining the significance of partnerships among "like-minded" countries in the region including the Quad. "With their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Prime Ministers affirmed the importance of bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among like-minded countries of the region, including the quadrilateral cooperation among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (the Quad)," the statement said. Notably, the two leaders welcomed the Quad Leaders' Summits in March and September 2021 and renewed their commitment to delivering tangible outcomes on the Quad's positive and constructive agenda, especially on COVID vaccines, critical and emerging technologies, climate action, infrastructure coordination, cybersecurity, space and education. They looked forward to advancing Quad cooperation through the next Quad Leaders' Summit in Japan in the coming months. PM Kishida also extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit Japan on the occasion of the Quad Leaders' Summit. (ANI)
The Taliban on Friday claimed that the Islamic Emirate has fulfilled commitments for international recognition. Taliban's acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi said that the Islamic Emirate is inclusive and has fulfilled all the requirements and it should be recognized by the international community, reported Tolo News. Talking to Turkey's TRT World news channel, Muttaqi said, "In order to recognize a government, there is a need for border, people, and security. Since we have all of these, we have fulfilled the requirements to be recognized." Some analysts meanwhile said in addition to international recognition, the Taliban should also take steps inside the country, reported Tolo News. "Legitimacy has to be gained inside the country through a free election in which each citizen casts one vote to elect their government and the people see themselves in that government," Wali Frozan, an international relations analyst said. "The renewal of the UNAMA mandate by the UN Security Council itself shows that the world wants to stay engaged with Afghanistan. But I hope the Islamic Emirate holds a national gathering (Jirga) in which participants from all walks of life attend," Shahzada Massoud, a political analyst said. It has been nearly six months after the Taliban recaptured power in Afghanistan but they have not been recognized by any country yet. Taliban, who are desperate to seek international recognition, and have time and again been reminded that respect for women and human rights, establishing inclusive government, not allowing Afghanistan to become a safe haven of terrorism are the preconditions for the recognition set by the international community. Speaking about Afghanistan's humanitarian situation, Muttaqi said humanitarian aid is not enough for Afghanistan and he called for development aid from the international community, reported Tolo News. He said there are around 40 million people in Afghanistan and they cannot rely on humanitarian aid forever. "If we want Afghanistan to be self-sufficient, on top of humanitarian aid we need development aid that creates employment and jobs," he added. (ANI)
Calling Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a great friend of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the talks between him and his counterpart were extensive and productive. "The talks with PM @kishida230 were extensive and productive. He has always been a great friend of India's. We took stock of the progress in our bilateral relations over the last few years. We also discussed various regional and global issues," Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet. He went on to highlight that the economic partnership between India and Japan are getting robust, adding that the two countries aim to reach an investment target of 5 trillion yen (3.2 lakh crores) in the next five years. "Economic ties between India and Japan are getting more robust. Japan is among the top investors in India. Based on the trend of the last few years, we are aiming to reach an investment target of 5 trillion Yen in the coming 5 years. This will bring great economic opportunities," Prime Minister Modi said. The Prime Minister also talked about the other issues that were deliberated upon in the meeting. "Some of the other subjects that were discussed during the talks with PM @kishida230 included climate change, clean energy, infrastructure development and cultural cooperation. We also met business leaders earlier in the day," Prime Minister Modi said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on a two-day visit to India for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. This is PM Kishida's first bilateral visit to India. The Indian and Japanese counterparts held deliberations on a wide range of topics and welcomed the launch of several new initiatives between the two countries, on clean energy partnership, development of India's northeast and bamboo cultivation and processing. The two leaders also issued a detailed joint press statement on a number of contemporary global issues including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, maritime access in the Indo-Pacific region, especially the South China sea, and sustainable growth in the post-COVID world. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida welcomed the launch of the India-Japan Initiative for Sustainable Development of the North Eastern Region of India. Both the leaders appreciated the importance of India-Japan's continued collaboration through the Act East Forum (AEF) for the sustainable economic development of India's North Eastern Region and for enhancing the Region's connectivity with Southeast Asia, said Minister of External Affairs in a joint statement. The India-Japan initiatives for sustainable development include "Initiative for Strengthening the Bamboo Value Chain in the North East" and cooperation in health care, forest resources management, connectivity and tourism in different states of the North Eastern Region. Talking about Japan's cooperation with India, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, "Another area of cooperation is the development of the northeast region. Japan has been an important partner of ours in that regard. It was in 2017 that an Act East Forum was established between our two countries to coordinate development projects of the northeast region." "Today as part of this cooperation, the two sides have launched a sustainable development initiative for the northeast region of India and this includes cooperation in areas such as connectivity, healthcare, agro-industry and disaster management. It also includes an initiative for strengthening the bamboo value chain in the northeast," he added. Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today on his maiden visit to India as the head of the Japanese government. PM Modi today said Japan will invest Rs 3.2 lakh crores (5 trillion Yen) in the next five years in India. PM Modi's remarks came during a press statement following the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit attended by him along with his Japanese counterpart. "PM Kishida has been an old friend of India. I have had the opportunity to exchange views with him when he was the Foreign Minister of Japan," said PM Modi. "There has been progress in the economic partnership between India- Japan economic partnership. Japan is one of the largest investors in India. India-Japan is working as 'One team- One project' on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor," he added. Speaking on both countries' steps towards achieving sustainable economic growth, PM Modi said, "India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply. This is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth and to deal with climate change." Earlier, before the summit, the two leaders held productive talks during which ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries were discussed. (ANI)
As the war between Russia and Ukraine intensified further in the fourth week, Hikariko Ono, Japan's Press Secretary on Saturday said that India and Japan are on the same page on Ukraine and stressed for peaceful resolution of the conflict. She added that any attempt to change the status quo cannot be tolerated anywhere in the world be it Russia or China. She emphasized that the meeting between the two leaders lasted for 110 minutes with the Japanese PM underscoring Russian aggression as a clear violation of international law. "India and Japan are on the same page. PM Kishida and PM Modi agreed to jointly cooperate with Ukraine. Any attempt to change the status quo cannot be tolerated anywhere in the world. Apprising the media about the outcome of Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida's official visit to India and his first bilateral visit for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, she said that both leaders had an intense discussion on peaceful resolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Both leaders discussed regional issues including China and Ukraine, however, Ukraine's situation had the lion's share in the talks. "Lengthy and intense discussion took place on Ukraine," said Hikariko, adding, "PM Kishida said Russian aggression is a clear violation of international law, the international community should take definitive action against Russia regarding oil sanctions." The summit meeting started around 5 o'clock and lasted till 6:56 pm. "They had a very long summit meeting of 110 minutes," said Hikariko. However, the two leaders agreed to seek a peaceful resolution of conflict. "Japanese PM Kishida also asked PM Modi to cooperate further including working precisely with Russian President Vladimir Putin for oil orders amid rising energy prices," said Hikariko. "We need to seek peaceful resolution of conflict, the two countries (Russia and Ukraine) will tackle the situation and break the deadlock," she added. Hikariko also said that the two leaders discussed nuclear disarmament amid reports of the attack on Ukrainian nuclear power plants - Zaporozhskaya and Chernobyl by Russia. "The two leaders discussed nuclear disarmament as Kishida from Hiroshima which was hit by the nuclear bomb. They also agreed to promote people to people exchange, tourism, sports," said Hikariko. Regarding China, both leaders discussed the realisation of the Indo-Pacific and the issues both countries are facing. "Both leaders agreed to strongly oppose any attempt to disturb status quo by force. Regarding political and security cooperation, India and Japan agreed to hold 2+ 2 meetings, implement Malabar Exercise among Quad member states. They also agreed on a memorandum of cyber security cooperation" said Japan Press Secy. They expressed their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including "Dharma Guardian" and "Malabar" respectively, while welcoming the participation of Japan for the first time in exercise MILAN, as well as making efforts to increase their complexity in the future. They reaffirmed the decision to proceed with coordination for the inaugural fighter exercise between the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Indian Air Force and welcomed the efforts to hold the exercise at the earliest. She also informed about the economic cooperation between the two countries. The two leaders mentioned and welcomed Japan's automaker Suzuki investment in India. Japan will be raising the investment target in India to Rs 3.2 lakh crore or 5 trillion yen over the next five years. India and Japan inked six agreements following bilateral talks between PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart Kishida. PM Kishida asked for a further better environment for business. Japan is ready to cooperate with India's high-quality infrastructure. "The two leaders also agreed on India North-East region sustainable development and people to people contact through tourism and sports. They also promoted space cooperation. "We are pleased with steady progress on the high-speed train project. Japan is ready to cooperate on the implementation of this project," she added. The Japanese Press Secretary also said that the visit of Kishida to India successfully solidified the base and partnership with PM Modi. "This visit successfully solidified the base and partnership between the two leaders (PM Modi & Japanese PM). Grateful for warm hospitality by people and Government of India despite COVID-19 challenges," said Hikariko. She further said that Japan and India share fundamental values such as democracy, freedom and rule of law. The two countries are strategic and global partners. (ANI)
Jon Epstein, 62, producer of such television shows as "Tarzan," "The Flying Nun" and "McMillan and Wife," died Saturday in Los Angeles after a 14-year battle with leukemia. He was executive producer of the "Columbo" TV series, and produced the television miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" in the 1970s.
Mike Gibbons (L) and Josh Mandel exchange heated arguments at the FreedomWorks Forum for Ohio's Republican Senate Candidates on March 18, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Andrew Spear/Getty Images

Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel got face-to-face on the debate stage Friday evening.

The two are running in the Republican primary for an Ohio Senate seat.

Video of the exchange showed the men telling each other to back off as other candidates watched.

Two leading candidates in the Republican primary for the US Senate race in Ohio squared off during a heated exchange at a debate on Friday evening in Columbus, Ohio.

Video of the debate showed Josh Mandel, former Ohio state treasurer, stand up and get in the face of Mike Gibbons, an investment banker, while trying to confront him about an investment.

Mandel stood up as Gibbons told him "you may not understand this" because "you've never been in the private sector your entire life."

"Two tours in Iraq, don't tell me I haven't worked," Mandel, a Marine Corps veteran, said as he got nose-to-nose with Gibbons, who can be heard saying "you don't know squat."

During the exchange, the crowd can be heard booing as both men tell each other to back off. Mandel can be heard saying: "You watch what happens."

The word "pussy" can also be heard, but it's not clear in the clip who said it. Mandel eventually sat down.

The debate was attended by other GOP primary candidates JD Vance, Matt Dolan, and Jane Timken, who looked on as the exchange unfolded.

In a statement provided to Insider, Gibbons denounced Mandel's "physically aggressive actions."

"Josh Mandel is unhinged, unfit, and flailing - because he's losing. He is only a professional at one thing: running for office," Samantha Cotten, a spokesperson for Gibbons, said.

"He doesn't have the temperament, experience, or fortitude to be a US Senator and Ohio voters got a first-hand look at just how unprepared Josh Mandel has become and that will be reflected on the ballot on May 3," she added.

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Cotten also told Insider that Mandel was the "aggressor." When asked about the word "pussy," she said Gibbons was not the one to use that word.

Mandel and his campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comments.

Gibbons and Mandel are the two frontrunners in the race, according to polling. They are running to replace Sen. Rob Portman, who is retiring.

Vance commented on the exchange during the debate, taking aim at Mandel's comment about his service.

"I think the way you used the US Marine Corps, Josh, is disgraceful," Vance, also a Marine Corps veteran, said, prompting applause from the audience.

"This guy wants to be a US Senator, he's up here: 'Hold me back! Hold me back! I got two tours in the Marine Corps.' What a joke," he continued.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Four U.S. Marines died in a plane crash while participating in a NATO training exercise that is unrelated to the conflict in Ukraine, the Norwegian prime minister said Saturday.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere tweeted that the plane crash occurred overnight while troops were participating in the NATO Cold Response exercise.

"Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers' families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit," Gahr Stoere said in the statement.

The Norwegian Armed Forces said in a statement that the aircraft had a crew of four who were confirmed dead Saturday morning. The cause was under investigation, but Norwegian police reported bad weather in the area.

TRAINING FATALITIES: 2 Marines killed, 17 injured in military vehicle rollover accident in North Carolina

The II Marine Expeditionary Force on Saturday tweeted that four Marines are now listed in "Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown" following an aviation "incident" during the Cold Response exercise near Bodo, Norway. The incident involved a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft.

"The search and rescue operations have transitioned to Norwegian local police authorities with support from Norwegian Armed Forces military units," a II MEF press release shared to Twitter reads. "As a matter of policy, identities of service members are not released until 24-hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been completed."

The U.S. Marines also confirmed on Twitter Friday evening that an "incident" occurred involving a MV-22B Osprey while training in Norway.

"The cause of the incident is under investigation, and additional details will be provided as available," the Marines' tweet reads.

May 26, 2019: Two MV-22 Osprey aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 perform a flyover prior to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Cold Response exercise will continue despite the accident, the Norwegian Armed Forces said. The NATO drills in Norway are biannual and unrelated to the war in Ukraine. This year, the exercises began on March 14 and end April 1. About 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft and 50 vessels from 27 countries are participating. Finland and Sweden, both non-NATO members, are also participating.

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USA TODAY reached out to the II Marine Expeditionary Force and the Pentagon for comment.

LOCALS MOURN: Four U.S. Marines assigned to Camp Lejeune died in Norway during NATO training exercise

The four Marines were stationed near Jacksonville, N.C. at Camp Lejeune.

The Daily News reported that members of Onslow County's civic affairs committee honored the Marines on Saturday with a wreath at the Jacksonville Freedom Fountain. The fountain, which honors Onslow community members who served in the military, was placed in mourning status; only the center Freedom Jet will operate.

It's the second training exercise where Marines died since the beginning of the year. Two Marines were killed and 17 others injured on Jan. 19 after a 7-ton military vehicle rolled over in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Contributing: Associated Press; John Orona, The (Jacksonville, N.C.) Daily News

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NATO: 4 US Marines die in Norway plane crash; no Ukraine relation
WASHINGTON  Launched by Moscow in 1999, the second Chechen war elevated the stature of Russias new and then little-known prime minister, a former intelligence officer named Vladimir Putin. Intended to bring the mountainous Islamic region back under the Kremlins control, the exceptionally brutal campaign endeared Putin to Russians nostalgic for a show of strength from what was considered by much of the world to be a fading nuclear superpower.

The bandits will be destroyed, Putin said at the time, in an echo of how he would talk of the Nazis he now claims to be purging from Ukraines government and military. We must go through the mountain caves and scatter and destroy all those who are armed.

So when Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov announced earlier this week that he was in Ukraine to support Putins invasion, it seemed as if the past had caught up with the present. Even though Kadyrovs journey to the front  he claimed on social media to have nearly reached the capital, Kyiv, which is still under Ukrainian control  may have been fictitious, amounting to little more than a publicity stunt, some say his involvement could lead to an even bloodier conflict.

Chechen regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov. (Musa Sadulayev/AP)

Kadyrov is a psychopath who personally tortures his political prisoners, Russia expert Michael Weiss told Yahoo News, alluding to Kadyrovs well-known human rights abuses. Weiss and others say the apparent presence of Kadyrovs soldiers in Ukraine could signal a new phase of fighting, one in which the rules of conventional warfare are discarded as Putin becomes more desperate for victory.

Kadyrov, 45, rules Chechnya under Putins supervision. And if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is the conflicts leading man, Kadyrov is the more colorful counterpart to chief villain Putin, given to brandishing a golden gun and trotting out a pet tiger. And even as he was supposedly preparing for war, Kadyrov engaged in a social media feud with Tesla founder Elon Musk.

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His cartoonish demeanor, however, disguises a deep lust for power and a penchant for violence. Kadyrov commands a paramilitary outfit called the Kadyrovites, who work to suppress any rebellion in Chechnya, which has struggled to free itself from Russia (and other empires) for centuries. By doing Putins bidding  which has included hunting down opponents in Istanbul and Berlin  Kadyrov essentially guarantees he will retain the Kremlins support.

The Russian military is facing a critical lack of manpower, explains Emil Aslan, professor of security studies at Charles University in Prague. Kadyrovites, he told Yahoo News, are an essential asset to the Russian military, both in tactical and psychological terms.

A burned tank in Volnovakha, Ukraine. (Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that the Biden administration could not confirm the presence of Chechen fighters in Ukraine. But such confirmation has come from battlefield reports, as well as from social media posts, where a kind of meta-battle is being waged for world opinion.

The Kremlin has not hyped Kadyrovs role and, in fact, challenged the bombastic warlords own assertion that he was on the outskirts of Kyiv. At the same time, the Kremlin has few other allies to turn to.

Russia's scrounging for troops in Chechnya and beyond is probably a sign of how poorly the war has gone for them, says Ben Friedman, policy director at the Washington, D.C., think tank Defense Priorities.

Although Ukraines military is much smaller than Russias, poorly trained Russian conscripts have been repelled repeatedly since Putin launched an invasion last month. And with the United States and other nations continuing to supply weapons to Kyiv, Russia could be coming dangerously close to defeat, potentially leaving it to rely on the kind of grueling warfare that allowed Putin to declare victory in Chechnya two decades ago, after an earlier attempt to conquer the Muslim-majority region proved unsuccessful.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin launched a disastrous invasion of Chechnya in 1994, seeking to keep the small, oil-rich republic from gaining independence. Yet Chechnya mounted a furious defense that culminated in a battle for Grozny, the Chechen capital, that left hundreds of Russian soldiers dead. The humiliated Russian army retreated, and Chechnya achieved a measure of autonomy  and peace.

Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, was besieged by the Russian army in August 1996. (Eric Bouvet/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

An earnest student of Soviet propaganda, Putin could now be trying to use crude stereotypes about Chechens fighting prowess to frighten an otherwise emboldened Ukrainian resistance.

After a series of apartment bombings in Moscow and elsewhere that were blamed on Chechens  but were likely carried out by Kremlin security services  Putin started a second Chechen war that saw Grozny leveled and the small republics civil society effectively destroyed. In exchange for their loyalty, the Kadyrov family  who had once been rebels themselves  were given unfettered power over the Chechen populace. They have wielded that power ruthlessly, in particular when it comes to the nations gay and lesbian population.

A 2006 report by Human Rights Watch found that dissidents could face almost medieval retribution. They started kicking me, and then brought an infernal machine to give me electric shocks. They attached the wires to my toes and kept cranking the handle to release the current. I couldnt bear it, a survivor of Kadyrovs torture, named in the report as Khamid Kh., testified.

Bringing such methods to Ukraine would only exacerbate a conflict that has already led President Biden to call Putin a war criminal.

A supporter of Putins campaign from the start, Kadyrov said earlier this week that he was on the battlefield and ready to fight. That assertion was later debunked by a Ukrainian news outlet that determined Kadyrovs announcement had actually been sent from Chechnya. Still, Chechens are involved in the conflict, with Ukraine accusing them of trying to assassinate Zelensky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the U.S. Congress from Kyiv on Wednesday. (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Their role could broaden should Russias assault fail to take Kyiv and other large cities. If forces aligned with Kadyrov are asked to target neighborhoods, target civilians, they will do it, says Jean-Francois Ratelle, a University of Ottawa expert on the Chechen wars. They could be used to commit war crimes against civilians.

Putin could also use Chechens to shoot Russian conscripts attempting to desert, Ratelle said. The practice has precedent in Russian history: During World War II, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had Red Army frontline soldiers trailed by security services ordered to shoot anyone trying to retreat from the terrifying German onslaught.

So far, all the alleged war crimes in Ukraine appear to have been committed by Russians at the Kremlins behest. But the prospect that Kadyrov could become more involved in the conflict alarms experts on Chechnya and its tumultuous history.

Weiss, the Russia expert, said reports that Putin was recruiting fighters in Syria  where Russia helped bolster dictator Bashar Assads ruthless regime in that nations civil war  were another development pointing to an escalation. Putin is throwing everything he can into this war.

If the second Chechen war cemented Putins grip on Russia, the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine could prove his undoing  but not before thousands more soldiers and civilians die in the process, especially if he looks to Kadyrov for the cruelly unconventional warfare that is the Chechen warlords calling card.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at an event in Moscow on Friday marking the eighth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea. (Ramil Sitdikov/AFP via Getty Images)

Others see Kadyrovs belligerent shows of support for the war in Ukraine as a desperate attempt to frighten Ukrainians with racist tropes about Muslim Chechens and their supposed disposition toward violence.

Yet while Kadyrov himself is loyal to Putin  little surprise, since Putin installed his father as the leader of Chechnya in 2000; the elder Kadyrov was assassinated by separatists in 2004  other Chechens despise the strongman and his Kremlin ties, choosing instead to fight on behalf of Ukraine.

I want to tell Ukrainians that real Chechens, today, are defending Ukraine, a dissident Chechen commander said last month.

_____

What happened this week in Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out.
Alamogordo Public Schools had two findings on its fiscal year 2021 regular audit.

"The District cleared five findings (no repeats), great work," Audrey Jaramillo of the Jaramillo Accounting Group said via email. "The Districts leadership and its finance group (K12 Accounting) have greatly improved controls and accounting operations over the past three years."

In the fiscal year 2018 annual audit which was released in 2019, Alamogordo Public Schools had 17 findings, many of which were fixed by the time the fiscal year 2020 regular audit was released. In that year's audit, the District received five findings.

More: Six findings in Otero County budget audit

"I'm very proud of how far this district has come(since) the audit a few years ago when we had 17 findings... and we had only two minor findings (this time," Alamogordo Public Schools Superintendent Kenneth Moore said. "The auditor Audrey (Jaramillo) said this is one of the best school district audits she's ever seen."

Audrey Jaramillo of Jaramillo Accounting Group presents the Alamogordo Public Schools 2019 regular audit at the APS Board of Education regular meeting February 19, 2020.

The two findings in the fiscal year 2021 audit were due to a vendor staffing issue and the other was by the New Mexico Public Education Department and the New Mexico Department of Finance Administration not submitting Alamogordo Public School's State Equalization Guarantee funds on time, Jaramillo said.

The State Equalization Guarantee, or SEG, seeks to make sure that smaller school districts and charter schools receive a fair share of state funding.

The first finding was about student nutrition inventory. Auditors found inaccuracies in the inventory areas tested.

Alamogordo Public Schools management stated in the audit that third-party vendor was put in place with a new inventory system.

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According to management's response to the finding in the audit, everyone in Alamogordo Public Schools and A'viands were retrained and the Alamogordo Public Schools Student Nutrition program has been monitoring the vendor's final inventories and at individual schools.

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"There has been changes and updates to their procedures to ensure accurate counting as well as proper inspections of holding areas including but not limited to coolers, freezers and dry storage to obtain the quality of product," the response to the finding in the audit states. "APS Student Nutrition will not tolerate any untruthfulness or misrepresentations by any employee any further instances will be grounds for immediate disciplinary actions up to termination."

The A'viands's management team who were employed at the time of the audit do not work for A'viands anymore, the audit states.

Alamogordo Public Schools Student Nutrition team have been performing spot checks of inventory while the inventory procedures are rebuilt and will monitor the program for accurate record keeping, the audit states.

The second finding had to do with Alamogordo Public School's State Equalization Guarantee funding not being submitted in a timely fashion.

"The District has reached out to the bank to identify why the account was not properly collateralized as of June 30 and what needs to be done to increase the amount of pledge collateral," the management response in the audit states. "During the year, pledge collateral is reviewed to determine that there is sufficient coverage to meet the states collateralization requirements. Due to a fluctuating cash balance at the end of the fiscal year, the bank did not have enough collateral as of June 30."

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Alamogordo Public Schools shows two findings in audit
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who was the longest-serving member of the 117th Congress, died, He was 88. (Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) has died at age 88. The longest-serving member of the 117th Congress, who held the job for 48 years, had a reputation for being colorful, confrontational and often unpredictable.

Young often said he would stay in office until the Alaska voters or God decided otherwise, reported Alaska Public Media station KTOO.

Lobbyist Jack Ferguson, who was Youngs friend and his first chief of staff, confirmed the news Friday afternoon.

Ferguson said he was told by a representative of Alaska Airlines that Young died in an airport, but there were no other immediate details, according to KTOO.

I just got a call from Alaska Airlines, Ferguson said. They told me that Don died in Concourse B. I was so shocked I didnt even ask if that was here in Anchorage or in Seattle, he added.

Alaska Congressman Don Young, dean of the House, has died, according to friends, former staffers and relatives.  Liz Ruskin-AK public radio reporter (@lruskin) March 19, 2022

Youngs office issued a statement late Friday about the death.

It is with heavy heart that we announce Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved. His beloved wife, Anne, was at his side, it noted.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a statement Friday that she was saddened beyond belief about the loss of my friend. We have lost a giant who we loved dearly and who held Alaska in his heart  always. She added: Don was coming home to the place that he loved, and to the people that loved him best.

Alaskans are devastated by this shocking and sad news and I am saddened beyond belief about the loss of my friend. We have lost a giant who we loved dearly and who held Alaska in his heartalways.  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 19, 2022

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) said Young was a great friend who in many ways formed Alaska into the great state it is today.

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Congressman Don Young has been a great friend and colleague of mine for many years. I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of this amazing man who, in many ways, formed Alaska into the great state it is today. pic.twitter.com/fuD2s8N3aK  Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) March 19, 2022

Young was born in Meridien, California, and grew up on a farm there. He moved to Alaska in 1959, the year it became a state  lured there by Jack London stories his dad once read to him, he later recounted.

He was a teacher, trapper and riverboat captain in the small community of Fort Yukon, where he became mayor in 1964. He was first elected to Alaskas sole House seat in 1973 and had won reelection in 2020 to his 25th term.

He had been seeking reelection this year for a 26th term.

Young, a conservative, counted among his biggest wins the passage of legislation his first year in office allowing for construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline system, according to The Associated Press. He often railed against extreme environmentalists and a federal bureaucracy that he complained blocked use of Alaskas mineral, timber and petroleum resources.

Young was proud of his brash, larger-than-life style, CQ Roll Call reported in a 2014 profile.

He sometimes flouted ethics rules. He even reportedly seemed to threaten a life  telling a onetime Democratic challenger that the last person to touch him ended up on the ground dead, Roll Call reported. It was an accusation with some truth to it, he told the publication.

He complained to Roll Call that most other lawmakers on Capitol Hill were cookie cutters. He boasted that had always been himself while many of his colleagues simply played up to the TV cameras.

Young also once told Roll Call that he was really just a big Teddy bear  unless he was crossed.

In one of the wildest stories about Young, former Republican House Speaker John Boehner told Politico in 2017 that the lawmaker once pinned him against a wall during an argument over one of Youngs pricey pet projects in Alaska  and held a 10-inch knife to his throat. Boehner claimed he stared Young in the eyes and responded: Fuck you.

Young later told Politico that the story was mostly true but added that the two later became good friends and that the Ohioan was the best man at his wedding.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Don Young, Alaska congressman (AP)

Alaska congressman Don Young has died aged 88, almost half a century after being elected to Congress.

Mr Young was believed to have been returning home to Alaska on Friday when he lost consciousness during a flight, his chief of staff Jack Ferguson toldAnchorage Daily News.

The aircraft was descending when the Republican, and the longest-serving member of Congress, lost consciousness.

In a statement on Friday, his office said: Its with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved. His beloved wife Anne was by his side.

No further details were provided.

Tributes abounded for the Alaska Republican, with many highlighting that Mr Young had served as a congressman for Alaska for much of its existence.

The first time we spoke, Don Young cheerfully informed me that I was the 17th secretary hed dealt with at DOT, wrote US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, in a tweet.

Our politics werent the same, but it was always a pleasure working with him. A true character, he shaped US infrastructure in many ways, and will be deeply missed.

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy said: Don Young was a giant, with a heart as big as the Capitol & a spirit as strong as the Alaskan wild.

His absence will leave Congress less colourful & less punctual. But his decades of service filled every room & touched every member. Anne & his children have my deepest sympathies.

Mr Young had said that he was convinced to enter politics by his first wife, Lu. He was first elected mayor of Fort Yukon in 1964 and then to the state House and state Senate.

He was elected to Congress in a special election in 1973 following the death of Nick Begich, a Democrat whose plane disappeared on a flight from Anchorage to Juneau three weeks before the 1972 midterms, when he was elected.

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While in office, Mr Young rallied against so-called extreme environmentalists and supported the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, which enriched the state financially.

He arrived in Alaska from California in 1959, the same year the territory became a state, after the death of his father.

I cant stand heat, and I was working on a ranch and I used to dream of some place cold, and no snakes and no poison oak, Mr Young told The Associated Press in 2016.

I said, Im going up (to) drive dogs, catch fur and I want to mine gold. And I did that.

He married his second wife, Anne Garland Walton, in 2015.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

The Independent has approached Mr Youngs office for comment.
By Lamine Chikhi

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria has summoned its ambassador to Spain back for consultations over Madrid's recent comments on Western Sahara, the foreign affairs ministry said on Saturday.

"The Algerian authorities were very surprised by the surprising statements of the highest authorities in Spain on the issue of Western Sahara," it said.

Algeria is a key gas supplier to Spain and Italy.

Spain and Morocco moved to patch up a diplomatic dispute on Friday as Madrid shifted closer towards Rabat's position on the conflict in Western Sahara and said "a new phase in relations" had begun.[L2N2VL1TX]

Spain appeared to shift its policy on the Western Sahara which Morocco considers its own, but where an Algeria-backed independence movement demands a sovereign state.

Morocco said it had a letter saying Spain considered the autonomy initiative it presented in 2007, as "the most serious, realistic and credible basis for selling the dispute".

Spain's new position towards the Western Sahara is an "unexpected" shift from its previous neutral stance, which was supportive of a United Nations plan that includes a self determination referendum, an Algerian diplomatic source told Reuters.

"This is a betrayal of the Sahrawi people," the Algerian source added.

Spain's foreign ministry could not be contacted on Saturday for comment.

(Additional reporting by Graham Keeley in Madrid; Editing by Christina Fincher)
Rapper  real name Timothy Starks  was best known for his song Big Haiti Shottas (YouTube)

Rapper Baby Cino has died aged 20 after being shot moments following his release from jail.

The Miami-based musician  real name Timothy Starks  was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre on Wednesday (16 March) after being arrested on a gun charge.

According to The Miami Herald, Starks  best known for his song Big Haiti Shottas  was picked up in a red Nissan car that was shot at moments later .

The shooter who was in another vehicle reportedly fired at least 40 shots at the Nissan as the car entered Palmetto Expressway.

Starks car hit a wall on the ramp. The rapper reportedly suffered several gunshot wounds, including one to the head.

Dante Collins Banks  Starks friend who was in the car  was treated at a local hospital after being shot in the abdomen, as per the Herald.

Bankss mother told WSVN that her son had picked Starks up and that she had been on the phone with him when the shooting began.

My son was OK. He was talking. He was just shook up because his friend got shot, she said, adding that Banks has since been released from hospital.

Miami-Dade police department detectives told the publication that a dark-coloured vehicle was seen fleeing the area at a high rate of speed.

Law enforcement told the Herald that they are investigating whether the shooting is connected to previous incidents possibly linked to street gangs.
Ukrayinska Pravda

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - WEDNESDAY, 4 MAY 2022, 17:33 Ukrainian defenders continue to destroy units of the Russian occupiers and their equipment with great professionalism. Source: the press centre of the DShV command [Command of the Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine] and the press service of the National Guard Details: The assault troops showed a video with the aftermath of the Russian armoured vehicles, together with their crews, destroyed by the artillery of one of the units of the D
Republican commentator Candace Owens has been schooled by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum for her claim that Ukraine wasnt a thing until 1989.

During her Candace show on The Daily Wire this week, Ms Owens claimed that Ukraine wasnt a thing until 1989 and that it was stupid to suggest Russian president Vladimir Putin was carrying out a genocide in the country.

Obviously Ukraine wasnt a thing until 1989, Ms Owens argued in the footage, shared by MediaMatters on Wednesday. Ukraine was created by the Russians. They speak Russian.

Behold the face of pure ignorance, wrote Ms Applebaum, an author and writer for The Atlantic, in a Twitter post on Friday attacking Ms Owens for her analysis. This is what happens when you know no history.

Ms Applebaum is an expert on Russia and has authored books including Red Famine: Stalins War on Ukraine and Gulag: A history, for which she won the Pulitzer-prize for non-fiction in 2014.

Benjamin Tallis, a fellow at the Centre for International Security, also tweeted: Mind blowing ignorance. Heartbreaking immorality.

Ms Owens defended her comments about Russia and Ukraine on Friday, and made the baseless suggestion that billionaire philanthropist George Soros was behind the false narrative of war.

What they are doing right now is creating a false sense of security in the West, Ms Owens said, while dismissing the global condemnation of Russias invasion.

All of this to illicit emotions to get you to donate and things that you dont really understand that are complex.

Behold the face of pure ignorance. This is what happens when you know no history. https://t.co/6wG8e8wMR7  Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) March 18, 2022

I actually read a couple of days ago that Putin invaded Ukraine because hes experiencing roid rage, said Ms Owens of Mr Putins aggression. I mean thats a real Western article, you can look that up, they all shared it.

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Ms Owens said that she could have been more eloquent about her views on Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine was formed in 1917 as the Ukrainian Peoples Republic and had been an independent country for five years before it was subsumed into the Soviet Union in 1922.

Not all Ukrainians speak Russian, according to the countrys census. Roughly 29 per cent of Ukrainians speaking Russian as their first language.

The United Nations human rights office said in a statement on Friday that 816 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the conflict since it began on 24 February, although the death toll is likely higher.

Mind blowing ignorance.

Heartbreaking immorality. https://t.co/9knpuYfMbb  Benjamin Tallis  (@bctallis) March 19, 2022

Ms Owens said news reports from Ukraine were part of a false narrative designed to illicit emotions to get you to donate, and that the analysis from mainstream media organisations were like a movie script.

She referred to reports about a Ukrainian pilot nicknamed the Ghost of Kyiv as an example of the extraordinary tales coming out of the country.

The name refers to a pilot who Ukrainian officials said has shot down 49 Russian aircraft since the war began, after video circulated on social media appearing to show a fighter plane taking down Russian aircraft over Kyiv. The Ghost of Kyiv may be a myth, experts say.

The Independent has approached Ms Owens for comment.
The Baltimore Sun is pleased to announce the 2022 class of inductees into our Business and Civic Hall of Fame, chosen for their leadership and community endeavors. We will honor these 13 accomplished women and men and at an awards banquet to be held at The Center Club in Baltimore on June 2, and in a special section to be published shortly thereafter.

This years honorees are:

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Andre M. Davis (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)

Andre M. Davis

A Baltimore native, Andre M. Davis has had a long career in the legal world, first as an attorney at the federal level, and later as a judge, serving on Baltimore City District Court and eventually as a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, among other courts. After leaving the appeals court in 2017, he became city solicitor of Baltimore until his retirement in 2020. Judge Davis has held leadership roles in Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Maryland; the Baltimore Urban Debate League; and the youth leadership group, Community Law in Action.

Wanda Q. Draper (Kenneth K. Lam / The Baltimore Sun)

Wanda Q. Draper

Wanda Q. Draper, who grew up in Baltimore, is well known in the area as a longtime journalist, working as a reporter and columnist at The Sun from 1973 to 1983, and a talk-show host on Maryland Public Television. She went on to work in community and public affairs at the National Aquarium and WBAL-TV, before taking the helm of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American history & Culture in 2016. Ms. Draper is credited with revitalizing the once struggling museum, leveraging her relationships to raise revenue, increase attendance and boost its online presence.

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Rebecca Alban Hoffberger (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)

Rebecca Alban Hoffberger

The founder, director and primary curator of the always innovative American Visionary Art Museum plans to retire this spring, 38 years after coming up with the concept for the much lauded institution with her late husband, LeRoy E. Hoffberger, and 27 years after opening its doors. Today, AVAM is internationally known for exhibitions by self-taught artists focusing on social justice issues through philosophical, and often humorous, art. Next up on Ms. Hoffberger agenda? Writing a play.

Earl Linehan and Darielle Linehan (Karen Jackson/For The Baltimore Sun/composite image) (Karen Jackson, for The Baltimore Sun)

Earl and Darielle Linehan

Earl and Darielle Linehan are noted for their philanthropy, particularly at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where they developed the Linehan Artists Scholars Program with a generous gift in 1997 and endowed the program in 2015. The schools concert hall is named after the couple. But many also recognize Ms. Linehan as the founder of Baltimores much-loved Ivy Bookshop, which she sold in 2011. Mr. Linehan is also President of Woodbrook Capital private equity firm.

Maggie McIntosh (Ulysses MuOoz/Baltimore Sun)

Maggie McIntosh

A former teacher and member of the House of Delegates since 1992, Maggie McIntosh was the first openly gay Maryland legislator and the first woman to serve as Democratic majority leader, blazing a trail for others behind her on both fronts. She was pivotal to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the state and made improving public education a focus of her political career. Ms. McIntosh will retire at the end of her term this year, much to the disappointment of her North Baltimore constituents.

Deborah Phelps (Photo by Karen Jackson, Patuxent Publishing)

Deborah Phelps

Many know her as the mother of Olympic super swimmer Michael Phelps, but Deborah Phelps has a long list of accomplishments of her own. The Allegany County native started her career as a home economics teacher in Harford County public schools, before moving to Baltimore County, where she continued her career in education and added the role of swim mom to her three children. She went on to become the executive director of the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, where many say her leadership has been transformational. Ms. Phelps is an author, motivational speaker and member of multiple advisory boards.

E. Albert Reece (Posted by dkohn00000, Community Contributor)

E. Albert Reece

The longtime dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine will retire at the end of this academic year, after 16 years as dean. But E. Albert Reece is not done at medical school; he will return to the faculty, leading the Center for Birth Defects Research and continuing studies he began in his lab, looking into the biomolecular mechanisms of diabetes-induced birth defects. Dr. Reece is credited with helping the school expand its capabilities and bringing in significantly more research funding.

Paul B. Rothman (Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun)

Paul B. Rothman

Effective July 1, the dean of Johns Hopkins medical school and the CEO of its health system will retire after a 10-year tenure at the top. Paul B. Rothman, a rheumatologist and molecular immunologist, is known as a passionate scientist, dedicated investigator and deeply caring physician, according to colleagues. Among the work Dr. Rothman will be best remembered for is his development of the offices of Well-Being, and Diversity and Inclusion, as well as the institutions laudable response to the pandemic.

Laurie Schwartz (Lloyd Fox / Baltimore Sun)

Laurie Schwartz

Laurie Schwartz is known as a tireless advocate for Baltimores businesses and residents. She helped create the Downtown Partnership in the 1980s, then ran it for the next 15 years as its president. She worked in City Hall under Mayor Martin OMalley, then as an independent consultant before becoming executive director of the nonprofit Waterfront Partnership in 2010. Ms. Schwartz is also a talented painter and an avid swimmer, with plans to swim across the harbor once the partnerships Healthy Harbor initiative makes it safe to do so.

Clair Zamoiski Segal (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun)

Clair Zamoiski Segal

A fundraiser who counts among her clients the Babe Ruth Museum, Enoch Pratt Free Library and Center Stage, Clair Zamoiski Segal served as director of the Baltimore Mayors Advisory Committee on Art and Culture for 15 years and is today chair of the board of trustees of the Baltimore Museum of Art. During her tenure, the museum has made bold moves to modernize and increase equity in both its collections, by diversifying its works, and among staff, raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour and inviting security guards to curate an exhibition, Guarding the Art, set to open later this month.

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William Stromberg (JHU)

William Stromberg

William Stromberg retired at the end of 2021 as the president and CEO of T. Rowe Price, after a 35-year career with the Baltimore-based money management firm, launched after a stint as a summer intern in 1986. He continues to serve on the companys board as non-executive chair. Mr. Stromberg also serves on the board of trustees of Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a bachelors in engineering, and is chair of the Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering advisory council.

Alfred C.D. Vaughn (Julio Cortez/AP)

Alfred C.D. Vaughn

Alfred C.D. Vaughn, the longtime pastor of Sharon Baptist Church in Baltimore, is widely considered a living legend among Baptist ministers  and was named so in 2010 by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Rev. Dr. Vaughn served as the president of the Ministers Conference of Baltimore and Vicinity for multiple terms and was recognized as a dear friend whose accomplishments reach far beyond the walls of his church by U.S. Rep Elijah E. Cummings in 2007. The Rev. Dr. Vaughn spoke at the congressmans funeral, along with former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, in 2019.

The Baltimore Sun editorial board offers opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. It is separate from the newsroom.
LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that Russias invasion of Ukraine was a turning point for the world, arguing that a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putins forces would herald a new age of intimidation.

But the British leader was accused by opponents of making a crass comparison by likening Ukraines fight against invasion to the U.K.s exit from the European Union.

Speaking to a Conservative Party conference in Blackpool, northwest England, Johnson claimed Putin was terrified that the example of a free Ukraine would spark a pro-democracy revolution in Russia.

That is why he is trying so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine and thats why it is so vital that he fails, Johnson said.

A victorious Putin will not stop in Ukraine. And the end of freedom in Ukraine will mean the extinction of any hope of freedom in Georgia and then Moldova, it will mean the beginning of a new age of intimidation across Eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea, Johnson said.

Johnson praised Ukrainians defense of their country, and added that it was also the instinct of people in the U.K. to choose freedom. As an example, he said British voters opted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.

Johnson helped lead the campaign for the U.K. to leave the bloc it joined in 1973. Britains departure, eventually completed in 2020, remains highly divisive.

Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, called Johnson a national embarrassment.

To compare a referendum to women and children fleeing Putins bombs is an insult to every Ukrainian, he said.

Gavin Barwell, who served as chief of staff to former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, said voting in a free and fair referendum isnt in any way comparable with risking your life to defend your country against invasion.

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Barwell also pointed out that Ukraine has asked to join the EU.

___

Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
GALLUP  When Leya Hale set her sights on directing a documentary about the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, she turned to three Native women to tell their stories of healing and empowerment as they seek answers and solutions.

Hale's film, "Bring Her Home," focuses on efforts by artist Angela Two Stars (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota), activist Mysti Babineau (Red Lake Nation) and North Dakota state Rep. Ruth Buffalo (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) to address MMIW in Minnesota and in North Dakota.

In preparation for the project, Hale spent hours watching films about MMIW and saw a common thread of how the issue afflicts lives on reservations and the gap in statistics and in jurisdiction and decided her film will present the point of view from those living in urban Native communities.

More: Navajo Nation marks two years of the pandemic with prayers, proclamation

Leya Hale

This includes shedding light on the invisibility that Native families face by law enforcement when reporting missing female relatives.

"There's no direct action or immediate action," Hale said. "We never see ourselves on the nightly news when it comes to Native women going missing, but as soon as a white woman goes missing, you see her all over the country."

Two events that unfold in the film are the 2020 MMIW awareness march in Minneapolis and the bill proposed to Minnesota lawmakers in 2019 to establish an MMIW task force.

The Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Dine filmmaker said she relates to the urban setting, having been raised by her Dine father and paternal grandparents in southern California. She now resides in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.

A clip from "Bring Her Home" shows Mysti Babineau serving as head of security at 5th annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women March in Minneapolis.

Her parental grandmother clan is Kinlichii'nii (Red House People), and her parental grandfather clan is Todik'ozhi (Salt Water). She has family on the Navajo Nation in Oak Springs, Arizona.

By watching the film, she hopes viewers develop a better understanding about MMIW because it tells the stories of Two Stars, Babineau and Buffalo through the personal and intimate angle.

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"I just felt that as a filmmaker and a storyteller, that I try to make my stories relatable to the viewers," she said.

Hale said she knew Two Stars and Babineau prior to filming because they are all involved in the Native community in the Twin Cities, but knew she wanted to make sure there were different tribes in the film.

So, she reached out to Buffalo after seeing photographs of the state representative wearing her traditional regalia to take the oath of office in December 2018.

After connecting with Buffalo, Hale learned about her involvement in the August 2017 search for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind in Fargo, North Dakota.

More: Navajo leadership among those who hail reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act

Greywind, a member of the Spirit Lake Nation, was eight months pregnant when she was killed by a neighbor, who cut the baby from her womb.

Her body was found in the Red River, eight days after family members reported her missing.

In October 2020, Savanna's Act became federal law. It requires the U.S. Department of Justice to review, revise and develop law enforcement and justice protocols to address cases of murdered or missing Native Americans.

This clip from the documentary, "Bring Her Home," shows Angela Two Stars visiting her family's land on the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation in South Dakota.

"I don't think any of them needed too much convincing," Hale said about Two Stars, Babineau and Buffalo. "They were pretty much on board from the beginning. I think it all had to do with trust."

The film is a co-production of Twin Cities PBS and Vision Maker Media with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

PBS is including the film as part of its programming for Women's History Month.

"I was really excited when they said that they wanted it for Women's History Month because it broadens our reach and it makes it more of a women's issue and a gender violence issue," Hale said.

More: With capital outlay bill signed, San Juan County and Navajo Nation projects get funding

North Dakota state Rep. Ruth Buffalo looks at the Red River in Fargo, North Dakota. In "Bring Her Home," Buffalo recalls the August 2017 search for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind.

"Bring Her Home" will air on New Mexico PBS Channel 5.1 at 9 p.m. on March 21 and at 10 p.m. on March 27.

Additional showings will be on WORLD Channel 5.4 at 9 p.m. on March 23 and 10 a.m. on March 26. It is also available for streaming on the PBS Video app.

Noel Lyn Smith covers the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 or by email at nsmith@daily-times.com.

Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: PBS to show new missing and murdered Indigenous women documentary
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP)  A prosecutors decision to release Bulgaria's former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov from custody without pressing any corruption charges against him prompted sharp criticism Saturday from Bulgarias government.

We are faced with just the next sabotage on the part of the prosecution headed by (Chief Prosecutor) Ivan Geshev, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said at a briefing after midnight on Saturday.

The angry reaction came after the prosecution announced that it had found procedural flaws and Borissovs detention could not be extended due to lack of evidence.

Police had detained Borissov, 62, on Thursday for 24 hours for an initial probe into allegations of extortion. He was taken into custody along with former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov and Borissovs media adviser, Sevdalina Arnaudova. All three were released without charge.

Brutal, nasty, they brought us back to communism, an emotional Borissov said immediately after his release from police custody to the loud cheers of supporters.

Finance Minister Assen Vassilev said Friday that authorities were working on a tip from fugitive businessman Vassil Bozhkov, who is currently on the run in Dubai and whose lucrative lottery business was nationalized in 2020. Based on his tip, financial inspectors had gathered evidence about 556 million leva (280 million euros) that allegedly didnt go into the state budget under the watch of Borissov and his financial minister, who allegedly received more than 30 million euros in return.

Petkov was highly critical about the efforts of Bulgaria's prosecutors.

Documents are being concealed that would lead to charges, which we can easily get hold of. Information provided by the extorted individual is also being withheld and ignored, to prevent a lawful investigation, Petkov said. The prosecuting magistracy has once again acted like a lawyer, when people charged with corruption are involved."

The case is also being probed by prosecutors for the European Union.

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Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov said the prosecuting magistracy was doing everything possible to destroy the work done by police and to probably never shed light on whether any of them have committed crimes.

Borissov, a former three-time prime minister between 2009 and 2021, resigned after a newly formed party won last years general election pledging to uproot the corruption that is widespread in the EU nation of nearly 7 million people.

Borissov was the subject of corruption allegations several times during his tenure but has denied any wrongdoing and no charges have been filed against him.
Deputy Education Secretary John B. King Jr., left, delivers remarks after being nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next head of the Education Department on October 2, 2015, in Washington, DC. Olivier Douliery - Pool/Getty Images

John King is the first former Education secretary to call for broad student-debt cancellation.

King, who served under Obama, told Insider Biden has the authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt.

King said the pandemic has strengthened the need to deliver relief and correct "a policy mistake."

Former president Barack Obama's Education secretary recently became the first with that title to call for broad student-debt cancellation.

And he thinks President Joe Biden can shoot higher than the $10,000 in loan forgiveness per borrower that he pledged on the campaign trail.

"The proposal from Senator Warren and Senator Schumer makes a lot of sense," John King told Insider, referring to the plan he supports, which was set forth by two of the most vocal lawmakers on the matter. "If you were to go to $50,000 of debt cancellation, that would give complete relief to more than 36 million Americans. So that certainly would be a great step forward."

In an opinion piece for Insider last month, King detailed why Biden can, and should, cancel student debt. In a later interview with Insider, he elaborated, explaining that the pandemic presents a unique case for student-loan relief compared to when he served as Obama's Education secretary. Though payments have been paused for two years, borrowers need more, King said. May 1 is too soon to stick 43 million student debtors with another monthly bill, advocates and lawmakers argue.

John King for Governor of Maryland (@JohnBKing) February 23, 2022

King said that as the country is recovering from the pandemic, it's the perfect time to correct the lack of investment in higher education that created the $1.7 trillion student-debt crisis.

"We have a very different context today, with the COVID economic crisis and the opportunity to emerge from that crisis with really a New Deal moment where we tackle deeper systemic challenges," King said. "Higher education should be viewed as a public good, and we all benefit when students get access to and complete post-secondary education."

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'This is really a moment to correct a policy mistake'

King, who is now running for governor of Maryland, said that the lack of free community college, along with limited aid for low-income students, is a policy failure that needs correcting. He noted the Pell Grant in particular, which is a grant for students that accounted for about 80% of the cost of college in the 1980s, but now covers less than a third due to soaring tuition.

"This is really a moment to correct a policy mistake of the last 40 years in terms of federal and state disinvestment, particularly from public higher education," King said.

John B. King Jr. John B. King Jr.

Free community college was something King hoped to achieve under Obama, and he said it was disappointing it could not come to fruition due to a Republican majority in Congress. But it is something that is on Biden's agenda, along with raising the maximum Pell Grant award to increase college accessibility for low-income students.

"I'm going to get it done," Biden said during an October CNN town hall, referring to free community college. "And if I dont, I'll be sleeping alone for a long time," he said, likely referring to his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, who is a community-college educator.

Pegging tuition-free community college to broad student-loan relief is an idea a number of lawmakers have floated to prevent debt from rising after potential cancellation. Michigan Rep. Andy Levin previously told Insider that tying the policy measure to student-debt relief is "fixing the current problem and trying to prevent it from being such a problem in the future."

'The authority is there' for Biden to cancel student debt

During his tenure, King also worked with Obama to reform forgiveness for students defrauded by for-profit schools and to ensure monthly payments were affordable for borrowers through income-driven repayment plans.

Though Biden has also made strides in these two areas, as well as forgiving debt for borrowers with disabilities, he has yet to fulfill his campaign pledge to cancel debt broadly. The White House has said multiple times that if Congress sends Biden a bill to cancel student debt, he will be happy to sign it. But when it comes to acting on the issue using an executive order, Biden has expressed hesitancy with the idea and asked the Education Department to prepare a memo on his legal ability to wipe out student debt broadly.

Biden has yet to release the contents of the memo, so while borrowers do not know if broad relief is coming, King believes the memo should say the authority is allowed under the Higher Education Act.

"I do think the consensus of lawyers who looked at this question is that the authority is there," King said. "And the president during the campaign talked about his commitment to canceling debt. And so this is now the moment to follow through on that promise from the campaign."

Biden's campaign pledge to approve $10,000 in loan forgiveness for every federal borrower has yet to be fulfilled, and while some Democrats want to see him cancel up to $50,000 before payments resume on May 1, Republican lawmakers argue broad relief would hurt the economy and taxpayers. King said the government can afford that relief  and now is the time to deliver.

Do you have a story to share about student debt? Reach out to Ayelet Sheffey at asheffey@insider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A nascent Nuro challenger from China has its sight set on the delivery market in the U.S. and just raised some seed funding to advance its ambitions.

Whale Dynamic, a Shenzhen-based autonomous delivery startup founded by Baidu veteran David Chang, said it has closed a seed round of about $2.5 million.

Qianchuang Capital, a Beijing-based investment firm managed by veterans from China's leading financial institutions, led the round, with participation from Shangbang Huizhong, a Chinese fund backed by real estate developers.

Founded in 2018, Whale Dynamic is developing Nuro-like driverless delivery vans that are meant to do away with the steering wheel and driver's seat. And like Nuro, whose delivery bots are made by BYD, it contracts a Chinese manufacturer to produce its self-driving vehicles, the name of which cannot be revealed yet as the deal has not been finalized.

Whale Dynamic's slight edge over Nuro lies in costs, surmised Chang, who worked as a product manager in Baidu's intelligent driving group. Nuro assembles parts in the U.S., while the complete production of Whale Dynamic's vehicles, from manufacturing to assembling, happens in China, which gives it a price advantage over its American counterpart. Its vehicles are priced at around $20,000 each.

The latest financial injection will enable Whale Dynamic to expand its current team of 30 employees and explore product use cases in China and the U.S. Led by director of engineering Qi Wei, who hailed from Huawei, the company aims to have its first prototype car testing in some Chinese cities in May.

In China, Whale Dynamic faces competition from retail tech giants like Meituan and JD.com, which started testing their own goods-only delivery vehicles last year. Chang believes that his company's technology, which takes the slower and more costly route of conducting R&D and testing on passenger cars rather than building the boxes-on-wheels directly, can better stand the test of time.

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Whale Dynamic's testing fleet using passenger cars

Chang eventually wants to base his firm in the U.S. and target express delivery services and supermarkets there. "You can test things much more quickly at lower costs in China," Chang explained regarding why he started out in China.

As regulators from China and the U.S. increase scrutiny over tech companies for potential national security risks, businesses that straddle the two countries will have to heed greater regulations or pick sides. TuSimple, a California-based autonomous trucking company backed by an affiliate of Chinese social media giant Sina, is looking to sell its China unit, Reuters reported.

Most of TuSimple's vehicles operate in the U.S., with a smaller fleet running in China. But U.S. regulators have voiced concerns over the firm's Chinese background and its China office's access to data, which reportedly led to TuSimple's decision to offload its China unit.

Security compliance is a priority at Whale Dynamic, Chang said. When it enters the U.S. market, the startup will opt for U.S. cloud services like AWS and Google Cloud; its China team will take care of hardware development only. The company's key suppliers are also American -- Ouster for lidar (and Israel-based Innoviz, which has offices in the U.S.) and Nvidia and Intel for chips. Unlike Nuro, which operates its own fleets, Whale Dynamic plans to only offer ready-to-use vehicles and software as a service, leaving the operational part to its clients, which should limit the amount of sensitive data the startup can glean.
China completes construction of Uganda's air cargo terminal

Xinhua) 10:30, March 19, 2022

ENTEBBE, Uganda, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A newly Chinese-constructed air cargo terminal at Uganda's Entebbe International Airport is open for business, a move officials say will boost the country's foreign trade.

The modern facility is part of the expansion and upgrade of the airport, a 200-million-U.S. dollar project financed by the Import-Export Bank of China.

Jiang Jiqing, the commercial counselor at the Chinese embassy in Uganda, described the facility as state of the art, saying it has the capacity to facilitate Uganda's exports, especially in the agricultural sector, which is the country's key economic activity.

"It is so impressive to see that steady progress has been made, we all know that Uganda is very eager to export is premium agriculture products to the outside world, to neighboring countries," Jiang said Friday, after a tour of the center, which is 40 km south of Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

Jiang is optimistic that Uganda and China would use the center to improve their trade relations further. "I expect when the cargo center is put to full function, our trade relations will increase," she added.

Vianney Luggya, the spokesperson of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCCA), the state regulator of air transport in the country, said the new terminal replaces an old cargo terminal that was originally a hangar.

Luggya said when it is fully functional, the new facility will accommodate 100,000 metric tons of cargo per year compared to the old one which had a capacity of 50,000 metric tons per year.

He said new figures show that the country's cargo traffic is steadily growing. The volumes have grown from 6,600 metric tons in 1991 to 67,000 metric tons at the turn of 2021. Projections put the tonnage at 172,000 metric tons by 2033, according to the UCCA figures.

"We are seeing that exports are increasing more than imports, which is good for the country. The bulk of Uganda's exports are mainly fresh produce which are flowers, fish and vegetables. The cold storage in the new facility can help that fresh produce to be exported to foreign markets," Luggya said.

Martha Okweyo Agaba, an architect with the Dar Al Handasah, the monitors of the airport upgrade and expansion project, described the works at the cargo center as high quality and up to international standards.

Agaba said while the works at the cargo center are complete, other upgrade and expansion works at the airport with a history of more than 70 years are still ongoing. The UCCA anticipates that the first phase of the works will be complete in the next 24 months.

The construction, which is under the Belt and Road Initiative, started in May 2016 and is now at a 76 percent completion level. According to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the project contractor, it is scheduled to be implemented in two phases. The first phase, with three-quarters finished, involves the construction of a new passenger terminal, a new cargo complex, and upgrade of two runways and their associated taxiways, rehabilitation and overlay of three tarmacs.

According to the UCAA, there are ongoing discussions regarding the financing and implementation of the second phase.

Li Qinpu, the project manager of the CCCC, said at the peak of the construction of the cargo center, the project employed 80 Chinese and more than 900 local employees at different skills levels, adding there were skills and knowledge transfers among the Chinese and local employees and construction materials were locally purchased with the exception of those that cannot be locally made.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
BEIJING (Reuters) - A senior Chinese government official said on Saturday that sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russia over Ukraine are increasingly "outrageous".

Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng also acknowledged Moscow's point of view on NATO, saying the alliance should not further expand eastwards, forcing a nuclear power like Russia "into a corner".

China has yet to condemn Russia's action in Ukraine or call it an invasion, though it has expressed deep concern about the war. Beijing has also opposed economic sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, which it says are unilateral and are not authorised by the U.N. Security Council.

"The sanctions against Russia are getting more and more outrageous," Le said at security forum in Beijing, adding that Russian citizens were being deprived of overseas assets "for no reason".

"History has proven time and again that sanctions cannot solve problems. Sanctions will only harm ordinary people, impact the economic and financial system... and worsen the global economy."

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its neighbour's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

In a call on Friday between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, the U.S. president warned his Chinese counterpart of "consequences" if Beijing gave material support to Russia's attack, the White House said.

Moscow has demanded legally binding guarantees from NATO that it will stop its expansion and return to its 1997 borders.

"This pursuit of absolute security (by NATO) precisely leads to absolute non-security," Le said. "The consequences of forcing a major power, especially a nuclear power, into a corner are even more unimaginable."

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week that Ukraine could accept international security guarantees that stopped short of its longstanding aim to join NATO.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Frances Kerry)
A Chinle man was sentenced to 19 years in prison on Thursday after fatally shooting a Navajo woman he tried to take a bag from in 2018.

Sito Aeroplan Nalwood, 33, threatened the woman with a rifle on July 26, 2018, and began firing shots around her when she refused to release her bag, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Arizona. Officials didn't say what, if anything, was inside the bag.

One of the shots struck the woman in the pelvis and killed her. Authorities did not identify the woman.

Nalwood pleaded guilty to "voluntary manslaughter" and received a 15-year sentence for the crime and an additional four years for committing it while on supervised release.

It was not immediately clear where Nalwood would serve his prison sentence.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chinle man sentenced to 19 years in prison for killing Navajo woman
Mar. 19Since 2017, the streets of Corsicana have been lined with flags during the patriotic holidays throughout the year. Thanks to the Corsicana Rotary Club and Corsicana Scouts, more than 600 flags will be waving at Corsicana neighbors starting this Memorial Day and continuing July 4th, Patriot's Day (9/11) and Veteran's Day.

The Rotary Club and Scouts have teamed up together over the years to install and deliver the flags to different neighborhoods and now into downtown using buckets filled with cement to stand up the flag poles. With the proceeds of the money, the Rotary Club provides scholarships to outstanding High School seniors to assist with college tuition and books. The Scouts use the money to assist in buying equipment for camping and other Scouting needs.

Tracy McGaha purchases two flags a year, one for his business, Tracy's Salon, and the other for his home on McKinney Avenue.

"I love to look outside my salon window to see the flag waving at my clients as they pull in to get their hair done," he said. "More and more of my neighbors are signing up for the Flag Program and it is great to see these flags lined up as I drive down the street. With everything going on in world today, it will bring me even more joy to participate in this special community program."

To show your patriotic pride, please go to www.corsicanarotary.com and look for the highlighted "Flag Program" button in the top right corner. Please act prior to May 1 to ensure being included for the Memorial Day Weekend promotion.
Mar. 18Gov. Mifflin High School students will be back in their classrooms Monday after spending time this week learning virtually following the shooting death of a classmate.

Amiere T. Bibbs, 18, was shot and killed in an incident at Brookline Park in Reading's 18th Ward Monday night. The shooting happened after 15 to 30 youths, generally between the ages of 16 and 18, from neighboring municipalities gathered at the playground to fight, city police said.

Two other victims, one male and one female, were taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital. A fourth shooting victim, who was not further identified, arrived at the hospital by private vehicle.

Gov. Mifflin officials have confirmed that Bibbs and one of the people injured were students at the high school.

Police said multiple people fire guns during the incident. An investigation is ongoing, and city officials said Friday that no update was available.

Christian Crespo, the city's communications director, said investigators are continuing to review evidence such as surveillance videos, social media posts and footage from personal cellphones. He asked anyone with information on the incident to contact city police at 610-655-6116 or call Crime Alert of Berks County's anonymous tip line at 877-373-9913.

The day after the shooting, Gov. Mifflin High School and Middle School shifted to remote learning. Middle students returned to their classrooms Wednesday, but the high school remained virtual Wednesday and Thursday.

Friday was an in-service day in the district, meaning students did not have class.

High school students are scheduled to return to in-person classes Monday, and district officials announced that new safety procedures will be in place when they do so.

In a video posted to the district website those procedures were explained, including the following:

Students will not be allowed to bring backpacks into the school.

Students will be allowed to bring their Chromebooks and a charger into the building.

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Teachers will provide supplies as needed and are aware students may not have their textbooks with them in class.

Small purses will be allowed for female students, however they will be searched as students enter the building.

Lunch boxes will be allowed, however they will also be searched when students enter the building.

Athletes will be allowed to bring backpacks to school, however they will stored in the main gym locker room during the school day.

All students will be screened with handheld metal detectors as they enter the school.

Administrators from other buildings will be on hand at arrival and dismissal times, along with Shillington police.

Two officers from the Berks County Sheriff's Office will be in the building all day.

A team of counselors will be on hand to provide any support needed by students.

District officials said the new procedures will be in place for at least all of next week. A decision on how long they will continue after that has not yet been made.

A message from Superintendent William McKay posted on the district website says the new measures are being put in place out of an abundance of caution, not because a threat exists.

"First and foremost, we would like to dispel the belief that these measures are being put into place because it is not safe for students to return to school," the statement reads. "It has been determined that there is no direct threat to our district, schools or students in light of this week's events and that it is safe for students to resume in-person learning."

The statement says the new measures are intended to reassure families and students that they are learning in a safe, secure environment.
Disney expressed its regret over a high school drill team performance, which has been widely condemned online for its invocation of racist stereotypes against Native Americans.

The drill team from Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Tex. known as the Indianettes are facing widespread backlash, triggered by a clip of their performance on Main Street earlier this month. It shows the all-girl squad in purple uniforms lined with white fringe, breaking into dance moves that seemingly borrow from Native culture as they repeatedly chant: Scalp em, Indians, scalp em.

Tara Houska, a Native American and founder of Not Your Mascots, an organization that fights stereotypical native representations in sports, slammed the performance in a tweet on Thursday. She also shared the video, filmed March 15, which has since been viewed more than 1.2 million times.

Cuz a bunch of kids in fringe chanting scalp em Indians, scalp em is honor, right? she wrote.

And any Natives who attend @pngisd should prolly just accept their classmates dehumanizing them cuz tradition, right? Shame on @DisneyParks hosting this. Nostalgic racism is RACISM.

Kelly Lynne DAngelo, a writer on TNTs Miracle Workers, retweeted Houskas post and called on others to speak out against the performance.

99% percent of the people sharing their outrage about this are Native people. Cant you see thats the problem too? she wrote.

Why must WE be the ones to speak up of all the blatant racism against us? Of our constant mistreatment? Why must we fight, tooth and nail, for you to understand we are human and alive and thriving too?

In wake of the backlash, Disney in a statement to Deadline said it was not aware the stereotypes would be featured in the performance and vowed such a thing would not happen again.

The live performance in our park did not reflect our core values, and we regret it took place, Disney spokesperson Jacquee Wahler said. It was not consistent with the audition tape the school provided and we have immediately put measures in place so this is not repeated.

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Others online noted the PNG drill team performance was also missing an element usually worn during their performances: their headdresses. Native Americans have said that wearing a headdress, even an imitation, is equivalent to cultural appropriation and demeans the status of those who have earned the right to wear them

The controversy comes as Disney continues to navigate the backlash sparked by its response to Floridas Parental Rights in Education Act. The legislation, widely referred to as the Dont Say Gay bill, bars teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with young students in kindergarten all the way through grade three.

The tourism giant faced widespread outrage  including from its own employees  over its failure to denounce the bill. It prompted an apology from CEO Bob Chapek, who also suspended political donations in Florida for the near future.

The Indianettes scandal also comes amid efforts by Disney to be more inclusive.

Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland recently updated their Jungle Cruise attractions to remove negative depictions of native people and also has plans to update its Splash Mountain rides based on Song of the South. The film has been pulled from distribution for its romanticized portrayal of race relations in the South following in wake of the Civil War.

In a statement to Forbes, Houska slammed Disneys response as paltry, adding that if the company is actually committed to inclusivity and diversity, this behavior should be unequivocally condemned and an apology issued.
Whether you buy a car new or used, the dealer might try to load you down with add-ons and accessories of every sort  and they're likely to tell you that it will only add a few dollars to the monthly payment if you fold it into the cost of the loan.

See: 15 Great Cars To Own for More Than 15 Years

Find Out: 30 Biggest Do's and Don'ts When Buying a Car

In truth, add-ons can quickly tack hundreds or thousands of dollars extra onto the sticker price. Some might be dealer add-ons that they try to slip past you. Others they'll try to sell you outright. Before you buy, know which car ad-ons you don't want to buy at the dealership.

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Roof-Rack Accessories

Factory crossbars and roof-rack accessories cost more than aftermarket brands, and they only fit that specific vehicle. If your surfing, kayaking or road-tripping adventures require roof storage, brands like Thule and Yakima cost less, function as well or better and can be removed and adapted to almost any vehicle you buy in the future  all without a big dealer markup.

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Key Protection

Losing your car keys was always a headache, but with remote entry and remote start devices, laser cutting and high-end fobs, today it's not just an inconvenience, but it's a hefty expense. Replacing sophisticated key systems, particularly on luxury cars, can cause hundreds of dollars, which your car insurance is likely not to cover  and dealers know it. Some dealers offer key protection, a separate insurance policy just for your keys. That, too, can easily cost more than $100, which is an unnecessary expense for an unlikely event. Instead put that money into a savings account, which you should do anyway to budget for unforeseen mishaps, like losing your keys.

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Windshield Protection

The ACE Group is one of the many companies that offer windshield insurance coverage to car dealers to sell to their customers at a markup  it says "maximize your profits" right on their website. Yes, windshields can sometimes break, and yes, they're expensive. The truth, however, is that modern resins can fix the most common cracks, and windshields rarely have to be fully replaced. If you're truly worried, you'd be better served by budgeting for repairs like broken windshields than handing over money to your dealer as an add-on for a service you'll likely never need.

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Tire Protection

Like windshield protection, the odds favor the dealer with extended tire warranties. Virtually all tires come with prorated warranties that cover craftsmanship defects, which are very rare. Your dealer might try to sell you an extended warranty that covers what standard prorated warranties do not for, say, $10 per tire. First of all, some tires come with more inclusive warranties and even if they don't, the cost of a standard new tire isn't particularly high when you factor in the $40 you didn't spend on unnecessary protection.

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Dent Protection

Like windshield protection and key protection, a long line of little-known and sometimes-shady third-party companies offer dent and ding coverage to dealers as an upsell to push on their customers. These companies sell the plans for $300-$500 to the dealer, who then sells the plan to unsuspecting buyers for anywhere from $600-$1,500  pure profit for no work. The dealer also has no further responsibility and doesn't aid processing claims. You get an 800 number to call to deal with a company you've probably never heard of before. You'll likely have little or no say in who fixes your car, and you'll almost certainly learn that there's plenty that isn't covered.

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Credit Insurance

Your dealer also might try to talk you into credit insurance, which comes in the forms of credit life insurance, credit disability insurance, involuntary unemployment insurance and credit property insurance. They all serve the same purpose: to continue making your car payments if you lose your job, become disabled or die. There are few reasons to get credit insurance and many reasons not to. If you think it's right for you, you'll almost always do better buying through your own insurance company with no dealer markup. Also, it's illegal for dealers to tell you they can't sell you a car or approve a loan unless you buy this optional coverage.

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GAP Insurance

Guaranteed asset protection (GAP) insurance is less scammy than the previously mentioned "coverage" plans that dealers often push. If you total a car shortly after financing it, your insurance company will compensate you for the value of the car, which, thanks to depreciation, is often less than what you owe on the loan. GAP coverage is designed to fill that gap, and in some cases, it makes sense to buy it  but buy it from your insurance company. When you buy it from a dealer, it will almost certainly be more expensive and, here again, you'll wind up dealing with an unfamiliar company you've never heard of if you ever need to cash in on it.

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Extended Warranties

Like GAP insurance, extended warranties can serve a legitimate purpose, but in almost all cases, you'd be better served to put that money into an interest-bearing savings account set aside for repairs. Extended warranties are designed to stretch your coverage beyond the expiration of your bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is usually three years or 36,000 miles. The truth is, much of the cost goes to the salesperson's commission, most people never wind up using them, and they cost more than the price of the average repair.

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Car Alarms and Trackers

Most cars come with security systems or even trackers. When they don't, dealers often try to sell them as an add-on. That, in many cases, is because car dealerships install alarms to prevent theft on the dealership lot, which means it's already installed in the car. Instead of uninstalling it and letting you drive off with the car, this upsell allows them to sell cheap alarms and trackers at a premium and also charge you for installation. You can almost certainly do better buying a system on your own and paying a much lower installation fee to your local mechanic.

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Paint Sealants

Modern cars receive factory paint jobs that are designed to withstand the elements  they have sealants and antirust properties built-in. Paint protection can cost several hundred dollars and it's almost never worth the expense. Wash your car regularly and your paint will last the life of your car in almost all conditions.

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Fabric Protection

The same rule applies to fabric and upholstery protection, which is applied by the manufacturer and built into the price of the car. According to Edmunds, this service can cost $195 or more. If you really feel you need extra protection because you have a dog or messy children or whatever, spend a few bucks on a bottle of spray-on Scotchgard, which is essentially what the dealer is offering anyway.

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Nitrogen-Filled Tires

Another add-on that's trending is nitrogen-filled tires, which your dealer will tell you is less susceptible to temperature-based pressure expansion and reduction. It's also supposed to bleed from your tires more slowly than regular air. Edmunds reports that its own research says it makes almost no difference in real-world conditions and that the service costs roughly $100. Regular air is free  or close to it if you're in a pinch and need to stop at a gas station.

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Window Tints/Clear Protection

You might be in the market for window tints or clear UV protection, but don't let the dealer sell it to you as an add-on. Chances are they don't do the work themselves and instead farm it out to the lowest bidder. You, of course, reap none of those savings  the difference is pure dealer profit. Check online reviews for local service companies and you'll almost certainly pay less for work done by a company whose reviews you had a chance to research for yourself.

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Door Edge Protector

You can pick up a DIY door edge protector kit for less than $10 on Amazon, yet according to Edmunds, dealers commonly charge $169. In theory, door edge protectors keep vulnerable door edges from chipping and scratching. The truth is, modern paint can resist most of this yesteryear type of damage, but if you want the peace of mind, it's an easy, cheap, tool-free DIY job.

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Service and Maintenance Packages

Service and maintenance packages aren't always, or even usually, a rip-off. Dealers make a lot of money in their service departments, and they'd obviously love to sell you a car and service it as well, both while under warranty and beyond. This incentivizes good service, as does the fact that good service means you're more likely to come back and buy your next car there, as well. The problem is, buying a car is a ton of information to process on its own and you can opt into the service plan at any time. If they offer you a maintenance package, ask for the details in writing, say you'll think about it and take a few days to look it over and decide if it's worth it.

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Upgraded Floor Mats

Your dealer might try to talk you into "heavy-duty" or "all-weather" mats. Regular floor mats often come standard from the factory, and in that case, the dealer might not be able to remove them for a discount. That, however, is different than upgrading to a more rugged version at the cost of hundreds of dollars extra, which you might pay for a full set of custom, laser-measured mats from a company like WeatherTech. If you must have generic heavy-duty mats, they're easy to find online with a two-digit price tag.

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Appearance Packages

Among the most common and costly dealer add-ons are so-called "appearance packages," which often take the form of pinstriping or some other graphic design. While it appears to come from the manufacturer, dealers  particularly used car dealers  can add them on themselves, try to pass them off as standard and outrageously upcharge for them. Edmunds reports seeing appearance packages for $279. Jaloplink reports seeing them cost as much as $2,000.

Vajira Thongsom / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Mudflaps

Passenger cars don't need mudflaps, despite what your dealer tells you about paint and undercarriage corrosion. Those who have them often find that they catch and trap sand and salt, causing more corrosion than they prevent. Large trucks are an exception, but not most standard trucks or SUVs. Find out if your state requires them on SUVs or standard trucks before letting a dealer explain why you can't go without them. If you really want them, you'll find, as with so many add-ons, that you can buy them and have them installed cheaper somewhere else.

Chansak Joe / Shutterstock.com

Trunk Trays

Trunk trays are formfitting rubberized cargo liners for your trunk or the back of your hatchback or SUV  they sometimes come with raised cargo blocks. They protect against spills, upholstery tears and other damage, and they're certainly not a bad idea  provided you pay $200 or so for one online or at your local auto parts store. What you shouldn't do, however, is let a dealer talk you into buying one from them for upwards of $700, which isn't unheard of, according to MotorTrend.

rukawajung / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Color-Changing Valve Stem Covers

You might encounter a dealer who promises magic in your tires in the form of color-changing valve stems that change from green to red when your tires need air, all for the low price of between $40-$100 for a set of four. First of all, most new  or newish, even  cars come with low-tire-pressure indicators on the dashboard. Even if yours doesn't, the two tools that have worked for time immemorial  your eyes and a pressure gauge  will serve the exact same purpose.More From GOBankingRatesWalmart Accepts EBT/SNAP Food Stamps As Payment -- What Are the Restrictions?

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Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the products listed in this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Dont Get Suckered Into Paying For These 20 Useless Things at Car Dealerships
Mar. 19Missouri's education system needs help; now is the time for lawmakers to ensure that help is provided.

Our state is 49th nationally in funding for public schools according to a 2021 state auditor's report. Missouri provided about 32% of the aid to K-12 public schools in 2020; the bulk of funding came from local sources such as property taxes.

The problem with the dearth of state funding  nationally, the average level of state aid to schools is about 45%  is that state aid is consistent on a per-pupil basis, but property taxes vary wildly between districts. Those in wealthy areas are well-funded. Poorer communities, rural areas and inner urban schools often struggle.

The problem has been getting worse, according to state Auditor Nicole Gallaway, because state funding has not kept up with rising costs. "When you adjust for inflation  how far that dollar will stretch in today's spending environment  that number has steadily decreased over the past ten years. If you compared 2020 to 2011, it's about a 9% decrease if you adjust for inflation," the auditor said in her report.

The shift by some districts in our area to four-day school weeks as a money-saving measure demonstrates the difficulty. Not only have they shifted to save money, officials have also said that the four-day work week helps as a recruiting tool to offset the lower teacher salaries that such districts offer.

In fact, low teacher pay is a problem for districts across Missouri. The state requires school districts to pay beginning teachers a minimum annual salary of $25,000 and a minimum salary of $33,000 for a full-time teacher with a master's degree and at least 10 years of experience. Missouri is 50th in average annual starting salary for teachers nationally  at $32,970, nearly 20% less than the national average starting wage of $41,163 per year, according to the National Education Association.

We aren't keeping up, even regionally. Kansas is 33rd nationally for starting teacher salaries, and a stiff competitor for educators.

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Arkansas rated 49th in the same survey that marked Missouri 50th, but Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson last year signed legislation to raise the target median annual pay for public school teachers by $2,000 this school year. The Fayetteville School District just committed to paying its teachers a minimum salary of $50,000 effective July 1.

Oklahoma is 35th, and Gov. Kevin Stitt proposed a plan in his annual State of the State speech that would pay some Oklahoma teachers up to $100,000.

Missouri needs to confront its shortfall in state funding and boost teachers' salaries. With the state flush, now is the time to solve the funding puzzle. As House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Cody Smith, R-Carthage, has said, "... We've got a whole bunch of federal money and a whole bunch of state money, as well just giant piles of cash available to the state."

Let's put a significant portion of that to work in education. As Founding Father John Adams said: "The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expenses of it."
Mar. 19Newly released public records about Mayor Dave Bronson's decision to briefly shut off fluoridation of Anchorage's water supply show that the mayor's spokesman had been emailed information about the shutoff by another official before he categorically denied the incident happened.

Bronson temporarily halted fluoridation of the city's water supply during an Oct. 1 visit to Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility's Eklutna Water Treatment Plant. City law requires Anchorage's water supply be fluoridated. The mayor eventually said he ordered fluoride to be shut off after workers told him they were experiencing health issues related to the substance.

The fluoride shutoff was first reported by the Alaska Landmine in December in an anonymously-sourced article.

The administration says the mayor did not break city code by temporarily turning off the fluoride, but the Anchorage Assembly is pressing forward with an inquiry and requested public records related to the incident. The administration released 60 pages of documents last week, including 38 pages of emails, photos and texts related to the fluoride shutoff.

The mayor's office has not responded to questions about the documents. Some of those emails had previously been released in response to requests from the Daily News and Landmine.

The emails show that Bronson's spokesman Corey Allen Young  who initially denied that the situation occurred  had been emailed information about the mayor's decision months before.

In an email from Deputy Municipal Manager Kolby Hickel sent to Young at 4:15 p.m. on Oct. 1, Hickel said, "At 2:55 p.m. Mayor Bronson directed the staff to stop adding fluoride to our drinking water."

"This will save $100k in chemical costs per year and will save $1 million in upgrade capital costs. This is a health and safety issue for our employees who handle this chemical, which we buy from Belgium," Hickel said.

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A little while later, Hickel also sent Young an email containing photos of bags of the chemical compound added to the water supply as a fluoridation agent.

Young replied to that email, "Thank You Kolby!"

Young told the Landmine at the time of its December report that all three of the allegations detailed in the article, including the fluoride incident, were "false."

"This did not happen," Young told the Landmine before it published the article. He again told Alaska Public Media that the claims were false in an article published two days later, and did not respond to questions from the Daily News. But the next day Young confirmed in an emailed statement that the mayor gave an order to temporarily shut off the fluoridation of Anchorage's water supply.

After the statement was sent out, Young said he was on leave when the Landmine story was published, that he was initially mistaken about the fluoride situation and that he didn't then have the details or full information.

Since the emails were released last week, Young has not answered a question about why he told two reporters that the incident did not occur.

The public records also show a disagreement between Municipal Manager Amy Demboski and AWWU manager Mark Corsentino about the events surrounding the mayor's decision.

Administration officials have said that Corsentino asked the mayor to shut off the fluoride  which Corsentino previously denied.

In the newly released emails, the AWWU manager, Hickel and Demboski continue to provide conflicting accounts. Those emails were sent in December, a few days after the Assembly launched its inquiry.

"If asked under oath, I will need to be honest, and the statement that I asked the Mayor to direct fluoride be shut off does not align with what was said," Corsentino said in an email to Demboski. "There were several witnesses to this conversation, so I think there is risk, but PR (public relations) is not my area of expertise."

Corsentino said during the mayor's tour he said the utility "remains neutral on the addition of fluoride, shutting off fluoridation process does not violate federal or state regulations, but it is in code as ordained by the Assembly to add it."

According to Corsentino's email, the mayor said at the time: "I will take this up with the Assembly, I will issue an immediate press release to let the community know, and let me deal with the heat from the Assembly and the press."

Corsentino also told Demboski that they "need to get ahead of what may come out during the investigation."

"I want to be aligned on the message going out so we can protect the Municipality and its Utility," he said.

In a reply to his email, Demboski lambasted Corsentino for "changing the version of events," and said that she was "shocked" by his response because she recalled a phone conversation between her and Corsentino about the fluoride shutoff directly after the mayor returned from the tour.

Demboski said in her email that Corsentino confirmed to her that he asked the mayor to turn off the fluoride, and that he explained employees had complained of eye irritation and coughing. She also said that he confirmed to her that he was aware of the code requirement and that he had not advised the mayor of the requirement.

"There are at least 5 witnesses to the conversation you and I had on the phone, and it is very troubling that you readily admitted to me that you asked the Mayor to turn the fluoride off on October 1st, but now are changing your responses," she said in the email.

Demboski, Corsentino and the mayor's office did not respond to questions about the email exchanges and the difference in their versions of events.

A previously released email, sent on the day of the shutoff between AWWU employees, stated that the mayor was informed of the city's requirement during the tour, though the mayor had been told it was required by the city's charter, while the law is actually in city code.

Corsentino, while questioned by the Assembly in a January work session, said he had told the mayor that fluoridation can be paused without breaking city code because it stays in the system for "days ... if not weeks later."

The mayor's office has said that city code was not broken because Bronson ordered the fluoride be turned back on just a few hours later, because the fluoride levels in drinking water did not significantly change while it was off and because the system is regularly shut down for maintenance.

Assembly leaders say they have not yet decided on next steps as the Assembly pursues its inquiry into the fluoride situation and two other alleged incidents described in the Landmine article.

In a letter to Assembly leaders that accompanied the records, Demboski called the alleged incidents in the Landmine's article "gossip and misinformation" and criticized the Assembly, saying the were wasting municipal resources on the records request.

"Taxpayers expect elected officials to be better stewards of municipal resources," she said.
Ryan Reynolds had the perfectly awkward response to a child asking him about kissing Zoe Saldana in a film.

The actor  who has been married to Blake Lively since 2012  was in attendance at a press conference for his Netflix film The Adam Project when a young boy in the audience asked an unexpected question.

In the scene where you were kissing the girl, was that real? asked the child.

In The Adam Project, Reynoldss character is married to Saldanas character Laura.

Whoa, responded the actor, laughing.

The moderator then quipped: Blake [Lively] is really throwing her voice well by the way, to which Reynolds joked: Honey? What the f?

I guess it was kind of real, continued the actor. How do I answer this? This is being broadcast everywhere too I didnt mean it?

This is the thing, I dont know how to explain this to my own kids. They watch this and theyre like, Daddy, what are you doing? Like its exactly the tactic that I would use on them not anger, but just disappointment.

He joked: Great question, though. The exit is that way.

The Adam Project stars Reynolds as a time-travelling fighter pilot who crash lands in 2022 and teams up with his younger 12-year-old self (played by Walker Scobell) in a mission to save the future.
Frederick  A western Maryland sheriffs deputy shot and wounded a man who authorities said fired at the deputy during a foot chase early Friday.

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said a deputy tried to pull over a vehicle on Interstate 270 and state route 85 for speeding and suspected driving under the influence, but the driver didnt stop, news outlets reported. The driver later bailed out in a residential community in the Frederick area and ran. The man fired at the deputy, who returned fire, striking the man three times, Jenkins said.

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The man was taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore, where he is in stable condition, Jenkins said. The deputy was not injured.

Deputies recovered a handgun on scene, officials said.

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The sheriffs office will investigate the shooting, after Jenkins said the Maryland Office of the Attorney General declined to.

From radio traffic during the foot pursuit, it was clear that the man fired at the deputy first, Jenkins said.

However, keep in mind the investigation is early; theres a lot to be learned yet, he said.

The deputys team hasnt been outfitted with cameras yet and there is no body cam footage of the incident.
Mar. 19A Chattanooga firefighter union has endorsed Hamilton County Commission chair Sabrena Smedley in the county mayor's race.

Smedley, R-Ooltewah, announced the endorsement from Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association Local #820 on Friday as endorsements for candidates roll in ahead of the May primary election.

"Our members are focused on providing first-rate services that lower costs for our businesses and homeowners while protecting the lives and livelihoods of the men and women who proudly stand ready to don turnout gear at any hour to keep our communities safe and save lives," the union said in a statement. "Our members closely examined the candidates and decided there is one candidate who clearly stands out for Hamilton County mayor, and that is Sabrena Smedley. Her record is rock solid, and we know we can count on her leadership."

In response, Smedley in a statement praised the work of first responders.

I have "always held the greatest esteem for the folks in uniform who show up at any time, day or night, in fair weather or foul, to rescue our citizens in their greatest hour of need," she said.

"As Hamilton County Commission chair, I have led the way on providing ample support for training, equipment, facilities and benefits that reflect the seriousness of the job we ask these men and women to perform on behalf of their neighbors," she said. "I am deeply thankful for the endorsement of Local 820. This is one more validation that I'm ready for the job and running for the right reasons."

The endorsement comes after the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local #673, which is composed of sheriff's deputies and police officers, endorsed her earlier this month.

In a text message while on a plane Friday afternoon, she added the two endorsements are "humbling and encouraging."

The Times Free Press is maintaining a list to track endorsements of all candidates.

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Matt Hullander, R-Chattanooga, for example, has announced endorsements by Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga.

"I have been a supporter of Chuck for a number of years and we actually used to work together when he was an attorney and I was one of his clients," Hullander said earlier this month after the endorsement announcement. "We've known each other a long time and I look forward to working with him as mayor."

Hullander's website also includes a list of nearly 60 local residents who have endorsed him, which includes business leaders like Tom Decosimo, CEO of Decosimo Corporate Finance.

Candidate Weston Wamp so far has not announced any endorsements.

"Some of the biggest volunteers in our campaign are firefighters, and I couldn't have more respect for them," Wamp said in a Wednesday statement. "Our campaign will have plenty of big endorsements down the stretch, so stay tuned. Right now, we're focused on the endorsements that matter most, Hamilton County voters."

Wamp pointed to a variety of individuals that have donated to or worked along with his campaign.

Hamilton County school board member Joe Smith, of Hixson, was featured in one of Wamp's ads, he said. In addition, school board member Tiffanie Robinson, of Chattanooga, and Tennessee state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, have donated to his campaign.

The voter registration deadline for the May 3 primary election is April 4. Early voting will take place between April 13 and April 28, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is April 26. The winners from the party primaries will meet in the general election in August.

Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.
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A former teacher at Cape Fear High School was arrested Friday on more than four dozen child sex crime charges including at least 28 involving a student, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office

William Landon Smith, 31, is charged with 27 counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, 28 counts of indecent liberties with a student, and one count of secretly using or installing a photographic imaging device to arouse or gratify sexual desire.

Smith stands accused of communicating with children through social media apps such as Snapchat. One of the known accounts he was using was "Landonology90," user qunyt57f5Rf, with Snapchat code 704087, the Sheriffs Office said.

According to Cumberland County Schools spokesman Lindsay Whitley, Smith was a science teacher for predominantly ninth- and 10th-grade students at Cape Fear High School from August 2018 until Dec. 2, 2021, when he was suspended with pay. He tendered his resignation on Jan. 28, Whitley said. The reasons for his suspension and resignation were not released.

More: Seventy-First High School teacher charged with taking indecent liberties

More: Fayetteville middle school teacher arrested on charges of indecent liberties

District officials are aware that a former CCS employee was arrested and charged earlier today (Friday) based on allegations of inappropriate behavior and interactions with minors," a statement from school officials said. When the allegations were brought to our attention, we immediately reported them to law enforcement.

"While the allegations are extremely disturbing, they are not representative of the 6,000-plus dedicated employees who serve our students on a daily basis.

The statement noted that Cumberland County Schools conducts extensive background checks on all employees prior to hiring and conducts ethics training for employees.

According to the Sheriffs Office, detectives with the Special Victims' Unit have not identified all the victims. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective S. Odenwelder at 910-677-5477 or Crimestoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (8477).

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Smith is being held in the Cumberland County jail with bail set at $425,000 secured.

Military & Crime Editor F.T. Norton can be reached at fnorton@fayobserver.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Former Cape Fear High School teacher charged with child sex crimes
A 19-year-old Fresno man is in custody on human trafficking charges following an investigation that began when a girl, 14, jumped out of a parked car he was allegedly in, police reported Friday.

The suspect was identified as Avery Johnson.

Lt. Bill Dooley said the incident began Saturday when police came to the teens aid after she told them that she had been physically assaulted in the car.

She was taken to Community Regional Medical Center for her injuries, and detectives subsequently identified Johnson as the suspect, said Dooley.

Johnson was in a car Thursday near Cedar and Olive avenues when he was detained and then booked on charges of pandering, pimping, human trafficking, and committing a felony while out of jail on bail.

He is being held on a bail of $100,000.
MARTINSVILLE  As gas prices throughout the area surge, Morgan County residents are looking for ways to save a bit of money at the pump.

On Friday, AAA reported the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Indiana was $4.189 while the average price in Morgan County was $4.172.

A regional organization known as Commuter Connect, which is part of the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA), can help those who live and/or work in Morgan County by connecting workers to transportation options like carpools and vanpools in central Indiana.

During a luncheon hosted by the Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce Friday, Commuter Connect Outreach Representative Amanda Hart discussed the organization's options to get local folks to work.

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CIRTA's region includes Morgan, Johnson, Hendricks, Boone, Shelby, Hamilton, Madison, Hancock and Marion counties.

The organization's services are free to employers and employees.

According to Hart, the average central Indiana commuter spends about 50 minutes driving alone in their car to get to work, and traveling more than 40 miles in their car.

"We have a goal of cleaner air," Hart said. "It is going green (and) taking away some of those emissions that people are outputting when their driving so much, but also the reduction of traffic."

CIRTA offers resources to assist with carpooling, vanpooling, public transportation and biking.

According to Hart, the offerings through CIRTA has been a positive asset for regional employers.

"These employers have been able to use this as a recruiting tool to help (employees) reduce cost," Hart said. "First of all, it reduces the demand for parking."

MSD of Martinsville: 57% of community, 89% of teachers favor WELL Wednesday delays in 2022-23 school year.

Attendance and punctuality also improves because of the program, Hart noted.

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The program has also been beneficial for employees, Hart said, because workers can get tasks done while serving as a passenger instead of a driver.

"Less pollution for those employees as well," Hart added. "Giving them time to read or relax or just disconnect from the craziness of their day and their life. And the biggest thing for people right now, being able to save that money on gas, being able to save on their insurance on their car and their vehicle maintenance."

Commuter Connect Outreach Representative Amanda Hart discusses opportunities her organization provides to Hoosiers in central Indiana.

According to Hart, the Commuter Connect program acts similar to an online dating website, matching folks with others who live and work in their neighborhood.

The program also offers a free emergency ride home service for employees who participate in a carpool or vanpool.

Local news: MSD of Martinsville talks retirement stipend, superintendent search and honors students.

"If (employees) sign in to our database, and have their information in there, we are able to offer them up to five free emergency run homes, per year," Hart said.

All a participating employer needs to do is allow CIRTA to come into the workplace once a year to connect with employees and assign a contact person between the office and CIRTA.

More information on CIRTA and the Commuter Connect program can be found online at https://bit.ly/3InSEiQ.

The next Martinsville Chamber of Commerce luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 20, in the Lucille Sadler Room of the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.

Contact Reporter-Times editor Lance Gideon at lgideon@reporter-times.com or 765-342-1543. Follow him on Twitter: @LanceOGideon.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: As Martinsville gas prices surge, CIRTA gives locals options
General Motors is acquiring SoftBank's stake in Cruise and pouring even more money into the self-driving unit it purchased in 2016. The auto giant has announced that it's buying out SoftBank Vision Fund 1's equity ownership into the company that's worth $2.1 billion. In addition, it has committed to investing an extra $1.35 billion in Cruise to replace the funding SoftBank promised in February after the self-driving car company started offering robotaxi rides in San Francisco.

The automaker didn't say why it's buying SoftBank's equity ownership, but GM chief executive Mary Barra said:

"Our increased investment position not only simplifies Cruise's shareholder structure, but also provides GM and Cruise maximum flexibility to pursue the most value-accretive path to commercializing and unlocking the full potential of AV technology."

SoftBank, meanwhile, has recently struggled with debt and the plummeting value of its properties. It may no longer be interested in an investment that won't field returns anytime soon. In February, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said the company would sell "a good chunk of assets" after ARM's multi-billion sale to NVIDIA fell through.

As TechCrunch notes, GM could have also bought out SoftBank as a step towards spinning out Cruise or taking it public. A GM spokesperson told the publication that the automaker will "consider all opportunities to create value for [its] shareholders" and that it "has not ruled out a future IPO of Cruise."

The California Public Utilities Commission recently granted Cruise (and Waymo) permission to charge for robotaxi rides in the state, as long as there's a human driver behind the wheel. Cruise already applied for a Driverless Deployment permit, but the agency is still reviewing its application.
via Fox News

For at least the past year and a half, Sean Hannity has regularly made comments targeting President Bidens mental fitness, some days doing so more explicitly than others.

Friday night was no exception, with Hannity telling his audience that the president was spending the weekend in Delaware with a lot of ice cream and a lot of nap time. On this particular broadcast, though, Hannity also read word for word a statement from a Kremlin spokesperson.

Given such irritability from Mr. Biden, his fatigue and sometimes forgetfulnessfatigue that leads to aggressive statements, we will not make harsh assessments, so as not to cause more aggression, Hannity said, quoting Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. (The statement was issued Friday after Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal.)

Hannity used this to launch into a criticism of Bidens foreign policy.

Now like Ive been saying, Bidens weakness on the worlds stageit is emboldening bad actors all across the globe, he claimed. Biden and Democrats, he said, abandoned the peace through strength strategy that was successful under Presidents Trump and Reagan.

How Russian Disinformation Goes From the Kremlin to QAnon to Fox News

That Hannity would give airtime to a Kremlin statement of this sort is not surprising, given the right-wing hosts past statements.

After a 2020 presidential debate, Hannity said, Maybe somebody on the staff might want to remind the ever-forgetful Joe that he is running for president. Hes not running for senator. The Trump confidante added, He keeps forgetting, forgets the day of the week, forgets what office hes running for. He is running for president, not senator. Somebody remind him!

In March 2021, Hannitywho followed Trumps lead by calling Biden Sleepy Joesaid he saw a dramatic, significant decline. Biden looks weak, frail, and obviously hes struggling cognitively, he claimed.

In May of that year, he gifted Biden a sippy cupthe implication being pretty clear.

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And most recently, Hannity in January shamelessly aired a GOP ad designed to draw attention to Bidens pauses during a press conference. It appears to me to be very transparent, very obvious, very clear that Joe Biden is in a steep cognitive decline, he said afterward. It seems to be accelerating to me.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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As Carroll County works to establish its new combined Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase this week of several radios and charging equipment to be used by the department.

The countys Department of Public Safety requested permission to purchase three mobile radios and vehicle chargers in the amount of $19,648.77 and two portable radios and accessories in the amount of $11,337.60, for a total of $30,986.37.

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The purchase will be made from Motorola Solutions on a Maryland State Contract that was competitively bid. The total amount is within the adopted budget and no additional funds will be necessary.

On Thursday Public Safety Director Scott Campbell said these devices are needed to equip the sport utility vehicles that will be used by two new positions posted for hire by the department. The positions and the vehicles were previously approved for the Department of Fire and EMS.

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The mobile and portable radios are standard devices issued to fire and EMS personnel, Campbell said.

Back in the early days  we were using low band radios with one or two channels, Campbell said. Even though the cost has gone up significantly, the technology and its capabilities are remarkable.

In October 2020, the Board of County Commissioners officially established Carroll Countys first combination fire and emergency medical services department. The Maryland General Assembly in 2018 passed enabling legislation allowing the county government to establish the department.

Before that time, the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association used personnel paid by the county.

In February, department Director Michael Robinson said the county was preparing to hire up to 200 employees in the next two years, and officials secured a contract to provide psychological testing as part of the hiring process.
Rescue workers at the site of the ruined National Academy of State Administration building in Kharkiv. Russia has falsely claimed that it has only taken aim at military in Ukraine

As a steady flow of British weapons arrive in Ukraine, and UK forces line up to bolster Nato's eastern flank, a dedicated team of three dozen officials in Whitehall have been playing a lesser-publicised role in response to Vladimir Putin's aggression.

A new counter-disinformation unit, the Government Information Cell (GIC), set up to dispel Kremlin falsehoods relating to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, is responsible for trawling through online and broadcast material to identify disinformation and tackle it.

Ministers and officials see the counter-disinformation effort as a vital element of the support Britain is providing to Ukraine. A senior official in the unit told The Telegraph that the Kremlin was weaponising lies and using untruths to justify the unjustifiable. The information cell was exposing those lies by countering Kremlin disinformation, he added.

Putin is well aware that Russian public opinion, and his future, rests on the information battle. He appears determined to flood the airwaves and internet with false and often outlandish claims, such as that Ukraine is led by neo-Nazis and is developing chemical weapons for use against Russia, in order to justify the invasion. The UK information unit is trying to hit back by exposing the Kremlin playbook.

The cell was set up at the behest of Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, in the weeks prior to the invasion in late February, and operates between the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence. Its 35 full-time staff are drawn from departments including the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Cabinet Office and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

An ally of Ms Truss said: Liz thinks ditching our Cold War anti-propaganda capability was a mistake and has restored it with this new information unit. Its part of our strategy to tackle Russian disinformation and fake news and call out Kremlin lies and subterfuge. This is doubly important in the social media age.

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The unit's routine work involves identifying Russian disinformation and taking steps to expose such material as false. As well as creating new content to disseminate online, officials in the unit advise government departments, including No 10 Downing Street, and embassies and governments abroad. GIC reports have been distributed to some 30 Nato and EU allies, as well as Australia and New Zealand, which are members of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership.

In the UK, Russia Today, the Russian state-owned broadcaster that lost its licence on Friday, was seen as a significant conduit for Kremlin disinformation. But the cell's research shows that just 3 per cent of the public trust it as a source of information on the conflict.

The cell's crucial audiences are in Russia and Ukraine.

Shortly after the start of the invasion, the unit was responsible for disseminating a video in which Boris Johnson directly addressed the people of Russia, telling them in their own language: I do not believe this war is in your name." A version of that video translated into Russian was viewed by more than eight million people, according to the unit's data.

While, conventionally, if the Government wished to disseminate a video of the Prime Minister it would rely on posting the clip on official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, here the usual rules do not apply.

For a start, Putin has blocked access to Western social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook in Russia. But there is also an understanding that the Russian president has cultivated an innate hostility towards the UK Government and, as a result, ordinary people are not likely to see nor attach any credence to messages deriving from official Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence accounts.

To get around that problem, The Telegraph understands, the unit has been commissioning advertising agencies to target the Russian population with its messages on sites such as VK, a Russian social media platform. The tactic means that material such as Mr Johnson's speech will reach the laptops, tablets or mobile phones of people who would never have thought to seek out the view of the British Government.

Heading off Putins lies with pre-bunking

Members of the unit are also working to expose Putin's attempts to pre-emptively accuse Ukraine and the West of engaging in activities in which the Kremlin is already involved. Internally this work is known as pre-bunking. An example of this was another intervention by Mr Johnson, to warn that Putin may be preparing to deploy chemical weapons in Ukraine, after Moscow claimed it had uncovered a Ukrainian biological weapons lab. The US dismissed the claim as absurd propaganda.

The information cell is coordinating with embassies abroad to translate and disseminate its pre-bunking content around the world, in a bid to overturn the idiom coined by Jonathan Swift that falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it. Officials are now beginning to distribute content in Mandarin, amid questions over China's potential support of the war.

Currently, the unit is working to expose what it believes are Kremlin preparations to initiate a series of sham referenda to try and carve out new separatist republics from Ukraine, modelled on a similar vote in Crimea in 2014.

"This isn't a level playing field, the senior official said. We know that the Russians won't hold themselves to the same standards of truth, transparency and accuracy that we in the UK want to uphold. But we see that as part of our armoury in countering the Russian disinformation.

"We know that Russian textbooks dating back to Soviet times, on psyops, psychological operations, taught students that, in defending the state, a lie is not a lie. That's a weapon. That's what we're dealing with and what we're up against."
If you want to know who really controls Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership.

With a market capitalization of AU$9.9b, Mirvac Group is rather large. We'd expect to see institutional investors on the register. Companies of this size are usually well known to retail investors, too. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about Mirvac Group.

View our latest analysis for Mirvac Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Mirvac Group?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

We can see that Mirvac Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Mirvac Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Mirvac Group. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is BlackRock, Inc. with 10% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 9.5% and 7.4% of the stock.

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Our studies suggest that the top 25 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Mirvac Group

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our information suggests that Mirvac Group insiders own under 1% of the company. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own AU$18m worth of shares. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 44% stake in Mirvac Group. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Mirvac Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Keely Hodgkinson pulled out of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade after a recurrence of a quad injury (Martin Rickett/PA Images). (PA Wire)

Great Britains Keely Hodgkinson has pulled out of the World Indoor Championships after an injury scare.

The 20-year-old, who won Olympic silver last year, was overwhelming favourite for the 800 metre title.

Hodgkinson warmed up at the Stark Arena but decided not to race in Belgrade following a recurrence of a quad injury picked up earlier in January.

Unfortunately, @keelyhodgkinson has withdrawn from today's 800m heats due to a quad injury



Rest up Keely - we can't wait to see what you can do this season #WorldIndoorChamps pic.twitter.com/vfk7QCTAzT  British Athletics (@BritAthletics) March 19, 2022

She said: I am in great shape so it is obviously a shame not to be competing here in Belgrade, but we decided to take this precautionary step in the best interests of the rest of the year ahead.

Im really pleased with my indoor season and it gives me a lot of confidence heading into the summer season which I am really looking forward to.

Lastly, I would like to pass on my thanks to the medical team for their support and efforts to try and get me on the start line this week.

She added to the BBC: Luckily its not a major injury, its one to two weeks. I said to coach this morning if it was world outdoors strap me up Im running. But I dont want to have this problem to reoccur in the outdoor season.

Hodgkinson will now focus on the outdoor season. (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

I made the right decision. I came here to get a gold medal, unfortunately I didnt make the start line so its gutting.

It was quite upsetting. I have never had to pull out of a race before. To come to a World Championships, my first Indoor World Championships as well, its not nice.

My parents are here as well which is a little bit more upsetting but its about thinking about the bigger picture.

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Her withdrawal comes after Katarina Johnson-Thompson pulled out of the 800m, the final event of the pentathlon, on Friday.

Keely Hodgkinson won silver in Tokyo (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

The 29-year-old had returned for the first time since an injury ravaged 2021, where she recovered from a ruptured Achilles to make the Olympics, only to suffer a calf injury in the heptathlons 200m.

Meanwhile, Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs qualified for the 60m semi-finals in 6.53 seconds.

The USAs Christian Coleman, who missed last years Games in Tokyo while he served a ban for breaching anti-doping whereabouts rules, is back and won his heat in 6.51secs.

Team-mate Marvin Bracy qualified fastest in 6.46s, while Great Britains Andrew Robertson failed to progress.
Alaska lawmakers are assuring a Russian official who said the U.S. should return Alaska and other areas to Russia that it's just not happening.

Russian parliament member Oleg Matveychev on a TV program addressed waves of sanctions against Russia in response to the countrys ongoing invasion of Ukraine, saying leaders should think about reparations.

The harm these sanctions caused us cost money. Return of possessions, including possessions of the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and even parts of Russia that are now occupied by the United States, Matveychev said on Sunday, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The host of the show asked Matveychev about the return of Alaska and Fort Ross, which was established by Russians in California, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

This is my next point  recognizing Alaska, Fort Ross and Antarctica, Matveychev responded, according to the Anchorage Daily News. We actually discovered it, so it rightfully belongs to us.

The United States reached an agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867. Alaska was admitted as a state in 1959.

Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski balked at the statement, tweeting coverage of the comments and a gif of Taylor Swift with the caption That will never, ever, ever happen!

World: Doesn't Ukrainian President Zelenskyy 'own a suit?' Economist asks and gets slammed on Twitter

Russian invasion: Zelenskyy asked U.S. Congress to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine. What does that mean?

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy also responded to the comments, tweeting Good luck with that!

Not if we have something to say about it. We have hundreds of thousands of armed Alaskans and military members that will see it differently, he added.

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Good luck with that! Not if we have something to say about it. We have hundreds of thousands of armed Alaskans and military members that will see it differently. https://t.co/ji0Hiza1TE  Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) March 15, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued calling for a no-fly zone in Ukraine, or at least additional military hardware, sanctions and other actions targeting Russia as the country continues its invasion of Ukraine.

What's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alaska senator tweets Taylor Swift gif reply to Russia official
Los Banos Police officers arrested a 29-year old man, who was wanted for allegedly stealing a United States Postal Service master key, after a vehicle and foot pursuit on Friday.

Detectives have been working with a local USPS inspector to locate a suspect who had recently stolen a USPS master key from a mail truck on K Street in Los Banos, according to a social media post by the Los Banos Police Department.

Officers located the key after taking the suspect, Jonathan Rodriguez, into custody. Rodriguez was also in possession of stolen mail.

The serial number on the USPS master key found in Rodriguezs possession matched the serial number of the stolen key, according to police.

Detectives will be in contact with those whose mail was located in the suspects possession.
Mar. 19An Albuquerque man accused of sending threatening and obscene emails to weatherman-turned-politician Mark Ronchetti and his wife has been sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison as part of a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque.

Stephen Yochim, 48, had been charged with transmitting threatening interstate communications after he was suspected of sending a series of profanity-laced emails in January 2021 that Ronchetti and his wife considered a "direct threat," according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

He pleaded guilty to one count of stalking, according to a plea agreement, and was sentenced March 7 to serve 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised parole, according to sentencing documents. He'll also be required to pay a $5,000 fine.

Yochim's attorney, Jason Bowles  who had asked the court to sentence Yochim to house arrest  did not return a call seeking comment Friday.

"As a father, you look at any threat to your family, and I don't know if there is a punishment that ever does fit the crime," said Ronchetti, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful who lost the U.S. Senate race in 2021 to Democrat Ben Ray Lujan. He previously worked as a meteorologist for KRQE-TV.

"When someone is threatening your daughters with what he did, I don't think any sentence would be too much," Ronchetti added. "That's why we have a court system that takes the family emotion out of it. As it should."

The highly graphic messages threatened physical violence against Ronchetti and expressed "morbid joy at the prospect of cancer afflicting [his wife]," The U.S. Attorney's Office wrote in a news release at the time.

"Included in the profane terms directed toward the family was the repeated use of an ethnic slur," according to the news release.

The emails also included crude remarks about the couple's daughters, a criminal complaint said.

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Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado had argued Yochim should receive a 24-month sentence, writing in a sentencing memo: "The defendant has no prior criminal history but has been previously investigated for similar conduct in 2012."

Sentencing documents indicate Yochim was out of custody at the time of the sentencing and was ordered to surrender himself to authorities within 60 days, at which time court personnel recommend he be incarcerated at Federal Medical Center, a prison in Forth Worth, Texas, for male inmates with special medical and mental health needs.

Ronchetti said Friday he was glad the case had been charged in federal court as opposed to state court so it was "dealt with quickly and severely."

That doesn't always happen when cases are pursued under state statues, he said, adding,"they are too soft and we aren't charging to the degree we should."
BALTIMORE  In suburban Maryland restaurants and warehouses, activists and frustrated parents have gathered by the dozens this past year. Theyre hanging American flags, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and nodding their heads as speakers have encouraged them to take control of their schools.

Their meetings spring from exasperation after months of pandemic-related disruptions to education. But while they oppose mask, testing and vaccine mandates for students, their mission has broadened to push back against schools using books with gender identity and immigration themes, as well as lessons on race and other social issues that the parents fear label their children as oppressors.

The activists say theyre building a movement that will stiffen the spines of moderate Republicans and replace government officials whose political beliefs are at odds with theirs, which mirror those of former President Donald Trump.

Theyre in the closing weeks of efforts to recruit candidates for nonpartisan school board races in places like Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties, where at least 17 seats are up for election. Organizers say theyre hearing a lot of interest in the races, but its too soon to tell how many candidates will run.

Some Maryland Democrats and civil rights activists view the movement as one that threatens to give far-right parents control of suburban school systems  unless Democrats, too, find people willing to run by an April 15 filing deadline.

Parents turned politicians

On a chilly evening in November, dozens of parents packed a Towson pub, eager to learn how to resist school mask mandates.

Organizers mingled and sold raffle tickets to benefit the Baltimore County Parent & Student Coalition, which blossomed from protests of the county school systems prolonged closures during the 2020-21 academic year. Attendees received a five-page guide to education governance, with contact information for the states educational and health leaders, as well as talking points to use with principals and teachers union heads. It also explained how to volunteer as an election judge.

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The meeting was organized by parents Kate Sullivan and Laura Hartman, who believe their interests arent represented on school boards. Theyve hosted a number of such gatherings in hopes of getting more parents involved in education politics.

It was that mama bear moment: My kid is not OK and I need to do something about it, Hartman said of deciding to organize the meetings. I think parents have been feeling powerless.

The events and others organized by similar groups across the region appeal to voters who worry about government overreach and oppose critical race theory or systemic racism being discussed in classes, along with what they say is a growing influence of Marxism in education. Theyve attracted people who have never been involved in politics, including independent voters, those who have left the Republican Party, and even the occasional Democrat, organizers said.

The movement has encouraged political newcomer Maggie Litz Domanowski to seek a Baltimore County school board seat.

The mom of three elementary school students didnt follow local politics until she tuned in to school board meetings in the fall of 2020. She said was stunned by the rude way members spoke to one another. And, on social media, parents debated with hostility whether to reopen school buildings.

I just felt like I was being demonized for wanting my son to go back in schools, Litz Domanowski said.

When Litz Domanowski decided to run, the coalition helped her navigate filing paperwork and fundraising, she said.

Litz Domanowski identifies with voters who oppose COVID-19 mandates in schools, dont want transgender students competing in sports that align with their gender identity, and seek to bar certain classroom discussions regarding race. Still, she believes school board elections come down to candidates stances on local educational issues  not national party platforms.

Im going to be in this community a long time, she said. Why not give it a try?

Politics in nonpartisan election races

While education has long been a battleground for the nations culture wars, the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement brought new scrutiny.

Maryland schools were among the last in the nation to reopen after the pandemics initial wave of lockdowns in 2020, with Baltimore County one of the last districts in the state to do so. Its school board members bickered over the decision, leaving some parents appalled by both the pace of the return to classrooms and the vitriol the topic engendered.

When reopening advocates announced in January 2021 that they had incorporated to form the parent coalition, its leaders pledged to identify viable candidates for school board seats in 2022.

Wed love to have involved parents whove really been paying attention this year to step up, said coalition leader Amy Adams. She became interested in local politics shortly after schools closed and packets of schoolwork were sent home for her children. That made her worry that there wasnt a plan for returning students to classrooms.

According to Maryland law, school board members are nonpartisan (they run for four-year terms in the general election in November, not in party primaries in July). .

Until recent years, the governor appointed local school board members. As counties transitioned to elected boards or a hybrid of members (some elected in districts within a county, others appointed at-large), high-profile races have been rare. Still, interest groups, such as teachers unions, have courted and endorsed candidates. Officials with the Maryland State Education Association, the umbrella union representing teachers, say local units determine whether to endorse candidates.

In principle, the goal of the coalition is to be nonpartisan, but the group is not perfect, Adams said.

We do have a lot of members who think alike, but we also have members who challenge that, and I appreciate that, she said.

The coalition is opposed to mask or vaccine mandates in schools. It has partnered, on occasion, with Republican groups or activists, such as the Reagan Club of Baltimore County and former Republican state delegate Pat McDonough of Baltimore County. He said he was inspired to help the coalition by an America First agenda he attributed to the Trump campaign.

The coalition established the Children 1st PAC in the fall to raise money to support school board campaigns. In an affidavit, the PAC notified the state in January that it had raised less than $1,000. The coalition hasnt endorsed any candidates and its leaders have not said whether they will do so.

At another meeting in Howard County last fall, about 70 people gathered in an Elkridge warehouse beneath signs that read Student Lives Over Political Lies. Speakers encouraged the unmasked audience to take a stand against the professional leadership of the county school system, which they described as infiltrated by communist thinking in the education departments of top universities.

A Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, Gordana Schifanelli, and Towson University professor Anthony Campbell told the nearly all-white audience that they didnt believe in structural racism and that teaching such a concept only divides people.

Schifanelli, a parent-turned-politician, described to the audience how she pushed to oust Andrea Kane as Queen Annes Countys superintendent after Kane wrote Black Lives Matter in an email to families with students in the Eastern Shore school system. Kane didnt seek to renew her contract when it expired last year.

Campbell, who is running for a seat on Baltimore County Council, said the wealth gap in the U.S. is the result of Black families buying houses in areas of high crime and poorly performing schools, which he called a self-inflicted wound. Audience members murmured, Yes. Black people were historically barred from predominantly white neighborhoods through discrimination and harmed by racist policies such as redlining, in which banks and insurers denied services to homebuyers in specific areas.

Willie Flowers, president of the NAACP in Howard County, said the statements at the Elkridge event take us back to 1950, and that is very unfortunate. Attacks like these result in people storming the U.S. Capitol and breaking into the school district headquarters in 2021. He referred to a burglary at the Ellicott City building the same evening as the riot in Washington; county police said surveillance video showed a white man breaking glass doors.

Calling the police over library books

Maryland Democrats foresee the possibility of a partisan shift in school boards in the next election if they cant encourage more centrist candidates to run. In Baltimore Countys 2018 election, candidates won with as few as 13,000 votes, meaning a few thousand motivated voters could control an outcome.

There is a significant opening and an alarm needs to be raised here, said Nick Stewart, a Democrat and former Baltimore County school board member. The question, he said, is whether levelheaded people who approach education from a nonpartisan perspective will be willing to enter the fray.

In Howard County, Kelly Klinefelter, part of the Howard Progressive Project, a recently founded nonprofit group, said she is concerned about the threat of what truly is a nationally funded conservative movement coming into Howard County under the guise of parent voice.

She believes the conservative activists want to teach an incomplete history of the United States and remove the rights of LGBTQ students. County conservatives recently filed a police report over the school systems use of the graphic novel Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. The county school system is waiting for a ruling from the Democratic states attorney on whether its a criminal matter before it reviews the books use.

Other books, such as those dealing with immigration issues, have led to debates in places like Queen Annes, according to Schifanelli.

Schools have been a political battleground during several periods in recent U.S. history, from the Red Scare of the 1950s, when communists were said to be indoctrinating children, to the 1990s, when the Christian right attempted to take control of school boards, said Melissa Deckman, professor of political science at Washington College.

But American suburban counties are diverse and harder for conservatives to win than they might have been in the past. Much, she said, will be determined by the context of the election in November, including the state of the economy nationwide and the pandemic.

The difference now is that you have parents who are at the end of their rope, she said. That general disgruntlement is fertile ground for folks on the right who are organizing.

____
People gather in a basement, used as a bomb shelter, during an air raid in Lviv, Western Ukraine, Saturday, March 19, 2022. Lviv has been a refuge since the war began nearly a month ago, the last outpost before Poland and host to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians streaming through or staying on. (Bernat Armangue/AP)

Russian forces pushed deeper into Ukraines besieged and battered port city of Mariupol on Saturday, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help.

The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the wars worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield advance for the Russians, who are largely bogged down outside major cities more than three weeks into the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II.

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Children, elderly people are dying. The city is destroyed and it is wiped off the face of the earth, Mariupol police officer Michail Vershnin said from a rubble-strewn street in a video addressed to Western leaders that was authenticated by The Associated Press.

Russian forces have already cut the city off from the Sea of Azov, and its fall would link Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, to territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in the east. It would mark a rare advance in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance that has dashed Russias hopes for a quick victory and galvanized the West.

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Ukrainian and Russian forces battled over the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraines interior minister, said Saturday. One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed, Denysenko said in televised remarks.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukraines president, said the nearest forces that could assist Mariupols defenders were already struggling against the overwhelming force of the enemy or at least 60 miles away.

There is currently no military solution to Mariupol, he said late Friday. That is not only my opinion, that is the opinion of the military.

Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelenskyy has remained defiant, appearing in a video early Saturday shot on the streets of the capital, Kyiv, to denounce a huge Friday rally in Moscow that Russian President Vladimir Putin attended.

Zelenskyy said Russia is trying to starve Ukraines cities into submission but warned that continuing the invasion would exact a heavy toll on Russia. He also repeated his call for Putin to meet with him to prevent more bloodshed.

The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russias costs will be so high that you will not be able to rise again for several generations, he said.

Putin lavished praise on his countrys military during the rally, which took place on the anniversary of Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea. The event included patriotic songs such as Made in the U.S.S.R., with its opening line of Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, its all my country.

We have not had unity like this for a long time, Putin told the cheering crowd.

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The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home, where Russian police have detained thousands of antiwar protesters.

Estimates of Russian deaths vary widely, but even conservative figures are in the low thousands. Russia had 64 deaths in five days of fighting during its 2008 war with Georgia. It lost about 15,000 in Afghanistan over 10 years, and more than 11,000 over years of fighting in Chechnya.

The Russian military said Saturday that it used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.

Russia has said the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to about 1,250 miles and flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Saturday the U.S. couldnt confirm that the Russians used a hypersonic missile in the attack.

Meanwhile, fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine. U.N. bodies have confirmed more than 847 civilian deaths since the war began, though they concede the actual toll is likely much higher. The U.N. says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees.

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Waiting to board a bus at a triage center near the Moldova-Ukraine border on Saturday, a Ukrainian woman named Irina said she decided to leave home in Mykolaiv this week after a loud explosion shook the walls, waking her young daughter.

Can you imagine the fear I had, not for me but for my child? said Irina, who didnt provide her last name. So we made decision to arrive here, but I dont know where we are going, where well stay.

The northwestern Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin and Moshchun were under fire on Saturday, the Kyiv regional administration reported. It said Slavutich, located 103 miles north of the capital, was completely isolated.

Police of the Kyiv region said seven people were killed and five were wounded in a mortar attack on Friday in Makariv, a town roughly 30 miles west of the capital. They said the attack destroyed homes and damaged other buildings.

Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish 10 humanitarian corridors for bringing aid in and residents out of besieged cities  one from Mariupol and several around Kyiv and in the eastern Luhansk region, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Saturday.

She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of Kherson, which Russia seized early in the war.

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Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict but remain divided over several issues, with Russia pressing for its neighbors demilitarization and Kyiv demanding security guarantees.

In a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Putin said Ukraine was trying to drag the negotiations by making a series of new, unrealistic proposals, according to the Kremlin.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, meanwhile, accused Putin of using the talks as a smokescreen while his forces regroup. We dont see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table, she told the Times of London.

The British Department of Defense said in its latest intelligence assessment that the Kremlin has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition that is likely to involve indiscriminate attacks.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during a Saturday visit to NATO ally Bulgaria, said the Russian invasion had stalled on a number of fronts but the U.S. had not yet seen signs that Putin was deploying additional forces.

Around Ukraine, hospitals, schools and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked.

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At least 130 people survived the Wednesday bombing of a Mariupol theater that was being used a shelter, but another 1,300 were believed to be still inside, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliaments human rights commissioner, said Friday.

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We pray that they will all be alive, but so far there is no information about them, Denisova told Ukrainian television.

Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed a long line of cars leaving Mariupol as people tried to evacuate. Zelenskyy said more than 9,000 people were able to leave Friday along a route that leads 141 miles away to the city of Zaporizhzhia  which is also under attack.

The governor of southern Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region, Oleksandr Starukh, announced a 38-hour curfew after two missile strikes on Zaporizhzhias suburbs killed nine people Friday.

Russian forces have fired on eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region in the past 24 hours, including Mariupol, Ukraines national police said Saturday.

The attacks with rockets and heavy artillery killed and wounded dozens of civilians, and damaged at least 37 residential buildings and facilities, including a school, a museum and a shopping center, it said.

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In the western city of Lviv, Ukraines cultural capital, which was hit by Russian missiles on Friday, military veterans were training dozens of civilians on how to handle firearms and grenades.

Its hard, because I have really weak hands, but I can manage it, said one trainee, 22-year-old Katarina Ishchenko.
BALTIMORE, MD  More Marylanders support local jurisdictions ending COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, and give their local health departments and Gov. Larry Hogan high marks on their handling of the pandemic, according to the latest Goucher Poll. Concern over contracting COVID-19 is in decline, as well.

On the environment, the poll released Monday shows residents see the most significant effects of climate change on sea level, wildlife and ecosystems, and weather patterns in Maryland.

The Goucher College Poll asked Maryland residents about the coronavirus, including their views on how state and local officials and the Centers for Disease Control have handled the pandemic, their concern for themselves or a close family member getting COVID-19, and the pace at which related mandates and restrictions are ending.

As we enter into the third year of the pandemic, our results suggest that Marylanders are ready for a return to normalcy and support their local jurisdictions ending the remaining mandates and restrictions, said Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College, in a news release. Getting COVID-19 remains a concern for many Marylanders, but the level of concern has waned.



Maryland and the Coronavirus

Over the last month, state and local jurisdictions have begun to lift remaining COVID-19 mandates. Nearly half of residents (44 percent) view the pace at which their local jurisdiction is generally moving to end all restrictions, including mask mandates, as about right.

Twenty-eight percent of residents think the pace to end all restrictions in their local jurisdiction is moving too quickly, and 25 percent say its moving too slowly," poll results show.

Maryland residents are divided in their levels of concern about personally getting COVID-19 or a close family member getting COVID-19: 53 percent are very or somewhat concerned, and 47 percent are not at all or a little concerned, a news release said. At this time last year, 71 percent of residents were very or somewhat concerned, and 29 percent were not at all or a little concerned.

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Marylanders generally approve of the way state and local leaders have handled the pandemic. Local health departments (71 percent) and Gov. Larry Hogan (70 percent) earn the highest approval from Marylanders, according to the poll.

Hogan earned his highest statewide approval on his handling of the pandemic (82 percent) in October 2020.

A majority of Maryland residents also approve of how the Maryland Department of Health (68 percent), their local elected officials (66 percent), and the Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly (58 percent) have handled the pandemic.

Residents are more divided in their evaluation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 55 percent approve of the job the CDC has done in handling the pandemic and 42 percent disapprove.

Impact of Climate Change

Residents were asked whether climate change was having a major, minor, or no impact on several items:

Rising sea levels and retreating shorelines

Major impact: 55 percent

Minor impact: 27 percent

No impact: 13 percent

Wildlife and ecosystems

Major impact: 54 percent

Minor impact: 27 percent

No impact: 14 percent

Extreme weather, such as floods, hurricanes, or long periods of unusually hot weather

Major impact: 54 percent

Minor impact: 26 percent

No impact: 18 percent

The fishing or agricultural industry

Major impact: 46 percent

Minor impact: 29 percent

No impact: 15 percent

Air quality

Major impact: 38 percent

Minor impact: 41 percent

No impact: 18 percent

Human health

Major impact: 40 percent

Minor impact: 40 percent

No impact: 16 percent

About the Goucher College Poll



Launched in 2012, the nonpartisan poll is funded by the Goucher College Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics. The center is directed by Dr. Mileah Kromer, associate professor of political science.

"We typically conduct our poll biannually," Kromer told Patch, usually in March and October.

"The reason we always pick those times is that we're an academic-based poll," Kramer said. "Students help me design the survey and analyze the results, so we pick times that work with the academic calendar."

March is in the midst of the legislative session, Kramer added, while October falls before elections.

See the complete Goucher Poll results.

Download the complete results, including methodology and question design. To view archived polls, visit www.goucher.edu/poll.



This article originally appeared on the Baltimore Patch
Volunteers guide cars through Saturday during the "Medical Cleanout" event at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center.

On Saturday, residents from across the city dropped off unwanted and outdated medications and sharps at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) to dispose of them safely.

Residents were able to conveniently drive up as volunteers assisted them with their unneeded items in this joint effort with the TTUHSC and Texas Panhandle Poison Center (TPPC).

Once the items were collected, a dedicated group of medical volunteers sorted through the medications to ensure all were sorted and disposed of properly.

TPPC Managing Director Jeanie Jaramillo-Stametz, who also is an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, spoke of the importance of helping get rid of these medications.

Texas Panhandle Poison Center Managing Director Jeanie Jaramillo-Stametz looks over a list of medications Saturday with graduate medical student Sumah Zoubi at the "Medication Cleanout" event.

Jaramillo-Stametz says old medications become potential sources of poisoning to young children or may be accessed by teens experimenting with drugs. The medications can also be a hazard to adults and the elderly, as they increase the risk of choosing the wrong bottle or taking medications that are no longer required.

"'Medication Cleanout' is a proactive approach to safeguard our communities by providing an accessible and convenient way for people to dispose of these medications in a legal, environmentally sound and convenient manner, Jaramillo-Stametz added.

Area medical volunteers sort through and obscure patient information on unwanted medication Saturday at the "Medication Cleanout" event..

In 2021, 46,992 medication-related poison exposures in children age 5 or younger were reported to poison centers; 72% of poison-related deaths reported to Texas poison centers resulted from exposure to prescription and/or over-the-counter medications.

Jaramillo-Stametz says the abuse of prescription medications continues to be a national epidemic. In 2021, 28,017 self-harm and/or suicidal gestures reported to Texas poison centers resulted from exposure to medications.

According to Jaramillo-Stametz, all medications received at the cleanout will have all identifying patient information marked off and all controlled substances separated.

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We want to protect peoples identity and information on the medications, Jaramillo- Stametz said. What is really nice is that we have all kinds of medical students getting the experience of working with each other and seeing the amount of medication that goes unused.

She also stressed that, unlike many larger cities, Amarillo does not have an effective system to dispose of sharps, such as medication needles, and events like this give people an effective way to rid themselves of these items.

Medical student volunteers sort through dropped-off medications Saturday, at the "Medication Cleanout" event.

Jaramillo-Stametz spoke of the dangers of unused medicines sitting in a household.

She said that storage could have a significant amount of effect on the usefulness of drugs with the variance in temperatures. Many people do not realize that vitamins can also become problematic once the expiration date passes.

As children get older, they are more likely to go to the medicine cabinet to experiment with drugs. We are keeping them safer by reducing access to these medications," Jaramillo-Stametz added.

For people who could not take advantage of the Medication Cleanout," which happens about every six months, Jaramillo-Stametz gave some options to get rid of unwanted medications that are available in the community.

She said that many pharmacies in the area have medication disposal kiosks that can be used to drop off medications. Consult your local pharmacy to see if these options are available.

For any questions on medications or disposal of these items, go to https://www.medicationcleanout.com/.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Medication Cleanout helps Amarillo residents dispose of old drugs
Mar. 19ST. PAUL  How Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's "public works" borrowing proposal for the Department of Natural Resources fares among lawmakers remains to be seen, but the need for the recommended funding definitely is there, DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen told the Grand Forks Herald this week.

With a state budget surplus pegged this week at $9.3 billion, the governor's proposal represents an opportunity to make a "once-in-a-generation" investment in DNR infrastructure and priorities, the commissioner said.

"It's an opportunity to do a couple things," Strommen said in a phone interview. "One, to recognize how important our natural resources and outdoor spaces and outdoor recreation experiences are to Minnesotans, and also to recognize that we haven't seen significant investment in those resources and spaces and experiences in quite some time."

Unveiled in January, Walz's $2 billion bonding bill for capital improvement projects around the state includes $316.8 million in proposed spending for the DNR.

The proposal includes $221.4 in capital bonding money for various construction projects, along with $81.5 million in supplemental funding for DNR-managed public lands to address climate change impacts and an additional $13.35 million to address effects of the 2021 drought on water and trees.

As explained on the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library website, the state often borrows money for capital improvement projects by issuing bonds, which then are repaid, with interest, at a later date.

About $110 million in the governor's proposal for the DNR would go toward preserving existing assets, such as degraded or failing buildings, boating accesses and bridges and trails.

"There are needs in our state parks, there are needs on trails, there are needs in our resources themselves  the lands and management of them," Strommen said. "And so, this package really is kind of well-rounded to make sure that we're investing in land acquisition, land and water restoration, other infrastructure on state lands, public water access, our hatcheries and more.

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"Those are a few of the primary needs."

Especially exciting, she says, is the $10 million proposal in the bonding bill and $10 million in the supplemental budget proposal that would fund public water access projects.

"We know, obviously, that recreational boating is a huge economic engine in Minnesota," Strommen said. "It's a $3.1 billion economic engine, and a lot of that economic benefit comes because we have this vast public water access system and infrastructure to serve boaters, anglers" and other users.

Minnesota has about 1,700 public water access sites around the state, many of which haven't seen an investment in quite some time, Strommen said. The proposed $20 million would help rehabilitate and repair sites that need it.

Specific to far northwest Minnesota, the governor's proposal includes contingency funding to supplement $20 million that lawmakers approved in the 2020 bonding bill for repairing the Lake Bronson Dam on the Two Rivers in Kittson County.

The supplemental funding would help cover any potential construction cost increases resulting from inflation or other factors, Strommen said.

"That has been a high priority project," she said. "It's a high-hazard dam. It has some considerable condition issues and that's been a really high priority to reconstruct that, and so we're glad to not only have the dollars from the 2020 bonding bill, but obviously, making sure we have contingencies in this bonding year to be able to get that project done.

"I think the plans have been in the works for more than 10 years so it will be good to get the final funding that's needed and get that project done."

Typical of bonding bills, Walz's public works proposal also includes money for flood hazard mitigation  in this case $20 million.

That money flows to the DNR, which in turn awards grants for qualifying local projects that help mitigate flood damage, Strommen said.

"That is incredibly important not only from a statewide perspective, but from many local perspectives," she said. "It's certainly one that is very closely watched in the northwest."

It's too soon to predict how the proposal will fare in the Legislature, but there seems to be strong support for certain components, such as public water access and hatchery improvements, Strommen says.

"Who doesn't want good quality fisheries in Minnesota?" she said.

Ultimately, she says, it will depend on how much of the budget surplus lawmakers want to spend, how much the Legislature will want to borrow in a bonding bill and what the priorities are.

In 2020, the governor recommended $262.3 million in bonding money for the DNR, and lawmakers ultimately approved $104.4 million, according to statistics from the Minnesota Management and Budget Office.

"We're certainly making the case that this is a real opportunity," Strommen said.

The needs have been especially apparent in the past couple of years, as people turn to the outdoors in record numbers for recreation and a healthy break from the stress of the pandemic and everything else going on, she says.

"Nature and the outdoors have played a really important part in that, and that was because the state has invested previously in those kinds of things," Strommen said. "We haven't seen that kind of investment for a long, long time, and so we feel really strongly that given what we're seeing, this is a real important opportunity and a critical opportunity to invest and reinvest, so that those opportunities are here for future generations."

Here's a look at Gov. Tim Walz's proposed bonding recommendations for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:

* Preserve existing assets: $110.8 million.

* Facility and infrastructure needs: $36.4 million.

* Public land acquisition and betterment: $15 million.

* Wildfire aviation infrastructure: $7.8 million.

* State land accessibility: $5 million.

* Dam repair, reconstruction or removal: $8 million.

* Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program: $20 million.

* Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park: $12 million.

* Parks and trails local regional grants: $1 million.

* Community tree planting grants: $5 million.
A heat wave is hitting near the North and South Poles.

It was 70 degrees warmer than average in a part of Antarctica, the land area around the South Pole, while areas of the Arctic are more than 50 degrees warmer than normal, scientists say.

Officials at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, have been watching the Arctic, which has been warming two to three times faster than the rest of the globe. It had been experiencing temperatures unusual for mid-March, as it is nearing or at the melting point, according to the center's senior research scientist Walt Meier.

Then near the South Pole, Antarctica weather stations recorded record-setting highs this week. Temperatures hit 10 degrees (-12.2 degrees Celsius) Friday  70 degrees above normal  at the Concordia station, which is two miles above sea level.

That same day temperatures hit 0 degrees at the even-higher Vostok station, beating the all-time record by about 27 degrees, according to a tweet from Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and extreme weather record tracker.

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Extraordinary anomalies in #Antarctica lead to historic records today:

-Vostok 3489m -17.7C,monthly record beaten by nearly 15C !

-Concordia 3234m -12.2C,highest Temp. on records and about 40C above average !

-Dome C II 3250m -10.1C

-D-47 1560m -3.3C

-Terra Nova Base 74S +7.0C pic.twitter.com/w6Ry4Dy4wz  Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) March 18, 2022

They are opposite seasons. You dont see the North and the South (poles) both melting at the same time, Meier told The Associated Press Friday evening. Its definitely an unusual occurrence.

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The Vostok temperature marks the March record since data has began to be collected 65 years ago, Stefano Di Battista, a researcher who has published Antarctic climate studies, told The Washington Post, which first reported the warm Antarctic temperatures.

In about 65 record years in Vostok, between March and October, values above -30C (-86 degrees Fahrenheit) were never observed, he told the Post.

On Friday, the Arctic as a whole was 6 degrees warmer than was normal from 1979-2000, according to the University of Maines Climate Reanalyzer, based on U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration weather models. The Antarctic continent was about 8.6 degrees warmer, it found. By comparison, the world as a whole was only 1.1 degrees (0.6 degrees Celsius) above the 1979 to 2000 average.

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Meier and University of Wisconsin meteorologist Matthew Lazzara say the Antarctica heat wave is a rare occurrence rather than a significant sign of climate change. What likely happened was a big atmospheric river pumped in warm and moist air from the Pacific southward, Meier said.

However, if this persists, then it would be something to worry about. Not a good sign when you see that sort of thing happen, Lazzara told the Associated Press.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High temperatures at North, South polls: Antarctica 70 above normal
The author is a 30-year-old lawyer living in Kyiv. Prior to the Russian invasion, he practiced law and most recently worked at the National Bank of Ukraine. He is now volunteering with a humanitarian aid organization dedicated to supporting Ukraines military and territorial defense forces. His family is now in the west of the country.

KYIV, Ukraine  The war caught up with my family in Bucha.

The town, some 20 miles northwest of Kyiv, is on the main highway to the west and then to Poland. We thought it was an ideal location to send my family if things started heating up in the capital, Kyiv, where I normally live. So my grandmothers, mother, sister and I felt prepared when the Russians invaded.

But war doesnt care about your logistical plans. The Russians chose to begin their offensive in Hostomel, an airfield 3 miles away.

So, on the second day, we were surrounded, with explosions hitting on all four sides of the house belonging to my fathers mother.

We still believed that as unarmed civilians, we would not become targets. We were wrong.

On the third day, our electricity, internet and cellphones were cut off. We were blindfolded.

Blasts sounded continuously. From time to time, after particularly loud blasts, the sky over Hostomel and Kyiv turned crimson.

After a few days, the author and his family began to live in the basement of the house in Bucha where it was 41 to 44.6 Fahrenheit. (Dmytro Tkachuk)

Early morning was the time for fighter jets. Every time I heard their low, loud whistle, a voice in my head whispered that a bomb would fall on our house.

We had food to last us about a week, so every few days we went out in search of provisions. The shops were closed, but sometimes we got lucky. One day, a local market distributed leftover food; I watched hundreds of people trying to snatch up a pack of tea or an orange.

At the beginning of March, we went outside to get water from the pump station. We walked to the end of the street and came across Russian armored vehicles with V painted on them. Two Russian soldiers stood nearby, staring at us.

Without blinking, we slowly turned around and went back home. My mind was paralyzed by fear, but my body moved. The next day, we still had to go for water because there was no other way.

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We began to live in the basement of the house, where it was 5 to 7 degrees Celsius (41 to 44.6 Fahrenheit).

Then on March 5, an enemy tank entered our street, shot a home across from us, and then aimed at a church dome. The noise was as if all the bells of the world were ringing in one moment. I dont know how our windows withstood the attack.

From the top floor of our house, we watched a nearby apartment building in flames.

Columns of soldiers with white armbands started roaming the streets, walking in groups of five to seven about 3 feet apart.

That is when we realized that we couldnt stay.

My sister, Maryna, 28, and I sat down at the kitchen table with our grandmothers, Liuba, 74, and Nina, 83, to try and convince them to leave. At first, they refused  my maternal grandmother Nina had lived in Bucha all her life. These were some of the most intense negotiations in my life but somehow we convinced them.

Image: Kyiv, Ukraine (Serhii Nuzhnenko / AP)

The next morning, we went outside. Neighbors saw us, and understood without words. They said that they were coming too. So then there were seven, plus Chip, our Yorkshire terrier.

We left behind the house that my late grandfather built with his own hands. My mother, Lyudmyla, and grandmother Nina knew every path and tree. We walked through places where we had learned to swim to reach Irpin some 5 miles away where the explosions were the loudest.

My mother was very worried that the march would kill my grandmothers. I thought a random missile would destroy us.

And so we walked and walked. We crept through the bushes and off roads until we finally saw a Ukrainian checkpoint. This meant that we had managed to get around the enemy and leave the city, leaving occupied Bucha behind.

At the entrance to Irpin, we were met by the Ukrainian territorial defense. When I saw a blue and yellow handkerchief on a soldiers hand, my legs swayed with relief.

But a new disappointment was waiting in Irpin  there was no communication and no transportation. Many buildings were destroyed.

We saw broken kitchens, remnants of bedrooms, wallpaper in nurseries, pieces of mirrors in bathrooms. We thought about the residents of these apartments. Buildings were ablaze, bodies were lying on the ground.

We had nowhere else to go. We could not stay in Irpin. And so we went on.

The grandmothers were exhausted. I think the only thing that kept them on their feet was a desire to survive. But soon Liuba wasnt able to walk -- she had walked close to 10 miles and just couldnt go on unaided.

We approached Irpins last checkpoint. After that, there was a field, a road and a bridge over the river. There were several dozen houses behind the bridge, which made up the village of Romanivka. If there were evacuation buses, they had to be there. My home was there.

Down! a soldier shouted. We fell to the ground and I heard the familiar whistling. 3. 2. 1. Explosion.

As soon as we came to a field, shells hit houses on both sides of the bridge. Everything lit up, and the sky was covered with black smoke. Just as we left the checkpoint and had nowhere to hide, my grandmother Liubas legs finally surrendered  she just couldnt walk anymore.

My sister and I took her by the arms and started dragging her behind us  Liuba in one hand, and a bag with all our valuables in the other.

Again a whistling sound. We fell to the ground, the shell slammed into a house somewhere to our left. I got up, grabbed my grandmother, picked up my sister and ran again. My mom, my other grandmother and neighbors ran ahead toward the bridge.

Another whistle, and a few seconds later another missile hit the bridge. Grandma shouted that we should leave her and run to the bridge by ourselves. We ignored her and kept on going.

I dont know how we got there. I remember the military standing there, waving at us to run. When we finally arrived, we were not allowed across the river  the military made it clear that another missile could hit at any moment

We were so close to Kyiv. Some hundreds of meters to our home. Another whistle, and this time two shells hit the field to our right.

I stood under the bridge, watching people tremble and cry.

The author waited under a bridge for a chance to cross into Kyiv. (Dmytro Tkachuk)

Russia had made me a refugee in my own home. Moreover, it wants to bury me on my own land. Something clicked in me at that moment, a powerful internal protest. I started repeating to myself that I was not going to die there. Not today. Not near Irpin. And not from the Russians.

The military signaled that we should move to the river. My sister and I carried our grandmother across on a thin board.

Just not a shell, please, I repeated to myself.

Step by step, step by step and we were finally on the other shore.

A bus approached us. There was almost no space, so I pushed my grandmother on, closed the door, and ran toward the checkpoint.

I ran, and my sister and a number of strangers were running nearby. In front was a Ukrainian checkpoint. Two girls in military uniforms stood behind and waved. Fifty meters, 45 meters. 40 meters. 30. 20. 10. It seemed to me that this would never end.

An ordinary passenger bus arrived. My mother, grandmother and our neighbors were already sitting inside.

I watched my mother pull out our little Yorkie, which she had carried under her jacket from Bucha. I looked at both my grandmothers. I looked out the window. When we got to Kyiv, I cried.
Mar. 19ASHLAND  An Ohio man has been convicted in Ashland federal court on a kidnapping and rape that occurred back in July 2020 in Greenup County.

Charles Glorioso, 53, of Portsmouth, was convicted Wednesday following a three-day trial in federal court on charges of kidnapping and violating the Mann Act (raping someone across state lines). When Glorioso faces sentencing on June 27, he could face up to life in prison.

Glorioso was originally tried alongside his co-defendant Nathan T. Welch back in December 2021. Welch was convicted, but Glorioso's case resulted in a hung jury.

The two men kidnapped a woman at knifepoint in Portsmouth, after the victim agreed to drive them around to score either drugs or prostitutes. After subduing the victim and taking her car, they drove over to the South Shore area where federal court records show they raped her at knifepoint.

Both men were living at a homeless shelter in Portsmouth at the time of the incident and were convicted felons.

The victim was able to get away and walked back with only one shoe to Portsmouth, where she reported the rape.

During the questioning by authorities following the incident, Welch denied any involvement while Glorioso said he fled after witnessing Welch rape the victim.

(606) 326-2653  henry@dailyindependent.com
WASHINGTON  The historic confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court kick off Monday morning. They will last four days, during which the 22 Senate Judiciary committee members will scrutinize and dissect Jackson's character and record. That will be followed by a vote on her confirmation by all 100 senators.

But nobody questioning Jackson or voting on her appointment will look like her. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

The Senate has no Black women. The only possible opportunity for a Black woman to vote on the historic nomination is if Vice President Kamala Harris is called on to provide a tie-breaking vote.

More: Black women activists prepare to rally for Ketanji Brown Jackson, Bidens historic Supreme Court pick

Jackson's nomination has shed light not only on the absence of Black women on the high court, but also in Congress' upper chamber. Harris served in the Senate until she was sworn in as the first woman, first African American, and Asian American vice president in 2021. The only other Black woman to serve in the Senate  Democrat Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois  served a single term from 1993 to 1999. Both former senators were members of the Judiciary Committee.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson meets with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the senior member of the Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Judge Jackson's confirmation hearing starts March 21. If confirmed, she would be the court's first Black female justice. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ORG XMIT: DCSA121

More: For Black women judges like Jackson, blazing a trail has meant opportunity, scrutiny

That could change come November.

Four Black women are running for Senate this year. Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in North Carolina, current Rep. Val Demings in Florida, and attorney Morgan Harper in Ohio make up the Democratic field. On the GOP front, veteran Kathy Barnette is running in the Pennsylvania primary, but has not garnered the same attention or support as the frontrunners in that race.

The Black women running for Senate

While Harper still faces a competitive primary, Beasley and Demings are running as the odds-on favorites to win their nominations and advance to the November election, a major accomplishment in two of the top Democratic battlegrounds for seats now held by Republicans.

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More: Pennsylvania, Arizona, Alabama: the Senate primary races to watch in 2022

"I don't think that we can underestimate the fact that they have cleared the field already, that is monumental," said Stefanie Brown James, co-founder of The Collective PAC, an organization working to elect Black candidates.

Brown James argues the fact that the candidates have done so is especially notable because a lack of generational wealth networks makes it harder for Black candidates to raise sufficient campaign funding, and because Black candidates are often not as embedded in the state or local political party structure.

"Black voters, Black women especially, understand whats at stake in this upcoming election," Jessica Knight Henry, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's chief diversity and inclusion officer, told USA Today. "They are the core of the Democratic Party and a crucial group for our success in the general election."

"Candidates who can communicate effectively with voters and work to solve the unique issues facing communities of color are critical to protecting and expanding Democrats Senate majority," she said.

The fact that there are no Black women in the entire Senate to vote on Jackson's nomination isn't lost on the Black women running for a seat in the chamber.

"The diversity of perspectives that she will bring to the court is important, just like the diversity of perspectives that a diverse Senate brings is important," Demings said in an interview with USA Today.

In a statement, Beasley said "Representation matters  and from the state legislature to the Supreme Court to the U.S. Senate, we are all better served when our institutions reflect the diversity and experiences of our nation."

Beasley was the first African American woman to serve as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Her campaign did not make her available for an interview despite repeated requests. Citing Beasley's busy schedule, her campaign instead provided a written statement.

Jackson's confirmation hearing highlights greater lack of diversity

"The fact that we're going to have this historic nomination and choice made by one of the most preeminent bodies in the country, and there will be no black woman to raise her vote for this Black woman to be our next Supreme Court justice is really a travesty," Brown James said.

More: Review of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's opinions shows outcomes cut both ways

"There is a link between us as Black women in this country, in our lived experience. For that perspective to not be raised in the questioning is definitely something that's missing," she added.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson meets with Sen/ Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Washington.

Supporters of Jackson fear that her identity as a Black woman will lead to undue attacks and criticism during the hearing.

Last month, a group of 14 Black Congresswomen including Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, wrote a public letter to President Joe Biden commending him for pledging to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court as critics accused the president of implementing a "quota" system.

Rep. Cori Bush speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on April 22, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., led the response. On Thursday, Bush told reporters that she and the rest of the Congressional Black Caucus have been looking into potential lines of attack on Jackson and planning how to best promote her nomination.

"We plan to support her on social media, in person, however we can be there for her," Bush said.

The need for Black representation in the Senate is underscored by the confirmation process, members say, but extends far beyond this week's proceedings.

More: What's next for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson? A high-profile confirmation process

"The Senate certainly does not suffer from too much diversity," Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., told USA Today.

"I think we need diversity in all levels of our government and that the people are well served by people who bring both the depth of experience and expertise, but also perspective," said Warnock, one of only three sitting Black senators. "I'm grateful that we have an opportunity in this historic moment."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters alongside, from left, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., during a press conference regarding the Democratic party's shift to focus on voting rights at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.

"I think things are lost by us not having diversity in the United States Senate," said Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who is currently the only Black member on the Senate Judiciary Committee. As a member of the committee, he will be able to question Jackson during the hearing.

More: What's next for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson? A high-profile confirmation process

The only Black woman in the room

"When you have Judge Jackson go before the U.S. Senate, in the committee conversations, there's no one in the room that's asking her the questions that she can look into her eyes and say 'sis, I see you seeing me,' and just have that feeling of not being the only one in the room, and I think we undervalue what that presence means to us," Brown James said. "I think that's a tremendous loss for this circumstance right now."

More: Supreme Court fight shows why Americans have such a hard time talking about equity for Black women

"The bottom line is, I've been the only woman or Black woman in the room on many occasions," Demings said, referencing her experience as Orlando's first female police chief.

She emphasized how her background would inform her work if she is able to defeat incumbent GOP Sen. Marco Rubio in November.

"I grew up for Black and female in the South," Demings said. "I remember being told by vicious people as a child, that I wasn't the right color. I wasn't the right gender, I probably would amount to nothing."

More: 'It's time': Black women rally for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson in Washington

"I will be a senator with all of the rights and privileges of the other 99 U.S. senators, but I will bring my experiences and my perspective as a woman, and as a Black woman," she said.

"Whether I'm there alone  I pray I am not, because I am rooting and pulling for Cheri Beasley  or not, I will get to the Senate, take my oath to heart, and do my job to make the world a better place and level the playing field for people who are willing to work hard and play by the rules and deserve a fair shot, like Judge Brown Jackson," Demings added.

Demings said that she and Beasley have been in contact throughout their campaigns and have compared their experiences.

"We do believe there is a seat at the table for both of us," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court: Jackson hearing shows lack of Black women senators
Ukrainian refugees from the city of Dnipro have been sheltering in Warsaw, Poland, while awaiting a flight to Israel. Temples in Canada and Palm Beach raised more than $72,000 to charter a plane for the refugees.

A pair of Palm Beach temples is helping to support Ukrainian refugees who have fled their country amid a nearly month-long Russian military operation.

Palm Beach Synagogue and Temple Emanu-El of Palm Beach have turned to their congregants and members of the community to provide assistance to some of the more than three million refugees who have fled war-torn Ukraine since Feb. 24.

Temple Emanu-El, at 190 N. County Road, has partnered with The Song Shul in Toronto, Canada, to raise money for a charter plane to transport refugees to Israel from their temporary shelter in Poland.

More: Ukraine Relief Fund gets new matching grants totaling $150,000 from 3 Palm Beach couples

Named "Operation Esther" after Queen Esther, a Persian queen who risked her life to save the Jewish people from destruction around 479 B.C., the initiative raised more than $72,000 to fly 190 Jewish Ukrainians from Warsaw to Israel.

The refugees fled their homes in Dnipro, Ukraine, last week following repeated Russian airstrikes. They were among hundreds of Jewish refugees who left the central Ukrainian city.

Some fled to Poland, while others traveled to Moldova and Hungary, said Aliza Spiro, who runs The Song Shul. Spiro's sister, Dvora Callahan, is Temple Emanu-El's membership vice president.

Spiro said she and her husband were looking for a meaningful way to help Ukrainian refugees, and they agreed that chartering a plane to fly them to Israel was the most appropriate option.

Palm Beach Synagogue Rabbi Moshe Scheiner (right, dressed in a Purim costume), welcomed Rabbi Levi Stambler (second from right) and his family to a Peace, Love & Purim event Wednesday. Stambler and his family fled Ukraine amid continued Russian bombardment of their hometown.

"We were approached by so many different causes," Spiro said Thursday. "They were all worthy, but we were never quite sure where the money was going to go. We were looking for something a little more concrete. This seemed to fit the bill. It's saving lives by getting people out of danger."

Spiro said her congregants enthusiastically supported the initiative, as did those from Temple Emanu-El after Callahan presented it to them.

In less than a week, the temples raised more than $72,000 for Operation Esther. The money will go toward chartering a plane for the refugees through Tel Aviv-based Israir Airlines, Spiro said.

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As of Thursday afternoon, the refugees remained in Warsaw as they continued to complete the necessary paperwork to enter Israel, but Spiro said they were expected to depart in a few days.

"They flew the Israeli team to Warsaw to process all of the entry paperwork while the refugees were still in Warsaw," Spiro said. "That way, by the time they get on the plane, they're completely cleared. They will take off, they will land, and it will be smooth entry into their new country."

With Operation Esther about to conclude, Spiro and Callahan said they will begin to look for a new project to fund.

Their goal is to find something as distinct as their previous initiative.

"This has resonated with so many people, because this was very specific," Spiro said of Operation Esther. "We weren't just throwing money at Ukrainian refugees. By targeting a very specific project like this, I think it helped people feel much better about how they were giving."

To assist Temple Emanu-El's fundraising efforts, visit www.tepb.org/.

Palm Beach Synagogue, at 120 N. County Road, also has stepped up to aid Ukrainian refugees.

In addition to raising more than $75,000 Wednesday night for a temple in Kamyanske, Ukraine  its rabbi, Levi Stambler, fled the country with his family and is living temporarily in West Palm Beach  the synagogue is supporting a variety of other causes.

They include the JCC of Kamyanske, Ukraine; and a fund to support Jewish refugees from Zaporizhzia, Ukraine. Donations are welcome, the synagogue said.

Palm Beach Synagogue congregants also have flown to Poland to assist in relief efforts, Rabbi Moshe Scheiner said, and the synagogue has held phone calls with Jewish leaders in Ukraine, Moldova and Poland to offer support.

"We're raising funds to help Jews get out of Ukraine, but we also want to help with refugees," Scheiner said. "We had the head of the Moldova Jewish community speak with the synagogue this week. We also had a rabbi from Krakow, Poland, do a Zoom with us.

"We're just trying to do what we can, like everyone else. We're trying to pray and do good deeds. We believe our spiritual needs have great power as well."

Jodie Wagner is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

@JRWagner5

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach temples organizing relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees
Mar. 19Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow said his department used ballistic evidence to connect the man accused of the shooting of a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper to the shooting of a local man a week prior.

Police say almost a year after the murder of Dustin Rodgers, 28, of Elkhart, DeArthur Pinson Jr., of Palestine is believed to be the shooter in both cases.

Pinson was accused of shooting and killing Texas State Trooper Chad Walker March 26, 2021 in Limestone County before fleeing and taking his own life.

Harcrow said the Rodgers case is now closed due to the death of the suspect.

Rodgers was killed and his 6-year-old son, injured in a shooting March 20, 2021 in Palestine.

Palestine police responded to the shooting around Spring and Magnolia Streets where they found a truck stopped in the road. Rodgers was shot in the torso and his son suffered a gunshot wound to the foot. Rodgers' wife and daughter were also in the vehicle, but were uninjured.

Rodgers and his son were taken to Palestine Regional Medical Center where Rodgers passed away from his injuries and his son was treated and released.

Based on witness statements, the gunfire came from another vehicle also traveling on Spring Street. According to police, the circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown.

One week later, Pinson was accused of shooting Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Walker around 7:45 p.m. March 26, 2021 in Limestone County.

Walker stopped to assist Pinson, in an apparently disabled vehicle, west of Mexia, about 75 miles southeast of Dallas, according to the statement from DPS regional director Todd Snyder. Walker had not come to a stop behind the vehicle on the shoulder of the roadway when Pinson got out of the vehicle and opened fire, Snyder said.

Walker was taken to a local hospital where he died April 1, 2021 from his injuries.
Bethalto police were investigating the theft of an ATM Friday morning from Associated Bank on Texas Ave.

Suspects tethered the ATM to a pickup truck and drove off with it in tow, St. Louis television station Fox 2 reported.

Police found the ATM abandoned on a street along with the pickup truck. It did not look like the suspects had managed to steal any money, though the ATM was destroyed, Chief Mike Dixon told Fox 2.

Police said they were searching for at least three suspects.

ATMs can weigh more than 1,000 pounds, according to ATM sales and repair company TestLink.
Court stock photo.

The city of Poulsbo agreed to pay $2 million to the six children of Stonechild Chiefstick to settle a lawsuit alleging negligence, inadequate training and excessive force by police in the fatal shooting in July 2019.

The civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court, approved Friday, followed a Kitsap County Sheriff's Office-led investigation by the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team.

The investigation was used as the basis for the declination of criminal charges against the officer who shot and killed Chiefstick, Craig Keller. An internal review of the shooting found Keller followed department policy. Keller remains employed with the department.

Witness statements included in the investigation said they saw Chiefstick lunge at Keller with a weapon in his hand  a screwdriver  before Keller fired, hitting Chiefstick. Chiefstick, 39, died on the way to the hospital. The fireworks display took place as planned.

Chiefstick was a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy Reservation in Montana from his fathers side, and his mother is a Cowichan from Duncan, British Columbia, the attorney for the children wrote in a statement.

Keller had probable cause to arrest Chiefstick for felony assault, police said, after a person in the crowd gathered to watch the city's Third of July fireworks display told police Chiefstick had lunged at a person with a screwdriver.

An autopsy and blood tests found Chiefstick had alcohol and meth in his system. He had drawn the attention of police before the shooting after others in the crowd had complained about his behavior. At one point officers offered him the services of a medic. One of the interactions was captured on an officer's body camera.

The lawsuit originally named the city of Poulsbo, Keller and the leaders in the department at the time, including Troy Grossman, deputy police chief, and Dan Schoonmaker, who was police chief at the time. Schoonmaker has since retired and is now the city's parks director.

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"The settlement provides some solace," the attorney for Chiefstick's children, Gabe Galanda, said in a prepared statement. "It signals that the life of Stonechild Chiefstick was of meaning and purpose."

This settlement is part of accountability. It sends a message across this county that law enforcement must prioritize the preservation of life, Trishandra Pickup, a Suquamish Tribal member and mother to four of Stonechilds children, said in the prepared statement. It also says that Stoneys life stood for something and that all Indigenous lives matter.

Stonechild Chiefstick

A statement from the Suquamish Tribe said the tribe is encouraged that Chiefstick's children and the city reached a settlement.

"This is a step toward mending our relationship with the city and the community," the statement said.

County Prosecutor Chad Enright, who issued a detailed statement when declining to file criminal charges, said he was unable to comment on the question of whether the settlement indicated the investigation was deficient, as the office was not involved in the civil case.

The lawsuit alleged that some of the officers involved in attempting to arrest Chiefstick were not equipped with non-lethal weapons and that there was no "plan, tactic, strategy, or communication on how to approach" Chiefstick at the event.

The lawsuit claimed that Keller grabbed Chiefstick from behind without issuing a clear command and that Chiefstick tried to "de-escalate" the situation by telling officers to "chill out." The lawsuit quotes a witness saying that the screwdriver Chiefstick was holding went through the air, leaving him unarmed.

The city issued a statement on Friday, saying, "We recognize the deep pain the Chiefstick family and tribal members have suffered, and we regret and empathize with their loss. We hope this settlement will help the family and our respective communities begin to heal and move forward with mutual respect."

When contacted Friday afternoon by the Kitsap Sun, Mayor Becky Erickson declined to comment.

The settlement is the second U.S. District Court lawsuit to settle since October for a fatal law enforcement shooting in Kitsap County.

In October, Pierce County agreed to pay $3.5 million the family of a man mortally wounded in 2017, Brent Heath, following a chase from Key Peninsula to Port Orchard. A Pierce County sheriff's deputy who chased Heath, Carl Shanks, shot Heath in the head after Heath's car had been disabled. He died about a year later. Kitsap prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Shanks.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Poulsbo to pay Chiefstick children $2 million in lawsuit settlement
Ukrainian President Volodyrmyr Zelenskyy seen on March 10, 2022. Office of the President of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has called for peace talks with Moscow, in a new video address.

He warned that, if there were none, Russia will take "several generations to recover" from the losses.

UK intelligence has stated that the Russian advance on Ukraine had "largely stalled on all fronts."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for comprehensive peace talks with Russia to halt its invasion, warning that Ukrainian retaliation would take Russia "several generations" to recover.

"I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting. It is time to talk," he said. "The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover," Zelenskyy said in a video address, according to Reuters.

Despite harrowing images from Ukraine showing besieged cities and a refugee crisis, Russia has been surprised by the strength of the Ukrainian opposition, with Putin's attacks on cities in an attempt to target Ukrainian morale.

UK intelligence recently stated that the Russian advance on Ukraine had "largely stalled on all fronts," with US intelligence suggesting that 7,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in the fighting.

Russian forces have continued to lay waste to cities and towns across Ukraine, with Mairupol  a city in southeastern Ukraine  seeing its maternity hospitals, cinemas, steel plants, and homes obliterated.

Writing on Telegram, the regional governor of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk religion, Serhiy Gaiday, announced that a humanitarian corridor for evacuations would open on Saturday.

Several humanitarian corridors and ceasefire previously agreed with the Russians, including in the besieged Mariupol, but they have failed repeatedly.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, sane and "in better shape than ever", his close ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS.

"He and I haven't only met as heads of state, we're on friendly terms," Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview shared by state news agency BelTA. "I'm absolutely privy to all his details, as far as possible, both state and personal."

Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging post for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Western leaders have suggested Putin made a costly miscalculation by launching the military assault on Ukraine, where Russian forces have taken heavy losses and their advance has largely stalled despite their apparent superiority.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested Putin is being "irrational" and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has described him as "totally paranoid".

But Lukashenko dismissed the notion that Putin, who is 69, was not at the height of his powers.

"The West, and you, should get this stupidity, this fiction out of your heads," he told the interviewer.

"Putin is absolutely fit, he's in better shape than ever ... This is a completely sane, healthy person, physically healthy - he's an athlete."

"As they say here - he'll catch a cold at all our funerals."

Lukashenko also bemoaned the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. The theme is one Putin has frequently discussed, not least when he suggested in speeches before the invasion that Ukraine was an artificial construct and an "inalienable part" of Russian history and culture.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union is a tragedy," Lukashenko said. "If the Soviet Union had survived to this day, we could have avoided all sorts of conflicts in the world...

"While the USSR existed, the world was multipolar and one pole balanced the other," he said. "Now the reason for what's happening in the world is unipolarity - the monopolisation of our planet by the United States of America."

(Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Helen Popper)
US House of Representatives

Rep. Don Young of Alaska has died at age 88.

The Republican served as Alaska's only member of the US House of Representatives.

He was first elected in 1973 and was elected to his 25th term in 2020.

Rep. Don Young, Alaska's lone representative and the longest-serving member of the current Congress, has died, his office announced in a statement on Friday.

Young, a Republican, was 88 and currently serving as the Dean of the House. He was first elected to Congress in a special election in 1973 and was re-elected in 2020 to serve his 25th term as Alaska's only member of the US House of Representatives.

"It's with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young (R-AK), the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved. His beloved wife Anne was by his side," the statement from his office said.

Young was on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle when he went unconscious, former Chief of Staff Jack Ferguson told Anchorage Daily News, adding Young could not be resuscitated. Details about the cause of death were not immediately known.

Young represented Alaska, which become a state in 1959, for most of its existence. He was the longest-serving Republican in House history, a record he set in 2019. He was also the oldest member of the current Congress, across both the House and the Senate.

The congressman was at times called Alaska's "third senator," given the state has only one representative in addition to its two senators. He was a staunch proponent of Alaska's oil and logging industries, and an opponent of environmental causes and regulations.

Tributes to the late Congressman were shared online following the news of his death.

"The first time we spoke, Don Young cheerfully informed me that I was the 17th secretary he'd dealt with at DOT," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a tweet. "Our politics weren't the same, but it was always a pleasure working with him. A true character, he shaped US infrastructure in many ways, and will be deeply missed."

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota also tweeted a tribute to Young, writing: "His fiercely independent voice for Alaska and one of a kind wit and character will be missed. Rest in peace, Don."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

Donald Trumps notoriously belligerent non-disclosure agreements have suffered another legal blow. Its the third such loss in the last year, and further proof of an important fact: The supposedly ironclad contracts arent worth the paper theyre written on.

According to documents filed earlier this month in a private New York arbitration proceeding, the Trump campaign has been ordered to pay more than $350,000 in legal costs after trying to enforce what three rulings have now established as an unenforceable document.

Its the latest in a series of failed attempts to silence or penalize former aides who have crossed the former president. And in this case, Trump can chalk the loss up to his own vindictiveness.

Trumps case targeted 2016 campaign staffer Alva Johnson, who sued him in 2019 for trying to kiss her while also alleging gender and racial pay discrimination. The lawsuit was dismissed, but Trump didnt let it rest. Instead, the campaign sued Johnson in arbitration for allegedly violating the terms of the NDA she was required to sign.

Trumps Sprawling Use of NDAs Now Threatens to Humiliate Him

But even though Johnson lost the initial lawsuit, the arbitratorretired federal magistrate Victor Bianchiniagreed with two other Trump NDA decisions last year: The campaign contract was vague and unenforceable.

Trump, of course, has wielded NDAs with imperious delight, dating back to his days on set at his NBC reality game show. In addition to the intimidation factor, NDAs also offer certain procedural advantages, particularly for a thin-skinned litigant like Trump.

Unlike civil court, NDA arbitration cases are often private, allowing Trump to keep sensitive documents sealed and resolve disputes quietly, with little risk of embarrassment or public admission of wrongdoing. (The campaign first deployed NDAs specifically to stop media leaks, and the Trump administrations NDA program included a slideshow threatening interns with criminal prosecution and a cartoon image of a jailhouse.)

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But three recent judgments, including Johnsons, have exposed fundamental flaws in the agreements, potentially exposing the former presidents secretssecrets hes tried to keep private, perhaps for years.

This may create more problems for Trump, because the campaigns NDA was essentially a Xerox of the contract he foisted on Trump Organization employees and White House aides.

Jordan Libowitz, communications director for watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told The Daily Beast that Trumps NDAs serve primarily to intimidate would-be whistleblowers, and that he was glad to see the campaigns case tossed.

In recent years, weve seen NDAs with overbearing non-disparagement clauses pop up on presidential campaigns. They serve mainly to silence allegations of wrongdoing. Its a good thing that the Trump campaigns NDA was found to be unenforceable, Libowitz said.

Judge Invalidates Trumps 2016 Campaign NDA

Wed hope that Trump learns a lesson from this, but learning lessons has never been something hes excelled at, he added, a nod to Trumps other two known NDA lossesto former campaign staffer and White House adviser Omarosa Manigault-Newman, and former campaign aide Jessica Denson.

Those cases played a pivotal role in Johnsons dispute, according to one of her attorneys, Hassan Zavareei, of Tycko & Zavareei LLP.

The campaigns case hinged largely on the previous court ruling against Johnson, where a federal judge in Florida, after viewing video of the alleged kissing incident, scrapped her charge that Trumps advances on her in an RV on the campaign trail constituted battery.

The judge, citing Johnsons own contradictory statements about Trump, called her accusation political, and, while stopping short of finding her in bad faith, hinted that, given the evidence, she would be wise not to press the case further.

The campaign told the arbiter that this should land a ruling in their favor. And, according to Johnsons lawyer, the arbiter, Bianchini, appeared open to it. Bianchini even noted the incident in his final ruling, writing that that no reasonable person who saw the video of the RV incident would see anything improper, and concluded that Johnsons battery allegations were false.

But then came the Denson and Manigault-Newman victories.

Initially, Bianchini denied our first motion to dismiss, but then Denson filed her lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, and made the same arguments that we had, Zavareei told The Daily Beast. So we refiled our motion, and he agreed with the judges reasoning in the Denson decision, changed his mind, and dismissed the campaigns complaint.

Bianchini handed down that decision in November, about a month after the Manigault-Newman ruling, though it was not publicly known until now. In concurring with the other casesneither of which established binding legal precedentBianchini found that the confidentiality and non-disclosure terms in Johnsons NDA were vague and unenforceable.

Trump Confirms Niece Mary Trump Signed Nondisclosure Agreement

The core problem, Zavareei said, is that, essentially, Trump gets to decide everything.

He gets to decide whats embarrassing, whats confidential, who it applies to, Zavareei explained, noting that, according to the terms as theyre written, Trump could invoke the NDA over pretty much any perceived slight, for perpetuity.

You cant have an agreement that binds your speech in the future and doesnt give you any real notice about what you can and cant say, for something you dont even know youve entered into, he said.

Bianchini, citing the unique history of the case, allowed both parties to argue for damages, eventually siding with Johnson. On March 10, he ordered the campaign to pay $303,285 for Johnsons legal costs, along with $2,950 to the American Arbitration Association and another $43,948 for his own compensation.

The Manigault arbitrator indicated in his decision that Trump had won previous arbitration settlements, though he declined to elaborate. But campaign finance filings from 2019 and 2020 indicate that the Trump campaign has lost four other cases in arbitration, for a grand total of more than $180,000 in AAA fees.

The campaign hasnt paid up yet, Zavareei said, but theyve set an internal deadline.

The notoriously stingy Trump, however, will not personally pay any of it. As with the other payouts, his donors will pick up that tab.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Twitter

The Ukrainian military claimed to have killed yet another Russian general, this time Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev, making him the fifth to die so far in the conflict.

Mordvichev, who led the 8th General Army of the Southern Military District, was killed as the result of fire damage, the Ukrainian armed forced announced on social media early Saturday.

Other high-ranking Russian officials, including at least one general, have been killed as the result of poor operational security after using unsecured phones and radios whose locations were traceable.

News of Mordvichevs alleged death came as the Russian military claimed it had used its first hypersonic missiles during the Ukraine conflict to eliminate an underground weapons cache in Delyatyn, western Ukraine.

The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles was activated, Major General Igor Konashenkov said in a video announcing the unconfirmed news, according to the Associated Press.

Russia Syria Drills Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, center, and others stand near a MiG-31 fighter of the Russian air force carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile in Syria. AP

The outlet added that Russia had first deployed the high-tech missiles during its involvement in the Syrian civil war in 2016.

Russia has continued to hammer Ukraine with shelling, leaving at least 700 civilians dead, including dozens of children, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The attacks have frequently appeared indiscriminate. On Wednesday Russian forces reportedly struck a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, where hundreds of people had been sheltering, even though locals had placed enormous signs on the ground alerting would-be attackers that children were inside.

Mariupol theater before and after. Twitter/Mariupol City Website

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted on Thursday that the majority of people inside the theater had somehow survived.

Two days later, three Russian cosmonauts made news after docking at the International Space Station wearing the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The gesture was viewed as a swipe at the invasion.

It became our turn to pick a color. But, in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it, one of the cosmonauts explained, seemingly as a tongue-in-cheek explanation, as the Guardian previously reported. So thats why we had to wear yellow.

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The Russian cosmonauts will spend six months at the station, and may receive a frosty reception when they touch back down to earth.

Russia Space Station Russian cosmonauts Sergey Korsakov, Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveyev are seen in Ukrainian colors after arriving at the International Space Station,. AP

Russian president Vladimir Putin has intensified his crackdown on anti-war rhetoric. His government has blocked social media sites and threatened long jail sentences to those who disseminate supposedly false information about the conflict.

Several American and Western media outlets have been forced to temporarily stop operating in the country out of fear that journalists would be jailed simply for reporting the news.

Multiple Russian press reports also claimed this week that residents in Kaliningrad, Russia, had received messages inviting them to rat out the phone numbers or email addresses of individuals who share unwelcome information about the war.

Putins antics have reached new levels of bizarre in recent days. Tens of thousands of people crammed into a stadium on Friday ostensibly to commemorate the eighth anniversary of its annexation of Crimea.

The event also served as a nationalistic rally, featuring slogans like For a world without Nazism and For Russia, as The Daily Beast reported this week.

We havent had such unity in a long time, Putin declared from the stage.

It appears that someperhaps manyof the rallys attendees had faced pressure to attend.

Will Vernon, as senior producer at BBC News in Moscow, wrote on Twitter that his team had spoken with dozens of people at the event. Some students revealed that they had been told they would receive a day off from class if they attended a concert, but not all of them knew the nature of the rally.

In comparison to opposition rallies, most people didn't want to talk, be filmed or answer any questions, Vernon wrote. Some would cover their faces or put up their hoods when we said we are journalists. Many seemed embarrassed or ashamed to be there.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Many countries have sanctioned Russia's elite over the country's invasion of Ukraine.

One city, however, still welcomes them: Dubai.

Many of Russia's billionaires are reportedly fleeing there now. Here's a look at luxury real estate in the UAE attracting ultra-rich clients.

Dozens of Russian elites have been sanctioned in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) toasts holding a glass of vodka with Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov (R) and Presidential Administration Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov (C). Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

While many have been banned from countries including the US and UK, there's still one place welcoming them with open arms: Dubai.

KARIM SAHIB / AFP via Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

The UAE, which includes Dubai, initially abstained from a US-led United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the invasion. It has reportedly reassured Russia that it won't impose sanctions unless mandated to do so by the UN.

Xie E/Xinhua via Getty Images

Source: The New York Times, Business Insider

Members of Russia's elite are reportedly fleeing to the safe haven after being cut off from entering much of the rest of the world.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

Dubai is famed for its luxury real estate, which draws the business of wealthy clients around the world.

AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File

Here's a look at some of the most lavish places attracting Russian billionaires fleeing from global sanctions:

Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

1. Burj Khalifa

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

The world's tallest skyscraper houses 900 luxury apartments. They include everything from studios, which start at around 1.1 million AED ($299,483), to four-bedroom units, which go for 24.8 million AED ($6.8 million).

REUTERS/Mohammed Salam

Source: Bayut

2. Dubai Marina

AP Photo/Jon Gambrell

Many properties dot the popular Dubai Marina.

Frederic Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images

Source: Bayut

All told, there are several thousands of residences available at the Marina, which range from around 478,000 AED ($130,139) to 20 million AED ($5.4 million).

Tyson Paul/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

3. Jumeirah Beach Residence

Francois Nel/Getty Images

Source: Bayut

Minutes from the Marina, you'll find this waterfront high-rise residential block. Jumeirah Beach Residence is comprised of roughly 40 skyscrapers, 35 of which are residential towers and five are hotels.

Jumana Jolie for Getty Images

Studios here sell for 834,000 AED on average ($227,062). Interested buyers looking for more space will also find penthouses, duplexes, and five-bedroom apartments, which typically sell for around 12.9 million AED ($3.5 million).

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It's also one of Dubai's most popular freehold areas, meaning property there is "free from hold" from any entity besides its owner.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

4. Palm Jumeirah

ShutterStock

This $12-billion manmade archipelago takes the shape of a palm tree and is divided into segments including The Crescent, The Trunk, and 17 "fronds." Studios on the artificial islands start at 750,000 AED ($204,193), and five-bedroom apartments can run you 40 million AED ($11 million).

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Bayut

5. Emirates Hills

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

This upscale gated community, often referred to as "the Beverly Hills of Dubai," is comprised of roughly 600 villas. A unit currently available for sale boasts seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms across its 18,553 square feet. It's furnished and ready for move-in for the cool price of 50 million AED ($13.6 million).

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Emirates Hills

6. Business Bay

Dominique BERBAIN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

A mixed-use neighborhood on the banks of the Dubai Canal, Business Bay has both residential and commercial buildings. The average sale price of studios in the area is 660,000 AED ($179,690), while five-bedroom apartments go for 39.7 million AED on average ($10.8 million).

REUTERS/Satish Kumar

The annual rent of a penthouse in Business Bay averages up to 1.3 million AED ($353,934), and a four-bedroom villa can run you 247,000 AED ($67,247) per year.

7. Dubai International Financial Center

REUTERS/Christopher Pike

Near Business Bay, you'll find another major mixed-use development: The Dubai International Financial Center. The area is a leading financial hub for the South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern markets, with residences ranging from studios to triplex penthouses. Sale prices for penthouses typically start around 3.9 million AED ($1.1 million).

ANDREW HOLBROOKE/Corbis via Getty Images

Source: Bayut

Read the original article on Business Insider
Watch: Russian cosmonauts wear Ukraine colours to International Space Station

Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag in what appeared to be a message of solidarity with the invaded country.

The three-person team docked their Soyuz capsule with the outpost for a mission that continues a shared Russian-US presence in orbit despite tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

About 2-1/2 hours after arriving, the astronauts, dressed in yellow flight suits, floated head-first into the ISS.

The team was led by commander Oleg Artemyev, accompanied by spaceflight rookies Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov.

Their uniform is usually plain blue, and one of the men was seen wearing it before taking off.

Read more: Marina Ovsyannikova: Russian TV protester fined and released

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov arrive wearing yellow and blue flight suits. (Reuters)

The Russian cosmonauts were warmly welcomed. (Reuters)

"It became our turn to pick a colour," commander Artemyev told a NASA live stream.

"We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it," he quipped.

"That's why we had to wear yellow."

People have been wearing the colours of the Ukrainian national flag to show solidarity with the besieged nation.

The suspected protest comes after a Russian woman was fined 214 (30,000 roubles) after she interrupted a live news bulletin on state TV and denounced the invasion of Ukraine.

Marina Ovsyannikova, 44, an editor at Russian station Channel One, interrupted a broadcast on Monday evening.

Read more: Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko attacks Putin: 'He's sick, he's an unhealthy man' - EXCLUSIVE

NASA officials have said that US and Russian ISS crew members, while aware of events on Earth, were still working together professionally and that geopolitical tensions had not infected the space station.

The arrival of the latest cosmonaut team - warmly welcomed by four Americans, two Russians and a German crewmate already aboard - came a day after the European Space Agency (ESA) announced it had suspended a joint robotic rover mission to Mars with Russia due to the Ukraine conflict.

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The rendezvous with the space station capped a flight of three hours and 10 minutes following liftoff of the Soyuz spacecraft from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Read more: Ex-PM David Cameron accused of hypocrisy after announcing hes volunteering at foodbank

Russian Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova holds an anti-war poster. (AFP/Channel One)

Marina Ovsyannikova was fined 214 (30,000 roubles). (AFP)

Meanwhile, Ukraine's president Zelenskyy called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow to stop its invasion, saying it would otherwise take Russia "several generations" to recover from its losses in the war.

Russian forces have taken heavy losses and their advance has largely stalled since Russian president Vladimir Putin launched the assault on 24 February, with long columns of troops that bore down on Kyiv halted in its suburbs.

"I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk," Zelenskyy said in a video address early on Saturday.

"The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover."
An AirBridgeCargo Airlines Boeing 747-87U. Charles Platiau/Reuters

Volga-Dnepr Group has halted all Boeing flights as Western sanctions hit supply chains.

Two of the airline's subsidiaries, AirbridgeCargo and Atran, will stop flying, Reuters reported.

The US and EU have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Moscow did the same in return.

Volga-Dnepr Group, Russia's biggest cargo airline, has halted all flights using Boeing aircraft, following the imposition of Western sanctions.

Reuters and other media outlets first reported the story.

The airline announced on Friday that it had suspended operations of AirbridgeCargo and Atran, two of its subsidiaries, which operate exclusively with Boeing 747 and Boeing 737 freighters, per Reuters.

The news comes amid Western sanctions, which halted the supply of most aircraft and parts to Russia. Bermuda's Civil Aviation Authority also decided to terminate the airline's safety certificates.

A Volga-Dnepr spokesperson told Insider: "These measures need legal evaluation that should be done together with lessors."

In a statement shared with Reuters, Volga-Dnepr said: "The management of Volga Dnepr has made a conscious decision to find a possible solution together with partners and state regulators."

AirbridgeCargo's fleet consists of 17 Boeing 747 and one Boeing 777, while Atran has a fleet of nine Boeing 737. Overall, 24 aircraft will be grounded.

Meanwhile, the US and EU have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Moscow did the same in return.

Volga-Dnepr's fleet is not impacted by Western sanctions, however. Its aircraft are Russian-manufactured, per Simple Flying.

Aircraft lessors have until March 28 to get their planes out of Russia, amid the EU's sanctions requiring all aircraft leasing companies to cancel their contracts with Russian airlines.

Vladimir Putin previously signed a law that will allow Russian airlines to take control of hundreds of Western-built planes leased from international firms.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Xander Heinl/Getty Images; TikTok; Rachel Mendelson/Insider

Russia has lost $861 million this year censoring its internet, according to watchdog group NetBlocks.

The government has blocked access to social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

This comes at a cost to productivity, investment potential, and opportunity.

Censorship is expensive  and it's already cost Russia hundreds of millions of dollars this year.

A new report from independent research firm Top10VPN.com showed that it's been costly for governments around the world to shut down the internet and block individual social media outlets. So far, Russia leads the pack in terms of costs, losing nearly $861 million since January through deliberate outages. It's more than double the losses incurred by the second biggest censor, Kazakhstan, which has spent $429.5M this year.

That figure comes from both the direct and indirect impacts of such restrictions on a country's economy, NetBlocks, the watchdog group that calculates the damages, told Insider. The "cost" represents how much a country's population could lose from internet blackouts and social media restrictions, including lost work productivity, investment potential, and opportunity costs, both directly to the digital sector and to digital-dependent sectors.

That's a big price tag for a country that's hemorrhaging money. Many western countries were quick to enact costly sanctions against the Russian government on the heels of its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions are already devastating the country economically, the ruble is tanking, and economists estimate that the country will hit a recession by this summer. The increasing Kremlin censorship will likely drive citizens to the dark web, or cut them off from reliable information altogether.

"This kind of deliberate disruption is internet censorship in its most extreme form," the researchers wrote. "Not only do these internet outages infringe on citizens' digital rights but they are also acts of economic self-harm."

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Even with its unparalleled investment in creating an "iron curtain" around its internet meant to cut citizens off from international or independent news, the Russian web was still relatively free in comparison to that of online strongarms like Iran and China. Even last month, the Washington Post reported, Russia's Internet was fully "integrated into the larger online world," and citizens had outlets to organize and seek out alternative sources of news while Putin controlled the country's free newspapers and broadcast stations.

Since its invasion of Ukraine, however, Russia has blocked access to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for its residents. The government also prohibited access to Voice of America, the BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, and Deutsche Welle, as well as major Ukrainian outlets.

"In effect, the country has been sanctioning itself with these restrictions," the firm said on Twitter.

The price of keeping citizens in the dark

Russia's near-billion dollar campaign to confiscate a free internet from its citizens is a massive leap from where the country was at the end of just last year, when it lost less than $1 million shutting down the internet. Russia is already a third of the way to beating Myamar's total for all of 2021, which dominated the list last year with $2.8 billion in missing cash.

Russians are trying to find their way around the blockade, with demand for virtual private network (VPN) services skyrocketing in the country, as well as in Ukraine, since the start of the war. VPNs protect your identity and browsing activity from governments, hackers, and anyone else who might be looking into your internet use. The five most popular VPNs in Apple and Google's app stores were downloaded 2.7 million times in Russia in the first week of the Ukraine War, a 200% increase from the week before, and the encrypted messaging app Signal was downloaded more than 130,000 times in Russia last week, according to CNN.

And Russians are increasingly turning to the dark web, a hidden collective of internet websites. Barred social media outlets are starting to embrace the shift, with Twitter launching a dark web-accessible version to bypass the Russia block last week.

And that's a move that might be vital to keeping ordinary Russians informed, experts say, as the Kremlin actively invests in censorship and disinformation.

Tech companies voluntarily leaving Russia  or platforms vastly restricting their services  could hurt regular Russians, as well as Ukrainians who are in occupied territories who can only access the Russian internet, Natalia Krapiva, the tech-legal counsel at the non-profit Access Now, which works to protect digital access globally, told Insider's Connor Perrett this week.

"While obviously there's legitimate concerns and the need to impose sanctions on Russia, some of the actions are now basically isolating and disconnecting people who are in fact opposing the war," Krapiva said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Burning and heavily damaged apartment buildings and stores in Mariupol Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

Images from Maxar Technologies show damaged cities in Ukraine.

Maxar reports that some of the damage was "caused by Russian airstrikes and artillery."

One image shows a long line of cars seeking to escape.

Satellite imagery supplied by Maxar Technologies portrays the devastation across cities in Ukraine following Russia's unprovoked invasion.

"Maxar collected new satellite images that illustrate some of the damage caused by Russian airstrikes and artillery in multiple Ukrainian cities. New images of the besieged city of Mariupol show the devastation to residential homes, apartment buildings, stores, and the city itself," Maxar reported Friday.

The first photo shows a long line of cars heading out of Mariupol  the city that has begun burying bodies in mass graves and the site of the theatre that was serving as a shelter that was hit. It's not immediately known how long the line was. The Ukrainian government has said that thousands were able to flee the besieged city this week through humanitarian corridors.

Part of a long line of cars with people evacuating from Mariupol Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

Other photos highlight destruction elsewhere in Ukraine.

One depicts a grocery store that's ablaze next to damaged residential buildings in Hostomel a northwestern suburb of Kyiv.

A grocery story is on fire next to damaged residential buildings in the Kyiv region of Ukraine. Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

The next image shows homes that have been leveled by Russian artillery shelling in Moshcun, a village in the Kyiv region.

Homes destroyed by artillery shelling in Moschun, the Kyiv region Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

Chernihiv, a northern Ukrainian city was also struck by Russian bombardments.

The first photo shows a desecrated apartment building, while the next shows scorched fields hit by artillery.

Heavily damaged high-rise apartment buildings in Chernihiv Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

Artillery impacts and burning fields in south Chernihiv Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24 causing millions to flee the country.

Read the original article on Business Insider
CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry denied media reports that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would visit the kingdom in the near future, state news agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.

An official from the ministry was cited as saying on Friday that Saudi Arabia was looking forward to welcoming Blinken to strengthen ongoing "positive" discussions, though no meeting has been scheduled yet in Riyadh.

(Reporting by Yasmin Hussein; Editing by William Mallard)
From left: Cleveland County Sheriffs deputies Skyler McMahan and John Kendrick work in their vehicle Jan. 20.

For years, Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman has had a mobile command unit on his wish list. He calls it a useful tool, saying can serve as a post where different agencies come together to collaborate on operations that require a lot of manpower.

The command post is where your leaders from different agencies are in a centralized location, said Norman. They can disseminate that information back to their employees.

In the past, the Gaston County Police Department has been generous in lending theirs.

But last month, Normans wish came a step closer to reality.

Speaker of the House Tim Moore stopped by the Sheriff's Office to hand over a check for $450,000 to go toward a mobile command unit.

One of the biggest hurdles in getting the funding was showing how the county could use it in multiple ways.

It was a big-ticket item we could not afford, said Norman. In order to justify having something like that, we needed a partnership with the health department, emergency management and other agencies. Had it not been for the North Carolina General Assembly, Cleveland County would not have been able to get a tool such as this.

The Boiling Springs Police Department, Kings Mountain Police Department, Shelby Police Department as well as law enforcement agencies in neighboring counties will be able to utilize the unit. Norman stressed the significance of being able to work alongside each other for tough missions, such as when a suspect is at large.

With a command post or a vehicle such as this, everything will be centralized out of that location, and the area around it versus it being spread out, said Norman. When decisions need to be made, the decision makers will be inside the mobile command post. Gastonia Police has one and the Catawba County Sheriffs Office has one. This is something that puts Cleveland County in the 21st century so to speak.

DeShay Oliver, deputy health director for the Cleveland County Health Department, said they will use the mobile command unit to conduct drive-thru health services, among other things.

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We recognize that transportation is a barrier to accessing healthcare and resources in Cleveland County, said Oliver. The mobile command post would allow our team to have access to restrooms, electricity for data entry, workstations and communications so we can setup COVID-19 and other health services in rural and remote locations across our county.

The new unit has not been purchased yet, but Norman said the sizeable contribution from the state should cover the cost.

Latrice Williams can be reached at 704-669-3339 and lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland county sheriff's office given funds for mobile unit from NC
Russias space agency has dismissed reports that their cosmonauts chose to wear yellow suits with a blue trim in support of Ukraine when they joined the International Space Station (ISS), saying: Sometimes yellow is just yellow.

The three Russian cosmonauts arrived on the ISS in brand new yellow jumpsuits, a departure from their traditional dark blue colour.

Denis Matveyev, Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Korsakov were welcomed on board by their fellow American, Russian and German crew members.

In a press conference live-streamed by Nasa, the American space agency, and the Russian agency Roscosmos, Mr Artemyev joked: We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. Thats why we had to wear yellow.

He said: It became our turn to pick a colour.

The three cosmonauts were the first new arrivals on the ISS since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since Vladimir Putins war began on 24 February, many people worldwide have used the colours of its national flag - yellow and blue - to show solidarity with the country.

However the Russian space agency dismissed the suggestion that the Russian cosmonauts were showing support for Ukraine.

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov just entered the International Space Station wearing blue and yellow space attire.  pic.twitter.com/DY8753hYvP  Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) March 18, 2022

Roscosmos press service said on Saturday: Sometimes yellow is just yellow.

They added: The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colours of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from ... to see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.

Roscosmos director general Dmitry Rogozin said on his personal Telegram channel that the cosmonauts had no sympathy for Ukrainian nationalists.

The three Russians will stay on the ISS for over six months and replace three current crew members who are scheduled to fly back to Earth on 30 March.
One of the Big Countrys own is coming back to Texas.

Stamford native and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, per his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

Washington played for Stamfords varsity football team from 2011-2013, leading the Bulldogs to Class 1A Division I state championships in 2012 and 2013. He caught 73 passes for 1,331 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior.

Washington also competed in track, basketball and tennis for the Bulldogs. He won state championships in the 100-meter dash and triple jump as a senior.

He then attended Oklahoma State, where he logged 4,472 yards and 39 receiving touchdowns in four seasons. Washington was a first-team all-Big 12 selection twice.

The Steelers drafted Washington in the second round (60th pick) of the NFL Draft. Washington played four seasons in Pittsburgh, recording 1,629 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

He will add depth to a Dallas receiving corps that includes CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

Carson Field is the area sports reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. He covers primarily Big Country high school sports. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to reporternews.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Stamford graduate James Washington signs with Dallas Cowboys
President Joe Biden departs the White House in Washington, D.C., for Rehoboth, Delaware on Friday, March 18, 2022.





This week's Sunday show circuit is expected to continue to center around the Russia-Ukraine conflict as President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" earlier in the week, marking a significant shift in how the U.S. is talking about Moscow's ongoing invasion of the neighboring country.

The comment came on Wednesday, almost three weeks into the invasion.

"I think he is a war criminal," Biden told reporters at the White House, with other administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, similarly saying Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who is set to appear Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," commented last week that "any attack on civilians is a war crime."

Ukrainian officials have also accused Russia of committing war crimes, saying the country has targeted civilians and civilian structures such as schools, bomb shelters, hospitals and residential buildings during its assault on Ukraine. Russia has denied the charge.

"Bullshit, sorry," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschk said on Wednesday when asked about Russia's claim that it has not gone after civilians.

Klitschk will be on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures."

Russia has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine, with Russian troops launching more than 1,000 missiles since the end of February, although it has failed to capture any major Ukrainian cities.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who will be on CBS's "Face the Nation," has said the Russian army underestimated the difficulty of taking over Ukraine and has made multiple mistakes in its attack.

As the fighting continues into week four, NATO defense ministers met this past week to talk about the long term consequences this war could have on the world.

"This is devastating for the Ukrainian people, and it will also change our security environment," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

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Stoltenberg will join NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

As the conflict continues abroad, COVID-19 case numbers have fallen in the U.S. and a number of states have rescinded restrictions such as indoor mask mandates.

However, top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said this week there could be a rise in COVID-19 case rates in the near future, although he noted it is unclear if it will be a major surge or more moderate.

Fauci is slated to appear on ABC's "This Week" while U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will go on "Fox News Sunday."

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week's Sunday talk shows:

ABC's "This Week" - Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.); Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

NBC's "Meet the Press" - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.); Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

CBS's "Face the Nation" - Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.); Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States; Marie Yovanovitch, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

CNN's "State of the Union" - Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Marek Magierowski, Poland's ambassador to the United States; Kaja Kallas, prime minister of Estonia.

"Fox News Sunday" - U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).

Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" - Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv; Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio); Gen. Tony Tata, Retired Us Army Brigadier General; Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.); Peter Schweizer, Author "Red Handed"
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

North Carolina officials will investigate claims that Mark Meadows registered to vote at a home he did not live at in 2020.



The New Yorker found that Trump's former chief of staff listed a modest mobile home as his voting address.

Meadows helped Trump promote false claims of widespread electoral fraud following the 2020 election.

North Carolina officials said they would investigate whether Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump's chief of staff, broke the law over allegations he listed a home he never resided at on his voter registration form.

Meadows helped his former boss promote widely disproved claims of widespread electoral fraud following the 2020 election.

The New Yorker recently revealed that on his 2020 voter registration form, Meadows listed a modest 14-by-62 feet mobile home in Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, as the place where he physically lives.

Meadows then voted absentee by mail from that address, according to state records.

However, the magazine said Meadows has never owned the home and that it was not clear if he spent even a single night there.

The North Carolina Department of Justice said it asked the State Bureau of Investigation to examine whether Meadows broke the law by listing and voting from the mobile home, Nazneen Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general, told The New York Times.

According to North Carolina voter registration records, Meadows and his wife Debra registered to vote at the Scaly Mountain mobile home on September 19, about six weeks before the 2020 general election.

Meadows listed his move-in date for this address as the following day, September 20, The New Yorker reported.

According to the outlet, Meadows had sold his 2,200 square-foot home in Sapphire, North Carolina, earlier that month and had not yet purchased a new residence.

The former owner of the remote mobile home told the magazine that Meadows' wife, Debbie, had rented it out for two months in the past several years and stayed there for one or two nights, but said she did not believe Mark Meadows had never spent a night there.

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According to state law, voters must live at their registered address for 30 days before the election in which they vote.

Local district attorney Ashley Welch in Macon County wrote to the state Justice Department on Monday to ask them to investigate Meadows' voter registration because of a possible conflict of interest for her.

She said that Meadows was the former Congressman of the 11th District, which includes Macon County. She added that Meadows made a financial contribution towards her 2014 campaign and appeared in political advertisements endorsing her.

"The allegations, in this case, involve potential crimes committed by a government official. Historically, I have requested the Attorney General's Office to handle prosecutions involving alleged misconduct of government officials," Welch wrote.

"It is in the best interest of justice and the best interest of the people of North Carolina that the Attorney General's office handles the prosecution of this case," she said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
TUNIS (Reuters) - The governor of Tunisia's capital Tunis has banned political protests on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, a symbol of the 2011 revolution, ahead of a protest called by the opposition Workers' Party on Saturday against President Kais Saied.

Tunisian media reported on Friday that governor Kamel Fkih said in a statement that Habib Bourguiba "will be designated only for cultural, touristic and exhibition activities only".

"Other protests will be transferred to the Human Rights Square or other public squares on Mohammed V Street," the statement cited by local media said.

Tunis officials were not immediately available for comment.

In July, Saied suspended parliament and seized most power in a move his opponents described as a coup, drawing widespread criticism at home and abroad. But Saied said it was aimed at saving Tunisia from collapse.

Habib Bourguiba was the focal point in 2011 protests that ended the rule of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, after tens of thousands gathered in January, breaking the barrier of years of fear and authoritarian rule.

The opposition has protested there in the past few months, the demonstrations sometimes broken up by authorities.

Saied has promised to uphold rights and freedoms won in the revolution, but his critics say his actions, which also include replacing a body that guaranteed judicial independence, show he is determined to cement one-man rule.

(Reporting By Tarek Amara; editing by Grant McCool)
Damaged vehicles sit among debris in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

We have to admire the courage of the Ukrainians who continue to thwart the advances of the Russian invasion. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, civilians and soldiers alike rally to defend their homes and their country. But their struggle is not without devastating personal loss.

Our hearts are heavy for Ukraine as we witness the pain suffered by the innocent who are crushed beneath the iron wheels of war. One of the most painful and heart-rending scenes in the Ukraine was the image of a pregnant woman who had been admitted to the maternity ward in Mariupol for the birth of her baby. When the hospital was hit by Russian artillery her pelvis was crushed and her hip detached. Medics rushed her to another hospital where doctors worked frantically to save her life and that of her baby. They both died.

In his frenzied attempts to save the woman and her baby, the doctor never had a chance to ask her name. Her grieving father and husband were able to claim her body before it was consigned to one of the mass graves for the many who have died during the attacks. Though the doctor did not know her name, she is known to our Heavenly Father, as is her baby. God has said, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, (Jeremiah 1:5).

God is not absent in these moments. He is very present and will make His presence known. For this reason, He sent His Son to embrace the injustice, pain and suffering that is all too present in this world. This is why He shed His blood and this is why he died on the Cross. And, this is why God raised Him from the grave. In this world suffering, pain, agony and death often seem to have the last word. But He has overcome the world and has replaced these words with righteousness, resurrection, life and peace.

The Psalmist wrote, O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days Thou hast afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil. Let thy work appear to Thy servants, and Thy majesty to their children.

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We must continue to pray that this war will end, that the Russian army will withdraw, that life will be preserved and communities restored. We must pray, as Jesus taught us to pray, that His kingdom will come and His will might be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Bill Tinsley reflects on current events and life experience from a faith perspective. His books are available at www.tinsleycenter.com. Email bill@tinsleycenter.com.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Ukraine: War and suffering
(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the war.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine had always offered solutions for peace and wanted meaningful and honest negotiations on peace and security, without delay.

"I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk," he said in a video address released in the early hours of Saturday.

"The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover."

The two sides have been involved in talks for weeks with no sign of a breakthrough.

Zelenskiy said Russian forces were deliberately blocking the supply of humanitarian supplies to cities under attack.

"This is a deliberate tactic ... This is a war crime and they will answer for it, 100%," he said.

Zelenskiy said there was no information about how many people had died after a theatre in the city of Mariupol, where hundreds of people had been sheltering, was struck on Wednesday. More than 130 people had been rescued so far, he said.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren and; Editing by Sandra Maler)
BERN (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Switzerland on Saturday to crack down on Russian oligarchs who he said were helping to wage war on his country from the safety of "beautiful Swiss towns".

In an audiolink address to thousands attending an anti-war protest in Bern, Zelenskiy thanked Switzerland for its support since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, but also had clear language about the Swiss financial sector.

"Your banks are where the money of the people who unleashed this war lies. That is painful. That is also a fight against evil, that their accounts are frozen. That would also be a fight, and you can do this," he said via a translator.

"Ukrainians feel what it is when cities are destroyed. They are being destroyed on the orders of people who live in European, in beautiful Swiss towns, who enjoy property in your cities. It would really be good to strip them of this privilege."

Neutral Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, has fully adopted EU sanctions against Russian individuals and entities and frozen their wealth in Swiss banks.

The government has not provided a figure for how much wealth is covered by the freeze. Switzerland's secretive banks hold up to $213 billion of overall Russian wealth, the country's financial industry association estimates.

Zelenskiy also took a swipe at Swiss-based businesses that continue to operate in Russia, singling out food group Nestle and accusing it of not living up to its "Good Food, Good Life" slogan.

Asked to comment on Zelenskiy's remarks, a Nestle spokesperson said the company fully complies with all sanctions and had scaled back its operations in Russia, including stopping all imports and exports of non-essential food items.

"Continuing to supply essential items to people in Russia does not mean we continue doing business as usual in the country," the spokesperson said, noting that the company had halted investments and product promotions and was not making any profit there.

(Reporting by Arnd Wiegmann; Writing by Michael Shields; Editing by Helen Popper)
Schoolgirl looks at library book Getty Images

London's Metropolitan police faced backlash after it was revealed a black child was strip-searched.

The girl reportedly "smelt of marijuana," which led to her being intimately searched.

Her mother and aunt detail how she is now withdrawn, depressed, and self-harming.

London's Metropolitan Police have been widely condemned after it has been revealed that their officers conducted a humiliating strip search on a 15-year-old girl at her school after claiming she smelled marijuana.

A Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review has concluded that the search was informed by racism, "whether deliberate or not."

She plans to take civil action against her school over the incident at the end of 2020, according to law firm Bhatt Murphy, Sky News reported.

Teachers at the school in Hackney, east London, suspected that Child Q had cannabis on her person after saying that she smelled the class B drug and was acting strangely, said the review.

The teachers searched the girl's bag, blazer, scarf, and shoes, but they remained suspicious. Two male and two female police officers were called to perform a strip search.

Child Q was forced to strip off her clothes and remove her sanitary pad. Her aunt told the review that she had to "bend over, spread her legs, use her hands to spread her buttocks cheek while coughing."

No cannabis was ever found on the girl.

Afterward, teachers told Child Q to go back into the exam without anyone asking her how she felt knowing what she had just gone through, her mother said in evidence.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on November 29, 2021 in London, England. Victoria Jones - Pool/Getty Images

Child Q's family said that the straight-A student is now a "shell of the child she used to be," describing how the trauma of the incident has led her to self-harm and not engage with her family. Due to the school accusing her of carrying drugs, the student is now facing rumors that she is a "big-time drugs seller," her aunt told the board.

"Why doesn't my daughter deserve the same rights as every other child? Is this because they think she is a young girl, with no respect for her parents or adults and no fear of consequences or because she is a black child living in a poor city area?" Child Q's mother asked the review authors.

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Child Q told the review that "I need to know that the people who have done this to me can't do it to anyone else ever again. In fact, so NO ONE else can do this to any other child in their care."

Scotland Yard said the officers' actions were "regrettable" and "should never have happened," reported the BBC.

David Lammy, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, said on Twitter: "All of us deserve dignity and respect, irrespective of race or gender." The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said it was a "deeply disturbing case."

Nationwide protests have been organized in solidarity with Child Q and highlight people's anger with the police force.

History of misconduct by the Met Police

A group of Black female Labour MPs (Marsha de Cordova, Dianne Abbott, Dawn Butler, Florence Eshalomi, Kim Johnson, and Bell Ribeiro-Addy) said of Child Q's experience: " Sadly, this is the latest in a series of grave revelations about the unacceptable behavior of serving police officers."

Marsha de Cordova MP (@MarshadeCordova) March 17, 2022

"The Home Secretary must put ending the scourge of institutional racism and sexism in the Metropolitan Police at the heart of choosing the next Commissioner."

The Metropolitan Police, with more than 43,000 officers and staff, has faced mounting criticism for racist and sexist misconduct.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation in January found that themes of racism, sexism, bullying, and harassment were present within the force. In one incident, an officer said, "My dad kidnapped some African children and used them to make dog food," In WhatsApp messages, another officer said, "You ever slapped your missus? "It makes them love you more."

One of the most high-profile cases of police misconduct was the kidnapping, rape, and murder by Wayne Couzens, a Met police officer, of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman, in March 2021.

An image of Sarah Everard, 33, shared by London's Metropolitan Police. Met Police

Couzens was also charged this week with four counts of indecent exposure before having killed Everard.

The government released the "Inclusive Britain" report the day Child Q's story broke, with the reporting aiming to "tackle racial disparities, boost opportunity and promote fairness in the UK," with 70 actions, many of which are focused on molding the country's relationship with the police force.

Read the original article on Insider
BOSTON  An Upton man will spend 20 months in jail for possession of child pornography, according to the state U.S. Attorney's Office.

Matthew Stefanelli, 33, was sentenced Friday in Worcester federal court by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman.

Stefanelli pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of possession of child pornography. Besides prison time, the sentence includes five years of supervised release.

Authorities identified more than 30 images on Stefanellis cellphone depicting child pornography. The phone and other electronic devices were seized during a January 2021 search of Stefanellis home.

A cyber tip identified Stefanelli as the owner of an account used to store child pornography. The images were in an encrypted application designed to appear as a calculator.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorneys Office, the U.S. Office of Homeland Security in Boston, and Upton Police Chief Michael Bradley, Jr.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: An Upton man will spend 20 months in jail for possession of child pornography, according to the Massachusetts US Attorney.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers visiting Poland said Saturday that the most urgent need in Ukraine's fight against a Russian invasion is to equip and support the country in every way that will help it defend its independence.

The seven-member delegation led by Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has visited reception centers for refugees from Ukraine in eastern Poland. They noted Poland's openness in accepting refugees from Ukraine, including in private homes. More than 2 million people fleeing war have come to Poland since Feb. 24, when Russia's troops invaded Ukraine.

We are here to reassure and support the people of Ukraine. We are here to thank the people of Poland for the unbelievable generosity they have shown to the refugees, said Lynch, who is chairman of the subcommittee on National Security in the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

During an online meeting with the media Saturday, the American lawmakers stressed the need to urgently assist Ukraines military in their fight against Russian forces. They said there is no room for peace talks as long as there is a hot war.

Related video: Poland will soon become overwhelmed as number of refugees climb

The most urgent action that we can take is to make sure that the Ukrainian fighters  those valiant patriots who are fighting for their freedom  have every bit of equipment, every bit of supply, every bit of support that we can possibly deliver to them, Lynch said.

Answering a question about a potential peace mission in Ukraine, he said there will be time for discussion, hopefully there will be time for diplomacy, but right now I think that the Ukrainian military is stepping up in a very heroic fashion against a much larger enemy."

U.S. President Joe Biden will attend an extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday that is focused on the war in Ukraine and European security.

Yahoo Immersive: Where are Russian forces attacking Ukraine?

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As long as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues the aggression, "there is only one way to respond to that and thats military force, Lynch said.

Rep. Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee who is on the House Armed Services Committee, had a message for Putin.

You've united NATO, you've united the EU and you've united the United States Congress. We stand against your tyranny, your are a war criminal," Green said. "Withdraw your troops from Ukraine!

Other members of the delegation included Democratic Reps. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts and Chellie Pingree of Maine and Republican Reps. Jake LaTurner from Kansas, Pat Fallon from Texas and Nancy Mace from South Carolina.

___

Follow all AP stories about Russia's war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
Around 1,000 employees were inside a Walmart Fulfillment Center in Plainfield, near Indianapolis, Wednesday afternoon when a fire broke out.

Crews battled the blaze as the fire sent large plumes of smoke into the air, visible from miles away.

By Friday, Plainfield Fire Territory Fire Chief Brent Anderson said the fire was out, although crews moving debris are still suppressing hot spots.

We are working our 50th hour since this event started at about noon on Wednesday, Anderson said.

Thursday:No employees hurt in the Walmart fire at a Plainfield warehouse, but it's still burning

Where is the Walmart Fulfillment Center?

The Walmart fulfillment center is in Plainfield Indiana, about 30 minutes west of downtown Indianapolis. The warehouse is located at 9590 Allpoints Parkway.

A second Walmart Fulfillment Center is located next to one that caught fire. The second building closed Wednesday and remained closed Thursday due to its proximity to the burning building.

How big was the Walmart fulfillment center in Plainfield Indiana?

The facility that caught fire is about 1.2 million square feet, about the size of 20 football fields. Fire crews had the fire contained to the first Walmart fulfillment Center building, officials said.

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How many firefighters responded to the Walmart facility fire in Plainfield?

About 350 firefighters and 30 fire agencies, as well as other community partners, assisted in fighting the blaze at the 1.2-million-square-foot facility.

At the height of the fire, there were 23 engines and 13 ladders operating, according to a Facebook post from Plainfield Fire Territory.

In total, 28 engines, 25 ladders, 9 medics and 12 tankers have responded to the fire as of Friday, March 18. Some of the units responded multiple times as crews were rotated out on shifts, according to officials.

More: Fire contained at Plainfield Walmart facility thanks to 350 firefighters: What's next

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What caused the Walmart fulfillment center fire?

Officials have not confirmed what started the massive fire Wednesday afternoon. About 24 fire departments assisted the Plainfield Fire Territory in fighting the blaze, including the Indianapolis Fire Department.

"Everything was working appropriately, but this has such a heavy fire load that it overtook our crews and our ability to extinguish that fire safely," Plainfield Fire Chief Brent Anderson said. "It sounds like there was lots of clothing in the area where the fire started, wrapped in plastic and such."

More: ATF says it may take days or weeks to determine Plainfield Walmart fire's cause

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading agency in investigating the cause of the fire, which could take weeks, Anderson said.

A massive fire burns inside a Walmart fulfillment center in Plainfield, Ind., near the Indianapolis International Airport.

"ATF is doing some interviews with some employees that were on site and in the area of the fire," Anderson said Wednesday. "Right now we have no idea what may have started this (and) no reason to believe it's suspicious or anything. We will do our due diligence over the next coming days or weeks to figure that out."

Crews from the fire department were doing training nearby when the fire broke out and were on the scene within three minutes of being notified, he said.

"This doesn't happen every day, but we train for it to happen every day," Anderson said. We were well prepared."

Federal investigators arrived on Friday to begin on-scene investigation into the cause of the fire.

Was anyone injured in the Plainfield Walmart fulfillment center fire?

One firefighter suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire Wednesday, but was treated and released back to the scene, Plainfield Fire Chief Brent Anderson said.

The building's fire system is what allowed all of the approximately 1,000 employees inside to evacuate the building safely, he said. No other injuries have been reported as of Thursday morning.

What was inside Plainfield's Walmart Fulfillment Center warehouse?

Mario Cruz, who has worked in the stocking department for three years at the fulfillment center, said they stocked everything from clothing to food to electronics and that there is always a lot of cardboard inside.

A massive fire burns inside a Walmart fulfillment center in Plainfield, Ind., near the Indianapolis International Airport.

What will happen to fulfillment employees?

Walmart reopened one of its fulfillment centers, which they call IND2, Monday after a fire burned down a second fulfillment center located on the same site, company spokesman Charles Crowson said in an email.

The company said it's extending disaster benefits to employees displaced by the fire.

Last week, Walmart said those affected will be placed in temporary jobs.

The Walmart facilities were off limits to the public after the fire and employees could not retrieve vehicles or other property at the site.

Deputy Chief Joe Aldridge of the Plainfield Police Department said Wednesday it would be quite some time before the scene is released and employees can retrieve property.

Arianna Wityshyn worked at the Walmart fulfillment center for about three weeks before the fire began. The situation will be stressful for many employees of the fulfillment center, Wityshyn said.

"It's near the end of the month and bills are starting to stack up," Wityshyn said. "I know a lot of people who work there live paycheck to paycheck so not knowing what's coming next is a little worrisome."

How will online shopping be impacted by the fire at the Walmart Fulfillment Center?

Walmart expects no delays or disruptions to its online shoppers despite the shutdown of two Plainfield fulfillment centers after a fire burned one of the centers yesterday.

"We're going to rely on the resilience of our supply chain network and calling on other fulfillment centers and stores to fulfill orders," company spokesperson Charles Crowson told the IndyStar. "Our customers shouldn't know any difference."

More: Walmart says fulfillment center fire will not lead to any delays in online orders

While Walmart has a strong supply chain network that's set up to recover from accidents, some shoppers may see slight delays or items listed as out of stock in the coming weeks, said Amrou Awaysheh, a supply chain expert at Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

How far away could smoke from the fulfillment center fire be seen?

Smoke from the Plainfield Walmart fulfillment center fire could be seen on satellite imagery as the fire grew, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service tweeted out a short video of the satellite imagery showing the smoke.

Visible satellite imagery showing the smoke plume from the fire in Plainfield, IN this afternoon. #inwx pic.twitter.com/PHMXJ6VUuy  NWS Indianapolis (@NWSIndianapolis) March 16, 2022

Did the Walmart fire create health and environmental hazards?

The fire triggered serious concerns about air quality and toxic debris. In response, state and environmental officials have set up a monitoring network to measure both air and water impacts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced at a Friday afternoon press conference.

More: Walmart fire leaves lingering air, water quality questions. Officials share safety tips.

The network is focused on the areas downwind from the facility where impacts would be the greatest, said Jim Mitchell with EPA. The fire began around noon Wednesday at the facility in Plainfield, about 15 miles west of downtown Indianapolis.

The EPA and Indiana Department of Environmental Management are actively monitoring the air to determine the chemicals that may be present in the smoke, Mitchell added, but at this time the main concern is fine particulate matter. There are no concerns identified with other compounds at this time, according to the EPA.

Exposure to high levels of particulate matter could cause health problems for certain individuals, including young children, the elderly or those with cardiovascular conditions such as asthma.

IDEM issued an Air Quality Action Day for Central Indiana  including Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks and Marion counties  Thursday afternoon. Such days are issued when ozone or particulate matter in the air rises above certain levels and may become unhealthy. The advisory has since expired.

For more on the environmental and health impacts of the fire, click here.

How does the fire compare to other historic Central Indiana fires?

Plainfield Fire Chief Brent Anderson said Thursday that the fire at the Walmart fulfillment center was the biggest he'd seen in his 20-year career.

Other notable fires in the area include one that took place on St. Patrick's Day in 1890.

More: In the wake of Plainfield Walmart fire, a look at some of Central Indiana's biggest blazes

Fire breaks out in Brownsburg

A building being constructed on farmland in Hendricks County caught fire Friday afternoon, less than 10 miles away from the Walmart fulfillment center.

The building, at Ronald Reagan Parkway and Connector Street just south of Interstate 74, has no known or announced tenants, said Danny Brock, health and safety officer and public information officer for the Brownsburg Fire Territory.

Brock said it is highly unlikely the two incidences are connected.

"It's highly unlikely that this incident is related to the incident that happened Wednesday," he said. "This was a construction site where the construction materials caught on fire due to the action of the contractors."

More: Brownsburg fire at construction site is second Hendricks County blaze this week

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What to know about Plainfield, IN, Walmart fire: Fire Cause, injuries
Ukraines president said Russia is trying to starve his countrys cities into submission but warned Saturday that continuing the invasion would exact a toll on Russia for generations. The remarks came after Moscow held a mass rally in support of its bogged-down forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin in an overnight video address of deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe " and appealed again for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him to prevent more bloodshed.

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Noting that the 200,000 people reported to have attended the rally was similar to the number of Russian forces deployed to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Fridays event in Moscow illustrated the stakes of the largest ground conflict in Europe since World War II.

Picture for yourself that in that stadium in Moscow there are 14,000 dead bodies and tens of thousands more injured and maimed, the Ukrainian leader said, standing outside the presidential office in the capital, Kyiv. Those are the Russian costs throughout the invasion.

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Putin lavished praise on his countrys military forces during Fridays flag-waving rally, which took place on the anniversary of Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The event included patriotic songs such as Made in the U.S.S.R., with the opening lines Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, its all my country.

We have not had unity like this for a long time, Putin told the cheering crowd.

Taking to the stage where a sign read For a world without Nazism, he railed against his foes in Ukraine with a baseless claim that they are neo-Nazis and insisted his actions were necessary to prevent genocide  an idea flatly rejected by leaders around the globe.

The rally took place as Russia has faced heavier-than-expected losses on the battlefield and increasingly authoritarian rule at home. Russian police have detained thousands of antiwar protesters.

Fighting raged on multiple fronts in Ukraine more than three weeks after Russias Feb. 24 invasion. U.N. bodies have confirmed more than 800 civilian deaths since the war began but say the real toll is considerably higher. The U.N. says more than 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees.

The northwest Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin and Moshchun were under fire on Saturday, the Kyiv regional administration reported. The city of Slavutich, located 103 miles north of the capital was completely isolated, the administration said.

In the besieged port city of Mariupol, the site of some of the wars greatest suffering, Ukrainian and Russian forces battled over the Azovstal steel plant, one of the biggest in Europe, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraines interior minister, said Saturday.

One of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe is actually being destroyed, Denysenko said in televised remarks.

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Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said the nearest forces that could assist Mariupols defenders were already engaged in battle against the overwhelming force of the enemy or at least 60 miles away  or both.

There is currently no military solution to Mariupol, he said late Friday. That is not only my opinion, that is the opinion of the military.

The Russian military said Saturday that it has used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time in combat. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Kinzhal missiles destroyed an underground warehouse storing Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine.

Russia has said the Kinzhal, carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, has a range of up to about 1,250 miles and flies at 10 times the speed of sound.

A Ukrainian military official confirmed a Friday missile strike on a military warehouse in the region but told a newspaper that authorities have not yet verified the type of missile used.

Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to establish 10 humanitarian corridors for bringing aid in and residents out  one from Mariupol and several around Kyiv and in the eastern Luhansk region, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Saturday.

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She also announced plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of Kherson, which was seized by Russian forces.

In a separate development, Norway said four U.S. service members died in a plane crash during NATO drills in that countrys north. The annual exercise is unrelated to the war in Ukraine.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Russian forces were blockading the largest cities with the goal of creating such miserable conditions that Ukrainians will surrender. But he warned that Russia would pay the ultimate price.

In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, early Saturday, March 18, 2022. (AP)

The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russias costs will be so high that you will not be able to rise again for several generations, he said.

The two sides have held several rounds of negotiations but remain divided over Ukraines future status, with Russia pressing for its neighbors demilitarization and Kyiv demanding security guarantees.

In a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Putin said Ukraine was trying to drag the negotiations by making a series of new, unrealistic proposals, according to the Kremlin.

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Britains foreign minister, meanwhile, accused Putin of using the talks as a smokescreen while his forces regroup. We dont see any serious withdrawal of Russian troops or any serious proposals on the table, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told the Times of London newspaper.

The British Department of Defense said in its latest intelligence assessment that the Kremlin has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition that is likely to involve indiscriminate attacks.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during a Saturday visit to NATO ally Bulgaria, said the Russian invasion had stalled on a number of fronts but the U.S. had not yet seen signs that Putin was deploying additional forces.

Around Ukraine, hospitals, schools and buildings where people sought safety have been attacked.

At least 130 people survived the Wednesday bombing of a Mariupol theater that was being used a shelter, but another 1,300 were believed to be still inside, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliaments human rights commissioner, said Friday.

We pray that they will all be alive, but so far there is no information about them, Denisova told Ukrainian television.

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Satellite images on Friday from Maxar Technologies showed a long line of cars leaving Mariupol as people tried to evacuate. Zelenskyy said more than 9,000 people were able to leave in the past day along a route that leads 141 miles away to the city of Zaporizhzhia.

The governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, Oleksandr Starukh, announced a 38-hour curfew in the southeastern city after two missile strikes on its suburbs killed nine people Friday.

The Russian forces fired at eight cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region in the past 24 hours, including Mariupol, Ukraines National Police said in a statement Saturday.

The attacks with rockets and heavy artillery killed and wounded dozens of civilians, and damaged at least 37 residential buildings and facilities, including a school, a museum and a shopping center, it said.

In a show of defiance against the Russian invasion, Kyiv residents gathered in the sunshine Friday to arrange some 1.5 million tulips in the shape of Ukraines coat of arms in a central square. They said the flowers will be distributed in hospitals later to cheer up patients.

We are continuing to live our lives as we do in peaceful times, Oleksandr Malykhin, one of the participating residents. Children and grandchildren must be happy for the coming of spring, to breathe freely. We feel confident and we are not afraid.
A woman who lives in Lynchburg and has family in Ukraine, with support from the restaurant where she works, has spent the past few weeks raising money and awareness to help her relatives and other individuals affected by the devastating war in Ukraine.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Angela Brustle said the ensuing war has been devastating to watch  and concern for the safety of her many aunts, uncles and cousins, who either have fled or are trying to flee the country, or are sheltering in place, has been a heavy burden.

Watching this all kind of unfold, and being here, it can kind of feel helpless, Brustle said. Its horrible watching it on the news. Its horrible hearing it from my family members, whats going on. The situations very tense right now, so I feel like in the present moment, while they might be OK right now if I called them, tonight there might be a strike. So its just, you dont really know whats going to happen, and you dont know where its going to happen. Youre just kind of sitting on the edge of your seat and just praying for safety for everybody.

Brustles parents moved to upstate New York in the 1990s in hopes of creating a better life with more opportunity for themselves and their growing family following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The 24-year-old was the first in her family to be born in the United States, but Brustle said she was raised heavily connected to her Ukrainian cultural and ethnic heritage.

I definitely grew up in Ukrainian culture, having both of my parents speaking Russian and Ukrainian in our home. That was my first language growing up. They did a lot to implement our culture into our household, Brustle said.

She visited her relatives and friends in Ukraine every couple of years growing up, as often as her family of five could make the trip. Their last visit was in 2019.

Brustle moved to Lynchburg in 2015 and entered nursing school at Liberty University, where she has one year of the program left. After settling into the area, she took a job as a server at Isabellas Italian Trattoria restaurant in the Boonsboro Shopping Center.

Cheri Barauskas, owner of Isabellas, which was founded 22 years ago, saw how the war and fear for family and friends safety was affecting Brustle. Driven by empathy for her employee and Ukrainians as fellow humans, Barauskas asked Brustle how she could help.

Within a week of the invasion, the restaurant launched a fundraising initiative  called Angelas Ukraine Family Fund  that donates money directly to Brustles family members in Ukraine. This way, Barauskas explained, all funds are ensured to go fully toward humanitarian aid and relief, allowing the family to use the money as they see fit.

Initially, Isabellas pledged to match donations received up to $2,000, but the restaurant quickly exceeded that goal, Barauskas said. Checks will be written and sent weekly to Brustles family in Ukraine as long as the drive continues.

One hundred percent of the funds are going to the family. The family will make the decisions about how to distribute and get the funds to the family members in need in Ukraine, she said. Whatever resources are given to this family, I know the familys going to use them in the best way to help their community.

Barauskas said running the fundraiser provides an opportunity for local people to do something to help in a tragic situation.

The Lynchburg communitys support and generosity has been tremendous, Brustle and Barauskas said. Customers have donated money and have offered basement apartments in their homes if any of Brustles family members or other Ukrainian refugees can make it to the area.

Already, Brustles family has received some of the money.

Since my familys already been able to receive some of the funds, theyre blown away by the generosity, she said. Its been really nice to be able to help them in this one way. It seems like its not much, but to them, its a lot. Its a huge deal that our community is thinking about them, and theyre very, very grateful to Isabellas and Lynchburg.

Food, water and other supplies are some of the things this money has provided so far, Brustle said.

After she finishes her current semester of nursing school at LU, Brustle hopes to travel to Poland and work with refugees and humanitarian efforts. One of her two older brothers already is on the ground there, along with his wife, who is a counselor, she said. They are learning what the needs are and lending help any way they can, working with an international Christian ministry called Word of Life.

Theyve put together bags of resources for women and children who have gone through trauma, like coloring books, and just things to pass out, Brustle said.

Her other brother, Andrew Moroz, a teaching and vision pastor at Gospel Community Church in Lynchburg who shared his story with The News & Advance in an article published earlier this month, hopes to go to Poland soon as well, Brustle said.

One of Brustles cousins, who was fleeing to Poland a couple weeks ago in news initially shared by Moroz, arrived safely across the border with her two children.

I talked to her just the other day and just kind of asked her what she does during the day, Brustle said. Every morning, she wakes up, she watches the news, she checks in with all of her neighbors and all of our family thats still there. Theyre very strong. She keeps telling me that shes OK, and its all going to be OK, but its hard. Its hard to even hear that.

Meanwhile, another cousin who is sheltering in place told Brustle they had lost electricity twice during the week, and do not think the war will be over anytime soon.

At this point, Barauskas said Isabellas fundraising will continue indefinitely. Even after the war, it will take years to rebuild, and the business aims to help financially as much as it can.

The need will be there for years to come, Barauskas said.

Donations can be made at Isabellas restaurant or by calling (434) 385-1660.

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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. His Twitter handle is @JonahDispatch. Goldbergs column is provided by Tribune Content Agency.
MINSK, March 17./TASS/. Russia offers Ukraine an absolutely acceptable option for a treaty, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with Japanese TBS TV channel, cited in part by BelTA news agency.

"Russia offers Ukraine an absolutely acceptable version of a treaty, I know this for sure. And it is still possible now to see Ukraine and Russia agree and [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky sign this treaty with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," the Belarusian leader said.

"If Zelensky refused to do this, then, believe me, he will have to sign an act of capitulation in a short while," BelTA quoted Lukashenko as saying in the interview.

Russia "will not lose this war," he believes. "And you are also 100% sure it wont. Japan knows better than I do how the war end in case one of the sides wins," he stressed. Lukashenko also said that he expected the special operation in Ukraine would end soon and peace would be achieved. "I am confident that this conflict - the operation of Russia - will end with peace shortly," the Belarusian president stressed. ...continue reading
Phoebe Wilson says her high school experience has helped prepare her for the upcoming responsibilities of adulthood.

Wilson, 18, lives in Council Bluffs, but shes been a student in the Underwood Community School District since she was a kindergartener, and shes now a senior at Underwood High School.

With graduation coming up in a couple months, Wilson said its hard to believe that her time as an Eagle is coming to a close, but she is looking forward to all the opportunities that lie ahead in her future.

Im really excited, she said. But with all the activities I do here at Underwood, Im gonna miss those.

Wilson has been involved in myriad activities since her freshman year, and she said its led to her meeting lots of great people and helping inform who she is as a person.

She participates in a wide variety of groups, including choir, show choir, band, jazz band, quiz bowl, National Honor Society and speech. She also competes on the Underwood cross country and track teams.

She said that being a part of such a diverse schedule has taught her many life lessons and given her a more open mind, along with making lots of warm memories.

Many of Wilsons activities have ended for her, but there are a few more things shes looking forward to before the school year ends.

At the end of the month, shell be joining a handful of other Eagles on a trip to the all-state speech competition at the University of Northern Iowa. This year, Wilson advanced to the all-state event qualifying in the storytelling category. Shell be reciting the popular childrens book, Amelia Bedelia, a story about a quirky housekeeper.

Track season is also underway, and shes excited to put in one more season as the teams long distance specialist.

Following high school, Wilson said she is looking into studying social work in college. She may start at Iowa Western Community College and then transfer to Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.

Wilson said that she has personal experience with family experiencing developmental disabilities and other issues, and she wants to have a career in which she can help people in similar situations.

Wilson wants to cherish her remaining time at Underwood, but she is also ready for the future. She is looking forward to a fun summer before getting back to school in the fall, including a youth group trip to Florida.
Moroccan authorities have asked again Amnesty International (AI) to provide evidence and arguments on its arbitrary accusations of Moroccos possession and misuse of Pegasus software against civil society activists, in accordance with the requirements of objectivity and professionalism dictated by the long tradition of human rights, as a guarantee of credibility.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH) said that the public authorities have affirmed, in response to AI, which issued a statement on March 9 in which it persists in its arbitrary accusations, that this organization is once again unable to provide the irrefutable argument and material evidence to support its allegations.

In order to enlighten public opinion, the statement added, the public authorities reaffirm what they have regularly expressed on this subject, stating that the executive director of AI in Morocco was informed on June 26, 2020 of the astonishment of the Moroccan authorities in the face of the allegations of the organization and its refusal to provide material evidence that corroborates its allegations while reiterating the request of the authorities to submit to them arguments of its assertions.

Similarly, the head of government sent a letter to the Acting Secretary General of Amnesty International on July 1, 2020 asking him to provide material evidence of the said allegations, the same source recalled.

The statement said that the Moroccan authorities have reformulated, after the Council of Government of July 2, 2020, their request to be informed of the fate of evidence and arguments on which the organization bases its allegations.

The head of government issued a statement on July 9, 2020 about the response provided by the AI Acting Secretary General, saying the Organization has not provided in its response any evidence that can credit its previous accusations and allegations. He reiterated the call to this organization to make available to Moroccan authorities a copy of the report of the scientific expertise on which it is based to peddle its allegations.

The Moroccan authorities have sent a letter to this organization on February 28, formulating once again the request for evidence and material arguments of said allegations, but to no avail.
LINCOLN  Because of a gap in state law concerning Medicare, Steve Kay took a job in North Dakota  600 miles from his home in North Platte  so his wife could have adequate coverage to treat her multiple sclerosis.

Now, he and his wife, Jean, are calling on state lawmakers to close the gap, as is the case in at least 34 other states.

I just dont want other people to go through similar situations, Steve, a retired attorney, said. Our neighbors have done this years ago, and I think Nebraska should do it, too.

This story begins two decades ago, when Jean Kay, a nurse, was diagnosed with MS. Slowly, her muscles weakened from the disease, forcing Jean to take less strenuous jobs and eventually go on disability in 2016.

Thats when they discovered the gap. In Nebraska, unlike in many other states, when a disabled person goes on Medicare before age 65, that person cannot obtain supplemental insurance coverage because insurance companies arent required to provide it. Such Medigap supplements pay about 20% of total medical costs.

This can be an economically crippling gap, according to the Kays, especially when a loved one faces possible hospitalization and expensive medications to treat diseases such as MS or kidney failure.

The couples co-pay for one MS medication alone amounts to $7,000 a year. That, plus expenses for pricey COBRA insurance coverage or a second household in North Dakota, threatened their retirement savings.

The couple had relied on Jeans health insurance coverage as a nurse because her husband was a self-employed lawyer. For a while, after Jean was no longer able to work, they purchased COBRA insurance, a state program for people who lose their health insurance, but it cost $1,400 a month.

So in 2018, they decided that Steve needed to close his law practice and find a job that provided health insurance. He applied for several jobs in Nebraska, including at Menards and Walmart. But his search finally landed him a federal job in Fargo, North Dakota  a 10-hour drive from North Platte.

While that handled their medical costs, it meant extra expenses for an apartment in Fargo. And with her husband gone, Jean, who now walks with the help of a cane or a walker, had to hire help to manage their home.

We called each other daily  morning, noon and night, she said. This reassured him that I had not fallen and would not be unassisted for hours.

The Kays problem was eventually solved last year when Jean turned 65, which meant she could obtain a supplemental insurance plan that costs about $140 a month and covers what Medicare doesnt.

But the Kays didnt stop there. After being unable to find another state senator who would take up their cause, Steve reached out to State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, whose father knew Steves father.

Lathrop this year introduced Legislative Bill 1190, which would allow persons under the age of 65 who are on Medicare to be able to purchase a supplemental insurance policy. The bill would require insurance companies to provide such policies at a cost not to exceed what is charged to persons 65 and over.

The bill would impact as many as 45,000 Nebraskans younger than 65 who are on disability, though many of those could have low enough incomes to qualify for government assistance through Medicaid.

LB 1190, Lathrop said, would protect families such as the Kays, who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but would be hard-pressed to pay the out-of-pocket medical costs covered by supplemental policies.

I feel like its an issue of equity and justice, Steve Kay said.

A proposed amendment to the bill would include those people who suffer from end-stage renal failure and who are on kidney dialysis or have had a kidney transplant. That is a very small group, perhaps less than 600 in Nebraska.

Some representatives of the insurance industry opposed the bill during a public hearing last month before the Legislatures Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee.

Those representatives, according to Unicameral Update, said that providing supplemental coverage for Medicare recipients under age 65 would increase overall premiums for such Medigap policies.

April Ayres of Mutual of Omaha said claims from Medicare recipients who are younger than 65 average six times higher than traditional Medicare recipients.

State Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg said he and Lathrop, along with representatives of the insurance industry, will meet this summer to find some way to do this.

This is not a big segment of the population, but if youre in that group, this can just be financially devastating, Williams said.

Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Learn more at nebraskaexaminer.com.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Dave Pedley/Getty Images for SXSW

COVID is like Michael Myers in Halloween: Just when you think its finally out of the picture, it comes back to threaten you again. COVID cases in the U.S. have been plummeting for weeks, and hospitalizations are near an all-time low. But with another Omicron variant pushing up case numbers around the world, it seems depressingly plausible that at least one more wave  the sixth, if youre counting  could be headed Americas way.

Omicron BA.2 is similar to the variant that caused this winters spike, BA.1. But it has 20 different mutations, four of them on a crucial region of the spike protein. These disparities are likely part of the reason BA.2 appears to be considerably more transmissible than the original Omicron  33 percent, according to one Danish study. BA.2 is also thought to infect vaccinated people more easily than its forebear, though, fortunately, it does not appear to be any deadlier. First detected in the Philippines in November, the variant spread widely in South Africa and India in December and has since become the dominant strain around the world.

Its hitting parts of Asia particularly hard. China, which imposed strict, widespread lockdowns during the early days of the pandemic and has maintained a Zero COVID strategy since, mostly avoided the waves that hit the U.S. and Europe. Then BA.2 showed up. In the last few weeks, the number of cases in China has surged from 300 a day to more than 3,000. In response, the Chinese authorities have re-imposed lockdown measures affecting more than 50 million people.

Because these countries have experienced the pandemic so differently from the U.S. until now, its difficult to draw conclusions about what their surges mean for America in the short term. Europe is a better comparison. Like the U.S., it has been pummeled by wave after wave. This winters Omicron surge hit the continent hard, but once it peaked, most experts expected infection rates to quickly fall as the population picked up natural immunity. Thats why France re-opened its nightclubs, Austria decided not to enforce its strict vaccine mandate, and Italy announced an end to its coronavirus certificate program. The skies seem finally to be clearing, a French government spokesperson said last month.

But they werent. Scarcely had the BA.1 numbers begun to fall when BA.2 cases started ramping up. As a result, instead of the clean bell-shaped rise-and-decline we experienced here, infection rates in Europe remained high, and now theyre climbing higher. New cases in the U.K. are up 82 percent over the last two weeks and hospitalizations are up 38 percent.

So what does that mean for the U.S.? Though European surges have been a reliable precursor to stateside waves throughout most of the pandemic, the tea leaves are more ambiguous this time. Cases here are still falling. But an increasing proportion of those cases are BA.2  up from 5 percent a month ago to 25 percent this week  and viral loads detected via wastewater are rising in some places. The experts are divided as to what it all means.

The case for not worrying

One voice counseling calm is New York Times science reporter Carl Zimmer, who recently noted that epidemiologists dont believe that BA.2 will cause a massive wave of cases. Among the cited reasons: Our current COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the BA.2 variant, just like they were against BA.1. And the millions of people who were infected with the original Omicron strain have antibodies that protect against BA.2. In other words, the same factors that caused the downslope in BA.1 infections here could keep BA.2 at bay, too.

Nathanie Landau, a professor of microbiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, is sympathetic to this view. The new variant is quite similar to BA.1, he says. I dont think its likely to result in a second wave of infection in the United States.

Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb thinks there will be a bump in case numbers, but not a significant wave. A lot of people who are worried this is the beginning of another surge, but given how much infection weve had, given how vaccinated we are, I think thats going to be a pretty good backstop against uncontrolled spread here, he told CNBC on Monday.

The case for worrying

Among the opposing camp is Eric Topol, a professor of genomics at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. Great to see U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations down to 23,000 and approaching their pandemic low, he wrote this week. But indicators from the new wave in Europe and U.S. wastewater surveillance suggest this may be short-lived.

Samples taken from municipal sewer systems provide a measure of how much viral material is being produced by all the sick people in a community. Because infected people produce virus particles before they consciously feel sick, wastewater samples provide an early signal of a wave that hasnt yet shown up in regular COVID-19 testing. According to the CDC, a quarter of its wastewater-testing sites have seen an increase in SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels of 100 percent or more over the last 15 days. Topol has also pointed out how each of the last five U.S. waves were preceded by ones in Europe and the U.K.  and each time the U.S. has paid for its failure to heed those warnings.

If U.S. cases follow Europes trend, what lies in store for us might well be worse than for them. U.S. vaccination and booster rates are significantly lower than most European countries. No more than two-thirds of eligible Americans have been fully vaccinated, and about half of the Americans eligible for a booster shot still havent gotten one, including a third of seniors. Americas relatively low vaccination rates probably explain why the first Omicron wave hit much harder here than it did in Europe. During the peak of that wave, the U.S. suffered ten times as many COVID deaths as Germany, despite having only four times as many people.

Which is not to say that the Europeans have played their cards flawlessly; they may have worsened the onset of their BA.2 wave by prematurely lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Unfortunately, the United States is following the same path. Forty-nine states have abandoned indoor mask mandates, with the last holdout, Hawaii, set to join the club on March 26.

Its easy to understand why. After two years, people are sick of restrictions, and the sense that the danger has passed make the discomfort and inconvenience of COVID protocols even more unpalatable. That disgruntlement plays out in the political arena, where the Republican Party seems intent on dismantling the countrys COVID-19 defenses. When Democrats tried to pass $15 billion in coronavirus aid this week, Republicans blocked it, thereby killing  at least temporarily  funding for the tests, vaccines, and medicines that will be needed to fight future waves.

What should we do?

Regardless of how the government responds, we can still act individually to protect ourselves, like by wearing high-filtration N95 face masks in indoor public spaces. Of course, getting as fully vaccinated as you can, including a booster shot if eligible, remains the best and most important protection available.

Its very important to be vaccinated and boosted, says Landau. One CDC study found that while two shots of COVID vaccine are just 57 percent effective against Omicron if received more than six months ago, a booster shot raises the effectiveness back up to 90 percent, but again, many fully vaccinated Americans still havent gotten a booster.

Getting boosted is especially important for the elderly and immunocompromised. Fourth shots may finally be on the way as well. Just this week, both Pfizer and Moderna announced they were seeking emergency FDA authorization for a second booster shot.

Meanwhile, if you havent yet gotten all the shots youre eligible for, dont wait to see if there is another wave  the time to get them is now.

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Matt Petersen stands along West Main Street in Barrington on March 18, 2022. Police are investigating after Petersen and his boyfriend were reportedly harassed and injured after being shot at with a pellet gun while heading into Barrington High School on Wednesday. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Two Barrington High School students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community were allegedly targeted in a pellet gun shooting on campus this week in an incident officials say is likely related to the latest TikTok challenge breaking out across the U.S.

Barrington resident Kristin Stedman said Friday that her son, Matt Petersen, and his boyfriend were walking to school on Wednesday morning when a student pointed a toy rifle out the window of a car, spraying the two teens with pellets in a parking lot adjacent to the high schools entrance.

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They were walking toward the building and they heard a loud sound, were hit by these bullets, and started running, Stedman said.

After entering the school building and heading to the cafeteria, the teens were allegedly followed by the perpetrators, who trailed them making animal sounds, including barking, Stedman said.

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What kind of families raise kids who like to pick on people? Stedman said.

In a Thursday letter to parents, Barrington Principal Steve McWilliams said the incident involved some students on campus participating in what is being referred to as the Orbeez TikTok Challenge. This is ' where teens shoot gel beads at each other with toy guns.

During our investigation, we have learned that some of the students who were the victims of this incident are members of our LGBTQ+ community. We have spoken to all parties involved and have referred this incident to the Barrington Police Department for further processing, McWilliams said.

Barrington police Chief David Dorn said the incident is under investigation.

But McWilliams said disciplinary consequences will be in place for the students involved, adding officials at the high school have been meeting and supporting the impacted students.

We have also reached out to members of our GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) to ensure that they feel safe and are supported as the impact of this incident spreads through the school community, McWilliams said.

Let us be clear: Hate has no place in Barrington 220. As a school community, we stand for respect and inclusion, said McWilliams, adding that a school board policy titled Harassment of Students Prohibited states that harassment, bullying, or intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated.

While Stedman said she understands why officials at the high school are keeping the identities of the perpetrators confidential, she is concerned the students who targeted her son and his boyfriend will not face any serious consequences.

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They are calling it a TikTok challenge, but it is more like a hate crime, said Stedman, who said her son has been a victim of relentless bullying since he was in fourth grade.

Stedman said her son, who is involved in the high schools theater department and the Gay Straight Alliance, stayed home from school Thursday out of concerns for his safety.

When I became a mom, I wanted to raise my kids in Barrington, because it always felt safe and comfortable when I was growing up here, said Stedman, who graduated from the high school in 2000. I fear for his life now, Stedman said.

In a Friday parent letter, Barrington 220 School District Superintendent Robert Hunt said the incident involved a TikTok challenge that is gaining popularity nationwide.

Please know the district took immediate action to investigate and issue appropriate consequences for those who participated in the challenge, he said.

Open and honest dialogue with our children is critically important and this incident provides an opportunity to discuss implications of social media and social responsibility, Hunt said. Hate has no place in Barrington 220 and any incident of bullying or harassment will not be tolerated.

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kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
A woman flagged down an Opelika police officer in November to show him pictures she found of an unknown adult male pointing a gun at her sons head.

What Officer Giovanni Santiesteban, 27, did next earned him the Meritorious Service Award. He was recognized by Opelika City Council this week for going above and beyond what the average patrolman would have done and for his display of a high degree of initiative, job proficiency and ability during a sensitive situation.

On Nov. 13, 2021, the woman flagged down Santiesteban at Eagle Ridge Lane near Veterans Parkway. She told him her son had left home the night before without her knowing and he appeared under the influence of drugs and alcohol that morning at her daughters house.

While the woman was trying to figure out what happened she found several photos of her son drinking and smoking marijuana with a man, and that the man had photographed himself pointing guns at her sons head, according to police.

Santiesteban, the father of two children under the age of 6 years old, later said the boy in the photos looked like he was dead. He started to think about his kids, his childhood and other children who could be hurt by this suspect.

He could also feel the emotions of the boys mother. Her worry, concern and anger passed down to me because I got into her shoes like if that was my kid, he said.

Santiesteban wanted to take action.

Seeing the photos, Santiesteban called the son and, after ensuring he was unharmed, asked him to identify the man in the photos. The son only knew the man as Sergio, police said.

Using that name and the photo, Santiesteban and fellow officers were able to identify the man, but the mother was reluctant to sign for an arrest warrant, which would allow the OPD to search the mans property.

It was just one of those things I kind of wanted to get the guy who did it, so I kept following up with her, Santiesteban said of the mother. It got to the point where she got scared of retaliation. I had to give her peace of mind.

A month, later Santiesteban said the mother finally agreed to sign for the warrant.

Santiesteban also wanted to find the guns he saw in the photo and get them off the street, so he inquired about a search warrant for the suspects home, according to police.

On the morning of Dec. 23, officers found and arrested the suspect and searched his home. According to police, they seized two assault rifles, three handguns, more than a kilo of cocaine, about a pound of marijuana, assorted drug paraphernalia, over $27,000 in cash and recovered a jet ski that was reported stolen out of Tennessee.

Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey said Santiestebans actions stand out because hes a patrol officer.

One thing to really note about this is, you know, you hear about police officers doing these kinds of things every day, Healey said. This is usually what our detectives and our narcotics guys do, not our patrol officers. The fact that he took this a step further in order to get those guns off the street, it led to a major seizure of narcotics, some money and obviously some guns.

Police said two of the guns recovered were in the earlier photographs.

Today, Santiesteban says he feels good knowing the suspect is off the street and that this family and others are safe from his influence.

He has stayed in contact with the mother and son, checking on them and making sure they are OK.

Additional felony warrants were issued for the suspects family members, who were not present during the search, police said. The case has since been adopted by the DEA, and federal charges are pending.
I am in writing in response to the recent Presidential State of the Union Address and to bring more awareness to the prices of life-saving prescription drugs. Within President Joe Bidens address, he addressed the price of insulin for those with type 1 diabetes, and how the current price is outrageous. I completely agree with the President in this regard. There should be no reason for the cost of medicine to be crippling to the point where you have to skip doses to have money for other necessities, especially when the cost to make the medicine is $10. During the address, President Biden stated that he would like to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month. This policy is a part of the Presidents plan to cut the costs of prescription drugs. I agree with this decision because no one should have to go without life-saving medicine just because they cannot afford it. Personally, in my own life, I know people who suffer from this reality, and it saddens my heart. If President Biden puts this cap into effect, I believe it will change and save many lives throughout the United States.
Multimedia Reporter

Staff writer Harry Funk, a professional journalist for three-plus decades, has been on the staff of The Almanac since 2015. He has a bachelors degree in journalism and master of business administration, both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Russia's inability to take out more of Ukraine's drones is baffling to me.

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I was watching an interview on CNN I cant remember the guys name but he reported that its more likely that Putin be overthrown than any of his generals giving him accurate information on what the Ukraine situation is I genuinely wonder if him saying no were doing great! Is because everyone is too afraid to tell him theyre not. He thought this would be done in 12 hours to 3 days like what the fuck?



Reminds me of how trump admin staff would only give him positive headlines to avoid him getting upset

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I would think Putin checks foreign press releases himself, but maybe he likes to live in a bubble with lies and long tables.

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meanwhile, Ukrainian grannies are taking out Russian drones with pickle jars

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From what I'm reading, China said today in the phone call that they won't be helping Russia. I hope that's really true.



Edited at 2022-03-19 12:21 am (UTC)

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i think it's true. russia is too dangerous a bet for china to want to take on. plus they're tanking and crumbling in every way possible, so theres nothing for china to gain except a vote on the security council.

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god please

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I really hope they don't, I don't want to have a trade war with China I'm poor

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tbh i wouldnt believe anything any party says here as true

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This is my biggest worry, theyll say one thing and do another

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I hope it stays true too.

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I can see them sending aid if folks start losing focus the longer this goes on but lavrov was on the way to china this morning and was turned around either Putin called him back or China said not today

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China is betting on a winner and they can see Russia isn't a winner.



Edited at 2022-03-19 01:07 am (UTC)

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do you have a link to a reliable source? Im not seeing any recent news except Guardian, who Im only seeing report that the Biden administration is still worried theyll help even after the call

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China's censored media has been changing its tune this past week regarding Ukraine, suddenly allowing videos showing the devastation, saying how it is terrible what is being done to the people of Ukraine. The government is clearly easing into a public change in their position on the matter, which had prior been allegedly neutral but very much amplifying Russian propaganda.



They have definitely decided not to tie their hands to a sinking ship.

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My dad has a friend whos son is a big Fox News stan and he repeats the stuff his son says to him to my dad who tells it to me. Anyway hes saying that everyone is bullying Putin because hes Trumps friend 

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Lavrov legit went on tv today and said Fox News in the only reliable American news source that offers alternative views its incredible that folks are watching a news source that Russia views as friendly to them

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ok, and?



like cry me a fucking river, poor putin is getting bullied? who the fuck cares, what about the innocent Ukrainians who are fucking dying? don't they matter more than some fucking white asshole?

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Theyre not concerned about them because they think its all fake somehow

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hell yeah im bullying putin

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Trump supporters will whine about the left being obsessed with Trump while linking everything to him themselves. They also can't help but constantly center the US in everything, it's tiring.

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Paul is the son of Daphne Caruana Galizia (the Maltese journalist who was killed in a car bomb for her investigations into the Panama Papers). He's a reporter now and does some great work. You can also follow his brother Matthew who has been an investigative journalist for a while now.



All the UK celebs who have been trying to front like Lebedev is a great guy, really... ew.



The son of a KGB spy who Boris Johnson made a lord is an emblematic story for our time. That's been in blindingly plain sight for years. Here's @pcaruanagalizia for @allthecitizens on the newspaper baron who paved Johnson's path to power. And the questions that now must be asked. pic.twitter.com/PBVyVcvRTu  Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) March 11, 2022 Please watch this  (disclaimer: I'm from Malta)Paul is the son of Daphne Caruana Galizia (the Maltese journalist who was killed in a car bomb for her investigations into the Panama Papers). He's a reporter now and does some great work. You can also follow his brother Matthew who has been an investigative journalist for a while now.All the UK celebs who have been trying to front like Lebedev is a great guy, really... ew.

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Chechen special forces are now going door to door in Mariupol and theyre posting videos of their warlords shooting at civilian homes





Putins rally and his stupid turtle neck. People in Russia are fighting for bags of sugar in the store and the Russian government said these people were just too emotional and needed to gather themselves



Most interesting is Lavrov going to China and turning his plane around before landing wonder what happened there.



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Was this before or after the meeting with Biden 

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It was either after or during because their phonecall was 2 hours long and thats when they noticed his plane getting turned around



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That speech by P*tin a few days ago regarding the fifth column and purification chilled my blood. That was like a cult speech. Terrifying.

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what did he say?

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I have translated and added subtitles to the latest video speech by Vladimir Putin from two hours ago. Please dont let it go in vain - I want everyone to see what a speech of true fascism looks like.



No further comment needed, its all here, in his speech pic.twitter.com/QEzsG9BODX  Michael Elgort  (@just_whatever) March 16, 2022 Here is the speech with subtitles so you dont need sound

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The similarities between Tr/mp and Putin are more remarkable by the day. Theyre both bigoted narcissists who have an insatiable need to feed their ego. The only way to stop either is for them to [redacted]. This creates the scenario of martyrdom but otoh no amount of charges (civil or criminal or domestic or international) will ever convince their cult followers how morally bereft and evil they are. They just need to [redacted].

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what are you talking about, trump is stopped.......he is not president anymore bc he got voted out

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He still has a cult following. He still drives the narrative for the Republican Party. He continues to signal he will run again in 2024 (tho just as likely a grift mechanism). He still has cult rallies where more than a few people still show up. He is and always will be a pox on our society until [redacted].

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This man walked to safety from the zone of active fights in Kyiv oblast. He took his two cows with him and evacuated them, Ukrainian volunteers report. When they found out he saved cows, activists found shelter to all three. I just wish him and both cows a warm, silent night pic.twitter.com/I6NWttJzIb  Nika Melkozerova (@NikaMelkozerova) March 18, 2022 A positive story to share (although sad that he had to evacuate in the first place):

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God, this would be me. I couldn't leave my animals behind. **ugly cry**

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omg the cows!!! Last year during the wildfires in California someone posted a video of their cow Phoebe literally jumping for joy when her owners were able to go back to their farm.

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HE SAVED HIS COWS??? LET ME SOB

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I watched an interview with a Ukrainian woman and she said Ukrainians love their animals and theres no way theyre leaving them behind. It was touching. Im so impressed with Ukrainian people.

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I was listening to The Daily I think, with a war reporter saying he has never been in a refugee situation with this many animals. Thinking about people travelling to safety with their lil pets and animals just makes me ugly sob

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I had to evacuate for a hurricane, and the evacuation notice came at the last minute because the hurricane path turned abruptly. So we had to leave our two dogs behind, and it was one of the hardest things Ive ever had to do. On top of that the hurricane ended up being much worse that expected; almost two years later and weve only been back in our house for about four months because we had to completely rebuild.



Luckily the dogs were okay when we were able to return and check on the house, but its something I hope I never have to do again. I dont care how last minute, dont care if I cant find a hotel that allows pets, Im not leaving them again unless its an absolute extreme situation.

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Bless this man and his cows.

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https://www.pcgamer.com/itchs-massive-charity-bundle-raised-over-dollar63-million-for-ukraine/



Thank you to those who bought it or considered it.



Top 10 games to try from the bundle (I need to try that one where you are a cat, wrecking shit and the pic from Skatebird makes it a must play, too.)



https://www.thegamer.com/awesome-items-in-the-itchio-bundle-for-ukraine/

The itch.io Bundle for Ukraine raised oved $6.3 million US dollars for two charities.Thank you to those who bought it or considered it.Top 10 games to try from the bundle (I need to try that one where you are a cat, wrecking shit and the pic from Skatebird makes it a must play, too.)

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i got it and im so happy but honestly im overwhelmed with choice and dont even know where to start with playing them all haha

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I think that's why I was so happy to find that article so I have someplace to start! 

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The cat and skatebird games are so satisfying! I spent way too much time going through it all but found some lovely goodies along the way. I still have a lot of to try out. I'm glad I was able to be a part of this. Thank you for posting about it.

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Of course the difference in foreign policy is Kosovo vs Iraq 2



America stands united with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and against oppression. pic.twitter.com/O7INc9S1tq  Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) March 18, 2022 42 and 43 for Potus watchersOf course the difference in foreign policy is Kosovo vs Iraq 2

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Bush is still alive? I thought he'd died last year.

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That was his dad.

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It's crazy to me that we have a former President who will just never participate in things like this. Not that he even would if asked but like, Bush was a half-brained mess but he can still comprehend the concept of symbolic gestures and good optics.

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Jimmy Hill was killed in Ukraine while in line to get bread



Civilians just doing what they need to do in order to survive in that hell scape being killed while doing something as seemingly mundane as waiting in line for bread is so sad and really exemplifies that this war is killing people indiscriminately.

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Klitschko said the Russians are intentionally killing civilians.

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NEW: Chinese readout of @POTUS call with Xi Jinping pic.twitter.com/6XYhgsotif  Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) March 18, 2022



Then is the USA readout of same call >



WH on Biden-Xi call, notes Biden: "described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians. The President underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis." pic.twitter.com/TlJ70rbgJF  Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 18, 2022 First is China readout of Biden Xi call today >Then is the USA readout of same call >

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Bidens read out is very similar to Blinkens address yesterday Im inclined to believe it and mentioning of Taiwan fits with them moving the USS Ralph Johnson in the Taiwan strait after the invasion started in Ukraine



I think that china will ultimately provide aid to Russia (food and medical at least) but when the situation is not so hot in their eyes. I fully believe that the whole meeting between Xi and Putin during the Olympics was so he was in the loop of what was going to happen he just didnt think plans would turn out so shit I guess

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Immensely proud of the Russian citizens leaving in protest and telling newscasters they dont support the war. For them to have that kind of backbone when faced with constant propaganda means they have real integrity.



But all those poor Ukrainian citizens and immigrantsfuck now Im crying again.

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It's absolutely remarkable how the narrative that "Euromaidan was a US-sponsored coup" is the foundational axiom of an entire geopolitics. A short thread /1  Vincent Artman (@geogvma) March 18, 2022



Edited at 2022-03-19 01:43 am (UTC) I listened to this podcast a few days ago that talked about Western narcissism on the left in regards to what's going on in Ukraine and other places like Syria and that really made me think of things a bit differently. By saying that the West is at fault for this, it gives people in the West an excuse to have their own opinion instead of listening to the people directly affected in those countries.

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https://newrepublic.com/article/165603/carlson-russia-ukraine-imperialism-nato I also fully agree with this article:

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Thanks!! I'll have to read!!

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i found arnold's video to be really nice, tho i do side-eye celebrities who think they can play on such a big world stage. that said, if his message resonates and comes thru to people who need it most, i support it

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I think Arnolds a self-promoting creep, and his politics are pretty shitty, but he was the governor of California for 8 years. Not like being a US President but California does have close to the same population as Ukraine and a larger economy than Russia. I dont think its bizarre for him to weigh in on political things.

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U.S. teachers experience violence, threats, harassment during pandemic: survey

Xinhua) 10:30, March 19, 2022

LOS ANGELES, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Almost half of U.S. teachers expressed desire to quit or transfer jobs as many educators and school personnel in the country reported that they experienced violence, threats and harassment during the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey has found.

According to the latest survey data released by the American Psychological Association on Thursday, one out of every three teachers (33 percent) reported at least one incident of verbal harassment or threatening behavior from a student, and 29 percent reported at least one incident from a parent of a student. The numbers were even higher for school administrators as around 37 percent of them reported at least one incident of harassment or threat of violence from a student and 42 percent reported the same from a parent.

The survey said that around 14 percent of teachers reported incidents of physical violence from a student. Additionally, at least 18 percent of school psychologists and social workers, 15 percent of school administrators and 22 percent of other school staff reported at least one violent incident by a student during the pandemic.

Around 49 percent of teachers expressed a desire or plan to quit or transfer to another school. More teachers reported a desire to quit (43 percent) than to transfer (26 percent), according to the survey, conducted from July 2020 to June 2021.

"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, 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, in a news release.

"Violence against educators is a public health problem, and we need comprehensive, research-based solutions," McMahon noted.

The task force of the American Psychological Association surveyed 14,966 participants, including 9,370 teachers, 860 administrators, 1,499 school psychologists and social workers, and 3,237 other pre-K through 12th grade school staff members from all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
In a display of solidarity with Ukraine, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton earlier this week left bouquets of sunflowers, the war-torn nations national flower, at an iconic church in Chicagos Ukrainian Village during an unannounced visit.

Both former presidents, who have been outspoken in opposing Russias invasion of Ukraine, used social media late Friday to post videos of their joint visit to the golden-domed Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church, 739 N. Oakley Blvd.

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The men, both 75, wore yellow ribbons on their suit lapels as they approached the church, carrying the bouquets of yellow sunflowers tied in a blue ribbon. They left the flowers, which came from a local florist, at a stone cross outside the church.

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Demonstrators gather in support of Ukraine on March 13, outside Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church in the Ukrainian Village, where former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush visited Friday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

America stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and their future, Bush, a former Republican president, said on Twitter through his presidential center in Dallas.

Clinton, a former Democratic president, posted the video to his Twitter page, writing, America stands united with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and against oppression.

In the video, an unidentified church member explained that the flowers say in solidarity and Ukraine has become the citadel of fighting for freedom.

The video said Clinton and Bush worked to support Ukraines democratic institutions after the U.S. began diplomatic relations with the country in 1991 following the fall of the Soviet Union.

           . Thank you Mister President Bush and Mister President Clinton. Posted by Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church on Friday, March 18, 2022

In a Facebook post, the church displayed the video and thanked the former presidents for their visit.

Two former presidents of the United States arrived to our Cathedral to express support for Ukraine. Thank you Mister President Bush and Mister President Clinton, the Facebook post said.

Both Bush and Clinton have criticized Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb. 24.

In a statement following Russias invasion, Bush called it unprovoked and unjustified and said it constitutes the gravest security crisis on the European continent since World War II.

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Clinton also has called Putins actions unprovoked and unjustified and warned Putin that the world will hold Russia, and Russia alone, accountable, both economically and politically.
apparently arnold and his movies are extremely popular in russia so heres hoping this gets through to at least some of them :(

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yeah this is using a platform for good

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I can't help but wonder what is going to get through to the Russian people? They can't want this, not the majority of them, right?



Do they really love Putin that much?

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Russian people don't have power to do anything about it. It's hard to understand for people living in democratic society, but it's the truth.

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One would think Americans would understand this quite easily since it's a country fighting wars completely irrelevant to the interest of it's everyday people literally all the time lmao

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Lol. Russia is a country with extremely diverse political opinions. The issue is that the government doesnt allow them oxygen. Please try to examine your priors.

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why you assume all the russian people are ok with war? theres brave russians protesting against it knowing the horrible consequences. commentaire a la con.

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This comment sounds like it has never lived through dictatorships where the ruling party wins by 80% gap each time.



(Snark aside this is something which you should be grateful for tbh and I am not saying that to be sarcastic, it's a blessing many countries took for granted)

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In 2001 I participated in my school's exchange with students from St. Petersburg. Most of the students had zero interest in politics. But this wasn't so much ignorance, but stemmed a lot from the fact, that they felt powerless to change anything. They saw, that "the elite" just did what it wanted. "Elite" meaning oligarchs and organized crime. And mind you, this was 2001, when Russia scored enormously higher on all kinds of democracy indicators.



And as someone who was born in East-Germany, I can tell you, that in such an unfree state, the majority just learns to keep their political opinions to themselves for fear of repercussions.

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Living in Turkey, I can tell that not all Russian people are okay with this. There may be a lot of people who are not okay with this too. But when I heard that there were protests in Russia, I was surprised and touched by their bravery. Because that action takes extreme courage. We had Gezi back in the day and it was not about war but about a park. Everyone noticeable in Gezi is blacklisted now, Istiklal Avenue is completely different, there have been no successful protests in the Avenue since then. Police brutality is much worse.



Mikhail Baryshnikov said "I assume that this gives them a sense of security, just like the authoritarian leadership makes their people believe in protecting them. Of course, it is a fictitious feeling of security because at any time the protection can become a persecuted." on this and it is so on point. There may be people who voted for Putin and are not okay with this. But they won't say anything because they're scared. People who protest are brave and amazing but I cannot blame who don't take a stand, because in some cases, it's life or death.

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In Russia as well as in so many totalitarian regimes, seeking knowledge and asking questions is dangerous. School will not teach you that, and most parents don't have the courage to, because you'd rather your children be safe.



Russian writer Mikhail Shishkin wrote about the difficult task of teaching your kids to speak the truth while educating them with lies. That you are taught a lie that no one believes in but you teach it to people who you love to protect them: the price of speaking the truth is dead serious. He also asks the question that in a country where a cruel government and the nation itself have been so intertwined, does love for your country mean wishing for it to succeed or fail?

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Russia isn't a monolith lol



Like idk any country the majority of the people don't have time to dedicate lots of effort to what's happening outside their borders because they're busy trying to live day to day

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Russia has a history of imprisoning people and sending them off to work camps in Siberia should they display any kind of dissent to the kleptocrat regime. This also applies to the families.

However, its not unheard of that they are disappeared, suddenly come down with serious diseases, be the victim of random criminal acts etc. its a totalitarian regime of fear. They dont love Putin, they are afraid of him.

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I mean its kinda like the War in Iraq, did most Americans want it? No. Did they try to stop their deranged leaders? Not really. The world is definitely more online now than ever before but we have anti-maskers leading truck convoys tooso if we cant get through to those bozos how do we compare to those who have lived under Putin and his particular brand of fascism.



Edited at 2022-03-19 09:04 pm (UTC)

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i'm surprised it didn't get blocked.

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I can only assume it will at some point, and I bet the official Kremlin accounts will stop following him.

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Thats what Im wondering?



We know theyre censoring everything included the internet so how exactly will this get to the people who need to see it?

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Telegram

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If people are sharing it within Russia, there will always be ways to spread it.

However, many of the people who would really need to see this, won't anyway. I'm regularly asking my Russian contacts for updates on the situation and mood there, and they always say it's especially the older demographic that only consumes TV and radio, that's particularly united in being pro-war / siding with Putin. Convincing these people of anything different from state propaganda will be extremely difficult. All in all, it seems, it  like in many other countries too  comes down to younger, more globalized generations to push for change. :/

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Theres some 3D chess happening here, just not sure what the move is.

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putins got an editor, as hard-working as the guy who edits Ramsay kitchen nightmares, working on it to warp it

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Wow what a good use of his platform.

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Skipping over a pretty big tidbit that the main reason he did this like this was bc Putin follows only 22 accounts, Arnold being one of them

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"By noon Friday, the video had been viewed nearly 25 million times and had been retweeted almost 400,000 times. Schwarzenegger is one of the few accounts followed by the Kremlin's official Russian- and English-language Twitter accounts." is right in the write up.

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Damn you havent deleted this yet?

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Russians dont love Putin, they fear him. Even the USA, Russias dick swinging buddy, is tiptoeing and now their only real reason for potential war/intervention is them holding the basketball player because they dont want to actually get involved in White on White crime.

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Posting it on telegram is very smart of him. Very savvy political acumen there.

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What, is Putin going to ban all Russian social media too?  I guess time will tell if he wants to go full Kim Jong Un.

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Jokes on you, Russia has been trying to ban Telegram since its inception.

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Now thats how celebs should use their platform.

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Its better if the message is coming from a big celebrities like this that isnt American-born.



From my time in Asia, any time information is coming from the US, they take it automatically as misinformation. I remember they did an Ask Reddit or something with Chinese people and they were talking about how they thought the Tiananmen square massacre had been made up by the US.



Anytime something happens in Latin America its cuz the US did this and that. Ive had to fight my Mexican family members on this, like homie its not your nepotism governor who is corrupt as fuck?

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I mean, U.S. intervesionism in latin america is NOTORIOUS. and one thing doesnt stop the other, your local government can be corrupt and it still be a play by the u.s

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I get it but one thing cant happen without the other.

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To be FAIR! The US does indeed stick its fingers wherever they can whenever they can. Especially Latin America. The US loves using another country's corrupt politicians.



Which isn't to say that's what happening in your case, just saying I totally get being suspicious.

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oh no, those poor americans being judged unfairly by their war crimes 

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I wonder what information people in these countries actually trust, though. China and Russia alone are hotbeds for governmental mis/disinformation. This isn't an absolution of the US's BS, but I do wonder what information they trust.

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This well-put together video.

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I have a work colleague in Russia and I asked how he was doing and he said he doesn't know what's going to happen tomorrow, that this is wrong, the war is wrong (brothers killing brothers)... but then he veered off into "our govt is not crazy, this was a last resort, it's a big double standard that the usa kills half a million people in an islamic country but russia is the big bad wolf"

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he is NOT wrong about tje double Standard, but two wrongs don't make a right.

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yeah, not wrong at all and I said I agreed with him on that part. I totally understand the feeling but, like you said, it doesn't justify at all what's happening. in the end, I told him I wish this stops as soon as possible

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last resort to what? the nazi thing?

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What an honestly strange time we are living in. Good for him for using his platform to try to cause a little bit of change.



Also this video felt super surreal when you see this important message being delivered with a half-naked Arnold painting in the background

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thanks, arnold. and thanks to the people who wrote this/put it together. great rhetoric that I hope can have some good affect.



it's insane that putin just pulled the nazi thing out of his ass. where did he even get that? do you think he is so used to lying that he believes what he says?

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Unfortunately hes been pulling the nazi thing out of his ass for a decade now and when you broadcast something for this long and dont allow any other information to be public, some people do start to believe it.

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Yeah. It's one thing to read about this shit in history books or 1984, it's been wild to actually watch it unfold in real time. It's truly been a few years of realizing things for me.

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look at the shit people believe in america, where they DO have access to the truth

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WW2 remembrance is a big deal in Russia, even more so than in most European countries (which is saying something IME). It's just a really big cultural memory thing and "fighting the nazis" has been used to galvanize the population. Like, there are literally parades with Russian toddlers dressed up as mini WW2 soldiers. If you need an excuse to go to war, making up nazi enemies is the guaranteed way to position yourself on the right side of history

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It was extremely surreal to see Putin talk about denatzifying Ukraine at a nazi-esque rally. Really Orwellian

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Hold up, the nazi thing is absolutely real and should not be erased. There are a lot of nazis in Ukraine, including within their army (they have nazi battalions, youth groups, etc.) It wasnt pulled out of nowhere, its been well documented for years and that information can be found very easily online.



Most people are skeptical about the denazifying reason because why now? The nazis have been there for generations. Perhaps because after the US coup they gained a foothold in the government? But that happened almost a decade ago, theyve been in power all this time. I mean, hes right about Ukraine having a major nazi problem, but it sounds like a tacked on excuse for the invasion.

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putin needs to watch avatar the last airbender and korra. that would fix everything imo.

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no, actually, I dont think that would fix a single thing.

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you're right he'd probably side with the antagonists like zaheer and azula good take

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Get Isabelle Huppert. She's wanted to work with Barry Jenkins for years!



I remember the first season got critical acclaim but the second with Vince Vaughn and inferior Gambit was apparently horrid. How was the third season?

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I think people said it was better but still blah.

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Third season was v good and incredibly underrated relative to all of the other junk of TV at that moment.



Second was also good but I understand that many will think my saying that is an admission that Im a dumbass 

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I didnt mind the second season either tbh. It was always going to be hard to follow the first season.

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The third one wasn't as enthralling as the first one, but was good, much better than the second one which was plain boring.

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I really liked season 2.



It had that pulpy Los Angeles vibe that was quite reminiscent of William Friedkin and David Lynch, and I was here for it.



Too many people expected a repeat of season 1 and just couldn't engage with a new narrative and mood.

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I really loved s3, it had a stunning cast tbh

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I loved the third season, incredible acting and cast

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the third season is actually rated higher on imdb and rt (iirc) than the first, but the first was just groundbreaking prestige tv when it came out. the second season was soooo bad that it utterly demolished a viewing base for s3 which is a damn shame.



in my personal opinion, s3 tried to go back to being "safe" by emulating s1. and there were so many moments where the directors should've been allowed to shine on s3 but there was a bunch of conflict between nic and cary on s1 that i honestly believe it became a thing in s2-s3 contracts that nic got final say (which is dumb bc most of the praise for true detective outside of the acting is 100% the directing).



s2 tried to do this funky "realistic" noir that i've seen ppl argue is a rejection of the noir genre (but ive read nic's other works and tbh i dont think its that deep). also worse is that it tried to do diet david lynch twin peaks moments and it... it does NOT work for the "gritty realism" nic was interested in (lynch is the exact OPPOSITE of gritty realism, so trying to visually motif him in this fails spectacularly).



s3 def worth watching in the context of it blows a lot of the crime/thriller/haunting southern-esque tone miniseries that have come out after it (sharp objects comes to mind) out of the water and has a simply gorgeous production design budget, but its not doing anything we havent seen in s1, and also like s1, it has massive race problems



Edited at 2022-03-20 03:03 am (UTC)

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OH BITCH!!!!

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Thats enough, John Mayer.

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What is True Detective without Pizzolatto? Hes not perfect but likeisnt it his show at the end of the day? (And yes I know hell get an EP credit and millions on this Lopez/Jenkins season.)



Edited at 2022-03-19 02:06 am (UTC)

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The first one was also bad. Just end this.

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OH BITCH LET'S GO!!!

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IDK the only good one was with Alright Alright Alright and his blond friend.

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They have such good chemistry.

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Marty's side-eyes were perfection.

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calling woody harrelson "his blonde friend" is taking me out idky

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4? There's another two?!

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ooooh!!



I still gotta watch the first season lol 

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Not if you want to enjoy the rest. Work backwards lol.

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THIS IS THE WAY!!!

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the first season is great, i recommend it, as someone who doesnt like matthew mcconaughey.

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omg like the other ontd user said, work backwards!!!



start w s2 (but dont finish if you dont like it, i promise you it doesnt get better)

then s3

finish on s1

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How is Levinson in this

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I dont think he his. I think theyre saying he did a pinch for season .4

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I wont be watching, but I have faith in Barry Jenkins saving this mess of a show

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I feel like True Detective is a cursed show, but if anyone can make it work it would be Barry Jenkins

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Sam Levinson doing True Detective sounds like itd veer into Ryan Murphy territory.

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Not Prince Edward, its Prince Albert

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this poor freaking woman

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I don't get it. Why are they keeping her hostage? The previous posts don't explain it either?

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So she'd go through with the wedding.

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That is so fucked up. The woman doesn't want the wedding and she obviously doesn't want you, let her go!

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this whole situation is so creepy, she's a hostage in front of our eyes and i'm worried about what will happen to her.



prince albert is a piece of shit. remember when supermodel karen mulder accused him of raping her on a french talk show and that segment was never aired and the tape destroyed?

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Holy shit I had no idea.

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"a notorious appearance on French television where her various claims  that men at Elite had raped her, that she had been coerced into having sex to garner better contracts, that Elite had used her and other models as sex slaves in a ring that extended through the top echelons of French society, implicating politicians, members of the police, and other top officials, that her own father had raped her, that she had been sexually abused by a family friend from the age of 2, that she had been hypnotized and raped, kidnapped and raped, and raped some more  were regarded as so potentially libelous that France 2 not only never aired the segment, but destroyed the master tape."

https://jezebel.com/modeling-and-the-tragedy-of-karen-mulder-5304706 OMG, I had never heard of her. She went through so much, shitty powerful men abusing girls and women."a notorious appearance on French television where her various claims  that men at Elite had raped her, that she had been coerced into having sex to garner better contracts, that Elite had used her and other models as sex slaves in a ring that extended through the top echelons of French society, implicating politicians, members of the police, and other top officials, that her own father had raped her, that she had been sexually abused by a family friend from the age of 2, that she had been hypnotized and raped, kidnapped and raped, and raped some more  were regarded as so potentially libelous that France 2 not only never aired the segment, but destroyed the master tape."

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Edited at 2022-03-20 10:05 am (UTC) There are so many like this. So many girls/women, so many abusive men in this industry. I submitted a related post a month ago but it was not approved. I posted it to my journal instead: https://estelle.livejournal.com/150109.html

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yep and then they had her committed and made out to be delusional. when any mental illness she has probably stems from all the abuse.

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celebitchy (i know) covered this weird story a lot. to me it seems like she had a serious health crisis but they don't wanna say what it is. she looked really frail in SA

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Was she the one that was literally sobbing while walking down the aisle? I remember those pictures and it broke my heart.

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Those pictures screamed sadness and it was reported that her passport was taken away..

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And that hellish kiss at the altar where he had his eyes open and looked kinda disdainful. jfc..

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It was so depressing to watch. She really burst into tears suddenly i think when the choir was singing? And not this is the greatest moment of my life tears

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Her health problems sound miserable. I hope shes doing okay now. Physically and mentally.

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please, like he'd ever allow the kids to leave his sight and give her a legit chance to escape

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I think she had a very serious illness and also that there's no way that Prince Albert would let her go. She seemed so sad on her wedding day...



I find it very weird that rumours say Prince Albert is gay when it is also well documented he likes women (might be bi?)

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Doesn't he have 2 'illegitimate' kids and a paternity tests against him every few years?

idt he's strictly gay. Unless lol its a crazy coordinated effort to APPEAR straight.

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Yes two children (different mothers) were denied then later proven true by DNA tests, after which he publicly acknowledged. There were two others (different mothers) that he also denied but no reports on DNA so they were never proven true or false.

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Op, the term "drama" fits for a petty feud between two youtubers, but i don't think it does fit a potential abusive relationship/forced marriage situation...





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Noted, fair, changed since I dont technically know the nature of their relationship

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I will use the word drama to refer to anything and everything, thank you!

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The pictures of her on her wedding day are so, so sad. This whole story is just horrible.

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yeah the video of her on her wedding day is so sad. I've been following this story for years, and she seems trapped and miserable.



I guess I don't understand why they couldn't divorce and share custody of the kids? I get that they're royal but, couldn't it be done?



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Monaco is super Catholic. And the Monaco royal family has a bit of a mad history. A women King Rainer I kidnapped cursed his family and since then its all been a bit mad. Princess Grace (Kelly)s daughter Stephanie got up to some crazy shiz including dating her bodyguard and then an elephant tamer in a circus. Theyre probably pressuring her to avoid even more scandal.

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oh wow, I had no idea! That is an interesting history.

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i mean yeah monaco is catholic but their rulers are no stranger to mess. albert and stephanie have kids out of wedlock and caroline only doesnt because she was in a relationship with another royal and they just got married a few months before the baby was born. their ancestors had affairs and mistresses and iirc, alberts great grandmother was born out of wedlock and later legitimized. theyre a completely different brand of catholic than, say, the belgian royal family.

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I read the linked posts, but this whole thing is so bizarre. Surely they could have found someone who would marry him for the money? Is there something particular about her that makes her the perfect princess?

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I think initially maybe she thought it would be all wonderful? Then I think she started having second thoughts and tried to leave and her passport was taken away.

Which, to be "fair," passports being taken away also happens with the British Royal Family too. Doesn't make it right but, anyway.



I don't know, maybe then she realized she was trapped and had to go through it with anyway?

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They had been a public couple for a while before the wedding and it would've been a PR nightmare to have her leave him right before a $70M USD wedding due to his having a THIRD illegitimate child.

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I remember her looking terrified during the marriage ceremony. It always stuck with me. I hope she's okay.

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The three biggest international oilfield services firms remain in Russia, not following nearly all Western oil majors that have said in recent weeks they would quit their Russian joint ventures and projects and would quit trading Russian oil.

While BP, Shell, and ExxonMobil raced to announce they are withdrawing from all their operations and stakes in companies and joint ventures in Russia following Putins invasion of Ukraine, Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes have not announced such moves, the Financial Times reports.

The three oilfield services firms, the worlds largest, did not respond to FTs requests for comment on their Russian business.

Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes are partners with the biggest Russian oil and gas firms, including state-controlled Rosneft and Gazprom Neft.

The current sanctions against Russia ban new investments of U.S. and EU companies in Russias energy, but they do not restrict the existing operations, according to FT.

Its much easier for them to operate under the radar because they are not directly exploiting or exporting oil and natural resources, Audun Martinsen, head of energy services research at Rystad Energy, told FT, commenting on the oilfield services firms business in Russia.

For Schlumberger, the worlds largest oilfield services firm, Russia currently represents approximately 5 percent of its global revenue, chief executive officer Olivier Le Peuch said last week in an update on the outlook for the quarter ending March 31, 2022.

Consequently, based on what we see today, and taking into account that Russia currently only represents approximately 5% of our global revenue, we continue to believe that increased activity and pricing will drive simultaneous double-digit growthboth internationally and in North Americathat will lead our overall 2022 revenue growth to reach the mid-teens, Le Peuch said about Schlumbergers expected performance this year.

Early this month, after Russia invaded Ukraine, protesters gathered in front of Schlumbergers offices in Sugar Land in Houston to demand that the worlds biggest oilfield services firm stop doing business in Russia, the Houston Chronicle reported.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
For decades, OPEC has been looked to in times of crisis to stabilize oil markets, and in the coming weeks it is likely the cartel will be called upon again.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has upended global energy markets and, if stability doesnt return soon, that could have serious geopolitical consequences for OPEC members. The pre-invasion hydrocarbon markets were almost in equilibrium, as stable global economic growth combined with rational management strategies from the OPEC+ alliance to balance markets. Despite a global pandemic that disrupted the global economy for two years, energy markets had managed to return to a level of relative stability. Some were even predicting a post-Covid order in which OPEC+ would experience an era of strong influence and power. Today, the OPEC+ alliance appears to be hanging by a thread as Russia faces an economic crisis on the back of sanctions imposed in response to its invasion. The ongoing shift inside OECD countries, especially the EU, the UK, and the U.S., to wean themselves off Russian energy supplies, is dramatic and could prove to be influential in isolating Russia from the wider energy market.

At a time when global oil and gas markets were already facing some supply issues, Russias invasion of Ukraine really threw fuel on the fire. Western energy-dependent countries are now calling on others to increase oil and gas production and exports not only to quell the global thirst for energy but also to counter the rapid rise in prices. All eyes are on OPEC, as the oil exporters group, some call it an oil cartel, is considered the only viable option in the short term to supply more. Until now, all calls from Washington, London, and Brussels appear to have fallen on deaf ears. In a seemingly desperate move to influence OPECs leaders, British PM Boris Johnson flew to Saudi Arabia, officially to discuss possible investment agreements, but mainly to push for additional oil volumes from the Kingdom. During meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defacto ruler of the Kingdom, and his counterpart Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Johnson pushed for additional oil supplies, while also discussing Western sanctions on Russia. The Prime Ministers' efforts, however, have been met with silence, no new energy promises have been made by either party.

According to Johnson, when asked about a potential change in OPECs production strategies, MBS and MBZ both made it clear that they understand the need for stability in the global oil and gas markets. The real answer from both OPEC leaders was very clear indeed, at this moment they will not change their production and export strategies and they will not endanger their strong relationships with Russias leader Putin. These responses were not particularly surprising for analysts.

OPEC has always prided itself on maintaining a healthy spare production capacity in order to influence oil markets. For decades, OPEC producers have been the center of attention for traders, importers, and financial analysts, and have always been considered the ultimate resource for energy in case of a global crisis. Saudi Arabia, and lately also Abu Dhabi, have been seen as the ultimate swing-producers that clients could rely on if a sudden geopolitical or technical issue were to occur blocking potential suppliers. The Kingdom is still seen as the ultimate swing-producer, holding a spare capacity of between 1.2-2.1 million bpd. In the last couple of years, Abu Dhabis upstream expansion has pushed it into a position of being a swing producer, with 0.6-1.2 million bpd. Riyadhs geopolitical power position is directly related to this theoretical production capacity, as it mitigates the removal of Iran or Venezuela from oil markets. Abu Dhabis extra volumes are becoming increasingly important in such a tight oil market. Before the pandemic, US shale companies were also seen as swing producers, even if their long-term production capacity differed.

Since the end of the pandemic (which was the first time that global analysts seemed to understand that the market was heading towards a supply crisis), the market has had to reassess this narrative of spare capacity. The lack of new oil and gas investment and discoveries in recent decades has left oil markets drastically unprepared for such a shortage. Some have warned that part of the current OPEC+ export strategy is based on internal capacity constraints. In a market that was slowly recovering from major demand destruction, OPEC members could hide their domestic production constraints behind the facade of a conservative production policy. Now, with Russia in crisis and an oil shortage looming, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other members will need to put their money were their mouth is. If they fail to act now, rumors about a lack of spare production capacity will become increasingly believable. Current analysis already indicates that most OPEC producers are incapable of increasing production. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are believed to have higher capacity, but the current silence from both players is not going to instill confidence in observers.

A possible reality is hovering on the horizon in which 4+ million Russian oil barrels are stuck on Russian soil and the market is unable to find a substitute for them. If Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not able to supply that much-needed 2-3 million bpd to Western markets, oil prices will soar to unseen heights. A potential failure to find a swing-producer would not only lead to a real energy price crisis but would also undermine the current strategic power OPEC holds. Geopolitically, OPEC producers attractiveness to others (financial markets, manufacturers, and investors, but also defense/security) is linked to their oil and gas supply capabilities. Without this, the entire geopolitical equation will change.

OPEC Production Capacity

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait have 4 million bpd of spare capacity - in 3-6 months

By Cyril Widershoven for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
These long days indoors can make us long for an escape. And until warm summer days are here again, I dont think theres a better way to escape than with a great book.

So if youre looking to be swept up in a good story, grab a fuzzy blanket, a cup of coffee and one of these five recommended reads:

1. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A recent release, but easily one of my top five books of all-time. Once I started this book, I couldnt put it down. Reid masterfully weaves the past with the present to talk about family, love, addiction and loss. Categorized as historical fiction, and making appearances on many of 2021s best-of lists, this book is storytelling at its best. I was completely mesmerized and it left me wanting more.

2. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. Also making appearances on "Best of 2021" lists, Henrys book is the ultimate summer beach read. One of the best romance stories Ive read in quite a while, this book follows best friends Alex and Poppy on 10 years of summer vacations. Youll be swept up in the adventures of their travels while experiencing the deeply emotional and incredibly witty dialogue.

3. "Can You Keep a Secret" by Sophie Kinsella. If I'm in the mood for a fun, flirty, feel-good read, Sophie Kinsella is my go-to. This book is one of my very favorites of hers. It did not disappoint. It brings the humor and warmth typical of Kinsella novels. "Can You Keep a Secret" is the story of Emma Corrigan, who spills all of her secrets to a handsome stranger on a plane  until this handsome stranger turns out to be her companys CEO.

4. Normal People by Sally Rooney. A modern-day exploration of love across social classes, Normal People is Irish author Sally Rooneys second novel. This book made an appearance on President Obamas 2019 recommended reading list. A coming-of-age story, title characters Connell and Marianne explore relationships, social norms and belonging. Wickedly smart and occasionally heartbreaking, this book highlights first love without the sentimentality.

5. "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby. An oldie but a goodie, Nick Hornby is one of my favorite authors of all time. And in this book he happens to marry some of my favorite things together as well  music, relationships and witty storytelling. Originally written in 1995, its been adapted into a movie, Broadway musical and most recently a television series. Hornby has such a compelling way of bringing characters to life.

My husbands pick: Calypso by David Sedaris. Storyteller and social commentator David Sedaris released "Calypso" in 2018 as a collection of 21 semi-autobiographical essays. My husband has read (and enjoyed) almost all of Sedaris works but picked this one as a standout. Dealing with aging and mortality, this book is darkly funny and deeply personal  as most of his books are. If you enjoy this wry and raw type of storytelling, pick up this book.

***

Shea Saladee lives in Papillion with her husband, Brent, and their three children. She works as an instructor at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
A vacant lot in the heart of downtown Omaha has for nearly two decades sat earmarked for projects that never broke ground  a missing piece in the increasingly ambitious growth of the citys urban core.

That may soon change. Theres recent local and national interest in the site of the former Union Pacific Railroad headquarters as a prime spot for development, said Kevin Andersen, a deputy chief of staff with the Mayors Office.

The square block at 14th and Dodge Streets has remained vacant since Union Pacific moved its headquarters across the street in 2004 and the site was fully cleared in 2008.

Through a deal with Lanoha Real Estate Co., the city will be granted ownership of the Lanoha-owned site, and in exchange will give the local real estate developer the city-owned site where the W. Dale Clark Library currently sits.

The land swap will pave the way for a new Mutual of Omaha headquarters to rise on the W. Dale Clark property at 15th and Douglas Streets, just to the west of downtowns Gene Leahy Mall.

Mutual for years has studied its facilities needs. The company was approached about a year ago by developer Jason Lanoha, who, at the time, proposed Mutual build its new headquarters downtown on the former Union Pacific lot.

Mutuals decision to move downtown was cemented in the citys plan to build a 3-mile streetcar line connecting the University of Nebraska Medical Center to Omahas riverfront.

In fact, Mutuals desire to be on the streetcar route led to the land-swap proposal between Lanoha and the city. After Mutual approached the city in September to see if it would consider altering the route to include the Union Pacific lot, the city suggested the land swap as a way to accommodate Mutuals goal without redrawing the streetcar route, Mayor Jean Stothert said in January.

The Mutual project, estimated to cost about $443 million, would drastically change Omahas skyline and bring thousands of workers downtown.

Its a project the scale of which meets the expectations Lanoha and the city previously had for the former Union Pacific lot that sits two blocks away.

When Lanoha bought the vacant property in 2014, he floated a plan that featured a glass structure 10 to 25 stories high that would be heavy on offices but include retail space and condos.

That plan later evolved into a $200 million high-rise with two towers up to 30 stories high.

The project would have fulfilled an unofficial commitment to city officials to erect a tall structure on the site that enhanced the citys skyline and brought more jobs to Omahas downtown.

Lanoha told The World-Herald in 2019 that over the years his company declined multiple offers that didnt quite fulfill that commitment.

Before it was purchased by Lanoha, the property reverted to city ownership in 2002 as part of an incentive package for Union Pacific to build its new and consolidated 20-story corporate structure across Dodge Street.

In 2005, Mayor Mike Faheys administration sold the property to Kansas-based Townsend Inc. for $1. The developer then paid several million dollars to tear down the old 12-story Union Pacific building.

Townsend proposed a 32-story project filled with residential condos, offices and a hotel. The project, called WallStreet Tower, never got off the ground. It was stalled by a lack of financing during an economic downturn and then by tighter lending requirements.

After taking his own project proposal to the city, Lanoha finalized the purchase of the land from Townsend in 2014 for $2.75 million.

Soon, the lot will be back in the citys hands.

Lanoha declined to share details on the land swap.

An appraisal of both locations is still underway, Andersen said.

Mutual, in a document submitted to the city, estimated the expense for the W. Dale Clark land and acquisition at $4.15 million.

Renewed interest in the former Union Pacific property is on trend with a growing interest in all of downtown as an area of redevelopment, Andersen said.

Theres a broad interest in downtown development right now, which is certainly encouraging and a result of the activity investment that weve seen in the area, Andersen said.

Andersen declined to name companies or developers that have shown an interest in the site, and noted that any discussions are still in early stages.

More than half a dozen developers showed an interest in the W. Dale Clark site  long considered a prime spot for redevelopment  before the city landed on Mutual for the location.

The former Union Pacific lot wont officially be given to the city until the demolition of the 45-year-old W. Dale Clark Library is complete, the cost of which the city will cover.

A call for proposals on the demolition will be made by the city in coming weeks, which will clarify the costs of the demo, Andersen said.

Demolition of the existing library is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

Officials also hope to see redevelopment on a city-owned property just to the east of the W. Dale Clark site. That location is currently used as a staging area for the Gene Leahy Mall construction.

Any future projects on that site would likely be scaled in consideration of the Mutual skyscraper and the park.

You dont want a huge, looming presence over the park, so we anticipate scaling up to what will be the good-sized Mutual building, Andersen said.

Mutual of Omaha CEO James Blackledge in January said the companys new headquarters will be on the scale of the 45-story First National Bank Tower  potentially even taller.

Parking will also have to be taken into consideration for any future projects on the vacant city-owned lot, but the proposed streetcar system would help with that, Andersen said.

Both the Mutual skyscraper and the streetcar system will require a number of rounds of city approvals over the next year.

Parts of the projects will come before the Omaha City Council on March 29, including Mutuals application for $68 million in tax-increment financing, and an ordinance that would create an Omaha Streetcar Authority.

Plans call for construction to begin on both projects by next year, with both open and functioning in 2026.

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.
Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the press in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Getty-AFP)

As Russian troops and bombs descended on Ukraine, the daughter frantically booked a flight from Chicago to Warsaw to help her parents fleeing their home in Kyiv.

Her 78-year-old mother and father earlier this month escaped the war-torn capital with the clothing on their backs and few other possessions.

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Explosions rocked Kyiv overnight. A convoy of Russian military vehicles said to be 40 miles long was headed into the city. Security checkpoints dotted the route west, further slowing the traffic already congested with thousands of cars.

Brutal media images of Russian shelling and civilian casualties terrified their daughter, 47-year-old Yaroslava Dunn of west suburban St. Charles, as she headed to Poland.

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It was a helpless feeling, Dunn said. What am I going to do? Who am I going to contact to get them out? It was a feeling of desperation.

But her parents safely reached the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 7, with the aid of a Christian volunteer group. About a week later, the couple crossed into Poland and reunited with Dunn, the parents and daughter gratefully hugging one another at the train station.

It broke my heart, made me sad to tears, to see their exhausted smile-less faces, Dunn recalled in a Facebook post that day. Elderly people in their late 70s, who had to leave everything, their entire life, behind.

The family was safe and out of harms way. But their bureaucratic nightmare had just begun: Dunn planned to bring her parents to the United States, to stay in her home until the war is over and they can return to Ukraine.

Yaroslava Dunn, bottom row center, of St. Charles, with her mother Nataliia Sukhodulska, bottom left, father Iurii Siedov, top left, sister Natasha Stevens, of Wisconsin, top right, and family friend Olga Zachek after being reunited in Poland recently. Dunn's parents, who lived in Kyiv, Ukraine, safely reached the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 7 and crossed into Poland a week later. (Yaroslava Dunn)

Yet shes tackling a complicated and often confusing process to get them travel visas. And shes doing so from a hotel in Warsaw, a city already overwhelmed with war refugees.

We are in limbo

After about two weeks of phone calls and filing paperwork with the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Poland, Dunn was still not sure both parents will be able to come with her to the United States.

We are in limbo, she said. Even in Warsaw, while in safety, we cannot exhale because we do not know what to do.

As the war continued into a fourth week, Dunn was among a growing number of individuals and organizations urging the United States to resettle more Ukrainian war refugees and asylum-seekers  as well as expedite the process, which can typically take years.

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So far, more than 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Feb. 24 full-scale Russian invasion, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Nearly 2 million have gone to Poland, while hundreds of thousands of others have traveled to Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia, respectively.

While the Biden administration has reportedly considered expediting the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees, the United States at this point has mainly offered humanitarian aid, giving nearly $300 million in funds to support Ukraines displaced population, both in Ukraine and the surrounding region.

But the White House faces mounting pressure from various groups and lawmakers, who in recent days have called on the U.S. to take in more refugees from Ukraine and quicken the process.

U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz of California traveled to the Poland-Ukraine border earlier this month, witnessing the calamity firsthand. In a March 11 letter to Biden, he implored the United States to raise the global refugee cap, as well as hasten the reunification of Ukrainians with family in the United States.

Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine has created an escalating humanitarian crisis, Ruiz said in the letter. The United States must respond by opening its arms to those seeking safety and security.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in a letter last week asked the Biden administration to expedite the admission of refugees from Ukraine.

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Canadian officials on Thursday launched a new policy allowing Ukrainians fleeing the war and their immediate family members to stay in Canada for up to three years.

Dunn said she believes the U.S. government can do much more than it is doing now for those evacuating Ukraine.

Her familys situation, though scary and frustrating, is one of the better scenarios among those fleeing, she said.

Her parents are not in immediate danger. She and her sister are citizens of the United States, fluent in English and multiple other languages, with the resources to spend time in Poland and navigate complex and confounding government processes.

Her mother, Nataliia Sukhodulska, has a multiple-entry visa that permits her to travel to the United States temporarily, so she was able to fly to the U.S. on Friday with Dunns sister, who lives in Wisconsin.

But Dunn is remaining in Poland with her father, Iurii Siedov.

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Yaroslava Dunn, 47, of St. Charles and her father, Iurii Siedov of Kyiv, Ukraine, during their reunion in Warsaw, Poland, earlier this month. (Yaroslava Dunn)

He had a single-entry visa to travel to the United States about two years ago but it expired and there had been no way to renew it. The government had suspended routine visa services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dunn said she hopes to stay in Warsaw with her dad until she can get him a temporary visitor visa. But even these are short-term solutions for her family.

She cant stay in Poland indefinitely. But she doesnt want to leave her father behind in a foreign country where he knows no one and doesnt speak Polish.

Dunn also worries about other Ukrainians who want to seek refuge in the United States but lack a clear path for doing so. She recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and more than a dozen lawmakers, chronicling the plight of her parents and others evacuating Ukraine.

I can only imagine what kind of unbearable burden it is to deal with all of this for an ordinary Ukrainian family with young kids, elderly parents, pets, etc.,  who have nothing, who do not speak English and who have no immediate emotional and financial support system from their relatives and friends, she said in the letter. My heart breaks for them.

Journey to Warsaw

The sisters had tried to convince their parents to evacuate Kyiv in the tumultuous days leading up to the Russian invasion.

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Their mom and dad, a retired biologist and nuclear physicist, didnt want to leave.

They didnt believe that war would actually break out, said Dunn, who immigrated to the United States at 24 and became a naturalized citizen in 2005.

But in early March  as bombs rained down on Kyiv  the parents said they were ready to go.

At first, they tried to head west by train, but the stations were swarmed with other evacuees and they couldnt board.

At that point it was super scary because there was no way to get them out, Dunn said. We knew from the reports that the train stations were absolutely overwhelmed. People who didnt have tickets were rushing into the trains. They were standing room only.

On March 6, Dunn and her sister flew to Warsaw, the closest city to Kyiv they could buy a plane ticket to because Ukraine had closed its airspace to civilian flights.

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The same day, her parents were able to get help from a Christian volunteer group and boarded a minibus with several others fleeing Kyiv, including a family friend, as well as their two pet dogs. They were instructed to wear warm clothing and pack very little, mainly phones, chargers, government documents, a few photographs, and no additional clothing or personal items.

The roughly 350-mile trip to Lviv was congested with thousands of cars fleeing the capital, but minibuses were given priority to pass, making the long journey a little quicker, Dunn said.

Once in Lviv, her mother realized shed made a critical error: In her haste to leave, she had grabbed expired passports.

I had a panic attack when I heard that, Dunn said. I didnt know what to think.

The couple contacted one of Dunns cousins who remained in Kyiv due to his age: Ukraine has barred men aged 18 to 60, who could be conscripted, from leaving the country. The cousin was able to retrieve the correct passports and courier them to Dunns parents several days later.

The sisters and parents finally reunited in Warsaw on Monday.

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That was a big relief; it was a great feeling, she said. But they were very worn out. It was sad to see them like that.

They bought their mom and dad new clothing, because the parents had been wearing the same outfits they had put on when they fled their apartment more than a week before.

They were so stressed out, she said. They were crying. They didnt sleep the first night.

Volunteers did offer food and clothing, but Dunn wanted to reserve those donations for refugees who needed them more.

The family was stunned by the generosity of Poland, which recently approved legislation permitting Ukrainian refugees the right to stay legally for 18 months, with the option to extend up to three years. She described the people of Warsaw as extremely supportive, but added that the city is flooded with refugees.

They are absolutely overwhelmed, she said. My sister and I were amazed. There are more Russian and Ukrainian speaking people on the streets of Warsaw than Polish people.

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But she doesnt have a permanent residence in Warsaw. Her parents dont speak the language. They dont have friends or family there.

I want them in safety and in the comfort of my own place, Dunn said. I want to provide for them as much as I can.

Return to Ukraine

The Biden administration has indicated its considering fast-tracked options to admit more Ukrainian evacuees, particularly those hoping to join family in the United States.

Were looking at things that we can do ourselves and do directly, Blinken said Thursday, according to CNN. For example, looking at steps we may be able to take on family reunification and other things that we can do to be supportive and to really take part of this effort.

In Illinois, there are roughly 200,000 residents of Ukrainian decent, according to estimates by Chicago Sister Cities International. The Chicago area has expressed an outpouring of support for Ukraine since the invasion, through fundraisers, protests and donations of supplies.

As for Dunn, she spends her days trying to file government documents online and calling the U.S. Embassy, attempting to get her father a visa.

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At first, she wasnt able to get an appointment with the U.S. Embassy until May 17. She tried to explain over the phone how she couldnt stay in Warsaw for that long and she didnt want to leave her father alone in a foreign country.

A few days later, she was able to get an expedited interview date for March 25.

I pray to God that he will be granted a visa, she said. Thats the plan. Theres no guarantee right now, but I hope that this is winding down.

Dunn added that her parents long to eventually return to Kyiv.

They had opportunities to immigrate to the United States over the years, she recalled, but they love their country and the life they left back home.

When we win the war  and I know Ukrainians will win this war  and we rebuild their country, I can guarantee you they will go back, she said.

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While shes concerned for her mother and father, Dunn said shes also advocating for other Ukrainians who fled the fighting.

I will navigate the system, she said. I will do everything to make it work. My case is the best-case scenario. And this best-case scenario is all this expense and work and frustration. I can only imagine for those who do not have all these resources.

She listed some of the numerous challenges faced by evacuees: Many lack relatives who speak English and can come to their aid. Others cant afford a long hotel stay. Some might not have internet access or be able to easily navigate government websites online.

There is not even a glimpse of hope for those people, she said.

eleventis@chicagotribune.com
100 years ago

March 19, 1922: A commission of two doctors found Julio Della Piagga insane and unfit to stand trial for bank robbery. Hes charged with trying to hold up the De Witt County National Bank in Clinton. Instead of standing trial, he was taken to the state hospital in Kankakee.

75 years ago

March 19, 1947: Judy Bryant, 15, formerly of Bloomington and Clinton, appears in the movie The Egg and I. She plays one of the children of Ma and Pa Kettle. It also stars Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert. Judy and family lived at The Oaks, 301 E. Grove St., Bloomington.

50 years ago

March 19, 1972: ISU student Janette Barnes, 20, of Peoria was killed when her parachute failed to open on a skydiving outing. She was in a plane with two other members of a skydiving club and had jumped from 3,600 feet near Pekin. The FAA will investigate, and in inquest will be held.

25 years ago

March 19, 1997: Astronaut and space shuttle pilot Scott Altman returned to Lincoln to visit with schoolkids. Altman was born in Lincoln and raised in Pekin. He has yet to fly his first mission but thats coming. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Altmans the worlds largest astronaut.

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has described Family Health University College (FHUC) as one of the private educational institutions in Ghana that stands tall in Africa and the Sub-region, with excellence in promoting ethics and professionalism in medical education.



He said the Institution has raised the bar in critical skills and imbibed in medical students, essential critical morals and social values.



Rev. Ntim Fordjour made this statement during the Family Health University College (FHUC) 2022 Matriculation and Graduation ceremony for the Family Health Medical School (FHMS) and Family Health Nursing & Midwifery School (FHNMS) respectively, held in Accra.



The two sessions of the Matriculation and Graduation ceremony of the Family Health Medical School (FHMS) and the Family Health Nursing & Midwifery School (FHNMS), were held separately due to the large number of students involved, and in accordance with COVID-19 protocols on outdoor gatherings.



Rev. Ntim Fordjour, who was the Special Guest of Honour for the Family Health Medical Schools 2022 Matriculation and Graduation ceremony noted that the Family Health Medical Schools training of medical doctors contributes significantly in improving doctor-patient ratio which use to stand at one (1) doctor to nine-thousand (9,000) patients but now at one (1) doctor to six-thousand, three hundred and fifty-five (6,355) patients, in Ghana.



He added that although the statistics show an improvement in the doctor-patient ratio in the country, the World Bank ranks Ghana fourth (4th) in West Africa and fourteenth (14th) in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also averred that, the government seeks to create an enabling environment that will ensure private sector participation in the training of more medical practitioners for the country to attain the required doctor-patient.



Rev. Ntim Fordjour commended the Founders of FHUC, Prof. Enyonam Yao Kwawukume and Dr. Susu Bridget Kwawukume for their visionary leadership for the healthcare sector, in the training of quality human resource for the country, and making strides in standing tall among its predecessors.



Prof. Kwawukume, admonished the Matriculants for the Medical School, to be resolute, studious, take instructions from their lecturers, embrace team-based learning and, above all, strive for success in their medical education and beyond.



To the BSc. Medical Sciences graduands, he congratulated them on their medical education journey so far, and added that he was hopeful that they will have an exciting and impactful clinical years; he encouraged them not be afraid to make mistakes but to keep working hard, and in teams, and they will come out in flying colours.



The dual ceremony for the Family Health Medical School (FHMS) in the morning had forty-one (41) students graduating with BSc in Medical Sciences and fifty-nine (59) fresh men and women comprising Undergraduates and Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) students, matriculating.



For the afternoon session, the Family Health Nursing & Midwifery Schools Matriculation and Graduation ceremony had sixty-eight (68) Nursing Assistant Clinical (NAC) students graduating, and two hundred and fifty-seven (257) freshmen and women, comprising two-hundred (200) for BSc. Nursing and Midwifery Programme and fifty-seven (57) for NAC programme, also matriculating.



Speaking at the ceremony, the Guest of Honour, Miss Hannah Akua Oparebea Acquah, Rector of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, congratulated the newly-qualified Nurse Assistants and encouraged them to further pursue academic laurels in Nursing, as the revered profession was embracing innovation. She further advised the students to emulate the qualities of an ideal nurse which include: being caring, being empathetic, having good communication skills, and staying relevant in the Nursing profession by keeping abreast with new trends and technologies in the 21st century. She also welcomed the Freshmen and women to the noble profession and advised them to be serious, attentive to detail and embrace mentorship from their predecessors.



To the graduands, Prof. Kwawukume congratulated them on their achievements; he entreated them to sharpen the skills acquired in the classroom and to build exceptional work ethics. He entreated the graduating nurses to show care and empathy in their professional duties, and to let the values inculcated in them by the School reflect in their actions and inactions. He also encouraged the Matriculants to aim for excellence and be disciplined, analytical and to learn to question knowledge received, in a refined manner.



The Family Health Medical School has since 2020 graduated two (2) batches of medical students with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degrees; the first batch of thirty (30) students graduated in 2020, whilst the second batch of fifty-four (54) graduated in 2021. All the graduates have been duly inducted into the medical profession by the Medical and Dental Council.



Additionally, the Nursing and Midwifery School has churned out thousands of nurses since its inception in 2009.

Source: Peacefmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mr Martin Agyei-Mensah Korsah, a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has expressed worry about the inability of some contractors in the region to complete their projects on schedule despite the availability of funds.



He also expressed dissatisfaction about the attitude of some contractors in delivering their projects below the contract specification, which he said could not stand the test of time and added that if such attitudes continued, the development that the country yearned for would be a mirage.



It is becoming difficult to get value for money. It is very difficult for people to benefit from what the government is bringing to them.



We have officers within the assembly mandated to visit these sites and check, not only for early completion but also for the quality of the work done, the minister said.



Mr Korsah expressed these concerns at Jirapa when he visited some government project sites including the Secondary City Project in the Wa and the Agenda 111 project at Issa in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District among others to ascertain the progress of work on those projects as part of his monitoring visit to the region.



The minister also visited other District Assembly projects including the Issa Senior High School, Jirapa Girls Module Junior High School, a students dormitory at the Lawra Nurses Training School, and a District Court Complex at Nadowli.



Mr Korsah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Techiman South, also interacted with staff of the Assemblies to ascertain their challenges for redress as well as to assure them of the governments resolve to support them to deliver quality services to the people.



Talking about the Secondary City Project in Wa, the minister could not fathom why the project had been delayed for a year though there were available funds for swift execution.



He, therefore, charged the staff to revamp their monitoring efforts to hold the contractors accountable to ensure they executed the projects to specifications.



"If we do not hold people to check they will take the country for granted. These contractors must be checked else they will short-change the country. If they do the wrong thing it is the taxpayer's money they will use to pay them.



"We are doing everything possible to sharpen you for you to deliver quality services to the people. That is how they will feel the local governance", Mr Korsah said.



He gave the assurance that he would present a report and recommendations to the sector minister for termination of the contracts of non-performing contractors.



Extension of the Modernised Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) project as well as provision of working equipment such as vehicles to enable them visit project sites topped the demand of the assembly staff.

Source: GNA









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Jehovahs Witnesses in Ghana and globally will resume in-person meetings at their Kingdom Halls, from April 1, 2022.



This comes after two years of meeting exclusively via video and or telephone conferencing due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.



A statement signed by Mr Daniel A. Adashie, Public Information Desk of the Jehovahs Witnesses, Ghana Branch, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said resumption of the in-person meetings was because of the current low incidents of COVID-19 infections and the wide availability of vaccines.



It said the meetings would be subjected to all Government directives and safety protocols.



The statement said the virtual meetings would be retained as a complement to the in-person meetings wherever possible.



It said, since Monday, March 16, 2020, even before government restrictions were announced to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, all in-person meetings of Jehovahs Witnesses around the country and worldwide were suspended.



The statement said the decision was motivated by respect for life as a gift from God, Jehovah and love of neighbour.



It said Government directives that came later were considered as the minimum requirements and additional measures were added wherever it was needed to protect lives.



To care for the spiritual needs of over 212,000 of Jehovahs Witnesses and others around the country who attended meetings each week, all spiritual programmes and public ministry were conducted via video and or telephone conferencing, such as Zoom, it said.



The statement said in the last two years of virtual meetings and preaching ministry, over 220,000 people across the country now joined these virtual meetings with some of the new attendees sharing in the Christian commission of preaching the good news of Gods Kingdom.



It said the opening of the Kingdom Halls for in-person meetings coincided with the delivery of a Special Talk to be given worldwide, titled: Where Can You Find Real Hope?



The statement said it would be followed by the Memorial of Christs death on the evening of Friday, April 15, 2022.



Jehovahs Witnesses invite you to join them at their Kingdom Halls or virtually for these truly faith-building programmes that give real hope for the future and to cope with the many challenges we all face today, it said.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nzema East Municipality, Madam Dorcas Elizabeth Amoah, has warned illegal miners within her Municipality to desist from the practice or face the law.



Her warning came after the Municipal Security Council raided the hideout of illegal miners at Bamiako, a village in the Municipality.



The exercise resulted in the arrest of four Chinese, Li Hung Zhi, Bao Lin, Qianxi Uuana, Zhang Xia, and Kweku Zak, and a Ghanaian who are currently in police custody for investigations.



Two pump machines and one Chanfan machine were retrieved and sent to the Axim Divisional Police Command.



Madam Amoah said the government had made provisions for community mining, and that whoever desired to mine should follow due processes by seeking a permit from the authorities.



According to her, the northern part of the Municipality had also recorded the activities of illegal miners.



We will not spare anyone who has an interest in destroying our water bodies, such perpetrators will face the full rigours of the law, she emphasized

Source: GNA









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Russia has labelled those leaving the country and resigning from their jobs in response to the invasion of Ukraine as traitors, saying that it will make the country stronger if they are gotten rid of.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (pictured bottom left) said many people in Russia were showing themselves to be traitors, following similar comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.



In such difficult times many people show their true colours. Very many people are showing themselves, as we say in Russian, to be traitors, Peskov said on Friday, March 18 as Russia enters its third week of war against its neighbor.



When asked about Putins remark that Russia would undergo a natural and necessary self-cleansing, Peskov responded:



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.



He brushed off comments by US President Joe Biden who publicly called Putin a war criminal for his actions in Ukraine which included bombing of civilian homes, schools and hospitals.



Peskov described Putin as a wise, farsighted and cultured international figure, adding that Biden had no right to speak as head of a state that has been bombing people all over the world for years.



His comments come after Putin said his country will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors as he publicly denounced those who do not back him.



Referring to dissenters during a televised address, Putin on Wednesday said Russians will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths.



He added: I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country.



Putin, who calls the war in Ukraine a special operation, said the West is using a fifth column of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest.



There is only one goal, I have already spoken about it  the destruction of Russia, he said.









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The Leadership of Parliament is in discussions with the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to update the House on the ongoing fight against illegal mining also known as galamsey.



Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin said following ongoing discussions between the Leadership and the sector Minister, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the House would be communicated of the date in due course.



Mr Speaker, the Business Committee, proposes that minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources appear to update the country on the ongoing fight against illegal mining also known as Galamsey, the Deputy Majority Leader said.



Mr Afenyo Markin announced the proposed briefing on Friday in Parliament House, in Accra, when presenting the Business Statement for the Eighth Week of the current meeting of Parliament.



He added that it was the expectation the Minister would find an appropriate date for the briefing



As part of the schedule, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Leadership was in discussions with the Administrators of the various statutory funds for the expeditious presentation of the disbursement formulae of funds for the consideration and approval of Parliament.



These statutory funds are the District Assemblies Common Fund, GETFund and the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Source: GNA









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On March 15, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra at the latter's request. The two sides mainly exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine.

Wang Yi said, China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and in the open. The "four musts" emphasized by President Xi Jinping are our clearest and most authoritative attitude. All measures taken by China are based on the "four musts". As a peace-loving country, China has always stayed committed to settling disputes peacefully through political means. China is willing to work with EU countries, including the Netherlands, to play constructive roles in resolving the Ukraine crisis.

Wang Yi pointed out, the international community generally hopes that a ceasefire can be reached as soon as possible to ease the ground situation and avoid civilian casualties. This is also what China expects. Russia and Ukraine have thus far held four rounds of negotiations. Despite the slow progress, there is still hope for reaching a ceasefire and opening up a future of peace if both sides carry on the negotiations. China will continue to make efforts to promote peace talks in its own way. At present, the escalating sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe on Russia have made the world economy, which is undergoing a shaky recovery, worse off again, and the people's wellbeing in all countries have also suffered undue damage. China hopes all parties can do more things that are conducive to promoting peace talks, instead of the opposite.

Wang Yi pointed out, at present, the pressing task of the international community is to cope with a possible large-scale humanitarian crisis. China has put forward a six-point initiative to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and has taken concrete actions. The first batch of emergency humanitarian assistance supplies have arrived and were distributed, and new assistance will be provided in succession according to the needs in the future.

Wang Yi said, behind the Ukraine crisis is European security. How to maintain European security in the future concerns the vital interests of European countries, including the Netherlands. The conflict will eventually end. China hopes European countries can sit down with Russia to have an in-depth and comprehensive dialogue to discuss building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism, so as to achieve long-term peace and stability in Europe.

Hoekstra appreciated China's humanitarian assistance to help Ukrainian refugees. He said that dialogue and negotiation are the most important way to resolve conflicts and confrontations. He hopes that China will continue to play an active role in this regard. Under the current circumstances, all countries should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries and abide by the basic norms governing international relations. Wang Yi said, this is precisely the traditional position that China has always adhered to, and China hopes that the Netherlands can make actions match its words on China's Taiwan question, instead of applying double standards.

The two sides also exchanged views on China-Netherlands relations.

Wang Yi said, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level between China and the Netherlands, and China hopes to take this opportunity to promote the continuous development of the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between China and the Netherlands, and make positive contributions to international and regional peace and stability.

Hoekstra agreed with this and stressed that the Netherlands is willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with China, successfully host a series of celebration events marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and elevate bilateral ties to new heights.
A Senior Research Fellow at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Smart Sarpong, has appealed to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to come to the rescue of Ghanaians as fuel prices shoot up.



As fuel prices have hiked up to 10 cedis per litre, there are fears it will aggravate the living conditions of citizens in Ghana.



The increase has also consequently affected various sectors of the economy, particularly with commodities and transport services.



Some people also dread, with the way the prices are going high, it might result in Ghana returning to HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Country) status.



Addressing the petrol crisis, Dr. Smart Sarpong noted that the crisis is a world problem but not a problem peculiar to Ghana.



He expounded that the prices are going high almost everywhere in the world.



However, he called on President Akufo-Addo to take a cue from the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who has ably managed his economy well in the midst of the crisis, hence relieving his citizens of the hardships associated with this world crisis.



Dr. Smart Sarpong, speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', made a solemn appeal to the President to find ways to reduce the prices believing the reduction will do the populace so much good.



". . I'm looking that after cabinet some of the good news we may hear from there is that government has tried to cushion us a little with the fuel price . . . " he said.



"I think it's a good time for the President and cabinet to tell us good news regarding the fuel prices," he added.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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......Urges Gender Activists To Speak Up For Men!





A former Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Honorable Rachel Appoh, has slammed Abena Korkor accusing the mental health advocate of taking advantage of her medical condition to soil the image of high profiled men in the country.

The former Gomoa Central MP has therefore urged Ghanaian female activists to change into gender activists and speak on behalf of men because some females use that as an opportunity to disgrace men.



Abena Korkors expose of married and high profile personalities who have slept with her, though blamed on her bi-polar disorder, appears to be a given. Earlier this week, the socialite trended like crazy after she published names of some top celebrities she has allegedly slept with.



But it seems some women are unenthused about her exploits, especially the former NDC MP.



In a viral video, Rachel Appoh said; Fellow Ghanaians, I think its high time we female activists turn to gender activists and speak on behalf of our men. We always speak on behalf of females and following that, some women take this advantage to disgrace men.



She further threw shades went hard on controversial former TV3 presenter, telling her that speaking good grammar is not a sign of smartness and intelligence.



Abena Korkor, people build up their career and you just get up one day to pull down their reputation. Give birth to a man, bring him up, let someone disgrace him and see how painful it is. Speaking good grammar does not make you intelligent. Speaking good grammar doesnt make you smart. Be smart and intelligent, she fumed.



Rachel didnt end it there but went ahead to draw her attention on the disruption she is administering on the wives of the men she claims to have slept with.



She said; You always claim you sleep with men. Have you realized how much you torture their wives? Female activists are not speaking for you because we have realized you are not sick. You are just eager to become famous. Have you realized the state of the wives of Abeiku Santana, Stonebwoy and Sammy Awuku? What prove have you got? Provide your proof. Provide videos and pictures so we will know someone came to your house. After you take a picture with someone, you claim to sleep with him. You are a disgrace to women. Will you shut up for once?

Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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NORTHUMBERLAND  A Northumberland man is expected to receive 3 to 9 years in prison after admitting on Friday to driving drunk, striking and injuring a motorcyclist and fleeing the scene.

Michael R. Brownell, 51, pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court to aggravated vehicular assault for the Sept. 24 crash that occurred in Northumberland. Police said he was driving his 2008 Ford Crown Victoria recklessly and intoxicated at a high rate of speed at about 5:41 p.m., when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with Rugg Road and lost control of his vehicle.

Brownell crossed the center line and struck a BMW motorcycle, which was being operated by 54-year-old David R. Hadd, of Connecticut, who was in the area attending the Americade motorcycle rally in Lake George. Hadd was ejected from the motorcycle and had traumatic injuries to his chest and lower body. He was taken to Albany Medical Center by Wilton EMS with the assistance of the Schuylerville Fire Department, according to a news release.

Brownell nearly struck two other motorcyclists, authorities said.

Brownell did not stop to provide assistance or call for help. He fled from the area at a high rate of speed  even with his car missing one of its front wheels. Brownell then hid his car behind an abandoned farmhouse several miles from the crash scene. A witness spotted Brownell and Saratoga County Sheriffs deputies found Brownell in a remote area near Goff Road.

District Attorney Karen Heggen praised work of the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office Collision Reconstruction Unit and sheriffs deputies for locating the vehicle and person involved and putting the information together to obtain a conviction.

Heggen added that Brownells choice to operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated and in a reckless manner, resulted in life-altering injuries to an innocent victim.

We can only hope that this resolution brings some closure to the victim and his family, and that it sends a strong message that drunk drivers causing injury on our Saratoga County roadways will be prosecuted for their decision to get behind the wheel and will be met with significant consequences, she said in a news release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Shawn Lescault of the Vehicular Crimes Unit with the assistance of DA investigator Jack Barney and Crime Victim Specialist Mollie Benware.

Brownell was sent to Saratoga County Jail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 13.

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FORT EDWARD  A Hartford sex offender has been sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison for failing to update his address.

Ty Schoolcraft was arrested in September by state police after investigators received a tip that he had moved from Vermont to New York and had not informed authorities in either state.

Schoolcraft was convicted in 2002 in Illinois of predatory criminal sexual assault in a case involving a victim under the age of 13, according to the Vermont sex offender database.

Schoolcraft pleaded guilty in Washington County Court on Jan. 28 to a felony count of failure to register and was sentenced on March 11.

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SCHUYLERVILLE  As Russias invasion of Ukraine continues to send millions fleeing to refugee camps, two Ukrainian-born siblings turned to the Schuylerville Central School District for help.

Michael and Abigail Becker, 13 and 16, approached their respective principals in the middle school and high school asking if their schools could take part in bringing humanitarian aid to those escaping the war.

Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Michael and Abigail made their proposal after learning that St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Watervliet was sending donations to help refugees.

The Beckers idea mushroomed into a massive effort that involved students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

In what was just a portion of the items on display Thursday, eight cafeteria tables in the elementary school were stacked with items like diapers, blankets, wipes and medical supplies.

Its crazy, said 12th-grader Katie Pelletier-Hoblock, as she packed boxes. I did not expect this. I knew there was going to be a lot of stuff. But theres hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of items.

When bad times strike, Schuylerville in general seems to come together and all the parents and the kids seem to band together, said fellow senior Maeve Buff.

The Beckers mother, Kyiv-native Tania Becker, took the day off from work as an academic administrative assistant for biology and chemistry at Skidmore College to help with packing and coordination.

The items were delivered to the Watervliet church, which had a limited window for accepting donations Thursday  from 5 to 7 p.m. Another round of items will be delivered to the church Friday, the fifth and final day of the donation drive.

We lined up parents in trucks to come and pick boxes up and deliver them, Tania said. Parents, students, the whole community.

Other agencies are bringing items, as well.

The Saratoga Regional YMCAs Wilton branch was said to be bringing a huge delivery Friday. Saratoga Hospital and Schuylerville Library also collected items. Summit at Saratoga, a 55-and-older residential community, is giving a monetary donation in hopes of covering shipping and medical supply costs.

Penske donated an 18-foot truck to help transport items to the Watervliet church. The district also received donations of packing boxes from U-Haul and Home Depot.

A K-12 dress down day involving school staff raised $1,429 to go toward shipping costs.

The Beckers still have strong ties to Ukraine. Tanias mother left Kyiv by bus on March 9, evacuating with other refugees to western Ukraine on the border of Poland.

Her brother sent his wife and two young daughters to Germany on March 3, but stayed behind in Kyiv to fight and work with local volunteer groups to rescue people under attack.

I have aunts and uncles in Kyiv who are trying to survive and are helping others, Tania said.

As she watched Schuylerville staff and students pack boxes, the mother said, It makes me feel great that the local community and the people that I know who are our friends are so open and willing to help and reach out and do everything they can to help women and children and the wounded and the elderly in need, who lost their homes. Many of them lost everything they had.

Tania married Paul Becker, an American who works for the Department of Defense, in 2000 and the Beckers remained in Kyiv until they eventually moved to Odessa, where their children were born.

They moved to New York in 2011 when Michael and Abigail were 3 and 5.

While the humanitarian aid drive is personal for the Beckers, Tania said she believes locals would have stepped up for any countrys dire need.

Its going to the country that I love, and the cities that have been destroyed, she said. But I think the local community would be willing to help any country in any nation of the world. Its just a very nice community.

Middle school Principal Katie Elsworth, who remembers being approached by Michael, said she was also surprised by the volume of donations.

I thought maybe three or four tables worth, she said.

But at the same time, she appeared not to be surprised.

Im just somebody who truly believes in the spirit of the human being, and the community, to come together to solve the worlds problem, Elsworth said. Its always about people. If we can help in any small way and teach our students about the impact that they can have on each other, specifically, and then also the world at large, I think thats a great opportunity for kids to learn.

The items will be shipped to Poland via Meest, a Polish-Ukrainian carrier that Tania Becker said is reliable.

Hopefully in four to eight weeks, Tania said, we are anticipating that the towns in western Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees on the Polish-Ukrainian border will be able to get the supplies.

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Five leaders of the Warren County/Lake George regions hospitality community were honored Friday by the Warren County Board of Supervisors and the local business community for distinguished professional contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a first-of-its-kind honor, presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting on the day the board commemorated Womens History Month, the supervisors and business leaders recognized:

Joanne Conley, Warren County director of tourism, who is retiring in May after 41 years of service to the county;

Gina Mintzer, executive director, Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau;

Kathy Muncil, chief executive officer and chair of the board of directors of the Fort William Henry Corp.;

Amy Collins, director of tourism and business development for the city of Glens Falls;

Sara Mannix, founder, president and chief executive officer of Mannix Marketing in Glens Falls.

Each of the women we honor today helped our Warren County tourism and hospitality businesses survive the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, said Board of Supervisors Chair Kevin Geraghty, supervisor of Warrensburg. They helped our businesses understand and comply with federal and state mandates; to develop health protocols to protect our guests and our employees; to recruit employees to serve our guests, and to communicate information accurately to our visitors and prospective visitors.

Lake Luzerne Town Supervisor Gene Merlino, chair of the Board of Supervisors Tourism Committee, noted that, even in the midst of the pandemic, the honorees found ways to help local hospitality businesses thrive and grow.

They were instrumental in bringing Ice Castles to Warren County and making it a resounding success, with more than 80,000 visitors. They contributed to our successful effort to introduce the Warren County/Lake George region to new summer guests. Indeed, through their efforts, Warren County turned what could have been an economic disaster into a remarkable success for the benefit of the thousands of local individuals and families who rely on our visitors for their livelihoods.

Geraghty noted that the long-term success of Warren County is built on the strength and sustainable contributions of local community leaders.

We hope their example will set the tone for future leaders and for young people considering a career in hospitality or in any other field in Warren County. This is a place where your ideas and contributions are welcomed and hard work and innovation are rewarded. This is a place where you can truly make a difference.

The five leaders will also be honored at a communitywide banquet at Fort William Henry on Friday, May 6. For more information on the event, contact Fort William Henry at 518-964-6628.

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FORT EDWARD  The Shushan bridge replacement project took a step forward Friday when the Washington County Board of Supervisors accepted a construction bid of $2,254,863 from Winn Construction of Waterford.

The only other bidder was DA Collins of Wilton, which bid $3,148,681.

The bridge carries county Route 61 over the Batten Kill between the towns of Salem and Jackson. It was installed in 1962 to replace a covered bridge, now a museum below the new bridge. Work will include replacement of the steel multi-girder and open grate superstructure with a new steel multi-girder and composite concrete deck, repairs and retrofits to the substructure, associated work on the approach roads, and guiderail replacement. The contract ends Dec. 23.

Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff was the lone no vote on the contract. He objected to taking some land for the project by eminent domain.

In other matters:

As of Friday morning, Washington County had 41 active cases of COVID-19. Three people were hospitalized, according to Tim Hardy, deputy director of public safety. The countys positivity rate is 2.46% and new cases are still being reported, Hardy said. He urged people who receive positive tests to inform Washington County Public Health. The county has home test kits and hand sanitizer available.

The board approved adding a $1 million Epidemiology & Laboratory COVID-19 Enhanced Detection award to the countys Public Health budget for 2022. The board also approved adding $112,240 in federal Pandemic Emergency Assistance Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to the Department of Social Services budget. The PEAF grant will cover diaper allowances and multi-generational food payments on recipients electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.

The board added eight Public Health Corps Fellowship positions to the countys payment grade schedule. The positions are funded by the New York State Public Health Corps Fellowship Program to promote more Public Health staff. The program will provide up to six fellows, one graduate fellow, and one local coordinator. All will work 35 hours a week. The program is for two years, ending on July 31, 2023, and covers salary, benefits, office equipment and computers.

The board raised the countys 2022 tourism budget to $200,000, the same as in 2021 but $107,500 more than the amount approved for the 2022 budget. The county received $48,207 in I Love New York funds and will make up the rest by taking $59,293 from the fund balance. According to the accompanying budget impact statement, this will achieve the county tourism programs baseline budget and allow Black Dog Design, which provides marketing and promotion services to the county, to begin planning for this years travel season. The board extended Black Dogs contract with the county for another three years, expiring Dec. 24, 2024. The board waived the procurement policy for the contract extension because Black Dog has provided good service.

Falls Dodge Inc., of Niagara Falls, submitted the only bid to sell the county four Dodge Durango PPV AWD, a police pursuit vehicle, for $42,401 each, or $169,604 total. The board rejected a bid of $52,979 from Chevrolet Smithtown, of St. James, for one Chevrolet Tahoe SSV. The Public Works Committee and Superintendent of Public Works Deborah Donohue recommended buying a Dodge Durango for less.

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NEWARK  AtlantiCare will receive $1 million as a result of the most recent federal spending bill, New Jerseys senators said Friday.

Speaking outside University Hospitals Emergency Department, U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both D-N.J., highlighted nearly $12 million in federal funding for New Jersey hospitals and federally qualified health centers. The money was part of a $1.5 trillion federal spending bill signed into law Tuesday by President Joe Biden.

The funding we are announcing today is critical in helping hospitals and health centers make the critical upgrades needed to meet our communitys needs today and into the future. New Jersey is home to many premiere medical institutions, and funding like this will ensure they continue to serve as beacons of quality health care, said Menendez.

As we continue our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, these funds will be critical to ensuring that our health care system is made more resilient, which will save lives and improve the health outcomes, well-being and quality of life of New Jersey residents, Booker said.

In a statement Saturday, AtlantiCare President and CEO Lori Herndon said the health system would invest the money in projects such as its Medical Arts Pavilion on Ohio Avenue in Atlantic City, expected to be completed this fall.

This extra support will help ensure we remain resilient and fully equipped to serve our community through the pandemic and beyond, particularly the underserved in Atlantic City, Herndon said.

Newarks University Hospital will receive $3.87 million to build a trauma operating room and holding areas for patient recovery before their transfer to the intensive care unit, according to a news release from the senators. The goal of this project is to improve patient health outcomes by controlling bleeding within the critical golden hour of a life-threatening injury occurring.

The following hospitals and federally qualified health centers received funding from the FY22 funding package:

University Hospital, Newark, $3.87 million

Care Plus Bergen Inc., Paramus, $2 million

AtlantiCare Health System, Atlantic City, $1 million

Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Pemberton, $1 million

Capital Health System (Capital Health Family Health Center), Trenton, $925,000

Metropolitan Family Health Network Inc., Jersey City, $800,000

Atlantic Health System, Newton, $750,000

Capital Health System (Capital Health Regional medical Center), Trenton, $550,000

Ironbound Community Health Center, Newark, $550,000

The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, $513,000

New Jersey hospitals and their care teams performed valiantly during the pandemic, successfully caring for more than 100,000 COVID patients. But the road ahead will be a long one for our hospitals, which experienced the dual impact of lost revenue and the skyrocketing costs of providing care amid a global pandemic, said New Jersey Hospital Association President and CEO Cathy Bennett.
OCEAN CITY  Construction by New Jersey American Water will require traffic changes Wednesday and Thursday around 34th Street and West Avenue, Cape May County officials said.

Thirty-Fourth Street will be closed between West and Asbury avenues for milling and resurfacing, the county said Friday in a news release.

Eastbound 34th Street traffic will be detoured south onto West Avenue, then east to 36th Street and north to Asbury Avenue back to 34th Street.

Westbound 34th Street traffic will be detoured north onto Asbury Avenue, then west onto 33rd Street and south onto West Avenue back to 34th Street.

West Avenue will be closed to northbound traffic between 35th and 34th streets, officials said.

Traffic traveling north on West Avenue will be detoured east onto 36th Street and north onto Asbury Avenue, then west onto 33rd Street and back to West Avenue. Southbound West Avenue traffic will be maintained, officials said.

Additionally, 35th street will be closed between Asbury and Haven avenues to both eastbound and westbound traffic, officials said. Eastbound traffic will be detoured to 36th Street. Westbound traffic will be detoured north to Asbury Avenue, officials said.

Two-way traffic will temporarily resume Wednesday night and permanently resume at the end of the workday Thursday, officials said.

Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin

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Preservationists marked a bittersweet date this week with the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the old Rock Island County courthouse, now on a course for demolition later this year.

Built beginning in 1895, the courthouse was dedicated on March 13, 1897. According to the Rock Island Preservation Society, the 60-room, four-story structure at 210 15th St. cost $112,201 to construct, not including the heating system.

Designed by the Kansas City architectural firm of Gunn & Curtis in the Spanish renaissance style, Rock Island stone cutter Charles Larkin constructed the Bedford limestone exterior. Floors in the soaring central rotunda were made of marble and mosaic tile and a 154-foot-tall dome covered in copper topped off the building.

The newspaper account of the dedication of the courthouse from 1897 indicates how proud our community was of this building, said Diane Oestreich, a courthouse advocate and secretary for the Rock Island Preservation Society. People from across the county attended. You dont get a building like this every day. We were so proud of it.

We did not expect it to be torn down after 125 years or allowed to deteriorate before its time, she said. The Tennessee pink marble in the rotunda and the stairways was not a cheap material. There are only two quarries it came from.

Oestreich said the courthouses pending demolition is disappointing.

County Board members voted in July 2018 to demolish the courthouse despite lawsuits, protests and push back from the public. Once photo and video documentation and recordation of the historic building is completed, demolition can proceed.

County Board Chairman Richard Quijas Brunk said Friday that a date for demolition has not been set.

The recordation contractor has begun going through the floor plans of the building, Brunk said. They determined it would be best to wait when temperatures are warmer so they can come on site and start digital photography and other processes. I would anticipate that work beginning very shortly.

Brunk said the recordation process could take up to three months and then the State Historic Preservation Office must review the submission.

I would anticipate (demolition) later this year, he said.

Despite the poor condition of the interior of the building, the exterior remains in good shape.

Please reconsider your position on the county courthouse, Randy Brockway, a landscape architect, wrote to county board members in an email this week. The Bedford limestone walls that comprise the structure symbolizes the strength, honesty and foresight of the men and women that built one of the finest courthouses in the region.

The limestone, which came from quarries near Bedford, Indiana, is beautiful, durable and is prized by those that construct the finest buildings and bridges in America, Brockway wrote.

Other than for a bit of discoloration caused by dripping water from window air conditioners the stone is as clean and white as it was on the day it was completed in 1897.

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With participating countries seeing gains from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, experts believe the free-trade pact is fulfilling its promise to drive economic growth across the region.



"The implementation of the RCEP should serve as a key engine of trade and investment in ASEAN in 2022 and beyond," said Sithanonxay Suvannaphakdy, lead researcher of the ASEAN Studies Centre at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Sithanonxay told China Daily that the trade pact, which came into force on Jan 1, will eliminate as much as 90% of tariffs on goods traded between its signatories over the next 20 years.

China, one of the top three export markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will this year eliminate about 70% of its tariffs on products from ASEAN, he said.

He added that ASEAN countries will eliminate about 75% of their tariffs on products imported from China.

The RCEP comprises the 10 members of ASEAN along with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said on Monday that the trade deal is a key driver for economic recovery in the participating countries both during and after the pandemic.

The minister was speaking at a workshop titled "RCEP: Implications, Challenges, and Future Growth of East Asia and ASEAN" that was held by the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

According to studies cited in a book launched at the event, the RCEP can boost ASEAN's real GDP by as much as $160 billion in 2035 and increase the value of exports and imports by more than $500 billion.

Pan Sorasak said Cambodia is expected to gain from the trade agreement through a 7.3% increase in exports, a 23.4% rise in investment, and 2% growth in GDP. Cambodia is the ASEAN chair this year.

A study by the World Bank in February said the East Asia and Pacific region can reap significant benefits through further liberalization, with Cambodia, Vietnam and other lower-middle-income countries gaining the most from the RCEP.

"The region will also see an additional 'kick' in productivity as greater openness brings additional skills, technology, and capital," the research said.

Some countries have already begun to experience the benefits of the RCEP. In Thailand, the value of exports by companies certified under the RCEP rose by more than 200%t in February from the month before, news website The Nation said.

Thailand's exports reached 1.16 billion baht ($35 million) in the first two months of 2022, the report said, citing Pitak Udomwichaiwat, the director-general of Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade. China was the second-biggest importer of Thai goods under the RCEP at 453.95 million baht, after Japan's 540.36 million baht.

As ASEAN's biggest trading partner, China has repeatedly emphasized that the two sides need to further enhance their cooperation to promote regional free trade.

"China has been very consistent in terms of trade liberalization and this kind of multilateral trading system," said Chheang Vannarith, president of the Asian Vision Institute think tank in Cambodia.

He said this is good for the whole region because China is the largest market in the RCEP with an increasing consumption power.

"I think it will be a win-win scenario," Chheang Vannarith said, noting that greater economic interdependence between China and ASEAN will contribute not only to regional prosperity but also stability and security.
Has anyone kept track of how many things our governor and legislature have banned this legislative session? And then, couple these with lawsuits.

The have-nots are concerned with having shelter, food and necessities; the haves are concerned with big-ticket purchases, gun ranges, and silly and risky fireworks.

Senator Rounds is making the rounds on cable networks cheering for the aid the U.S. is sending to Ukraine. He voted against that aid. What gives, Senator Rounds?

Theres a lot of trash around Stevens High School, too. Mostly food containers. Theres a lot to be said about being respectful, not only to others, but to property.

My neighbor feeds birds and deer at the same time. Therefore, our yard has loads of deer dung on it so its impossible to walk. They could not have shot enough to reduce the numbers in the city.

Gov. Noem called legislators' closed door meeting about AG Ravnsborg "unprecedented." She set the precedent herself with a closed door meeting to get her daughter her appraiser's license.

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Kenny Higashis life changed overnight when he was sent to fight in World War II to protect his family from an internment camp. A Place for Harvest: The Story of Kenny Higashi is a new childrens book from South Dakota Historical Society Press. The true story puts a Japanese -American family and a lesser known bit of Spearfish history in the spotlight.

The Higashi family had a farm near Spearfish for 50 years, and some family members still live in Spearfish. The Higashis raised vegetables and fruit they sold to local residents, but their farm and way of life was threatened after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and the United States was drawn into World War II.

Fearing they might be loyal to Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered Japanese-Americans to be sent to internment camps. The Higashis escaped that fate when government officials visited their farm and struck a deal with the family. They could stay on their farm if one of their sons agreed to enlist and serve in the U.S. military. Kenny volunteered and left the next day.

Higashi joined the 100th Infantry Battalion, becoming a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The team was made up of Nisei, descendants of Japanese American immigrants.

Japanese-Americans in World War II have amazing stories of courage and determination and patriotism, and I really feel passionate thats very important to pass down, said Lauren R. Harris, author of A Place for Harvest: The Story of Kenny Higashi.

A Place for Harvest: The Story of Kenny Higashi can be preordered for $19.95, plus shipping and tax, at sdhspress.com. The book will be released April 20.

Harris lived in Spearfish for eight years, and she met Kenny Higashi and his wife while doing research for another of her books, The Plum Neighbor. That book, published in 2019, also is set during World War II and focuses on a Japanese-American family and the 100th Infantry Battalion 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

I love history and I love to research history. I think its important to remember our history. There are good things and bad things. We need to remember that and pass that down, Harris said.

Children today need to understand whats been done for them. If they have freedoms that have been bought by the services of others but they dont know that, those freedoms are easily given up, she said.

Harris was researching a World War II battle for The Plum Neighbor when serendipity led her to Kenny Higashi.

I really wanted to know about a particular battle. I wanted to know all about what time of day it was, what the conditions were. I was feeling like I just didnt have a handle on the experience, so I mentioned this book project to some friends of mine, Dale and Marylee Bell. Dale remembered one of the longtime residents of Spearfish was a World War II soldier and he may have been part of this unit of soldiers that was in my book, Harris said. I couldnt believe it. He only lived a couple of miles from my house.

The Bells introduced Harris and Higashi. Like many World War II veterans, Higashi hadnt talked much about his experiences during the war, but he helped Harris with her research.

He had been at the very battle Id spent weeks researching. He brought out some of his medals and told me about some of his experiences, Harris said. He was talking to me and his wife turned to me and said, Ive never heard some of these things. I didnt know some of the things hes been telling you.

Looking at photos and maps helped Higashi tell Harris about historic events hed been part of.

He loved maps. He could show me troop movements on the maps of France and Italy. To read something in a history book and have someone tell you about it is very powerful, Harris said.

Harris said she continued to visit Higashi for about a year, remaining friends with him and his wife as Kennys health declined. A Place for Harvest combines Harris historical research with Higashis first-hand accounts of his experiences in World War II and recollections from Spearfish residents who knew the Higashi family.

Kenny Higashis father came to the United States first, then returned to Japan, got married and brought his wife to the United States. Kenny Higashi and the couples other four children were all born in the Black Hills, Harris said. Other than leaving home to fight in World War II, Kenny spent his entire life in Spearfish and worked for 30 years for the post office.

I talked to a lot of folks in their 80s and 90s who had amazing things to say about the Higashi family, Harris said. They all remembered the same thing. (The government) told the family one brother had to stay and one had to go (fight).

Harris said A Place for Harvest also is a tale about the importance of community and friendship, both of which the Higashis found in Spearfish.

During the war there was a bakery downtown that kept a poster board with names of all the Spearfish boys that were fighting during the war, and Kennys name was there for the duration and thats just how it was. He was just one of them and there was never any kind of question about that, Harris said.

Kenny loved Spearfish, Harris said, and through his job delivering mail, everybody in town knew him and he knew a lot of them.

He was very connected to his community and that meant more to him than his experience in the war, Harris said. He made good friendships.

In addition to writing about Higashis experiences, with assistance from the Go For Broke National Education Center, Harris helped Higashi apply to receive the French Legion of Honor. Go For Broke educates the public about the valor of Japanese-American veterans of World War II.

In 2019, Higashi was awarded the French Legion of Honor, Frances highest medal of distinction, for his service in World War II, at a ceremony in Spearfish.

In the course of us researching for the French medal, we discovered Kenny had never been presented with several other medals (he earned). It was very impressive and I remember at the ceremony Kenny said, These arent mine. He didnt know how many medals he had earned for his service, Harris said.

Harris approached the South Dakota Historical Society about the possibility of a book about Kenny Higashi.

They agreed it was an important story to tell, Harris said.

In the United States, thousands of Japanese-American families across the country were forced out of their homes and into internment camps, but we dont often think of this happening to South Dakotans, said South Dakota Historical Society Press Director Dedra McDonald Birzer. The Higashi family was told that one of their sons must fight or his family would be relocated. In their interviews, Kenny told author Lauren Harris about how his community came together in support of his family and how his childhood in the Black Hills prepared him for surviving overseas.

Harris said South Dakota Historical Press asked Felicia Hoshino of San Francisco, Calif., to illustrate A Place for Harvest. Though she has not been to Spearfish, award-winning artist Hoshino has a personal connection to the story. Her parents families were forced to move to internment camps in Minidoka, Idaho, and Poston, Ariz. Like Kenny Higashi, two of Hoshinos great-uncles served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Harris sent Hoshino photos of the Higashi family, the house Kenny lived in when he was young and photos of Spearfish. Hoshino used them to create the illustrations that transport readers as they follow Kenny from his family farm to European battlefields.

Higashi died in 2020, not far from the home where he grew up. Harris said Higashi didnt think of himself as a hero.

He said, The heroes are the ones who didnt come home, Harris said. He happened to be part of history in a special way. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to know him and be a part of his story by sharing it. I feel honored to be part of that.

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One of the more popular songbirds found in the Bitterroot is the black-capped chickadee.

This tiny bird is also one of the smallest avian inhabitants of Montana, yet it can survive brutal temperatures. An extremely acrobatic perching bird, this is one of two species of chickadees that are found in the Bitterroot.

Its cousin, the mountain chickadee, is not nearly as common, and occasionally visits the valley floor. Black-capped chickadees are found in flocks and often found visiting backyard bird feeders.

Watching these beautiful grey, black and white puffballs nervously search for food, often feet away from a motionless human predator with much larger prey on their mind is always a battery charger. I once had a black-capped take perch on my arrow as I watched a deer approaching my tree stand. Of course, that event required a quick shooing movement that sent the deer and the chickadee on their way.

Black-capped chickadees are named for the black crown of feathers on their head and throat with a wedge-like white streak coming from the back of the neck to the beak. The remainder of the plumage is generally grey with a white breast.

These birds are regular visitors to backyard bird feeders where both male and female chickadees will fly off with a seed in their beak to cache for later retrieval. Researchers have discovered that chickadees may have up to 1,000 individuals cache locations, with the ability to remember where each of those locations is.

One interesting fact that researchers have learned about this species is their ability to dump old brain memory cells and replace them with new fresh memory cells. This allows the species to remember fall cache locations such that they can find that location later during winter months when seeds might be difficult to find. The following year, they may establish new memory locations and eliminate the previous years cache locations from their memory banks.

Found throughout the northern half of the U.S. and Canada year-round, this tiny bird, while considered a migratory songbird, rarely migrates during its adult life.

They are adapted to withstand frigid temperatures by using tree bark cavities as shelter. Even though they have a small beak, they have been observed pecking out a nesting or shelter hole.

They will also take advantage of man-made nesting boxes. If you are interested in placing nesting boxes to attract chickadees, be sure to move them into a cottonwood, willow, or alder grove at least 25 yards from a meadow's edge to avoid wrens from occupying all of your nest boxes.

Once a nest site has been selected, both male and female chickadees will shape it, eventually leading to a small bowl-shaped nest several inches deep within a decaying tree.

The female will line her nest with soft material including fine grass and hair.

Typically, the female will lay around eight eggs which only take about two weeks to hatch. While incubating, the male will bring food to the female. Completely dependent upon the parents to feed, the tiny young will eventually fledge and leave the nest about two weeks after hatching. Black-capped chickadees are one of the more frequently observed birds during the Bitterroot Audubon Christmas Bird Count, with an average of around 275 individuals being observed annually within the Bitterroot survey area.

The North American Breeding Bird Survey reveals a slight increase in numbers over a 50-year period, possibly due to increasing urbanization, human feeding and habitat availability.

Scientists believe that climate change will reduce the current range of black-capped chickadees in the U.S., yet their range is expected to expand farther north, expanding the overall range of the species.

A word used frequently by birders is pishing. It is a call made by a human, sounding exactly like the word, repeated 3-5 times at  second intervals. Black-capped chickadees are notoriously attracted to pishing." Next time youre out for a walk along the Bitterroot, try making the sound, and watch out for this tiny little bird to appear. It wont take long!

Sam Lawry, Teller Wildlife Refuge Executive Director has over 40 years in the wildlife conservation profession. His contributions to the Ravalli Republic are intended to share some of that knowledge of wildlife in the Bitterroot with the community. If you would like more information about Teller Wildlife Refuge please visit our website at www.tellerwildlife.org.

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Kroger is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed in July by the father of a former employee who alleges his son died as a result of tortuous conditions he was subjected to by the grocery chains employees.

Evan Seyfried, 40, was a 19-year veteran of Krogers dairy department in Milford, Ohio, until he committed suicide in March 2021. The suit alleges that around October 2020, store manager Shannon Frazee began a campaign dedicated to ousting Evan while proclaiming her intention to make Evans life a living hell.

The suit claims Frazees motivation resulted from Seyfrieds efforts to protect himself and others during the COVID-19 pandemic by wearing a mask. Evan was mocked and humiliated for this by Frazee despite her position as store manager, the suit claims.

Specifically, Frazee allegedly pitted associates against each other based on their compliance with COVID-19 safety guidelines and political ideologies, including Seyfried who was consistently mocked and harassed, and referred to as antifa by co-workers. The suit claims, Frazee placed specific pressure on [Seyfried] and other associates with differing political opinions.

Frazee engaged in hazing, taunting and bullying of Seyfried in addition to allegedly engaging in sexual advances toward him, according to the lawsuit. She is alleged to have set Seyfried up to fail.

When Frazee hired relatives of another employee, Seyfried was told he was being replaced by them and that his days were numbered. The suit also alleges that when Seyfried supported employees who claimed sexual harassment by another manager, that manager was transferred to another store but returned and then Seyfried suffered retaliation.

The lawsuit alleges that Seyfried was stalked by co-workers, his phone manipulated, and his work sabotaged prior to an audit.

Just a few days before he committed suicide, Seyfried wrote to his colleague: Today was worse than imagined. The situation at the store is far far [sic] beyond inappropriate. This place is not a safe place to be. Its [sic] ugly.

He then texted, Think the company we work for has done something to my phone. Have more interaction with undercover store security than customers. Union members working in tandem with management to get me fired. This is totally out of control.

Seyfried quit the next day, and was replaced by the very person he believed was hired to replace him. Three days later, he committed suicide.

Unfortunately, Evan, who his coworkers knew as the kindest person in the store, was not protected. He was a victim of extreme harassment and Krogers objective negligence, egregious neglect, and outrageous conduct, according to lawsuit allegations.

The suit also claims that employees raised the concerns regarding the conduct of Frazee and others, including to the ethics hotline and to union representatives, but nothing was done.

Despite a publicized complaint mechanism, the suit claims that complaints were unheard, uninvestigated, and/or inappropriately investigated which resulted in his untimely death.

The lawsuit cites 15 counts claiming violations of Ohio law, including for wrongful death, vicarious liability, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, sexual harassment and retaliation.

This is a heartbreaking case regardless of liability. But ultimately the question is whether Kroger fully investigated the complaints, including the ones brought by Seyfrieds colleague to the ethics line, and whether there is any legal cause of action to hold Kroger liable.

Of course, the allegations in this case are simply that, and we cannot conclude that anyone engaged in misconduct unless and until the allegations are proven in court.

Earlier this month, Kroger employees announced a nationwide protest on the anniversary of Seyfrieds death to demand that Kroger take responsibility for his suicide.

Employers need to listen and fully investigate all concerns raised by employees. This is simply not being done in too many workplaces.
Five long-practicing local attorneys were elected as new judges and two existing judges were elevated to higher courts by state lawmakers during the final leg of the General Assembly session ending March 12, marking one of the largest collectives of Richmond-area judicial candidates to be named to the bench in recent years.

Three judges were elected in Richmond, three in Chesterfield County and one in Henrico County.

Only one local judicial candidate  nominated for a seat in Henrico General District Court  didnt make the cut. And one of Chesterfields candidates initially was passed by after his name was withdrawn from consideration before the Senate took a vote, but he was elected three days later on the last day of the session.

Three of the newly elected judges are replacing jurists who are retiring or have already retired. Another newcomer to the bench is replacing a judge who failed to win reappointment for a second term.

State Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, and Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, who are members of the legislative delegations that vetted and selected the attorneys approved by the General Assembly, said they were among a large cadre of very qualified candidates who sought the positions.

We had a wonderful list of candidates, Morrissey told members of the assemblys courts and judiciary committees during judicial interviews on March 8.

The new judges and the two who were elevated to higher courts will take the bench between April and December. They are:

Richard B. Campbell

, who will be elevated to Richmond Circuit Court after serving as a judge in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for 15 years. Campbell will take the seat being vacated by Circuit Judge Phillip L. Hairston, who is retiring Oct. 1.

Campbell will be the first Richmond juvenile court judge to move to circuit court since his predecessor, Judge Clarence N. Jenkins Jr., was elevated to the upper court in 2007.

In recommending Campbell for the circuit court bench, McClellan told legislators during judicial interviews that she heard from attorneys who said the experience of a juvenile and domestic court judge would bring a needed mindset to the circuit court bench.

We heard from a number of people that, given the number of cases that are appealed from juvenile court to circuit court, that they really need that perspective, McClellan said.

She also noted Campbells experience as an assistant commonwealths attorney in Chesapeake in the 1990s and as a Virginia deputy attorney general who handled several different divisions within the Attorney Generals Office from 2000 through 2007. Campbell also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in 1990, prosecuting convicted felons and drug cases involving firearms under Project Exile.

But McClellan said she was struck most by what Campbell said during an interview, when he was asked what his biggest adjustment or growing experience was in transitioning from his role as government attorney to a judge in juvenile court.

His answer was really the humanity of people and how different [it is when] a litigant comes before you, and theyre not just whats on their papers. They bring their entire life experience that may affect what theyre in that courtroom for, McClellan said.

J. Alexis Fisher-Rizk

, who will replace Campbell as a judge in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on Oct. 1, after serving seven years as a prosecutor in the Henrico Commonwealths Attorneys Office. In that role, she is responsible for prosecuting serious traffic offenses that include vehicular manslaughter and maiming cases, and felony DUIs. She is responsible for training and supervising new attorneys.

Before becoming a prosecutor, Fisher-Rizk worked four years as a Richmond public defender and six years in private practice, representing clients in criminal, traffic and family law cases.

In recommending her, McClellan said she was impressed with Fisher-Rizks commitment to serving others, noting that in addition to her law career, she had served as a volunteer for a number of organizations, including as past president of the Fox Elementary School PTA, where McClellan first met her several years ago as the parent of a fifth-grade student.

On the day that I called her to talk to her about this position [for judge], she was volunteering at Peter Paul Development Center with some at-risk kids, McClellan said.

Matthew T. Paulk

, a trial lawyer who has practiced in the Richmond court system for 26 years, will take the bench April 16 in Richmond General District Court. He will replace Claire Cardwell, who was elevated to Richmond Circuit Court last year.

Morrissey, who recommended Paulk, told lawmakers that after Richmonds legislative delegation interviewed several good candidates for the position, Paulk left us all turning to each other and saying, there is no better choice.

Morrissey noted that Paulk has practiced in both state and federal courts, and has over 20 published and unpublished legal opinions on cases heard in the Virginia Supreme Court and the Virginia Court of Appeals.

Marissa D. Mitchell

, a Henrico government attorney for 17 years, will become a judge in Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on May 1. She will be replacing Judge Stuart L. Williams Jr., who is retiring. When Mitchell joins her colleagues on the bench, all five of Henricos juvenile court judges will be women.

McClellan, who recommended Mitchell, told legislators that she stood head and shoulders above the other candidates, partly because of her years of experience with the Henrico Attorneys Office in assisting children in juvenile court in collaboration with the Henrico Social Services Department.

I think bringing [her background] as a government attorney with a focus on children and childrens needs will bring a very needed perspective to that bench, McClellan said.

M. Duncan Minton Jr.

, who has served as a Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judge since March 2017, was elected to begin work as a Chesterfield Circuit Court judge on May 1. He will fill a seat vacated by Judge Frederick G. Rockwell III, who retired Dec. 31.

Minton, who served as a Chesterfield prosecutor for 14 years before becoming Spotsylvanias chief deputy commonwealths attorney in February 2016, was elected the following year to a seat in Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

We had a wonderful selection of applicants for this circuit court, and Judge Minton exceeded all of our expectations, Morrissey told legislators during judicial interviews on March 8.

Tara D. Hatcher

, a family law attorney with extensive experience in juvenile court, was elected to fill Mintons seat beginning May. 1. Hatcher was a former staff attorney for the Supreme Court of Virginia, worked as an attorney for a large family law practice and had served as an assistant commonwealths attorney in Powhatan County. More recently, shes been a solo practitioner of family law.

While serving as a Powhatan prosecutor part time, Hatcher simultaneously represented the Powhatan Social Services Office in cases involving children.

Steven B. Novey

, who has practiced law for 27 years as a public defender and defense attorney with an office in Colonial Heights, was elected to a seat in Chesterfield Circuit Court. He will take the bench on Dec. 1, after the term of Judge Lynn Brice expires. Brice failed to win reappointment after serving an eight-year term.

He is an exceptional attorney who is highly regarded by the bench, the bar and respective courthouse staffs, and now will go on to the bench, Morrissey said.

Among the areas eight judicial candidates selected by their respective legislative delegations, only one  Bobbi R. Graves, who was nominated to fill a vacant seat in Henrico General District Court  was left off the list of judicial candidates that both the House and Senate voted on in a block. It remains unclear why.

During Graves judicial interview, McClellan told lawmakers that both Henricos and Richmonds legislative delegations had fought over Graves as a candidate for four different judicial positions, and that she had a diverse practice that focused on children and guardian ad litem work, along with criminal and civil law experience.
In 1807, with their country invaded by Napoleons expansionist French empire and their military in bad shape, Spanish citizens picked up arms and began to fight la guerrilla  the little war. Over five years, the actions of guerrilleros measurably weakened Frances ability to fight the combined forces of Portugal, Great Britain and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula.

Their disruptive attacks prevented the concentration of French armies elsewhere in Europe, so much so that in the end, Napoleon himself dubbed these brave citizens his Spanish Ulcer. Today, hundreds of thousands of volunteer hackers and tech enthusiasts from across the West are playing a similar role in countering Russian aggression against Ukraine.

These amateur, would-be cyber thorns in Russian President Vladimir Putins side come from an immense variety of backgrounds, from hacker hobbyists to everyday webizens. School teachers, software developers, janitors and gamers alike have joined online communities  the largest of which is organized by the Ukrainian government  to coordinate anti-Russia efforts.

Some hack in the conventional sense, launching cyberattacks to counter Russias own hacker presence in Ukrainian networks and disrupt the Russian economy in tandem with Western sanctions. Others hactivize by injecting forbidden information into Russias increasingly closed-off media ecosystem or by publishing Russian elites data.

A much greater number of citizens are helping to counter disinformation by fact-checking social media reports, flagging spam accounts, and building content that raises awareness of the methods Russia is employing to deceive Ukrainians and perpetuate its brutal invasion.

Its clear these cyber guerrilleros  numbering at least 300,000  already are playing a critical part in Ukraines struggle against a militarily superior foe. Crowdsourced disruption attacks on Russian banks, oil companies and government websites have visibly frustrated Moscows reaction to draconian economic sanctions.

Public-facing lists of known disinformation sources are updated by the minute and state-backed Russian media channels known to peddle lies are regularly taken down. The hacktivist collective Anonymous even managed to replace programming on Russian TV channels with war footage.

Whats perhaps most remarkable about these activities is they are planned and executed at great speed. It often takes minutes for Russian websites whose information is posted to the messaging application Telegram to be taken offline or for Russian propaganda found by social media users to be flagged by networks of checkers.

The actions of Ukraines cyber guerrilleros are not just laudable. They are an incredible example of the value of civilian expertise in tackling immense digital insecurity. They make an unprecedentedly strong case for rich, universal vocational education far beyond what is common in the West today.

While many of those now fighting as digital volunteers have formal technical training, many more simply are using lessons learned from a decade of Russian interference in Ukraines virtual spaces. Rampant disinformation, malware encounters and familiarity with Russian threats to critical infrastructure have demythologized cyber threats for many Europeans. Though the circumstances are tragic, this shared experience is clearly producing positive digital outcomes for Ukraine.

The implications for national security closer to home are immense. Education always has been the single most important flagstone for efforts to build robust public safety practices. With national cybersecurity, this is doubly the case. Deterrence by denial, wherein foreign aggression is prevented by the construction of some sufficiently strong defensive posture, is uniquely challenging in cyberspace.

Given that the internet has introduced points of potential compromise everywhere, from our personal devices to the online services we subscribe to, strong deterrence against persistent threats means sound digital habits across entire national populations. Admittedly, it doesnt take a cybersecurity expert to see how impractical developing such a posture sounds.

But events in Ukraine change that calculus. Ukraines cyber guerrilleros have shown a nations capacity to beat back digital insecurity can come not just from government or industry, but from an educated, informed and technically literate population. And recent cybersecurity research supports the idea that citizens will act to improve their digital security, particularly when motivated by a sense of socio-civic duty.

As such, governments across the West have little excuse now to avoid rethinking investments in digital literacy and opportunities for vocational technology education at all levels, from grade school to adult continued learning courses.

This imperative is all the more urgent for two reasons. First, Russian cyber aggression seems set to surge as Moscow tries to adapt to its new, more isolated normal. Americans need to be ready for new escalations of digital insecurity sooner than later. Second, Ukraines experience means actions taken in the near term to support digital literacy will constitute powerful deterrent signals.

Fortunately, this stands to be as true for regional governance as for national efforts. States like Virginia could lead the way in building a more secure cyberspace now. Indeed, its in their best interests to do so.
Women have served in every conflict since the beginning of our nation. Since World War I, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and todays global war on terrorism, the achievements they have made and their numbers in service have increased dramatically. Today, women make up nearly 15% of the total active and reserve forces of our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, National Guard and Reserves.

From my days at West Point to combat duty in Iraq, I have served alongside many women soldiers and have the highest respect for them for their courage, leadership skills and contributions to assuring the successful completion of every mission.

So, upon my appointment by Gov. Glenn Youngkin as commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services in January, I was pleased to learn how our commonwealth has been and continues to be a leader in recognizing and honoring our women veterans. I am proud our governor and General Assembly have for the fifth straight year proclaimed the third week of March, which also is national Womens History Month, as Virginia Women Veterans Week (March 20-26).

Many of our fellow Virginians might not be aware our commonwealth is home to more than 713,000 veterans. Of those, more than 109,000 are women veterans  the largest percentage of any state  and their numbers are growing.

Virginias women veterans are leaders in virtually every community and in every profession. From education and technology, to business and health care, to journalism and law, to nonprofits, to state and local government, and more, Virginias women veterans truly lead the way. In fact, even our new Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears is a proud Marine Corps veteran, and many of our elected leaders in the General Assembly and state government officials have worn the uniform of one of the service branches.

As I noted, Virginia was one of the first states to recognize that women veterans often face unique challenges and opportunities as they transition from active duty to civilian life and one of the first to create a Women Veterans Program and appoint a woman Army veteran to direct it.

We host a series of live and online roundtable forums around the state, where women veterans can come together for discussions, and offer ideas and suggestions on how to improve their lives and livelihoods. For the past several years, DVS has worked with partners in the public and private sectors to host an annual Virginia Women Veterans Summit, which attracts upward of 1,000 participants.

Assuring women veterans and all veterans have opportunities for gainful employment in the civilian workforce has been the basis for our highly successful Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program. More than 1,500 public and private employers  from small to large across the state  are V3 partners and are committed to seeking, hiring and retaining Virginia veterans and their spouses.

We also assist these veterans as they prepare to leave active duty through our V3 Transition Program. V3 Transition works alongside transitioning service members and military spouses to make referrals that address specific needs. The referral services could include, but are not limited to resume review, connections with Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certified companies for employment and other DVS programs. Since its inception, the V3 Program has resulted in more than 92,000 veterans hired.

Simply put, one of the main goals of this administration and of this agency is to ensure Virginia is the best state for all its citizens to live, work and thrive. Our goal also is to assure Virginia continues to be the No. 1 state for all veterans, military spouses and retirees.

On Monday, March 21 at 11 a.m., Sears, state legislators, and I will gather at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond to personally recognize women veterans for their service and sacrifice. We will present each attendee with a special Virginia Women Veterans Lead the Way lapel pin. Please join us for this great event if you can. Immediately after the ceremony, we will host a Virginia Women Veterans Roundtable discussion at the memorial.

Please join all of us in honoring the service and sacrifice of all our women veterans during Virginia Women Veterans Week. Our nation and our commonwealth owe them our heartfelt thanks and recognition.
In physics, Newtons first law states an object will remain in forward motion unless an external force impedes it. In other words, momentum only can carry you so far  especially if something knocks you off your tracks.

Virginia policymakers know how important momentum can be when crafting long-term solutions to the problems that face us. Like many states, the commonwealth is experiencing momentum in its growing clean energy industry.

But despite the falling prices of renewables, combined with Virginias business-friendly climate, the State Corporation Commission may very well thwart this momentum with the highest shared solar energy bills in America.

Also known as community solar, shared solar programs are available to businesses and households that want to take advantage of low-cost renewables, but are unable to install their own solar panels because they are renters or have outdated roofs, for example.

Users subscribe to this program by renting solar power from small, local generation facilities, and receiving credit on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced. It allows users to take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of having solar panels on their roofs, without having to install them.

Almost half of U.S. states have similar programs, and in Virginia, the General Assembly passed a shared solar pilot program in 2020.

This truly was a bipartisan effort. Its not every day that you see state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, team up with then-Del. Jason Miyares, R-Virginia Beach, on such a consequential bill. But this is one of the issues Democrats and Republicans actually have agreed on in recent years.

I serve as director of Conservatives for Clean Energy  Virginia, an organization that works to lead the conversation about the economic benefits of renewable sources for the commonwealths free market economy. Our recent polling shows a 2-to-1 majority of Virginia voters want to place more emphasis on solar energy, and a full 86% of voters support minimizing regulations that make it more difficult to generate electricity from renewable sources like solar  regardless of political affiliation.

We also were one of the many stakeholder groups that worked to pass the pilot program. We fully intended to do everything we could to make it successful; and to see it expand into new service territories with greater capacity, ensuring every Virginia resident and business owner has access to solar energy.

Until recently, that is  when the State Corporation Commissions hearing examiner proposed the highest monthly subscription fee for any shared solar program in the country.

For context, a provision in the original legislation included a minimum bill, which would serve as a sort-of fixed monthly add-on for subscribers. The commission currently is deliberating on how much that should be. A solar industry group recently proposed a fee of $7.50 per month. The SCCs hearing examiner endorsed an amount nearly 7.5 times that number.

While commissioners are figuring out whether to take this questionable advice, I urge them to consider how it would scuttle the momentum of the shared solar program and Virginias clean energy economy as a whole.

First, it goes without saying that a $55 minimum bill is unfair to consumers. It penalizes people taking advantage of this program before they even flip on a light switch every month.

Second, this action undeniably would hurt the financial stability of landowners looking to lease their property for shared solar sites. It isnt hard to see that if Virginia wants to attract active participation in this program, it is essential to keep the minimum bill at a reasonable level.

Finally, if the SCC decides to make Virginias minimum bill the highest in the nation, the commonwealth would be left at an obvious competitive disadvantage when it comes to angling for high-paying jobs in the renewable energy industry. It hurts workers who want to make a living in Virginia, and it deters businesses from launching or moving here as well.

Democrats and Republicans alike supported the vision of the 2020 shared solar legislation as a program where all Virginians could access the opportunity to lower their energy costs. This momentum is something we all can be proud of. But as Newtons law tells us, momentum easily can be derailed.

The SCC has an important opportunity to establish a fair program before its too late. The stakes are high, and the commission must get it right.
CHRISTIANSBURG  The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors this past week approved the redrawing of its election districts, as well as adjustments in precincts and polling places.

The measure, which passed on a 7-0 vote, was part of the countys redistricting, a process the locality must undertake every decade due to changes in population.

For the redrawn districts, county staff rely on the latest U.S. Census data, which show Montgomery County to have a population of just a few hundred people shy of 100,000.

Redistricting not only leads to an adjustment of the supervisor boundaries  and puts certain residents under different supervisor representation  but also affects areas such as voting precincts and polling places.

For example, the recently approved measure gives the Squires Student Center at Virginia Tech  which already served as a polling place for students  an additional precinct, one consisting of students who reside on campus when they register.

Another example of the change is residents of the Airport Acres neighborhood in Blacksburg voting at the towns public library, as opposed to Margaret Beeks Elementary School.

All polls must be within a mile of the nearest precinct boundary they serve, if theyre not within the precinct boundary.

The redrawing of the supervisor boundaries is based on an ideal population target for each district. The target in the recent redistricting is 14,285, and the population in each individual district is allowed to be no more than 5% below or above that figure.

We have to equalize our districts, said County Attorney Marty McMahon, who clarified that at the county level each districts population must only be substantially equal as opposed to exact.

For example, the population in Supervisor Steve Fijalkowskis District C is 14,439, according to the approved maps.

The redistricting resulted in District C  an area that includes the eastern Montgomery County communities of Shawsville and Elliston  giving up a portion of its southwest corner just south of Interstate 81 to Supervisor Todd Kings District D. Both districts are conservative leaning.

District D is on the southern end of the county and includes the community of Riner.

County Administrator Craig Meadows praised the work performed by staff on the redistricting process.

Its been a lot, lot, lot of work, said Meadows, whose comments drew applause from employees at the recent supervisors meeting.

The populations in each of the redrawn supervisors districts:

District A: 14,250.

District B: 14,415.

District C: 14,439.

District D: 14,335.

District E: 13,837.

District F: 14,298.

District G: 14,422.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the latter's request in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2022. [Xinhua/Liu Bin]

Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video call with U.S. President Joe Biden at the request of the latter on Friday. The two Presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations, the situation in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest.

President Biden said that 50 years ago, the United States and China made the important choice of issuing the Shanghai Communique. Fifty years on, the U.S.-China relationship has once again come to a critical time. How this relationship develops will shape the world in the 21st century.

He reiterated that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence"; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.

The U.S. is ready to have candid dialogue and closer cooperation with China, stay committed to the one-China policy, and effectively manage competition and disagreements to ensure the steady growth of the relationship, said President Biden.

He also expressed readiness to stay in close touch with President Xi to set the direction for the U.S.-China relationship.

Noting the international landscape has experienced new major developments since their first virtual meeting last November, Xi said the prevailing trend of peace and development is facing serious challenges, and the world is neither tranquil nor stable.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world's two leading economies, China and the U.S. must not only guide their relations forward along the right track, but also shoulder their share of international responsibilities and work for world peace and tranquility, Xi said.

Xi stressed that he and President Biden share the view that China and the U.S. need to respect each other, coexist in peace and avoid confrontation, and that the two sides should increase communication and dialogue at all levels and in all fields.

President Biden has just reiterated that the U.S. does not seek to have a new Cold War with China, to change China's system, or to revitalize alliances against China, and that the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence" or intend to seek a conflict with China, Xi said. "I take these remarks very seriously."

Xi pointed out the China-U.S. relationship, instead of getting out of the predicament created by the previous U.S. administration, has encountered a growing number of challenges. What's worth noting in particular is that some people in the U.S. have sent a wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" forces, Xi said, adding "this is very dangerous."

Mishandling of the Taiwan question will have a disruptive impact on the bilateral ties, said Xi. "China hopes that the U.S. will give due attention to this issue."

The direct cause for the current situation in the China-U.S. relationship is that some people on the U.S. side have not followed through on the important common understanding reached by the two Presidents and have not acted on President Biden's positive statements. The U.S. has misperceived and miscalculated China's strategic intention, Xi said.

Xi underscored that there have been and will continue to be differences between China and the U.S. "What matters is to keep such differences under control. A steadily growing relationship is in the interest of both sides," he added.

The two sides exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

President Biden expounded on the U.S. position, and expressed readiness for communication with China to prevent the situation from exacerbating.

"China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine to come to this. China stands for peace and opposes war. This is embedded in China's history and culture," Xi said.

China makes a conclusion independently based on the merits of each matter, advocates upholding international law and universally recognized norms governing international relations, and adheres to the UN Charter and promotes the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. These are the major principles that underpin China's approach to the Ukraine crisis, Xi said.

Noting that China has put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Xi said China is ready to provide further humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and other affected countries.

"All sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace," Xi said, adding that the U.S. and NATO should also have dialogue with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.

Xi stressed that with the need to fight COVID-19 on the one hand and protect the economy and people's livelihood on the other, things are already very difficult for countries around the world.

"As leaders of major countries, we need to think about how to properly address global hotspot issues and, more importantly, keep in mind global stability and the work and life of billions of people," Xi said.

Sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer. If further escalated, they could trigger serious crises in global economy and trade, finance, energy, food, and industrial and supply chains, crippling the already languishing world economy and causing irrevocable losses, Xi added.

"The more complex the situation, the greater the need to remain cool-headed and rational," Xi said, adding that whatever the circumstances, there is always a need for political courage to create space for peace and leave room for political settlement.

"As two Chinese sayings go, 'It takes two hands to clap.' 'He who tied the bell to the tiger must take it off.' It is imperative that the parties involved demonstrate political will and find a proper settlement in view of both immediate and long-term needs," Xi said.

Xi said other parties can and should create conditions to that end. The pressing priority is to keep the dialogue and negotiation going, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, and cease hostilities as soon as possible.

He said an enduring solution would be for major countries to respect each other, reject the Cold War mentality, refrain from bloc confrontation, and build step by step a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture for the region and for the world.

"China has been doing its best for peace and will continue to play a constructive role," Xi said.

Agreeing that the video call is constructive, the two Presidents directed their teams to promptly follow up and take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development, and make respective efforts for the proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Ding Xuexiang, Liu He and Wang Yi were present at the call.
RICHMOND  Virginia Commonwealth University will loosen its mask requirement on Monday, a response to declining cases and hospitalizations in the Richmond area. But it wont make masks completely optional, either.

Students will no longer have to wear masks in the library, dorms or hallways of buildings, the university announced Friday. But masks will still be required in classrooms, clinical settings, health system facilities and public transit.

Currently, VCU requires masks in all indoor spaces and for outdoor groups of 50 people or more.

The positive trends and improvement in COVID-19 conditions (decreased positivity and hospitalizations, high vaccination rates in the VCU community and widely available testing) continue to support the transition to optional masking, the university wrote on its website.

There have been nearly 700 cases at VCU this semester but few recently  there were just 15 last week. At the end of January, 95% of students and 97% of staff were vaccinated. Shots are no longer required for non-medical students and staff, and VCU no longer tracks the percentage of its community who are vaccinated.

Universities and K-12 school districts have taken different approaches to loosening mask requirements in the past two months. All K-12 public schools made masks optional March 1  if they hadnt already  in accord with a new state law that Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed.

The University of Richmond lets professors decide. They can choose to require them in class or keep them optional.

Its unclear how many UR classes are requiring masks. A university spokesperson said UR isnt keeping track of which classes are mask-optional and which arent.

At Virginia State, masks remain required indoors, a school spokesperson said. Wearing masks is now voluntary outdoors on campus.

A spokesperson for Virginia Union University didnt respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

In a realm with different approaches to masking, colleges and government leaders are displaying varying levels of risk, said Dr. Gonzalo Bearman, head of infectious disease at VCU Health.

Masks were most necessary early in the pandemic when there was limited testing, no treatment and no vaccine, he said. Now, school leaders have to decide how much risk they are willing to tolerate.

There is no risk-free environment, Bearman said.
NORFOLK  Two people were killed and three others injured during an early morning shooting Saturday outside a downtown Norfolk restaurant and bar. Among the dead was 25-year-old Virginian-Pilot reporter Sierra Jenkins, who was caught in the gunfire.

The incident happened shortly before 2 a.m. outside Chichos Pizza Backstage, a popular restaurant and bar on Granby Street adjacent to Tidewater Community Colleges downtown Norfolk campus.

Manager Rory Schindel said bartenders had announced last call for drinks and turned up the lights at about 1:30 a.m. Customers were starting to leave the business when an argument began outside. Soon afterward, shots rang out.

Jenkins was leaving the bar when she got caught in the gunfire, Schindel said. She was rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she later died.

Portsmouth resident Devon M. Harris, also 25, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Three other men were wounded, including one who suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police have not announced any arrests in the shooting.

Jenkins father, Maurice Jenkins of Virginia Beach, described his daughter as a sweet, caring and hard-working young woman who loved being a journalist. She just turned 25 on March 13 and was the oldest of three siblings.

Jenkins grew up in Norfolk and graduated from Granby High School. She earned a bachelors degree in journalism from Georgia State University in December 2019 and worked as an intern at Atlanta Magazine and CNN before joining The Pilot in December 2020. She just got her first apartment in Virginia Beach about a month ago after living with family, her father said.

She wasnt much of a going-out kind of person at all, Maurice Jenkins said. But she had a friend visiting from out of town who wanted to go out.

The two had been friends since middle school and Jenkins was godmother to her friends daughter.

Jenkins initially was hired by The Pilot to cover breaking news and later became an education reporter. She was scheduled to work a shift on the day she died. When editors were unable to reach her early that morning to have her to cover the shooting, they asked another reporter to fill in for her. A short time later, they learned Jenkins was among those killed.

Sierra was a bright and talented woman with so much going for her. Her passion for journalism was undeniable and our community is better because of her reporting, said Kris Worrell, editor-in-chief of Virginia Media. Sierra was funny and energetic and full of enthusiasm. We are absolutely heartbroken.

On Saturday morning, drops of blood could be seen on the sidewalk outside Chichos and a nearby security guard pointed out what appeared to be multiple bullet holes in a wall next to the businesss windows and front doors.

Schindel recalled seeing Jenkins and her friends at the bar. They were a nice group, he said. They took good care of our bartenders and our bartenders took good care of them.

Chichos nighttime security requires all customers to be patted down before entering, Schindel said. Because of that policy, the manager doesnt believe the shooter brought the gun inside.

It was just a normal night, Schindel said of the moments before the shots were fired. There were a lot of people there, as usual, and there was a great atmosphere inside. He estimated about 180 people were at the bar when last call for drinks was announced and people began to exit the business.
Years ago, when I was just beginning to practice immigration law, I remember hearing about two horrific genocides.

They were almost back-to-back, happening within little more than a year of each other, and each became the focus of a war crimes tribunal at the Hague.

The first one occurred in the spring of 1994 when Rwandan Hutus massacred hundreds of thousands of their Tutsi neighbors in a matter of months. A year later, in Bosnia, thousands of Muslim men and boys were murdered by their Serbian captors in a town called Srebrenica.

At the time, it was difficult to find any overt racism as we have come to view it in the United States, because both the victims and the victimizers in Rwanda were Black, and the victims and victimizers in Bosnia were white (although in the latter case there was the additional element of religion, which was the motivating factor for the Bosnian Serbs). All that mattered was that one group of people had terrorized and dehumanized another group of people based on hatred and ignorance, and the world looked on in horror. It was a replay of the Holocaust, only televised.

But when I listen to people like Joy Ann Why Is She Still On Television Reid, I realize that we Americans have lost any sense of reality. On her show on MSNBC, Reid made this statement about the deepening humanitarian crisis:

As the world watches the devastation unfold in Ukraine, nearly 4,000 miles away, another crisis is deepening that we dont hear much about in the U.S., and that is the war in Yemen. The coverage of Ukraine has revealed a pretty radical disparity in how human Ukrainians look and feel to western media compared to their browner and Blacker counterparts, with some reporters using very telling comparisons in their analyses of the war. She added that the world cared more for white Christians than it did for people who looked like her.

Interestingly enough, Reid has only recently become interested in Yemen, judging from her searchable public statements. I googled her name next to crisis in Yemen and came up with page after page of her most recent tirade against white Christians, but virtually nothing earlier than last week. Nothing. When you consider that the situation in Yemen has been going on since approximately 2011 and really picked up speed in 2014, you might think that Reid is a little slow on the uptake.

Then there were those I cant believe that happened! news flashes about people of color who were taken off of refugee trains to give space to Ukrainians attempting to flee their beleaguered country. When there was the suggestion that Black and brown foreign exchange students were taken off of trains, the first reaction should have been: Thats terrible, but people become desperate during war time and lose sense of their humanity.

Instead, it became those disgusting white people are racist, and they got even more racist when the bombs were falling on their heads and their children were being massacred. God, they are just white supremacists, like those parents at school board meetings.

Im exaggerating, of course. But instead of realizing that people act poorly in times of crisis, the mainstream media went right to the George Floyd narrative of white people hating on people of color. It never occurred to the observers that maybe, just maybe, the color of the students didnt matter. It was the fact, equally repellent but not racialized, that Ukrainians had more sympathy for other Ukrainians than they did for foreigners.

It was the same when we were evacuating Afghanistan and my friends were saying we need to get the Americans out, and I was saying we also need to rescue the Afghan allies who risked their lives for Americans. Country first is not a good thing, in times of crisis. But its not about race.

People can be inhuman in many different ways. The Bosnian Serbs hated the Bosnian Muslims because they saw these men, who looked and spoke and lived like them, side by side for generations, as the other. It was their religion that put the target on their backs.

In Rwanda, the Hutus went after men, women and children who looked exactly like them, sounded like them, worshiped like them (mostly Catholic Christians), and saluted the same flag. They did this because of tribal loyalties, and ethnic hatreds. And skin color was irrelevant, as it was with the Serbs.

Its sad that we have to fit every instance of horror and genocide into these nice little Black Lives Matter categories in the U.S., and twist the narrative so that it allows despicable people like Joy Ann Reid to exploit tragedy. There is a genocide going on in Ukraine, and the vast majority of the victims are white Christians.

The fact that this is a problem for people like Joy Ann Reid shouldnt make a damn difference.

Flowers, an attorney, is a columnist for the Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.
Full accounting needed of nations COVID responseTheres no great way to mark the exact moment when the pandemic began in the U.S. Was it when the first domestic case of COVID-19 was confirmed? Was it the day when the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary declared SARS-CoV-2 a public health emergency? Or was it when the first death from COVID was reported on U.S. soil?

The best marker may be the day that then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency  March 13, 2020. It was a Friday, the end of a scary week of news about the alarming spread of the new and deadly coronavirus, and the announcement precipitated a cascade of actions from coast to coast intended to flatten the curve.

We wish that the second anniversary of that momentous day in U.S. history was an occasion to celebrate. Though many restrictions have ended, the pandemic is not over. Tens of thousands of new cases are reported every day, and more than 30,000 Americans are hospitalized with serious cases of COVID-19. Nearly 1 million people in this country have died from COVID-19, and more than a thousand continue to die each day. Millions of Americans are struggling with long-term effects of infection.

Still, the latest acute phase of the pandemic seems to be waning. The rate of transmission is dropping and state and federal officials have appropriately turned their attention to planning for the long term. This is essential, because scientists expect COVID-19 to be with us indefinitely.

At this time, as health officials consider whether the disease is moving toward an endemic stage, its appropriate to look back at the state and federal response. Not as an exercise in blame  theres been enough of that over the last two years to fill a book  but a comprehensive, clear-eyed examination similar to that done by the 9/11 commission.

Many elected officials complained during the chaotic months in the first year of the pandemic that there was no playbook for them to follow. They were right. The last viral pandemic of the same scale as COVID-19 happened more than a 100 years earlier, at a time when record keeping and disease reporting were spotty and decades before the creation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But we cant bank on being safe from another major global viral outbreak until 2122. We owe it to our future selves and our children to do what we can to help them survive the next pandemic.

No one wants to admit mistakes, but a look back will require an honest inventory of the U.S. failures and successes. Happily theres bipartisan support for such an endeavor as part of the PREVENT Pandemics Act introduced in January by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Richard Burr, R-N.C. Among other things, the bill would establish a 12-member task force modeled on the 9/11 commission that would examine both the origins of the virus and the federal and state responses.

Thats good, but the task force must do more than assess testing and tracing capabilities, supply chains, travel bans and vaccine development. It must seek to address the most vexing failure of the pandemic: the inequity of the impact. By every measure  economic loss, sickness and death  low-income and communities of color were hit harder by the pandemic than others. While its important to shore up the national stockpile of critical medical supplies, we must also examine the holes in the social safety net exposed by COVID-19.

Los Angeles Times

Farewell to a pastry maestroThank goodness baby boomers didnt know then what they know now. Otherwise, eating the seductive treasures found in a box of Entenmanns would have been an even guiltier pleasure.

White flour has bad carbs and no nutritional value worth talking about. Refined white sugar? Dont even ask. And gluten  ewww!

Of course, for boomers indulging their sweet tooth, ignorance was bliss. There was no guilt, only pleasure to be found in that fudge iced golden cake, the chocolate fudge iced cake  chocolate on chocolate, a double hit!  that cherry cheese danish and those hot cross buns. What did we forget? The crumb coffee cake  at one point, Frank Sinatra put in a weekly order. The pecan Danish twist. The glazed donuts and the marble loaf cake.

We owe it all to Charles Entenmann and his family. Entenmann, 92, died last month in Hialeah, Florida. He was the last of three brothers who, along with their mother, Martha, produced some of the best known baked goods in the country.

More than a century earlier, his German grandfather got the ball rolling  pun intended  in Brooklyn, baking ... rolls.

After a move out to Bay Shore out on the Island, the company expanded and Charles and his bros eventually took over. He was a stickler for consistency. The two-millionth piece of cake must not only be good  it must be as good as the first, he told The New York Times in 1976. That was two years before his family sold the company to uber-manufacturer Warner-Lambert. And now, Entenmanns is owned by Bimbo Bakeries USA, a division of a Mexican company. (Sara Lee is in its portfolio, too.)

Of course, there have been updates. That cellophane window on top of the box is gone  supply-chain issues, Bimbo says. And designer coffee flavors have been added.

But back in the day, Entenmanns confections were not gourmet, they were not artisanal and they definitely werent locally sourced  unless you lived on Long Island.

But they made us fat and happy.

Miami Herald

Real election shenanigansIn Mesa County, Colorado, the top elections official turns out to be an ardent Trump supporter who takes her cues on election fraud from a pillow salesman who insists that the 2020 election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump.

Amid GOP outcry over such trumped-up nonsense, Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters took it upon herself to tamper with local voting machines, according to a 10-count criminal indictment. The indictment includes attempting to influence a public servant, criminal impersonation and identity theft.

She is alleged to have conspired to tamper with voting machines to secure confidential information, which she planned to distribute to unauthorized people.

Peters is running as a Republican in the statewide race to become secretary of state  the job that would empower her to oversee all elections in Colorado. The state GOP has asked her to withdraw her candidacy.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
" " The Air Force Research Laboratory is touting the achievement of a major milestone: completing the critical design review of the X-60A liquid rocket. The X-60A will be airdropped in its first flight test in 2020. USDOD/SpaceWorks Studios

At a meeting in Arlington, Virginia, in late 2018, one of the Pentagon's top officials told an audience of defense executives that the U.S. is locked in a tight race with Russia and China to develop a new, game-changing weapon that could fly at many times the speed of sound and could be used to launch a devastating attack upon an enemy in a matter of minutes.

The assemblage was told by Michael D. Griffin, the Department of Defenses undersecretary for research and engineering, that of all the technological marvels that the Pentagon hoped to create, developing a hypersonic missile was his highest priority.

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Indefensible Speed

It's not hard to understand why. Hypersonic missiles  a technology that could be deployed as soon as the mid-2020s  sound like the sort of exotic menace a villain would dream up in a James Bond thriller. As this 2017 Rand Corporation report details, hypersonic missiles would have the ability to fly and maneuver at speeds of between 3,106.9 miles (5,000 kilometers) and 15,534.3 miles (25,000 kilometers) per hour, and travel at a range of altitudes, including as high as 62.1 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth's surface, on the edge of orbital space. These capabilities could make it a nightmare to defend against them, because they would be moving so fast that it would be difficult to predict where they were about to strike until the last few minutes before impact.

And because the missiles travel at such a high speed, their sheer kinetic energy alone would enable them to wreak destruction without even carrying any conventional explosives or nuclear warheads.

As the Rand report explains, there are different methods of attaining that fantastic speed. One approach is to fire a conventional missile that in turn would release a smaller hypersonic glide vehicle, which would fly up into the upper layers of the atmosphere. Another approach would utilize a rocket or an advanced jet engine such as a scramjet.

Military visionaries have been contemplating hypersonic weapons for decades, but it wasn't until recently that the concept began to seem close to fruition. "There has not been any one technology breakthrough, but rather a combination of steady progress along with strong political motivation," Iain D. Boyd, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan and author of this recent article in The Conversation on the hypersonic arms race, says via email.

"To develop a missile, you first have to show that the platform can fly a mission of interest," Boyd expains. "That was demonstrated in the U.S. in 2010-2014 by the Air Force X-51A scramjet-powered demonstration flights. While the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)'s two flight tests of their HTV-2 boost glide vehicle ended in failure, significant progress was demonstrated and important lessons learned. In an overlapping time period, the Pentagon demonstrated longer range hypersonic vehicle capabilities in their Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) program. DARPA and the Air Force then partnered to mature many of the systems needed on a platform to make it into a weapon such as GNC (guidance, navigation and control), materials, structures and rocket boosters."

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The Race with China and Russia

But the U.S. wasn't alone in its interest in developing hypersonic capabilities. "China was watching and learning, and at some point started investing in hypersonics," Boyd says. "Since 2015 it became evident that significant progress was being made that, at least in numbers of flight tests conducted, appeared to show China outpacing U.S. efforts. And, in Russia, where they have worked on hypersonics for decades like the U.S., they also seem to have had recent successes with flight tests."

Russia's Satan-2 intercontinental ballistic missile, which the Moscow Times reported in April 2019 was in the final testing stages, can be equipped with up to 24 smaller, warhead-carrying hypersonic vehicles that it would release in an attack.

In response to the Chinese and Russian progress, the Trump Administration is pushing to develop hypersonic weapons as soon as possible, and is requesting funding of $2.6 billion for hypersonic research by the Air Force, Navy, Army and DARPA in its FY20 budget request. R. Jeffrey Smith, managing editor for national security for the Center for Public Integrity, reported in the New York Times Magazine that spending on developing hypersonic weapons could rise to $5 billion a year, as the U.S. pushes to develop a deployable hypersonic missile system in the next two to three years.

Though hypersonic missiles could carry nuclear warheads, the missiles being developed by the U.S. will only be equipped with conventional explosives. But they'll still be plenty fearsome. As Smith wrote in the Times, "the missiles function like nearly invisible power drills that smash holes in their targets, to catastrophic effect." They'll impact their targets with a force equivalent to three to four tons (2.72 to 3.63 metric tons) of TNT, according to Smith.

In some ways, hypersonic missiles present a different, perhaps even scarier threat to peace than present nuclear arsenals, because they could enable a nation to launch a surprise attack and cripple an enemy's ability to retaliate, leaving it helpless against the threat of a nuclear attack.

"There are several destabilizing effects," Boyd explains. "First, they are difficult to defend against because of their speed, and because they operate in a region between regular aviation and space which we are not used to defending, and because they are maneuverable which means they must be tracked accurately throughout their flight. Second, this class of missiles is not covered by any currently valid weapons treaty. This poses a number of concerns including the fact that the nations primarily involved (the U.S., China, and Russia) do not have established protocols in place for the use of these systems.Third, Russia has said that it is developing a hypersonic weapon that can deliver either a conventional or a nuclear warhead. This is particularly destabilizing because if such a weapon is launched, the nation under threat would not be able to determine whether a nuclear response must be considered."

"There are many ways to do countermeasures against missile defenses," Bruce MacDonald, an arms control expert and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, explains via email. "Hypersonics is an expensive, technically more risky way to do so." But even so, "in a conventional conflict, an accurate very fast missile could destroy high value targets like missile silos or communication nodes before they could be launched or defended against. Plus decision making time for the attacked party is seriously compressed, giving leaders less time to make crucial high consequence decisions."

That all means that in the near future, hypersonic missiles could lead to a continuous atmosphere of hyper-anxiety, in which nations might be afraid not to strike first  or to instantly launch a counterattack  at the first hint of trouble. And that would be a world in which it would be too easy to make a catastrophically lethal mistake.

Now That's Interesting In this article from Russian news agency TASS, published May 14, 2019, a Russian military expert claimed that Russia already has an anti-missile system that's capable of providing some protection against hypersonic missile attacks.
" " Mobius strips are both simple and mystifying at the same time. Dimitri Otis/Getty Images

The mathematics of otherwise simple-looking objects can be surprisingly perplexing. There's likely no greater example of this than the Mobius strip.

It's a one-sided object that can be made by simply twisting a piece of paper and connecting the ends with some tape. If you were to follow the loop around with your finger, you'd eventually end up right back where you started, having touched the entire surface of the loop along the journey. This simple creation, the Mobius strip, is fundamental to the entire field of topology and serves as a quintessential example of various mathematical principles.

One of these principles is nonorientability, which is the inability for mathematicians to assign coordinates to an object, say up or down, or side to side. This principle has some interesting outcomes, as scientists aren't entirely sure whether the universe is orientable.

This poses a perplexing scenario: If a rocket with astronauts flew into space for long enough and then returned, assuming the universe was nonorientable, it's possible that all the astronauts onboard would come back in reverse.

In other words, the astronauts would come back as mirror images of their former selves, completely flipped. Their hearts would be on the right rather than the left and they may be left-handed rather than right-handed. If one of the astronauts had lost their right leg before flight, upon return, the astronaut would be missing their left leg. This is what happens as you traverse a nonorientable surface like a Mobius strip.

While hopefully your mind is blown  at least just slightly  we need to take a step back. What's a Mobius strip and how can an object with such complex math be made by simply twisting a piece of paper?

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The History of the Mobius Strip

The Mobius strip (sometimes written as "Mobius strip") was first discovered in 1858 by a German mathematician named August Mobius while he was researching geometric theories. While Mobius is largely credited with the discovery (hence, the name of the strip), it was nearly simultaneously discovered by a mathematician named Johann Listing. However, he held off on publishing his work, and was beaten to the punch by August Mobius.

The strip itself is defined simply as a one-sided nonorientable surface that is created by adding one half-twist to a band. Mobius strips can be any band that has an odd number of half-twists, which ultimately cause the strip to only have one side, and consequently, one edge.

Ever since its discovery, the one-sided strip has served as a fascination for artists and mathematicians. The strip even infatuated M.C. Escher, leading to his famous works, "Mobius Strip I& II".

The discovery of the Mobius strip was also fundamental to the formation of the field of mathematical topology, the study of geometric properties that remain unchanged as an object is deformed or stretched. Topology is vital to certain areas of mathematics and physics, like differential equations and string theory.

For example, under topographical principles, a mug is actually a doughnut. Mathematician and artist Henry Segerman explains it best in a YouTube video: "If you take a coffee mug, you can sort of un-indent the place where the coffee goes and you can squish out the handle a little bit and eventually you can deform it into [a] symmetrical round doughnut shape." (This explains the joke that a topologist is someone who can't see the difference between a doughnut and a coffee mug.)

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Practical Uses for the Mobius Strip

The Mobius strip is more than just great mathematical theory: It has some cool practical applications, whether as a teaching aid for more complex objects or in machinery.

For instance, since the Mobius strip is physically one-sided, using Mobius strips in conveyor belts and other applications ensures that the belt itself doesn't get uneven wear throughout its life. Associate professor NJ Wildberger of the School of Mathematics at the University of New South Wales, Australia, explained during a lecture series that a twist is often added to driving belts in machines, "purposefully to wear the belt out uniformly on both sides." The Mobius strip also may be seen in architecture, for example, the Wuchazi Bridge in China.

" " People walk on the Wuchazi Bridge, which was designed on the principle of the Mobius strip, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China. Zhang Lang/China News Service via Getty Images

Dr. Edward English Jr., middle school math teacher and former optical engineer, says that as when he first learned about the Mobius strip in grade school, his teacher had him create one with paper, cutting the Mobius strip along its length which created a longer strip with two full twists.

"Being intrigued by and exposed to this concept of two 'states' helped me, I think, when I encountered up/down spin of electrons," he says, referring to his Ph.D. studies. "Various quantum mechanics ideas weren't such strange concepts for me to accept and understand because the Mobius strip introduced me to such possibilities." For many, the Mobius strip serves as the first introduction to complex geometry and mathematics.

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How Do You Create a Mobius Strip?

" " It's easy to make a Mobius strip. Trevor English

Creating a Mobius strip is incredibly easy. Simply take a piece of paper and cut it into a thin strip, say an inch or 2 wide (2.5-5 centimeters). Once you have that strip cut, simply twist one of the ends 180 degrees, or one-half twist. Then, take some tape and connect that end to the other end, creating a ring with one-half twist inside. You're now left with a Mobius strip!

You can best observe the principles of this shape by taking your finger and following along the sides of the strip. You'll eventually make it all the way around the shape and find your finger back where it started.

If you cut a Mobius strip down the center, along its full length, you're left with one larger loop with four half-twists. This leaves you with a twisted circular shape, but one that still has two sides. It's this duality that Dr. English mentioned helped him understand more complex principles.

Now That's Cool If you cut a bagel along the path of a Mobius strip, you'll be left with two connected bagel rings. Not only that, but the surface of the cut will be larger than just cutting the bagel in half, allowing you to spread more cream cheese on the bagel to eat.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Congregants from St. Catherine Episcopal Church and Cross & Crown Lutheran Church gathered Saturday in the parking lot of the former Phil Nofals shoe store  and future St. Catherines  to conduct a prayer vigil for the Ukrainians.

The Rev. Eunice Dunlap led those gathered in prayers for peace and deliverance of the country, which has been invaded by Russia.

Though Ukrainian soldiers have been targeted by the Russians, the invaders have also targeted hospitals and even a theater  that had Children written in Russian on the pavement around it  for devastating attacks.

Saturdays was the second vigil conducted for the country.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Friends and family of the late Southern W. Buddy Hewitt gathered in Florence Veterans Park Saturday to memorialize and celebrate his life.

The retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Hewitt died Dec. 6. He was 83 years old.

Hewitt, a Florence native, joined the Army in September 1955 at the age of 17. At the start of his first tour in Vietnam in 1965, he was just 25 years old. He continued his military career for 35 years and retired from service in 1989 at Fort Drum in New York.

Among his awards and decorations were the Silver Star, the Bronze Star Medal w/ V (3), the Purple Heart (3), the Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and a number of others.

Members of the Veterans Honor Guard were on hand to deliver honors at the ceremony.
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There was a time when white on white decor was all the rage. But it was mostly for social areas such as living and sitting rooms that were not meant to be touched just merely admired and used as a gathering space for the occasional guest who popped in for afternoon coffee or tea."

Fast forward to today, when neutral decor and white on white is more popular than ever and an integral part of how those looking for a modern, clean look wish to have their space feel and still be functional. Love the look of neutrals and white on white decor? Here are some tips on how to integrate this timeless color palette into your home decor.

Dos

1. Do use art as a way to springboard a white on white color palette into your space.

2. Do use white and neutral colored pieces for main upholstery such as sofas and chairs.

3. Do blend different shades of white and cream in the same space, as long as they are the same temperature such as cool white with other cool tones and warm shades with other warm tones.

4. Do pair metals such as brass with white on white decor.

5. Do add mirrors in spaces that are white on white. Keep in mind, white surfaces help to bounce light and further reflect.

Donts

1. Dont be afraid to purchase white leather furniture. Nervous? Consider alternatives such as Naugahyde.

2. Dont ignore the opportunity to bring in a sense of contrast using elements such as black, chocolate brown and charcoal gray.

3. Dont use shades of white that are overly yellow or gray as they can often read dirty or stained."

4. Dont just use white on white in social areas, consider them for rooms in which you desire a soothing, calm color palette such as bedrooms.

5. Dont forget the opportunity for portable design elements in white such as pillows, throws and ceramics.

(Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design and home staging expert with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C. Contact her at info@cathyhobbs.com or visit her website at cathyhobbs.com.)

2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he is ready for fresh talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported Friday.

"I am ready to talk to him, I am ready to have a serious, substantive conversation with him," Kuleba was quoted as saying.

Kuleba emphasized that the possible meeting should focus on finding solutions to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

On March 10, Kuleba and Lavrov met in Turkey on the sidelines of an international forum in the presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Some bad habits affect our physical health, like smoking, nail biting or eating too much junk food. But others take a toll on our financial health.

How do you know if you have unhealthy financial habits, and what can you do to build better ones? Take these three steps.

1. Dig into your relationship with money

Relationships with money are complex. It isn't always easy to identify financially unhealthy behavior. But there are some signs you can look for. Common problem areas include spending more money than you earn, neglecting to start an emergency fund and not saving for retirement.

Taking a financial health quiz can be a good first step toward detecting weak spots. However, our struggles don't always reflect poor habits or decision-making. Many experts say it's important to consider the role that systemic issues can play in shaping financial health.

"Not being able to get a living wage, not having medical insurance, having student loans in a career that you can't find a job. The fact that there's nowhere in this country that someone who is living on minimum wage can rent a two-bedroom apartment . Those are all systemic issues," says Saundra Davis , founder of Sage Financial Solutions, a San Francisco Bay Area-based organization focused on providing financial services for low-wealth communities.

If you're dealing with these kinds of systemic problems, focus on finding support. United Way's 211 service can connect you with resources if you're struggling to pay bills or afford basic needs.

On the other hand, if your income should be enough to cover your expenses but doesn't, that's when you should look at your behavior, Davis says. What choices are you regularly making, and what do you have the power to control?

Look for patterns. Maybe you shop online when you're bored or upset. Or you ignore your debt because it's overwhelming. Maybe you tend to spend windfalls instead of using the money intentionally because your family didn't emphasize the importance of saving growing up.

Emotions and experiences can have a major impact on our money habits. That's why it's also possible to develop unhealthy habits if you're in good financial shape. For example, a person who pays all their bills on time and has plenty of savings might still feel anxiety around spending or argue about money with a partner.

"Often there's that history of financial scarcity and loss somewhere in their background that's unresolved that leads them to not be able to fully connect with the fact that they're actually financially secure now," says Ed Coambs, a certified financial planner and financial therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Once you better understand what's behind your unhealthy habits, you can begin to repair them.

2. Set personal goals

Ask yourself, "Where are you trying to go? And where are you right now? And then how do you bridge that gap?" Davis says.

Setting financial goals can put you on the path toward healthier habits. Your goals can revolve around specific dollar amounts, such as becoming debt-free or saving three months' worth of expenses in an emergency fund, Davis says. Or, the goal might be about changing your money mindset, such as becoming more thoughtful about your spending or getting comfortable discussing money with others.

Create a plan that supports your vision of financial health. Say you want to boost your emergency savings or make credit card payments on time. Automating those transactions can help. You can transfer a specific amount from your checking account to savings each month or set up minimum credit card payments through your issuer's website.

Coambs suggests checking in on your finances once a month or every couple of months. Review your budget and behavior to determine whether you're on track to reach your goals.

3. Lean on resources

Breaking financial habits can be challenging. But you don't have to do it on your own. There are people and activities you can turn to, "whether it's journaling or having a conversation with your partner or some other mode of helping yourself feel safe again around the topic of money," Coambs says.

There are also many professionals who can offer guidance. A financial therapist, for example, can help you unpack your money relationships.

"All of us have a money history. And if your money history is one where there's a lot of emotional pain and chaos connected with money, then oftentimes those issues in your past need to be treated much like any other type of trauma," Coambs says.

You may also choose to work with a financial planner or seek free advice on managing your budget, credit or debt from a nonprofit credit counseling agency.

Along your journey to improving your financial habits, learn to advocate for yourself, Davis says. "What that can do is reduce or eliminate shame, about going to get help wherever you might need it. If that means public benefits, if that means family and friends, whatever that means to you," she says.

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SIOUX CITY -- In his first re-election campaign, Iowa 4th Congressional District Rep. Randy Feenstra will face challenges from a first-time Democratic candidate and a Libertarian candidate.

Ryan Melton, a Nevada Democrat, said he filed his nomination papers with the Iowa Secretary of State's Office on Friday, the deadline for state and federal candidates to qualify for the June 7 primary ballot. Bryan Jack Holder of Council Bluffs also submitted paperwork by the deadline to have his name placed on the Nov. 8 general election ballot as a Libertarian candidate. A spokesman for the Secretary of State's office said signatures submitted by both Melton and Holder will be reviewed on Monday.

Feenstra, a former state senator from Hull, won his first U.S. House term in 2020 in a landslide against Sioux City Democrat J.D. Scholten in the staunchly Republican district. Feenstra advanced after beating longtime incumbent Steve King in a crowded GOP primary. Scholten, who narrowly lost to King in the 4th District race in 2018, is running this year for a state House District seat.

Melton, an Iowa State University graduate, works at Nationwide in Des Moines.

Holder ran as a Libertarian candidate in 2020 in Iowa's 3rd congressional district, finishing with 3.4 percent of the vote in a race in which Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne narrowly defeated Republican David Young.

As the result of redistricting last fall, the largely rural 4th District, which has been losing population, increased in size but remains the most Republican of Iowa's four congressional districts. The sprawling 4th district now covers 36 counties in western and north central Iowa, stretching from Sioux City east to Marshalltown and from the Minnesota border south to the Missouri border.

With Melton's official entrance into the race, all four members of Iowa's congressional delegation face challengers this year.

Two Sioux Cityans are running for the U.S. Senate seat held by seven-term Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Grassley, 88, faces a primary challenge from Jim Carlin, who opted not to run for re-election to his state Senate district that includes parts of Sioux City. Mike Franken, a retired three-star U.S. Navy admiral who moved back to his hometown of Sioux City, is seeking the Democratic nomination against two other challengers, Abby Finkenauer and Glenn Hurst. Finkenauer, a former one-term eastern Iowa congresswoman from Cedar Rapids, is generally the Democratic establishment favorite.

Like the congressional candidates, all state House and Senate candidates in Iowa are running in new districts this year due to redistricting that reflected population changes in the 2020 census.

In Sioux City, there will be a contest for a state Senate seat and one of the state House seats.

Scholten officially filed his paperwork Friday for the new House District 1, which takes in parts of Sioux City's west and north sides. No Republican filed for the seat by the deadline Friday. House District 1 is similar to the current district represented by Democratic Rep. Chris Hall, who decided not to seek another term after more than a decade in office.

State Sen. Jackie Smith, D-Sioux City, faces a challenge in the new Senate District 1 from Lawton Republican Rocky De Witt, who currently serves on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors. In the new House District 2, it will be a rematch between Democratic Rep. Steve Hansen of Sioux City and Republican Bob Henderson of Sioux City.

GOP primaries

In eight heavily Republican legislative districts, no Democrats filed by Friday's deadline. The respective parties have the option of calling a special convention to nominate a candidate for the Nov. 8 general election ballot. That deadline is Aug. 24.

Three GOP incumbents, Sen. Dave Rowley of Spirit Lake, Rep. Skyler Wheeler of Orange City and Dennis Bush of Cherokee, face primary challenges.

Kendal Zylstra, a Larchwood Republican, is challenging Wheeler in the newly-drawn House District 4, which includes the cities of Sioux Center, Hull and Rock Rapids. Wheeler initially planned to run in the new House District 3, but later announced he would move to Sioux Center to avoid a potential primary with Rep. Tom Jeneary, R-Le Mars.

In House District 5, Bush will square off in a GOP primary with Zachary Dieken of Granville and Thomas Kuiper of Sibley. The newly-drawn district takes in all of O'Brien and Osceola counties and parts of Buena Vista and Cherokee counties, including the city of Cherokee.

Republican Sen. Dave Rowley of Spirit Lake, who won a special election in December over Democrat Mark Lemke to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Sen. Zach Whiting, will face a challenge in the GOP primary in the newly-drawn Senate District 5 from Emmetsburg Republican Dave Dow. Senate District 5 includes Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto and Winnebago counties and part of Clay County.

A new senator will be elected in Senate District 3, which includes all of the counties of Buena Vista, O'Brien and Osceola as well as parts of Cherokee and Clay counties. Aurelia Republican Lynn Evans will face Storm Lake Republican Anthony LaBruna in the June primary.

In the new House District 13, a first-time Republican candidate also will be elected. Ken Carlson of Onawa and Mark Peters of Cleghorn will compete in the June GOP primary.

Below are the candidates for state legislative seats in Northwest Iowa by Friday's filing deadline, according to the Secretary of State's website.

Senate District 1: Incumbent Jackie Smith, Democrat, Sioux City; Rocky DeWitt, Republican, Lawton

Senate District 3: Lynn Evans, Republican, Aurelia; Anthony LaBruna, Republican, Storm Lake

Senate District 4: Incumbent Tim Kraayenbrink, Republican, Fort Dodge

Senate District 5: Incumbent Dave Rowley, Republican, Spirit Lake; Dave Dow, Republican, Emmetsburg

Senate District 6: Incumbent Jason Schultz, Republican, Schleswig

Senate District 7: Kevin Alons, Republican, Salix

House District 1: J.D. Scholten, Democrat, Sioux City

House District 2: Incumbent Steve Hansen, Democrat, Sioux City; Bob Henderson, Republican, Sioux City

House District 3: Incumbent Tom Jeneary, Republican, Le Mars

House District 4: Incumbent Skylar Wheeler, Republican, Orange City; Kendal Zylstra, Republican, Larchwood

House District 5: Incumbent Dennis Bush, Republican, Cherokee; Zachary Dieken, Republican, Granville, Thomas Kuiper, Republican, Sibley

House District 6: Incumbent Megan Jones, Republican, Sioux Rapids; James Eliason, Democrat, Storm Lake

House District 7: Incumbent Mike Sexton, Republican, Rockwell City

House District 10: Incumbent John Wills, Republican, Spirit Lake

House District 12: Incumbent Steve Holt, Republican, Denison

House District 13: Ken Carlson, Republican, Onawa; Mark Peters, Republican, Cleghorn

House District 14: Incumbent Jacob Bossman, Republican, Sioux City

Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter @TwoHeadedBoy98.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Friday, with both sides agreeing to promote Belt and Road cooperation.

The two sides should engage in high-quality joint Belt and Road construction, speed up the construction of major projects such as highways, airports and special economic zones, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as finance and digital economy, Xi said.

Xi noted that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-Cambodia relations have withstood tests and grown even more unbreakable.

Facing major global changes and the pandemic, both unseen in a century, China and Cambodia have firmly promoted the building of a community with a shared future, setting an example of forging a new type of international relations, he said.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the China-Cambodia free trade agreement should be fully tapped to push bilateral trade to a new level, Xi said.

The Chinese side will import more high-quality agricultural products from Cambodia, carry out more cooperation with Cambodia to improve people's welfare, and implement such projects related to roads and education in rural areas, so as to help develop agriculture in Cambodia and lift farmers out of poverty, he noted.

China will continue to support Cambodia in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and explore new models of people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Cambodia against the backdrop of the pandemic.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the regional cooperation architecture, and supports the bloc in playing a bigger role in regional and international affairs.

China also supports Cambodia in carrying out its duty as the rotating president of ASEAN this year, Xi said, adding that China stands ready to work with Cambodia and other ASEAN countries to push for the continuous development of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership.

Hun Sen sincerely congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the successful convening of the "two sessions."

The prime minister said he believes that under the strong leadership of President Xi, China will make more great achievements.

The rapid growth of Cambodia-China bilateral trade and smooth progress of major projects under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road have demonstrated the achievements of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, Hun Sen said, adding that it shows Cambodia and China are true ironclad brothers.

Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and firmly supports China's position on issues related to Taiwan and Xinjiang, he noted.

The Cambodian side is ready to take the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges and other fields, and advance the Belt and Road cooperation, so as to lift the Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

Hun Sen thanked China for providing material supplies, vaccines and other assistance to Cambodia in its fight against COVID-19, expressing his hope for stronger anti-pandemic cooperation.

As the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, Cambodia will continue to actively promote the development of ASEAN-China relations, he added.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. The two sides agree to uphold a balanced and fair position and make positive efforts to promote peace talks.


The investigation into South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is in the hands of a House select committee weighing the evidence to determine whether articles of impeachment are recommended. The committee is expected to make its report when the Legislature convenes for Veto Day later this month, with the House then scheduled to meet on April 12 to consider impeachment.

At this point, the process needs time and patience.

What it doesnt need is external pressure applied by the governor and by others who may or may not be part of a coordinated campaign on this process.

Ravnsborg, a Cherokee, Iowa, native and graduate of the University of South Dakota, is under investigation for his actions in connection with a fatal 2020 accident that killed a pedestrian on a Hyde County highway. The details have been reported several times.

That includes last week when Department of Public Safety Secretary Craig Price sent a letter (that was also announced in a press release) to House Speaker Spencer Gosch on the eve of the House committees next meeting. The letter encouraged lawmakers to consider all the facts and evidence in the case while formulating a recommendation. The letter included some detailed information that, Price said, proved that Ravnsborg was unfit to serve as attorney general.

The timing of this letter, of course, was curious and clumsy.

Or, it was unfortunate, House Democratic leader Rep. Jamie Smith (D-Sioux Falls) said in response to the letter. It muddies the water.

This prompted the select committee on Thursday to send a cease and desist letter to the office of Gov. Kristi Noem for attempting to taint the information out there, Gosch said.

The letter does seem to be part of a pattern.

The governor started calling for the attorney generals resignation last winter, releasing videos from his interrogation that were eventually pulled because they could have potentially compromised Ravnsborgs ability to receive a fair trial. Other pressure has also been applied from what may or may not be unrelated sources. Several weeks ago, committee members received robocalls originating from Ohio demanding Ravnsborgs impeachment. The governors office denied any connection with the calls.

Prices letter materialized last week, and over the weekend, there were reports of digital billboards in Sioux Falls calling out House lawmakers by name in demanding Ravnsborgs impeachment. Dakota News Now and KELO of Sioux Falls have attributed the billboard to the Dakota Institute for Legislative Solutions, a Virginia-based group set up to generate support for Governor Noems agenda.

Its hard to see all this as independent or coincidentally timed.

But even if they arent somehow tied together as a coordinated effort to pressure lawmakers, they represent something intrusive and unwarranted in this process.

Its disgusting and its just a poor way to allow the process to run out, Gosch said last week in response to Prices letter, calling out Noems efforts to pressure the committee very calculated.

Many people have formed opinions on this situation, but it remains up to the House committee to weigh the evidence and to eventually recommend how to proceed. District 18 Reps. Ryan Cwach and Mike Stevens, who are both members of the committee, have said they are working their way through voluminous amounts of information in the process. This would suggest patience is needed while the due diligence is performed.

The committee must be allowed to finish its work and make its recommendation, and it must do so minus outside pressures.

The more such pressure that is applied in the Ravnsborg case, the less it becomes about the attorney general. And would be an unfortunate turn, veering more toward politics and power and away from justice.

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Kate Martin won't wow you with her statistical line most games, but the Iowa redshirt junior gives the Hawkeyes an edge with her grit and leadership.
The sight of a wounded pregnant woman being evacuated from the rubble of a hospital earlier this week is one of the war in Ukraines most horrifying images yet. But as singularly awful as it was, it also struck me as strangely familiarnot from life, but from art. The Ukrainian director Maryna Er Gorbachs film Klondike, which premiered at Sundance in January, climaxes with a scene thats eerily similar in retrospect. The movie is set largely in the bombed-out shell of a house occupied by a couple who are expecting their first child. She is heavily pregnant, and he is desperately trying to avoid being conscripted by the Russian separatists who want him to join the war in Donbass. The womans perspective dominates the film; she wishes that men would stop squabbling over territory so she can start a family in peace, but peace is not forthcoming. In the last scene, her husband is marched off by the separatists, while she delivers her own child in the rubble that was once their home, her birthing throes unheeded as the soldiers go about their business. In the end, she has to cut the umbilical cord with her teeth.

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It would be going too far to call Klondike, which was the first Ukrainian movie ever to compete at Sundance, prophetic, since part of its underlying point is that in a place like Eastern Ukraine, history never stops repeating itself. The movie is set in a specific time and place: July 17, 2014, to be exact, the day a Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down by a Russian separatist missile, killing all 298 people on board. But between the couples need to protect their own livesit was also separatist fire that accidentally destroyed their houseand the difficulty of getting a straight answer about anything from anyone, that global tragedy initially registers as a distant event. It is simply oily smoke on the horizon, flatbed trucks rumbling by carrying rocket launchers and twisted pieces of fuselage.

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In the documentary A House Made of Splinters, which also played during Sundance, history repeats on the familial level. Simon Lereng Wilmont, the director of 2017s The Distant Barking of Dogs, returned to Eastern Ukraine for this portrait of a home for children who have been separated from their parents by the courts. During their stays, which are limited to nine months at a time, some receive visits from parents desperate to regain custody, while others use the communal cell phone trying to contact them in vain. More than one child registers the disappointment of hearing their alcoholic parent is drunk again with a mixture of disappointment and familiarity that is devastating to watch. Theres no mention of the countrys recent history in the movie, but the landscape feels the same as Klondikes: barren, bombed-out, full of people who endure because they must.

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The movies of Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Losnitza engage with that history directly, often by excavating and repurposing filmic evidence of the past. The war in Ukraine has brought a small surge of interest in his work: two documentaries, Mr. Landsbergis and Babi Yar. Context, screen as part of the Museum of the Moving Images First Look festival in Queens this weekend; the latter will open at New Yorks Film Forum on April 1, and the belated U.S. premiere of his 2018 fiction film Donbass will follow on April 8. Mr. Landsbergis, a massive four-hour chronicle of Lithuanias battle for independence from the crumbling Soviet Union, focuses on the former music professor who became the first head of the countrys new parliament. What resonates most strongly in the present moment is the footage of Soviet troops brutally repressing protests in Vilnius in January of 1991, driving tanks into crowds and ultimately killing 14 people.

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Babi Yar, named for the site where over 30,000 Jews were massacred during the Nazi occupation of Kyiv, occupies a trickier place, since Putin has used the lie of denazification as one of his justifications for the invasion of Ukraine. But the movie also includes footage of the Soviets turning the site into a lagoon of industrial waste in the 1950s, literally burying the countrys past, and eventually erects a monument that honors the Soviet people who perished with no mention that they were Jews. (According to Loznitsa, any attempt at even pointing out that fact in the Soviet era would have gotten you branded a Zionist.) Theres no better illustration of the delicate place an artist walks in a time of war than the fact that Loznitsa quit the European Film Academy last month, in protest against its tepid response to the Russian invasion. He was also expelled from the Ukrainian Film Academy just yesterday for failing to support its calls for a total boycott of movies by Russian filmmakers.

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Two such movies screened at the True/False Film Festival earlier this month, alongside Loznitsas Mr. Landsbergis. When the Belorussian director Ruslan Fedotow took the stage to introduce Where Are We Headed, which was shot entirely in Moscows underground subway stations, he seemed physically shaken as he assured the audience that neither he nor his friends had voted for our current dictator, and just want this war to end. After the screening, he seemed further rattled by his own movie. Its footage of Russians listening to Putins New Years address en masse or marching to commemorate Remembrance Day, dedicated to the dead of World War II, now carry an extra undercurrent of menace. The title question has been answered, and its not the answer Fedotow and his friends wanted.

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An un-renovated section of the plant is briefly converted into an exhibition space for a single Kandinsky painting, watched over by a beefy security guard that looks like a Russian Channing Tatum.

GES-2, directed by Where Are We Headed producer Nastia Korkia, opened with a title card signed by Russian filmmakers protesting the war. The movie, which follows the project to turn an abandoned Moscow power plant into a cultural center, feels like the countrys attempts to modernize in miniature; the opening scene, set in a swanky shopping mall, recalled the more recent footage of upscale Moscow boutiques with their shelves stripped bare as European companies pulled their wares. The movies highlight is an extended deadpan sequence in which an un-renovated section of the plant is briefly converted into an exhibition space for a single Kandinsky painting, watched over by a beefy security guard that looks like a Russian Channing Tatum. Using fixed camera angles vaguely reminiscent of a Jackass gag, the film focuses on art-lovers entering the room in small groups and becoming instantly transfixednot by the canvas on display, but by the guards rippling muscles and tight shirt. Its deeply hilarious, but of course theres the nagging reminder that neither the guard nor his goggle-eyed patrons signed their own reassuring statements; its like looking back at old family photos and remembering how each person in them voted in the last election.

Unlike other venues that have pulled Russian products ranging from films to mustard, True/False kept the movies in the lineup, issuing a statement pointing out that they were not subsidized by Russian oligarchs or the government. That gave Korkia and Fedotow a platform to condemn the war, and to show American audiences the faces of a country we understand so little, we cant even figure out what to boycott. But Loznitsa canceled his plans to attend, and so his movie had to speak for itself.
If you follow certain people on Instagram and TikTokparenting influencers, brands trying to sell things to parentsyou may have recently noticed your feed overtaken by adorable videos of babies and toddlers, set to a little lecture on the importance of the early years, in the voice of a man who sounds a little bit like Kermit the Frog. For the uninitiated:

You have little kids for four years. And if you miss it, its done. Thats it. So, you gotta know that. Its, you know, lots of things in life, you dont get to do more than once. Now, obviously you can have more than one child, but all Im saying is, that period between 0 and 4, 0 and 5, theres something about it thats really, its like a peak experience in life. It isnt much of your life. You might think of it as a long time. But its not that long. Four years goes by so fast, you cant believe it. And if you miss it, its gone. So you miss it at your peril, and you dont get it back.

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Many influencers, to judge by their videos, seem to see in this clip an unobjectionable bit of sentimenta cliche, stated in a slightly novel way, about savoring the moment. Others are posting about being turned to anxious dust by the pressure it imposes (peak experience? With little kids? In a pandemic?).

My verdict: Put the clip in a museum, as its a classic artifact of online parenting discourse in America in 2022a thin skin of sentimentality and nostalgia, covering a thick, burbling layer of exhaustion and resentment, all floating over a vast sea of hidden assumptions. Let me explain.

Like so much short-form flotsam, the audio clip proliferates without an obvious credit, or source. This one isnt from a movie or a song, as are many viral sounds on TikTok; the Muppet voice isnt an actor or a comedian (per se). But I recognized the narration right away. The speaker is Canadian psychologist, intellectual dark web superstar, and former eater of lots of meat Jordan Peterson. The origin of the clip is a Nov. 1, 2017, episode of The Rubin Reporta YouTube talk showrecorded at the beginning of Petersons fame arc, a few months before he released the book 12 Rules for Life, which went on to sell millions of copies. Connecting the ideas in that clip to Petersons larger canon gives them a firmly unsettling edge.

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On The Rubin Report, a female viewer with kids who identifies herself as being 33 and living in expensive Southern California asks Peterson, What is your advice on how to balance having a parent at home with our children, versus pursuing dual incomes? Peterson stresses the message that no matter how many sacrifices you have to make, you should put time with your kids first, because your kids are only little once. This is the reason the clip seems to have triggered a meltdown among some on Instagram, even if they didnt make the connection to Petersons other work. (A response video from the account @feedinglittles urges 1.5 million followers not to let the audio trigger too much anxiety: You cant be 100 percent there.  Its hard when youre in it.) To be completely fair, I must mention that after this clip ends, Peterson tempers his message with a plea for the question asker not to feel guiltybut that part is not whats in your Reels.

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This somewhat mild back-and-forth takes on new meaning when you look at other parenting advice Peterson was promoting around the time the audio in the clip was created. Petersons chapter on child-rearing in 12 Rules for Life includes some rather upsetting ideas about kids, and lining it up against the sentiments expressed in the TikToks and Reels is an odd exercise. The chapter is called Dont Let Your Children Do Anything That Would Make You Dislike Themone of his titular rules. Thats fine, in some ways. Other schools of parenting thought, like RIE, also stress the idea that parents should consider their own needs, and set certain expectations for their children in order for those needs to be met. But the advice is, as with a lot of Petersons work, about discipline, hierarchy, and power. He calls for parents to actively shape a child so they are prepared to join the social world; to do otherwise as a parent is avoiding the responsibility out of fear of conflict. He writes, You can discipline your children, or you can turn that responsibility over to the harsh, uncaring judgmental worldand the motivation for the latter decision should never be confused with love.

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So far, fine enough. But what is the discipline he advocates? He definitely, definitely believes in physical punishment, which to him is just common sense. He argues that children canand shouldbe trained, much like dogs. He tells stories about his and his wifes own impeccable parenting: He force-fed his son, who wasnt eating very much, by poking him on the chest until he opened his mouth, then pushing the spoon inside! He got a friends kid to lie down and go to sleep by using a stern tone and refusing to just give up! He fantasizes about taking one kid who is bothering his daughter at a playground and yeeting him 30 feet off the monkey bars! (He doesnt do that last thing, in real life.) He definitely does not believe in the Rousseauian idea, common in peaceful and gentle parenting circles, that children have an inherent goodness to them and should be trusted to want to behave if the circumstances are right. Lord of the Flies is a classic for a reason, he writes.

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Here is what Peterson has to say in the book about those peak experience four years you cannot get back: If a child has not been taught to behave properly by the age of four, it will forever be difficult for him or her to make friends. He advances this very forbidding and stressful idea as part of an argument about how important it is to make your child likable. This matters, because peers are the primary source of socialization after the age of four. Rejected children cease to develop, because they are alienated from their peers. They fall further and further behind, as the other children continue to progress.

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The stakes of what happens in these first few years are high, Peterson thinks. Parents who miss the four-year window are not merely doing so at their own peril, as the clip would have it. They have truly done their kids an injustice: Children are damaged when those charged with their care, afraid of any conflict or upset, no longer dare to correct them, and leave them without guidance.  I can recognize such children on the street. They are doughy and unfocused and vague. They are leaden and dull instead of golden and bright. They are uncarved blocks, trapped in a perpetual state of waiting-to-be. Talk about guilt! I dont want to make a dough baby!

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A top-level summary of the Peterson argument is that there are two types of parents: the bad and mushy ones, who allow kids to do everything, and the Peterson-type ones, who distrust their children and override their little-kid instincts by force-feeding and flicking them smartly on their hands with a thumb-cocked finger, all for their own good. (Is it a coincidence Peterson also thinks that chaos is feminine energy, while order is masculine?) If you believe this about social development in early childhood, you might certainly also believe that women who work outside the home (or remotely in another room) are to blame for their childrens failures. If you cant be there to poke and flick, when it countsthat is your bad.

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The Jordan Peterson clip was so wildly shared because it tapped into an ever-present well of maternal nostalgia (and also a certain valid sense that caregivers of the youngest children dont get enough credit for what they do). But this plea to live in the moment, which has such appeal to American culture, has a dark side. Parents are already trying to perform daily miracles, being there as much as possible for their kids, while the rest of the world clamors for their presence. The idea that they need to be toldagainto be present, is absurd. The clip also ignores two bigger truths about parenthood: Your kid is still your kid past age 5. And everyone, truly, is doing their best.
Don Young, the blunt-speaking lawmaker who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1973 and later became its longest-serving Republican, died Friday in Seattle while traveling home to Alaska. At 88, he was the oldest member of the House. Rep. Young, was reelected to a 25th term in November with around 55 percent of the vote.

Young reportedly lost consciousness while on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle and couldnt be resuscitated. Its with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young (R-AK), the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved. His beloved wife Anne was by his side, his spokesperson, Zach Brown, said in a statement.

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Young was known for not mincing words and in his later years in office his gaffes and controversial remarks often overshadowed his work as a legislator. But he represented Alaska as the states sole representative in the House for so long that he was often referred to as the states third senator. Although he was born in California, where he grew up on a family farm, he moved to Alaska in 1959, the same year Alaska became a state. I cant stand heat, and I was working on a ranch and I used to dream of some place cold, and no snakes and no poison oak, Young said in 2016.

In 2019, during his 24th term, Young became the longest-serving Republican in the history of the House of Representatives when he surpassed former speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon of Illinois. Although Young helped direct billions of dollars to his state during his tenure, by that time he had already lost much of his political power in part due to internal battles with Republican leaders amid corruption probes. Although he was investigated by the Justice Department several times, Young was never charged with wrongdoing.

Despite the scandals and inflammatory comments, Alaskans continued voting him into office and he rarely came close to losing. One marked exception was in 2008, when he won a GOP primary by a mere 304 votes. Young was already running for his 26th term and had fundraisers scheduled in Alaska next week. We have lost a giant who we loved dearly and who held Alaska in his heartalways, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said in a statement. Don was coming home to the place that he loved, and to the people that loved him best.
Welcome to this weeks edition of the Surge, the newsletter Vladimir Putin doesnt want you to read because  well, no particular reason. Just doesnt like it very much.





This week, Joe Manchins love of fossil fuels is once again affecting major nominees and major legislation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a skilled speech to Congress. A bill that would change time forever passed the Senate, maybe by accident? And it looks like next weeks Supreme Court hearings may go off the rails after all, hooray.





But first, lets neener-neener at Mo Brooks and his very sad attempts to join the United States Senate.
Almost one out of every four people who were living in Ukraine before Russia invaded have been displaced from their homes, according to United Nations estimates. Almost 6.5 million people have been displaced within Ukraine, according to estimates from the International Organization for Migration while almost 3.3 million have already fled the country of around 44 million people, according to UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency.

The numbers are only likely to increase considering 2.2 million people are actively considering leaving their current place of residence due to the invasion. But more than 12 million people are estimated to be stranded in affected areas or unable to leave. When added all together it means around half of the countrys total population has already been displaced or is stuck in areas affected by fighting. These latest figures come after the UNHCR had already said earlier this month the Russian invasion has led to Europes fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

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There are no reliable figures on civilian casualties following the invasion. The United Nations said Friday that at least 816 Ukrainian civilians, including 59 children, had died since the invasion began, although the organization admits the number is likely a huge underestimate. President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of targeting civilians trying to flee conflict areas through humanitarian corridors. He also accused Russian forces of committing war crimes by blocking humanitarian aid to cities under siege. This is a war crime, Zelensky said. Every Russian figure who gives such orders and every Russian soldier who carries out such orders will be identified. And will receive a compulsory one-way ticket to The Hague, to the city where the International Criminal Court is located.
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/boogaloo-boys-fight-russians-in-ukraine-1093994545.html

Boogaloo Boys Fight Russians in Ukraine

Boogaloo Boys Fight Russians in Ukraine

Bidens call with Xi, censorship of RT in the UK and Hunter Bidens Laptop Does Exist. 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

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Boogaloo Boys Fight Russians In Ukraine Bidens call with Xi, censorship of RT in the UK and Hunter Bidens Laptop Does Exist.

At the top of the show, KJ Noh, is a scholar, educator, and journalist focusing on the political economy and geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific. Noh is a member of Veterans for Peace joins the show to talk about BIdens call with Chinese Xi today. They talk about how Biden is expected to ask Xi to use his influence to press Russia to end the war. The White House on the other hand is flooding Ukraine with large and small arms which are sure to prolong the conflict. Part of this message will certainly be to press China not to provide Russia with military aid.Next, Dan Kovalik, labor attorney, human rights activist and author. His latest book is called Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture joins the conversation. Kovalik and the Misfits talk about a judge in Scotland last year who made a very bold statement that was just made public yesterday. The judge refused to extradite a British prisoner to the state of Texas solely because of poor prison conditions which constituted an international violation of human rights. The case began when a Scottish national, Daniel McGee, shot a security guard in Austin and fled to Scotland. He was quickly caught and held pending extradition. But that wont happen now.Then, Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net joins the conversation to talk about the Justice Department admitting to a federal judge that it had lost one of the January 6 defendants in jail. He somehow got lost in the system and because he was denied his day in court the feds must drop the charges against him. The prosecutor argued that they should be allowed to refile the charges. Attorneys ended up getting the defendant to plead guilty to assaulting a police officer as quickly as possible before the government could add different charges. And, they talk about the NYT report that Hunter Bidens laptop does in fact exist.For the last segment, Ford Fischer a primary source documentarian work in Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe winning films and Editor-in-chief, News2Share joins the show to talk about Michael Dunn who is a member of the Boogaloo movement. Dunn has recently joined the militia in Ukraine to fight the Russians. Fischer explains why Dunn believes he should join the battle and what difference he thinks he can make.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.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/city-rebranding-wuhan-seeks-to-turn-into-new-centre-for-chinese-space-industry-1094008275.html

City Rebranding? Wuhan Seeks to Turn Into New Centre for Chinese Space Industry

City Rebranding? Wuhan Seeks to Turn Into New Centre for Chinese Space Industry

Since 2020 Wuhan has been known as the city where the COVID-19 pandemic formally started (even though the true place of the disease's origin remains unknown)... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T10:55+0000

2022-03-19T10:55+0000

2022-03-19T10:55+0000

china

wuhan

space

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Authorities in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China have announced plans to turn the city into the "valley of satellites" by encouraging the local production of space-related equipment  from satellites to spacecraft and rockets to send them into Earth's orbit. The city is ready to allocate some 100 billion yuan ($15.7 billion) by 2025 to incentivise the development of the industry, a government statement said.The incentives will include subsidies of up to 50 million yuan ($7.88 million) per space-related project, which will be given to those companies using local Wuhan products, equipment, software, and services in at least 30% of its operation. If this percentage is lower but exceeds 10%, a company will receive only 15 million yuan ($2.36 million) in funding.The proposed Wuhan government funding is more modest than that offered by other Chinese cities developing local space industries. The city of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, allocates some 300 million yuan ($47.2 million) to every local project in this field.The incentive programme proposed by the Wuhan government is part of a bigger plan by Beijing to promote China as a space power deploying domestically produced satellites to low and high orbits for various applications  from shipment tracking to providing high-speed internet access. Beijing is building several new spaceports for rocket launches, namely in the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, as well as the island province of Hainan.The attempt to turn Wuhan into the "valley of satellites" might also serve as a change of image for the city that became an informal symbol of the COVID-19 pandemic after the first cases of the disease were detected there. And while the true site of the origin of the coronavirus remains unknown, the city's name nonetheless remains associated with the virus.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine during a telephone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday.

The Russian president explained that the country's armed forces were doing everything possible to save civilian lives and open humanitarian corridors for the safe evacuation of the population, in response to concerns raised by the French leader.

The leaders also talked about the developments with regard to the ongoing peace negotiations, and discussed Russia's approach toward possible agreements.

The French leader expressed concern over the situation in Mariupol, and called for an immediate ceasefire, local media reported.


https://sputniknews.com/20220319/germany-unable-to-heat-homes-next-winter-without-russian-gas-supplies-minister-says-1094015693.html

Germany Unable to Heat Homes Next Winter Without Russian Gas Supplies, Minister Says

Germany Unable to Heat Homes Next Winter Without Russian Gas Supplies, Minister Says

BERLIN (Sputnik) - Germany cannot yet stop Russian gas supplies as it risks facing shortages that will not allow the country to support its industry and heat... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T16:30+0000

2022-03-19T16:30+0000

2022-03-20T04:07+0000

europe

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"This means that if we don't get more gas by next winter, and supplies from Russia are interrupted or disrupted, we won't have enough gas to heat our homes and support industry", Habeck said on air of Deutschlandfunk.He added that gas is used mainly at the beginning of the supply chain, so any disruptions may cause "a domino effect".Germany has announced its intention to diversify energy supply sources to get rid of the nation's so-called energy dependence on Russia amid the military operation in Ukraine. At the moment, Russia continues to supply coal, oil, and gas to Germany as contracted.Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on 24 February to support the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk after they called for help in defending themselves against aggression by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure.In response, the United States and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions against Russia, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many foreign companies have suspended their operations in Russia.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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europe, germany, gas, russia, heating
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/how-biden-undermined-worlds-trust-in-us-dollar-by-freezing-russian-central-banks-assets-1094015216.html

How Biden Undermined World's Trust in US Dollar by Freezing Russian Central Banks Assets

How Biden Undermined World's Trust in US Dollar by Freezing Russian Central Banks Assets

Washington freezing the Russian Central Banks dollar assets held in US financial institutions over Moscow's special operation in Ukraine could backfire on the... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T16:49+0000

2022-03-19T16:49+0000

2022-03-19T16:49+0000

us

world

opinion

saudi arabia

china

asia & pacific

russia

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us dollar

russian central bank

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"This move in the long-term will have disastrous consequences for Washington and the US Federal Reserve Bank", says Thomas W. Pauken II, a Beijing-based Asia-Pacific affairs commentator and author of US vs. China: From Trade War to Reciprocal Deal. "Anytime a nation anticipates the US will rupture bilateral relations with them, the rival nations to the US will demand a withdrawal of their foreign currency and gold reserves from Wall Street banks. The nation making the request will spark a banking panic as bankers will know the other sovereign government is planning to hit the US with tough actions. But, if Wall Street bankers refuse to hand over the reserves to the proper owners, you could deem it an 'act of war'".Pauken does not rule out that many countries that dont trust the US "will start to slowly and quietly take out their reserves holdings from Wall Street banks". Consequently, US and European banks will see a trend of foreign nations stopping their business dealings with them and moving their cash back home or to Asian banks, such as in Singapore, according to the Beijing-based commentator.Russia's assets were frozen on 28 February, after Moscow invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter and launched the special operation to de-militarise and de-Nazify Ukraine on 24 February. On 11 March, US President Joe Biden signed an order banning the sale or delivery by any other means of dollar-denominated banknotes to Russia.The move accelerated the process of the de-dollarisation of the Russian economy that has been ongoing since 2014, when the US and its NATO partners went on a sanctions spree in response to Crimea's reunification with Russia.On 18 March, members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan, agreed on a phased transition to settlements in national currencies, according to the head of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov. Earlier, Russia started bilateral trade in national currencies with China, India, Turkey, and Iran. Moscow also diversified its Central Bank's reserves: by mid-2021, just 16.4% of Russia's national wealth was held in US dollars, according to Reuters.Washington Has Shot Itself in the FootAlthough Russia's de-dollarisation does not pose an immediate threat to the greenback's dominance, according to financial observers, the Biden administration's decision to freeze Russia's assets definitely does.According to Rowley, if central bank assets held in US dollars are no longer inviolate, then other countries could eventually be pushed into "dumping reserve dollars and cutting dollar reliance in trade, finance and banking".Another SCMP contributor, Neal Kimberley, a British financial expert and FOREX analyst, shares similar concerns.Kimberley warns that Beijing "itself might feel that further diversification of Chinas $3.2 trillion of foreign reserves would be appropriate".Saudi Arabia's Apparent Motive to Use Yuan in Oil TradeMeanwhile, the Wall Street Journal broke on 15 March that Saudi Arabia is apparently considering pricing some of its oil sales to China in yuan. The WSJ also reported about an upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, "citing people familiar with the plan". Both WSJ pieces are referring to the strained relations between Saudi Arabia and, in particular, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Biden administration.While The Hill notes that Riyadh used to threaten Washington with moving away from the US dollar in oil trade when US-Saudi relations became tense, Bloomberg suggests that this time Riyadh could have another motive.If Riyadh and Beijing decide to use the yuan in mutual oil trade, it's good news for them, deems Pauken."Both countries have little trust in the Biden administration", the Beijing-based commentator says. "They anticipate Washington will impose tough economic sanctions on them sooner or later, so they are taking the right steps to overcome the challenges that could await them. By settling energy trade in yuan, they can ignore US-led sanctions".Washington's move to freeze Russia's dollar assets is likely to trigger a domino effect with other nations diversifying the composition of their own reserves, writes Neal Kimberley in his SCMP op-ed. Eventually, this will result in "worldwide economic and financial change", he forecasts.

https://sputniknews.com/20210324/dumping-the-dollar-will-china-russia-turkey-and-iran-create-a-new-international-currency-1082437606.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/hunter-biden-reportedly-did-not-cut-ties-to-fund-involved-in-shady-deals-despite-claiming-otherwise-1094013287.html

Hunter Biden Reportedly Did Not Cut Ties to Fund Involved in Shady Deals Despite Claiming Otherwise

Hunter Biden Reportedly Did Not Cut Ties to Fund Involved in Shady Deals Despite Claiming Otherwise

The Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners fund, in which the US president's son was a co-investor, in 2015 engaged in dubious deals with a businessman, Hares... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T14:50+0000

2022-03-19T14:50+0000

2022-03-19T14:50+0000

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Hunter Biden retained his share in the Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners (RSTP) private fund at least until 2017 despite earlier claims of exiting it sometime before late 2015, Fox News reported, citing new emails obtained from a Treasury Department records leak. The digital correspondence contained multiple signs that the US president's son still owned a stake in RSTP in 2016 and 2017.This information contradicts claims made by Hunter's attorney, George Mesires, who in 2020 said that his client had exited RSTP at some point before late 2015. The attorney thus tried to establish distance between Hunter Biden and a controversial deal worth $3 million between "mbloom", the now-defunct technology startup co-owned by the fund, and a Ukrainian-Syrian businessman with alleged criminal ties in Russia - Hares Youssef.The emails, obtained by Fox, show Hunter's business partner Eric Schwerin in 2017 breaking down the structure of his investments for him. In the message, Schwerin names several RSTP sub-funds designated RSTP I, RSTP II Alpha and Bravo.An earlier email from 2016, cited by Fox, suggested that Hunter Biden owned RSTP indirectly via Owasco, LLC. In the same message, Schwerin gives a hint as to why the president's son could not actually sever his ties with RSTP, as his attorney had suggested he had done. Due to RSTP being a private investment company, it was hard to precisely estimate the value of Hunter's stake and there was a chance that its value was "negative" at that moment  making it difficult to sell.Hunter Biden is also mentioned as an "RSTP investor" in several emails sent in 2017 and as a person involved with the fund in another message from 2017, Fox reported. The then vice president of Rosemont Seneca Advisors also wrote to Hunter in March 2017 describing his ownership structure, including a 14.4% stake in RSTP and a 15.2% stake in its two sub-funds. Hunter kept his ownership of RSTP shares at least until the end of 2017, according to another letter by his then-tax accountant, Bill Morgan, obtained by the Fox.The emails cited by Fox News contradict claims by George Mesires about Biden cutting ties with RSTP before it engaged in the deals with Hares Youssef, which were flagged as "Suspicious Activity" by City National Bank in Los Angeles. The transactions were flagged due to reported ties between Youssef and Semion Mogilevich, who was in turn a suspected international arms trafficker.At the same time, the trove of uncovered emails did not provide any evidence indicating that Hunter took part in organising the deal worth $3 million with mbloom, Fox News noted.However, mbloom made payments to Devon Archer, a long-time business partner of Hunter Biden, financial records uncovered by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), suggested.Hunter Biden has faced scrutiny over his numerous and sometimes controversial business dealings, such as securing a spot in a Ukrainian gas company following the 2014 coup supported by then Obama-Biden administration, and a non-transparent deal with a Chinese business tycoon with suspected ties in the Communist Party. A lot of information about these deals was discovered on a laptop that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden and was purportedly forgotten by him at a repair shop. However, most mainstream US media outlets ignored the story when it first broke in 2020 in the New York Post.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/iran-reportedly-built-covert-financial-system-to-trade-with-foreign-countries-despite-us-sanctions-1094017549.html

Iran Reportedly Built Covert Financial System to Trade With Foreign Countries Despite US Sanctions

Iran Reportedly Built Covert Financial System to Trade With Foreign Countries Despite US Sanctions

The WSJ story about Iran's system to circumvent American sanctions casts a shadow on the prospects of the US and EU's recent sanctions succeeding in severing... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T19:38+0000

2022-03-19T19:38+0000

2022-03-19T19:38+0000

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Iran built a clandestine banking and finance system that allowed the country to continue trading with other countries using foreign currency even under the weight of the US sanctions re-introduced in 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing documents and accounts of anonymous Western diplomats and intelligence officials.The volumes of Iran's obscured trade might have reached "tens of billions of dollars" and effectively allowed the country to restore the economy tanked by the sanctions and practically return it to the levels before the economic measures against it were re-introduced.How the System WorkedWhile Iran never hid the fact that it had discovered a way to continue trading despite the American sanctions, it never revealed the scheme. The WSJ describes the system organised by the Islamic Republic as a combination of Iranian companies' proxies, accounts in foreign banks and internal transactions inside Iran itself recorded on a separate secret ledger.Iranian banks reportedly serve as bridges between sanctioned companies and the firms that can maintain some connections with the outside world. The latter create companies outside the Islamic Republic to act on behalf of the sanctioned Iranian firms, the newspaper's investigation and accounts of Western officials suggest. These proxies then engage in trade with foreign companies selling oil and Iranian commodities, the WSJ reported.A small portion of the proceeds from this trade is reportedly being smuggled into Iran in the form of currency which is used, among other things, to boost the exchange rate of Iran's rial, which also plummeted in 2018. However, the majority of the cash remains in foreign banks. These dollars, euros and other currencies are then used to buy imports for the Islamic republic. The sanctioned Iranian companies also trade this foreign-stashed currency with each other using ledgers that do not leave Iran.Clandestine Financial System to Stay Even if New Iran Deal is Signed?While the Iranian shadow trading and financial system shows the limits of the US sanctions campaign, it also has its downsides, the newspaper said. According to its sources, both in Western countries and in Iran, this system is inefficient and is susceptible to corruption.However, despite these drawbacks, Tehran is likely to leave it in place  even if it negotiates the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the US and the remaining signatories of the original 2015 nuclear accord, the WSJ sources said. The existing system will reportedly be kept in place as a safeguard in case the JCPOA parties decide to slap Iran with sanctions again, as well as to keep some of Tehran's transactions obscured.Moreover, even with the sanctions lifted, foreign companies are unlikely to be quick to return to the Iranian market, fearful of the remaining sanctions and accidently violating the US rules with regards to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Washington recognises as a terrorist organisation.With this secret economic vehicle in place, Iran's trade with foreign countries reached $80 billion a year in 2021, according to a senior Iranian politician, Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghaddam. The figure could grow to almost twice that level in 2022, the International Monetary Fund has estimated. Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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Russian MoD: Russian Troops Break Through Aidar Battalion Defenses in Donetsk Region

The Russian armed forces broke through the defenses of Ukraine's nationalist Aidar battalion in the Donetsk region, killing about 30 militants, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday.

"Units of the Russian armed forces crossed the Kashlagach River, broke through the defenses of the Aidar battalion and advanced five kilometers [3 miles], reaching the Shakhterskoe-Novoukrainka line. Killed up to 30 militants, destroyed one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle and four cross-country vehicles," Konashenkov told a briefing.

At the same time, the people's militia of the Donetsk Republic destroyed a unit of the 53rd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed, completely took control of the village of Taramchuk and is pursuing the retreating enemy, he noted. The troops of the Lugansk People's Republic, in turn, have reached the northern outskirts of the town of Lysychansk and are clearing out the scattered groups of nationalists, the spokesman added.

On Saturday, the Russian aviation destroyed 59 Ukrainian military facilities, an S-300 complex locator and five drones, including one Bayraktar, according to Konashenkov. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian troops have destroyed 201 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1443 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 147 multiple rocket launchers, 564 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 1248 special military vehicles, he said.
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/mccarthy-vows-to-axe-adam-schiff-from-house-intel-panel-over-lies-about-hunter-bidens-laptop--1094003598.html

McCarthy Vows to Axe Adam Schiff From House Intel Panel Over 'Lies' About Hunter Biden's Laptop

McCarthy Vows to Axe Adam Schiff From House Intel Panel Over 'Lies' About Hunter Biden's Laptop

Joe Biden's younger son has been in the media spotlight since the 2020 presidential campaign when a New York Post expose revealed that he reportedly benefitted from his father's position while conducting business deals in China and Ukraine. Both Bidens have dismissed the accusations.

2022-03-19T07:44+0000

2022-03-19T07:44+0000

2022-03-19T08:54+0000

us

hunter biden

joe biden

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new york times

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US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has blasted Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff for "lying" about and "politicising" the Hunter Biden laptop story.His statement comes as The New York Times confirmed the existence of the computer, citing people familiar with an ongoing investigation into Hunter. The individuals also authenticated emails and documents on the laptop. Following the NYT report, McCarthy accused his colleague of failing to fulfill his work responsibilities and threatened to remove Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee if the GOP takes back the majority from the Democrats in this year's midterm elections.The House minority leader then went on to criticise the statements Adam Schiff made regarding the Hunter Biden story. On 14 October 2020, less than a month before the 2020 presidential election, the New York Post published an expose on the second son of Joe Biden. The story was based on a trove of emails and documents it obtained from a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden.It said Hunter took his computer to an IT store in Delaware, but never returned to collect it. The owner of the store first alerted the FBI about the contents of the laptop.Several emails showed that Joe Biden was seemingly involved in the business dealings of his son in Ukraine during his tenure as vice president of the United States, something the New York Post maintained potentially constituted a conflict of interest. The documents also showed that the younger Biden reportedly used his family's name to benefit himself  he allegedly asked for money from Beijing, promising that his father would improve US policy on China.Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook prevented users from sharing the New York Post's expose amid its release. The story was branded fake news that could potentially influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential race. Both Bidens declined to comment on the issue.Adam Schiff and other prominent Democrats have called the article a Russian "smear". A group of 51 former senior intelligence officials wrote a public letter, saying that the laptop story has "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation" without providing any proof for their hypothesis.After the election, Hunter Biden said that the laptop could have "absolutely" belonged to him, but said he never took it to an IT store and suggested the device was perhaps stolen or hacked by Russian intelligence.The president's younger son has since become a subject of investigation into his tax affairs. He is also being probed by the Justice Department about whether he potentially violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act while working with foreign companies. On Friday, the New York Post contacted the 51 former intelligence officials and asked them whether their stance on the Hunter Biden remains the same following the publication of The New York Times' story. Forty-four people declined to comment or didn't respond, two individuals couldn't be reached, and five people said their views on the issue have not changed.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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us, hunter biden, joe biden, ukraine, new york times, adam schiff
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/mysterious-dwarf-planet-ceres-may-have-originated-in-outer-regions-of-solar-system-study-says-1094011543.html

Mysterious Dwarf Planet Ceres May Have Originated in Outer Regions of Solar System, Study Says

Mysterious Dwarf Planet Ceres May Have Originated in Outer Regions of Solar System, Study Says

Named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility, Ceres is part of an asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. For a long time, scientists believed that Ceres was a desolate space rock.

2022-03-19T13:08+0000

2022-03-19T13:08+0000

2022-03-19T13:09+0000

science

astronomy

ceres

asteroid belt

solar system

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A group of international astrophysicists claims that the mysterious dwarf planet Ceres may have originated in the outer regions of the Solar System. According to their research paper, published on the preprint database Arxiv, Ceres stands out among the asteroids located near it because its surface contains a lot of ammonia, something asteroids tend to lack.Other details that distinguish the enigmatic celestial body from asteroids in the belt is a mixture of water ice and minerals bound with water such as clay and carbonates, as well as Ceres' mantle, which is rich in water. In addition to that, the dwarf planet has low density and albedo, something that is typical of C-type asteroids.However, they dont have as much water and clay, the scientists write. Moreover, Ceres doesnt look or act like an asteroid.The researchers have proposed a hypothesis that might solve this puzzle. They believe that Ceres formed on the cold edges of the Solar System, somewhere beyond Saturn, and that it during the reshuffling of the outer planets got planted in the asteroid belt. Other proposals include Ceres being formed in the asteroid belt, but in a very bizarre way that allowed it to maintain a lot of water and that over the course of billions of years, while a lot of ammonia floated in from the outer regions of the Solar System and landed on the surface of the dwarf planet.Earlier this year, a group of international scientists discovered evidence of carbon-based building blocks of life present on Ceres surface, which they say raises the chance that it once hosted or still has the potential to host life. The researchers used images captured by NASAs Dawn mission, which examined Ceres for three years.

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science, astronomy, ceres, asteroid belt, solar system
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/omicron-survives-longer-on-some-surfaces-than-other-strains-of-covid-19-new-study-shows-1094013059.html

Omicron Survives Longer on Some Surfaces Than Other Strains of COVID-19, New Study Shows

Omicron Survives Longer on Some Surfaces Than Other Strains of COVID-19, New Study Shows

The World Health Organisation designated Omicron a strain of concern due to its increased infectiousness compared to other variants of the disease, as well as its ability to evade vaccines. However, it is believed that it causes milder symptoms compared to its predecessors.

2022-03-19T14:13+0000

2022-03-19T14:13+0000

2022-03-19T14:13+0000

science

study

covid-19

strain

pandemic

coronavirus

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Scientists from Hong Kong and Japan have suggested that Omicron survives longer on some surfaces than other strains of COVID-19.According to the findings of their study, which was published last week, it stays more than three times as long (193 hours) on plastic compared to the original variant (56 hours), which is said to have originated in China, as well as other strains such as Beta and Delta that emerged in South Africa and India respectively.Omicron could still be detected on glass and stainless steel after seven days. While on skin it survived for about 21 hours (the original strain survived no longer than 8 hours).However, this is not the time to push the panic button, as scientists note that individuals get infected by inhaling the virus rather than touching contaminated surfaces. Leo Poon, a professor of public health at Hong Kong University, told CNN that things that are touched frequently  doorbells, buttons in elevators, and handrails are places that people should focus on cleaning.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/pot-and-kettle-former-uk-prime-ministers-demand-war-crimes-trial-for-putin-1094011004.html

Pot and Kettle: Former UK Prime Ministers Demand War Crimes Trial for Putin

Pot and Kettle: Former UK Prime Ministers Demand War Crimes Trial for Putin

Gordon Brown and John Major both played key roles in taking Britain into wars of aggression in Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan, where multiple war crimes... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T16:25+0000

2022-03-19T16:25+0000

2022-03-19T16:25+0000

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russia

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gordon brown

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Two former British prime ministers have demanded Russian President Vladimir Putin face a "Nuremberg"-style war crimes tribunal over the conflict in Ukraine.Both Gordon Brown and John Major are among some 140 high-profile signatories to a declaration calling for a "special international war crimes tribunal" to be set up to "arrest Putin and bring him to trial".Signatories include Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Benjamin Ferencz, a 102-year-old Hungarian-born jurist who was chief prosecutor for the US Army at one of the post-WWII trials of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg.In a column for Saturday's Daily Mail, Brown claimed "Such a tribunal would show we are serious and close off a loophole in international law that Putin could use to dodge justice"  although he did not explain how it could arrest the sitting head of state of a country which did not recognise its jurisdiction.A recent online petition demanded the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecute the Putin "regime" for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, "as well as Russias oligarchs and his enablers". But, like the US and Israel, Russia is not a party to the Rome statutes that recognise the authority of the ICC, a court that has famously only ever prosecuted African leaders.Over the past two weeks, the Ukrainian government has accused the Russian Air Force of bombing a maternity hospital and theatre in Mariupol, a city in Donetsk oblast occupied by the neo-Nazi Azov battalion of the Ukrainian territorial army, killing and injuring civilians. The Russian Ministry of Defence has insisted it carried out no strikes on the city on the days in question and accused Ukraine of staging "false flag" bombings as a provocation. It pointed to media reports from February that Azov militants had evicted patients and staff from the hospital and turned it into a military strongpoint.Brown drew a direct parallel with the Nuremberg tribunals, where Soviet military prosecutors led the charge against Hermann Goering and other surviving Nazi leaders."From Britain  which rightly prides itself on democracy and the rule of law  the message must go out. At Nuremberg we held the Nazi war criminals to account", Brown wrote, skipping over Russia's role in de-Nazifying Europe. "Eight decades on, we must ensure there will be a day of reckoning for Putin".Before becoming PM in 2007, Brown served as chancellor and effective number two to his predecessor Tony Blair from 1997 onwards. He budgeted funds for Britain's participation in three unprovoked military offensives: the 1999 bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, and the invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.Major was prime minister during Britain's participation the 1991 Gulf War. During that conflict, a US-led coalition air raid targeted the Amiriyah civilian bomb shelter in Baghdad, killing 1,500 civilians, mostly women and children. The coalition forces also left Iraq strewn with toxic depleted uranium munitions.Neither former PM has ever been charged with or even investigated for war crimes.

https://sputniknews.com/20220318/west-turns-blind-eye-to-rocket-attack-by-kiev-in-donetsk-thus-ignoring-war-crimes-putin-told-scholz-1093983007.html

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uk, russia, ukraine, gordon brown
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/premier-indian-college-on-alert-as-infectious-anthrax-detected-in-deer-carcass-1094008682.html

Premier Indian College on Alert as Infectious Anthrax Detected in Deer Carcass

Premier Indian College on Alert as Infectious Anthrax Detected in Deer Carcass

Anthrax is a severe infectious disease that commonly affects animals. Although it is not widespread, humans may get infected if they come into contact with... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T13:31+0000

2022-03-19T13:31+0000

2022-03-19T13:31+0000

india

india

tamil nadu

deer

deer

zombie deer disease

elephant

elephant

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India's premier institute, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT), has confirmed the presence of a highly infectious disease  anthrax  in a deer carcass.In a statement issued Friday, IIT-Madras said at least four deer had been found dead on campus in the past two days. The presence of anthrax was detected in one of the carcasses, while the other three samples remain inconclusive.According to the National Health Portal, anthrax is an infectious zoonotic disease, which means that it can spread from animals to humans."The area where the carcass was found has been sanitised and cordoned off. We are going by the advice of the Wildlife Warden with regard to safety measures on campus", a statement issued by IIT-Madras reads.The institute informed that the carcasses had been buried as per standard operating procedures. So far, the source of the anthrax is still not known. IIT-Madras also urged its staff, students, and others not to go near or touch stray dogs on campus, as they could be the carrier of the deadly virus.The 2.5-square-kilometre campus area is home to about 200 deer.A high alert has since been issued in Guindy National Park, Tamil Nadu, which shares a boundary with IIT-Madras. Zookeepers have been instructed not to touch food or animals unnecessarily without protective gear.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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Ukraine's positions at the peace talks with Russia remain unchanged, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday.

"Our positions remain unchanged: a ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops and strict security guarantees with specific formulas," Podolyak, who is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, tweeted.

The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link.

On Wednesday, Podolyak said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days.


https://sputniknews.com/20220319/queen-elizabeth-may-spend-much-more-time-at-her-scottish-highlands-retreat---report-1094005968.html

Queen Elizabeth May Spend 'Much More' Time at Her Scottish Highlands Retreat - Report

Queen Elizabeth May Spend 'Much More' Time at Her Scottish Highlands Retreat - Report

The Queen's health has been on the decline over the past few months, amid reports that the British monarch is struggling with mobility. Royal biographer Penny... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T09:30+0000

2022-03-19T09:30+0000

2022-03-19T09:30+0000

uk

scotland

estate

queen elizabeth ii

security

lift

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UK Queen Elizabeth II, who marked her 70th year on the throne last month, may pay more frequent visits to her Scottish Highlands retreat at Craigowan Lodge, on the Balmoral estate, The Sun has cited unnamed Balmoral sources as saying."With the proper lift and now this new security, it can effectively be sealed off so she can spend much more time there quietly in her late nineties", the insider added.The source was referring to the cottage already being fit with a "wheelchair-friendly" lift worth 20,000 ($26,361), plus a new security gate, a sophisticated intercom system, and a number of CCTV cameras that are due to be installed at Craigowan Lodge in the immediate future."The idea of making it easier for her so she can spend more time there in the future is a great idea. It's a big, big house. The security makes it very safe. It makes perfect sense. It's a home she has always enjoyed and it gives her a bit of independence", Seward noted.Royal biographer Penny Junor, for her part, was not that optimistic, asserting that even though the Queen "does love Scotland", she will unlikely use the Highlands cottage "year round".This comes amid reports that the 95-year-old Queen has been struggling with disability, needs a walking stick, and is unable to walk her favourite corgis. At the same time, the Daily Mail recently reported that the Queen rejected using a wheelchair, following reports that she is making a "good recovery" from COVID-19, after having tested positive for the coronavirus on 20 February.As for Craigowan Lodge, the monarch typically stays there twice a year, every April, and for two weeks in the summer, according to The Sun.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/south-carolina-reinstates-death-penalty-by-firing-squad-1094016189.html

South Carolina Reinstates Death Penalty by Firing Squad

South Carolina Reinstates Death Penalty by Firing Squad

The state has executed some 43 convicts since 1985, but could not kill any of the 35 inmates on death row in the past 11 years due to the refusal of... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T17:27+0000

2022-03-19T17:27+0000

2022-03-19T17:27+0000

us

death penalty

human rights

south carolina

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South Carolina has introduced a second option for convicts facing capital punishment and now allows them to choose between a firing squad as an execution method and the electric chair. The decision came as the state's Department of Corrections reported finishing the construction of a special death chamber for this method of execution.The room, built at one of the correction facilities in the state's capital of Columbia, hosts a metal chair with restraints where the inmate is seated during the process. Three shooters are placed behind a special wall with three rectangular openings for guns. The room also has a viewers' chamber, if someone decides to witness the grim procedure, protected by bullet-proof glass.Just as in the case with electric chairs, convicts will have the chance to make a final statement and be given a hood to cover their face.South Carolina is the fourth US state to allow firing squad executions along with Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Utah. At the same time, most modern firing squad executions have taken place in Utah  three out of a total of four since 1976.The majority of the 43 people executed in South Carolina since 1985 have been killed by lethal injection, but the last person to die from it dates back to 2011. By 2013, all drugs for the injection had expired, with pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell new ones, thereby effectively stopping executions in the state. There are 35 inmates on death row right now. In 2019, state authorities first suggested returning electric chair and firing squad executions in the absence of the possibility to use lethal injections.South Carolina is also known for issuing a death sentence to the youngest American in the 20th century, George Stinney. The 14-year-old African-American was executed in the electric chair on 16 June 1944 after being convicted of killing two girls aged 7 and 11. Decades later, in 2014, a state court ruled that Stinney did not have a fair trial at the time and cleared his name post-mortem.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/space-conference-erases-name-of-yuri-gagarin-from-event-claiming-to-celebrate-human-achievements-1093999358.html

Space Conference Erases Name of Yuri Gagarin From Event Claiming to 'Celebrate Human Achievements'

Space Conference Erases Name of Yuri Gagarin From Event Claiming to 'Celebrate Human Achievements'

Western states have enacted sanctions on Russia since it launched a special operation in Ukraine, and they have not been confined to only financial and trade... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T01:56+0000

2022-03-19T01:56+0000

2022-03-19T08:16+0000

us

yuri gagarin

cancel culture

culture

ukrainian crisis

russian cosmonaut

ussr

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The Space Foundation, an American non-profit organisation founded in 1983, has renamed its Yuri's Night fundraiser, named in honour of the first man to travel into space, celebrated Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, "in light of current world events".The message was later deleted, but the official name of the event was changed to "A Celebration of Space: Discover What's Next".The Space Symposium takes place every spring at the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs (USA). This year the event, which includes various seminars, lectures, forums, auctions, and other activities, is expected to take place from 4 to 7 April.So far, only one Yuri's Night event has been renamed. The event usually takes place every year in hundreds of locations all around the world. It's yet unknown how many of these events will take place this year and whether any of them will change their name in addition to the one that hosts the Space Symposium.The decision has shocked not only people from the space industry, but also ordinary users, who have called the action "really dumb".The NASA Watch account on Twitter called it a "bad idea", with users commenting that it's "too bad the @SpaceFoundation's racial and ethnic biases lead it to deny the story"."I wonder how this idea would poll among humans who have seen the Earth from orbit", another noted.Aside from the Space Foundation event, controversy over the "cancellation" of Yuri Gagarin also erupted in Luxemburg's Mondorf-les-Bains, where a monument to him was covered up with fabric. According to the city's mayor, he was contacted by a group of people who demanded the removal of the bust. He justified the decision to hide the monument so as to "end the discussions and protect the bust from potential vandalism".The mayor also said that there is "little use" in removing the memorial and it would not happen in the future. He noted that "it is clear that the invasion cannot be supported, but that Yuri Gagarin is surely not to blame for it, nor is Russian art".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/20220304/whats-next-nazi-style-book-burning-wests-cancel-russia-effort-is-morally-insane-scholars-say-1093597729.html

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Alexandra Kashirina

Alexandra Kashirina

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Alexandra Kashirina

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https://sputniknews.com/20220319/us-troubled-uae-hosted-assad-in-a-bid-to-legitimize-damascus-warns-allies-against-normalization-1093998398.html

US 'Troubled' UAE Hosted Assad in a Bid to 'Legitimise' Damascus, Warns Allies Against Normalisation

US 'Troubled' UAE Hosted Assad in a Bid to 'Legitimise' Damascus, Warns Allies Against Normalisation

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is disappointed and troubled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's visit to the United Arab Emirates and does not... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-19T00:37+0000

2022-03-19T00:37+0000

2022-03-19T04:10+0000

normalization of ties

bashar al-assad

uae

syria

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ned price

mohammed bin rashid al maktoum

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"We are profoundly disappointed and troubled by this apparent attempt to legitimize Bashar al-Assad... As Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken has reiterated, we do not support efforts to rehabilitate Assad; and we do not support others normalising relations", Price said in a statement on Friday. "We have been clear about this with our partners".Syrian President Bashar Assad has visited the United Arab Emirates and met with UAE Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Syrian leader's press office said on Friday. According to Damascus, they discussed relations between the two countries, including issues related to trade and investments.Last year, Washington openly threatened Arab states over a possible rapprochement with Damascus, following the first presidential elections in Syria since the civil war, in which Assad claimed victory with 95.1% of the vote. According to a senior US administration official, Washington did not witness a "major change in behaviour" by President Assad. However, his win proved Western efforts to stage a coup d'etat failed in Syria.The US sanctions and economic blockade have prevented Arab leaders from normalising relations with Damascus, but Friday's meeting could be a light at the end of the tunnel.As Western partners are actively searching for alternative energy sources, the Saudi crown prince on Friday confirmed Riyadh's unwillingness to ditch the OPEC+ agreement for the sake of increased oil production.Amid strains with Russia, the US, in what was an extremely unusual gesture (and, perhaps, a backstabbing move towards opposition leader Guaido who they supported as an "interim president of Venezuela"), sent its officials to Caracas to negotiate a deal, though none has been reached so far.*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia and many other states.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/20210227/palestinian-authority-seeks-to-warm-relations-with-syria-and-russia-in-new-middle-east-official-1082206366.html

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normalization of ties, bashar al-assad, uae, syria, us, ned price, mohammed bin rashid al maktoum
https://sputniknews.com/20220319/why-i-work-for-sputnik-1093937602.html

Why I Work for Sputnik

Why I Work for Sputnik

I have won two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, been a Pulitzer Prize finalist, published more than 20 books and have seen my political cartoons and... 19.03.2022, Sputnik International

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Im on Sputnik News websiteas a freelancer, not on staffand a frequent guest on its radio feed for the same reason that former New York Times war correspondent Chris Hedges and former MSNBC talk host Ed Schultz appeared on the now-shuttered RT America television network:Im a leftist.Its an article of faith that the United States is a conservative country. But 38% of American voters prefer socialism to capitalism. Thats a remarkable figure considering this countrys history of suppressing the Left from the Palmer raids to McCarthyism to the methodical legislative destruction of trade unionism.The American Left is bigger than you may think, and its growing. Yet leftist voicesantiwar, anti-capitalist, militantly environmentalistare nowhere to be found in the mainstream, corporate-owned print, broadcast and online news media outlets consumed by the vast majority of U.S. citizens.It doesnt matter how entertaining or relevant or smart or funny you are. Communists, socialists, anarchists, left-libertarians, deep-green environmentalists and populist progressives need not apply as opinion columnists, radio or television commentators. There isnt even space in mainstream media for pundits who align with establishment progressives like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, whose ideas are indistinguishable from old-school liberal Democrats like Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern.Fortunately, some leftists have found a home on RT or Sputnik. Conservative critics have often accused them of being mouthpieces for the Russian government. But thats not my experience of the Americans I know. They had their own opinions and found a platform where those opinions were welcome.Working for Sputnik puts a target on your back. Even though Im not on staff, Twitter and Facebook label links to my Sputnik cartoons as Russian state media. And in the current atmosphere of hysteria over the Russia-Ukraine war to which the U.S. isnt even a party, reactionaries tar me with that 1950s Cold War classic, guilt by association. Just this week, for example, another cartoonist had the nads to call me a traitor to American ideals and to democracy, Putins puppet, a Kremlin propagandist, and a useful idiot. If this were the 18th century, Id demand satisfaction from the cur.Useful idiot, of course, is an insult popularized by fascists during McCarthyism. It is still used by the extreme right.Im curious: what would this neoconservative, who was in favor of invading both Afghanistan and Iraq and now wants another stupid war in Ukraine, have people like me do? Sit in silence forever?Apparently, yes. If youre on the actual left, with a worldview influenced by Marxist class analysis rather than identitarianism, no amount of talent or popularity will get you on the airwaves or into respectable print. Until last week, if you were a lucky leftist, youd be invited to host a show on RT or appear as a guest, whereunlike on CNN, MSNBC or Foxyoud be treated with respect, asked intelligent questions and given time to answer them.Is it really possible that there are no insightful communist economics experts? No funny socialist editorial cartoonists? No sharp, telegenic, anarcho-syndicalist TV commentators? Of course, such mythical creatures existthey appeared on RT and, before it was deplatformed by Comcast and DirecTV in 2016, Al Jazeera America. The real reason for the Lefts lack of representation in mainstream media, one suspects, is ideological discrimination.If democracy dies in darkness, as The Washington Posts motto reads, why not allow all ideas to be discussed openly?Even cable TVs most liberal channel refuses to air content to the left of the center of the Democratic Party. MSNBC fired left-leaning political talk host Phil Donahue in February 2003, at the peak of the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, even though he had the highest ratings of any program on the network. Bosses blamed production costs. But an internal MSNBC memo worried that Donahue presented a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war, and provided a home for the liberal antiwar agenda at the same time that our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity.They were terrified of the antiwar voice, Donahue recalled.Twelve years later, MSNBC fired feisty pro-worker talker Ed Schultz. He claimed that they fired him for insisting upon covering Bernie Sanders 2015 campaign launch speech. You're not covering Bernie Sanders, network president Phil Griffin ordered Schultz.RTs diverse team of commentators wasnt limited to leftists. The roster included Hedges, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, Star Trek actor William Shatner, ex-CNN host Larry King, leftist comedian Lee Camp and right-wing pundits Dennis Miller and Steve Malzberg. Guests included academic experts, political activists and politicians like former Green Party presidential candidates Ralph Nader and Jill Stein, both of whom were marginalized by U.S. news media and denied spots in presidential debates.The small sliver of American viewers who gave RT a chance encountered excellent production values and high-quality news and opinion programs that didnt talk down to the audience. RT was unpredictable, entertaining and frequently more engaging than the three major cable news channels. It was nominated for five Emmys.Critics of RT and Sputnik, however, have complained that RT shines a spotlight on schisms in U.S. politics and society, for example, push[ing] divisive racial narratives, including stories emphasizing allegations of police abuse in the United States and highlighting racism against African-Americans within the military, as The New York Times wrote in 2020. Since when, however, is the U.S. or any other government entitled to positive news coverage? If racism makes America look bad, dont eliminate coverage of racismeliminate racism.Opponents also deride RT and Sputniks news coverage as Russian government propaganda. Which is, of course, objectively subjective.On RT/Sputnik as on other outlets, bias is largely a matter of omission. In my experience what runs on Sputnik is fact-checked. But it shouldnt be anyones go-to source for criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, any more than you should look to MSNBC for harsh takes on Joe Biden or Fox for sharp attacks on Donald Trump. One could argue, and many on the Left have, that respectable American news outlets have frequently worn their biases on their sleeves, and are often accused of disseminating propaganda. The absence of thoughtful antiwar voices when false WMD claims were made during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq and denying coverage to Bernie Sanders come to mind.RT America shut down last week after it was deplatformed by Roku, DirecTV and cable networks. Before it went dark on television, it had earned a sizable online audience. In 2013 the channel became the first to reach 1 billion views on YouTube, numbers driven in part by its willingness to cover third-party candidacies that no one else would touch and round-the-clock reporting on the Occupy Wall Street movement.The leftist Australian blogger Caitlyn Johnstone has frequently remarked that RT America and Sputnik News would have become instantly unviable had left-leaning voices been invited onto mainstream American media outlets. I agree. When I tell friends that Im on Sputnik News, an online radio service and news site accessible via the web and therefore less vulnerable to Ukraine-related cancellation in the United States than in Europe, where it is banned, some cock their heads and give that Really? expression. Those who check it out are impressed, surprised that the overall tenor of discussion is smarter and sharper than, say, NPR. Sputnik is still operational, with 57 million visits online in the last month. They grant me a platform for my ideas, which are discussed by an appreciative, well-informed audience. They dont censor me. And they pay.Until the revolution destroys capitalism, leftists must compromise their principles in order to survive. Ive never been published by a media organization with which I shared all of my political ideals. As a realist with bills to pay, where would I find a media organization with which I share most of my political ideals? I disagree with Sputnik about various issues; I also disagree with NPR and even with Jacobin, the socialist magazine.I would work for pretty much any media outlet that doesnt constrain my freedom of expression beyond what I consider reasonable limits. (Sputnik has never told me what to say, which is more than I can say for many of my other clients.) But over the past 20 or so years, the media has been turning farther and farther to the right. Left voices, especially before 9/11, were occasionally allotted space alongside liberal Democrats on the opinion pages. I was one of them. Leftists sometimes appeared on cable news television. Again, I was one of them. So was Rachel Maddow. She survived, and thrived, by moving right into mainstream liberalism.That tiny sliver of openness has vanished. Anti-interventionists rarely if everI would say never, but I cant watch 24-7appear on those panels of talking heads who discuss foreign policy crises; the acceptable range of discussion runs from pro-interventionist to more pro-interventionist. When is the last time you heard anyone on cable news suggest that the U.S. ought to stay out of an overseas hot spot entirely, that its not our business?All the Left needs for a fair shot at readers and viewers is one angel investor. But millionaires tend to dislike socialism. George Soros, bete noir of the right, funds Democrats, not lefties.This piece was submitted to The New York Times and The Washington Post. Both rejected it.For leftists, Sputnik is still one of the few games in town.(Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, is the author of a new graphic novel about a journalist gone bad, The Stringer. Order one today. You can support Teds hard-hitting political cartoons and columns and see his work first by sponsoring his work on Patreon.)

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Owner's Statement:

Gandolf is a decent colt who has trained in 2:32 this past weekend. He's sound with no issues and nice to work around. Ultimately he's just been an average colt and we have begun selling our horses that have under performed in training. It's March and although Gandolf has just been ordinary training down, he has lots of time to turn that around. He will come to you staked in Ontario and lots of time to get to the races for 2022. If your looking for a nice sized gelding, who has already trained as fast as many of the horses in Ontario, this is your guy.
Drama Act was a dominant winner in the first of four $40,000 divisions in the opening round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares at Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (March 18).

The Ron Burke-trained mare led virtually wire-to-wire for driver George Brennan and sprinted a final quarter in 27 seconds flat at the end of the 1:52.2 mile.

The Bethinator and Lit De Rose left inside of Drama Act, with Lit De Rose securing the front for trainer/driver Pat Lachance late on the opening bend. Brennan had Drama Act move alertly to take command before the quarter and the pair were able to set fractions of :27.2 and :57.2 for the opening half with little movement. The Bethinator (Tim Tetrick) tried to attack without cover going to the three-quarters, but Drama Act flashed through a 1:25.2 three-quarters and marched away from all her rivals. Lit De Rose was clear for second, with 46-1 shot La Bella Vita N (Marcus Miller) moving along the pylons for third.

Sent off as the 2-5 choice, Drama Act returned $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10 across the board. Lit De Rose paid $2.90 and $2.80 to place and show, with La Bella Vita N returning $6.40 to show. The exacta returned $6.20, with the triple a healthy $62.50 with the longshot finishing third.

The OK Corral owns Drama Act, a five-year-old daughter of Well Said that won for the 23rd time in her career.

The Stratton brothers -- driver Jordan and trainer Cory -- teamed up to post a mild upset in the second $40,000 division with 9-2 choice Easy To Please.

Jordan Stratton blasted out of the gate with the four-year-old New York-sired Easy To Please from post seven and drove right into the pocket behind speedster Sweet Heaven late on the opening turn. Sweet Heaven and driver Dexter Dunn carved out the :27.1 opening quarter and were still in command through the 56 second opening half. Best Head West, the 4-5 choice with Matt Kakaley, tried to go coverless into the third turn but stalled on the backstretch as Sweet Heaven sped to three-quarters in 1:24.2. Stratton seized the opportunity to pull into the final turn with Easy To Please and the daughter of Roll With Joe was full of pace, disposing the pacesetter and cruising home in 1:52.3, with Best Head West closing belatedly for second. Bolt Of Beauty and Marcus Miller rallied up the pylons for third, with Sweet Heaven fading to fourth.

Cory Stratton trains and co-owns Easy To Please along with Our Three Sons Stable LLC.

The winner returned $11.20, $3.90 and $3.10 across the board. Best Head West returned $2.20 and $2.10, with Bolt Of Beauty paying $5.40 on the end. The exacta was worth $26.80 and the triple $140.50.

Dragon Roll and driver Todd McCarthy bravely held off two determined rivals in the deep stretch to capture the third Blue Chip Matchmaker division.

McCarthy had Dragon Roll off alertly from post four and secured the front from Blue Ivy off the opening bend. McCarthy guided Dragon Roll through first half fractions of :27 and :55.3, with two-time O'Brien Award winner Scarlett Hanover (Yannick Gingras), last years Jugette champion, on the move early without cover, followed by Miss You N (Dunn). The pace picked up noticeably on the backstretch, with Scarlett Hanover working closer to the leader and providing live cover through three-quarters in 1:24 flat.

Dragon Roll, owned and trained by Ricky Bucci, put some distance between herself and pocket-sitter Blue Ivy into the homestretch, with Miss You N and Dunn coming wide on the final turn and making up ground quickly. Along the pylons, Racine Bell and Jason Bartlett were moving quickly, but neither challenger was able to get the better of a determined Dragon Roll, who stopped the timer in 1:52.1 for her fourth win in seven starts this year. Racine Bell was second, with Miss You N settling for third after the overland journey.

A five-year-old and second daughter of Roll With Joe to capture a Blue Chip Matchmaker division, Dragon Roll returned $7.20, $3.60 and $2.90 across the board. Racine Bell paid $3.30 and $2.70, with Miss You N paying $5.10 to show. The winning exacta was worth $19.40, with the triple coming in at $107.00.

Mystical Carrie was up in the final stride to capture the final $40,000 division for Marcus Miller, tracking down 2-5 favourite Karma Seelster on the wire in a 1:52.3 mile.

Karma Seelster and Jordan Stratton took charge early, racing three-wide into the first turn overtaking the eventual winner and Jody (Brennan) in the process. Karma Seelster set fractions of :27.3, :56.2, and 1:24 virtually unopposed in the field of six. Mystical Carrie sat third most of the trip and Miller was able to come out first-over into the final turn, where the five-year-old daughter of Tellitlikeitis accelerated before chasing down the winner late. Keep Rockin A and drive Tim Tetrick shadowed the winner's cover and also rallied late but could only manage third. Mystifying (Austin Siegelman) finished fourth.

Trained by Erv Miller for owner Mystical Marker Farms LLC., Mystical Carrie won for the second time in seven starts this year and returned $9.90, $2.60 and $2.10 across the board. Favoured Karma Seelster returned $2.10 and $2.10, with Keep Rockin A's show price at $3. The exacta was $16.80, and the triple came back at $58.

The opening leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for free-for-allers, with five $50,000 divisions, is scheduled for Monday night (March 21) as part of a 12-race program at Yonkers. There will be a Pick 6 carryover of $1,284.41 on the card, which gets underway at 6:55 p.m.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)
Boom! Just like that, Century Downs Racetrack and Casino is getting set to celebrate its seventh Anniversary and has dubbed the afternoon program on Saturday, April 23 as Fan Appreciation Day at the races. To help in celebrating the big event, a pair of harness racing legends  announcers Roger Huston and Vance Cameron  will be making the journey to Alberta for the special anniversary card.

Roger Huston is a legend and an icon. I mean there was a bobblehead doll giveaway at the Meadows one year!" said the Managing Director of Racing for Century Mile and Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, Paul Ryneveld. "Vance Cameron brings his flair and expression that has made him a Canadian legend. I have been fortunate to hear both live at their respective tracks and look forward to what will be a memorable seventh Anniversary of racing at Century Downs.

Huston, the famous voice of the Little Brown Jug, and Cameron, longtime caller of P.E.I.'s Gold Cup and Saucer, will both share in the announcing duties for the day. Huston mentions that he's absolutely looking forward to heading west for some harness racing action.

"I always get excited going into a new location to call races and this will mark 20 Canadian tracks that I've had the pleasure of announcing at," said the announcer of close to 181,700 horse races over his career. "This will be the farthest west I've been in Canada," he mentioned. "I did call races at Queensbury Downs, for an anniversary program back in 1994, but this will be my first time in Alberta."

When asked about his favourite races to announce, over the years, there are a few Little Brown Jugs that do standout. "I'd be foolish if I didn't say Falcon Seelster's Jug day win, in 1985, was my favourite and likely my most popular race call. The Wiggle It Jiggleit Jug, of 2015, will go down as the greatest race I've ever seen or ever called... Life Sign's Jug victory, of 1993, was a memorable one as well."

Cameron has never been west of Marquis Downs, in Saskatoon, so he is anticipating to the new surroundings as well.

"I was out that way in 1981 and called races with guys like Ed Tracey, Jerv Clifton, Jamie Gray and Billy Companion, coming in from Alberta, so I do have 'a wee bit of western swing' in me," he said. "I was absolutely humbled to get the call and to team up with Roger Huston for this...I'm just really looking forward to it."

Known for his popular catchphrases such as 'Boom! Just like that', 'Brouhaha', 'To it and at it, at and it to it,' Cameron sounds very keen and will be hoping to use some of his signature calls on the day. "I'm going to bring them all, and I may have a new one with me as well. I'm sure it will be a great time in the booth!"

Cameron emerged victorious in 'Canada's Best Race Call' poll, conducted by Standardbred Canada and voted on by fans of Canadian harness racing in 2019. His much-heralded call of the 2008 Gold Cup and Saucer, where Earl Smith won with Pownal Bay Matt, was a clear winner among the competition.

Event organizer James Jungquist, a former driver on the Alberta circuit, came up with the idea of bringing these two legends together at Century Downs. "When I moved into this new marketing role, I thought about my time in the sulky and what would have gotten me excited as a horseperson. This was it!" said Jungquist. "Roger Huston is harness racing and Vance Cameron is that in Canada. This will be an awesome event for race fans and horsepeople on track and off. We've had a wonderful response from our industry partners in making this happen; I'd like to applaud Century Downs, Horse Racing Alberta and ASHA for coming together and sharing in this very special event. The excitement, on this day, will be second to none for all involved."

Stay tuned for more '7th Anniversary at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino' details to come.

(with files from HRA)
In this week's edition of Rewind, Robert Smith recalls a memorable horse and an equally famous race from 1985. The race was the Kentucky Pacing Derby, held at Louisville Downs, and the winning horse was the outstanding two-year-old colt Sherman Almahurst, trained and driven by Canadian personalities. The story also includes an element of extreme sadness connected with the events surrounding the race.

The 1980s saw the full emergence of the non-driving trainer in harness racing. It became fashionable  and very much acceptable  that people did not have to both train and drive horses to prove their proficiency in the sport. In the earlier days, people who were not as interested in the training side still had to persevere at that part of the business to survive. Similarly, those who enjoyed and excelled at conditioning all types of horses but didn't necessarily care to drive were also able to specialize at what they did best.

Undoubtedly, one of the best non-driving trainers of the 1980s was Stew Firlotte. He had an uncanny ability to train and manage the careers of many top horses without ever driving any of them in a race. For many years, his stable included countless top performers, and they most often performed admirably under his guidance. Of course, for his operation to perform well, he needed a top driver ... and often more than one to handle horses racing at several different locations.

For many of his successful years, his "go-to" man was Doug Brown. While it wasn't a true partnership, it was a teaming that worked very well for quite a few years. In a recent Harness Racing Update article, Murray Brown (no relation) attributes Doug as having indicated that, "as outstanding as his career has been, it would have been much less so if not for the friendship and loyalty of his dear friend and fellow Hall of Famer Stew Firlotte."

Firlotte left us almost 10 years ago, in August 2012. Whenever his name is mentioned or his memory recalled, it is always with the utmost of admiration and respect.

Today's story involves a Firlotte stable member  Sherman Almahurst  and a memorable race held at Louisville Downs on Sept. 7, 1985: the track's longtime signature event, the Kentucky Pacing Derby, for two-year-old pacers. That year, following eliminations, eight freshman pacers faced the starter. This race, first held a few years earlier in 1978, was a part of the Triple Crown for two-year-old pacers and its history of winners contained a number of great horses, including the incomparable Niatross.



Sherman Almahurst, winner of the 1985 Kentucky Pacing Derby, and his connections appear in the winner's circle. Doug Brown was the driver, and trainer Stew Firlotte is fourth from the right. P.J. Baugh received the trophy on behalf of the Famous Eight Stable from Jay Spurrier, of the Kentucky Racing Commission, and William H. King, president of Louisville Downs. (Jack May/Horseman and Fair World)

As this race started, Tucson Hanover, handled by Bruce Reigle, took the early lead, but shortly thereafter gave way to Freight Saver. Favourite Armbro Elvis and Frank O'Mara then forged to the lead just past the quarter, and continued to lead through a :57.2 half. By the three-quarter pole, Sherman Almahurst passed Armbro Elvis, but was closely pursued by Landslip Hanover (Walter Case Jr.), who had followed Sherman Almahurst's cover all the while . In deep stretch, Armbro Elvis suddenly slowed and began to lose ground, finishing sixth. Sherman Almahurst was the clear winner over Landslip Hanover and Tucson Hanover.

Sherman Almahurst's winning mile was a swift 1:56.2, a seasonal record, but a second off the stakes record and two-fifths of a second off the world standard. Sherman had a rather tough and "gutsy" trip, never once seeing the rail. Brown did not seem one bit concerned and summed it up after the race by saying, "It didn't really matter; he got cover behind the right one, Armbro Elvis."

Brown did admit that his loss of ground in the final turn was concerning, but also a bit of the overall strategy: "I was giving him a little breather because he had been out for a long time and I wanted to save him as much as I could."



Sherman Almahurst (#7) and driver Doug Brown are home in front in the 1985 Kentucky Pacing Derby, at Louisville Downs. (Horseman and Fair World)

The win was Sherman's eighth in 10 starts, and it brought his seasonal earnings to $463,225 for the Famous Eight Stable.

Doug Brown had the opportunity to drive a lot of excellent horses throughout his career, but apparently one occupied a special spot in his heart and memory. In the same recent interview with Murray Brown referred to above, Brown said, "Even though he wasn't the best, my favourite would have to be Sherman Almahurst. He was as game a horse as ever lived. He always gave it his all and always dug in. He had to be the best horse his sire, Royce, produced."

Tragedy Overshadows Race Night

Immediately following the above described race, a horrible twist of fate overshadowed the record-setting mile by Sherman Almahurst. The HLM Stable's Armbro Elvis, the horse who led most of the mile, collapsed and died just after the finish. The son of Direct Scooter was in the midst of a huge year and entered the race after winning eight of his last nine starts, including his Derby elimination. His record of 1:54.4, taken in his short two-year-old campaign, was extremely remarkable.

Gary Owens, the starter at Louisville Downs, was one of the first people to reach the stricken horse. He said that, "within less than 60 seconds, all signs of life were gone." According to trainer-driver Frank O'Mara, the horse suffered a heart attack in the final strides of the race and collapsed soon after the race's conclusion. It was an extremely sad ending to an otherwise joyous evening of racing. Armbro Elvis was later buried in the infield at Louisville Downs.



A tribute to the fallen horse appeared in the Sept. 11, 1985, issue of the Horseman and Fair World magazine.



An ad placed by Almahurst Farm includes a message of condolence to the owners of Armbro Elvis.(Horseman and Fair World)

Quote For The Week: "Things don't turn up in this world until somebody turns them up."  James A. Garfield

Who Is It?



Can you identify the driver shown above and perhaps the horse? Let us know who you think it is.

Who Else Is It?



Can you identify this fellow? He's probably a bit younger than most Rewind picture subjects. Let's see what your best guess might be.
The public is invited to join the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors on Monday, March 28 for a free history tour of Salubria and Hansbroughs Ridge in Stevensburg.

The unique event, ending with a free lunch and discussion, is part of a collaborative campaign to raise awareness of these historic assets in light of the recent Amazon data center proposal next door.

The history preservation and natural resources conservation groups at Germanna Foundation, American Battlefield Trust, Piedmont Environmental Council and Journey Through Hallowed Ground are co-sponsoring the event, which will begin at 10 a.m.

Tour takers should meet at Stevensburg Baptist Church, 19393 York Rd.

Please join us for an informative tour of Salubria and Hansbroughs Ridge in Stevensburg to learn more about our working landscapes, our community, and our historic assets, announced a joint release on Friday.

The upcoming visit is designed to provide a perspective to help county elected officials as they consider a requested zoning change from agricultural to light industrial to accommodate building the data centers next door to some of Culpepers most important historic and scenic assets, the release stated.

We offer it to assist in a positive solution so we can continue to draw tourists, employ residents, and bring revenue to the county. There is room in the county for both data centers and heritage tourism with good planning, the release stated.

The zoning decision will have an indelible impact on our communitys future as well as its history. With so much at stake, we look forward to an outcome that balances all of our community needs.

From the church, at 10:15 a.m., will be a short drive to Hansbroughs Ridge.

Tour takers will look at the view from the ridge, which will be part of the new Culpeper Battlefields State Park, while learning about the planned park, the history that is commemorated there, and the potential impact of the proposed data center on the viewshed, the release stated.

At 10:45 a.m. will be another short drive to Salubria, located just off Route 3 eastbound, at 19173 Salubria Lane.

Here, tour takers will learn about the history of Salubria, its role in generating national and international tourism dollars for Culpeper County through the Germanna Foundation, and the impact the proposed data center would have on Salubrias unique cultural landscape, according to the release.

At 11:30 a.m., discussion will be open to all while enjoying a box lunch.

The Culpeper County Planning Commission at its first read-through of the data center rezoning application on March 9 denied it in a split vote near midnight after hours of public comments mostly against placing the industrial use on farmland so close to significant historic sites.

Salubria is a Georgian-style manse on todays Germanna Highway built about 1757 by the Rev. John Thompson, rector of Culpepers Little Fork Church 1740 to 1772, for his wife, Butler Brayne Spotswood Thompson.

She was the widow of Alexander Spotswood, the royal governor who had imported two shiploads of German craftsmen to develop his sprawling properties on Virginias western frontier, the Germanna colony.

The proposed Amazon facilities would sit 1,000 feet from the property line of the farm on which is situated the gracious, well-preserved and much-visited house.

The elevated Union Army encampment site at Hansbroughs Ridge, a strategic location throughout the Civil War that raged around Culpeper County, would look down upon the data centers, proposed to be located on privately owned land beyond the border of the up-and-coming Battlefields State Park, but in view of it.

The rezoning allowing for the project now goes to the seven-member Culpeper County Board of Supervisors. Some on the board are seeing it as positive for the county on account of potential millions of dollars in tax revenue from the pair of data centers, proposed along the still mostly rural Route 3 corridor.

It would also create high-paying jobs and opportunities for employment for the areas younger generation.

The project calls for two, fenced-in 430,000-square-foot data centers spanning 10 acres of what is now an equestrian center.

Approximately 365 construction personnel would be on site at various times for the multi-year construction project that, when open, would then employ 90 people divided into three shifts operating 24 hours per day.

Professional-level jobs will include engineering technicians, data center operators, security personnel, and logistics personnel, according to Marvell Developments narrative statement for the project.

The proposed buildings will be approximately 45 feet in height, developers say, including water tanks and other mechanical equipment on the roofs. The applicant claims that a metal louver wall system will fully screen the facility, but critics of the project have argued the elevated view from Hansbroughs Ridge nullifies any such effort.

Want to see the sites for yourself on the upcoming tour? RSVP katherine@JTHG.org no later than Friday, March 26, to ensure an accurate count for the free lunch.

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When Marylander Chris Haley drives south to visit family in the Carolinas and Georgia, he always finds himself thinking of other relatives as he transits Virginia on Interstate 95.

He remembers his uncle Alex, and the story he brought to light about their ancestor, Kunta Kinte, a man abducted in Gambia, Africa, taken to Annapolis, Md., and enslaved in Spotsylvania County, Va. Haley shared those memories in an interview Friday.

On Tuesday, in a virtual discussion hosted by Germanna Community College, hell share more about his famous uncle, whose novel Roots and resulting TV miniseries prompted millions to research their own family histories and discuss the tough stuff of American history, including slavery.

The free conversation at 6:30 p.m. March 22 is open to all; registration at germanna.edu is required. Also on the panel will be Dr. Charles L. Chavis Jr., director of African and African American Studies at George Mason University. Dr. Scott Ackerman, a history professor at Germanna, will moderate.

Roots was a revelation, which people have been talking about ever since, Haley said. Before it, this history was shunted aside. Thats why what my uncle did was so amazing.

Alex Haley, who also wrote The Autobiography of Malcolm X, was credited by The New York Times in 2021 with no less than having "taught America about race.

His nephew, Chris, is the Maryland State Archives research director for the "Legacy of Slavery in Maryland" project. He was a teen when Roots hit the airwaves in 1977, but its powerful impression on him is still fresh. Like millions, Haley stayed up for eight nights watching the drama on ABC about seven generations of a single African American familyhis own.

For me, watching it was an out-of-body experience. ... This was based on my ancestors, Haley recalled. ... It was like watching a cinematic version of an aspect of your life.

The next day, everywhere, Roots was peoples water-cooler chatter. It became huge, all of a sudden, he said.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Haley now lives in Prince George's County, Md.

He said Roots changed peoples perception that having kin who were enslaved, or being of mixed race, were things to be ashamed of.

Accept your heritage, Haley said. Do not let it diminish you. Use it as a springboard to whatever direction you want to go, to empower you. Roots sparked a real shift in that thinking.

Roots showed you can be proud of your background, just by surviving it and pursuing joy in everyday life in your friends, children, community and fellowship.

At its heart, his uncles book was a family story about a boy trying to become a man, trying to make his father and grandparents proud, he said.

Everyone can relate to that, regardless of what you were born into or the challenges you face, he said.

Roots promoted the idea that the way you share that history is by talking about it, speaking about your story to your spouse or younger child, talking about who your father or grandparents were, so that can be passed along, he said.

He urged talking with family members at holiday meals, reunions or funerals, and asking for letters or photos that include them. Talk about that person and what they meant to you, he said. Thats how that person stays alive.

Roots ended up helping everyone think this is worth doing, for people to know who came before them, regardless of your ethnic background, national origin, religious affiliation or what have you, Haley said. It is a universal story of people who have fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles and cousins.

After acting on Broadway and at Universal Studios in Orlando, Haley sought to learn historical research methods and landed at the Maryland State Archives. Haley and his team have spent years building Marylands slavery database, opening windows into the past for thousands of people.

Haley is aware some have speculated Kunta Kinte was a fictional character, but he is confident the story is real, centered on his ancestors life in Africa and on the Waller plantation in Spotsylvania.

About 20 years ago, he visited the plantations site with two researchers, exploring what they believed was the Waller familys slave cemetery where Kinte is buried. Alex Haley and LeVar Burton, the actor who portrayed Kinte in Roots, visited the graveyard in the 1970s.

Several years ago, a member of the Waller family contacted him to inquire about holding a Haley and Waller family reunion, he said. The idea didnt go anywhere.

It wasnt for me to decide, he said. Haley deferred the proposal to his father and uncle George, the family patriarchs, and Alexs children. His father died 10 years ago, George in 2015.

Haley and his kin post items regularly on Facebooks Alex Haley Family page.

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Scottsbluff Fire Captain Dan Hubbs, who has been with the department for 21 years, developed an interest in firefighting as a teenager.

While in high school, Hubbs began working with the Hawk Springs Fire Department. He later became a contractor for the U.S. Forest Service.

I was basically traveling around the country working on forest fires while going to college, Hubbs said, Using that income to basically pay for college.

In his third year of college, Hubbs took a semester off during a particularly strong fire season and ended up in California. It was during this time at the end of his shift while traveling down a hazardous mountain road that Hubbs was in a rollover crash that left him with a broken back. He moved home and spent a year recovering.

After his recovery, Hubbs began work at the Scottsbluff Fire Department in December 2000.

My dad was always on the volunteer fire department with Hawk Springs so I was always interested in fire service, Hubbs said. Fire service was always kind of sitting in the back of my head and I really enjoyed doing it.

Hubbs said he was happy to settle on the family farm where he grew up and has always considered Scottsbluff as somewhat of a home.

Scottsbluff feels like home, he said. I enjoy the small community atmosphere. Everybody truly does kind of know everybody.

When he began his career in fire service, Hubbs had a goal to become a captain. When the opportunity presented itself, he applied for a test date and began studying. Hubbs explained that it is a tested position and the process requires the applicant to complete a written test and an oral interview. He has held the title of captain for more than 12 years at the Scottsbluff Fire Department.

When not working at the fire station, Hubbs spends a considerable amount of time using metallurgy skills to forge knives. He was at an auction about 10 years ago and found an old hand crank blower for a coal forge. A few years later, Hubbs and his father, Lou, built a coal forge to go with the blower. He said it was a natural transition from growing up on the farm working with metal and iron to repair equipment or manufacture heavy parts not available.

Essentially, its the pursuit of perfection, he said. Trying to build the perfect knife, but theres always minor flaws no matter what. And so thats what keeps the drive going, trying to get everything 100%.

He works an artistic forging technique with two different alloys of steel to create his Damascus knives. The pieces can be seen by visiting 66 Mountain Knives on Facebook.

Hubbs said he enjoys working at the fire station because of the diverse calls and the unpredictability of the work shift.

Ive always been the guy that likes working under pressure. The more pressure there is, the more fun things become.

Nicole Heldt is a reporter with the Star-Herald, covering agriculture. She can be reached at 308-632-9044 or by email at nheldt@starherald.com.

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LINCOLN  Whether its a reptile wrapped around a wrist or a cool splash in the Middle Loup River, Adventure Camp about the Environment (ACE) has something to offer this summer. Nebraskas Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are now accepting registrations for ACE Camp June 26-29, at the State 4-H Youth Camp near Halsey.

Nebraskas 23 NRDs encourage middle school students interested in the outdoors to sign up for this educational, action-packed camp. To qualify, students should have completed sixth, seventh or eighth grade in the 2021-2022 school year.

The four-day adventure camp provides students an opportunity to dive into different hands-on activities with a natural resources focus. Sessions educate youth on Nebraskas water resources, wildlife, soil, trees, range and grasslands, technology and more. ACE Camp gets students outdoors to explore the world around them.

Campers also have the opportunity to tube the river, experience archery, zip line and much more. Expect students to have a better awareness of possible careers in natural resources by learning from professionals working to conserve them every day.

Fees and registration are $235/camper. The North Platte NRD provides four scholarships. Submit a 200-word paragraph on why you would like to attend the camp to ashepperd@npnrd.org or 100547 Airport Road, Scottsbluff.

For more information about scholarships and camp registration forms, contact Amanda Shepperd at 308-632-2749. For more information about ACE Camp, visit the Upper Loup NRD website. Registration deadline is June 10, space is limited, so campers are encouraged to register early.

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State HOSA Leadership Conference, which took place at University of Nebraska - Omaha on March 13-15, was a success for western Nebraska. Both the Scottsbluff and Gering chapters brought home hardware showing off their medical knowledge.

Scottsbluff dominated the conference with sending 30 of its 85 members to the state competition, bringing home 21 medals and qualifying 18 students for international competition. Gering had three international qualifiers among its 10 students who went to state.

I was so extremely proud of our chapter as a whole, senior Justin Sharp, Scottsbluff HOSA vice president, said. It was amazing to see how it all paid off and how we were able to show our true skills in front of a huge group of people and prove that Scottsbluff has something to show up with.

Sharp was one member of a team of four that competed and took first place in the HOSA Bowl, a quiz bowl on all things medical. Sharp said it was the second year in a row for Scottsbluff to take home the gold in that event.

HOSA Bowl is just like a quiz bowl over pretty much anything and everything medical (or) HOSA-related, Sharp, who also placed first in the Job Seeking Skills event, said. It can range from parliamentary procedure to asking the medical terms all the way up to medical professions. So, its quite literally anything, and we spent a lot of time studying for that.

Other members of the HOSA Bowl team, seniors Megan Bewley and Emily Franklin, said they couldnt have asked for a better experience for their fellow Scottsbluff chapter members.

You could really tell the members who dedicated themselves and were able to compete with a lot of different teams, because I think sometimes the western teams get kind of blown out of the water, but weve really competed with them, Bewley, Scottsbluff HOSA secretary, said. And it was a personal choice. Like they werent (forced to do it); they dedicated themselves to it.

Franklin, president of the Scottsbluff HOSA chapter, said, I was just extremely proud of our members, because each and every one of them put in so much time and work, and its just awesome to see them be rewarded for what theyve done. And, I also really enjoyed  just being able to show that Scottsbluff knows what theyre doing, and they got it.

Having a strong chapter like Scottsbluff doesnt come easily, and the conference recognized that over the weekend when Scottsbluff HOSA adviser Jennifer Harre was named Adviser of the Year.

Miss Harre is definitely very deserving of that award, Franklin said. She puts in so much time outside of school to make sure that were getting things done and just really is caring and passionate about what she does, and it ultimately reflects on to all of us, and so it just makes the club so much more fun.

Harre said its thanks to students like Franklin, Bewley and Sharp that she is able to be a good adviser for them.

We have a great co-adviser (Kelli Larson), and we have a great group of officers, Harre said. Ive known these seniors ever since elementary school  middle school, some of them  so they make it fun and easy to be the adviser.

At the end of the day, she and co-adviser Kelly Larson are just proud of their students and their commitment to the chapter, not just in competition, but locally as well.

It was just exciting to see their hard work pay off because we would come in at seven in the morning with them and practice, and they would spend extra time, so it was just rewarding to see their hard work pay off, Larson said. Theyre completely self-motivated and self-driven and to see it pay off was really exciting for them, so they put in the work, and they were rewarded for it.

One of the most impressive things is that the amount of community service and volunteer hours that weve done in our community, Harre said. Weve done over 1,000 volunteer hours just this school year, probably maybe even more.  So, I think thats pretty impressive  not only is it the state portion, competition part, but its also the things that we do here locally, whether its community service, volunteering, guest speakers, different hands-on activities. So (were) really helping high school kids explore different careers and get them interested in and passionate about the healthcare field.

HOSA International Leadership Conference will take place in June in Nashville. Students have to pay their own way for the trip in order to compete, so there will be a number of fundraisers being held to help send the students who would like to go.

HOSA State Leadership Conference results (top three qualify for internationals):

 Gering: Medical Math  Guri Hayer, international qualifier; Physical Therapy  Madison Herbel, international qualifier; Vet Science  Hannah Boyd, international qualifier.

 Scottsbluff: Dental Terminology  Kaitlyn Kizzire, 2; Janeva OBannon, 3; Human Growth and Development  Dayanara Rodriguez, 1; Medical Math  Teyla Huff, 1; Epidemiology  Madysen Powell, 1; Home Health Aide  Alyssa Spurgeon, 2

Nursing Assistant  Eduardo Quintana, 3; CPR/First Aid  Lauren Fleenor and Abbie Webb, 1; Hannah Hertzler and Sierra Little, 2; Havi Hertzler and Sarah Arellano, 3; HOSA Happenings  Haley Thomalla, 1; Job Seeking Skills  Justin Sharp, 1; Health Career Display  Megan Bewley and Emily Franklin, 1; HOSA Bowl  Justin Sharp, Megan Bewley, Madysen Powell and Emily Franklin, 1; and Nebraska HOSA Chapter Adviser of the Year  Jen Harre.

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The Wyoming Legislature completed its redistricting process on March 11. Representatives passed a bill with new legislative maps with less than two hours to go before theyd be in violation of the states constitution.

The plan creates three new districts  two in the House, one in the Senate  bumping the states total to 62 representatives and 31 senators.

The votes were held after a long day of debating at the tail end of a six-month redistricting process. Some districts in Sheridan County are out of deviation, as they do not have the proper number of voters living in them. Each district must be within five percent of either 1/31 or 1/62 of Wyomings population.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has until March 26 to sign the redistricting bill into law.

Goshen County will receive few changes, but they will be significant. Torringtons Senate District 03 will now include all of the county. A sliver of land in the southeast of the county, bordering the Nebraska state line, previously belonged to Senate District 06. Cheri Steinmetz, the state senator for District 03, will continue to represent all of Niobrara County and the southern part of Weston County to the north.

State Representative Shelly Duncan had previously told the Star-Herald her goal was to keep most of Torrington together in her House District 05. The new map achieves that goal. Significant portions of the Torrington area, including houses west of West C Street, east of East M Street and south of the North Platte River, are now in her district, which also covers southwest Goshen County.

The Torrington Municipal Airport joins House District 05, as does the sliver of Goshen County previously belonging to Senate District 06. However, a portion of the county between Highway 85 to the west and Road 58 to the south now belong to House District 02, whose representative is the Scottsbluff-born rancher J.D. Williams. His district also includes the northeast portion of Goshen County.

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On Nov. 14, 2021, Jake Pittman and Brett Walter were enjoying their Sunday when they were called in to the Gering Fire Department at 11:30 a.m. to fight a raging wildfire southeast of Gering. The fire, which later become known as the Buffalo Creek Fire, burned an estimated 2,600 acres.

Pittman had been a firefighter for nearly 15 years and Walter for about 10, but neither of them had seen a fire in western Nebraska act the way this one had.

It was very unusual fire behavior for the area, Walter said. To have flames moving through the timber that late into the evening is pretty unusual. We did have one structure in particular that we defended during those conditions, and that was a situation I havent experienced in my 10 years to actually have that in our backyard.

Still, it wasnt something that they had never seen before. Both Walter and Pittman also respond to large wildfires outside the region and across multiple states. In fact, they credit their experience fighting fires in states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho, California and Montana for being able to fight the strange Buffalo Creek Fire at home.

I think what weve done out of state made that possible, just knowing from different situations, different fuel loads, different fuel types, Walter said. Knowing and having that experience, we knew what we were up against, and that we could defend it.  Had we not had some experience in California and Idaho and Utah, we might not have defended that home.

"But there was a handful of us on that (line) that knew everybodys capabilities, and weve got this, so we were able to defend that home and thats a huge win.

Pittman said, While were out there, we pick other departments brains, because most of them are fed or state agencies that are out there on those fires.  (Were always) picking their brains and bringing that back to our engine academy, so we can pass all that knowledge on to neighboring departments when we do that engine academy in September.

Fighting fires out of state isnt just about developing skills to fight fires back home, although it is a huge benefit; its also about helping neighboring states and communities.

Its to give back to the community, just to be out there for them ... (and) protect the livestock and grasses that feed the livestock, help protect those so that farmers can keep going, Pittman said.

Walter said, Were here to help our neighbors in their roughest times, their worst days. You never want to see anybody lose their farm ground or their homes or even outbuildings  its expensive and that affects business.

"Aside from that, its a lot of our recreational areas, so thats places that we take our kids on the weekends. Its just preserving what we can and mitigating what else we can so that the big fire doesnt happen.

Of course, fighting wildfires is no small task. Nevertheless, Walter and Pittman still find some joy in it, especially when they get to travel other places for it. In fact, both use vacation time from their regular jobs to go fight fires elsewhere. It gives them an opportunity to continue to grow in their firefighting abilities.

I find it a lot of fun, Pittman said, just the challenging part of some of the terrains and how fire moves differently in certain areas.

Walter added, Even working with other crews  the way we do things might not be the way they do things in California or Idaho, so were learning their techniques, looking at what they do. Is that something that we can apply to what we do to be more effective? Its just constant learning, constant growing.  Its like backpacking on steroids. I mean, youre backpacking, but the whole world is on fire.

The other part about fighting fires across state borders? It builds on that brother/sisterhood bond that only those who constantly risk their lives for each other can understand.

We spend a lot of time together, Walter said. We miss a lot of family time being together, so you build those relationships. And as far as going on deployments, you put three people in a truck, in a tent for 14 days, you get pretty close.

Pittman said, Its just like a brotherhood/sisterhood. We hassle each other all the time, but when it comes down to it, were there for each other.

Maybe one of the craziest parts about it all is that firefighters like Pittman and Walter use their vacation time to voluntarily spend days and weeks at a time away from friends and family to do a dangerous job that they dont get paid to do. Nevertheless, theyve never thought twice about it.

Ive never stopped long enough to think about it, Walter said. When you have a passion for something, you do what it takes to become a master of it.  The different topographies, the 16-hour shifts, seven to 12 miles a hike, I mean, just pushing your limits to know what youre capable of (is a part of it all). Its long work hours. Its exciting. Theres nothing dull about it.

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It took 16 rounds, but Rishidharan Jayakumar went the distance to win the Iredell-Statesville Schools District Spelling Bee, which was held Feb. 3 at Mac Gray Auditorium on the campus of Statesville High School.

The final and winning word was aggrandizement for the seventh-grader from the Brawley School.

There were also two additional two rounds to determine second place, one that Advaith Sudev, a fifth-grader at Coddle Creek Elementary School, was able to win.

Jayakumar and Sudev were recognized at Mondays Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education meeting.

Jayakumar also won the regional bee held at Bank of America Stadium on March 13 and is headed to the state competition.

Follow Ben Gibson on Facebook and Twitter at @BenGibsonSRL

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Editors note: Information is provided by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department and local law enforcement agencies. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Assault  Longview officers Thursday arrested Dezaray Rose Brittain, 34, of an unknown address, on suspicion of second-degree assault.

Harassment  Longview officers Thursday arrested Ronald Carl Ellis Jr., 49, of Castle Rock, on suspicion of felony harassment, using a weapon to intimidate and first-degree criminal trespass.

Synthetic substance  Longview officers Thursday arrested Keith Allen Kordenat, 49, of Longview, on suspicion of selling or manufacturing a synthetic substance.

Synthetic substance  Longview officers Thursday arrested Amelia Marie Ripkey, 38, of Redwood City, California, on suspicion of selling or manufacturing a synthetic substance.

Burglary

100 block of Wilson Drive, Kalama. Thursday. Report of commercial burglary.

Thefts

5300 block of Mount Solo Road, Longview. Thursday. Report of phone theft.

300 block of Oregon Way, Longview. Thursday.

Vehicle prowls

South Fifth Avenue and Mill Street, Kelso. Thursday.

100 block of Industrial Way, Longview. Thursday. Report of lunchbox and other items taken from vehicle.

300 block of Lolo Trail Avenue, Woodland. Thursday.

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KALAMA  City officials are defending an advisory committee created last year to get citizen input on the police departments five-year strategic plan after Councilman Matthew Merz on Facebook called it an illegally created shadow committee.

At Thursdays council meeting, the city attorney read a memorandum detailing the process for creating advisory boards and stating the citizen committee created to advise the Kalama Police Departments plan was legitimate.

Councilman Matthew Merz has made several posts in a 3,000-member private Facebook group claiming the committee was illegally created without council approval. Merz told TDN Friday the committees creation and operation was an unbelievable breach of public trust.

In a statement Friday, Mayor Mike Reuter and the citys management team called Merzs statements wholly false and misleading.

Accusations that these civic volunteers have nefarious intent or subversive desire is not only ridiculous, but also damaging to the good of the community, the statement said.

Police Chief Ralph Herrera said there were multiple opportunities for councilmembers to ask the attorney if the committee needed to be approved by an ordinance or other action.

Its one thing to have questions, but its another thing to blatantly declare theres been wrongdoing, unprofessional behavior, because that couldnt be further from the truth, Herrera said. I dont see how you get to shadow committee when you have all the details and facts of the process we went through and steps we took.

At the council meeting on Thursday, City Attorney Samuel Satterfield detailed how advisory boards and committees are formed and said the police committee was properly created and followed requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act.

Most advisory boards are created to advise the legislative body, but some may advise the chief executive, a department or a subcommittee of a permanent board or commission, according to the Municipal Research and Services Center.

Methods for creating standing or temporary boards vary by jurisdiction, according to the center. Bodies specified in state statute, such as the board of adjustment or planning commission, are required to be created by ordinance.

Satterfields memo says the Kalama committee was created to advise or review questions posed by a department head, who then uses the information to create or update policies to present to the city council. The temporary board does not need any resolution, ordinance or council authority to be created, Satterfield said.

The committee in question had no decision-making authority and did not act on behalf of the council, conduct hearings or take testimony or public comment. Therefore, it didnt meet the criteria of a meeting under the Open Public Meetings Act.

Public meetings as defined in the act must follow certain procedures, provide public notice, and meet other requirements, according to the Municipal Research and Services Center.

City Clerk/Treasurer Coni McMaster said Thursday she contacted the state auditor about the committee and was told there were no reportable violations. She said the city is careful about public meeting compliance because it violated the act a few years ago.

A 2018 TDN investigation found the previous mayor and council violated the Open Public Meetings Act in 2017 by calling and holding a special library board meeting without public notice and later signing a letter of no confidence without voting or approving it in a public meeting.

Satterfield said even if a board, committee, commission was created without following the legal procedures, it wouldnt rise to the level of a criminal act. The proper legal remedy would be to void all decisions made by that board, dissolve it and then reorganize with new members according to the correct statutes, he said.

Merz suggested the council get a second opinion from a different municipal attorney.

Committee background

The police department had never had a strategic plan before and Herrera said he wanted to develop one to help guide the department and identify priorities.

The police advisory committee was first mentioned at the councils Jan. 2, 2020 meeting.

During the meeting, the council approved committee assignments based on a December workshop, naming Stanfill the police and chamber liaison, according to the meeting minutes. Stanfill said in his council report that he met with Herrera and discussed forming an advisory group and developing a five-year strategic plan.

Over the next year and a half, Stanfill mentioned the committee during his council report. Stanfill said Friday efforts to form the committee were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020.

The committee began meeting in early April 2021 and its last meeting was May 17, Herrera said Friday.

Both said a call for volunteers during council meetings was not fruitful. Stanfill said a couple people approached him and volunteered to be on the committee. After brainstorming who to approach, Herrera sent an email to several people asking if they want to be on the committee, he said.

Herrera said he and Stanfill tried to come up with a broad cross section of the community and include stakeholders from the business community, port and schools. They considered people who had been active in the community one way or another, he said. The board had 10 members, not including Stanfill.

In spring 2021, Herrera held several informational sessions about the departments budget, staffing, legislative changes and other information to help committee members provide informed feedback, he said.

I was very transparent with the group from the outset and throughout the process to make them understand that I wasnt looking for a rubber stamp or for them to bless what I thought priorities should be, but I genuinely wanted feedback, Herrera said.

The chief also polled the police officers on their thoughts as part of creating the strategic plan, he said. Herrera is now working to write up the document.

Until recently, Stanfill said no one had issues with the committee.

I never had any doubts whatsoever about the legality, he said. Wed been doing this in a forthright, transparent fashion.

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More than $9,000 worth of hams were donated through Lower Columbia CAP by the affiliates of the Longview/Kelso Building and Construction Trades Council and the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Central Labor Council for the 2021 holiday season.

CAP offers special thanks to United Association Local 26, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, International Operating Engineers Local 701, Boilermakers Local 502, Laborers International Union of North America Local 335, Iron Workers Local 29, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 66 and the Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 36.

The donations carried on a holiday tradition of the unions coming together to assure community members receive holiday dinners.

A total of 3,694 pounds of hams for a total donated cost of $9070 was purchased from Cascade Select in Castle Rock and delivered with three full-size trucks that were fully loaded.

The donation is greatly appreciated as part of the holiday season of giving, notes a press release from CAP.

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China, Cambodia agree to advance Belt and Road cooperation

Xinhua) 10:31, March 19, 2022

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Friday, with both sides agreeing to promote Belt and Road cooperation.

The two sides should engage in high-quality joint Belt and Road construction, speed up the construction of major projects such as highways, airports and special economic zones, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as finance and digital economy, Xi said.

Xi noted that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-Cambodia relations have withstood tests and grown even more unbreakable.

Facing major global changes and the pandemic, both unseen in a century, China and Cambodia have firmly promoted the building of a community with a shared future, setting an example of forging a new type of international relations, he said.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the China-Cambodia free trade agreement should be fully tapped to push bilateral trade to a new level, Xi said.

The Chinese side will import more high-quality agricultural products from Cambodia, carry out more cooperation with Cambodia to improve people's welfare, and implement such projects related to roads and education in rural areas, so as to help develop agriculture in Cambodia and lift farmers out of poverty, he noted.

China will continue to support Cambodia in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and explore new models of people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Cambodia against the backdrop of the pandemic.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the regional cooperation architecture, and supports the bloc in playing a bigger role in regional and international affairs.

China also supports Cambodia in carrying out its duty as the rotating president of ASEAN this year, Xi said, adding that China stands ready to work with Cambodia and other ASEAN countries to push for the continuous development of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership.

Hun Sen sincerely congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the successful convening of the "two sessions."

The prime minister said he believes that under the strong leadership of President Xi, China will make more great achievements.

The rapid growth of Cambodia-China bilateral trade and smooth progress of major projects under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road have demonstrated the achievements of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, Hun Sen said, adding that it shows Cambodia and China are true ironclad brothers.

Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and firmly supports China's position on issues related to Taiwan and Xinjiang, he noted.

The Cambodian side is ready to take the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges and other fields, and advance the Belt and Road cooperation, so as to lift the Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

Hun Sen thanked China for providing material supplies, vaccines and other assistance to Cambodia in its fight against COVID-19, expressing his hope for stronger anti-pandemic cooperation.

As the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, Cambodia will continue to actively promote the development of ASEAN-China relations, he added.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. The two sides agree to uphold a balanced and fair position and make positive efforts to promote peace talks.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
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Brazils Supreme Court banned the popular messaging service Telegram, in a widening crackdown.

Brazils Supreme Court banned the popular messaging service Telegram, in a widening crackdown on what authorities describe as fake news and hate speech in the lead up to presidential elections later this year.

On Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered internet providers and digital stores to block the app after repeated attempts by the federal police to get in touch with the service to remove content.

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Telegram is notoriously known for its stance of not cooperating with judicial and police authorities in several countries, police wrote in their request to Moraes, which he cited in his decision. It has become an open space for the proliferation of various content, including that with repercussions in the criminal area.

The push to shut Telegram in Brazil is part of wide-reaching efforts to combat misinformation and falsehoods about the countrys electoral system.

President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies have pushed their online supporters to the London-based platform, after popular apps such as Twitter and Facebook took down posts containing false information about Covid-19, and promoting unproven remedies.

Bolsonaro, who often claims he is being silenced by Big Tech, is himself a user of the app. Critics say Telegram has become a safe haven for conspiracy theories and vitriol.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to its press team.

While WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, continues to be more popular in Brazil, an August survey found that over half of smart phone users had downloaded Telegram.

Still Available

On Friday afternoon, Telegram was still available in Brazil via Google Play. Brazils authorities temporarily shut down YouTube in 2006, and WhatsApp in 2016.

In August, Moraes ordered social media companies to remove posts containing widely-shared details from a sealed police 2018 police investigation, which Bolsonaro released as supposed proof that the voting system can be hacked.

Brazils Electoral Court, which oversees voting, denies the allegations. Authorities have struggled to establish contact with Telegram, which is popular with activists and dissidents for its anonymity, and the ability to set up large groups of users.

Bolsonaro himself has attempted to sow doubt about the integrity of the October election, intensifying his unsubstantiated claims that electronic voting machines can be rigged, raising the fear of a disputed result.
The ruling shielding Tesla CEO Elon Musk from being questioned by lawyers for the deceased drivers family is a significant win for the electric-car maker.

Elon Musk wont have to testify in the first case set for trial that blames Tesla Inc.s Autopilot for a fatal crash, a Florida judge said. he ruling shielding the companys chief executive officer from being questioned by lawyers for the deceased drivers family is a significant win for the electric-car maker.

Without a deposition of the billionaire entrepreneur, it will be harder for the family to argue that Tesla made irresponsible decisions under his leadership about marketing its driver-assistance software at the expense of safety.

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The companys nearly trillion-dollar valuation is partly built on Musks championing of autonomous driving as the way of the future.

Tesla has shown that Musk does not have unique personal knowledge of the issues in the case, Florida Circuit Court Judge Janis Keyser wrote in a brief ruling.

The lawsuit stems from the 2019 death of Jeremy Banner, 50, who died when his Tesla Model 3 crashed into the underside of a semi-trailer truck crossing a Florida highway. The case is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 20 in Palm Beach County.

The Banner family claims Tesla didnt fix Autopilot so it would shut down in dangerous circumstances despite a similar accident at a traffic crossing in 2016 that killed another Florida man who had engaged the technology.

Trey Lytal, an attorney representing the Banner family, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Teslas lawyers have argued the company has been open and honest about Autopilots limitations, including the difficulty of detecting traffic crossing in front of its cars. The company warns drivers on its car screens and owners manual that drivers must be alert and ready to take control of vehicles at any time, according to its lawyers.

Lytal argued at a March 10 hearing that Musks deposition is central to the dispute because only he can answer the question of why Tesla would allow this dangerous technology to be used on a roadway where the car knows its going to fail.

Keyser previously rejected Lytals request to question Musk early in the pretrial evidence-gathering phase of the case.

Since then, Banners attorneys have had a chance to take depositions from almost half a dozen, high-level Tesla engineers, including Christopher CJ Moore, the former director for Autopilot who has since gone to work for Apple Inc. on its self-driving project.

But Lytal told Keyser at the hearing that none of the Tesla engineers could answer why the company ignored warnings from government safety regulators and others to stop marketing Autopilot as a technology with full self-driving capability when it wasnt.

Musk has unique personal knowledge about this, Lytal said. Thats why we need to depose him. Nobody else can answer this question. Even though Musk said in a declaration that he lacks such knowledge, Tesla hasnt explained why, he said.

Teslas attorney, Vincent Galvin, countered that the demands to question Musk are just harassment. The engineers have answered relevant questions, so the fact that the plaintiff doesnt like the answers is not a basis for Mr. Lytal taking Mr. Musks deposition, Galvin said.

Keyser said her ruling was based on the extensive depositions by Tesla engineers and a written declaration submitted by Musk.

The case is Banner v. Tesla Inc., 50-2019-CA-0099662, Circuit Court of 15th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County, Florida.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A former Google worker filed a lawsuit on Friday accusing the tech titan of discriminating against her and other Black employees.

April Curley contended in the suit that she was undermined and ultimately fired for advocating reform of "barriers and double standards" imposed on Black Google employees.

"Black Google employees face a hostile work environment and suffer retaliation if they dare to challenge or oppose the company's discriminatory practices," the suit alleged.

Google hires few Black workers and steers them into low-level jobs with doors to career advancement kept closed due to their race, according to the suit.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

Curley was hired by Google in 2014 as a university programs specialists in New York City to reach out to Black college students as potential employees, according to the filing

"She discovered that Google was not genuinely interested in actual diversity and equal employment opportunities but wanted only to burnish its public image for marketing purposes," the suit contended.

Curley was terminated from her position by Google in late 2020, according to the filing.

"While Google claims that they were looking to increase diversity, they were actually undervaluing, underpaying and mistreating their Black employees, leading to high turnover," said Curley's attorney, Ben Crump.

The suit filed in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose seeks class action status to represent other Black Google employees.

Curley's lawyers cited statistics indicating that as of last year, some 4.4 percent of Google employees are Black and that a scant three percent of people in management positions are Black.

They also told the court that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is investigating Google's treatment of Black female employees.

Explore further Google CEO says company will review AI scholar's abrupt exit

 2022 AFP
AUSTIN  After Twitter flagged him for hateful conduct, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton dug in on his decision to deny the gender identity of the nations highest-ranking transgender official.

Adm. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary of health and a transgender woman, was recently named a woman of the year by USA Today. In a statement Paxton tweeted and sent to campaign supporters, the attorney general reiterated that he refuses to acknowledge Levine as a woman because he was following science.

Locked in a competitive bid for reelection, Paxtons comments come on the heels of the states controversial decision to launch child abuse investigations into the families of transgender youth.

This whole insane episode represents a two-pronged attack from the left  both of which Im vigorously fighting against, Paxton wrote. First is the lefts war against human biology, and especially against women. Second is their weaponization of Big Tech against conservative voices.

He added he was exploring legal options against Twitter.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Levines employer, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Paxton, a Republican, has fought for years against expanding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and, in particular, transgender people.

This episode with Levine, however, appears to be Paxtons first time openly denying the existence of transgender identities altogether. His statement built on his tweet from Thursday, in which he called Levine a man. That tweet was flagged for violating Twitters rules but was left up because the social media site determined it may be in the publics interest.

A spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment on Paxtons stance on transgender identity and rights.

The timing is notable because Paxton  who is in the midst of a contentious reelection campaign against a fellow Republican  was also the impetus behind the states recent decision to target the families of transgender children.

A week before the March 1 primary election, Paxton issued an opinion that classified certain kinds of gender-confirming medical treatments for trans minors as child abuse. Based on that interpretation, Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to investigate any reports of such care.

Child protective services have launched at least nine probes in response. The family of a trans teenager targeted by the state is now suing to halt these investigations.

Paxton, no friend of social media giants, has gone after tech companies like Twitter and Facebook on allegations they conservative speech and infringe on user privacy. Last year, he agreed to stop blocking constituents on Twitter after several Texans sued him.

He may even be courting a reprimand from Twitter, which could help him with conservative voters in his bid for re-election. Other elected officials have seen their accounts suspended for similar comments, including an Indiana congressman who also went after Levine, born a biological male, last year.

Paxton will face off against Land Commissioner George P. Bush in the GOP runoff May 24. Re-elected to a second term in 2018, Paxton has been under active indictment for alleged securities fraud for nearly seven years and also faces an unrelated FBI bribery investigation.
WASHINGTON  Just 46 residents of Starr County, Texas, cast ballots in the states Republican primary two years ago. But on March 1, nearly 1,100 Republicans voted in the sparsely populated county that hugs the Mexican border.

A similar surge in Republican turnout unfolded across South Texas, a longtime Democratic stronghold dominated by Latino voters. In five U.S.-Mexico border counties, nearly 30,000 people voted in the GOP primary, an increase of more than 25% in participation from 2020.

The Texas primary, which ushered in the 2022 midterms, is emerging as an urgent warning for Democrats who are clinging to narrow majorities in Congress. The drift of Latino support toward Republicans that surfaced while former President Donald Trump was in office may prove to be a more enduring political trend that could force Democrats to reassess how they win elections.

The reverberations are being felt far beyond Texas. In South Florida, where Democrats were caught off guard by losing two House seats in 2020 that theyd flipped the previous cycle, some say the party must intensify on-the-ground operations that were largely suspended during the pandemic. Perhaps more fundamentally, they say, Democrats must do more to listen to the priorities of Latino voters and make fewer assumptions about their support.

It plays to this elitist branding that the Democratic Party is trying so hard to shake, said Devon Murphy-Anderson, the Florida Democratic Partys former finance director. You cant do that when youre pointing the finger at somebody and saying, We know whats best for you, and its our candidate.

Murphy-Anderson, is co-founder of Mi Vecino, a Florida Democratic advocacy group that plans to spend at least $2.3 million in the midterm cycle and register a minimum of 30,000 new voters in heavily Hispanic areas.

Overall, Latinos still support Democrats by wide margins. Biden carried them in 2020, 59% to 38%, but that was 17 percentage points lower than Hillary Clintons 2016 margin, according to Pew Research Center data.

Kellyanne Conway, a Trump adviser and his 2016 campaign manager, said she presented data on GOP inroads with Hispanic voters during a recent Republican National Committee retreat.

The left just sees them as immigration voters, Conway said of Hispanic voters. By contrast, she said, Trump has helped Republicans win over Hispanics on issues including job creation, education and traditional religious beliefs: We connected with them intellectually, economically and spiritually.

Abel Prado, executive director of the Democratic advocacy group Cambio Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, acknowledged that Republicans have intensified candidate recruitment efforts that may have contributed to small gains in primary participation. But when you look at the raw votes, were still outvoting them 3-to-1.

Prado also said Republican efforts could backfire, ultimately energizing local Democrats.

Hopefully the bad headlines do encourage candidates to invest way more heavily in the Rio Grande Valley, he said. Republicans are throwing money at the Valley without any remorse. You dont see the same thing from Democrats.

Mayra Flores, who won the Republican nomination for an open South Texas congressional seat this month, said former president Donald Trump played a huge role in energizing Latinos in part by labeling Democrats as socialists. Still, she said the partys gains arent dependent on him being on the ballot  as last weeks turnout shows. She said she personally connected with voters.

Theyre finally seeing a Republican that looks like them, that has a similar story to them and shares their values, Flores, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. at age 6, said of voters in her district, which includes the border city of Brownsville. I think thats very important.

Improving Republican primary turnout in GOP primaries could buck decades of Democratic suggestions that Texas booming Hispanic population would eventually flip Americas largest Republican state. A ballooning Hispanic community, after all, helped transform once GOP-leaning California into the nations biggest blue state in the 1990s.

Flores voted for Barack Obama in 2008, but later became a Republican, after becoming more politically engaged and deciding that the party better represented her communitys traditional family and religious values. She later worked as a Hispanic organizer for Trumps 2020 campaign, trying to woo voters who had long voted Democratic more out of habit than political conviction.

Flores said the National Republican Campaign Committee has pledged financial support despite her being an underdog in the general election. Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez switched districts and is now competing with Flores in November, and got 23,000-plus votes in securing the Democratic nomination, more than double Flores total.

Texas gained more residents than any state between 2010 and 2020, with Latinos driving the growth that swelled its population to 29.1 million. Trump won 35% of the Hispanic vote nationally in 2020, about the same as he won in Texas, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate.

But VoteCast showed he made inroads with Latino voters in some states, including Florida (45%) and Nevada (42%). Florida also saw its Hispanic and overall population boom according to last years census, and Trump won the state twice as Republicans ousted Democratic U.S. Reps. Donna Shalala and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in Miami in 2020.

Juan-Carlos Planas, an election attorney and former Republican Florida state representative who is now a Democrat, said theres time before the states Aug. 23 primary for Democrats to make up ground.

Things could look bad today, but you never know what will happen next, Planas said. Do I think Democrats need to step up in voter registration? Yes, absolutely. Democrats need to step up their ground game.
Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
I get to be outdoors, in the fresh air and play in the dirt, said Steve Benzel, a third-generation Alliance farmer.

Benzel went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for pre-engineering and realized after one year that key patch engineering and desk work were not for him. He joined his two younger brothers and dad on the family farm in 1977.

I wanted to be able to be free to come and go as I please anytime I wanted to without being required to be in a certain spot, he said.

Benzel is a third-generation Volga German farmer; his great-grandfather worked in a German farm camp in Russia in the early 1900s. Benzels family immigrated to the U.S. before the Russian Revolution began in 1917.

The young family most likely settled in the Panhandle because it is an agriculture community and they were able to continue farming. Benzels grandfather was 3 or 4 years old at the time.

They got the heck out of there before that Bolshevik Revolution happened, Benzel said. They came over as farm laborers, and they found places to live and work. They never really talked about it much, but they had German Bibles when I was growing up and they spoke German amongst themselves.

Benzel and his two brothers, Trent and Carl, were raised in Box Butte County farming the familys 1,200 acres that relied heavily on gravity irrigation. He recalls working with tubes and dirt ditches using gravity to flood fields.

I worked my tail off when I was a young kid, Benzel said. Gravity irrigation is a dying art that I really dont miss, but I was in a lot better shape back then.

Through the years, the Benzel family leased, bought and sold farm ground near Alliance. In the early 1980s, the family began transitioning to pivot irrigation. It would be nearly 20 years later and many added acres before they accumulated "the mighty nine," in reference to their center pivots.

In the early 90s, I took a hiatus and sold cars for about three or four years just to try something different, Benzel said. I had enough of that business and ended up back on the farm because my dad was sick and needed the help.

In 1998, Benzel's father passed away from cancer, sealing Benzels future in the farming industry. He explained that at this stage some families could afford the risk and venture out to farm on their own, but the Benzel trio could not. The brothers gravitated to separate farm responsibilities. Benzel mainly does the planting while Trent and Carl do spraying, combine duty and other field work.

The brothers farm 1,700 acres, which Benzel considers fairly small for the Panhandle area. Most of the land is irrigated by the nine center pivots, and the remainder of their ground is dry-land.

He recalls that after his father passed away, he made the decision to become involved in agriculture organizations in the Panhandle.

Benzel went to his first Nebraska Dry Bean Commission meeting and found himself on the board of directors with the organization for about 17 years. Roughly six years ago, Benzel also became involved with the Nebraska Sugar Beet Growers Association. He humbly reflected on thinking at the time that these groups must have been desperate to include him and elect him to board positions.

Among Benzels activities in Panhandle grower organizations is his involvement with the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center. He has been working with the extension centers on-farm research team for several years by planting variety trials and participating on discussion boards. Benzel said it was his involvement with the bean commission that gave him the extension contacts and interest.

John Thomas is the crop/water systems extension educator positioned in Alliance, and among his many duties is coordinating on-farm research for that area of the Panhandle. Benzels farm is one of a handful that are planting small plots, harvesting them and sharing the data to advance research. On-farm research initiatives study a number of factors including seed variety, bug infestations, weed management and harvest of the crops.

Thomas said the Benzel farm has been an asset to the research effort because of its direct harvest of beans and because he is a progressive farmer, always questioning current practices.

I just appreciate growers that are willing to participate, Thomas said. It does take a little of their time; it slows them down a little bit. But theyre willing to participate, they learn and it also helps the community of growers to learn. So I appreciate guys like Steve (Benzel) that are willing to do this.

While Benzel is active in furthering farm research in the Panhandle, the brothers will likely be the final instalment of the third-generation farming family. His wife, Lori, teaches fourth grade at Grandview Elementary in Alliance and will be retiring soon. Their oldest son works with farmers as a loan officer in Sidney and their youngest son is a Lancaster County clerk living in Lincoln.

Between the three of us (the brothers), we could handle the workload. So we really didnt look down the road far enough to think well, maybe someday buy some land for these kids, Benzel said. We encouraged them to go off, get a college education and get jobs. Plus they just really never grew up working on the farm like we did. So thats where were at. I think this just might be the end of the line for this bunch.

Nicole Heldt is a reporter with the Star-Herald, covering agriculture. She can be reached at 308-632-9044 or by email at nheldt@starherald.com.
Calvary Lutheran Church will host a craft and vendor fair March 25 and 26 at the church, 1304 N. Custer.

Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

A food court will be open both days, serving coffee and rolls as well as lunch. Breakfast will also be available on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

More than 30 booths, including crafts, boutiques, jewelry, oils and a wide variety of vendors will be provided. Tickets will be available for a raffle consisting of items donated by the vendors.

Homemade enchiladas will also be available for purchase.

For more information, call the church office at 308-382-5446

To submit items for Church Notes (which run every Friday), contact Diane Cook at 308-381-9409 or email to diane.cook@theindependent.com. Deadline for Friday publication is noon Thursday.
HASTINGS  A series of music-related events, recitals and programs, including the Art Song Festival and Piano Festival, starts Monday as part of Music Masters Week organized by the Department of Music and Theatre at Hastings College.

The week is designed to inspire both students and the community as a whole with outstanding performances and opportunities to interact with musicians, alumni and educators.

All events are free and open to the public, and take place in the Fuhr Hall of Music, 927 N. Ash Ave.

Music Masters week kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Monday with a recital by Brian Shaw on trumpet. Shaw will perform a wide selection of repertoire spanning over three centuries on several different instruments, including music by Biber, Molter, Verdi, Debussy, Hindemith and John Williams.

He is known internationally for his versatility and is principal trumpet of Santa Fe Pro Musica, Spire Chamber Ensemble, the Baton Rouge Symphony and co-principal trumpet of the Dallas Winds. He will be joined by Hastings College faculty pianist Jonathan Sokasits and trumpeter Louie Eckhardt.

The first of two Art Song Festival performance evenings is planned for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; the second is 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The theme of this years festival is From Sea to Shining Sea, a Celebration of American art songs. Performances by Hastings College students and faculty feature art songs written by American composers with poetry from William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou. Each night features a different set of performers, but will follow the same theme.

The Hastings College Art Song Festival exists to introduce students and the community to the rich, diverse and unique repertoire of Western classical art song. As an annual event, the festival will highlight the repertoire of a single composer, language, nationality or style to help viewers develop a deeper appreciation of the diversity of the art song.

A music education forum at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday features Hastings College alumni Michael Stinman, John Roebke, Mark Harman and Linda Johnson. Each will talk briefly and answer questions and have an open discussion about music education. The panel will be moderated by Robin Koozer.

Stinman serves as the general music specialist (K-5) and the middle school jazz band director at Treynor Community Schools in Treynor, Iowa. Roebke is director of bands at Theodore Roosevelt High School and Music Department chair for the Kent City Schools in Ohio. Johnson is a retired music educator after 26 years of teaching. Harman has been director of vocal music at Fremont High School for 21 years. Koozer is emeritus professor of music and a development associate with the Hastings College Foundation.

Pianist Philip Daniel Zach will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Zach did his graduate work at the University of MissouriKansas City Conservatory in piano performance and his undergraduate studies at Hastings College, where he earned a bachelors in piano performance and piano pedagogy in 2015.

Music Masters Week wraps up Saturday, March 26, with the 35th Gladys Frisch Harris Piano Festival. After being online the last two years, the piano festival returns in person, and features a recital and talk by guest clinician Grace Huang of the University of Georgia, an opportunity for students in grades 8-12 to have a masterclass with Huang or piano professor Jonathan Sokasits, and a concluding performance by Sokasits on piano, assistant professor Nathan Mertens on saxophone and Taylor Wilson, a high school piano student of Sokasits.

The festival opens with a solo recital by Huang at 9 a.m., followed by a talk, The Three Cs for the Modern Musician, and masterclass sessions for students. The recital featuring Mertens, Wilson and Sokasits will begin at 1 p.m.

All activities are free to attendees and participants, and are open to the public. A full schedule is at hastings.edu/pianofestival.

A link on the page allows students in grades 8-12 to request a masterclass with Huang and Sokasits.
A team of three South Carolina State University students is sharing a $1,000 scholarship from the Pay it Forward competition sponsored by South Carolinas electric cooperatives.

The team from SC States Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College  Jordan Brown of New Zion, Simien Chestnut of St. Matthews, and Jerdashia Scott of Spartanburg  was awarded the scholarship for their team report, Getting Crime Rates Down in Rural South Carolina.

The students researched criminal activity near historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and proposed a community partnership solution, complete with an app, to make students, faculty and staff aware of the risks and to provide crime prevention tips.

Jordan, Simien and Jerdashia exemplify the potential we see in every student who comes through our doors, SC State Interim President Alexander Conyers said. Working together, they took on a difficult topic and suggested practical strategies, which could have real impact. SC States Public Safety team already is reviewing their suggestions. This kind of critical thinking is what the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College is all about.

We thank the electric cooperatives not only for supporting our students, but also for trusting young people to tackle important concerns in our communities, Conyers said.

The competition challenged students to search for solutions to pressing social and economic problems in the states rural areas. In the inaugural contest, students at the states largest public honors college programs put their education to work by brainstorming solutions. Teams of honors students at Clemson University and SC State universities were named as finalists.

Its great to see young South Carolinians apply their education, talent and drive to the issues facing rural communities, said Mike Couick, president and CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. Both of these projects represent the creativity and critical problem-solving we hoped to inspire when we launched the Pay it Forward initiative.

The projects were judged by a panel of community leaders including U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, Post and Courier reporter Avery Wilks, state Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman, the Rev. Charles Jackson of Brookland Baptist Church, and Sue Berkowitz of the S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Foundation.

Clemson students Micah Jordan of Easley, Trina Pham of Mauldin and Aiden Tombuelt of Spartanburg are sharing the top prize, a $5,000 scholarship, for their plan to create mobile dental clinics to serve rural residents who do not have dental insurance or access to regular dental care. Calling their initiative The Party Enamel, the students outlined plans to outfit and staff mobile clinics and identified multiple partner organizations and funding sources.

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Last year, more than a million returns claimed state tax breaks available for South Carolina families, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

With the state tax filing deadline approaching next month, the SCDOR reminds families to review deductions and credits they may be able to claim on their state tax returns.

Here are some common state tax credits and deductions available for families:

Child and Dependent Care Credit: For a full-year resident, the credit is calculated at 7% of the federal child and dependent care expense. Part-year residents or nonresidents are not eligible for this credit unless they are a resident of a state that offers a credit for child and dependent care expense to nonresidents of that state. The maximum credit allowed is $210 for one child or $420 for two or more children. You cannot claim this credit if your filing status is Married Filing Separately.

More than 99,000 returns claimed over $17 million in Child and Dependent Care Credits for tax year 2020.

Two Wage Earner Credit: This credit is available to married couples filing jointly when both spouses have earned income taxed to South Carolina. This credit cannot be claimed if your filing status is Single, Married Filing Separately, Qualifying Widow(er), or Head of Household. For tax year 2021, the credit is 0.7% of the lesser of $43,333 or the South Carolina qualified earned income of the taxpayer with the lower qualified income for the taxable year.

More than 377,000 returns claimed over $64 million in Two Wage Earner Credits for tax year 2020.

Child deductions: South Carolina offers a deduction of $4,300 for each dependent child and an additional deduction of $4,260 for each child under 6 years of age.

More than 727,000 returns for 2020 claimed dependent deductions, and 246,094 returns claimed exemptions for children under age 6.

Future college payment deductions: Contributions to the SC College Investment Program, known as Future Scholar, or the SC Tuition Prepayment Program are deductible. You may deduct 100% of any contributions to the SC College Investment Program made between January 1, 2021 and April 15, 2022 and 100% of any contributions to the SC Tuition Prepayment Program made between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.

More than 31,000 returns claimed over $346 million in future college payment deductions for tax year 2020.

SC Earned Income Tax Credit: South Carolina's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) goes up for 2021 to 83.33% of the federal credit, offering more money for low- to moderate-income working individuals or couples, particularly those who have children. South Carolina's version of the federal EITC was adopted in 2018 and is being phased in over six years. You should first claim the EITC on your federal income tax return. If you are not eligible for the federal credit, you cannot claim the state credit.

More than 107,000 returns claimed over $100 million in SC Earned Income Tax Credits for tax year 2020.

Learn more about tax credits and how to claim them at dor.sc.gov/taxcredits.

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The 15th Annual Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce will be held at the Orangeburg Country Club, 2745 Griffith Drive in Orangeburg, on Wednesday, April 27, at noon.

The Presenting Sponsor for the event is SI Group Inc.

This is a great opportunity for management to honor their administrative professionals and secretarial staff by treating them to a lunch and an entertaining program in recognition of the contributions made by their office support personnel.

Over the decades, the job of an administrative professional has changed dramatically thanks to new tools, techniques and seismic shifts in the economy and culture itself, but administrative assistants have remained the steady center of efficiency through it all, helping ensure that jobs get done right, on time and under budget.

Administrative professionals are one of the engines of business, particularly in a complex economy, and in a world that demands the accurate and speedy movement of digital information, admins are masters of data, while maintaining their more traditional role as the gatekeepers for many customers, clients, and employees. Quite simply, they are the pulse of the office, and there are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants in the United States making it one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays.

Names of those attending will be drawn for several great door prizes which have been donated by member businesses and individuals. Reservations for the luncheon are $40 each for chamber members and may be made at the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, 155 Riverside Drive. Call 803-534-6821 or visit our website at www.orangeburgchamber.com for further information concerning reservations.

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Two convicted felons are accused of killing 47-year-old John Henry Butler on March 6, according to Orangeburg Department of Public Safety warrants.

Christopher Terell Gilyard, 40, of Bamberg and Terri Lynn Maynard, 50, of Orangeburg are each facing one count of murder

Police believe a third suspect was involved, but that person has not yet been identified.

Gilyard is also facing charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a violent felony, pointing and presenting a firearm and possession of weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Officers took Gilyard and Maynard into custody on Thursday.

Someone shot and killed Butler at his 2030 Russell Street home around 5:30 p.m. on March 6.

Warrants claim that Gilyard, Maynard and a third person arrived at the home in a minivan.

Maynard allegedly sat in the front passenger seat of the minivan, acting as a lookout and relaying information between the others.

The unknown suspect entered the home through the front screen door and pointed a handgun at Butler, demanding Butler give up his belongings.

Butler attempted to push the suspect out of the house, but the suspect shot Butler, warrants say. The suspect then retreated to the minivan.

After Butler was shot, Gilyard allegedly went into the bedroom and pointed a rifle at Butlers girlfriend and ordered her to get into the closet.

Gilyard allegedly removed items from Butlers person on his way out of the house.

When Butlers girlfriend exited the bedroom, she found him unresponsive on the floor just inside of the front door.

The homes video surveillance cameras recorded the incident, warrants and an incident report state.

Gilyards prior convictions include one count of first-degree assault and battery and numerous counts of resisting arrest, defrauding the lottery and second-degree burglary.

Maynard has multiple forgery convictions.

In 2014, she pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery. She was originally charged with attempted murder.

Circuit Judge Ed Dickson sentenced her to 10 years in prison, suspended to three years in prison and three years of probation.

In November 2019, Maynard pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of armed robbery. She was originally charged with armed robbery.

She was also charged with murder in October 2017, but that charge was dismissed at her preliminary hearing.

If convicted, Gilyard and Maynard face up to life in prison.

They remain at the Orangeburg County Detention Center.

A circuit judge may consider setting their bonds at a later date.

Anyone with information in the shooting death is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD

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The Claflin University Office of Career Development recently bridged a sponsorship with Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) to receive non-perishable food donations for the universitys Panther Pantry.

As part of the KPMG Accelerate 2025 Initiative, the firm partnered with Pack Shack in Arkansas to combat the epidemic of food insecurity on HBCU campuses. Under KPMGs Feed Your Mind Initiative, Claflin is receiving 66 Be Neighborly Provision boxes, each containing 30 essential food items such as peanut butter, jelly, pasta sauce, rice, beans, canned chicken, canned tuna, and snacks.

According to Carolyn Snell, assistant to the vice president for student development and services and director of career development, the Panther Pantry serves a dual purpose on Claflins campus. It supports the universitys regular meal plan by offering students the opportunity to receive food outside traditional dining hours, as well as a place for students to come and receive free food.

This opportunity means a lot to us, but it means more to the students. If theyre able to come to the pantry and pick out items that we have stocked, then it aids in them not having to go out and spend money on fast food, especially at night, Snell said.

As a freshman, I do not have access to a car on campus so, unlike many students, I am not able to go get food whenever I want. I found myself being hungry in-between cafe hours and not having easy access to snacks. Its nice that I not only get to work the Pantry, but I also get to use it as a resource to get food for my room, said Jayla Bryant, Panther Pantry volunteer and student ambassador with the Claflin University Office of Career Development.

The Panther Pantry launched in 2020 but grew tremendously in 2021 with sponsorship from various organizations. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Claflin students can stop by the Pantry centrally located on campus to pick up non-perishable food items.

Right now, we have three sponsors -- Food Lion Feeds, Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) -- and now KPMG, Snell said. Our goal is to continue to have a relationship with our current sponsors while looking to build relationships with new sponsors so we can keep the Pantry open and vital for the student body.

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Theodor Geisel, best known as Dr. Seuss, is known for writing and illustrating more than 60 books, with the Cat in the Hat being perhaps his best-known work.

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday and the National Read Across America Day, the Orangeburg County Library and The Cat in the Hat visited St. Andrews United Methodist Churchs kindergarten recently.

The library sent two employees to read The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss to students and the students were encouraged to read.

The "Cat in the Hat" also visited with the children and each child received a new Dr. Seuss book. About 50 books were given out of various Dr. Seuss titles.

In our work, every day is Read Across America Day, Orangeburg County Library Director Anna Zacherl said. All the programs keep literacy and learning at the forefront. This is one example of how we incorporate books into the program and we put books in kids homes.

Read Across America is a motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on or around Dr. Seuss's birthday, which is March 2.

His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.

Zacherl said the library also promotes reading through other efforts, such as the One Day, Fun Day book club at the library, where a book is read to a group of children and where parents and children can interact about the book.

The library is keenly aware of the lack of reading materials in the homes, Zacherl said. We want to combat that to make sure kids have books in the home they can read.

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Questions about the advanced nuclear reactor planned for Kemmerer have circulated since the day TerraPower announced it would be built in Wyoming.

People living near the candidate sites wanted to know where the spent fuel would go. If  and how  the electricity the plant generated would be taxed. Whether workers would be rehired from the coal plant it ended up replacing, and if the coal mine the plant relied on would survive.

Wyoming, home to the vestiges of a booming uranium industry, still houses plenty of untapped uranium reserves, and TerraPower has also been asked many times whether the reactor could run on Wyoming uranium. Before mid-February, the answer was yes, it was possible, but not in time for this first plant.

The U.S. imports nearly all of the uranium it uses to generate nuclear power. Advanced reactors like TerraPowers require a more highly enriched fuel that, at present, is only sold by a state-owned Russian company. It didnt look like the U.S. would be able to establish its own fuel supply by the plants 2028 operating deadline. Until that supply chain was in place, TerraPower had no choice but to get its fuel from Russia.

Even though that wasnt the answer most people wanted to hear, it was one many seemed to accept. The state hoped to attract many more advanced reactors, after all. If the endeavor succeeded, interest in Wyoming uranium would probably follow.

Then Russia invaded Ukraine, and as the U.S. looked to wall itself off from Russian energy, a lot of Americans realized just how much the U.S. nuclear sector  whose aging plants already struggle to compete economically with electricity produced from natural gas and renewables  depends on the cheaper uranium imported from Russia and its neighbors.

On Feb. 28, Wyomings Legislature voted 25-34 on a bill amendment that wouldve barred any nuclear plant operating in the state from using Russian uranium. U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-WY, introduced a bill this past week in the Senate to add uranium to the federal ban on Russian oil and gas.

According to Jeff Navin, TerraPowers director of external affairs, Russian fuel is no longer an option, regardless of what lawmakers do. Not even for that first plant.

We have stopped any and all conversations with the Russians, Navin said. We have no interest in re-engaging with the Russians. We are putting all of our efforts into trying to figure out how to get a domestic supply chain stood up as quickly as possible.

Congresss Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program requires the TerraPower reactor and one other facility to be operational by 2028 to qualify for billions in matching Department of Energy funds. The ambitious initiative, intended to speed up the notoriously slow process of building a nuclear plant, doesnt budget much time for bumps in the road, but fuel has become an unexpected hurdle.

Turning its back on Russia leaves TerraPower with six years to secure another supplier.

Two months ago, I could have told you our plan to get our first core load, Navin said. Today, I cant. So its certainly introducing a little more uncertainty into the project.

Theres exactly one U.S. enrichment facility authorized to make the fuel TerraPower needs: a nearly operational Ohio demonstration plant, owned by nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy, that will be able to produce about 900 kilograms per year.

Combined, the first core loads of the two nuclear plants scheduled to start up by 2028 require nearly 20 times that volume. Some of that fuel could potentially be made using federal stockpiles of highly enriched uranium through a process known as downblending, but downblending isnt a long-term alternative to commercial production. Which means the fate of TerraPowers Wyoming plant is now tied to the scale-up of the U.S. nuclear supply chain.

Its an incredibly important area, said Andrew Griffith, deputy assistant secretary for nuclear fuel at the Department of Energy. And weve got to get it right, and weve got to get it quickly.

Most of the responsibility for bridging the enrichment gap falls to Congress. Existing appropriations, including the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill passed last week, have given the Department of Energy the money to get started. It was doing just that  the agency issued a request for information about the commercialization of advanced nuclear fuel  when the establishment of a U.S. source became an immediate concern.

Clearly, this is a really important need. Its a recognized need. ... But it is a function of funding, Griffith said.

The more money Congress shells out to help keep the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program on schedule, the faster the Department of Energy anticipates onboarding industry partners and bringing commercial enrichment capacity online.

When it comes to the earliest reactors, though, Griffith isnt making any promises, no matter how deep Congressional pockets may prove.

Its going to be a challenge, he said, regardless.

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When Lynette Grey Bull lived in Arizona and later California, she often heard about the effects of adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, from teachers, other nonprofit volunteers and health care providers.

But when she moved to the Wind River Indian Reservation, that framework for understanding trauma wasnt a part of the conversation.

Its rural, its a reservation, but also working with non-native people too, its just not a common thing, Grey Bull said.

So she started doing ACEs polls during conferences or trainings through her organization, Not Our Native Daughters, which works to end trafficking, exploitation, and murder of Indigenous Persons.

The scores were consistently high, she said, reflecting the cycle of trauma that often plagues tribal communities.

If we all have high numbers, why are we not doing anything to address this? she said.

Grey Bull, who is Northern Arapaho and Hunkpapa Lakota, has been named a champion for her work by PACEs Connection, a network of people who study adverse childhood experiences and how they can contribute to social, economic and health issues later in life.

Through the network, Grey Bull said, she hopes to spearhead studies on Wind River and other reservations in the U.S. to examine how childhood and generational trauma affect tribal communities.

PACEs Connection CEO Ingrid Cockhren said that they choose champions to call attention to people doing work on the ground to educate their communities about adverse childhood experiences and to provide examples for others to follow.

Its also part of our more recent mission to ensure that we are highlighting all voices in our work, Cockhren said. We are primarily driven by white people, especially white women. We have recently moved, probably in the last three years, to be more intentional about highlighting... groups that are most impacted by historical trauma.

Those include Indigenous people and descendants of slaves, Cockhren said. Part of PACEs mission includes bringing those communities in contact with resources  whether thats counseling, state agencies or larger nonprofits with more funding  that can help alleviate some of the effects of that trauma.

We need these two groups to be able to come together so that they can really make changes in their community ... and the only way that they can do that is if they dont assume what these communities need, Cockhren said, that they actually work with those communities and work with those individual advocates and activists to make real change.

Cockhren first heard about Grey Bull during a virtual event discussing media coverage of Gabby Petito, a young white woman who was reported missing and later found dead in Wyomings Grand Teton National Park.

Soon, Grey Bull connected with other people in the PACEs network working in tribal communities, she said.

Using trauma as a lens has also helped Grey Bull in her work with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors on the reservation, she said. Rates of both are much higher among Indigenous women, but she noticed working with nonprofits that hardly any resources were dedicated to that population. There was also a stigma around seeking mental help, she said.

Ive been a domestic violence survivor myself, and Im a sexual assault survivor as well, she said. So I had to address those pains in my own path so I could move forward and be a healthy mother and a healthy person and a contributor to my community. So I love cultivating that in other women.

Grey Bull won the Democratic nomination for Wyomings lone U.S. House seat in 2020, but lost the seat to Liz Cheney in the general election.

Native American women suffer domestic violence 50 times higher than the national average, she said. I made up my mind a long time ago that I was committing my life and my life work to change those statistics.

From speaking to state and federal lawmakers, Grey Bull said, she learned theyre often disconnected from whats going on in their own districts, especially when it comes to issues involving Indigenous people.

They need people like me, who have stories and know the statistics, who can tell the stories and compel them to make those changes, she said.

Now, Grey Bulls work is cut out for her  both to educate adults about the effects of childhood trauma and to stop the cycle from claiming another generation of children. Its a tall order, she said, especially on top of the other advocacy work.

Theres something weird about me, she said, I like challenges. I like going up the roughest mountain.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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Not all landmark Supreme Court decisions are admirable. Some are frankly infamous, including Plessy v. Ferguson. In 1896, in Plessy, the Court constitutionalized racial segregation in the South. The Courts opinion plundered Black Americans newly confirmed rights guaranteed by the 13th and 14th Amendments, relegated them to second-class citizenship and imposed a legal stamp of inferiority, denying their humanity and assuring anguish and humiliation.

So much for the myth of wise, dispassionate Supreme Court Justices, atop Mt. Olympus, upholding the rule of law while dispensing justice in opinions that reflect unassailable, rigorous reasoning that persuades the reading republic and distinguishes the High Tribunal. The Plessy decision, rather, reflected the widespread racism of the day and the animus toward Blacks harbored by many Americans.

Plessy v. Ferguson was a test case designed to challenge the Jim Crow transportation law in Louisiana, which required railroad companies carrying passengers in the state to have equal but separate accommodations for white and colored persons. Homer Plessy was an octoroon  one-eighth black  who boarded a railroad car in New Orleans and sat in a car reserved for whites. He was arrested when he refused to move to the black car.

Plessy was convicted by a state court and appealed to the US Supreme Court, asserting violation of his 13th and 14th Amendment rights.

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, had abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, prohibits states from making or enforcing any law that deprives any person equal protection of the laws, due process of law and the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States and the state in which they reside.

Justice Henry B. Brown wrote for an 8-1 majority, which left Justice John Marshall Harlan as the lone dissenter. Justice Brown stated that Louisiana did not violate the 13th Amendment. He said, it is too clear for argument that the statute implied merely a legal distinction between blacks and whites and thus had no tendency to destroy the legal equality of the two races, or reestablish a state of involuntary servitude. Justice Harlan, in dissent, wrote that compulsory racial segregation constituted a badge of servitude and therefore violated the 13th Amendment.

The principal issue in the case involved the question of whether the segregation law abridged the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause. Justice Browns opinion was grounded on feeble reasoning. He conceded that the purpose of the amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, yet added  in the same sentence  but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based on color.

In fact, the historical record demonstrates that the object of the 14th Amendment was to abolish legal distinctions based on color. Browns opinion can make sense only if the reader assumes that the Court believed that segregation was not an exercise in racial discrimination and that segregation would violate the Equal Protection Clause if it were discriminatory.

Justice Brown conceded that a statute implying a legal inferiority in society, diminishing the security of the right of the colored race would be discriminatory, but he declared that the state-mandated segregation did not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the other.

Brown and his colleagues in the majority may have been the only white men in the United States who believed that segregation did not imply the inferiority of blacks. If this be so, Brown wrote, it is not by reason of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction on it.

Evidence of societys imputation of the racial inferiority of Black Americans was everywhere to be seen in the Jim Crow South. Indeed, Jim Crow laws formed the linchpin of white supremacy: For Colored Only represented a label that captured the public disparagement of blacks. Such laws reflected state sanction of civil inequality. The feebleness of Browns reasoning was seen in his own acknowledgement that state acts requiring racial segregation were unconstitutional if inferiority was implied or discrimination intended.

The Plessy ruling justified the separate but equal doctrine as a legitimate and legal exercise of the state police power, that is, the authority of the state to pass laws to promote the health, safety, morals and welfare of the citizenry. While the Court stated that such laws must be reasonable and enacted in good faith to promote the public good, such statutes clearly humiliated and oppressed black citizens. There was nothing reasonable or good about Jim Crow laws unless the measuring stick was that that they served the interests of racists and white supremacists.

Justice Harlan, in his masterful dissent, summed up the harms of segregation. It permits the seeds of race hate to be planted under the sanction of law. Racism at the founding of America, in the form of slavery, was our nations original sin. The racism of Jim Crow perpetuated racial tensions. Racism remains an enduring tragedy.

David Adler, PHD, is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Presidential power. His scholarly writings have been cited by the US Supreme Court and lower courts by both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress. Adlers column is supported in part through a grant from Wyoming Humanities funded by the Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Adler can be reached at david.adler@alturasinstitute.com

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Growing up in Casper, Wyoming, as a closeted transgender man, I needed to build a safe space as I came to terms with my personal identity.

Navigating small town Wyoming as a transgender person was not easy, but Im fortunate to consider my coming out experience a positive one. My family is so supportive, yet sometimes I felt scared that others might call me out in public for being different.

I knew I needed to build my own safe space as I came to understand my identity. Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to enroll at both Kelly Walsh High School and at Wyoming Virtual Academy (WYVA), an online public-school program in our state. Dual enrollment allowed me to complete my classes at home while participating in extracurricular activities at my local high school.

I consider this time of my life the best of both worlds. I received incredible academic and personal support from my teachers and classmates, and I learned how to be organized, meet deadlines, and was able to discover my passions.

Throughout my time at both WYVA and at Kelly Walsh, I knew I couldnt have been the only one facing challenges with their identity. The academic and personal support my family and I received at WYVA made me realize that all schools should provide a place where all students could feel at home.

Thus, the creation of Kelly Walsh High Schools first Pride Club. The world might be full of challenges for trans kids, but in our little club I was with people just like me, who accepted me, and I was safe.

The club wasnt easy to establish. The district wouldnt approve the club without a faculty sponsor  among other challenges  but once we gained a teachers support, we were able to welcome many people, both students and community members alike.

Pride Club was an incredible gift to me, during a time when I struggled to find acceptance. I am proud to say the club continues to run today.

As I continued online learning in high school, I was excited to have the time for a passion I love more than anything in the world: theater. The main reason I chose to stay enrolled in Kelly Walsh was because of its theater and drama programs. In theater, I could be myself, make friends, and be a part of a vibrant community. It led me to earn my associate degree in Technical Theater at Casper College and to continue my education in stage management at Columbia College in Chicago, where I am set to graduate next year.

I wouldnt be where I am today without the opportunity to attend both online school and stay connected to the Kelly Walsh community. Dual enrollment gave me the strength to be myself  at the most challenging time of my life.

Ender Collins is an alumni student of the Wyoming Virtual Academy.

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SMALL business owners in three Caribbean countries will get the opportunity to showcase how their enterprises are transforming their communities, and themselves, due to support from the social enterprise, Nudge Caribbean.

The opportunity comes tomorrow, at an event called Nudge Now, which is being organised by Nudge Caribbean, which was founded by Anya Ayoung-Chee, design strategist and social entrepreneur, and Julie Avey, Massy Groups senior vice president of People and Culture.
A Barrackpore woman returned to her house in the early hours of last Saturday and found an i
The issue of school violence has resurfaced with such an intensity that it has the nations 
Tucsons road-widening project on East Broadway has been delayed for the third time since it began two years ago, according to officials who said its now more than six months behind schedule.

The goal of the project is to widen Broadway from four to six lanes between Euclid Avenue and Country Club Road, as well as install other upgrades like new sidewalks and traffic lights. It was originally scheduled to wrap up last September and the construction has already cost Tucson more than $23 million.

Officials werent aware of the most recent delay until they were contacted by the Arizona Daily Star, though they said the constant setbacks are driven by issues ranging from a shortage of asphalt to miles of underground piping that had to be replaced. They have vowed to work with the construction company tasked with completing the roadwork, Ashton Contractors and Engineers, to avoid any more delays.

But business owners along that stretch said theyve been left in the dark about the delays over the past two years and are still struggling to get customers in the door as the major street improvement project drags on.

Im just sick of shaking my fist at the sky at this point, said Rocco DiGrazia, the owner of Roccos Little Chicago, a pizza restaurant thats been caught in the middle of the road work since 2020. Its frustrating, I dont know what to do. What do I do except come to work, open the doors and hope somebody comes in to eat today?

Roccos Little Chicago is situated along the stretch of Broadway between Campbell and Country Club, one of two major pieces of the project thats not expected to be wrapped up until June. The other section of road work, from Euclid to Campbell Avenue, should now be finished in late April.

Michael Graham, a spokesman for Tucsons Department of Transportation and Mobility, said the main cause of the three delays has been miles of underground utilities that changed the scope of the project significantly.

Construction workers found 20 miles of piping called home connection sewers that they didnt know were there, for example. The pipes connect buildings along the road to Tucsons main sewer line and are considered private, so officials only realized they were buried beneath Broadway after they were dug up.

On top of that, the city had to replace about three miles of storm drain before repaving could begin, the pandemic caused construction staffing shortages and road work was nearly impossible to do during parts of last years heavy monsoon season.

Keep in mind that this was a major, major improvement project, Graham said. Everything has to fit together like a puzzle  grading, curb (construction), paving  everything is like a puzzle, and if the pieces dont line up then it affects the schedule down the road. You have to reschedule and balance all of the other activities when one of the pieces doesnt fit or its delayed.

Graham said the biggest thing Tucson has done on the project so far is replacing the three miles of 90-inch-thick storm drain, but some like DiGrazia are frustrated that the city is still goofing around with the utility issues two years in.

Councilman Steve Kozachik, whose ward encompasses the area where the project is taking place, echoed the restaurant owners concerns, saying the city should have figured out the piping issues sooner than it did.

My sense is that the civil engineering pieces  the below-grade stuff, the piping, the utilities  should have been determined early on, he said. So, Im not buying that one because from a construction management standpoint thats stuff that you dont learn in the top of the eighth inning. You learn that in the second or third inning when youre doing your due diligence.

Another major reason for the delays are shortages of asphalt, which Kozachik described as a legit reason the project has been pushed back.

Only a limited number of companies make the material in the region, so resources are spread thin. Its also hard to make enough asphalt ahead of time to meet future needs because it has to be used soon after its produced.

Everybody in the region is essentially relying on the same producers of this and it has to be made, actually produced very close in time to when youre going to lay it just like concrete, the Ward 6 councilman said. You cant roll the concrete truck up and have it sit there for six hours or this stuff will congeal inside the machinery.

Regardless of the reasons for the delays, the timing couldnt be worse for restaurants like Roccos Little Chicago that took financial hits during the pandemic that theyre still recovering from. DiGrazia said he doesnt know how some of the more affected businesses in the area are even paying their bills, for instance.

The restaurant owner added that some paving progress in the area has improved things in recent months, but that business is still down for the pizza restaurant because of the never ending construction.

When there was dirt in front of our place for like a year, it was really bad. I knew anybody who showed up here was making a B-line for my restaurant, there was no incidental traffic at all, he said. I think things are getting better, but I still hear from customers and old regulars that they just wont come because its difficult  especially at night, for older folks  to see where the cones are and how the traffic snakes through the new road and stuff like that.

City officials said they plan to discuss the Broadway project master plan with the construction company tasked with completing the work in order to figure out how they can avoid any future delays

Those conversations are expected to take place in the coming weeks and could involve steps such as increasing work hours or doing construction on weekends.

Were going to sit down and have a conversation with the contractor to see what we can do to expedite their updated schedule and try to get this done as quickly as possible, Graham said. We want people to know that the businesses are open and theyre accessible and to continue to support small businesses along the route because they are open and they are accessible.

Reporter Sam Kmack covers local government. Contact him at skmack@tucson.com.

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What began as a relocation for one remote worker seeking a better cost of living has turned into a California company expanding into Tucson.

Advanced Financial Co., based in Carlsbad, California, is a 27-year-old company that handles billing for resorts and timeshare mortgages.

In March 2020, in response to the pandemic, the company pivoted to remote work and some of its employees relocated.

One came to Tucson.

Tucson wasnt on our radar, said Kyle Kolsky, chief operating officer for Advanced Financial. I had never even been there before.

Aside from bragging about the weather and cost of living, the employee was using space inside one of Tucsons most iconic office buildings and one of the citys first high-rises, 5151 E. Broadway.

He would tell us, Its not as hot as everybody says and we bought a house right when we got here, Kolsky recalled. I was like, What are you talking about?

The companys entry level pay is $17 an hour with potential to climb up to $30 an hour.

In California, its super expensive, Kolsky said. We didnt lower our salaries, we just exported them to Tucson.

He said other employees began expressing interest in Tucson and two managers moved here to open an office and have since hired 12 team members with plans to grow to 20 this year.

We found that Tucson is a great market for finding workers, Kolsky said. Tucsons got its own culture and economy and snowbirds and the university  its 10 Palm Springs put together.

Being in the 5151 E. Broadway building was a plus.

We like having a fun, vintage building, Kolsky said.

Developed in 1973 by Philip Wise of New York and Tucsons Joe Cesare, president of Broadway Realty and Trust Co., the building was formerly known as the Great Western Bank Building.

It is 17 stories tall and, at 261,000 square feet, still one of the largest office buildings in Tucson.

Scott Seldin bought the building in 2009.

Its a great story for Tucson, Seldin said. For a small, dynamic company this is a much nicer place to live and is affordable.

The pandemics impact on office buildings was particularly troubling, Seldin said.

A lot of people were scratching their heads about what was going to happen with offices in the future, he said. But now people are anxious to get out of their homes and maybe work three days a week at the office, then from home.

In response to COVID-19, Seldin upgraded 5151 E. Broadway with features such as a destination dispatch elevator, where tenants select a floor and get assigned an elevator destined to their floor instead of sharing a car with several other people.

Air filters were also upgraded and the 16th-floor conference room has been enhanced as a tenant perk for meetings or gatherings.

The building is mainly offices with a small retail presence on the ground floor  coffee and pastries.

Tenants include mortgage brokers, insurance companies and incubators for small companies.

Mark Isenberger, with Picor Commercial Real Estate Services, is the property manager at 5151 E. Broadway.

He said the property is currently about 70% occupied.

We have a big pipeline of deals in different stages of negotiations, he said. Its an extraordinarily busy and bizarre time.

The buildings staff continued to work onsite during the pandemic.

You cant plunge a toilet remotely, Isenberger joked. But it was eerie to arrive and the parking lot, with about 1,000 spaces, had maybe five cars.

Aside from the elevators and conference room upgrades, the pandemic offered the building management a chance to make some cosmetic touch-ups and add two level-three charging stations for electric vehicles.

Isenberger, a Tucson native, relocated to Los Angeles until his return in 2018 to manage 5151 E. Broadway.

He appreciates being part of a team that has lured a California company to Tucson.

I consider myself a California refugee, Isenberger said. I would like to bring as many people from California here as I can.

Photos: 5151 E. Broadway  Tucson's only high rise on the east side 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway, Great Western Bank 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway 5151 E. Broadway

Contact reporter Gabriela Rico at grico@tucson.com

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It struck many people as heartless in early March when U.S. border officials turned away Ukrainian families seeking to enter this country at the border with Mexico.

These are war refugees, after all.

Reporters flocked to Tijuana to tell their story, and days later officials let the Ukrainian families cross into San Diego. Now, special treatment for Ukrainians is enshrined in policy.

This special treatment may seem justified by the sudden violence and destruction of the war in Ukraine, but in reality, these migrants are not too different from the many waves of refugees who have come to Europe and to the U.S.-Mexico border before. We have not always welcomed them so warmly  in fact, weve judged migrants and asylum seekers from other countries by an unjustifiable double-standard.

What makes the Ukrainian exodus seem different from others is the suddenness and extreme violence of Russias invasion. But the fact that theyre white-skinned Europeans from a Christian culture undoubtedly makes a difference in public perception as well.

Contrast the welcome Ukrainans have received, for example, with the treatment of Syrian refugees. Syrians began fleeing their country after the outbreak of civil war in 2011. The exodus accelerated through subsequent years, as Russia joined the Syrian governments attacks in 2015, destroying cities to quash rebellion.

When the Russian army flattened Syria, it created a similar amount of displacement as when the Russian army flattened Mariupol or other Ukrainian cities, said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy counsel for the American Immigration Council.

By this year, about 6 million people had fled Syria, a huge number but of a similar scale and at a slower pace than the Ukrainian flight.

In general, Europe did not welcome the Syrians warmly. Hungary put up razor wire on the border, treating refugees cruelly and blocking passage through the country. Germany was the biggest exception  it accepted about 700,000 Syrian refugees.

Even under President Obama, the United States accepted just 12,587 Syrian refugees in its biggest year, 2016. When Donald Trump took office in 2017, he stopped all resettlement of Syrians at the same time he banned travel from seven majority Muslim countries. Hundreds of Syrians were allowed in later.

Olive-skinned Muslims fleeing attacks by Russians were treated with suspicion and hostility.

The Russian army isnt in Mexico, but refugees from some parts of Mexico are escaping similar circumstances. Residents of Mexican states such as Michoacan and Guerrero have long suffered what is essentially a state of war between heavily armed criminal groups, displacing whole towns, wome of them fleeing to our border.

Nobody told border officers to waive Title 42 for them.

So, Ukrainians arent that different from other war refugees, but arent they at least coming from a more developed European economy?

Nope.

The World Bank put Ukraines GDP per capita at $3,725  about the same as El Salvador, below Guatemala, and well below Mexico. A recent International Monetary Fund ranking places Ukraine between Armenia and Namibia in GDP per capita, slightly above Guatemala, but well below Mexico, Brazil and other countries that regularly send migrants to the United States.

Between independence in 1991 and this years Russian invasion, about 2.5 million Ukrainian migrants had left the country for economic opportunities elsewhere, according to a European Union report. About half of them went to EU countries, especially after Russias first invasion in 2014.

Remittances  money sent back to the country by migrant laborers  have made up as much as 10% of Ukraines GDP in recent years, the World Bank reports.

Sound familiar? Remittances make up about 4% of Mexicos GDP, and about 15% of Guatemalas. In all cases, were talking about countries where migrant workers sending money home are an important part of the economy.

Ukrainians are similar to other migrants who have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in that theyre both economically disadvantaged and are fleeing political crises and violence. In that sense, theyre not so different from Hondurans, who came to the United States in surges during the Obama and Trump presidencies, but were often accused of simply being economic migrants.

A military coup in 2009 started Honduras recent problems, with migration accelerating after President Juan Orlando Hernandez took office in 2013. Violence surged, political repression increased and Hondurans fled to Mexico, then the United States. Now Hernandez, whom the United States supported, is facing extradition to the United States for drug trafficking.

Somewhat similarly in Ukraine, one revolution occurred in 2004, and another revolution against the Russian-backed government occurred in 2014 leading to the first Russian invasion. That 2014 invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine is what sent the most recent surge of migrants to EU countries.

When Ukrainians fled their hometowns, though, many stayed within their country, displaced domestically, while others stopped in neighboring countries like Poland, and others went to distant places. This, too, is a pattern showing up among Ukrainians that previously has been evident among Syrians, Guatemalans and other migrant nationalities.

The reason Ukrainians are going to Italy or the UK or other place further away is they also have family there, Reichlin-Melnick said. Similarly, the Ukrainians whove showed up at the border here all have family and friends in the United States.

The factors that seem to distinguish Ukrainians from other refugees, asylum seekers and migrants really arent all that different from what we routinely see at the U.S.-Mexico border.

If treating them with compassion seems like the right choice, then we ought to question why we are treating others differently.

Contact columnist Tim Steller at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter

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DAMASCUS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The Friday visit by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), his first diplomatic trip to an Arab country since 2011, marks the beginning of Syria's return to its regional role despite the U.S. opposition since its suspension from the Arab League in 2011 after the outbreak of a civil war in the country, experts said.

During his visit, Assad met Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, among other senior UAE leaders, according to media reports.

Calling Syria a fundamental pillar of Arab security, the Abu Dhabi crown prince said the UAE is keen to strengthen cooperation with Syria to achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people toward stability and development, the UAE official WAM news agency reported.

Taken as a surprise, Assad's one-day visit to the UAE, once a backer of the insurgency against the Assad government, had been planned a long time ago and comes as the latest sign of warming ties between the two countries after the UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018 and sent its foreign minister to visit Syria in late 2021.

Hussam Shuaib, a Syrian political expert, told Xinhua that the UAE provides Syria the gateway back to the Arab League and its role in the Arab world.

"It's without a doubt that the political significance of this visit would reflect positively not only on bilateral ties but on the Syrian-Arab relations in general," Shuaib said.

The visit also implies trade opportunities from the Arab world for Syria to fight economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies, according to the Syrian expert.

"As a result of the economic situation and ongoing conflicts, Syria ... also needs cooperation on the economic level, and there should be coordination and reopening as well for bilateral trade in goods," he explained.

The UAE itself is interested in thawing ties with Syria "because the UAE needs to get rid of the Yemeni quagmire, and so is Saudi Arabia. Both apparently want to rearrange political relations with Iran, to which Syria is a close ally," Shuaib noted.

Nonetheless, Syria's reintegration into the Arab world could still be bumpy enough, especially amid the U.S. hindrance.

In a statement responding to Assad's visit to the UAE, the U.S. State Department said it was "profoundly disappointed and troubled" by what it called an apparent attempt to legitimize Assad.

"America today is not at its best in front of new changes in the world," said Shuaib, adding the remarks reflect a "state of disappointment" by Washington about the positive change in the Arab attitude toward Syria.

"If we follow the American policy over all the past decades, we will see that it is based externally on creating chaos in the world and stirring sectarian, religious, and ethnic conflicts," he said.

For Emad Salem, also a political expert, the visit comes at the right time and will restore the unity of the Arab position despite the U.S. dissatisfaction with the change.

"The Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have begun to look at the future of relations with Washington, and relations with other countries of the world from the perspective of their interests," he concluded. 
KABUL, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's caretaker government has welcomed the extension of United Nations mission in the Central Asian country, the government said on Saturday.

"The extension of the UN mission in Afghanistan is in Afghanistan's interest, which we welcome," Zabihullah Mujahid, chief government spokesperson and deputy minister of Information and culture was quoted in a statement as saying.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for one year till March 17, 2023.

"We hope that through UN, the international community will strengthen and formalize relations with the Islamic Emirate, as well as support and assist the people of Afghanistan in the humanitarian, medical and construction sectors," Mujahid said.

The security in Afghanistan has remained generally calm since the Taliban's takeover of power in mid-August last year, while the economic situation has worsened in the country with a higher unemployment rate and rising poverty. 
As a child living in poverty, Brianna Dolana remembers well the kindness two Tucson doctors showed her family.

Those early experiences were so significant that Dolana decided she also wanted to be a physician who helps those most in need.

Her calling comes at a critical time: The pandemic has not only illuminated health disparities here, it has also compounded them just as Medicaid enrollment in Arizona is poised to drop significantly.

People living in economically distressed parts of Pima County, as well as those in rural areas and tribal lands throughout Southern Arizona, are experiencing greater health challenges due to the pandemic. Burned-out health-care workers, job vacancies and delayed care are among many issues.

Were not rural compared to other places but were dealing with the same issues, said Herminia Minnie Frias, a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribal council.

One of the things thats become apparent is the need to better coordinate services, particularly for tribal elders and tribal children.

Its been hard because weve been so focused on COVID that some of the other things weve been doing in the past, such as community services, have taken a back seat, Frias said. Behavioral health has been one of the most needed services during the pandemic, and it still is.

Increases in patient loads and the severity of the cases is something thats become a challenge for Clinica Amistad, which offers free health care to Tucson residents who lack insurance.

We are seeing an average of 35 new patients every month on top of our regular patient load, said Nicole Glasner, executive director of Clinica Amistad. Many in our community have lost jobs and/or insurance, which results in more patients seeking attention for primary care needs.

Those numbers could climb even more in coming weeks when Arizona begins disenrolling people no longer eligible for Medicaid and KidsCare coverage. Medicaid in Arizona is commonly called AHCCCS, which stands for Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.

The number of people receiving AHCCCS increased by 26%, or 490,528 people, during the pandemic. Since March 2020, enrollment has been continuous but once the federal government declares an end to the public health emergency, disenrollment will begin.

There are 2.3 million Arizonans currently enrolled and about 500,000 will either stop meeting eligibility requirements or will need to provide more information in order to stay enrolled.

Gaps in health-care system

The factors that work against an individuals well-being or a familys health are multifaceted, said Suzanne Teeple, a Tucson attorney who helps underserved populations as director of the Tucson Family Advocacy Program. Several things are compounding Southern Arizonas current problems, and poverty is a significant one.

Local poverty rates, based on Census Bureau 2020 data, are nearly 21% for the city of Tucson and just under 16% for the greater metropolitan area. In comparison, the poverty rate in Arizona that year was 14% and nationwide it was 11.4%.

Vulnerability can be determined by a number of factors, including not only poverty but also lack of affordable housing or transportation, as examples.

The housing crisis is just so difficult for our patients and then to add the fact that youre disabled, or you have limited language proficiency, Teeple said. In such cases, she said, accessing care is difficult, if not impossible.

Teeples program includes a legal-medical partnership in which she works with family medicine doctors to help patients with health-care access issues as well as what she calls other health-harming problems such as evictions, trouble getting benefits or a lack of access to healthy food.

Teeple also provides free legal services to low-income people who use one of two primary care clinics staffed by the University of Arizonas Department of Family and Community Medicine providers. She holds six training sessions each year for medical residents so they can learn about the social determinants of health, and how to better advocate for their patients.

This exposes them to the realities and gaps in our health-care system, she said. I hope they will think about ways to help people who fall through these gaps.

Kindness of doctors

Dolana was one of more than 110 students who on Friday moved into the next phase of medical training as part of the UA College of Medicines Match Day ceremony. The celebration was held in person for the first time in two years due to the pandemic.

During the last year of medical school, students interview for residency slots at institutions where they hope to receive further training. The match is then completed by the National Residency Matching Program, with training through these partnerships typically lasting from three to seven years, depending on the specialty.

Dolana, 32, received her undergraduate and masters degrees from the UA. Between degrees, she spent more than two years working on an ambulance, and that experience sealed it  she wanted a medical degree. Her residency will be in a UA emergency medicine post.

Dolana and her four brothers were raised by their single mother and, due to poverty and access challenges, health care was often lacking. That changed when they met Dr. Augusto Ortiz, a renowned local doctor who advocated for low-income patients and set up mobile clinics in rural areas.

He became a family friend who made house visits and allowed us to stop by his house as well, she said of Ortiz, who died in 2006. He provided free health care and kindness that I will never forget. From stitches to ear infections, he helped with it all.

The second person she remembers fondly is Dr. Christopher Demas, a local plastic surgeon.

My brother had a horrific accident that required hand surgery, she said. After learning about my familys financial situation, he cut his cost in half.

It was the kindness of a doctor that also influenced Adam Carls decision to become a doctor. Carl is a first year medical student at the UA and, when he finishes his studies, he will be one of the nations first 10 doctors from the Hopi Tribe.

Carl grew up seeing family members and community members struggle with health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. His sister died in a car accident when he was 13, and he was devastated.

The doctors were very supportive, said Carl, who grew up in Flagstaff but is originally from the Hopi Reservation in Northeastern Arizona. They were like superheroes during that time.

Hes not sure what kind of medicine he wants to practice just yet.

I want to be able to do something, to be able to go out to rural areas and be proactive, he said. It would be nice if it were Hopi, but it doesnt have to be.

There are roughly 32 Native American students studying medicine and health-related fields at the UA right now, said Dr. Jennie Joe, director of the Wassaja Center, which is part of the UAs Department of Family and Community Medicine.

The Wassaja Center, which started in 1983, offers support to doctors and nurses training to work in high needs communities.

Primary care shortage

Arizonas current shortage of primary care physicians is estimated to be nearly 600 statewide, and workforce projections show the state will need nearly 2,000 more by 2030.

To help, the UAs colleges of medicine in Phoenix and Tucson in 2019 started offering the Primary Care Physicians Scholarship. Through this scholarship, tuition is covered in exchange for practicing primary care in a rural or urban underserved community.

Students must commit to at least two years of service, and a maximum of four years, and must do their residency training in one of the following areas: family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, general pediatrics, general surgery, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynecology.

Sascha Delzepich is attending medical school here on a primary care scholarship, and plans to work with underserved people.

Delzepich was born in Germany but grew up in Chandler. As part of his application to medical school, he was asked about influences in his life that made him want to be a doctor.

It wasnt hard for him to answer.

His mother, who is from Nigeria, had been having medical issues but was very distrusting of doctors based on her life experiences. She was from a very rural area in Nigeria, Delzepich said, and did not have any formal education that could help her grasp Western medicine.

It was really interesting to see how her mindset is so different from mine, he said. It took her a long time to open up and say, OK, I am safe here.

Helping those without insurance

Tina Kohl moved to Tucson a year ago from Northern California, where she left behind a pharmacy job with Kaiser Permanente.

I lost my benefits when I moved here and they didnt have COBRA (insurance) plans for Arizona, she said, adding shes researched her options and didnt find anything affordable.

Theres only so much you can do, she said. Im not pulling in any income right now.

Kohls husband is on Medicare so the move didnt affect him, but Kohl, at 59, still has some years to go. It was Kohls uncle who encouraged her to call the University of Arizonas College of Medicine to see if they offer any clinics to help those without insurance.

Thats when Kohl first heard of the Womens Clinic, one of seven so-called CUP Clinics, which stands for Commitment to Underserved People. These are offered through the UA for patients without insurance. Kohl said the care she received was excellent.

There have been more new CUP patients lately, people who lost insurance benefits during the pandemic or people like Kohl, who are no longer employed but not yet eligible for Medicare.

We serve patients who have no other source of health care, and as such, we do not accept patients with health insurance plans, including AHCCCS, said Dr. Patricia Lebensohn, medical director of the CUP clinics.

A lot of people stopped seeking health care during the pandemic, she said, and so lately theyve been seeing patients who have gone without seeing a health professional for long periods of time.

We try to do as much as we can, Lebensohn said, explaining they do have small grants that enable them to get lab work done or order an X-ray.

Enrollment for services have also been increasing at El Rio Health, the largest local provider of medical and dental services for uninsured people and Medicaid recipients in the area, up from 112,765 at the end of 2020 to 125,449 at the end of 2021. During 2019, there were 106,920 patients and in 2018, 101,563.

Glasner, with Clinica Amistad, said its been the same at her clinic, including a sharp increase in patients needing help for serious health problems.

The increase in the severity of cases along with the rise in appointments necessitates more funding for basic clinic expenses including PPE, hand sanitizer, germicidal soap, medications, insulin, supplies and consumables, she said.

Clinica has also seen a surge in costs to our organization for lab work, tests, imaging and other consultative services used to diagnose, treat and care for our patient load which has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Mental health care needed

Dr. Carlos R. Gonzales oversees the CUP volunteer posts and also works to help people from underserved communities get into medical school.

Gonzales, an associate professor of family and community medicine and advisor for the Traditional Indian and Western Medicine Collaboration, tracks where shortages are in Arizona and then tries to reach out to prospective students in those areas.

Since I graduated in 1981, the areas in Arizona that were underserved then are the same underserved areas now, he said.

Gonzales grew up in South Tucson and says there were no physicians working near his home as a child.

Thank God for El Rio, he said. They brought several clinics to the south side.

He said the UAs new primary care program now has 42 students participating. One of the areas with the most deficiencies? Psychiatry.

Basically, we need more mental health providers in rural Arizona, he said. The psychiatrists focus on urban areas.

Marcos Moreno knows well the gaps in behavioral health services with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Moreno, who is doing his residency at Yale University, is planning to work as a psychiatrist for the tribe when he returns in a few years.

Moreno was born and raised on the reservation and said hes known since he was a child that he wanted to work in medicine. Over time, the focus became psychiatry and, particularly, addiction and child and adolescent work.

He paid for medical school by taking a National Health Service Corps scholarship that requires him to work in an underserved area for each year he received assistance. It was a no-brainer for me because I was going to do that anyway, he said.

Many of the people he grew up around struggled with addiction and mental health challenges that were largely unaddressed.

Its not a system that has been well received, unfortunately, he said. People do not want to seek help, and do not want people to know they are going in for those kinds of things.

Marcos said hes seen changes over the years, and people are growing more receptive.

Its better, he said, but weve still got a long way to go.

Photos: UA College of Medicine 50th Commencement UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine UA Commencement, College of Medicine

Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 806-7754 or

Concerned about losing Medicaid or KidsCare benefits? Medicaid members are encouraged to update their information online now to see if they remain eligible, said Kristen Challacombe, deputy director of business operations for the program, which is called AHCCCS here. Arizona residents receiving these health benefits can prepare for the public-health emergency ending by doing three things: Make sure your mailing address, phone and email are correct in www.healthearizonaplus.gov or calling 1-855-HEA-PLUS, or 1-855-432-7587. That number is staffed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Watch your mailbox for a letter from AHCCCS. Respond promptly to any requests from AHCCCS for more information so AHCCCS can accurately determine eligibility.

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Arizona could be a primary target when federal officials meet with tribes next week to talk about possible new names for places that currently contain a slur against Native American women.

With 67 locations that have the word squaw in their name, Arizona ranks third among 37 states in a list compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey, trailing only California, with 85, and Idaho, with 72.

Those are some of the 664 places across the U.S. that will be the subject of Interior Department virtual consultation sessions with tribes early next week, to consider names that could replace the term that is now considered derogatory.

In Arizona, the locations are in every county but Pima and sit on federal, state, private and tribal lands, including 11 on the Navajo, Fort Apache, San Carlos and Fort Mojave reservations.

I agree with initiatives to change the names of places that include disparaging racially charged and gendered slurs, Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler said in an emailed statement. This corrective action of removing all offensive place names is an important step in honoring the humanity of Native American people still here today.

The push to update the names began in November, when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to run a Cabinet agency, signed an order declaring the word a derogatory term. The order directed the USGS Board on Geographic Names to begin identifying geographic places that had the word in their names and proposing at least five possible replacement names for each.

Even though no one in Greenlee County knows how a stream there came to have the name, County Administrator Derek Rapier said officials there support a change.

Regardless of the naming history, such monikers have no place in a diverse society that values the contributions of all individuals and groups, and Greenlee County is supportive of name changes that reflect this shared respect, Rapier said in an email.

The word has not always been considered offensive. Shannon OLoughlin, CEO and attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs, said in an email that the word comes from the Algonquian language, where it means woman, and she said a similar word in the Mohawk language means vagina, but that it gained a negative connotation over time.

The term has been used in derogatory ways by colonizers until today, as a sexualized stereotype of a Native American woman, said OLoughlin, who is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation.

Coupled with the violence against  and trafficking of  Native American women and girls in the United States, the s-word is not appropriate to honor and acknowledge the sacrifices that Native Peoples have made to protect the honor of the United States, her email said.

The USGS noted that not all the locations it identified will necessarily get new names. Sites that are considered historical, have an unknown location or are not under the purview of the Board on Geographic Names may be excluded, for example. Squaw Beach in Mohave County is one of the places that USGS said is considered historical, the only such site in Arizona.

This will not be the first time that an Arizona place is eyed for a name change because the old name was considered offensive. In 2003, the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names voted to change the name of Squaw Peak in Phoenix to Piestewa Peak. The name change became official when the federal board approved it in 2008.

Dawnafe Whitesinger, chairwoman of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement that the latest federal action is long overdue.

Indigenous women across this nation have been marginalized and often have been invisible to the nations narrative, Whitesingers statement said. As an Indigenous woman, I applaud Secretary Haaland for taking such an important step.

OLoughlin said Native Americans deserve to be recognized for their contributions to the nation, pointing to the relatively high percentage who fight in our wars, among other things. But they should be recognized without being sexualized, she said.

Native nations have many amazing heroes whose names should be remembered in our greater society. Place name changes should not be controversial, but instead should be an opportunity to uplift all of us, she said.

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The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

There is no doubt in my mind the United States should welcome Ukrainians who seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. We should do the same with people from Mexico and Central America.

At the Tucson Festival of Books last weekend, I attended an Immigration in America panel. One of the panelists, Julissa Arce, talked about her life story, which began as an undocumented immigrant and led to becoming a Wall Street executive and author.

Our immigration policy is a direct reflection of our American values, Arce said. I looked around the audience, which was made up of mostly older, white couples, some nodding their heads in agreement.

She pointed out that sometimes we need to sit with the discomfort of what that reflection shows us in order to make things better.

I have had to stop romanticizing what America is, she said.

In the coming months, the way we treat Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion will serve as a mirror of our values. I wonder what that mirror will show us.

The United States is a country that prides itself on a tradition of being a nation of immigrants and a beacon of freedom and equal opportunity as a global power. But we also have turned our backs on people from countries such as Mexico and Guatemala fleeing violence, corruption, and poverty who have sought our aid.

A few days before the book festival, I had seen a post on social media about an 11-year-old Ukrainian boy being praised as a hero. Beneath his photo was an image of a little brown boy, sitting in a U.S. detention center. The obvious message was a reminder of how we value some lives more than others.

The Ukrainian boy had traveled to Slovakia on his own, just like many brown kids who make the trek up from Central American countries. I agree, what he did was brave, just like the other thousands of minors who make their way up here.

We have already begun to see the arrival of Ukrainians at the U.S.-Mexico border. Last month, Customs and Border Protection officials reported 272 encounters with Ukrainians, including 73 at the Arizona border.

At the San Ysidro port of entry in California, a Ukrainian family was denied entry by CBP in early March. The incident gained media attention and placed pressure on President Joe Bidens use of Title 42, a public health order that allows CBP to quickly expel people. Eventually, the mother and her three kids were allowed entry to join family members living in California. If only more Mexicans and Central Americans were granted the same courtesy.

A few weeks ago, officials at the Poland-Ukraine border were sending people of color to the back of the line. African and Indian students living in Ukraine were being told Ukrainians first. The United States should lead by example and welcome not only Ukrainians, but also asylum seekers from countries like Honduras and Guatemala who have been waiting for months at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Arce is right, our policies reflect our American values. We should make sure our policies reflect the best of our values and serve as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.

Katya Mendoza is a graduate student in journalism at the University of Arizona and an apprentice at the Arizona Daily Star.

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The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

One of my favorite parts of being a teacher was always getting to know students families. Whether it was learning about firefighter culture from a family of first responders or receiving a CD of corridos recorded by a students grandfather, I cherished the opportunity to cultivate these relationships. I was honored that families trusted me with their childrens education, and I worked hard to maintain their trust.

When I look at the education bills circulating through the Arizona Legislature, however, I see policies that seek to fracture and erode that trust. These bills imply that legislation and punishment  not dialogue and collaboration  are the keys to supporting our children. Here are some of the bills that could potentially pit families and schools against each other.

HB 2808 is an overreaching bill that would take local control of schools away from Arizona communities. The bill states that if a public school receives a letter grade of D or F for three consecutive years, it could be taken over by an in-state or out-of-state charter company. These charters could be paid $2,000 per child  with no fiscal accountability outlined in the bill  to turn around these schools.

Not surprisingly, this bill will primarily impact students in low-income schools. These students often face challenges like food insecurity, chronic absenteeism, and limited English proficiency. External factors related to poverty can affect student performance on standardized tests, which accounts for 80% of a schools letter grade. Are Arizonans willing to forfeit local control of our schools to out-of-state companies simply because students are struggling? Surely we can use that money  and leverage the relationships between teachers and families  to address the endemic issues that affect student performance instead.

SB 1211 would require public district and charter schools to post a list of every item a teacher uses or discusses with students within seven days of its use. Many schools already require teachers to submit lesson plans, provide syllabi and newsletters, and share links to curriculum and assignments. Plus, for the entire year teachers instructed over Zoom, parents had a front-row seat to their childrens classes. With so much transparency, why are we asking teachers for even more proof of their class content?

Under this bill, along with those backed by conservative think tanks in 16 other states, parents can protest and potentially sue schools if an issue is not addressed to their satisfaction. Call me old-fashioned, but when I have a question about my childrens assignments, I dont ask through a lawsuit. I communicate with their teachers. Instead of legislating unnecessary busywork for educators, parents can partner directly with schools to learn about their childrens curriculum.

HB 2112 is another bill that utilizes threats to dictate what is taught in schools. This bill would ban instruction that may cause students to feel discomfort based on their race, ethnicity or sex. Offending teachers could lose their license, with school districts facing penalties up to $5,000. Its difficult to imagine a history class even existing under this law. What major world event doesnt prompt us to confront uncomfortable topics? Again, this is a bill that encourages litigation over relationships, and further erodes confidence between stakeholders.

SB 1657 is the natural final step for a Legislature intent on sowing seeds of distrust for public schools. This Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) expansion is one of a few proposals that points families directly to private schools and funds its vouchers with Classroom Site Fund money that was intended for public schools. Although Arizona voters rejected expanding ESAs in 2018, our Legislature just wont stop using them as a tool to further defund the public schools attended by 92% of Arizonas children.

Parents and schools must work together to fix our fractured educational system, but we dont need bureaucrats to legislate the terms of those partnerships. When we cut through the political rhetoric, we can come together for the good of those who matter most: our children.

Heather Mace is a contributor to the Arizona Daily Star and a teacher mentor in Tucson.

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The hijacking of two Facebook pages belonging to the city of Sand Springs is certainly an irritation, but residents should not worry that their city utility accounts have been compromised, City Manager Mike Carter said Saturday afternoon.

Hackers apparently gained control sometime Friday of the Facebook pages belonging to Sand Springs Animal Welfare and to the citys primary page, the City of Sand Springs.

Our page admins have been kicked out of the groups, and we are working to get control of them again, City Planner Brad Bates said Friday evening.

For example, Carter noted, the citys primary Facebook page has been changed to indicate that the page managers location is Nigeria.

Bates said a fake animal adoption post on the Sand Springs Animal Welfare page referred interested parties to a link where they presumably were further preyed upon by scammers.

We believe (it) is trying to scam money, he said.

Although that post had been removed Saturday afternoon, a similar post saying that the dogs in question were still available was in its place with the same fraudulent link.

On both posts, comments had been disabled, so users were unable to alert other readers about the scam. Many readers were sharing the posts, however, noting on their own posts that the original post was a scam.

Bates encouraged Facebook users not to follow the link listed on the adoption posts and instead to report the posts to Facebook as fraudulent.

Anyone who paid a deposit to see one of the animals might want to file a police report or at least contact the police for advice, he said.

Carter expressed frustration Saturday that Facebook itself is seemingly unreachable and unresponsive to such situations.

They ought to have a way for (page administrators) to report it and immediately take care of it, he said.

Although most everyone who uses Facebook can relate to having their page spoofed at one time or another, the issue is different for entity pages  those belonging to businesses, government agencies or nonprofit organizations and the like  because administrators for those pages are granted authority over those pages via their own personal Facebook accounts.

So if a persons individual page is compromised, its often not difficult for hackers to gain access to any entity pages the person has control over, as well.

It shouldnt be tied to an individuals own page, Carter said, adding that the city will regroup in the days ahead to tighten page administrator restrictions and make other changes to protect the citys pages from being compromised again.

Carter wanted to reassure residents that their personal and financial information is safe because it was never linked to Facebook.

None of our real systems have been affected, he said. While (the Facebook hijacking) is certainly an irritation, its not what we consider to be a real intrusion.

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A man accused of using Tulsa as a drug-trafficking way station has pleaded guilty in federal court after reportedly bringing about 22 pounds of ketamine into the country.

Xiao Yang Zhang, 28, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and admitted to running the operation from October 2020 to July 2021, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma announced Friday.

Zhang rented two rooms in Tulsa to receive packages from Europe with ketamine hidden in retail goods, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson alleged. His office said in a news release that Zhang then took the drugs to California for distribution.

While ketamine has accepted medical uses for short-term sedation and anesthesia, it is also illegally distributed for its hallucinogenic effects, according to the release. It has also been used to facilitate sexual assault.

A Chinese citizen reportedly living illegally in the United States, Zhang admitted that the conspiracy resulted in 10.5 kilograms of ketamine coming into the United States, according to the release.

Zhang will be sentenced on the federal drug conspiracy charge later. Following his sentence, Zhang will be deported as a part of his plea agreement.


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Soyuz launches with first all-Russian cosmonaut crew in 22 years



March 18, 2022  A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has lifted off for the International Space Station with the first all-Russian career-cosmonaut crew to fly in more than two decades.



Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov embarked on a planned six-month stay on board the space station on Friday (March 18). The three took flight at 11:55 a.m. EDT (1555 GMT or 8:55 p.m. local time) aboard Soyuz MS-21 atop a Soyuz 2.1a booster from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.



"For the first time in many years  a completely Russian crew," Dmitry Rogozin, general director of Roscosmos, Russia's federal space corporation, wrote Friday (March 18) on Twitter.



The launch marked the first time three Russian career cosmonauts flew together to the International Space Station. Though the flight took place amidst heightened tensions between Russia and its space station partners, the all-Russian makeup of the Soyuz MS-21 crew was unrelated to the war in Ukraine. Rather, it was the result of longer-than-expected negotiations between NASA and Roscosmos to begin flying cosmonauts on U.S. commercial crew vehicles in exchange for flying astronauts on Soyuz.



"We still plan to work the crew swap," Joel Montalbano, NASA's manager for the International Space Station program, said during a press briefing on Monday (March 14). "So we still have scheduled training for cosmonauts to come to Houston and Hawthorne [SpaceX's facilities in California] and our team to go over to to Star City and train for the Soyuz."



Artemyev, Matveev and Korsakov were scheduled to arrive at the station after a two-orbit rendezvous at 3:05 p.m. EDT (1905 GMT). They will be the first crew to dock a Soyuz at the recently-added Prichal node on the Russian segment of the orbiting complex. Update: Docking occurred at 3:12 p.m. EDT (1912 GMT) after Artemyev took over manual control due to an alignment issue.



About two hours later, after pressure has been equalized between the Soyuz and station, the hatches separating the two vehicles will be opened and Artemyev, Matveev and Korsakov will join the Expedition 66 crew led by fellow cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov. With the MS-21 crew aboard, the station's population will grow to 10 members, including cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency and NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Mark Vande Hei.



Shkaplerov, Debrov and Vande Hei are scheduled to depart the space station for Earth aboard Soyuz MS-19 on March 30.



Artemyev, Matveev and Korsakov's planned stay extends through September, with Artemyev becoming Expedition 67 commander when SpaceX's Crew-3 (Chari, Marshburn, Barron and Maurer) departs in April.



Additional Expedition 67 crew members will arrive with Crew-4, including NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, as well as ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Artemyev, Matveev and Korsakov will also be present for the arrival of the next Soyuz crew and the first all-private mission to fly to the space station, Axiom Space's Ax-1 crew, aboard a SpaceX Dragon.



Artemyev, 51, is on his third trip to the space station, having logged 366 days in space on two prior long duration missions in 2014 and 2018. In addition to serving as Expedition 67 commander, he is also commander of the Soyuz MS-21 crew.



Matveev, 38, and Korsakov, 37, are both on their first spaceflights. Matveev was working as an engineer at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, when he was selected to become a cosmonaut in 2010. Korsakov joined the cosmonaut corps in 2012 and trained to fly on Soyuz MS-18 before being replaced by Vande Hei on that mission.



All three MS-21 rewmates are graduates of Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The design of their mission patch was modeled after the school's crest.



The last all-Russian career-cosmonaut crew to fly prior to Soyuz MS-21 flew on the final mission to Russia's former space station Mir in 2000. Sergei Zalyotin and Aleksandr Kaleri's flight on Soyuz TM-30 was privately funded to assess reactivating the station for commercial use (Mir was ultimately de-orbited in 2001).



The last three-person, all-Russian career-cosmonaut crew was Gennady Padalka, Sergei Avdeyev and Yuri Baturin on Soyuz TM-28 in 1999.



More recently, Soyuz MS-19 launched in 2021 with three Russians bound for the International Space Station, but only one, Shkaplerov, was a career cosmonaut. The other two crew members aboard were actress Yulia Peresild and her director Klim Shipenko, who flew under a commercial contract to film scenes for the still-to-be-released movie "The Challenge."



Soyuz MS-21 is Russia's 67th Soyuz to launch for the International Space Station since 2000 and 150th to fly since 1967.



Russia's Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft with an all-Russian cosmonaut crew launches for the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Friday, March 18, 2022. (Roscosmos TV)





Soyuz MS-21 commander Oleg Artemyev (bottom) with crewmates Sergey Korsakov and Denis Matveev wave from the launchpad prior to boarding their spacecraft, March 18, 2022. (Roscosmos TV)





Soyuz MS-21 crew, from the left: Sergey Korsakov, Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev, all Roscosmos cosmonauts. (GCTC)





The Soyuz MS-21 mission patch (at right) is based on the crest of Bauman Moscow State Technical University (left), the all three crew members' alma mater. (Roscosmos/BMSTU)



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The trend of shooting people with nonlethal projectiles in response to a TikTok challenge is continuing in Tulsa, police believe.

Two people were hit by splatter balls as they sat in a vehicle at the intersection of 41st Street and Yale Avenue on Thursday evening, according to a Tulsa Police Department Facebook post.

The victims, a man and a woman, said a silver Honda van with three young men or teens inside pulled up next to them and shot them with splatter balls, which are hard water/gel beads, police said.

One person was hit in the face.

The victims got the vans tag number and called 911.

Officers tracked down the owner of the vehicle and learned that the owners children had the van. Police found the vehicle near 51st Street and Yale, talked to the three people inside, and recovered two splatter ball guns and a large container of splatter balls, the Police Department reported.

Two juvenile males and an 18-year-old man were all charged by citation with assault and battery.

We believe this may be part of a TikTok challenge where people are recording themselves shooting splatter balls at people and then posting videos to the platform, police said in the Facebook post.

We do not believe these individuals are connected to the pellet gun shootings (the Police Department) posted about on Thursday, as those were a different type of pellets and the individuals were in a different vehicle, the post continues.

A photo shared by the Tulsa Police Department on Thursday shows multiple bruises on a victim of one of three pellet gun assaults in the same vicinity downtown late Wednesday.

We have reason to believe that these incidents may have been recorded and could be part of a social media/TikTok challenge, police said in that post.

They said in the more recent post: We want the public to be aware that we are taking these crimes very seriously. Stupid decisions have consequences.

Anyone with any information about such assaults is asked to call Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS. Callers may remain anonymous.

If you witness one of these incidents happening, please call 911 immediately, police said.
Carrie Moss has dedicated her life to helping people with disabilities.

It's the reason she went to Ukraine in the first place. It's what's kept her there for the last eight years.

But the Tulsa native's skills as a physical therapist are not what her patients need most from her right now.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began three weeks ago, Moss and her colleagues at a rehabilitation center in Lutsk have shifted gears and are embracing a new mission.

They are serving war refugees, including many with disabilities whom they are helping to flee the country.

"We want to protect them, and the best protection is to get them out. That's what we're actively involved in," said Moss, who spoke with the Tulsa World this week via Zoom.

With the fighting in eastern Ukraine raging, refugees are flooding into the western cities like Lutsk, she said.

Her workplace, Agape Rehabilitation Center, has converted itself into a checkpoint to serve them, providing food, shelter, hygiene and supplies.

Many stay for a night or two and then move on, Moss said.

But those with disabilities  including the organization's own clients and other Ukrainians who are now being directed to Agape  need extra help and support.

So far, the facility has transported several buses full of disabled people and their caregivers to the border with Poland.

"Many of our people have pretty significant disabilities," Moss said. "A lot with spinal cord injuries, many in wheelchairs."

"We get them to the border. Then the other organizations that are coming to help from Europe  they meet us there with vans."

This new role of serving refugees wasn't something Agape was prepared for, she added.

But like many other organizations in Ukraine, "we learned fast," Moss said.

They had no choice.

"The refugees are just overflowing," she said. "People just keep coming, keep coming, keep coming."

'Very traumatized'

A graduate of Hale High School, Moss first started visiting Ukraine several years ago through an organization that provides wheelchairs to those in need.

Those were just short-term trips, though.

She eventually made it a full-time commitment with Agape, supported by Texas-based Christian Health Service Corps, a medical missions nonprofit.

The organization is currently raising funds specifically for Moss and Agape's new mission of helping refugees. So far, more than $10,000 has been delivered directly to the effort.

"So many people have reached out to say they're praying, to ask how they can help and have given financially," Moss said.

"And globally the outpouring of generosity and support for Ukraine has really been quite amazing to witness."

That includes a whole lot of welcoming arms, she said. Over 3 million refugees so far have fled to neighboring countries.

An estimated two-thirds of them have gone to Poland.

That puts Lutsk, just 70 miles from the Polish border, right in the heart of the refugee migration, Moss said.

"We have 40 to 60 refugees that stay the night (at Agape)," she said. "We have mattresses literally everywhere. Our whole rehab gym is full of them.

"Most people are just with us for a day or two, with the goal of getting to the border."

Most are women and children, she said.

"The first wave were the people who were prepared and had means  maybe a car, money, relatives," Moss said. "Now it's the second wave of people. They've been exposed to war. They are very traumatized and don't know what they're doing. They don't have a plan or maybe they don't have the means, and so it's getting a little tougher."

Moss has recently been in the southwestern city of Ozhhorod. She went there with her roommate and helped her roommate's mother and a family from Kyiv get across the border to safety.

But Moss was heading back to Lutsk this week.

"All of our contacts are saying it's calm there," she said.

Lutsk did experience a few recent missile strikes that damaged its airport.

"And on the first day of the invasion, we had a few explosions," Moss said. "I heard them from my bed. That was a little scary moment."

However, with the Russian offensives mostly targeting the east, cities on the western side have been largely spared so far.

'Courageous and unified'

Moss has talked to her mother in Tulsa pretty much every day since the invasion began, she said. She's worried for her daughter, but she is relying on her faith.

"God is giving her peace," Moss said.

Moss, too, is calling on divine support.

Whenever she's felt fear begin to rise within her, "thankfully, God has provided peace and wisdom in the moment what to do."

Focusing on the task at hand is the best approach, she said.

"From the beginning, we've had work to do," Moss said. "You want to do what you can do, and you don't really have time to ponder what could happen."

If she ever lacks for inspiration, she doesn't have to look far to find it. The people of Ukraine are setting a powerful example, she said.

"It's been really amazing to watch how courageous and unified they are in this fight, whether they're wearing army fatigues or not," Moss said.

"Pretty much every Ukrainian is finding a way to fight  with whatever means they can, whether that's supporting the fighting or actually going into it."

In Lutsk, with no end in sight, Moss and her colleagues will continue to focus on refugees.

For everyone looking on from afar, "I would just ask everyone to pray," she said.

"Pray for God to end this war, to pour out his grace on us."

Video: Over 2 million Ukrainian refugees cross into Poland

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The Sheriffs Office isnt the only local law enforcement agency that's about to install license plate readers.

The Tulsa Police Department said Thursday it plans to place six to nine Flock Safety cameras in and around the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue neighborhood as part of a yearlong program to test license plate reader technology.

In all, the city will receive 25 cameras to use for one year at no cost to the city.

Deployment of the cameras and other public-safety issues will be discussed at a public meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at SpiritLife Church, 5345 S. Peoria Ave. The event is hosted by the Tulsa Police Department and Tulsa Crime Stoppers.

Its just to get the conversation going with the Hope Valley community and Crime Prevention Network about whats going on in the area  some of the high-profile incidents  but with that tie into this new initiative, which is the Flock Safety camera system using license plate readers, Maj. Luther Breashears said.

The meeting is one of several the Police Department plans to hold across the city in upcoming weeks to explain how the technology will be used and to answer questions from the community.

The motion-activated cameras do not record video but instead provide still images around the clock. Using a national crime database integrated into the Flock Safety system, officers are sent alerts via email or text when stolen vehicles or vehicles they are searching for appear on camera.

Or, if a crime occurs, (we) go back and pull that information and look at cars going through the area and develop good leads on vehicles and suspects, Breashears said. Thats the best part about it, because sometimes when crime happens (at) 2 or 3 in the morning, there may not be a witness.

But with these law enforcement tools, these security camera tools, then you can develop leads, because you have something operating 24/7.

Breashears said the cameras will be mounted on public utility poles where they will be clearly visible to the public.

You want people to know they are there, he said. Its also used as a crime deterrent.

Capt. Jacob Johnston said the Tulsa Police Department is participating in the same camera program as the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office. Just as the Sheriff's Office is, under the terms of the agreement, the Tulsa Police Department is partnering with the National Police Foundation on a study of the effectiveness of license plate technology.

Because of the size of our city and the number of devices that we have and our focus on reducing violent crime, our strategy really is to place them in areas where they will assist us with those investigations, Johnston said.

The cameras have the ability to read license plates and identify vehicles by their make, model, color and other distinguishing characteristics, providing another tool not just for solving crimes but for responding to Amber and Silver alerts, Johnston said.

Our policy restricts officers from using the alert as the sole probable cause to stop a car, Johnston said.

He said the city signed the agreement with Flock Safety several months ago and that the Police Department has used the time since to draw up a policy for using the technology.

In a separate memorandum of understanding, the Tulsa Police Department is working with Flock Safety to receive alerts from neighborhoods that have installed cameras at their own expense.

Johnston said he is aware of about three or four neighborhoods that are interested in sharing their camera images with police.

Holly Beilin, a spokeswoman for Flock Safety, said Wednesday that the cameras cannot be used to clock a vehicles speed, check for expired tags or assist in the repossession of vehicles.

Camera footage is stored for 30 days and cannot be sold to a third party.

Breashears said the cameras planned for the 61st and Peoria neighborhood will be installed from Interstate 44 and Riverside Drive to Interstate 44 and Peoria Avenue.

The reason is, you want to capture vehicles coming into a neighborhood, Breashears said.

For those people concerned that law enforcement will use the cameras to watch them 24/7, Breashears said its important to remember that the cameras will not be actively monitored.

So we are not sitting there just kind of perusing to see who is in the neighborhood. It really ties into what our detectives do already  (getting) leads from the public or camera systems that are already in place from QuikTrip or neighborhoods, Breashears said.

We often rely on the public to give us leads for car information, and we put that out. So this is just another tool for us to get very accurate car information on stolen vehicles, because a lot of criminals steal cars to commit other crimes. Thats the key to it.

The Tulsa Police Department also is exploring the possibility of establishing a Real Time Information Center that would include video cameras that would be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that program is still in the planning stages.

I could see a license plate reader technology being utilized in a Real Time Information Center, Johnston said. But again, this program really affords us the opportunity to demonstrate some of the successes of using technology.

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Lawmakers emails to lobbyists, calendars, call logs and other records that could give the public insight into the bills they craft will remain secret for at least another year.

A bill that would have ended Oklahomas status as one of a handful of states that allows the Legislature to exempt itself from open records and meeting laws quietly, and with little fanfare, failed to clear a key legislative deadline.

Hopes for House Bill 3525 faded when a GOP-led House committee did not give the proposal a hearing by the March 4 cutoff date.

The proposal from Minority Leader Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, would have ended a decades-old exemption that allows the Legislature to ignore the open records and meeting laws that city councils, county commissions, school boards and other governing bodies must follow.

In addition to opening the records to public scrutiny, the bill would have required legislative committees to publish meeting agendas, blocked lawmakers from voting on measures while in closed caucus sessions and opened a more formal way for the public to comment on bills.

I think my experience in the Legislature has shown me that its really hard for me to keep up with the legislation that we are moving through the process, said Virgin, who after 12 years is term-limited after this year. And what that tells me is that it would be even harder for folks at home to keep up with what we are doing.

Many proposals, little debate

Such proposals have been introduced before in the Legislature.

An Oklahoma Watch review of bill filings over the past decade found at least seven bills that would have removed the Legislature's blanket open meeting and records exemptions.

Only one of the bills received any type of vote. A 2012 proposal passed out of committee 8-3, but failed to get a vote in the full House or Senate.

Since then, both Republicans and Democrats have continued to push proposals that have generated little discussion at the Capitol beyond a few mentions in the media.

Joey Senat, an open government and media law expert at Oklahoma State University, said he believes few in the public are aware of the Legislatures rare exemption.

You know, its a lot easier to operate in secret, he said. Its easier to have your backroom deals or work out deals in the hallway instead of having real discussion in front of the public or letting the public see your written correspondence to lobbyists and other lawmakers.

Senat said open government proposals traditionally have seen high public support. He pointed to a 2012 SoonerPoll survey in which 85% of likely Oklahoma voters polled said they would support legislation to remove the open records and meetings exemption for the Legislature. Only 7.8% said they opposed the legislation, and 7.2% had no opinion.

But even getting legislative leaders to comment on the idea can be difficult.

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, did not return requests for comment from Oklahoma Watch. Rep. Jeff Boatman, R-Tulsa, who chairs the House Committee on Government Modernization, which could have heard Virgins bill this year, also did not respond to an interview request.

Legislative leaders previously have raised concerns about their communication with their constituents being made public, potentially slowing the legislative process and increasing costs. (Still, some past proposals specifically exempted those records.)

Members of both parties have opposed changes in the past.

Democrat Rodger Randle, who was the state Senate leader when the Oklahoma Open Records Act was passed in 1985, was later quoted in The Oklahoman saying that the legislative exemption was necessary to allow policymakers an opportunity to freely debate options in the process of coming up with a proposal.

When he was asked by the paper why lawmakers never included themselves in that act, he reportedly chuckled and said, We are not a dumb group.

Different action

According to a 2018 survey by the nonprofit investigative news project MuckRock, Oklahoma is one of just four states that do not subject their legislatures to public records laws. The others are Iowa, Minnesota and Massachusetts.

A recent paper in the Journal of Civic Information found that while many states have updated their open records and meetings laws in recent years, Oklahoma has not. The study found that while most permit some basic level of access to legislative records, some states even allow unrestricted access.

The paper goes on to conclude that the clear trend is to provide access to legislative branch records and, in cases of textual ambiguity, to favor public access.

Its definitely been a hot issue in some states, said Ryan Mulvey, one of the authors of the study who is also counsel at the Cause of Action Institute, a Virginia-based nonprofit group.

Mulvey said legal challenges or ambiguities about some laws have prompted states to clarify or expand what records can be made public. Some have crafted compromise legislation offering to keep private certain records, such as emails to constituents, he said.

Its increasingly difficult for lawmakers to oppose opening legislative records, Mulvey said.

Thats a hard policy to oppose, he said. And its a left, right and center winner to talk about politically. So when you get these moments when it becomes an issue, its hard to be on the side of No, we are not going to do this.

Mulvey added that public pressure from the media, openness advocates or others can compel states to act.

Senat said lawmakers views on transparency and open government often change when they take office. Thats why he helped launch an open government pledge several years back when he was with Freedom of Information Oklahoma.

That has largely fallen by the wayside. Only a couple of sitting lawmakers have signed the pledge in recent years. Senat said he hopes this election season, the media and other transparency advocates work to bring up the issue and then hold lawmakers accountable if they get elected.

If lawmakers continue to resist changes, Senat said voters always have the citizen-led ballot initiative process to try to change the law themselves.

Im not optimistic (about changes) unless we decide to put the energy and effort into it, he said. But its not going to happen on its own. Im sure of that.
Womens History Month is a particularly good time to acknowledge female scientists who have enriched our world and enabled significant progress in diagnosing and treating disease. Due to space limitations, I can only give a shoutout to three, but countless others deserve recognition.

Mary-Claire King

A good place to start is with Mary-Claire King and the advances she enabled in the detection of breast cancer. Breast cancer accounts for 23% of all invasive cancers in women. The likelihood of a womans developing breast cancer is 13%  one of the highest of all cancers.

The importance of early detection cannot be overstated, which is why Kings work is so significant. Evaluating more than 170 genetic markers, Kings team identified two genes most commonly linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer  BRCA1 and BRCA2. This enabled genetic testing of high-risk individuals, leading to proactive disease management.

What led King to consider the link between genetic patterns and breast cancer, especially when she was surrounded by naysayers who believed her approach was overly simplistic for understanding complex diseases? King had earlier compared humans to chimpanzees found the two were 99% identical at the genetic level. It was a few small genetic differences that led to large variations. This finding encouraged her to study large populations at the molecular level.

King used these same tools to address human rights abuses. When children were reported missing in Argentina  abducted by a military dictatorship  King was able to use genomics to connect the children to their biological families, where they were eventually returned.

Beth Stevens

In 1989, then-President George H.W. Bush declared the 1990s to be the Decade of the Brain. Researcher Beth Stevens would have been precisely the kind of scientist the president had in mind when he made his announcement.

Situated in her laboratory at MIT, Stevens is focused on understanding synapse function as it relates to the development and maintenance of a healthy brain. Synapses provide the junction between nerve cells, serving as an instant messenger to facilitate communication.

Stevens and her team discovered that a healthy adolescent brain achieves a steady state between the creation of new synapses with the loss of old ones. Through a process termed synaptic pruning, specialized cells  called glia  trim away unhealthy and unwanted synapses by eating them. Synaptic pruning occurs from infancy through early adulthood but is particularly concentrated during ages 2 through 10.

Stevens research has highlighted the problems occurring within the central nervous system when there is faulty synaptic pruning. It is thought that schizophrenic brains suffer from being over-pruned, with fewer synapses in the prefrontal region. Similarly, for people with autism, there is under-pruning, where an oversupply of synapses overwhelms the brain.

Stevens contributions have opened new pathways to understanding central nervous system disorders. While the work is early on, new treatments are expected to emerge to address some mental disorders in fundamentally new ways.

Helen Brooke Taussig

Helen Brooke Taussig is no longer living, but her contributions will continue indefinitely. Born in 1898 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Taussig is considered the founder of pediatric cardiology.

Taussig pioneered the use of X-rays and fluoroscopy to examine a babys heart and lungs and took on the challenge of treating blue baby syndrome  a condition where babies have blue skin due to low oxygen levels. There are many reasons this can occur, but one prominent reason is the Tetralogy of Fallot, where there are four congenital heart defects.

Taussig conceived of an open-heart surgical procedure to repair a babys heart with this condition. Two of Taussigs surgical colleagues at Johns Hopkins successfully implemented Taussigs idea. Predictably, parents worldwide began flying to Baltimore to have their blue babies treated.

While Taussig was brilliant and determined, she also had significant personal struggles to overcome. Her mother died of tuberculosis when she was 11. Taussig had severe dyslexia and was partly deaf. Her dedicated father tutored her throughout her early years.

While Taussig had hoped to attend Harvard Medical School, women were not accepted until 1945. Instead, she went to Johns Hopkins, one of the few universities admitting women, and distinguished herself.

Claire-King, Stevens and Taussig have been sterling examples of one persons ability to change the world. Upon their shoulders may generations of female scientists follow.

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Operators of ride-hailing and delivery service apps in Vietnam seem to be pocketing much of the extra profits from the recent fare hike supposedly levied to account for fuel prices, with drivers and customers seeing almost no benefits.

Grab was the first firm to increase the fare of all services due to rising fuel costs in the country, followed by Gojek.

The fare hike was supposedly levied to ensure the best service quality for customers and to help drivers partially offset operating costs while encouraging them to work more, according to these companies.

However, the main beneficiaries of the increase seem to be the companies themselves given the unchanged commission rate.

Grab currently charges its driver partners a commission of 31.5 percent, meaning the firm earns VND315 (US$0.014) for every VND1,000 ($0.04) if its fare is increased, despite the company not being directly affected by the surge in gasoline prices.

According to a GrabCar driver, the cost of a 10-kilometer journey has increased from about VND120,000 ($5.2) to VND130,000-150,000 ($5.6-6.5).

Drivers, however, have not seen their income budge, said Canh, a delivery partner of Grab who is currently taking a break from driving.

Soaring fuel prices have resulted in the jump in operating cost and a drop in number of customers and orders, Canh continued.

A three-kilometer delivery now costs about VND25,000 [$1], but the driver only receives VND16,777 [$0.7], he elaborated.

After spending on gasoline and vehicle maintenance, the driver does not have much left, he added.

Aside from the fare increase, customers still have to pay various types of surcharges, including route change fee, night fee, and rain fee, each of which cost VND5,000-10,000 ($0.2-0.4).

All about profit

The nature of the increase in fare is for the companies that own rideshare and delivery apps to profit, Nguyen Cong Hung, chairman of the Hanoi Taxi Association, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

As ridesharing services occupy an increasingly large market share, such major companies as Grab have been implementing strategies to boost their profits, and the rising fuel cost is one of the reasons for their fare hike, said Dinh The Hien, an economic expert.

The firms benefit from the fare increase through their commission rate, which is about 30 percent, while the drivers and customers are still directly affected by rising costs.

The best way these companies can provide their support for both drivers and customers is to lower their commission rate, Hien stressed.

According to traffic experts, it is necessary to monitor the changes in fares of local transport businesses during this period for possible signs of non-transparent increases.

Petrol prices in Vietnam reached a new high on March 11 after the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade adjusted them upward for the seventh consecutive time this year.

The price of E5RON92 gasoline jumped VND2,910 to VND28,980 per liter, while that of RON95-III fuel climbed VND2,990 to VND29,820 a liter. ($1 = VND22,873)

Be goes against the trend Among the popular ride-hailing apps in Vietnam, Be is the only one that did not increase its fare. In fact, the company also decreased its commission rate. The firm announced that it would not raise the fare of all services, including motorbike and car ridesharing, delivery, grocery shopping, and food delivery, in a bid to support customers and contribute to transport cost stability. Be has also cut down its commission rate for beCar drivers to 10 percent in the context of skyrocketing gasoline prices.

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Vietnam and India have plenty of room for expanding cooperation in trade and investment, with the two countries aiming to push bilateral trade this year to US$15 billion, up 15.3 percent from 2021, as stated at the second Vietnam - India Business Forum held in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

The annual forum, co-organized by the Indian Consulate General in the city, the Indian Chamber of Commerce, and the municipal Investment and Trade Promotion Center, attracted more than 300 businesses participating in both face-to-face and online forms.

The event focused on cooperation in commerce and investment between Vietnam and India in the six fields, including engineering, supporting industries, digital, e-commerce, retail and agricultural products.

Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma told the forum that economic and trade ties continue to be important pillars of the two countries comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two-way trade between the two countries increased sharply from $200 million in 2020 to more than $13 billion in 2021, posting a year-on-year increase of 36 percent.

This year, the two countries aim to bring the trade value to $15 billion, or 15.36 percent higher than last year.

As of last month, India ranked 25th out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 315 valid projects worth more than $918 million, mainly in the fields of manufacturing and processing, electricity production and distribution, and mining.

Meanwhile, Vietnam had nine projects totally valued at over $6 million in the South Asian country, focusing on wholesale and retail.

However, Ambassador Verma noted that bilateral trade and investment ties in the past time are yet to commensurate with the potentials of the two nations.

The current period is the perfect time for the two sides to work on promoting their cooperation toward better effectiveness, as they both are emerging from the shadow of COVID-19 and are focusing on a rapid economic recovery, the ambassador pointed out.

With their own competitive advantages, Vietnam and India have emerged as the new destinations of many global supply chains, which has reflected in the fact that both countries are receiving large sources of foreign investment, Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper cited Vo Van Hoan, deputy chairman of the city's administration.

Such a context has been creating advantages for both countries in those international supply chains, so the bilateral close cooperation will help each country to receive more foreign capital and make deeper participation in such chains, Hoan said.

Ambassador Verma emphasized that the policy similarities as well as the spirit of self-reliance of the two countries form a foundation for them to tap their potential for cooperation in trade and investment, the Vietnam News Agency cited the offical as saying.

There are many cooperation areas where businesses of both countries can focus, including iron, steel, footwear and cotton yarn, through which the two sides may deepen penetration in the corresponding global supply chains, said Sumita Dawra, the Indian Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

Among other cooperative fields in trade and investment are agricultural production and food processing, she added.

The forum was part of a series of activities organized by the Consulate General of India in the city this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam, as well as the 75th anniversary of Indias Independence Day.

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Thousands of private preschools in Vietnam have had to shut down over the past two years as their owners failed to survive mandatory closures triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a meeting with the National Assembly in late February, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Ngo Thi Minh reported that more than 500 private kindergartens in the country had been dissolved.

The number would reach thousands if small-scale preschool units were taken into consideration.

In Hanoi, preschoolers have had to stay home since early May 2021 due to the serious COVID-19 outbreak.

The capital city is the hardest-hit locality in the ongoing outbreak, with more than 916,600 local infections recorded since last April.

As of early March, a large number of preschool owners in the capital city had decided to sell their facilities as they were on the brink of bankruptcy.

Among them, the shutdown of Tomokid Ham Nghi in Nam Tu Liem District has sparked a lot of concern among local parents, as the school has been referred to as a reputable institution with modern educational methods and good services.

Prior to this year's Tet (Lunar new year) holiday, which took place in early February, the school announced that it was looking for new shareholders in a bid to boost its capital, according to a parent.

A slide is pictured at a closed preschool in Vietnam. Photo: Chu Ha Linh / Tuoi Tre

However, the school eventually had to disband after the new landlord no longer provided it with a 50 percent discount in rental, while potential shareholders also shunned pouring additional funds.

Thai Hong, principal of a preschool in Nam Tu Liem District, said that the school originally had two facilities, each with an investment of nearly VND1 billion (US$43,700).

After ten months of temporary suspension due to the pandemic, Hong and her family had no choice but to dissolve one of the facilities.

The rent of each venue costs VND30 million ($1,300) a month, the principal stated.

The landlord reduced the rate by 50 percent in the first six months of 2021 to help us overcome the financial difficulties, Hong continued.

However, the reduction was only 30 percent in 2022, and the recent spike in COVID-19 cases has shattered our hope for reopening.

We already mortgaged our house to get a bank loan in order to maintain one facility, so the other had to be closed.

Similarly, Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, owner of Ong Viet kindergarten chain, also had to shut down one of her two schools.

As the school was unable to pay its teachers, only two of them chose to stay, Huyen continued, adding that tables, chairs, and other things have been severely damaged.

Signs that read land for sale in front of a closed preschool in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre

If we keep both facilities, we wont be able to afford the purchase and maintenance of equipment as well as wage payment for teachers.

Owners of many medium and small preschools have been rushing to sell or transfer their facilities to larger chains with better financial capacity, said Hoang Thuy Hang, manager of Happy Time Kindergarten.

Notably, these medium and small schools used to meet the needs of parents with low income, she continued.

Hang believed that private preschool owners in Hanoi have suffered the heaviest toll brought about by the pandemic compared to those in other localities in the country.

Hanoi currently has 1,145 preschools with more than 525,000 students, according to statistics from the municipal Department of Education and Training.

Over 158,000 local children go to private preschools, accounting for about 30 percent.

The fact that many private preschools are shutting down poses a problem that lots of young children will find it hard accessing early education.

In Ho Chi Minh City, statistics of the Department of Education and Training showed that about 22 preschools and over 90 childhood education groups have been closed due to COVID-19.

Although kindergarten students in the southern city were allowed to go back to class in early February, many schools are still struggling to maintain their operations.

The lack of students is also another reason for their shutdown, as a survey by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper showed that most schools can enroll only 50-60 percent of students compared to the past.

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Check out the news you should not miss today:

Society

-- A 32-year-old woman died on Friday after undergoing breast augmentation surgery at a hospital in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Earlier this week, another woman died on Wednesday after a two-month coma following a rhinoplasty she had in January at an unlicensed cosmetic clinic in Hanoi.

-- Rows of Caribbean trumpet trees in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, which have recently attracted crowds of local residents looking to take stunning photos, has been closed starting Saturday over the fear of COVID-19 spread.

-- A Vietnamese eleventh grader in the north-central province of Ha Tinh has been found dead in a river after leaving home for one day.

-- According to the Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City, many health workers in the city are suffering from burnout as a result of work overload and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

-- Doctors at Gia Dinh People's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City's Binh Thanh District successfully removed a fishbone that had formed a life-threatening abscess in a 60-year-old patient's bladder.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City have launched an investigation into a case in which one person died and another was injured during a conflict happening on a section of Tran Van Muoi Street in Hoc Mon District.

World News

-- Three Russian cosmonauts arrived safely at the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, docking their Soyuz capsule with the outpost for a mission that continues a 20-year shared Russian-U.S. presence in orbit despite tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.

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Doctors at Gia Dinh Peoples Hospital in Ho Chi Minh Citys Binh Thanh District successfully removed a fish bone that had formed a life-threatening abscess in a 60-year-old patients bladder.

N.T.H., a 60-year-old resident of Binh Thanh District, went to the urology clinic of Gia Dinh Peoples Hospital on March 4 for examination over his painful urination, mild fever and dull pain in the lower right abdomen.

His ultrasound result later showed an inflammatory tumor on the right side of his bladder and increased white blood cell count.

H. was then asked to undergo a CT scan, the result of which showed that there was a thin foreign body about 3.5 centimeters long next to the bladder.

The foreign body had formed an abscess.

The patient was hospitalized on March 15 and prescribed with antibiotics.

After failing to detect any abnormality in the lining of the bladder lumen with a cystoscopy, doctors continued to consult with specialists in gastroenterology on H.s case on the next day.

As H.s abdominal pain increased and he showed signs of infection, doctors in gastroenterology and urology carried out an emergency surgery in the afternoon of the same day.

During the surgery, the surgeons discovered a hard mass in the anterior wall of the bladder.

The mass caused no digestive damage.

The doctors decided to cut a part of the bladder attached to the abscess.

The foreign body removed from the abscess was a fish bone-like object.

Doctors determined that there was a possibility that a fish bone had moved from the digestive tract into the bladder, leading to the formation of the abscess.

Currently, H. is in stable health and suffers no sequelae from the abscess surgery.

He is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the next few days.

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A 22-year-old girl from the Mekong Delta province of Long An who sank into a coma after undergoing plastic surgery on her nose in Hanoi died on Wednesday.

The police in Hanois Hoang Mai District said on the following day that they were investigating her case.

One family member of her told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that she, named P.T.D.H., on January 14 was recommended by her friend to get a nose job at an aesthetic facility in Hoang Mai District.

On the next day, her family was told by the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital to rush to the hospital as H. was in critical condition.

Being notified of the news, her family traveled for over 1,500 kilometers to Hanoi where she was in a coma and critical condition, with only a 20 percent chance of survival.

As she made no progress after undergoing treatment at Bach Mai Hospital, her family on February 25 took her to a general hospital in her hometown for further treatment

She was pronounced dead on the evening of Wednesday.

My family has worked with the police on the case. We have spent hundreds of millions of dong [VND1 million = US$43.7] on her medical treatment and plastic surgery, but failed to save her, her family member said, adding that the owner of the aesthetic facility had promised to compensate for the loss of the family.

According to her family member, H. divorced her husband.

She gave her only child aged over one year old to her mother to take care of and left for the capital city to earn a living and sent money home to raise her kid.

Commenting on the case, an inspector of the Hanoi Department of Health, told Tuoi Tre that the Hoang Minh P. aesthetic facility, where the girl got a nose job, is an unlicensed business.

The facility is a semi-detached villa with no advertisement board.

It was identified as a private house, not an aesthetic facility. The competent forces are probing into the case.

Meanwhile, speaking to Tuoi Tre, Hoang Minh P., owner of the aesthetic facility, asserted that the victim was not a customer of his facility.

He just lent the location to a person named Nguyen Sy G. to perform the plastic surgery.

P. added that he has worked with the competent forces on the issue and declined to provide further information.

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A body found under a bridge in the north-central Vietnamese province of Ha Tinh on Friday has been identified as a teenage boy who had disappeared on the previous day, according to authorities.

L.H.D., 17, left and failed to return home in Son Ham Commune, Ha Tinhs Huong Son District on Thursday afternoon, according to Ho Viet Hao, the communes Party secretary.

On the next morning, residents of Son Phu Commune in the same district found an electric bicycle and a pair of slippers left on the riverbank near the Khe Cay Bridge and reported the incident to the local police.

Police officers began searching for D. after determining that the e-bike and slippers belonged to him.

They discovered D.s body under the Khe Cay Bridge by Friday afternoon.

Functional forces are investigating the case.

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Police have initiated an investigation into a case where a woman passed away while undergoing a breast implant at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

Ngo Anh Tuan, deputy director of 1A Hospital in Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Binh District, said on Friday evening that his staff are working with the local police to clarify the cause of the death of 33-year-old N.T.N.N., hailing from the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

N. went to the hospital for a breast augmentation at around 11:30 am on Friday as per a doctor appointment, according to her family.

After over three hours of waiting, N.s family members asked medical staff about her health situation at around 3:00 pm and were informed that she had yet to wake up from anesthesia.

The medical staff also did not allow N.s relatives to take a look at her.

As the relatives insisted on meeting N. and were denied repeatedly with the reason that she was suffering low blood pressure, they searched many rooms at the hospital for the woman and eventually found her already dead on a bed.

Police officers work at 1A Hospital in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, March 18, 2022. Photo: N.N. / Tuoi Tre

Before the surgery, my sister felt not well, but the doctor said that her condition was qualified for the surgery, said N.s younger sister.

Up to now, the hospital has yet to give any explanation to my family about the cause of my sisters death.

Tuan said the hospital had reported the case to the inspectors of the municipal Department of Health.

They refused to comment on N.s cause of death, asking reporters to wait for the conclusion from the investigators.

The hospital leader affirmed that the doctor who performed the breast augmentation for N. is a contract employee at the institution and had a practice certificate.

The hospital representatives also presented necessary documents to local police after the incident.

The Center for Forensic Assessment of Ho Chi Minh City carried out an autopsy on N.s body on Saturday morning.

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Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Mostly clear this evening then becoming mostly cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear this evening then becoming mostly cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Green energy networks are being looked but it all needs to happen quicker

PROTESTERS were out asking the public to sign an open letter which called on the UK government to adopt a more proactive approach to transitioning to green energy.

Members of the West Wales Climate Coalition, with links to Extinction Rebellion, were on Haverfordwests Old Bridge on March 14, expounding their fears that the UK Government will look to rachet up production of fossil fuels to mitigate the on-going fuel crisis.

Petrol at the pumps is soaring over 160 pence a litre, with price rises not seen at British fuel stations in years.

Lynda Duffil, 53, said: We are asking people to sign as open statement to the government and Ofgem to ask them to invest more into renewable energy.

"We want them to move away from fossil fuels to mitigate climate change and make sure all those employed in the oil industry have a planned and sustainable transition to green jobs.

Green energy networks are being looked at by the UK gov but not being invested in. It all needs to happen quicker.

Western Telegraph: An open letter to the UK Government

An open letter to the UK Government

Marj Hawkin, 70, said: Its important to try draw peoples attention to the issue. People know their energy bills are going up.

"Perhaps they have not thought about or know how to move into green energy.